EP1254060B1 - Method and device for deforming a stopper for sparkling wine bottles - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a method of making a stopper ( 2 ) of cork of natural and/or synthetic origin for a bottle of sparkling wine of the Champagne type, said stopper ( 2 ) having a base suitable for constituting a fraction of the inside wall ( 17 ) of said bottle ( 6 ) and an outside wall ( 30 ) suitable for bearing against the inside wall ( 24 ) of the neck ( 4 ). The method consists: in acting during closure of said bottle ( 6 ) to deform said outside wall ( 30 ) of said stopper ( 2 ) longitudinally over at least a portion extending to its base, so as to provide at least one channel-forming groove ( 18, 33 ) in said stopper; and in maintaining the longitudinal deformation throughout the period said bottle ( 6 ) is closed by said stopper ( 2 ) so that said channel-forming groove ( 18, 33 ) persists when said bottle is partially opened.

Description

The present invention relates to a method of deformation of a natural and / or synthetic cork stopper to stop sparkling wine bottles, in particular but not exclusively, for stop champagne bottles

The present invention also relates to a device for deforming such a plug.

Sparkling wine bottles are generally closed by means of a cork or plastic stopper which is held in the neck of the bottle by a metal device, or wire cap, which fixes the upper part of the cap on the end of the neck.

It is indeed necessary to fix the cap so that it is not inadvertently ejected because the internal pressure of the bottles being a few bars, a significant force is exerted on the stopper.

When the bottle is opened, the muselet, essentially consisting of wire, is removed by the operator who then opens the bottle, in an ideal case, by taking the end of the stopper and performing an alternating rotary movement with respect to the neck.

However, the internal pressure of the bottle is such that the cap can be violently ejected as soon as the wire is removed without even that the operator has not had time to grasp the end of the plug, which presents a risk for the operator and the persons who surround it, especially for the face and more specifically for the eyes. Document FR-A-1 320 949 shows a plug provided with a longitudinal channel. Placed in a conventional bottle neck, such a cap allows the release of gases during partial uncorking of the bottle. Document FR-A-0 027 780 shows a bottleneck bottle fitted with fine helical ribs to remove the cap by unscrewing.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method of deformation of a cork stopper of natural and / or synthetic origin, comprising a base capable of constituting an internal wall part of said bottle and an external wall capable of being applied to the wall internal neck, whose untimely violent ejection is made impossible.

To achieve this object, the process according to the invention comprises the following steps: at least one portion is deformed longitudinally from said outer wall of said plug to its base during closing of said bottle so as to produce at least one groove forming a channel in said plug, a first end of said channel opening into a portion of said inner wall portion and a second end said channel opening into said outer wall of said plug; and we maintains longitudinal deformation during the shutter period of said bottle by said stopper, so that said groove forming channel persists during the partial uncorking of said bottle whereby said second end of said channel opening to the outside of said bottle, connects the inside of the bottle with the outside.

Thus, a characteristic of the invention resides in the mode of longitudinal deformation of the outer wall of the plug to its base when closing said bottle and maintaining this deformation during the entire period when the bottle neck is closed by said plug, leading to form a persistent groove forming a channel that lasts when the plug is released from the neck. Of the so, when the cap is sufficiently cleared from the neck of the bottle, that the second end of said channel which opens into the outer wall of the cap is located on the outside of the bottle and communicates with the first end of the channel which leads to it in a portion of the inner wall portion, the interior of the bottle communicates with the outside and the gases contained inside tend to escape.

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, one deforms longitudinally, at least a portion of said wall external of said plug to its base when closing said bottle so as to produce at least one longitudinal groove forming a channel in said plug. In this way, the stopper can be extracted vertically from the neck of the bottle.

Particularly advantageously, it is deformed longitudinally at least a portion of said outer wall of said plug up to its base when closing said bottle according to a deformation progressive, from said wall towards said base, whereby the clearance of said neck plug parallel to said deformation releases partially said channel-forming groove. So the channel groove is oblique to the inner wall of the bottle neck and makes it easier to release the gases present in the bottle, as will be explained in more detail in the following description.

Advantageously, at least one portion of said outer wall of said plug to its base during the closing of said bottle according to a semi-frustoconical deformation. Thus, not only is this deformation easier to implement, but also facilitates the ejection of gases when the plug is released from the neck.

Preferably, at least one longitudinal deformation is deformed a portion of said outer wall of said plug to its base during the closure of said bottle over a length of between 10 and 20 mm.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for deformation of a cork stopper of natural origin and / or synthetic for sparkling wine bottles comprising means integral with the internal wall of the neck and extending into the internal wall of the bottle to deform longitudinally at least a portion of said external wall of said plug to its base when said plug is closed bottle and to keep said outer wall deformed during the period closing said bottle by said cap so as to achieve less a groove forming a channel in said plug, a first end of said channel opening into a portion of said part of internal wall and a second end of said channel opening into said outer wall of said plug, said means being arranged so as to release the groove when the plug is partially cleared of the neck and thus allow the passage of gases between the first and the second ends of said channel when the bottle is opened.

Thus, the device according to the invention allows, both deform and maintain deformed at least a portion of said wall external of said plug to its base so that said deformation forming channel persists during the release of the plug and allows to communicate the inside and outside of the bottle.

According to a particular embodiment, the device comprises: a bottle ending in a neck; and, at least one integral rib of said internal wall of said neck, arranged longitudinally and extending into said internal wall of the bottle. So, when the bottle is capped and the cap is forcibly engaged in the neck, the rib which projects from the internal wall of the neck prints a longitudinal groove in a portion of the outer wall of the plug, said groove opening into the base of the plug which constitutes a part of the internal wall of the bottle. As long as the plug remains engaged in the neck, the rib closes the groove it created in the external wall of the plug and the sealing of the obturation is persistent.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of implementation of the invention the means for deforming longitudinally at least a portion of said outer wall of said plug and for the maintain deformed include a rib whose cross section is increasing from the neck towards the internal wall of the bottle. So, from that the plug is released, at least partially from the neck of the bottle, we understand that the oblique rib is partially released from the also oblique groove which it closed and allows the passage of gases contained in the bottle between the rib and the groove. When the second end of the channel is flush with the upper end of the neck the bottle, the gases contained in the bottle escape through said channel.

Preferably, said rib has a semi-frustoconical shape, which makes it easier to form the rib in the neck and also the forced insertion of the cap.

In a particular embodiment of the invention said rib extends over a length of between 10 and 20 mm so as to form a groove greater than 10 mm. So when the groove has a groove with a minimum length of 10 mm, the gas from the bottle begins to escape as soon as the remaining plug height engaged in the neck becomes less than 10 mm.

In another particular embodiment, said rib forms integral part of a ferrule which is applied against the internal wall of the neck, in the upper end of said neck. Thus, the rib is not no longer fixed on the internal wall of the neck, but applied against this wall and maintained by a ferrule. So when the cap is released the neck and the ferrule which remains integral with said neck, the exhaust gas from the cylinder can be done in the same way as in previous embodiments.

A third object of the present invention relates to a container for sparkling wines under pressure, comprising a device intended for the deformation of a cork stopper of natural origin and / or synthetic. Said device comprises means, for deforming longitudinally at least a portion of said outer wall of said cap to its base when closing said bottle and for maintain said external wall deformed during the shutter period of said bottle by said stopper so as to produce at least one groove forming a channel in said plug, a first end of said channel opening into a portion of said inner wall portion and a second end of said channel opening into said outer wall said plug. Said container also has a cork stopper of natural and / or synthetic origin sealing the neck of said bottle.

• la Figure 1 est une section verticale partielle du dispositif destiné à la fabrication d'un bouchon selon l'invention et du bouchon ainsi fabriqué ;
• la Figure 2 est une vue en perspective d'un bouchon obtenu selon le procédé de fabrication conforme à l'invention ; et,
• la Figure 3 est une vue en coupe verticale du dispositif destiné à la fabrication d'un bouchon selon l'invention

Other particularities and advantages of the invention will emerge on reading the description given below of particular embodiments of the invention, given as an indication but not limiting, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

• Figure 1 is a partial vertical section of the device for the manufacture of a plug according to the invention and the plug thus manufactured;
• Figure 2 is a perspective view of a plug obtained according to the manufacturing method according to the invention; and,
• Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the device for the manufacture of a plug according to the invention

Referring first to Figures 1 we will describe the device intended for the implementation of the method for manufacturing the plug according to the invention.

The device for the manufacture of a cork stopper 2 of natural and / or synthetic origin includes: a finished bottle 6 through a neck 4.

In Figure 1 the plug 2 is shown partially engaged in the neck 4 of the bottle 6. The cork 2 has a upper end 8, and a lower end 10 adapted to be introduced into said neck 4.

The upper end 8 of the plug 2 is generally made up of agglomerated cork particles while the end lower 10, as shown in Figure 1, consists of two cork washers 12, 14, superimposed and glued together, said washers being directly extracted from raw cork boards. The last washer 14 which forms the base of the plug, has a wall 17 constituting a part of the internal wall of the bottle 6 directly in contact with its content.

One of the advantages of the manufacturing process plug 2 according to the invention, is that it implements a standard plug intended for corking sparkling wines, and that it is thanks to the bottle 6 that the cap 2 is produced during capping.

To do this, the device for manufacturing the plug 2 comprises also two ribs 32, integral with said internal wall 24 of said neck 4, arranged substantially vertically and extending into said internal wall of the bottle 6.

In addition, particularly advantageously, the end upper ribs is distant from the upper edge of the neck 4 by value greater than 5 mm. This minimum distance is necessary for the implementation of the uncorking of the bottle, as will be explained more in detail in the following description.

In the standard case, the grooves extend over a length between 10 and 20 mm, for example 15 mm, their width and their depth being between 1 and 5 mm, for example 3 mm. These dimensions are not limiting and depend on the size bottle and stopper respectively.

In accordance with the manufacturing process of the stopper the invention, when the bottle is filled with the liquid to be isolated from the outside or that supplements are brought to a bottle initially filled and encapsulated, the plug is pushed in, which initially has a cylindrical shape, in the neck 4 so that the lower end 10 of the plug 2 covers at least part of the ribs 32.

Thus, the rib 32 deforms the external wall of the plug 30 producing two vertical grooves 18 on said surface, from the depression of the plug 2. The groove 18 is printed in the plug 2 as long as it seals the neck 4 of the bottle 6. The duration of storage of the bottle 6 is sufficient for the imprint of the rib 32 on the plug 2 is final. This imprint constitutes thus the groove 18 which, during unblocking, acts as a channel.

The two vertical grooves 18 are formed in the wall outer of the circumference of the plug 2 and more precisely in its end lower.

When the lower end 10 of the plug 2 is completely engaged in the neck 4, the grooves 18 constitute two channels, the first ends 20 open onto the wall 17 against the wall internal 24 of the neck 4 and whose second ends 22 are closed by the internal wall 24 of the neck 4.

In this configuration, the plug 2 hermetically blocks the bottle 6 since the channels are blocked by the internal wall 24 of the neck 4 and the ribs 32 are embedded in the grooves 18 that they trained.

When the plug 2 is partially disengaged from the neck 4, as shown in Figure 1, and that the ends 22 of the grooves 18 are in the open air, the inside of the bottle 6 is connected with the outside and the pressurized gases contained in the bottle 6 are released.

Once the gases are released, no force is exerted on the cap 2 to cause its ejection and the neck 4 is released by manual extraction of the plug 2.

We have described above the production of two grooves 18 in the cap by means of two ribs 32, but it goes without saying that additional grooves would be made by ribs additional and only one groove could be made by one rib.

Advantageously, as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 the ribs 32 have a semi-frustoconical shape extending over a length between 10 and 20 mm, where the base of the cone has a diameter between 2 and 5 mm and the point of which is directed towards the upper end of the bottle 6. Thus, the vertical displacement of the plug 2 in the neck 4 towards the upper end of said neck 4 frees at least part of the channel that the rib 32 has formed on all its length, which allows an escape of gases if the end upper part of the canal is in the open air.

Indeed, it is understood that the bevelled ribs 32 print also complementary bevelled grooves 18. So as soon as the grooves 18 are offset longitudinally with respect to said ribs 32 a free space appears between rib and groove. It's at through this space that the gas from the bottle can escape.

In this way, we understand that, if the ribs are flush with the edge neck, the grooves are also flush and the slightest clearance from the cap communicates the inside and outside of the bottle and the gases can escape. However, the thrust of gas is necessary to at least substantially extract the plug from the neck in which it is securely recessed.

So the distance from the top end of the grooves from the edge of the neck is sufficient to avoid this pitfall

In addition, the position of the ribs should be such that the deformation imprinted on the outer wall of plug 2 extends up to the wall 17 of the washer 16 so that the groove 18 opens into this wall 17.

Indeed, if the rib 32 was completely covered by the lower end 10 of the plug 2; on the one hand, the groove printed by the rib would not open into the wall 17 of the washer 16 and by therefore, whatever the position of the plug 2 in the neck 4, no gas escape would be possible and, on the other hand, the end lower rib would constitute a stop capable of braking the plug release 2.

According to a particular embodiment, the rib 32 is not not of frustoconical shape but of constant size, the channel is released by said rib 32 so as to allow the escape of gases, only when the plug 2 is completely disengaged from the wall portion internal 24 of the neck 4 on which the rib 32 is fixed.

According to another particular mode of implementation, the ribs 32 are likely to be molded during the manufacture of the bottle to form an integral part of the neck 4 of the bottle 6.

Advantageously, the ribs are an integral part of a ferrule which is applied against the internal wall 24 of the neck 4, in the end upper of said neck. The ferrule is made of molded plastic and has edges to fix it on the external wall of the part top of neck 4.

To perform the plugging, first apply the ferrule in the upper part of neck 4, then push the plug into the neck in a classic way.

Claims (12)

1. A method of deforming a stopper (2) of cork of natural and/or synthetic origin for a bottle for sparkling wine of the Champagne type, said stopper (2) having a base suitable for constituting a fraction of the inside wall (17) of said bottle (6), and an outside wall (30) suitable for bearing against the inside wall (24) of the neck (4), the method being characterised in that it comprises the following steps:

   during closure of said bottle (6), longitudinally deforming said outside wall (30) of said stopper (2) at least in a portion extending to its base, so as to form at least one channel-forming groove (18, 33) in said stopper, a first end (20) of said channel opening out into a portion of said inside wall fraction (17) and a second end (22) of said channel opening out into said outside wall of said stopper (2); and

   maintaining the longitudinal deformation throughout the time said bottle (6) is closed by said stopper (2) so that said channel-forming groove (18, 33) persists when said bottle (6) is partially opened, so that said second end (22) of said channel opens to the outside of said bottle (6) and puts the inside of the bottle (6) into communication with the outside.
2. A method of deforming a stopper (2) of cork of natural and/or synthetic origin according to claim 1, the method being characterised in that, during closure of said bottle, said outside wall (30) of said stopper (2) is deformed longitudinally over at least a portion extending to its base, so as to form at least one channel-forming longitudinal groove (18, 33) in said stopper (2).
3. A method of deforming a stopper (2) of cork of natural and/or synthetic origin according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that, during closure of said bottle (6), said outside wall (30) of said stopper (2) is deformed longitudinally over at least a portion extending to its base, by progressively deforming said wall (30) towards said base whereby disengaging said stopper (2) from the neck (4) parallel to said deformation partially releases said channel-forming groove (18, 33).
4. A method of deforming a stopper (2) of cork of natural and/or synthetic origin according to claim 3, characterised in that, during closure of said bottle (6), said outside wall (30) of said stopper (2) is deformed longitudinally over at least a portion extending to its base, to provide deformation that is in the form of half a cone.
5. A method of deforming a stopper (2) of cork of natural and/or synthetic origin according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that, during closure of said bottle (6), said outside wall (30) of said stopper (2) is deformed longitudinally over at least a portion extending to its base, over a length lying in the range 10 mm to 20 mm.
6. Apparatus for deforming a stopper (2) of cork of natural and/or synthetic origin for a bottle for sparkling wine of the Champagne type, said stopper having a base suitable for constituting a fraction of the inside wall (17) of said bottle (6) and an outside wall suitable for bearing against the inside wall (24) of the neck (4),
      the apparatus being characterised in that it comprises means (6, 4, 32) secured to said inside wall (24) of said neck (4) and extending as far as the inside wall of said bottle (6), said means acting during closure of said bottle (6) to deform said outside wall (30) of said stopper (2) longitudinally over at least a portion extending to its base and to maintain said outside wall (30) deformed throughout the period said bottle (6) is closed by said stopper (2) so as to make at least one channel-forming groove (18, 33) in said stopper (2), a first end (20) of said channel opening out into a portion of said inside wall fraction (17) and a second end (22) of said channel opening out into said outside wall of said stopper (2), said means being arranged in such a manner as to release the groove when the stopper is partially disengaged from the neck and thus allow the gas to pass between the first and the second end of said channel.
7. Apparatus for deforming a stopper (2) of cork of natural and/or synthetic origin according to claim 6, the apparatus being characterised in that it comprises:

   a bottle (6) terminated by a neck (4); and

   at least one rib (32) secured to said inside wall (24) of said neck (4) and spaced from the top end of said neck (4), said rib (32) being disposed vertically and extending as far as said inside wall of the bottle (6).
8. Apparatus for deforming a stopper (2) of cork of natural and/or synthetic origin according to claim 7, characterised in that the means (6, 4, 32) for deforming said outside wall (30) of said stopper (2) longitudinally over at least a portion and for maintaining the deformation comprise a rib (32) of section that increases going from the neck (4) towards the inside wall of the bottle.
9. Apparatus for deforming a stopper (2) of cork of natural and/or synthetic origin according to claim 8, characterised in that said rib (32) is in the shape of half a cone.
10. Apparatus for deforming a stopper (2) of cork of natural and/or synthetic origin according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterised in that said rib (32) extends over a length lying in the range 10 mm to 20 mm.
11. Apparatus for deforming a stopper (2) of cork of natural and/or synthetic origin according to any one of claims 7 to 10, characterised in that said rib forms an integral fraction of a ferrule which is applied against the inside wall (24) of the neck (4) in the top end of said neck (4).
12. A container for sparkling wine under pressure of the Champagne type including a bottle extended by a neck, the container being characterised in that it includes apparatus for deforming a stopper (2) of cork of natural and/or synthetic origin obtained according to any one of claims 7 to 11, the neck of said bottle being closed by a stopper (2) of cork of natural and/or synthetic origin.

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