Patent Publication Number: US-11661245-B2

Title: Cover for bottle, bottle comprising cover and methods

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a § 371 National State Application of PCT/EP2019/067801 filed Jul. 3, 2019, which claims priority to EP 18183098.5 filed Jul. 12, 2018. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure generally relates to a bottle cover comprising a stretchable paper material. In particular, a cover for protection of a neck and a closure member of a bottle, where a sleeve of the cover comprises a stretchable paper material, a bottle comprising a cover, a method of forming a cover for a bottle, and a method of attaching a cover to a bottle, are provided. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Almost all sparkling wine bottles are today “capped” with complex foils, for example made of aluminum and polyethylene (PE). These foil caps remain on the bottles after consumption and are generally not recycled separately. This poses enormous difficulties for the recycling process. A minority of the foil caps are recycled by energy intensive incineration. 
     The annual production of sparkling wines is today over 2.5 billion bottles. The total area of the foil caps may therefore be estimated to over 75 million m 2 . The foil caps therefore pose a severe problem for the environment and for a sustainable development. 
     EP 1323640 A1 discloses a cover consisting of a truncated conical skirt and a preformed cap. The cap is pressed and cut from a strip of aluminum, and the cover is fitted with an opening system in the form of a tongue and a line of reduced resistance in the skirt. 
     SUMMARY 
     One object of the present disclosure is to provide a cover for a bottle, which cover is environmentally friendly. 
     A further object of the present disclosure is to provide a cover for a bottle, which cover is free from plastic and aluminium. 
     A still further object of the present disclosure is to provide a cover for a bottle, which cover is biodegradable, such as 100% biodegradable. A biodegradable cover refers to a cover that can be decomposed in the natural environment aerobically (e.g. composting) or anaerobically (e.g. landfill). 
     A still further object of the present disclosure is to provide a cover for a bottle, which cover can be easily attached to the bottle. 
     A still further object of the present disclosure is to provide a cover for a bottle, which cover can be easily opened. 
     A still further object of the present disclosure is to provide a cover for a bottle, which cover can be easily detached from the bottle. 
     A still further object of the present disclosure is to provide a bottle comprising a closure member and a cover, which bottle solves one, several or all of the foregoing objects. 
     A still further object of the present disclosure is to provide a method of forming a cover for a bottle, which method solves one, several or all of the foregoing objects. 
     A still further object of the present disclosure is to provide a method of attaching a cover to a bottle, which method solves one, several or all of the foregoing objects. 
     BillerudKorsnäs AB (Sweden) has marketed a highly stretchable paper under the name FibreForm® since 2009. The stretchability of FibreForm® allows it to replace, for example, plastics in many applications. 
     According to one aspect, there is provided a cover for protection of a neck and a closure member of a bottle, wherein the cover comprises a sleeve; wherein the sleeve comprises a stretchable paper material; wherein the sleeve is configured to enclose the neck; and wherein the stretchability according to ISO 1924-3:2005 of the stretchable paper material the sleeve is at least 5% in the machine direction (MD) and at least 5% in the cross direction (CD). 
     Due to the stretchability of the stretchable paper material of the sleeve, the cover can be tightly fitted around the neck of the bottle. The cover can thereby be made without any plastic or aluminium. The stretchable paper material of the sleeve also enables the environmentally friendly cover according to the present disclosure to be visually distinguished from prior art foil caps. 
     The cover according to the present disclosure may constitute a secondary protective cap-like outer cover for the neck and the closure member of the bottle. The sleeve may be formed around the neck and around at least a part of the closure member of the bottle. Throughout the present disclosure, the cover may alternatively be referred to as a cap or capsule and/or the sleeve may alternatively be referred to as a skirt. 
     The stretchable paper material according to the present disclosure may comprise at least one layer of stretchable paper. The stretchable paper layer may be composed of Kraft paper. The stretchable paper material may be constituted by a single layer of stretchable paper. Alternatively, the stretchable paper material according to the present disclosure may be constituted by a laminate or substrate of two or more layers of stretchable paper. In any case, the stretchable paper layer may be constituted by FibreForm® marketed by BillerudKorsnäs AB. FibreForm® is a formable, sustainable and tactile packaging material consisting of 100% primary fibers. The material&#39;s purity and strength are approved for contact with food. The material is 100% recyclable and 100% biodegradable to improve the overall environmental impact. 
     For aesthetic and printing purposes, the stretchable paper material according to the present disclosure may be white. For example, its brightness according to ISO 2470 may be at least 80%, such as at least 82%. However, the stretchable paper material may also be unbleached (“brown”). Throughout the present disclosure, the stretchable paper material may be either coated or uncoated. 
     The sleeve may be configured to attach to the neck by at least partial stretching of the stretchable paper material of the sleeve. The sleeve may be configured to attach to the neck by applying a pressure on the cover such that the stretchable paper material of the sleeve at least partly stretches. The pressure may for example be applied on the cover in a conventional bottle capping machine. The stretchable paper material enables an attachment to the neck without any glue. However, in order to increase the strength of attachment of the cover to the neck, glue may be added. 
     The grammage according to ISO 536:2012 of the stretchable paper material of the sleeve may be 20 g/m 2  to 300 g/m 2 , such as 50 g/m 2  to 200 g/m 2 , such as 80 g/m 2  to 120 g/m 2 . According to one example, the grammage according to ISO 536:2012 of the stretchable paper material of the sleeve is 100 g/m 2 . 
     The stretchable paper material of the sleeve may comprise a surface for printing. The surface for printing may be provided on a front surface and/or a rear surface of the stretchable paper material of the sleeve. A coated stretchable paper material has a significantly better surface for printing compared to an uncoated stretchable paper material. 
     The Bendtsen roughness according to ISO 8791-2 of at least one side of the stretchable paper material of the sleeve may be 2500 ml/min or lower, such as 2000 ml/min or lower, such as 1500 ml/min or lower. According to one example, the Bendtsen roughness according to ISO 8791-2 of a front side of the stretchable paper material of the sleeve is less than 1500 ml/min and the Bendtsen roughness according to ISO 8791-2 of a rear side of the stretchable paper material of the sleeve is less than 2500 ml/min. The Bendtsen roughness is typically lower when the grammage is lower. As understood by the skilled person, the above Bendtsen roughness values relate to uncoated paper. 
     The stretchable paper material of the sleeve may comprise at least one annular line of weakness for removal of an upper portion of the cover after tearing the at least one annular line of weakness. According to one example, the stretchable paper material of the sleeve comprises two annular lines of weakness. In this case, a portion between the annular lines of weakness constitutes an intermediate portion of the cover. After pulling a tab of the intermediate portion and tearing the two annular lines of weakness, an upper portion of the cover can be removed. As an alternative, the stretchable paper material of the sleeve may comprise only one annular line of weakness. In this case, the upper portion may be twisted to separate the upper portion from a lower portion of the cover along the annular line of weakness. 
     The stretchable paper material of the sleeve may comprise at least one longitudinal line of weakness for opening a lower portion of the cover after tearing the at least one longitudinal line of weakness. The stretchable paper material of the sleeve may further comprise an opening, and one of the at least one annular line of weakness and one of the at least one longitudinal line of weakness may join the opening. Throughout the present disclosure, each line of weakness may for example be constituted by a perforation line. 
     The stretchability further enables formation of three-dimensional shapes in the stretchable paper material of the sleeve, e.g. by press forming, or vacuum forming. The stretchable paper material of the sleeve may comprise at least one embossed structure. The cover may constitute a decorative cover for the bottle. Throughout the present disclosure, an embossed structure may for example be constituted by, or comprise, a bulge or relief. 
     Throughout the present disclosure, the cover may comprise a head attached to the sleeve, for example by means of glue. In this case, the head may or may not comprise a stretchable paper material. According to one example, the head is entirely made of a stretchable paper material. The stretchable paper material of the head may be of the same type as the stretchable paper material of the sleeve. In case the head is made of paper, the entire cover may be made of paper. The sleeve may radially enclose the head (with respect to a longitudinal axis of the sleeve). 
     In case the head comprises a stretchable paper material, the head may be configured to form over the closure member of the bottle, i.e. such that the shape of the head adopts, or substantially adopts, a shape of the closure member. The head may be configured to form over the closure member by applying a pressure on the cover such that the stretchable paper material of the head at least partly stretches. The pressure may for example be applied on the cover in a conventional bottle capping machine. 
     According to a further aspect, there is provided a bottle comprising a neck, closure member and a cover according to the present disclosure attached to the neck. A bottle according to the present disclosure may be of any type having a neck and a closure member, such as a bottle for champagne, sparkling wine or beer. The bottle may be made of glass. 
     According to a further aspect, there is provided a method of forming a cover for a bottle, the method comprising providing a blank of a stretchable paper material, wherein the stretchability according to ISO 1924-3:2005 of the stretchable paper material is at least 5% in the machine direction (MD) and at least 5% in the cross direction (CD); and forming the blank into a sleeve configured to enclose a neck of the bottle. The method may further comprise attaching a head to the sleeve, for example by means of gluing. The sleeve may comprise a stretchable paper material of the same type or similar type as the stretchable paper material of the sleeve. In particular, the sleeve may comprise a stretchable paper material having a stretchability according to ISO 1924-3:2005 of at least 5% in the machine direction (MD) and at least 5% in the cross direction (CD) 
     According to a further aspect, there is provided a method of attaching a cover to a bottle, the method comprising providing a cover according to the present disclosure; arranging the cover around a neck of the bottle; and attaching the cover to the neck. 
     The method may further comprise at least partially stretching the stretchable paper material of the sleeve such that the sleeve attaches to the neck. The method may further comprise at least partially stretching the stretchable paper material of the head such that the head forms over the closure member. The stretching of the sleeve and the head may take place simultaneously. 
     The method may further comprise applying a pressure on the cover such that the stretchable paper material at least partially stretches during the attachment of the cover to the neck. The pressure may be applied over several, such as four, annular regions of the sleeve such that radial folds are created between the annular regions and such that the annular regions of the sleeve are stretched. In this case, the method may further comprise folding the folds towards the neck of the bottle. The pressure may also be applied onto the head such that the head forms over the closure member. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further details, advantages and aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following embodiments taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein: 
         FIG.  1   : schematically represents a plan view of a blank and a head of a stretchable paper material; 
         FIG.  2   : schematically represents a front view of a bottle and the blank; 
         FIG.  3   : schematically represents a front view of a cover comprising a sleeve formed from the blank and the head; 
         FIG.  4   : schematically represents a front view of the cover arranged around a neck of the bottle; 
         FIG.  5   : schematically represents a front view of the cover attached to the bottle; 
         FIG.  6   : schematically represents a front view of the bottle and the cover after a folding process; 
         FIG.  7   : schematically represents a side view of the bottle and the cover in  FIG.  6   ; 
         FIG.  8   : schematically represents a rear view of the bottle and the cover when being torn; 
         FIG.  9   : schematically represents a rear view of the bottle and the cover during removal of an upper portion and an intermediate portion of the cover; 
         FIG.  10   : schematically represents a side view of the bottle and the cover; 
         FIG.  11   : schematically represents a side view of the bottle and the cover during removal of a lower portion of the cover; and 
         FIG.  12   : schematically represents a side view of the bottle and the cover after removal of the lower portion of the cover. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following, a cover for protection of a neck and a closure member of a bottle, where a sleeve of the cover comprises a stretchable paper material, a bottle comprising a cover, a method of forming a cover for a bottle, and a method of attaching a cover to a bottle, will be described. The same reference numerals will be used to denote the same or similar structural features. 
       FIG.  1    schematically represents a plan view of a blank  10  of a stretchable paper material  12  and a head  14 . The stretchability according to ISO 1924-3:2005 of the stretchable paper material  12  is at least 5% in the machine direction (MD) and at least 5% in the cross direction (CD). The stretchable paper material  12  of this example comprises a single sheet of FibreForm® marketed by BillerudKorsnäs AB. In this example, the head  14  is also formed of the same stretchable paper material  12 . However, the head  14  may alternatively be formed of a different material, e.g. a non-stretchable material. The head  14  forms a circular element. 
     The blank  10  is cut, e.g. die cut, into a generally trapezoidal shape. The blank  10  of this example comprises a upper edge  16 , a lower edge  18 , a first side edge  20  and a second side edge  22 . In the example in  FIG.  1   , the upper edge  16  forms a single curve and the lower edge  18  forms two adjoining curves. The lower edge  18  may alternatively form a single curve. 
     The grammage according to ISO 536:2012 of the stretchable paper material  12  may for example be 80 g/m 2  to 120 g/m 2 , such as 100 g/m 2 . The stretchable paper material  12  of this example further comprises a surface for printing  24  at least on its front side. A surface for printing may alternatively, or in addition, be provided on the rear side of the stretchable paper material  12 . The Bendtsen roughness according to ISO 8791-2 of the front side of the stretchable paper material  12  may be 1500 ml/min or lower, and the Bendtsen roughness according to ISO 8791-2 of the rear side of the stretchable paper material  12  may be 2500 ml/min or lower. The front side and/or the rear side of the stretchable paper material  12  may be printed, for example with a QR code or information related to a champagne house. 
     The blank  10  of the example in  FIG.  1    further comprises an embossed structure  26  provided in the stretchable paper material  12 . The embossed structure  26  is here exemplified as a relief. The embossed structure  26  may for example be formed by various types of press-forming, e.g. by means of a flat or cylindrical tool (not shown). 
     The blank  10  is further provided with two annular lines of weakness  28 ,  30 . The lines of weakness  28 ,  30  are referred to as annular since they may extend circumferentially around a sleeve of the cover formed from the blank  10 , as will be described later. Two V-shaped incisions  32 ,  34  are formed at the second side edge  22  of the blank  10 , one at each end of the two annular lines of weakness  28 ,  30 . Thereby, a tab  36  is formed on the second side edge  22  of the blank  10  between the two incisions  32 ,  34 . 
     The blank  10  further comprises an opening  38 , here implemented as a through hole (e.g. punched), and a longitudinal line of weakness  40 . The line of weakness  40  is referred to as longitudinal since it may extend substantially parallel with a longitudinal axis of a bottle (and of a sleeve formed of the blank  10 ). In this example, the longitudinal line of weakness  40  is substantially perpendicular to the second annular line of weakness  30  and extends all the way to the lower edge  18  of the blank  10 . 
     The opening  38  of the example in  FIG.  1    has an elliptical shape with its major axis tilted approximately 30° with respect to the longitudinal line of weakness  40 . The second annular line of weakness  30  extends via the opening  38 , or close to the opening  38 . The longitudinal line of weakness  40  extends all the way to the opening  38 , or close to the opening  38 . The annular line of weakness  30  and the longitudinal line of weakness  40  thereby join the opening  38 . 
     In the example in  FIG.  1   , each of the two annular lines of weakness  28 ,  30  and the longitudinal line of weakness  40  is constituted by a perforation line. However, alternative lines of weakness are possible. 
       FIG.  2    schematically represents a front view of a bottle  42  and the blank  10  in  FIG.  1   . The bottle  42  may for example be constituted by a glass bottle  42  for champagne or sparkling wine. The bottle  42  comprises a neck  44  and a closure member  46 , such as a champagne cork. 
       FIG.  2    illustrates the relationships between the bottle  42  and the blank  10 . The bottle  42  illustrated with solid lines and dashed lines represent the relationships between the blank  10  and the bottle  42  from a front side and a rear side, respectively.  FIG.  2    further shows a Cartesian coordinate system for referencing purposes and a longitudinal axis  48  of the bottle  42 . 
     In  FIG.  2   , fold lines  50  are illustrated on the blank  10 . The fold lines  50  in this example merely indicate where the stretchable paper material  12  will fold (see  FIG.  5   ). The fold lines  50  may however optionally be pre-scored. 
       FIG.  3    schematically represents a front view of a cover  52  comprising a sleeve  54  formed from the blank  10  and the head  14  attached to the sleeve  54 , for example by means of gluing. The sleeve  54  has a gradually increasing diameter (from top to bottom) and is configured to enclose the neck  44  of the bottle  42 . The head  14  has a diameter slightly larger than a top portion of the closure member  46 . In the example in  FIG.  3   , the sleeve  54  is formed by folding the blank  10  over itself, e.g. such that the second side edge  22  overlaps the first side edge  20  of the blank  10 . The second side edge  22  may for example be attached to the first side edge  20  by means of glue. In this case, the tab  36  of the stretchable paper material  12  may not be glued to the first side edge  20 . 
     Furthermore, in the example in  FIG.  3   , the blank  10  is rolled around the head  14  and the top of the blank  10  may be folded towards the top of the head  14 . Optionally, glue may be added to more securely attach the head  14  to the rolled blank  10 . As shown in  FIG.  3   , the sleeve  54  of the cover  52  has a general shape of a truncated cone with a relatively wide base and a relatively narrow top. The cover  52  as shown in  FIG.  3    may be produced by a paper converter. 
     As shown in  FIG.  3   , the cover  52  comprises an upper portion  56  above the first annular line of weakness  28 . The upper portion  56  of this example thus comprises the head  14  and a part of the sleeve  54 . The cover  52  further comprises an intermediate portion  58  between the two annular lines of weakness  28 ,  30 , and a lower portion  60  below the second annular line of weakness  30 . 
       FIG.  4    schematically represents a front view of the cover  52  arranged around the neck  44  of the bottle  42 . The cover  52  is slid over the neck  44  along the longitudinal axis  48  (see  FIG.  2   ) of the bottle  42 . Thereby, the sleeve  54  covers the neck  44  and the sleeve  54  and the head  14  together cover the closure member  46  of the bottle  42 . 
       FIG.  5    schematically represents a front view of the cover  52  attached to the bottle  42 . The cover  52  has been pressed towards the neck  44  such that the sleeve  54  forms a tight fit around the neck  44 . This tight fit is enabled due to the stretchability of the stretchable paper material  12 . Furthermore, when pressing the cover  52 , the head  14  is formed to adopt a shape corresponding to the shape of an upper surface of the closure member  46 . In the example in  FIG.  5   , the head  14  is slightly curved. The cover  52  may for example be pressed towards the neck  44  and towards the closure member  46  in a conventional capping machine (not shown) for foil caps. In this case, four folds  62  on the sleeve  54  are formed automatically by folding along the fold lines  50 . 
     Due to the stretching of the stretchable paper material  12  of the sleeve  54  around the neck  44 , the cover  52  closely conforms to the shape of the neck  44  and the side of the closure member  46 . The circumferential stretching of the stretchable paper material  12  of the sleeve  54  around the neck  44  and around the closure member  46  also contributes to a firm attachment of the cover  52  to the bottle  42 . In  FIG.  5   , at least the annular regions of the stretchable paper material  12  of the sleeve  54  between the folds  62  are stretched. Optionally, glue may be added to increase the attachment strength between the cover  52  and the neck  44 . The glue may be sprayed on the neck  44  and/or on the inside of the cover  52 , e.g. prior to sliding the cover  52  over the neck  44 . One example of suitable glue is alimentary glue. 
     Furthermore, due to the stretching of the stretchable paper material  12  of the head  14  over the closure member, the cover  52  also closely conforms to the shape of the top of the closure member  46 . Also this stretching of the stretchable paper material  12  of the head  14  contributes to a firm attachment of the cover  52  to the bottle  42 . 
       FIG.  6    schematically represents a front view of the bottle  42  and the cover  52  after a folding process. In this folding process, the four radially protruding folds  62  of the sleeve  54  are folded towards the neck  44 . The folding process may for example be carried out in a conventional folding machine (not shown) for foil caps. As can be seen in  FIG.  6   , the left and right folds  62  are folded to the left and right, respectively. 
     The attachment of the cover  52  to the bottle  42  as described in  FIGS.  4 - 6    is typically carried out at a wine house. The attachment of the cover  52  may be carried out automatically or manually. Automatic attachment of the cover  52  may be carried out with existing machinery for foil caps. Manual attachment of the cover  52  may be carried out by manually holding the bottle  42  and inserting the neck  44  with a cover  52  slid thereover into a pressing machine (not shown) such that the cover  52  is attached to the neck  44  according to  FIG.  5   . The neck  44  with the cover  52  attached thereto may then optionally be inserted into a folding machine (not shown) while manually holding the bottle  42  such that the cover  52  is folded according to  FIG.  6   . 
     Trials with a cover  52  comprising a sleeve  54  and a head  14  of a stretchable paper material  12  of FibreForm® have been carried out. In these trials, the forming of the cover  52  went well and there was no cracking. 
       FIG.  7    schematically represents a side view of the bottle  42  and the cover  52  in  FIG.  6   . As can be seen in  FIG.  7   , the tab  36  is exposed for tearing of the cover  52 . In order to open the cover  52 , a user may pull a tab  36  of the cover  52  between the two annular lines of weakness  28 ,  30  and tear the cover  52 . 
       FIG.  8    schematically represents a rear view of the bottle  42  and the cover  52  when being torn. By pulling the tab  36 , the intermediate portion  58  of the cover  52  can be separated from the upper portion  56  along the first annular line of weakness  28 , and can be separated from the lower portion  60  of the cover  52  along the second annular line of weakness  30 . As illustrated in  FIG.  8   , a conventional wiring  64  for holding the closure member  46  is thereby exposed. 
       FIG.  9    schematically represents a rear view of the bottle  42  and the cover  52  during removal of the upper portion  56  and the intermediate portion  58  of the cover  52 . After removal of the upper portion  56  and the intermediate portion  58 , the closure member  46  may be opened for consumption of the content of the bottle  42  and the upper portion  56  and the intermediate portion  58  may be recycled. 
       FIG.  10    schematically represents a side view of the bottle  42  and the cover  52 . As can be seen in  FIG.  10   , the opening  38  is exposed when the intermediate portion  58  has been removed. In order to remove the remainder of the cover  52  from the bottle  42 , i.e. the lower portion  60 , the user may tear the lower portion  6   o  from the opening  38  and along the longitudinal line of weakness  40 . 
       FIG.  11    schematically represents a side view of the bottle  42  and the cover  52  during removal of the lower portion  6   o  of the cover  52  and  FIG.  12    schematically represents a side view of the bottle  42  and the cover  52  after removal of the lower portion  6   o  of the cover  52 . As shown in  FIG.  12   , the cover  52  can be completely separated from the bottle  42  and a separate recycling of the cover  52  and the bottle  42  is made easy. 
     While the present disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to what has been described above. For example, it will be appreciated that the dimensions of the parts may be varied as needed.