Abstract:
The present invention describes a bottle closure for bottles containing liquids at high pressure, such as bottles of sparkling wine, the closure having a first part and a second part, the first part having a portion adapted to receive a portion of an upper section of a neck of the bottle, and a second part that fits substantially over the first part, which is relatively movable with respect to the first part and has at least two positions, a first of which is in a free position and a second of which is in an interlocking position whereby a portion of the second part urges against a portion of the first part receiving the upper section of the neck of the bottle so as to be engaging against an outer side of the said first part to hold it thereby to resist release from its interlocking position with respect to the said neck of an industry standard bottle.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a closure for a bottle. 
         [0002]    In particular, the invention relates to a closure suitable for closing bottles containing carbonated or beverages having high levels of dissolved gas. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
       [0003]    There are two main types of wine beverages. The first of these is what is commonly referred to as “un-carbonated” of “still”. That is the wine does not contain a charge of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) dissolved in the liquid. The second type of wine is “carbonated” in that dissolved within the liquid is CO 2 , or some other food grade gas, most common however is CO 2 . An example of a carbonated wine is sparkling wine, in which CO 2  is added during secondary fermentation processes. 
         [0004]    For either type of wine it is traditional to use a closure made from cork to seal the bottle, although there are a number of alternatives to cork closures including screw-cap closures and synthetic cork replacements. More recently there have been advances in wine closures such as those disclosed in WO04058586A1, which describes a way of sealing a wine bottle containing an un-carbonated wine. Indeed, the wine bottle closure of WO04058586A1 address a number of common problems associated with the use of standard cork closures such as cork taint, as a result of trichloroanisole (TCA) leaching into the wine as well as the general degradation of cork closures that are not kept at the correct conditions. 
         [0005]    The most common way in which sparkling wine bottles are closed is with a cork and a retaining wire cage called a “muselet”. The wire cage covers the cork and wraps under the collar of the bottle and held in place by a tightening of the wire. In use, the wire cage is first loosened then may be removed from the cork and the cork then either removed with the aid of a cork extractor or grip or gently levered off by hand. Without the wire cage restraining the cork, the pressure generated inside the bottle by the release of CO 2  from the wine can result in the rapid ejection of the cork. 
         [0006]    Indeed, rapid ejection of sparkling wine corks is responsible for 20% of recorded eye injuries caused by bottles containing pressurized drinks in the United States. A 750 ml bottle of sparkling wine contains approximately 4 litres of CO 2  at a pressure of 620 kPa, which can propel a 30 g cork some 13 m. As a result, bottles of sparkling wine in the US now carry labels warning of potential eye injury. 
         [0007]    Apart from the potential for eye injury, cork closures on sparkling wine bottles can suffer the same problems as still wine cork closure. This includes the significant problem of cark taint resulting from the TCA leeching from the cork into the sparkling wine and affecting the taste. 
         [0008]    In addition, there is the transmission of gas through or past the closure; resulting in loss of CO 2  thus the sparkling wine becomes flat. Approximately 5-10% of sparkling wines suffer this fate. 
         [0009]    This then becomes an important quality issue for producers of sparkling wine, as the introduction of TCA into the product and loss of bubbles results in un-acceptance of the wine, and in severe cases the spoilage of entire vintages. 
         [0010]    Wine bottle closures, such as those of WO04058586A1, do not suffer from cork taint and still provide a way of closing a standard wine bottle having a collar on the finish of the bottle. However, such closures are not suitable as a closure for bottles containing carbonated beverages, as they do not have the mechanical strength to maintain an acceptable hold onto the collar under pressure. 
         [0011]    Plastic corks, have been used, however, these types of closures do not solve the safety issue, are associated with inferior product and are not generally accepted. 
         [0012]    Screw cap and crown seal closures have also been used to close sparkling wine bottles, but again the problem is that there is an association of such closures with cheaper products such as soft drinks, and as such they have not been widely accepted by the consuming public. 
         [0013]    Moreover, when using cork closure there is the problem of how to re-seal the bottle once it has been opened. Most often a specialized stopper is used to securely close the bottle, as the original cork closure is very difficult to reinsert. 
       OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    The term “collar” as used herein refers to the ring of material that is placed around the neck of the bottle near the base of the finish. This is often referred to as a “CETIE” (Centre Technique International de I&#39;Embouteillage et du Coditionnement) band 
         [0015]    The term “finish” as used herein refers to the top section of the bottle attached to the neck 
         [0016]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a closure for bottles containing carbonated beverages that is an alternative to cork closures. 
         [0017]    Another object of the invention is to provide a closure for bottles containing carbonated beverages that attaches to the collar of a standard bottle. 
         [0018]    It is an object of the present invention to overcome, or at least substantially ameliorate, the disadvantages and shortcomings of the prior art, including, but not limited to safety, oxidation, taint, extraction, flatness and ability to reseal. 
         [0019]    Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, taking in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0020]    According to the present invention, although this should not be seen as limiting the invention in any way, there is provided a bottle closure for bottles containing liquids at high pressure, the closure having a first part and a second part, the first part having a portion adapted to receive a portion of an upper section of a neck of the bottle, and a second part that fits substantially over the first part, which is relatively movable with respect to the first part and has at least two positions, a first of which is in a free position and a second of which is in an interlocking position whereby a portion of the second part urges against a portion of the first part receiving the upper section of the neck of the bottle so as to be engaging against an outer side of the said first part to hold it thereby to resist release from its interlocking position with respect to the said neck of an industry standard bottle. 
         [0021]    In preference, the first part includes a body having an outer surround that snaps onto and engages with an interlocking fit an outwardly extending integral collar on a neck of the bottle. 
         [0022]    In preference, the first part has a section of an outermost periphery shaped to engage with an inner portion of the second part. 
         [0023]    In preference, the second part includes a cap adapted to fit over at least a substantial portion of the body of the first part, the cap engaging with the outer surround in a first holding position so as to provide a compression force against an outer surface of the outer surround to effect a tightening of the outer surround to the bottle. 
         [0024]    In preference, there is at least a first seal to be held under compression against the uppermost rim of the bottle mouth. 
         [0025]    In preference, the second part further includes a lower surround section. 
         [0026]    In preference, the outer surround further includes an upper surround section and a lower surround section. 
         [0027]    In preference, the lower surround section extends over the integral collar on the neck of the bottle. 
         [0028]    In preference, the lower surround section has an inwardly directed lip that affects the interlocking fit with a lower edge of the integral collar of the bottle. 
         [0029]    In preference, the lower surround section is joined to the upper surround section by a weakened zone. 
         [0030]    In preference, the lower surround section is a tear away strip. 
         [0031]    In preference, the upper surround section has an inwardly directed lip that affects an interlocking fit with a lower edge of an integral bead on the mouth of the bottle. 
         [0032]    In preference, the upper surround section has at least a first groove on its outer surface shaped to engage a bead positioned on an inner surface of the cap. 
         [0033]    In preference, the upper surround section has a second groove on its outer surface shaped to engage with a bead positioned on an inner surface of the cap, the second groove being located above the first groove to provide a second holding position. 
         [0034]    In preference, the second groove is located on the body. 
         [0035]    In preference, when in the second holding position the cap no longer provides a compression force against the outer surface of the outer surround. 
         [0036]    Thus the cap has at least two positions, the first being a free or open position that does not provide any compression force against the first part (the outer surround) and the second position being the closed or interlocking position in which the can does apply a force to the first part such that it interlocks with the bottle. 
         [0037]    In preference, there is a second seal located between the first seal and the body. 
         [0038]    In preference, the first seal has a central portion that extends substantially into the mouth of the bottle. 
         [0039]    In preference, the central portion has at least one longitudinal groove extending along a direction of elongation of the central portion so as to allow fluid communication (venting of pressurised gas) between the inside of the bottle and the outside of the bottle during extraction of the central portion from the neck of the bottle. 
         [0040]    In preference, the at least one longitudinal groove has a first end and a second end, the first end terminating at least substantially midway along the direction of elongation of the central portion. 
         [0041]    Another form of the invention can be said to reside in a closure for bottles containing liquids at high pressure, the closure having a first part and a second part, the first part which engages with interlocking fit an outwardly extending neck of the mottle, and a second part which is relatively movable with respect to the said first part and has at least two positions, a first of which is in a free position and a second of which is in an interlocking position whereby to be engaging against an outer side of the said first part to holds it thereby to resist release from its interlocking position with respect to the said neck of the bottle. 
         [0042]    The invention may also reside in a bottle closure, where the bottle is of the type having a mouth to be closed, the closure includes a body having an outer surround that snaps onto and engages with an interlocking fit an outwardly extending integral collar on a neck of the bottle, at least a first seal to be held under compression against the uppermost rim of the bottle mouth, and a cap adapted to fit over at least a substantial portion of the body, the cap engaging with the outer surround in a first holding position so as to provide a compression force against an outer surface of the outer surround to effect a tightening of the outer surround to the bottle 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0043]    By way of example, an employment of the invention is described more fully the renown for with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0044]      FIG. 1  is a front elevation view of the invention according to first embodiment. 
           [0045]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the bottle closure of the current invention. 
           [0046]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the bottle closure in  FIG. 2   
           [0047]      FIG. 4  is a cross-section view of the bottle closure in  FIG. 2 , in a closed position, in a bottle. 
           [0048]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the invention bottle closure. 
           [0049]      FIG. 6  is e cross-sectional a view of the bottle closure in  FIG. 5   
           [0050]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the bottle closure in a bottle. 
           [0051]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the bottle closure in an open position. 
           [0052]      FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of the bottle closure being removed from the bottle. 
           [0053]      FIG. 10  is a partial cut away view of an alternative embodiment of the invention. 
           [0054]      FIG. 11  is a side view of the first part of the invention as shown in  FIG. 10 , without the second part in place. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0055]      FIG. 1  shows the bottle closure  5  inserted into a bottle  7  in an unopened position. The bottle  7  is a type having a mouth to be closed and further includes a bead  19  about the outer face of the neck finish. Such neck finishes are well known to those skilled in the art and the figures of this application clearly show such a typical neck finish. 
         [0056]    The bottle closure  5  has a first part with a body  9  with a downward projection portion  11 . The downward projection portion  11  has an upper section  13  and a lower section  15 , the upper section  13  shaped internally to nestingly fit the outer shape of bead  19  of the bottle  7 . The bead  19  is primarily used for a crown seal to engage upon so as to seal the bottle during the primary fermentation stage of sparkling wine. After the primary fermentation stage the bead  19  is not used by conventional cork closures. The lower section  13  is shaped to nestingly fit the integral collar  22  of the bottle  5 , which is normally used to secure the wire cage or muslet that covers the cork closure. 
         [0057]    The body  9  has an upper groove  17  and lower groove  26 , both of which are located around the periphery of the body  9  and are substantially parallel to one another. It would of course be well understood that it might not be necessary for the grooves  17  and  26  to travel completely around the periphery for the bottle closure  5  to work fully. 
         [0058]    The upper section  13  has an inwardly directed lip  28  and an adjacent inner face  30  that, in combination, engage the bead  19  securely. The longitudinal apertures  78  extend from the circumferential groove  80  to just above the weakened zone  40  so that when the lower section  40  is removed the individual segments  82  are released, which will still be attached to the body  9 . 
         [0059]    The lower section  15  is joined to the upper section  13  by a weakened zone  40 . In addition, the lower section  15  has a spiraling weakened zone  42  that converges with the weakened zone  40  that allows the lower section  15  to be frangible in that it is pulled apart by the user on opening. The lower section  15  has an inwardly directed lip  44  shaped to abut the lower face  46  of the collar  22  and provide a secure purchase thereto. The inner face  48  of the lower section  15  then presses against the outer face  50  of the neck  52  of the bottle  7 . 
         [0060]    The closure  5  also has a second-part or cap portion  24 , having an inner cavity  34  designed to securely accept the body  9  therein. The cap portion  24  further has an integral bead or ridge  32  extending around the inner chamber  34  and shaped to be at least substantially complimentary to the shape of the upper and lower grooves  17  and  26  respectively such that the ridge  32  can fit within the grooves  17  and  26  in a releasable manner such as to restrict the slidable travel of the cap portion to between the two grooves  17  and  26 . About the outer surface  35  of the cap portion  24  are a series of ridges  38  that aid a users ability to grasp the cap portion  24  with their hand. 
         [0061]    Positioned within the cavity  54  of the body  9  is a plunger portion  56  having a circumferential flange  58  that is shaped about its periphery to overlap with the upper face  60  of the bead  19  so that the concave portion  62  of the flange  58  comes into direct continuous contact with the upper face  60 . The plunger portion  56  is constructed from a food grade plastic material, as it will come into direct contact with the contents of the bottle. 
         [0062]    The external diameter  64  of the surface  66  is slightly larger than the internal diameter of the inside of the neck of the bottle so as to ensure a snug fit. This then provides an exceptional barrier to any egress of liquid or gas within the bottle to the outside when the plunger-portion  56  is in place. Notwithstanding this, there is also an additional sealing mechanism being a foil laminate seal  70  located in between the plunger portion  56  and the body  9 . This provides a very effective seal against any gas transmission between the contents of the bottle and the outside environment. Such seals are well known to those skilled in the art. 
         [0063]    Additionally the plunger portion  56  has longitudinal grooves  72  thereon, extending upwards from the base  74 . These grooves allow for a slight controlled outlet of gas from the interior of the bottle during extraction of the plunger port on  56  from the neck of the bottle. Reinforcing segments  74  aid in strengthening the sides of the plunger portion  56 . The base  74  is slightly convex in shape. 
         [0064]    The cap portion  24  and body  9  are preferably made from a resilient plastic material that has sufficient intrinsic strength not to deform substantially. The plunger portion  56 , however, is preferably constructed from a more distortable plastics material than the cap portion  24  and body  9 , as it is required to adapt to the shape of the inside surface  84  of the neck  52  of the bottle  7 . 
         [0065]      FIG. 4 , shows the bottle closure  5  in a closed position inserted into a bottle  7 . The cap portion  24  is pushed into a holding position so that the integral ridge  32  is placed within the lower groove  26  and provides an inwardly directing force against the upper section  13  of the body  9  to drive the inwardly directing lip  28  up against tee lower face  61  of the bead  19 . 
         [0066]    This, in combination with the inwardly directing force of the lower section  15  urging the inwardly directing lip  44  against the lower face  46  of the collar  22  and the inner surface  48  against the outer face  50  of the bottle neck  52  provides sufficient force to hold the bottle closure  5  in place against the internal pressure that can develop within a bottle of sparkling wine. 
         [0067]    In an alternative embodiment of the invention, there is a closure  100 , with a first part having a body  109  and a second part being the cap portion  105 . 
         [0068]    The cap portion  105  has a lower section  107  is joined to the cap portion  105  by a weakened zone  110 . In addition, the lower section  107  has a spiraling weakened zone  112  that converges with the weakened zone  110  that allows the lower section  107  to be frangible in that it is pulled apart by the user on opening. The lower section  107  has an inwardly directed lip  115  shaped to abut the lower face  46  of tie collar  22  and provide a secure purchase thereto. The inner face  117  of the lower section  105  then presses against the outer face  50  of the neck  52  of the bottle  7 , as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0069]    Note that the effect is the same as with closure  5 , the main difference being that the lower section  105  is attached to the cap  105  and not the first part of the body  109 . 
         [0070]    The removal of either closure  5  or  100  requires similar steps, and while the following description refers to the removal of the lower section  15  from closure  5 , once the either lower section  15  or  105  is removed, the result is similar. 
         [0071]    For removal of closure  5 , a user first removes the lower section  15  by grasping the cap portion  24  at the ridges  38  and removing the lower section  15  by grasping the tab  86  and pulling outwardly. This results in the lower section breaking first at the weakened zone  42 , then at the weakened zone  40  that attaches the lower section  15  to the upper section  13 . 
         [0072]    The lower section  13  then no longer restricts the segments  82  of the upper section  13 . The user then pulls the cap portion  24  upwardly to disengage the integral ridge  32  from the lower groove  26  to then engage the upper groove  17 . This is then the open position, and the segments  82  are now free to move about their hinge sections  90  and release their hold on the bead  19  and collar  22  of bottle  7 , as shown in  FIG. 8 . 
         [0073]    During removal of the bottle closure  5  the plunger portion  56  is also extracted and any excess gas pressure present in the neck of the bottle is allowed to vent  88  through the longitudinal grooves  72  to the outside atmosphere. The amount of venting is only slight, so that upon final extraction of the plunger portion  56  under normal conditions there is still sufficient pressure of gas to create a detectable popping sound that is closely associated with the opening of sparkling wine bottles. Of course, it is then also possible for a user to elect to vent all the excess gas in the bottle neck if the user were to hold the bottle closure in the position as shown in  FIG. 6  for an extended period. Indeed this may be preferable so that there is a gradual release of pressure that minimises the loss of gas from the liquid. 
         [0074]    In any case, by requiring that the user slide the cap portion  24  from a first closed position to a second open position before the bottle closure  5  can be removed significantly adds to the safety of such a closure as at all times the user will be in control of the bottle closure  5 . 
         [0075]    Should the bottle not be chilled sufficiently, then there may well be a dangerously high pressure of gas in the neck of the bottle, but as the user will be required to disengage the cap portion prior to removal of the bottle closure by grasping the cap portion  24  then there is less chance that the bottle closure will be uncontrollably ejected from the bottle. 
         [0076]    In addition, the bottle closure  5  can be used to effectively re-seal the bottle by re-inserting the plunger portion  56  into the mouth of the bottle and pushing the cap portion  24  downwards so that the integral ridge  32  disengages the upper groove  1  and slides down to engage the lower groove  26 . This action then forces the segments  82  to re-engage the bead  19  of the bottle  7 , to hold securely the bottle closure  5  in place. The seal provided by the plunger portion  56  against the inside of the neck  52  is sufficient to stop any of the liquid contents escaping from the bottle. 
         [0077]    In a further embodiment of the invention the lower section  103  may be joined directly to the cap portion  102  as shown in  FIG. 7 . The body  108  then has only the upper section  110 , with the segments  112  joined thereto by the hinge sections  114 . The plunger portion  56  and seal  70  remain the same. The working of this embodiment is as per previously described, as would be appreciated by those skilled in the art. 
         [0078]    In yet a further embodiment of the invention, as shown in  FIG. 10 , the bottle closure  200  has a first part  202  and a second part  205 . 
         [0079]    The first part  202  has a body  207  and a plunger portion  209 , which may be integral with the body  207 . The upper section  210  of the body  207  has an outer surround with an inwardly directed lip  212  that can engage or urge up against the lower face  61  of the bead  19  of the bottle. 
         [0080]    The second part  205  has located about the inner periphery  213 , a series of projections  214  that are shaped to fit within and align with the lower section  216  of the groove  215  of the first part  202 . The groove  215  is shaped so that in a first position, the second part  205  urges against the engaging elements  218 , and by a user twisting the second part  205  the projection  214  are guided to the upper section  217  of the groove  216 , thus forcing the second part to move away from the engaging elements  218 . The closure  200  can then be readily removed from the bottle  7 . 
         [0081]    Projection  220  in the grooves  215  provide for a positive tactile feel to inform the user that the second part  205  has been rotated to the appropriate position. 
         [0082]    The lower section  222  of the second portion  205  works to engage the collar  22 , as per the previous examples. 
         [0083]    Although the invention has been herein shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures can be made within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details described herein so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus.