WO2021160976A1

WO2021160976A1 - Carbonated beverage container with improved bubbling behaviour

Info

Publication number: WO2021160976A1
Application number: PCT/FR2021/050261
Authority: WO
Inventors: Emilie DEBOUT; Hervé CHARLES; Jean-Marc VANNELLE; Christophe DESGARDIN; Ludovic MARQUANT
Original assignee: Arc France
Priority date: 2020-02-14
Filing date: 2021-02-12
Publication date: 2021-08-19
Also published as: FR3107262B1; US20230089369A1; FR3107262A1; CN115103616A; EP4103022A1

Abstract

Carbonated beverage container 1, in particular a glass, comprising a sealed wall made of at least one structural material, the sealed wall defining an internal surface having a bottom portion between a bottom 4 of the sealed wall and a region of maximum diameter and an edge portion located above the bottom portion, the sealed wall comprising, in the bottom portion, a plurality of open pores 6 forming a pattern occupying an area of between 0.01 and 5%, preferably between 0.10 and 1%, of the area of the bottom portion and having an open cross shape.

Description

IMPROVED BULLAGE SOFT DRINK CONTAINER

The invention relates to the field of containers for liquids, and more particularly articles of glassware.

When manufacturing beverage containers such as glass cups, the surfaces created are generally made as smooth as possible, in particular to give them good transparency and for aesthetic reasons.

The service of a carbonated drink in a container generates effervescent phenomena, or bubbling, and the accumulation of foam on the surface. For the service of beer or sparkling wine for example, it is desirable to generate and maintain effervescence. The areas where bubbles are generated in a glass are called nucleation sites.

It has been found that the presence of irregularities in the container surfaces in contact with carbonated drink promotes the appearance of bubbles from the gas dissolved in said carbonated drink. To promote bubbling, interior surfaces with rough relief have therefore been created in containers. When filling the container with a carbonated liquid such as a carbonated drink, crevices in the interior surface trap air pockets. The interfaces between the liquid and the air pockets allow better gas exchanges. The crevices then form nucleation zones.

EP 0 703 743 describes a method of supplying material to a surface to create nucleation sites and improve bubbling. A browning of the bottom of the glass has sometimes been observed. FR 2 531 891 describes a process for the ablation of material favoring the appearance of a gas evolution zone. Examples of application are given in WO 2010/048488.

Patent FR 3008295 proposes to create nucleation sites inside a beverage container by surface irregularities on the bottom of the container on which a hydrophobic layer is then deposited. FR 3065360 proposes depositing a hydrophobic layer on the bottom of a beverage container and then providing solutions of continuity there by laser shots. FR 3081 304 describes a container whose bottom is provided with a layer of enamel, enamel grains on the surface of and fixed to the enamel layer, and a hydrophobic compound on part of the surface of the grains enamel. FR application n ° 1859699 will be published after the filing date of this document. The Applicant has identified the need to improve the quality of the bubbling.

Prof. Liger-Belair and his team from UMR CNRS 7331 - University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne have published on the effervescence:

Liger-Belair, G. “The physics behind the fizz in champagne and sparkling wines” European Physical Journal: Special Topics 201, 1-88, 2012. Liger-Belair, G. “The physics of champagne bubbles” Annales de Physique ( Paris) 27 (4), 1-106, 2002.

Liger-Belair, G .; Conreux, A .; Villaume, S .; Cilindre, C. “Monitoring the losses of dissolved carbon dioxide from laser-etched champagne glasses” Food Research International, 54, 516-522, 2013. Liger-Belair, G .; Voisin, C .; Jeandet, P. “Modeling non-classical heterogeneous bubble nucleation from cellulose fibers: Application to bubbling in carbonated beverages” Journal of Physical Chemistry B 109, 14573-14580, 2005.

Liger-Belair, G .; Parmentier, M .; Jeandet, P. “Modeling the kinetics of bubble nucleation in champagne and carbonated beverages” Journal of Physical Chemistry B110, 21145-21151, 2006.

Liger-Belair, G. “How many bubbles in your glass of bubbly?” Journal of Physical Chemistry B 118, 3156-3163, 2014.

Liger-Belair, G .; Bourget, M .; Villaume, S .; Jeandet, P .; Pron, H .; Polidori, G. “On the losses of dissolved C02 during champagne serving” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 58, 8768-8775, 2010.

The Applicant has sought to better understand the value of bubbling and has identified two main axes. The bubbling offers a pleasant aspect which reinforces the interest of the consumer. The Applicant then sought to increase the duration of the bubbling so that a consumer leaving his glass to rest does not end up with a drink which has exhausted its bubbling gas. The Applicant also had the idea of focusing on the spatial distribution of the bubbling and its effects on the drink. It turns out that the bubbles take on aromatic particles as they rise through the drink. The bubbling therefore has an effect on the taste perceived by the consumer beyond the gradual reduction in the content of dissolved gas. A complex interaction with the shape of the container is also seen. Bubbling appears to be more durable with bubbles starting from one edge rather than the center. From another point of view, the Applicant has realized that although the chemistry and physics of nucleation sites had been the subject of interesting studies, the geography of nucleation sites had been neglected.

A carbonated beverage container is proposed, in particular an effervescent wine glass, comprising a sealed wall made of at least one structural material, the sealed wall defining an internal surface having a bottom portion between a bottom of the sealed wall and a zone of maximum diameter and an edge portion located above the bottom part, the sealed wall comprising in the bottom part a plurality of open porosities forming a pattern occupying an area between 0.01 and 5%, preferably between 0 , 10 and 1%, of the area of the bottom part and having an open cross shape. Convective mixing is obtained in the transverse plane and in the horizontal plane.

In one embodiment, the carbonated beverage container is made of glass,

In one embodiment, the area is between 10 and 40% of the area of the bottom portion.

In one embodiment, the cross has branches in straight segments.

In one embodiment, the cross has intersecting segments.

In one embodiment, the cross has disjointed segments in the center.

In one embodiment, the cross has a number of branches of between 3 and 10. Said branches can be contiguous or not contiguous.

In one embodiment, the cross has at least discontinuity. Said at least one discontinuity may be oriented perpendicular to the direction of a segment or at an angle. In one embodiment, the pattern has a plurality of point zones having said porosities. The cross shape can be made of spots, sticks, circles, squares, etc.

In one embodiment, the sealed wall forms a parison having a diameter at the mouth less than the diameter at mid-height.

In one embodiment, the sealed wall forms a parison having a height greater than the diameter at mid-height. Stirring by convection is more important for glasses with a high and shallow parison than for glasses with a low and wide parison. A flute-shaped glass generates greater stirring, The radius R of a bubble increases with the distance D traveled in the drink with a relation less than the square root, with k a constant: R <k (D) ⁰ ⁵ . The ascent speed of a bubble increases with the square of the radius R. The ascent speed therefore increases with the distance D. Preferably, the height is greater than the maximum diameter, better still twice the maximum diameter.

For such a container, the radial distribution of the pattern generates central bubbles and wall bubbles. The parietal bubbles reach the surface being smaller in size than the size of the central bubbles.

In the case of a cup, the parison forms the bulk of the container. In the case of a stemmed glass, the parison is supported by the stem.

In one embodiment, said cross has at least two branches extending, in developed length, over more than 90% of the maximum radius of the bottom part.

In one embodiment, said cross has at least two branches extending, in projection in a plane normal to the axis of the parison, over more than 80% of the maximum radius of the bottom part.

In one embodiment, said two branches are opposite if the number of branches is even.

In one embodiment, said two branches are arranged at least 120 ° from each other if the number of branches is odd.

In one embodiment, the cross is centered on an axis of symmetry of the container. In one embodiment, the cross has branches with a width of between 0.1 and 5 mm, preferably between 0.25 and 0.80 mm.

In one embodiment, the cross has branches of equal lengths, equal widths, and a discontinuity in the center.

In one embodiment, the pattern consists of concavities having a depth of between 0.001 and 0.080 mm, preferably between 0.001 and 0.040 mm, more preferably between 0.001 and 0.010 mm.

In one embodiment, the concavities have a width of between 0.0005 and 0.002 mm.

In one embodiment, the concavities have a length of between 0.001 and 0.300 mm, preferably between 0.075 and 0.200 mm.

In one embodiment, the concavities have a length per unit area of between 0.11 rrr ¹ and 0.28 nrr ¹ .

In one embodiment, the concavities comprise perforations have a diameter of between 0.050 and 0.300 mm, preferably between 0.100 and 0.200 mm.

In one embodiment, the perforations have a diameter to depth ratio of between 2 and 4, preferably between 2.5 and 3.5.

In one embodiment, the perforations are formed by applying a laser beam at points. The points of application of the laser beam cause local cracking of the wall. Said cracks may originate from the points of application. Said cracks form concavities.

In one embodiment, the laser beam has a power of between 10 and 500 W, a frequency of between 1 and 20 kHz and a displacement speed of between 1 and 10 m / s, for example a power of 100 W, a frequency of 5 kHz and a speed of 5 m / s.

The container may further include a glass body. The transparency makes it possible to visualize the appearance and the progression of the bubbles from the nucleation site to the surface of the drink. Other characteristics, details and advantages of the invention will become apparent on reading the detailed description below, and the appended drawings, in which:

[Fig. 1] is a sectional view of a container according to one aspect of the invention,

[Fig. 2] is a sectional view of a container according to one aspect of the invention, [Fig. 3] is a sectional view of a container according to one aspect of the invention,

[Fig. 4] is a sectional photo of a container according to one aspect of the invention,

[Fig. 5] is a sectional photo of a container according to one aspect of the invention,

[Fig. 6] is a sectional photo of a container according to one aspect of the invention,

The drawings and the description below essentially contain elements of a certain nature. They can therefore not only serve to better understand the present invention, but also contribute to its definition, if necessary.

In a liquid food, carbon dioxide (CO2) dissolved in the liquid phase is the vector gas for the phenomenon of effervescence. The frequency of emission of bubbles during a tasting, the enlargement of the bubbles in the container and the number of bubbles likely to form are linked to a certain number of physicochemical parameters of the liquid phase and of the container in which it is tasted.

When a gas is brought into contact with a liquid, part of this gas dissolves in the liquid. Different factors influence the solubility of gas in liquid, in particular temperature and pressure. At equilibrium, there is a proportionality between the concentration in the liquid phase of a chemical species i, denoted Ci, and its partial pressure in the gas phase Pi. Henry's law is written: [Math 1]

Ci = kH Pi

The constant of proportionality kH is called Henry's constant. It strongly depends on the gas and liquid considered, as well as on the temperature. Under normal atmospheric pressure Po ^" 1 bar, taking into account the solubility of C02 in a beer at 4 ° C which is kH" 2.6 g / L / bar, said beer is capable of dissolving approximately 2.6 g / L of CO2.

When chemical i is in equilibrium across a gas / liquid interface, its concentration in the liquid satisfies Henry's Law. The liquid is then said to be saturated with respect to this substance. In this case, saturation means balance.

When the LC concentration of a chemical i in a liquid is higher than expected by Henry's law, the liquid is supersaturated with that substance. To quantify this out-of-equilibrium situation, we define the supersaturation coefficient Si as the relative excess of concentration in a liquid of a substance i with respect to the reference concentration, noted co (chosen as the equilibrium concentration of this substance under a partial pressure equal to the pressure prevailing in the liquid PL). We therefore define the supersaturation coefficient Si in the following form:

[Math 2]

Si = (Ci - CO) / CO

When a liquid is supersaturated with a chemical substance, we have Si> 0. The liquid evacuates part of its content in this chemical to find a new state of equilibrium which verifies Henry's law.

Under tasting conditions, in a container, the pressure in the liquid is almost identical to the ambient pressure. Given the low height of the liquid, which does not exceed 10 to 12 cm, the effect of the hydrostatic overpressure at the bottom of the container is negligible compared to atmospheric pressure. At a temperature of 4 ° C, we can then deduce the concentration at equilibrium as being equal to:

[Math 3] co = IÎHPL “kHPo“ 2.6 g / L

Beers do not all have the same dissolved CO2 concentration. Some are lightly loaded at a level of 3-4 g / L, while others are heavily loaded, up to 7-8 g / L. Their respective supersaturation coefficients with respect to dissolved CO2 will therefore not be the same. In the case of an average beer, loaded at about 5 g / L. Its supersaturation coefficient (at 4 ° C) by applying the equation [Math 2]:

[Math 4]

Sco2 = (ci - co) / co "(5 - 2.6) / 2.6" 0.9

For comparison (still at 4 ° C), strongly carbonated waters (Badoit Rouge type) have supersaturation coefficients of around 1.3, while Champagne wines (still young) have significantly higher coefficients. , of the order of 3.4. In general, the higher the supersaturation coefficient of a liquid loaded with dissolved CO2, the more intense the resulting dissolved carbon dioxide escape kinetics will be in order to restore Henry's equilibrium. However, it has been observed that the supersaturation of a liquid with dissolved gas is not necessarily synonymous with the formation of bubbles and therefore effervescence.

Indeed, at the beers supersaturation values, the formation of bubbles requires the presence of gas pockets in the medium, the radius of curvature rc of which exceeds a so-called critical value defined as follows:

[Math 5] rc = 2 g / PoS where Y is the surface tension of the liquid, Po is the ambient pressure and S is the coefficient of supersaturation of the liquid phase with CO2.

At normal atmospheric pressure of 1 bar and at 4 ° C, in the case of a beer whose surface tension is typically 45 mN / m and the supersaturation coefficient about 0.9, the preceding equation shows a radius critical of the order of 1 μm below which the formation of bubbles does not take place.

To make CO2 bubbles appear and grow in a sparkling wine, the medium contains gas microbubbles with radii greater than a critical radius. We speak of non-classical heterogeneous nucleation (as opposed to so-called classical nucleations which concern the spontaneous formation, ex nihilo, of bubbles in a highly supersaturated liquid). Nucleations conventional require very high dissolved gas supersaturation coefficients (> 100), incompatible with carbonated drinks.

The question then arises of the origin of the gaseous germs which are the catalysts of effervescence in a container.

The critical nucleation radius takes into account the dissolved CO2 concentration of the drink, cf. equations [Math 4] and [Math 5]. However, after service, said concentration is no longer the same as the initial concentration. Service is a critical step. Indeed, pouring into the container generates significant turbulence which accelerates the escape of dissolved carbon dioxide. The colder the drink, the more dissolved carbon dioxide is kept dissolved when served. This is because the drink is more viscous the cold it is. However, the rate of diffusion of dissolved CO2 out of the drink is all the more rapid the lower the viscosity. In addition, the turbulence of pouring is eased the more effectively the viscous the drink is. Consequently, the colder the drink is served, the better the retention of dissolved carbon dioxide during service.

For sparkling wine, the critical radius is influenced by several factors: type of wine, sugar level, composition, etc.

In addition, it has been established that the flow of bubbles, that is to say the number of bubbles per second is proportional to the square of the temperature, to the concentration of CO2 dissolved in the liquid, and inversely proportional to the viscosity liquid dynamics (in kg / m / s).

By examining the phenomenon of bubbling sparkling wines, the Applicant has carried out tests by using sparkling wine glasses whose bottom is roughened by laser shots on the uncoated glass wall. Glass after a normal finish giving it a smooth surface is treated with a laser beam generating controlled impacts in the back wall from the interior surface.

Unlike beer glasses, the bottom of which is generally flat, sparkling wine glasses, of the flute or cup type, have bottoms of variable height, in particular inverted ogive, parabolic, brace, etc. of various curvatures. These tests have shown the benefit of radially distributed bubbling, in particular by the stirring that the distributed bubbling causes by mass convection.

A container 1 is shown in the figures. The container 1 here takes the form of a stemmed glass. The method described below applies to most of the containers for carbonated drinks for which the control of effervescence is of interest.

The container 1 comprises, here, a foot 2 and a parison 3. The parison 3 comprises a bottom 4 and an upper wall 5 of substantially cylindrical or frustoconical shape. The container 1 is, here, axisymmetric. In the example described here, the bottom 4 and the parison 3 form a one-piece body. The parison 3 has an inner bottom surface and an inner edge surface. The parison 3 is waterproof. The interior surfaces are intended to be in contact with the drink when using the container 1.

The container 1 can be obtained by manufacturing techniques known as such, for example by pressing, blowing and / or by centrifugation. On leaving such manufacturing techniques, the interior of container 1 is substantially smooth and uniform. Container 1 is marketable as is.

The smooth container 1 is treated to form blind perforations 6 on the upper surface of the bottom 4 located on the side of the upper wall 5, that is to say the inner bottom surface.

The perforations 6 are applied to the bottom of the parison 3 in a cruciform pattern. The motif here is a cross with 4 branches of equal lengths, equal widths and evenly distributed circumferentially. The material of the container 1, here a glass, is the subject of laser shots forming the perforations 6 and thus determining the pattern.

The pattern has a length slightly less than the maximum internal diameter of the parison 3, for example greater than 90% of the maximum internal diameter of the parison 3.

The cross can have diametral branches of length between 4 and 6 cm. The cross here has an open shape. Crosses comprising closed shapes, lobed crosses, Celtic crosses, are less interesting. Indeed, a Circular pattern would have a length of PI times the diameter while the square cross has a length of 2 times the diameter, resulting in faster fabrication and slow and persistent bubbling while providing a satisfactory appearance and efficient brewing.

The branches of the cross may have a width of a few tenths of a millimeter to a few millimeters, for example between 0.025 and 0.080 mm, more generally between between 0.1 and 5 mm. A branch of the cross may be formed of perforations 6 arranged randomly within the pattern or arranged in an orderly manner, for example in one or more rows.

Related to the area of the bottom part, the pattern occupies an area between 0.01 and 5%, preferably between 0.10 and 1%. Such a surface allows prolonged bubbling of at least 10 minutes.

The cross can have branches of constant or variable width.

The cross may have branches in an even number, 4, 6, 8 or 10, passing through the center or interrupted near the center. j

The cross can have branches in odd number, 3, 5, 7 or 9, passing through the center or interrupted near the center.

The interruption in the center allows a more homogeneous distribution of the perforations 6 on the surface of the bottom part.

In Figure 1, a stemmed glass has a cruciform pattern. The parison 3 has a maximum diameter of between 40 and 45% of its interior height. The parison 3 has an interior height of between 180 and 200% of the maximum diameter.

In Figure 2, a stemmed glass has a cruciform pattern. The parison 3 has a maximum diameter of between 45 and 50% of its interior height. The parison 3 has an interior height of between 170 and 180% of the maximum diameter.

In Figure 3, a stemmed glass is provided with a cruciform pattern. The parison 3 has a maximum diameter of between 70 and 80% of its interior height. The parison 3 has an interior height of between 110 and 130% of the maximum diameter. In Figure 4, is shown the comparison between two champagne glasses of flute shape, one known in smooth glass on the left and the other, according to the invention, filled with the same champagne under the same operating conditions of pressure, temperature, brightness, etc. Said other glass is provided with perforations 6 close to the center and therefore to the bottom of the glass. The movement of the wine generated by the bubbling is visible and the rotary movement of the brewing is significant.

In Figure 5 is shown a glass filled with champagne, according to the invention, with a cruciform pattern as in Figures 1 to 3. A curtain of bubbles is visible and causes significant stirring with slow and stable degassing. In Figure 6, there is shown a glass filled with champagne, according to the invention, with a cruciform pattern as in Figures 1 to 3. After 10 minutes of bubbling the glass kept motionless, a curtain of bubbles remains visible and maintains brewing.

Claims

[Claim 1] Container (1) for a carbonated drink, in particular glass, comprising a sealed wall made of at least one structural material, the sealed wall defining an internal surface having a bottom portion between a bottom (4) of the sealed wall and an area of maximum diameter and an edge portion located above the bottom portion, the sealed wall comprising in the bottom portion a plurality of open porosities (6) forming a pattern occupying an area between 0.01 and 5%, preferably between 0.10 and 1%, of the area of the bottom part and having an open cross shape.

[Claim 2] A carbonated beverage container according to claim 1, wherein the cross has branches in straight segments.

[Claim 3] A carbonated drink container according to one of the preceding claims, in which the cross has a number of branches between 3 and 10, contiguous or not.

[Claim 4] A carbonated drink container according to one of the preceding claims, in which the cross has at least a discontinuity.

[Claim 5] A carbonated drink container according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the pattern has a plurality of point areas having said porosities.

[Claim 6] A carbonated drink container according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the sealed wall forms a parison (3) having a diameter at the mouth less than the diameter at mid-height and a height greater than the diameter at mid-height. height.

[Claim 7] A carbonated drink container according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said cross has at least two branches extending, in developed length, over more than 90% of the maximum radius of the bottom portion, said two branches being opposite if the number of branches is even and arranged at least 120 ° from each other if the number of branches is odd.

[Claim 8] A carbonated drink container according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cross is centered on an axis of symmetry of the container.

[Claim 9] A carbonated drink container according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cross has branches with a width of between 0.1 and 5 mm, preferably between 0.25 and 0.80 mm.

[Claim 10] A carbonated drink container according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cross has branches of equal lengths, equal widths, and a discontinuity in the center.