HK1237705A1 - Bottling system - Google Patents

Description

Bottling system

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an in-vessel system for enhancing turbulence and aeration of a liquid in a vessel.

Background

Some drinks, such as red wine, benefit from a "decanting," a process of removing a drink from its storage container and exposing the drink to air and turbulence. This process typically takes a long time and can be inconvenient. There is a need for a system that makes the "sobering" procedure more efficient and convenient.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention relates to a container system for liquids comprising a container for the liquid, a throat on the container allowing the liquid to be poured out of the container, a mixer/aerator in the throat of the bottle, said mixer/aerator having a cylindrical outer surface, said mixer/aerator having a plurality of axial grooves around the entire circumference of the cylindrical outer surface, said mixer/aerator having an axial bore, said mixer/aerator having an axial septum dividing the bore into a plurality of axial sub-bores. The container system septum comprises a plurality of flat or curved blades interconnected at the mixer/aerator shaft. The liquid may be red wine.

The invention also relates to a mixer/aerator comprising: a cylindrical outer surface, a plurality of axial grooves around the entire periphery of the cylindrical outer surface, an axial bore, an axial spacer, the axial spacer dividing the bore into a plurality of axial sub-bores. The mixer/aerator spacer comprises a plurality of flat or curved blades interconnected at the mixer/aerator shaft. The liquid may be red wine.

The invention also relates to a method for mixing and aerating a liquid, comprising the steps of: pouring liquid from the vessel through the throat of the vessel and through a mixer/aerator located in the throat of the vessel, the mixer/aerator comprising: a cylindrical outer surface, a plurality of axial grooves around the entire periphery of the cylindrical outer surface, an axial bore, an axial spacer, the axial spacer dividing the bore into a plurality of axial sub-bores. The spacer comprises a plurality of flat or curved blades interconnected at the axis of said mixer/aerator. The liquid may be red wine. The mixer/aerator is symmetrical so that the mixer/aerator function works independently of the orientation of the vessel as the pouring proceeds. When the liquid is poured through the lower part of the mixer/aerator, the external air also passes through the upper part of the mixer/aerator to fill the gas space in the container and cause a flow of liquid.

Market: benefits of the invention to Red wine manufacturers and consumers

Although red wine consumption has increased tremendously in the last decade, in most cases, the controversial efforts for red wine drinking are designed to make the long-term bottling up to the right taste. The present device would benefit the producer of red wine (i.e., cabernet sauvignon, xianlei, etc.), which is of this nature designed with the knowledge that: proper oxidation or aeration of the beverage will result in optimal flavor, aroma and overall enjoyment of the red wine. However, apart from the use of decanter and after-market aeration systems (which are costly, difficult to clean and not widely used by average wine consumers), red wine producers cannot ensure that their consumers are adequately enjoying their products. Use of the present device will provide this capability at a marginal cost to ensure greater enjoyment of the product, increased brand loyalty, sales and return on investment. Retail consumers enjoy a better product experience and service industry usage will ensure faster turnaround through cup or bottle service along with increased consumer satisfaction. Compared with the prior art, the brand new level of red wine enjoyment is opened to a great number of enthusiasts.

Due to the similarity in chemical composition of red wine and other fruit-based drinks, it appears that all fruit-based drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) will benefit to some extent from aeration after storage. Thus, the present invention will be used to enhance the characteristics of all fruit-based drinks, such as red wine, rose wine, white wine and non-alcoholic fruit-based drinks and any other drink that would benefit from post-storage aeration.

A device formed in a stopper-like material that fits into the neck opening and allows gas to penetrate as the liquid is poured out, thereby agitating the liquid and aerating the liquid, increasing exposure to gas and facilitating aeration. The device includes a hollow channel in the center and a slit around the periphery of the device.

The present device is designed symmetrically with the clear intention of eliminating any effect of the orientation of the bottle upon pouring. The device will operate in the intended manner without angling or rotating the long axis of the vial, which gives the current commercially available devices significant advantages.

The present device is sized relative to commonly used bottle closures (stoppers) so that the device can be used in standard bottling equipment with minimal or even no modification of the device.

The present device is made of a recyclable synthetic stopper material so that it can be disposed/recycled with the bottle without retail user interaction.

In view of the design and proposed manufacturing process (i.e., extrusion), the production cost of the present device is exponentially lower than current after-market systems, making the investment for the manufacturer who chooses to use the system smaller.

How the product is designed.

The device is a small cylinder made of synthetic and inert material and is designed to be inserted by the red wine manufacturer into any standard red wine bottle. Characterized by a grooved side and a central opening with cells.

How the product works.

By residing in the neck of the bottle, the device regulates the flow of air into the bottle, including accelerating oxidation and introducing bubbles that agitate the red wine as it enters the central cell. The central opening with the small chamber further divides the volume of red wine exiting the bottle into a plurality of streams. These streams recombine during pouring, further increasing agitation and oxidation of the red wine. The device requires no investment and interaction by the end user and is disposed of once the bottle is empty.

Aspects of the invention

The present invention is an industrial in-bottle red wine aerator designed for cost-effective manufacture, easy installation, and no consumer-level interaction. It is designed to be inserted into the neck of a wine bottle by a wine manufacturer during bottling and to be disposed of by the consumer when the wine is consumed.

Production and implementation

The device is made of an FDA approved Affinity plastomer for synthetic bottle stoppers and will be manufactured in a clean room environment using standard extrusion molding methods. The present device is designed to utilize cost-effective production methods along with proven and accepted red wine industry materials. The present device will be implemented using industry standard bottles and bottling equipment, requiring minimal modification to the bottling line, whether they be stationary or mobile.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a front elevational cross-sectional view of a container system for liquids, taken along view l-l of FIG. 1A, illustrating the location of a mixer/aerator within the container in the outlet throat of the container;

FIG. 1A is a plan view of the container system for liquids shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of a mixer embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the top of the mixer shown in FIG. 2 embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bottom of the mixer shown in FIG. 2 embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the mixer shown in FIG. 2 embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the mixer shown in FIG. 2 embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a top view of the mixer shown in FIG. 2 embodying the principles of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the mixer shown in FIG. 2, taken along line VIII-VIII of FIG. 7, embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a top view of a variation of the invention in which the axially inner vanes are curved rather than flat; and is

Fig. 10 is a top view of the mixer/aerator as viewed through the open end of the bottle 11.

Detailed Description

Referring first to fig. 1, fig. 1 is a front elevational cross-sectional view of a container system for liquids, taken along view l-l of fig. 1A, showing the location of a mixer/aerator within the container in the outlet throat of the container. The bottling system, generally indicated by the numeral 10, comprises a bottle 11, the bottle 11 comprising a hollow body 12 and a neck 14. The body 12 contains a liquid 16, such as red wine. The neck 14 surrounds a hollow bore 18 that allows the liquid 16 to exit the bottle 11.

At the outer end of the bore 18 is a stopper 20, the stopper 20 being removable to allow the liquid 16 to be poured from the bottle 11.

Inside the stopper is a mixer 22 comprising a circumferential channel 24 which allows liquid to exit the bore 18 turbulently and allows air to enter the bore 18. Turbulent withdrawal of the liquid enhances "sobering" of the withdrawn liquid.

4

FIG. 1A is a plan view of the container system for liquids shown in FIG. 1.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of a mixer embodying the principles of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the top of the mixer shown in fig. 2 embodying the principles of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the bottom of the mixer shown in fig. 2 embodying the principles of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of the mixer shown in fig. 2 embodying the principles of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a bottom view of the mixer shown in fig. 2 embodying the principles of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a top view of the mixer shown in fig. 2 embodying the principles of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the mixer shown in fig. 2, taken along line VIII-VIII of fig. 7, embodying the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a top view of a variation of the invention in which the axially inner vanes are curved rather than flat, and

fig. 10 is a top view of the mixer/aerator as viewed through the open end of the bottle 11.

Claims (12)

1. A container system for liquids, comprising:

a. a container for a liquid to be dispensed from a container,

b. a throat on the vessel, the throat allowing liquid to be poured from the vessel,

c. a mixer/aerator in the throat of the bottle,

d. the mixer/aerator has a cylindrical outer surface,

e. the mixer/aerator has a plurality of axial grooves around the entire circumference of the cylindrical outer surface,

f. the mixer/aerator has an axial bore,

g. the mixer/aerator has axial spacers that divide the bore into a plurality of axial sub-bores.

2. The container system according to claim 1, wherein the septum comprises a plurality of flat blades interconnected at the mixer/aerator shaft.

3. The container system according to claim 1, wherein the septum comprises a plurality of curved blades interconnected at the mixer/aerator shaft.

4. The container system according to claim 1, wherein the liquid is red wine.

5. A mixer/aerator, comprising:

a. a cylindrical outer surface of the outer shell,

b. a plurality of axial grooves around the entire periphery of the cylindrical outer surface,

c. an axial hole is formed in the outer wall of the shell,

d. an axial spacer dividing the bore into a plurality of axial sub-bores.

6. The mixer/aerator of claim 5, wherein the spacer comprises a plurality of flat blades that are interconnected at the mixer/aerator's shaft.

7. The mixer/aerator of claim 5, wherein the spacer comprises a plurality of curved blades that are interconnected at the mixer/aerator's shaft.

8. The mixer/aerator of claim 5, wherein the liquid is red wine.

9. A method for mixing and aerating a liquid, comprising the steps of:

a. pouring liquid from the vessel through the throat of the vessel and through a mixer/aerator located in the throat of the vessel,

b. the mixer/aerator comprising:

i. a cylindrical outer surface of the outer shell,

a plurality of axial grooves around the entire circumference of the cylindrical outer surface,

(ii) an axial bore,

an axial spacer dividing the bore into a plurality of axial sub-bores.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the spacer comprises a plurality of flat blades interconnected at the mixer/aerator shaft.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein the spacer comprises a plurality of curved blades interconnected at the mixer/aerator shaft.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the liquid is red wine.