WO2008071513A2

WO2008071513A2 - Multilayered barrel

Info

Publication number: WO2008071513A2
Application number: PCT/EP2007/062401
Authority: WO
Inventors: Honsue Cho; William Porter
Original assignee: Photo Diagnostic Devices (Pdd) Limited
Priority date: 2006-12-14
Filing date: 2007-11-15
Publication date: 2008-06-19
Also published as: WO2008071513A3

Abstract

A multi-layered wine barrel (2) enabling the use of an inner lining of oak staves.

Description

Container

Field of the invention

This invention relates generally to barrels and other containers, and more specifically to a multi-layered wine barrel enabling the use of an inner lining of oak staves.

Background of the invention

Wine barrels are typically constructed of solid oak or similar wood material, which assists in the aging of the wine and imparts a desirable flavouring characteristic to the wine. Unfortunately, solid wooden barrels are expensive, difficult to maintain, require the use of timber from slow growing oak trees (approximately 80-100 years old at the time of felling) and may only be used for a limited period of time before they must be replaced. Cooperage of the barrels is a highly skilled process and therefore incurs high labour costs. During manufacture of the barrels, the wood is riven and carefully selected so that barrel staves are free of knots making the resultant barrel more leak proof. This process is wasteful since nearly half the wood cannot be used.

In view of the expense of traditional oak wine barrels, there has been a long- standing objective within the wine-making community to arrive at more affordable alternatives.

Plastic and/or metal barrels have been used, but neither of these alternatives imparts the necessary oak flavouring to the wine. In an effort to overcome this drawback, the addition of oak to the inside of the plastic or metal barrel has been widely proposed. This has been done in many forms, for example, by the use of teabag like inserts of oak shavings, the lining of the inside of the metal barrel with oak (see US 1,009,326), or the use of solid oak planks as inserts (se US 5,054,381). None of these methods, however, has been successful in imparting the same complex flavour as a traditional oak barrel. One reason for this is thought to be the ability of traditional oak barrels to

'breathe' or 'sweat' over prolonged storage, allowing small quantities of the wine to evaporate and the remaining wine to be oxygenated by permeation of air through the walls of the barrel. This process is thought to oxidise certain aromatic compounds within the wine, thereby altering the characteristics. In an effort to mimic this, micro-oxygenation techniques have been employed in which small quantities of air are bubbled through the wine during storage. Such a set-up, however, is relatively expensive, difficult to control and is still not entirely satisfactory in terms of the flavours achieved. Indeed, it is now thought that the introduction of air through the oak walls of the barrel is an essential part of the process since this subtly alters the flavour imparted to the wine by the oak.

Other routes to reducing the overall cost of wine barrels have included making individual staves with a laminate or plywood-like structure, such as those disclosed in US 2,069,531 and US 2,649,124. Wine barrels made from such materials can still suffer the defect, however, of excessive leakage through the joints between the staves.

Others have sought to simplify the construction of the wine barrel, reducing the need for skilled coopers and hence the cost of producing the barrel. For instance, US 4,813,565 discloses a barrel comprising circular metal ends connected by a cylindrical wall comprising straight-sided oak staves. AU 2004/201917 discloses a barrel comprising a metal frame into which oak planks are inserted. Neither of these solutions, however, results in a substantial reduction in the quantity of oak used. Therefore there is still a need for further alternatives to the traditional oak barrel to be developed.

Summary of the invention

A first aspect of the present invention relates to a container comprising a curved wall, wherein the wall comprises an inner layer contacting an outer layer, said inner layer comprising a first plurality of strips abutting each other and arranged in a first orientation, and said outer layer comprising a second plurality of strips abutting each other and arranged in a second orientation, wherein the first orientation is not the same as the second orientation. As used herein, a 'curved wall' refers to any wall in which the face of greatest surface area is substantially non-planar. Preferably the wall is of substantially constant thickness. Any curve may be formed from a plurality of substantially linear segments. The wall may have a lateral and/or a longitudinal curvature. Preferably, the radius of the lateral and/or the longitudinal curvature is substantially constant, although compound curves are also possible. Preferably, the radius of the longitudinal curvature is greater than the radius of the lateral curvature.

As used herein, the terms 'inner' and 'outer' relate to the inside and outside of the container respectively. Thus, both the inner and outer layers of the first aspect of the invention are arranged substantially parallel both to each other and to the wall face of greatest surface area.

As used herein, the term 'orientation' of strips refers to the direction in which the strips lie within a given layer. It must be appreciated that as the strips abut each other, each strip lies in substantially the same orientation as other strips of the same layer in the immediate vicinity.

The difference in orientation of the strips of different layers results in a container that is more leak resistant than conventional solid wood containers, since there is no continuous joint bringing into fluid communication the inner and outer faces of the wall of the container.

In one embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the container is a container for liquid, ideally an alcoholic liquid, preferably wine, a fortified wine

(such as port or sherry), or whisky. The container may also serve for the fermentation of wine, beer, port, sherry, cider or perry. Preferably the container is a barrel.

In another embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the wall of the container is substantially circular in cross-section, i.e. the wall encircles a substantially circular area.

In yet another embodiment, the wall of the container comprises two, three, four, five, six or more layers, each of said layers comprising a plurality of strips abutting each other and arranged in a given orientation. Preferably two, three, four, five, six or more of said layers each contact an adjacent of said layers. It is also preferred that the orientation of the strips of each layer does not coincide with the orientation of the strips of each adjacent layer. In another embodiment, the difference between the orientation of the strips of the inner and outer layer is at least 5 degrees. Preferably the difference is 10 to 90 degrees. Even more preferably, the difference is 30 to 60 degrees. Preferably, the differences between the orientations of the strips of all adjacent layers are at - A -

least 5 degrees, preferably 10 to 90 degrees, preferably 30 to 60 degrees, respectively.

In any of the above embodiments, the innermost and/or the outermost layer of the wall may comprise a plurality of staves abutting each other. The innermost and/or the outermost layer may also comprise a veneer. The wall may also further comprise one or more additional layers of unitary structure.

In one embodiment of the present invention, one, two, three, four, five, six or all of the layers comprise staves and/or strips made from wood. Preferably the wood of the innermost and/or the outermost layer is different from the wood of the remaining layers. Ideally, the wood of the innermost and/or the outermost layer is oak, preferably French oak, American oak or Eastern European oak. Preferably one, two, three, four, five, six or more of the layers comprise strips made from bamboo or soft wood, preferably bamboo. Preferably at least half of the layers comprise strips made from bamboo or soft wood, preferably bamboo. Where the strips and/or staves are made from wood, the direction of the grain may differ from stave to stave, or strip to strip, within any given layer and/or from layer to layer.

In another embodiment, the innermost layer can be removed and replaced without affecting the integrity of the remaining layers. Thus, for instance, at the end of its useful life, an innermost layer of oak may be removed and replaced with a fresh layer without requiring the construction of an entirely new container.

In any of the above embodiments, it is preferred that each layer is about l-30mm thick, preferably about 2-15mm thick, ideally about 3-8mm thick. It is preferred that the total thickness of the wall is in the range of about 10-80mm, preferably about 15-60mm, and ideally about 20-40mm. The strips and/or staves of the container wall may be held in place by one or more metal hoops. The metal hoops may be made from iron. Preferably the hoops are made from aluminium or an alloy of aluminium. Alternatively, the strips and/or staves of the container wall may be held in place by one or more bamboo hoops.

Preferably air is able to permeate through the wall of the container, i.e. preferably the container is breathable. It is also preferred that the container comprises no glue. Alternatively, the walls of the container may comprise glued and non-glued regions, or comprise glue that is air-permeable. A second aspect of the present invention relates to a barrel comprising a wall comprising bamboo strips and/or bamboo staves. The barrel of the second aspect of the present invention may also comprise any of the features of the container of the first aspect of the present invention. A third aspect of the present invention relates to a container comprising staves and/or strips held in place by one or more aluminium or bamboo hoops. The container of the third aspect of the present invention may also comprise any of the features of the container of the first or second aspects of the present invention.

A fourth aspect of the present invention relates to a closable container for liquid comprising a wooden membrane and a support, wherein said wooden membrane is less than 1.5cm, preferably less than 1.2cm, more preferably less than lcm thick, and said support provides for the structural rigidity and shape of the container, and wherein said wooden membrane and said support comprise different types of material, such that together the wooden membrane and the support provide a barrier to the substantial flow of liquid out of the container whilst allowing small quantities of liquid to exchange with small quantities of air over a prolonged period of time.

Where it is said that the support 'provides for the structural rigidity and shape of the container' it is to be understood that, as used herein, this means that the container would still retain essentially the same shape and the majority of its structural rigidity in the absence of the wooden membrane.

In any of the embodiments of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the wooden membrane may comprise oak, preferably French oak, American oak or Eastern European oak. Preferably the wooden membrane is less than 7.5mm or 5mm thick.

In one embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the support comprises wood, preferably bamboo or soft wood, more preferably bamboo.

In another embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the support comprises metal and/or plastic. Preferably, in such an embodiment, the support is porous and/or covers less than 80% of the external surface area of the wooden membrane. More preferably, the support covers less than 70% or less than

60% of the external surface area of the wooden membrane. The container of the fourth aspect of the present invention may also comprise any of the features of the container of the first, second or third aspects of the present invention.

In any of the above aspects of the present invention, the internal surface of the container or barrel may be charred.

In any of the above aspects of the present invention, the container or barrel preferably has a volume of 10-100,000 litres, more preferably 50-1,000 litres, more preferably 100-500 litres, and most preferably 200-300 litres.

Brief description of the drawings

The present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a partial cut-away diagram of a side elevation of a barrel according to the invention.

Figure 2 shows an enlargement of area 1 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a horizontal cross-section of the wall of the barrel along line A-A' of Figure 1.

Detailed description of the invention

Figures 1 to 3 show a wine barrel (2), the wall of which comprises five layers (3-7). The outermost layer (3) comprises a plurality of bamboo strips (8) abutting each other in a vertical orientation (relative to the depiction of the barrel). Inside this layer lies a second layer (4) contacting the outermost layer and also comprising a plurality of bamboo strips (9). The bamboo strips (9) of the second layer are orientated at 30 degrees clockwise from the vertical, thus the orientation of the strips of the outermost layer and the orientation of the strips of the second layer is not the same.

Inside the second layer lies a third layer (5) also contacting the second layer and also comprising a plurality of bamboo strips (10). The bamboo strips (10) of the third layer are orientated at 30 degrees anti-clockwise from the vertical, thus the orientation of the strips of the second layer differs from the orientation of the strips of the third layer by 60 degrees.

Inside the third layer lies a fourth layer (6) contacting the third layer and also comprising a plurality of bamboo strips (11). The bamboo strips (11) of the fourth layer are horizontally orientated, thus the orientation of the strips of the fourth layer differs from the orientation of the strips of the third layer by 60 degrees.

Finally, there is an innermost layer (7), contacting the fourth layer and made from oak staves. Thus, the contents of the barrel when in use will contact this oak layer. The barrel further comprises oak planar end caps (12) enclosing the top and bottom of the barrel. The barrel is held together by aluminium hoops (not shown). The barrel therefore has a similar appearance to traditional wine barrels. It can also be made to the same size as a traditional wine barrel.

It can be seen that the multi-layered wine barrel (2) provides a comparable wood surface area to wine volume ratio as a traditional barrel, while increasing the strength, improving resistance to leakage and reducing the cost. Secondary benefits include the use of quickly renewable and economical materials and the ability to be constructed with unskilled labour.

The reduced cost of the barrel arises primarily from the use of cheap, quick growing, bamboo for the outer layers, which in turn allows thinner, more economical grades of oak to be used for the inner lining.

The differing orientations of the strips result in a wine barrel that is considerably stronger than traditional wine barrels. Wood has the greatest strength along the length of its fibres and orienting the strips of the different layers of the barrel wall in alternating directions greatly increases the resistance to shear forces and increases burst strength. Furthermore, this difference in orientation of the strips of different layers also results in a barrel that is more leak resistant than solid wood wine barrels, as there no longer exists a continuous joint between adjacent staves bringing into fluid communication the inner and outer faces of the wall of the barrel.

The multi-layered wine barrel (2) maintains the interaction of air through the barrel wall in the same manner as traditional wine barrels. The inner layer of oak (7) effectively acts as a wooden membrane which is about 1.2cm thick, whilst the outer bamboo layers (3 to 6), in conjunction with the aluminium hoops, act as a support, providing for the structural rigidity and shape of the barrel. Due to the air- permeable yet essentially watertight nature of both oak and bamboo, together the layers act to provide a barrier to the substantial flow of wine out of the barrel, whilst allowing small quantities of wine to exchange with small quantities of air over a prolonged period of time.

In addition, the multi-layered barrel gives the user the versatility to maintain a preferred wine to wood ratio just by selecting the type and quantity of inner wood element desired. The blending of woods (Never s/AUier, Eastern European, French/American oak) is also easily accomplished.

The use of aluminium, an aluminium alloy or bamboo for the hoops allows for the energy efficient recycling even of these components.

It will be understood that the present invention has been described above by way of example only. The example is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Various modifications and embodiments can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, which is defined by the following claims only.

Claims

1. A container comprising a curved wall, wherein the wall comprises an inner layer contacting an outer layer, said inner layer comprising a first plurality of strips abutting each other and arranged in a first orientation, and said outer layer comprising a second plurality of strips abutting each other and arranged in a second orientation, wherein the first orientation is not the same as the second orientation.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the container is a container for liquid.

3. A container as claimed in claim 2, wherein the liquid is wine, a fortified wine, or whisky.

4. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the container is a barrel.

5. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the wall is substantially circular in cross-section.

6. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the wall comprises two, three, four, five, six or more layers, each of said layers comprising a plurality of strips abutting each other and arranged in a given orientation.

7. A container as claimed in claim 6, wherein two, three, four, five, six or more of said layers each contact an adjacent of said layers.

8. A container as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein the orientation of the strips of each layer does not coincide with the orientation of the strips of each adjacent layer.

9. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the difference between the orientation of the strips of the inner and outer layer is at least 5 degrees.

10. A container as claimed in claim 9, wherein the difference is 10 to 90 degrees.

11. A container as claimed in claim 10, wherein the difference is 30 to 60 degrees.

12. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the innermost and/or the outermost layer comprises a plurality of staves abutting each other.

13. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the innermost and/or the outermost layer comprises a veneer.

14. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the wall further comprises one or more additional layers of unitary structure.

15. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein one, two, three, four, five, six or all of the layers comprise staves and/or strips made from wood.

16. A container as claimed in claim 15, wherein the wood of the innermost and/or the outermost layer is different from the wood of the remaining layers.

17. A container as claimed in claim 15 or 16, wherein the wood of the innermost and/or the outermost layer is oak.

18. A container as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein one, two, three, four, five, six or more of the layers comprise strips made from bamboo or soft wood.

19. A container as claimed in claim 18, wherein at least half of the layers comprise strips made from bamboo or soft wood.

20. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the strips and/or staves are held in place by one or more metal or bamboo hoops.

21. A container as claimed in claim 20, wherein the hoops are made from aluminium or an alloy of aluminium.

22. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein air is able to permeate through the wall.

23. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the container comprises no glue.

24. A barrel comprising a wall comprising bamboo strips and/or bamboo staves.

25. A container comprising staves and/or strips held in place by one or more aluminium or bamboo hoops.

26. A closable container for liquid comprising a wooden membrane and a support, wherein said wooden membrane is less than 1.5cm thick, and said support provides for the structural rigidity and shape of the container, and wherein said wooden membrane and said support comprise different types of material, such that together the wooden membrane and the support provide a barrier to the substantial flow of liquid out of the container whilst allowing small quantities of liquid to exchange with small quantities of air over a prolonged period of time.

27. A closable container as claimed in claim 26, wherein the wooden membrane comprises oak.

28. A closable container as claimed in claim 26 or 27, wherein the wooden membrane is less than 7.5mm or 5mm thick.

29. A closable container as claimed in any one of claims 26 to 28, wherein the support comprises wood.

30. A closable container as claimed in claim 29, wherein the support comprises bamboo or soft wood.

31. A closable container as claimed in any one of claims 26 to 28, wherein the support comprises metal and/or plastic.

32. A closable container as claimed in claim 31, wherein the support covers less than 80% of the external surface area of the wooden membrane.

33. A container as substantially hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1, and/or Figure 2 and/or Figure 3.