Wine glass, method for packaging wine, and wine container

The invention relates to a method of packaging wine in a container essentially consisting of a plastics material glass closed by a lid, wherein a lid is sealed to the rim of the glass and, while sealing the lid, the container is deformed to reduce the volume of the head space.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a wineglass, to a container filled with wine that incorporates this wineglass, and to a method of packaging wine in this glass.

The invention relates in particular to a plastics material glass and to a container that incorporates this glass and is filled with wine packaged in a modified atmosphere.

PRIOR ART

Packaging wine in a sealed drinking glass is described in French patent FR 2 735 003. The container in that patent includes a closure member fitting closely to the wall of the container in order to seal the packaging; the closure member has a plane lower face situated in the vicinity of the free surface of the wine in order to define a residual space of at most two cubic centimeters. The glass is made of glass or plastic.

The choice of such a small residual space (also referred to as a “head space”), although it makes it possible to limit the volume of gas “trapped” in the container, requires the use of a closure member specifically adapted to the shape and the dimensions of the drinking glass concerned, which is costly, makes it difficult to automate closure of the glass by such a member, and may also make it difficult for a consumer of average dexterity to open the container.

The European patent EP 1 235 501 proposes to package wine in a sealed container having overall permeability to oxygen that is sufficiently low to allow long-term storage of the wine contained in the container.

The container is made of glass and is closed by a heat-seal film lid including a layer of aluminum coated with a protection layer.

The wine is packaged in a low-oxygen atmosphere; thus the head space defined by the film lid, the wall of the glass, and the free surface of the wine contains little oxygen, which limits oxidation of the wine.

The head space is at a lower pressure than the outside environment, in particular when the oxygen concentration of the atmosphere in the head space is reduced by injecting an inert gas or gases.

A reduced pressure in the head space (and consequently in the wine) may facilitate the diffusion of oxygen contained in the air around the sealed container through its walls, and in particular through the film of material that seals the film lid to the (drinking) glass, if the film lid and/or the wall of the glass have low permeability to oxygen, and that compromises good storage of the wine.

That reduced pressure may also cause localized (confined or individual) rupture or detachment of the sealing film and/or the film lid, ending confinement of the wine, and causing (micro)leakage of surrounding air into the container, leading to rapid deterioration of the qualities of the wine.

Moreover, reducing the volume of the head space compromises user friendliness when the glass is closed by a plane film lid: there is a greater risk of spilling the wine when peeling off the film lid and when the consumer raises the glass to the lips.

Strengthening the adhesion of the film lid to the edge or rim of the glass by means of a sealing film causes problems: the increased strength of the seal makes it more difficult to detach the film lid and is liable to cause it to tear.

Moreover, increasing for this purpose the area over which the film lid adheres to the rim requires a glass with a thick rim, which reduces the enjoyment of the wine.

Moreover, a sealing film that is thick and/or that extends over a large area of the rim is liable, after detaching the film lid, to leave behind film lid residues that remain attached to the rim, which is also not user friendly.

Another potential problem linked to sealing a film lid to the rim of a glass is the result of a defect in terms of the flatness of the rim: in this situation, closure may be perfect over only a portion of the outline of the rim and may be deficient over a different portion of that outline, thus facilitating the occurrence of leaks between the inside volume of the container and the medium (in particular the air) surrounding the container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to propose a container filled with wine comprising a wineglass closed by a film lid that enables improved storage of the wine and that makes use of the glass by a consumer more user friendly.

An object of the invention is to propose a container filled with wine essentially consisting of a wineglass closed by a film lid, which container is improved and/or remedies at least in part the shortcomings or drawbacks of known containers filled with wine.

An object of the invention is to propose a wineglass adapted to be easily and efficaciously closed by a film lid, which wineglass is improved and/or remedies at least in part the shortcomings or drawbacks of known wineglasses.

An object of the invention is to propose a method of packaging wine in a container essentially consisting of a glass closed by a film lid, which method is improved and/or remedies, at least in part, the shortcomings or drawbacks of known methods of packaging wine.

One aspect of the invention proposes a plastics material glass, in which the upper extremity of the edge (or rim) of the glass comprises an annular thermoplastic material rib and two receiver surfaces (or volumes) lying on either side of the rib and set back from the top of the rib to receive plastics material resulting from flattening of the rib.

In section the rib may have an upside down T shape.

The rim may have a central upper part and two lateral lower parts set back from the central part, above and between the receiver surfaces, which makes it possible to increase the area of contact between the rim and a film of material for sealing a film lid to the rim, without increasing the width (or thickness) of the rim, to increase the resistance to tearing off the film lid, to reduce the oxygen permeability of the connecting area (the sealing film in particular) connecting the rim to the film lid, and to limit or avoid the presence of projecting residues after tearing off the film lid.

Two first substantially plane surfaces of revolution may lie on either side of a central part of the rib and be set back from the top of the rib, and two second substantially plane surfaces of revolution may lie on either side of and are set back from the two first surfaces; connecting surfaces, also of revolution, may each lie between one of the first surfaces and one of the second surfaces, to connect them together in pairs.

The rim may include a peripheral portion projecting relative to the outside face of the lateral wall of the glass to cooperate with the glass to form a ledge or flange adapted to receive the extremity of a holding tool to facilitate manipulation of the glass or a blank for the glass.

The glass may in particular be produced in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) by an injection blow molding process.

Another aspect of the invention proposes a method of packaging wine in a container essentially comprising a plastics material glass closed by a film lid, wherein an inert gas or gases is/are injected into the head space, a film lid is sealed to the rim of the glass and the container is caused to be deformed to reduce the volume of the head space while sealing the film lid, this deformation preferably including plastic deformation of the film lid and/or elastic deformation of the walls of the glass.

The inert gases may comprise carbon dioxide.

In particular, the annular rib on the rim of the glass may be deformed plastically while heat-sealing the film lid.

Another aspect of the invention proposes a container comprising a plastics material glass containing wine and closed by a film lid including a metal layer, wherein the film lid presents (at least) one local deformation adapted to facilitate deformation of a substantial part of the film lid when a sufficient pressure difference is applied between the two main faces of the film lid to facilitate overall deformation of the film lid and to reduce the volume of the head space of the container.

The local deformation of the film lid may exhibit circular symmetry about the longitudinal axis of the glass.

The metal part of film lid may include a plurality of concentric local deformations, each exhibiting circular symmetry.

The deformed part of the film lid may have, in section, a U, V, half-wave, or full-wave shape.

Such local deformation of the film lid may be effected by stamping the film lid or the metal foil used to fabricate it.

Alternatively or additionally, the film lid may include numerous (local) deformations substantially regularly distributed over at least a substantial part of the film lid. In particular, the film lid may include at least ten deformations per square centimeter, the deformations being of substantially identical shape and distributed over at least a surface exhibiting centered symmetry such as a ring.

The distributed local deformations of the film lid may be obtained by embossing at least part of the film lid or the metal foil used to fabricate it.

Although the film lid may be provided with these deformations over the whole of its surface, a peripheral portion (or ring) of the film lid may be free of deformations in order to facilitate deformation of the whole of the film lid without deteriorating the contact and the adhesion of this peripheral portion to the rim via the sealing film.

The glass may include a first wall portion having a first thickness and a second wall portion extending the first wall portion and having a second thickness less than the first thickness, the area of the second wall portion being less than the area of the first wall portion, so as to confer on the glass a capacity for elastic deformation whilst ensuring sufficient protection against diffusion of oxygen through the wall of the glass.

This capacity for elastic deformation may improve the quality of heat-sealing of a film lid to the rim of the glass, in particular in the event of a defect in terms of the parallel relationship between the rim and the head of the heat-sealing tool.

This capacity for elastic deformation may equally make it possible to reduce the volume of the head space during heat-sealing and where appropriate to limit the pressure reduction in the head space when the glass is filled with wine and closed.

The first and second wall portions lie below the rim, the rim generally having a thickness greater than the thickness of the first wall portion.

The ratio of the first thickness to the second thickness may be in a range of approximately 1.1 to approximately 3, 4, or 5 and in particular in a range from approximately 1.3 to approximately 2 or 3.

The ratio of the area of the first wall portion to the area of the second wall portion may be in a range of approximately 1.5 to approximately 10, in particular in a range of approximately 2 to approximately 4.

The second wall portion may project or be recessed relative to the first wall portion, thus forming an enlargement or a reduction, respectively, of the volume defined by the walls of the glass.

The first and second wall portions may extend over surfaces of revolution.

The reduced pressure in the container may be of the order of 0.03 bar to 0.3 bar. The volume of the head space may be in a range of approximately 3% to approximately 30% of the capacity of the glass, in particular in a range of approximately 5% or 6% to approximately 10% of the capacity of the glass.

The invention makes it possible in particular to produce glasses with a capacity of one or more deciliters and containers incorporating these glasses in which the volume of the head space is of the order of approximately 3% to approximately 10%, 20%, or 30% of the capacity of the glass.

Other aspects, features, and advantages of the invention appear in the following description, which refers to the appended figures and illustrates preferred non-limiting embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Unless indicated explicitly or implicitly to the contrary, elements or members that are structurally or functionally identical or similar are designated by the same references in all the figures.

Referring toFIGS. 1,2,6, and7in particular, a plastics material glass20includes a wall45forming the bottom of the glass and a lateral wall21extending from the bottom45and terminated by a free edge (or rim)22.

In the configurations shown inFIGS. 1,2, and6, the glass20and the walls21,45exhibit generally circular symmetry about the vertical longitudinal axis26of the glass; in particular, the upper part60of the wall21may have a cylindrical or frustoconical shape of circular section about an axis26.

In the configuration shown inFIG. 7, the wall21does not have this circular symmetry, a thinner part63of this wall lying in a plane, given reference49in the figure, that is not orthogonal to the longitudinal axis26of the glass.

Referring toFIGS. 1 and 6, the major part60of the lateral wall21and likewise the major part61of the bottom wall45have respective thicknesses25and27, that may be of the order of 1 mm to 2.5 mm.

In the configuration shown inFIG. 1, a lower part23of the wall21, which has a thickness28less than the thicknesses25and27of the wall portions60and61, projects outwards from the upper part60of the wall21; this thinner portion23connects the portion60of the wall21to the bottom wall45and is the result of a local enlargement of the inside section of the glass.

In contrast, in the configuration shown inFIG. 6, the thinner lower part62of the wall21, which lies between and connects together the bottom wall45and the upper part60of the wall21, forms a local depression on the outside face of the lateral wall of the glass and reduces the volume (of the glass) defined by this wall.

In the configuration shown inFIG. 2, the bottom wall45also includes a thinner portion29that is centrally located and surrounded by the thick wall portion61.

These thinner wall portions, thickness that may be of the order of 0.5 mm to 1 mm, facilitate substantially elastic deformation of the glass20, in particular if the glass is subjected to a compression force along its longitudinal axis26; this makes it possible, notably when sealing a film lid, to reduce the height24of the glass, for example by 1% to 2%, and to reduce the volume of the head space.

Referring toFIG. 3, the rim22includes a peripheral portion36projecting from the outside face21aof the lateral wall21and forming a projecting annular flange.

As shown inFIG. 7, this flange39may serve as a bearing point to receive the end of a holding tool48, which facilitates manipulation of the glass or its blank by means of this tool during fabrication of the glass by molding; this fabrication is preferably effected by injection molding a thermoplastic material to obtain a blank for a glass and then by blow molding the blank to obtain the glass.

Referring toFIG. 3, the upper end of the rim22includes a rib90of upside down T shape that lies above two surfaces34,35of the rim lying on either side of the rib90. These surfaces34,35are substantially plane and coplanar, i.e. they form part of or extend along a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the glass.

This configuration confers upon the (diametral) cross-section of the upper end of the rim a stepped shape with three levels and five steps31to35: the faces/surfaces34,35form two first level steps; two other faces/surfaces32,33that are substantially coplanar correspond to the two arms of the T shape and lie above the surfaces34,35, forming two second level steps; and a central surface31that corresponds to the end of the stem of the T shape and that lies above the surfaces32,33forms a fifth third level step.

The vertical distance38between the surfaces32and34and also between the surfaces33and35is preferably greater than the vertical distance37between the surfaces32and33, and the central surface31. The vertical distances37,38are preferably less than 1 mm and for example in a range from 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm.

The surface31may be substantially plane and orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the glass or, as shown inFIG. 3, have a rounded profile (in section).

Connecting surfaces such as the surfaces50that extend along cylinders whose axis is the longitudinal axis of the glass, for example, connect the surfaces31to35together in pairs.

As emerges in particular from a comparison ofFIGS. 3 and 4or ofFIGS. 3 and 5, the part51of the rib90corresponding to the stem of the T shape “disappears”: this upper central part51of the rib90, which is subjected to heating and to compression transmitted by the film lid, is softened and melted, at least in part, with the lower part of the rib, which corresponds to the cross-bar (or the arms) of the T shape, which is also softened by the effect of this heating.

This results in enlargement of this lower part of the rib and reduction of the width of the surfaces34and35; the duration and the temperature of heating the film lid, the magnitude of the force pressing the film lid onto the rim, the width of the surfaces34,35, and the vertical distance38are all chosen so that deformation at the upper end of the rim during heat-sealing does not cause enlargement of the rim and does not cause the softened material of the rib to overflow beyond the surfaces34,35, which would make the glass less user friendly.

Accordingly, with the connecting surface50, the two surfaces34,35determine a receiver space (or volume) on either side of the rib, in line with the lower portions of the rib forming the crossbar of the T shape, and set back from the top and the portion51of the rib, to receive the plastics material that creeps upon the flattening of the rib caused by the heat-sealing process.

When sealing a film lid to the rim, the central portion51may thus disappear completely (seeFIG. 4), or only in part (seeFIG. 5), in particular if the upper end of the central portion is not perfectly flat.

In the sealing configuration shown inFIG. 4, the film lid40includes a metal central layer42, in particular a layer of aluminum, the thickness46of which may be of the order of 30 micrometers to 60 micrometers, for example; the outside face of the layer42is coated with a layer41that may be a lacquer or a film of plastics material, in particular a polyester film adhering to the layer42.

The layer42is moreover coated on its inside face (which is also its lower face in relation to the disposition shown in the figures) with a layer43of thickness47that may consist of a lacquer or a heat-sealing plastics material.

By means of the (deformed) T-shaped rib, the area of contact and sealing between the rim and the film lid is increased without the width (or thickness)30of the rim being increased (seeFIG. 3).

Referring toFIGS. 8 and 9, the film lid40includes a single centered circular deformation70having (in section) a half-wave profile and projecting from the lower face (inside face) of the film lid.

In the configuration shown inFIG. 11, the film lid40includes two concentric circular deformations70,73each having a half-wave profile and projecting from the inside face of the film lid.

Referring toFIGS. 10 and 12, if the inside face of the film lid (sealed to a glass) is subjected to a sufficiently reduced pressure, the portions71,76of the film lid respectively defined by the deformations70,73are entirely deformed and project on the inside face of the film lid.

The result of this is the appearance of a cavity72over a substantial part of the outside (upper) face of the film lid, a reduction in the volume of the head space (88inFIG. 12), and a limitation of the reduced pressure in the glass filled with wine81.

In the embodiments corresponding toFIGS. 13 to 16, the substantially plane film lid40includes many small deformations80regularly distributed over a substantial part of the film lid in the form of a disk (FIG. 15) or of a ring (FIG. 16).

These small deformations enable overall deformation75of the corresponding part of the film lid, with at least the central part thereof then assuming a dome shape projecting from the inside face40dof the film lid as shown inFIG. 14when this inside face is subjected to a sufficiently reduced pressure, and enable a depression72of substantial volume to be formed in the outside face40aof the film lid.

These deformations80, which may be obtained by embossing, may have a dimension of less than one millimeter, they may be of substantially identical shape, and they may be distributed at the rate of at least ten deformations per square centimeter of the surface of the film lid.

In theFIG. 16configuration, a central part40bof the film lid is free of such deformations80; another peripheral part40c(or ring) of the film lid is also free of deformations in order to improve the contact and adhesion between this peripheral part and the rim of the glass.

Reducing the volume of the head space88by deforming the film lid and/or the walls of the glass makes it possible to limit the reduced pressure in the closed glass to a value of the order of 0.03 bar to 0.3 bar (i.e. of the order of 3*103Pascal to 3*104Pascal), and in particular to a value situated in a range from approximately 0.1 bar to approximately 0.2 bar.

The deformation of the film lid and/or the walls of the glass20may result from a reduced pressure in the glass (and in the head space in particular) because of the effect of exchanges occurring between the wine and the gas mixture contained in the head space or of changes occurring in the wine over time.

This deformation may be initiated or amplified by pressure on the film lid and on the rim of the glass while sealing the film lid.