ES2980710T3 - Pourer for one bottle and bottle including said pourer - Google Patents

Abstract

Pourer (1) for a bottle neck comprising a cylindrical stopper (5) having a first surface (6), a second surface (7) and a rounded cylindrical outer wall (8) between the first and second surfaces. The pourer further comprises a body (18) with at least one at least partially rounded first side wall (3, 4) and at least one first longitudinal channel (13) extending towards the second surface (7) of the cylindrical stopper, the cylindrical outer wall (8) of the stopper having at least one first opening (10) at one end of the at least one first longitudinal channel. The maximum diameter of the body is smaller than the diameter of the stopper (5). (Automatic translation with Google Translate, without legal value)

Description

DESCRIPTION

Pourer for one bottle and bottle including said pourer

Technical field

The present invention relates to a bottle assembly and a method of manufacturing said bottle assembly comprising a bottle for a liquid, a sealing cap and a pourer located in the bottleneck of the bottle, wherein the pourer regulates the flow of liquid out of a bottle.

State of the art

The use of pourers to improve the smoothness with which a liquid is poured is known in the art. To use a pourer, a bottle is first opened, then the cork is removed and replaced with a pourer. Placing a pourer inside a bottleneck is an additional operation performed to improve the smoothness with which the liquid is poured. Different pourers are known in the art for use with liquids having different properties, such as spirits, wine, or water.

Although the smoothness and regularity with which the liquid comes out of the bottle is helpful in the pouring operation, most liquids can be poured from the bottle into a container without further preparation.

Cider has the special property that in order to be ready to drink, the cider needs to acquire carbon dioxide. This is done by pouring the liquid from the bottle from a distance to the inner side of a container such as a glass. In order to obtain the right amount of carbon dioxide so that its properties are improved before drinking, the liquid must hit the inner side of the container with some force. This force is achieved by gravity accelerating the liquid when it is poured from a distance into the container. Pouring a liquid from a distance into a container requires a certain degree of skill and experience, so that the liquid is directed towards the inner side of the container and does not fall out of it. A pourer is desired that allows for the smoothness with which a liquid, particularly cider, is poured.

US2010/0230447 discloses a one-piece aftermarket elastomeric pouring spout adapted to engage within the neck of a bottle by means of a plurality of sealing fins. The pouring spout comprises a vent tube and a circular opening through which liquid is dispensed when the bottle is tilted. A screw-on cap engages the neck of the bottle containing the pouring spout to close it when the bottle is not in use, so that the liquid is not exposed to the environment. However, the aftermarket pouring spout of US2010/0230447 engages the neck of the bottle only after the cork has first been removed from the bottle, requiring an additional operation before the bottle is ready for use.

Document ES1038474 discloses a pourer to be placed on the neck of a cider bottle. The pourer can be moved from a closed position in which the liquid content is sealed by means of an upper fin to an open position in which the liquid passes through one of the two side openings and is guided towards the pouring channels included in the side fins so that the cider is correctly directed to a receiving container. Although the side fins of the pourer make it possible to correctly serve cider, they can unintentionally collide with another object when opening the bottle, so that the cider is exposed to the environment, which can cause the cider to spoil. Document ES1034218 discloses a pourer similar to that of document ES1038474. The pourer of document ES1034218 also comprises upper side fins that therefore have the same problem as in document ES1038474. However, in all cases, the pouring spout engages with the neck of the bottle only after the cork has first been removed from the bottle, requiring an additional operation before the bottle is ready for use.

Document US2017/021981A discloses an assembly according to the preamble of claim 1, and shows a pourer for a bottleneck comprising a cylindrical stopper having a first surface, a second surface and a rounded cylindrical outer wall between the first and the second surface, the pourer further comprising a body with at least one at least partially rounded first side wall and at least one first longitudinal channel extending towards the second surface of the cylindrical stopper where the cylindrical outer wall of the stopper has at least one opening at one end of at least one longitudinal channel and where the maximum diameter of the body of the pourer is smaller than the diameter of the stopper.

The object of the invention is to solve the problems of prior art weirs.

Description of the invention

These problems are solved by the invention as set out in the attached set of claims. More particularly, the present invention relates to a bottle assembly as defined in claim 1 and to a method for manufacturing said bottle assembly which, according to the present invention, is defined in claim 12. Other embodiments of the invention are according to the dependent claims.

According to the invention, the pourer comprises a cylindrical plug having a first surface and a second surface and a rounded outer wall between the first and second surfaces comprising at least one opening. It is known to the person skilled in the art that cylindrical does not necessarily mean the projection of a circumference along a direction perpendicular to a plane containing said circumference. Other shapes, such as different polygonal shapes, may be projected along an axis to form shapes that fall within the term cylindrical part.

The opening is located at the end of a fluid channel defined by a body comprising a side wall and whose maximum diameter is smaller than the diameter of the cylindrical stopper. When the pourer is attached to the neck of a bottle, fluid within the bottle is guided along the fluid channel and exits the bottle through the opening of the stopper. The second surface may have sealing means attached, such as elastomeric sealing means, to prevent fluid housed in the bottle from exiting the bottle through a different part of the at least one opening. If desired, adhesive means may be used to ensure that the second surface is securely attached to an upper edge of the neck of the bottle.

In a further development of this first aspect, the body comprises an elongated central wall having at its lateral ends a first and a second wall located at right angles to the elongated central wall. The elongated central wall and the first and second walls located at right angles define two channels. Having two channels is advantageous because, regardless of which side the bottle is tilted towards, one passage serves to guide fluid into and out of the bottle, while the other allows air to enter and exit the bottle, making a regular flow of the liquid out of the bottle possible. In this further development of the first aspect, the side walls are at least partially rounded. Due to the round shape of the first and second walls, pressure is exerted symmetrically towards a virtual central axis of the pourer which contributes to protecting both the pourer and the bottle neck from possible damage.

The cross section of this further development of the first aspect of the invention defined by a plane parallel to the elongated central wall but not containing it and the spout is H-shaped. As mentioned above in one embodiment of the invention, the elongated central wall may be positioned non-diametrically and only one main fluid channel is defined. In this embodiment, where the spout contains a single opening and a fluid channel opens into said opening, the cross section of the spout is C-shaped. In this embodiment, the spout may contain a hole large enough to admit air into the bottle in order to improve the regularity with which the fluid exits said opening.

In another embodiment of the invention with one or both openings, taking as reference the point of the virtual central axis of the pourer at the level of the center, each of the one or both openings preferably forms an angle of between 80 and 120 degrees which makes it possible for the desired flow rate of the liquid to be poured out of the bottle. The dimension of the opening can be adapted to the characteristics of the fluid, such as the density or the potential content of solid elements within the fluid.

According to different embodiments of the invention, the material of which the pourer is made can be any type of plastic, metal, cork or a composite material comprising one or more of these materials. In this way, the pourer is better adapted to the characteristics of the bottle, including its material, and to the characteristics of the fluid inside the bottle, such as density and pressure. Another object of the invention relates to a bottle containing the aforementioned pourer. The second surface of the pourer is in contact with the upper edge of the neck of the bottle, so that the liquid can only flow out of the bottle through the openings. As mentioned above, in case the pourer comprises two openings, one of the openings serves as a ventilation opening making possible the regular flow of fluid through the other opening out of the bottle. One way to seal the bottle easily and reliably is by means of a bottle cap comprising an internal thread cooperating with an external thread located on the outside of the neck of the bottle to close the bottle.

The embodiments of the pourer and the bottle containing the pourer disclosed above make it possible for the bottle to contain different types of liquids such as cider, wine or water.

As indicated above, the pourer of the invention is particularly adapted to cider because it allows a precise and regular flow of liquid out of the bottle.

In another embodiment of the invention, the stopper comprises a collapsible metal sealing member capable of sealing the neck of the bottle containing the pourer. Additional sealing means may be positioned between one or both of the openings and the collapsible metal sealing member. The collapsible metal sealing member may be removed together with, or independently of, the additional sealing means preventing fluid from escaping through the openings.

Another object of the invention relates to a method of manufacturing a bottle assembly, said method being defined in claim 12. More particularly, the method comprises placing a pourer into the neck of the bottle after the bottle has been filled with fluid and before placing a sealing plug around the neck to seal the bottle. Therefore, the bottle comes from the factory with the pourer and the cumbersome operation of removing the cork and replacing it with a pourer is not necessary to properly pour the fluid out of the bottle.

Although the pourer is primarily intended for a bottle containing cider as a liquid, the pourer may be intended for a bottle containing other liquids, such as wine or water.

In some of these cases, a sealing plug made of a collapsible metal member may seal the neck of the bottle containing the pourer. Additional sealing means may be placed between the at least one opening and the collapsible metal member so that fluid may first exit the bottle when the collapsible metal sealing member is removed together with, or independently of, the additional sealing means preventing fluid from exiting through the opening(s).

Brief description of the drawings

To complete the description and to provide a better understanding of the invention, a set of drawings is provided. These drawings form an integral part of the description and illustrate embodiments of the invention, which should not be construed as restricting the scope of the invention, but merely as an example of how the invention can be carried out. The drawings comprise the following figures:

Figure 1 shows an inverted perspective view of the pourer of the bottle assembly of the invention.

Figure 2 shows a vertical perspective side view of the pourer of the bottle assembly of the invention. Figure 3 shows a bottom view of the pourer of the bottle assembly of the invention.

Figure 4 shows a bottom perspective view of the pourer of the bottle assembly of the invention.

Figure 5 shows a vertical side view of the pourer of the bottle assembly of the invention.

Figure 6 is a side perspective view of the pourer of the bottle assembly of the invention.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional side view of an embodiment of the invention in which the pourer is placed in the neck of the bottle.

Figure 8 is a side view of an embodiment of the invention illustrating the pourer inside the bottle including an external thread.

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional side view of the pourer inside the bottle taken at a different angle than Figure 7.

Description of the embodiments of the invention

The pourer (1) for a bottle neck of Figure 1 comprises a cylindrical stopper (5) (bottom of Figure 1, top of Figure 2) having a first surface (6), a second surface (7) and a rounded cylindrical outer wall (8) between the first and the second surface. As can be seen in Figures 1 and 2, the rounded cylindrical outer wall is provided with at least one opening (10). The pourer further comprises a body (18). The body (18) has at least one side wall (3) having a rounded part and a first longitudinal channel (13) extending towards the second surface (7) of the cylindrical stopper. When fluid is poured out of the bottle, the fluid is first guided along the first channel (13) before it reaches the at least one opening (10) so that it can exit the bottle. The fact that the fluid is guided along the channel towards the opening facilitates smooth and even pouring of the liquid through the opening.

It is clear from Figures 1 and 2 that the maximum diameter of the body (18) is smaller than the diameter of the cylindrical stopper. This construction is advantageous because it enables the second surface (7) of the cylindrical stopper to rest on the upper edge (23) of the neck (31) of the bottle, as can be seen in Figures 7, 8 and 9. The body (18) comprises an elongated central wall (2) which may be rectangular in shape and at the ends of which a first side wall (3) and a second side wall (4) are located. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, the elongated central wall (2) contains a virtual axis perpendicular to the surface of the cylindrical stopper (5) passing through its centre. Both side walls (3, 4) are located at right angles to the elongated central wall (2). The outer part of the first and second side walls (3, 4) is at least partially rounded so that when the pourer (1) is inserted into a bottle neck (31) the round surfaces of the pourer fit with the inner surfaces of the bottle neck (31) securing the pourer (1) to the bottle. As can be seen in figure 7, the part of the side walls (3, 4) that will be positioned closer to the edge of a bottle neck (31) may be wider in a direction perpendicular to the virtual axis defined above than the free ends of the side walls (3, 4). Therefore, the free ends of the side walls (3, 4) are easily inserted into a bottleneck (31) and subsequently, when the second surface (7) comes into contact with the top of a bottleneck (31), the part of the side walls (3, 4) which is closer to the cylindrical part (5) exerts pressure on the inner part of the bottleneck (31) to improve the mechanical connection between the pourer (1) and the bottleneck (31).

As can be seen in Figures 2 and 3, the elongated central wall (2) together with the first and second side walls (3, 4) define the shape of the body which has a cross section having an H shape when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the elongated central wall (2).

Due to the round shape of the first (3) and second (4) side walls (3, 4), pressure is exerted symmetrically towards the virtual central axis of the pourer (1) which contributes to protecting both the pourer (1) and the bottle neck (31) from possible damage. The embodiments shown in Figures 1 and 2 disclose fluid channels (13, 14) on both sides of the elongated central wall (2) which serve as a path for the fluid to flow towards the top of the pourer (1). It is clear from Figure 2 that each fluid passage (13, 14) ends in an opening (1012) so that the fluid contained in the bottle can be guided from the inside to the outside of the bottle without obstacles.

The pourer (1) included in the bottle assembly of the invention may advantageously be made of plastic, but it could well be that, depending on the composition of the bottle or the fluid contained in the bottle, the pourer is made of metal, cork or any other composite material comprising one or more of these materials.

Figures 3 and 4 show the symmetrical configuration of the pourer (1). Thanks to this configuration, regardless of which side the bottle is tilted to pour the fluid, the fluid exits the bottle through one opening (10,12) while the opposite opening (10,12) serves as a ventilation opening that allows air to circulate in and out of the bottle, contributing to the regular flow of the liquid out of the bottle.

Taking as reference a point on the previously defined virtual central longitudinal axis of the pourer at the level of the centre of at least one of the two openings, the at least one opening or the first and second openings form an angle of between 80 and 120 degrees, preferably between 90 and 100 degrees, which makes it possible for the desired flow rate of liquid to be poured out of the bottle. The dimension of the openings (10, 12) can be adapted to the characteristics of the fluid, such as the density or the potential content of solid elements within the fluid. Figures 5 and 6 are side perspective views illustrating the structure of the pourer.

Figure 7 is a sectional side view of the pourer placed on a bottleneck.

Figure 8 shows that the outside of the bottleneck containing the pourer is provided with a thread so that a bottle stopper can be properly screwed onto the bottle to seal it, preventing fluid from escaping from the bottle.

Figure 9 is a sectional side view of the pourer (1) inside the bottle taken at a different angle than Figure 7.

In this text, the terms first, second, third, etc. have been used herein to describe various devices, elements, or parameters. It will be understood that devices, elements, or parameters should not be limited by these terms as the terms are only used to distinguish one device, element, or parameter from another. For example, the first device could also be referred to as the second device, and the second device could be referred to as the first device without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

In this text, the term "comprises" and its derivations (such as "comprising", etc.) should not be understood in an exclusive sense, that is, these terms should not be interpreted as excluding the possibility that what is described and defined may include additional elements, stages, etc.

On the other hand, the invention is evidently not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, but also includes any variation that may be considered by a person skilled in the art (for example, with respect to the choice of materials, dimensions of the figures, components, configuration, etc.), within the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

Claims (12)

1. Bottle assembly comprising a bottle (29) for a liquid, and further comprising a pourer (1) located in the bottleneck (31) of the bottle (29), the pourer (1) comprising a cylindrical stopper (5) having a first surface (6), a second surface (7) and a rounded cylindrical outer wall (8) between the first and second surfaces (6, 7), the pourer (1) further comprising a body (18) with at least one at least partially rounded first side wall (3, 4) and one or more longitudinal channels (13, 14) extending on the second surface (7) of the cylindrical stopper (5) wherein the cylindrical outer wall (8) of the stopper (5) has at least one opening (10, 12) at one end of at least one of the one or more longitudinal channels (13, 14) and wherein the maximum diameter of the body (18) is smaller than the diameter of the stopper. (5), wherein a longitudinal channel (13, 14) of the one or more longitudinal channels (13, 14) defines a passage configured to allow air to enter the bottle (29) to improve the regularity with which fluid exits the opening (10, 12), said bottle assembly being characterized in that the bottle neck (31) comprises a thread (32) located on the outside of said bottle neck (31) and the bottle assembly comprises a bottle sealing cap to be screwed onto the thread (32) to seal the bottle (29). 2. Bottle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the pourer (1) has C-shaped cross sections and contains a single opening (10, 12) and a single longitudinal channel (13, 14) leading into said opening (10) from which the fluid is intended to exit the bottle (29). 3. Bottle assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the body (18) comprises an elongated central wall (2) having at its lateral ends a first side wall (3) and a second side wall (4) located at right angles to the elongated central wall (2), the outer part of the first (3) and second (4) side walls being rounded. 4. Bottle assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that the body (18) has an H-shaped cross section. 5. Bottle assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that the elongated central wall (2) and the first and second side walls (3, 4) define two longitudinal channels (13, 14) and the rounded cylindrical outer wall (8) comprises two openings (10, 12). 6. Bottle assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that each of the two openings (10, 12) forms an angle (alpha 1, alpha 2) of between 90 and 120 degrees. 7. Bottle assembly according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pourer (1) is made of any of the following materials, plastic, metal, cork or any composite material, preferably plastic. 8. Bottle assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that the second surface (7) of the pourer (1) is configured to come into contact with an upper rim (23) of the bottle neck (17). 9. Bottle assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that the pourer (1) has two longitudinal channels (13, 14), a first longitudinal channel (13, 14) defining a first passage allowing the fluid housed inside the bottle to exit through the opening (10, 12) and a second longitudinal channel (13, 14) defining the passage configured to allow air to enter the bottle (29) or vice versa. 10. Bottle assembly according to any of the preceding claims 2-9, characterized in that the liquid is cider. 11. Bottle assembly according to any of the preceding claims 2-9, characterized in that the liquid is wine or water. 12. Method of manufacturing the bottle assembly according to any of claims 1-11, characterized in that the pourer (1) is placed on the bottleneck (31) of the bottle (29) after the bottle (29) has been filled with fluid and before screwing a sealing cap onto the bottleneck (31) to seal the bottle (29).