Packaging system for a beverage bottle, in particular a bottle of sparkling wine or wine and method for packaging a beverage bottle
A packing system (8) based on a crown cap shall be modified in such a manner that the consumer maintains in all steps of opening a beverage bottle, in particular a wine or sparkling-wine bottle (1), a high-quality impression of the bottle and its contents. For this purpose, a covering cap (22) provided with a cylindrical casing (23) encircling the crown cap (10) is associated with the crown cap (10). The covering cap (22) is dimensioned in such a manner that its circumferential edge (24) ends flush with the teeth (13) of the crown cap (10). In a method particularly well suited for applying such a packing system (8) for packing the wine bottle (1), the covering cap (22) is slipped over a pouring opening (6) provided with the crown cap (10), the molded cap (34) is pre-assembled with a starting body (40) provided for forming the capsule (36) and then put over the pouring opening (6) provided with the covering cap (22) and the crown cap (10), the starting body (40) for forming the capsule (36) being subsequently rolled or shrunk onto the molded cap (34) as well as the respective part of the bottle neck (4).
The present invention relates to a packing system for a beverage bottle, in particular a wine or sparkling-wine bottle. It relates, furthermore, to a beverage bottle provided with such packing system, a method for packing a beverage bottle and the use of such packing system of a beverage bottle.
In a century-long tradition, a wine bottle or a sparkling-wine bottle usually has a cork or cork stopper as closure element which is introduced into the pouring opening of the bottle neck of the wine bottle. Closing wine and sparkling-wine bottles in this manner has proven worthwhile, in particular, because cork, as a natural material, satisfies the preconditions given for a long-term storage of wine in the bottle to a particularly great extent. Especially with respect to processibility and tightness, cork is an inexpensive closure material involving a reasonable manufacturing outlay. Due to the long tradition in using cork for closing wine bottles, moreover, the consumers associate a cork stopper of that kind with extensive experience in the production of wine. Therefore, wine offered in a wine bottle which is closed in such a manner usually enjoys a comparatively high esteem in consumer circles.
Contrary to the high esteem among the consumers, however, a closure using a cork stopper can also have negative effects on the wine stored in a wine bottle closed in such a manner. In particular, as a result of contact with the wine stored in the wine bottle, a cork stopper can release flavoring substances into the wine, thus impairing or corrupting the taste of the wine. Such impairments of the wine can occur in 10% to 16% of the wine stored in such a manner. Moreover, for a sufficient sealing effect, the cork stopper must be adapted to the inside dimension of the bottle neck or of the pouring opening in a comparatively exact manner and, in addition, be treated thermally, involving a comparatively high manufacturing outlay.
Alternatively to using cork, a wine bottle can also be equipped with a screw closure. In this case, usually a metallic closing cap is used which is screwed on the bottle neck via a screw thread, thus closing the pouring opening of the wine bottle. A wine bottle closed with such a screw cap can be clearly distinguished from a wine bottle closed with a cork stopper already by its outer appearance. However, closure systems using screw closures are predominantly used for comparatively cheaper and, consequently, inferior wines. Because of this, moreover, a wine offered in a wine bottle having a screw closure enjoys only a lower esteem among the consumers than a wine offered in a wine bottle which is closed with a cork stopper.
Recently, wine bottles are offered which are closed with a mechanically stable crown cap. This crown cap can be provided, on its side facing the interior of the bottle, in an inner region or in the region of its mirror, with a seal made of plastic, e.g. of low-density polyethylene, which is also referred to as LD-PE. In this way, in particular an easily processable closure with high sealing effect is provided. This makes it possible to prevent the beverage stored in a bottle closed in this way from being impaired in its taste even during a long storage period. The disadvantage of the use of a crown cap, like of the screw closure, is the low esteem of beverages offered in this way among the consumers. For this reaseon, it is known from DE 100 33 222 A1 to provide wine bottles closed with a crown cap, with a molded cap and to seal them with a capsule, made for example of tin, so that the bottle in question in its condition ready for sale cannot be distinguished from a conventional cork stopper-closed bottle and enjoys high esteem. But even with this advanced packing concept, it cannot completely be excluded that the crown cap used will give the consumer, at least in part, an impression of lower esteem.
Therefore, it is an objective of the present invention to specify a modified packing system based on a crown cap, which maintains in the consumer in all steps of opening the bottle an impression of high quality of the bottle and its contents. Furthermore, a beverage bottle, in particular a wine or sparkling-wine bottle, provided with such packing system shall be offered, a particularly suitable method for attaching such a packing system on a beverage bottle shall be specified, and a particularly suitable use of such a packing system shall be specified.
With regard to the packing system, this objective is achieved according to the present invention in that, a covering cap is associated with a crown cap, which is provided with a cylindrical casing encircling the crown cap.
The present invention is based on the consideration that for a continuous impression of high quality, a possible impairment of the consumer's perception through the crown cap should persistently be avoided. For this purpose, the typical well-marked appearance of a crown cap, which is usually visible when a crown cap is used, should be covered as far as possible. To hide the crown cap and its teeth, it is particularly advantageous to cover it completely. For this purpose, a covering cap is provided whose circumferential edge ends expediently at least flush with the teeth of the crown cap, the covering cap being designed in such a way that in mounted condition, its overall appearance is particularly harmonious. For this purpose, the covering cap possesses a cylindrical casing which encircles the crown cap and which guarantees in particular a smooth surface design of the covering cap in its circumferential area.
Furthermore, the smooth design of the entire outer surface of the covering cap excludes a mechanical sticking and damage caused by the toothed design of typical crowns caps, which would otherwise be possible if a number of crown caps contacted each other. To guarantee this in any case, the covering cap is preferably dimensioned in such a manner that its circumferential edge ends flush with the teeth of the crown cap.
In different situations, in particular during the opening of the beverage bottle, there is the risk that the covering cap is pulled off the crown cap. In order to, on the one hand, slip the covering cap in a particularly simple manner over the crown cap, but, on the other hand, avoid the undesired removal of the covering cap from the crown cap and fasten it particularly firmly on the crown cap, the covering cap is advantageously provided with a snap-in locking edge integrally molded onto its circumferential edge. This snap-in locking edge functions like a snap closure, as it enables an easy mounting on the crown cap and guarantees a secure fastening, so that the covering cap will not be removed, when the other external packing is pulled off during the opening of the bottle.
Alternatively, a firm locking of the covering cap on the crown cap can also be guaranteed advantageously through locking means, such as, for example, a number of grains, knobs or bulges, distributed over the circumference of the cylindrical casing of the covering cap. These locking means are preferably dimensioned in such a manner that—when the covering cap is slipped over the crown cap in an automated manner—they are guided between the teeth of the crown cap and then, through a suitable rotation of the covering cap relative to the crown cap, can be caught under individual teeth of the crown cap. In view of usual types of crown caps, advantageously about nine segments of knobs or bulges are distributed over the circumference of the cylindrical casing, whereby, independently of the orientation, firm locking can be obtained even when slipping the covering cap over in an automated manner.
An alternative or cumulatively lasting fastening of the covering cap on the crown cap is achieved by gluing the two together in a particularly advantageous design.
To make the covering cap particularly well suited as a cover for the crown cap, its shape and graphic design can expediently be of a relatively simple and attractive visual appearance. For this reason, the covering cap is advantageously made of aluminium, tinplate or plastic. This allows on the one hand a desired embodiment of the covering cap with relatively little manufacturing outlay and on the other hand a use of the covering cap with an insignificant contribution to weight and volume, which is important in view of the handling, in particular transport and storage.
To give the covering cap a particular esteem of the consumer, for example through customer-specific imprint of the bottler, it is preferably provided with an information carrier element. This also meets in a particularly simple manner any statutory regulations requiring a proof of origin by stating the name of the bottler or producer of the wine. A covering cap thus designed in a particularly extraordinary way might in addition be a collector's piece.
To ensure, in addition to the good storage properties achievable through the crown cap, a particular esteem with regard to the entire external packing among the buyers, the wine bottle closed ready for sale is expediently provided with a packing system whose appearance is similar to that of a wine bottle closed with a cork stopper. For such a visual appearance, advantageously a molded cap and a capsule encircling the latter together with a part of the bottle neck are provided as an external packing of the crown cap provided with the covering cap.
To guarantee a compatible use of the molded cap in a multipart packing system, the inner diameter of the molded cap is advantageously adapted to the cylindrical casing of the covering cap.
The molded cap serves in addition to safeguard a particularly high dimensional stability and thus to protect the crown cap and the covering cap encircling it against possible damage through different handling steps and in particular during transport. For use in large quantities with a particularly low manufacturing outlay, the molded cap is preferably made of plastic, in particular high-density polyethylene, which is also referred to as HD-PE.
In a further expedient embodiment, the molded cap is dimensioned in such a manner that, in view of the dimensioning of the bottle neck with a first circumferential lip bead arranged in the immediate vicinity of the pouring opening and a second circumferential lip bead arranged, as compared with the first one, at a slightly larger distance from the pouring opening, the impression of an upper-band mouth arises. In the case of an upper-band mouth, the bottle has a broad circumferential bead at the bottle neck, the bead ending flush with the pouring opening. By appropriate dimensioning, it is ensured in a particularly favorable manner that for a wine bottle closed in this manner, the same esteem can be achieved among the buyers as with a wine bottle which is traditionally closed using a cork stopper.
In closed condition, ready for sale, of the bottle, the circumferential edge of the molded cap expediently ends without large offset or flush with the second circumferential lip bead of the bottle mouth. In this way, an edge tearing, when fixing the single-piece capsule provided as a cover, at the molded cap as well as at the respective part of the bottle neck, is to a great extent avoided. In addition, the molded cap is particularly well supported on the bottle neck against externally acting forces, resulting in a particularly high stability and resistance, for example when the outer capsule is mechanically attached. The capsule extends beyond the molded cap and still encircles also an upper part of the bottle neck of the wine bottle. Especially through this design, the visual impression is almost the same as that of a wine or sparkling-wine bottle closed with a cork stopper.
With respect to the beverage bottle, the mentioned objective is achieved by closing it with such a packing system.
With respect to the method for packing a beverage bottle, in particular a wine or sparkling-wine bottle, the mentioned objective is achieved in that the covering cap is slipped over a pouring opening provided with the crown cap, the molded cap is preassembled with a starting body provided for forming the capsule and then put over the pouring opening provided with the covering cap and the crown cap, the starting body subsequently being rolled or shrunk onto the molded cap as well as on the respective part of the bottle neck to form the capsule.
In an alternative, particularly advantageous embodiment of the method, first the covering cap and the molded cap are preassembled into a starting body provided for forming the capsule and then put over a pouring opening provided with the crown cap, the starting body subsequently being rolled or shrunk onto he molded cap as well as on the respective part of the bottle neck to form the capsule.
Through the preassembly of the molded cap into a starting body provided for forming the capsule, a particularly time-saving and effective manufacturing process can be achieved. The intermediate product prepared in such a manner can then easily be slipped over the covering cap already encircling the crown cap or, after insertion of the covering cap into the molded cap, slipped over the crown cap closing the pouring opening. Subsequently, in the case of a capsule formed of tin, the capsule is rolled, and in the case of a capsule formed on a PVC basis, the capsule is shrunk onto the molded cap and onto the upper part of the bottle neck, giving the packing system a particularly uniform and, consequently, high-quality impression. In this sequence, the wine bottle as such is subjected to the packing measures only during a comparatively short period of time, so that comparatively high throughput rates are achievable.
In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the two methods, the covering cap and the crown cap are connected with each other through a glue, in particular silicone. This ensures, alternatively or cumulatively to the fixation through the snap-in locking edge integrally molded onto the circumferential edge of the covering cap, a particularly secure fastening of the covering cap on the crown cap. When adequately opening the bottle, for example with a so-called waiter's knife, first of all, in one handling step, the capsule together with the molded cap is removed. After this step, only the covering cap will be visible, as the crown cap reliably fastened on its inner surface will be completely hidden by the covering cap.
The outside of the covering cap which becomes exposed when the bottle is opened offers itself for use as an information carrier surface for approval numbers, information of origin, such as coats of arms, bottler's name, place of bottling, or advertising, and others.
The advantages attained using the present invention are in particular, that, by combining a crown cap with a covering cap encircling the crown cap with its cylindrical casing, on the one hand, a high-quality closure having a high sealing effect is given, and, on the other hand, on all outer surfaces, thanks to the smooth surface of the covering cap, an optically attractive imprint with picture and/or letter information for the customer is possible. In this way, the crown cap, which as such usually does not enjoy a particularly high esteem among the consumers of wine or sparkling wine or is even considered as being of inferior value, is optically ennobled. The flush termination of the circumferential edge of the covering cap with the teeth of the crown cap as well as the consistently close connection between the two elements of the packing system by gluing the inner surface of the covering cap and the outer surface of the crown cap together and/or by the fastening between crown cap and covering cap through their snap-in locking edge on the circumferential edge guarantee, in addition, that upon opening of the bottle, the used typical crown cap will in all steps reliably remain hidden to the consumer, thus maintaining a high-quality impression of the bottle and its contents. By adapting the inner diameter of the molded cap provided as a further element of the packing system of the bottle mouth to the cylindrical casing of the covering cap, the covering cap can be inserted with exact fit into the respective molded cap. By covering the molded cap, which is, furthermore, formed taking into account the dimensioning of the bottle neck with a first circumferential lip bead in the immediate vicinity of the pouring opening and a second circumferential lip bead arranged, as compared with the first one, at a slightly greater distance from the pouring opening, and the upper part of the bottle neck with a shared capsule, it is also guaranteed that the impression of a wine or sparkling-wine bottle having an upper-band mouth can be given. Therefore, the buyers will associate a comparatively high esteem with a beverage offered in such a manner.
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is explained in greater detail on the basis of a drawing in which
In all Figures, identical parts are marked with identical reference symbols.
Wine bottle 1 according to
Packing system 8 is formed in such a manner that an impairment in taste of the stored beverage, in particular, of the wine stored in wine bottle 1, is excluded even during a long storage period. To this end, in the design of packing system 8, a cork stopper is consistently dispensed with. Instead, as shown in the sectional view of
Crown cap 10 is designed in compliance with DIN 6099 and, adapted to the dimensioning of bottle neck 4, has a clear diameter of 26.75 mm and a height of 6.8 mm. Depending on the nominal diameter of bottle neck 4, however, other diameters, for example, 24.75 mm, 29.75 mm, 32.75 mm or 36.75 mm, can also be selected. Crown cap 10 is provided with a sealing element 18 in an inner region 16 on its side facing the interior of the bottle. In the exemplary embodiment, sealing element 18 is made of plastic, namely of low-density polyethylene (LD-PE), and dimensioned in such a manner that is completely covers pouring opening 6. With crown cap 10 in mounted condition, sealing element 18 is completely pressed against the circumferential rim of pouring opening 6 in response to the clamping action of bending lips 12 embracing first upper lip bead 14, so that the pouring opening is closed completely tight. In this context, the wine stored in wine bottle 1, can only come into contact with the material of sealing element 18. Consequently, an impairment of the stored wine, in particular in terms of taste, due to drag-in of cork material is reliably excluded.
Crown cap 10 is made on the basis of stainless steel. In this context, its metal body is manufactured from the material ASI 316. Such a material selection permits a long storage period without impairing the closing action, e.g. by corrosion, even in unfavorable conditions. Thus, this crown cap 10 is also suitable, in particular, for a long-term storage of wine even in an unfavorable, for example, salty or sulfurous outside atmosphere.
At a, compared to first upper circumferential lip bead 14, slightly larger distance from pouring opening 6, bottle neck 4 has a second circumferential lip bead 20 which, compared to first upper lip bead 14 is dimensioned slightly larger. Moreover, when wine bottle 1 is open, the mouth region designed in such a manner gives an impression of particularly high quality, a qualitative approximation to a sparkling-wine or champagne bottle being established.
Consumers of wine and sparkling wine often consider a bottle closed with a crown cap 10 and its contents as being of inferior value, in spite of the proved mentioned advantages over cork stoppers, because of the visual impression. For this reason, as shown in
Furthermore, the covering cap is particularly well suited, for example, as an information carrier surface 28 for information carrier elements 30, like approval numbers, information of origin, such as coats of arms, as shown in
In the exemplary embodiment, covering cap 22 is made of aluminium, tinplate or plastic. This material selection permits a design of covering cap 22 which is visually attractive to the consumer, with a relatively low manufacturing outlay, e.g. for forming and imprinting. Moreover, the contribution to weight and volume, which is important in view of the handling, in particular transport and storage, is insignificantly small.
In the exemplary embodiment, as shown in
For further external packing of crown cap 10 hidden with covering cap 22, a molded cap 34 and a capsule 36 encircling it jointly with a part of the bottle neck 4 are provided, as shown in
Moreover, this molded cap 34 is dimensioned in such a manner that, together with second lip bead 20, it forms a jacket which on the closed wine bottle 1 completely encircles covering cap 22 and crown cap 10, so that any direct mechanical contact with foreign substances is excluded and the impression of an upper-band mouth of the wine bottle 1 arises.
Molded cap 34 is made of plastic, namely of high-density polyethylene (HOPE). Molded cap 34 and an upper part 38 of bottle neck 4 are jointly encircled by capsule 36. Capsule 36 can be formed as a tin capsule, but in the exemplary embodiment, it is made of a polyethylene film which is laminated with aluminum on both sides and is also referred to as “duplo film” or from polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Covering cap 22, molded cap 34 and capsule 36 jointly form packing system 8 encircling crown cap 10. Capsule 36 is similar, in its make, to a bottle capsule or tin capsule usually used for a wine bottle which is closed with a cork stopper so that, in particular, with regard to the selected dimensioning of molded cap 34, of second lip bead 20, and of bottle neck 4, the impression of a wine bottle which is conventionally closed with a cork stopper results for the completely closed wine bottle 1. Consequently, packing system 8 formed in such a manner not only allows a high-quality storage of the wine without impairment in taste even during a long storage period, but also ensures a special esteem among the buyers because of the visual design.
In the exemplary embodiment, for packing wine bottle 1, covering cap 22 is put over pouring opening 6 closed with crown cap 10 and in a parallel or prior further operation, molded cap 34 is inserted into a starting body 40 provided for forming capsule 36 and glued in there. Then, this partial packing product, consisting of molded cap 34 and starting body 40, is slipped over crown cap 10 provided with covering cap 22. Finally, starting body 40 fixed on molded cap 34 is, by shrinking-on, brought into firm contact with molded cap 34 as well as with upper part 38 of the bottle neck 4, thus forming capsule 36. If the capsule is made on the basis of tin, it is rolled on instead of shrunk on. In this sequence, wine bottle 1 as such is subjected to the packing measures only during a comparatively short period of time, so that comparatively high throughput rates are achievable.
When opening wine bottle 1 closed in this way, capsule 36 is first of all cut open by means of a suitable cutting tool in a region below molded cap 34, for example in the groove formed by circumferential edge 42 of molded cap 34 and bottle neck 4. Then, molded cap 34—among others, because of its adequately selected dimensioning—can be pulled off bottle neck 4 in a relatively simple way, so that covering cap 22 completely encircling crown cap 10 becomes exposed, as shown in
Therefore, wine bottle 1 is in closed condition provided with a packing system 8, which on the one hand safely avoids an impairment of the tightness of crown cap 10 and on the other hand, during the opening process, even after removal of capsule 36 with molded cap 34 gives the buyer a continuous overall impression of high quality, as crown cap 10 is permanently completely encircled by covering cap 22.
LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS
- 1 Wine bottle
- 2 Bottle body
- 4 Bottle neck
- 6 Pouring opening
- 8 Packing system
- 9 Bead
- 10 Crown cap
- 12 Bending lips
- 13 Teeth
- 14 Lip bead
- 16 Inner region
- 18 Sealing element
- 20 Lip bead
- 22 Covering cap
- 23 Cylindrical casing
- 24 Circumferential edge of the covering cap
- 26 Outer surface
- 28 Information carrier surface
- 38 Upper part
- 40 Starting body
- 42 Circumferential edge of molded cap
- d Inner diameter
- 30 Information carrier element
- 32 Snap-in locking edge
- 33 Inner surface
- 34 Molded cap
- 36 Capsule
Claims
1. Packing system (8) for a beverage bottle, in particular a wine or sparkling-wine bottle (1), with a crown cap (10) with which a covering cap (22) is associated, which is provided with a cylindrical casing (23) encircling the crown cap (10).
2. Packing system (8) as recited in claim 1, wherein the covering cap (22) is dimensioned in such a manner that its circumferential edge (24) ends flush with the teeth (13) of the crown cap (10).
3. Packing system (8) as recited in claim 1, wherein a snap-in locking edge (32) is integrally molded onto the circumferential edge (24) of the covering cap (22).
4. Packing system (8) as recited in claim 1, wherein the covering cap (22) and the crown cap (10) are glued together.
5. Packing system (8) as recited in claim 1, wherein the covering cap (22) is made of aluminium, tinplate or plastic.
6. Packing system (8) as recited in claim 1, wherein the covering cap (22) is provided with an information carrier element (30).
7. Packing system (8) as recited in claim 1, wherein for external packing of the crown cap (10) provided with the covering cap (22), a molded cap (34) and a capsule (36) encircling the molded cap jointly with a part of the bottle neck (4) are provided.
8. Packing system (8) as recited in claim 7, wherein the inner diameter (d) of the molded cap (34) is adapted to the cylindrical casing (23) of the covering cap (22).
9. Packing system (8) as recited in claim 7, wherein the molded cap (34) is dimensioned in such a manner that, in view of the dimensioning of the bottle neck (4), with a first circumferential lip bead (14) in the immediate vicinity of the pouring opening (6) and a second circumferential lip bead (20) arranged, as compared with the first one, at a slightly larger distance from the pouring opening, the impression of an upper-band mouth arises.
10. Beverage bottle, in particular wine or sparkling-wine bottle (1), closed with a packing system (8) as recited in claim 1.
11. Method for packing a beverage bottle, in particular a wine or sparkling-wine bottle (1), as recited in claim 10, wherein the covering cap (22) is slipped over a pouring opening (6) provided with the crown cap (10), the molded cap (34) is preassembled with a starting body (40) provided for forming the capsule (36) and then put over the pouring opening (6) provided with the covering cap (22) and the crown cap (10), the starting body (40) for forming the capsule (36) being subsequently rolled or shrunk onto the molded cap (34) as well as the respective part of the bottle neck (4).
12. Method for packing a beverage bottle, in particular a wine or sparkling-wine bottle (1), as recited in claim 10, wherein first of all the covering cap (22) and the molded cap (34) are preassembled into a starting body (40) provided for forming the capsule (36) and are subsequently put over a pouring opening (6) provided with the crown cap (10), the starting body (40) for forming the capsule (36) being afterwards rolled or shrunk onto the molded cap (34) as well as on a respective part of the bottleneck (4).
13. Method as recited in claim 11, wherein the covering cap (22) and the crown cap (10) are connected with each other through a glue, in particular silicone.
14. Use of a covering cap (22) of a packing system (8) as recited in any of claims 1 as an information carrier surface (28) for approval numbers, information of origin, such as coats of arms, bottler's name, place of bottling, or advertising, and others.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 12, 2004
Publication Date: Jul 12, 2007
Inventor: Peter Querbach (Oestrich-Winkel)
Application Number: 10/548,730
International Classification: B65D 51/18 (20060101);
