Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D41/00—Caps, e.g. crown caps or crown seals, i.e. members having parts arranged for engagement with the external periphery of a neck or wall defining a pouring opening or discharge aperture; Protective cap-like covers for closure members, e.g. decorative covers of metal foil or paper
  • B65D41/02—Caps or cap-like covers without lines of weakness, tearing strips, tags, or like opening or removal devices
  • B65D41/28—Caps combined with stoppers
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D41/00—Caps, e.g. crown caps or crown seals, i.e. members having parts arranged for engagement with the external periphery of a neck or wall defining a pouring opening or discharge aperture; Protective cap-like covers for closure members, e.g. decorative covers of metal foil or paper
  • B65D41/02—Caps or cap-like covers without lines of weakness, tearing strips, tags, or like opening or removal devices
  • B65D41/04—Threaded or like caps or cap-like covers secured by rotation
  • B65D41/0407—Threaded or like caps or cap-like covers secured by rotation with integral sealing means
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
  • F01L—CYCLICALLY OPERATING VALVES FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES
  • F01L1/00—Valve-gear or valve arrangements, e.g. lift-valve gear
  • F01L1/12—Transmitting gear between valve drive and valve
  • F01L1/18—Rocking arms or levers
  • F01L1/181—Centre pivot rocking arms
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
  • F01L—CYCLICALLY OPERATING VALVES FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES
  • F01L1/00—Valve-gear or valve arrangements, e.g. lift-valve gear
  • F01L1/02—Valve drive
  • F01L1/04—Valve drive by means of cams, camshafts, cam discs, eccentrics or the like
  • F01L1/047—Camshafts
  • F01L1/053—Camshafts overhead type
  • F01L2001/0535—Single overhead camshafts [SOHC]

Definitions

• the present invention refers to a stopper for bottles or vessels of various kind holding wine, spirits, alcoholic and hydroalcoholic substances and beverages of various kind, edible oil, and the like, said stopper being adapted to plug and seal such bottles or other vessels of various kind so as to ensure long-term preservation of the contents thereof while preventing them from coming into contact with the ambient air, and being further adapted to be removed for gaining access to the contents of such bottles or other vessels of various kind, wherein fitting and removing this stopper can be done in a very simple and quick manner.
• plugs and stoppers of different kinds and materials intended for closing bottles and other vessels holding wine, spirits, alcoholic and hydroalcoholic substances and beverages of various kind, oil, and the like, which are generally made up by a substantially cylindrical body adapted to be fitted into the inlet hole of the neck of a bottle, or a related vessel, and which are usually press-fitted into said inlet hole so as to seal in an air-tight manner the related bottle or other kind of vessel, as the case may ⁇ be, for the desired period of time during which the wine, spirit, alcoholic or hydroalcoholic substance, oil, etc.
• a substantially cylindrical body adapted to be fitted into the inlet hole of the neck of a bottle, or a related vessel, and which are usually press-fitted into said inlet hole so as to seal in an air-tight manner the related bottle or other kind of vessel, as the case may ⁇ be, for the desired period of time during which the wine, spirit, alcoholic or hydroalcoholic substance, oil, etc.
• the present invention refers to a stopper for plugging bottles or vessels of various kind holding wine, spirits, alcoholic and hydroalcoholic substances and beverages of various kind, edible oil, and the like, which is provided in a different, novel manner as compared with prior-art stoppers of the currently used types, so as to be able to be applied to and removed from the bottle or vessel, as the case may be, in a quick, convenient and simple manner, through just a few handlings and without requiring the help of any corkscrew or similar drawing implements as they have been used hitherto to such purposes.
• stopper is embodied to incorporate such features and characteristics as they are substantially described with particular reference to the appended claims.
• FIG. 1 is an exploded front elevational view of the various component parts making up the stopper according to the present invention, intended for fitting in a bottle, in a first embodiment thereof;
• FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional front view of the component parts making up the stopper shown in Figure 1, as assembled together in view of being fitted in the same bottle;
• FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional front view of the sole component parts making up the stopper shown in Figure 1, as viewed in the assembled state thereof;
• FIG. 4 is a perspective front view of the parts making up the stopper, as viewed in the assembled state thereof;
• FIG. 5 is an exploded front elevational view of the various component parts making up the stopper according to the present invention, intended for fitting in a bottle, in a second embodiment thereof;
• FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional front view of the component parts making up the stopper shown in Figure 5, as assembled together in view of being fitted in the same bottle;
• FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional front view of the sole component parts making up the stopper shown in Figure 5, as viewed in the assembled state thereof;
• FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of a component part of the stopper according to the present invention, intended for fitting in a bottle, in a third embodiment thereof;
• Figure 9 is a cross-sectional front view of the sole component part of the stopper shown in Figure 8.
• FIG. 10 is a cross- sectional front view of the component part of the stopper shown in Figure 9, as viewed in the state in which it is fitted on to the same bottle;
• FIG. 11 is an exploded front elevational view of the various component parts making up the stopper according to the present invention, intended for fitting in a bottle, in a fourth embodiment thereof;
• Figures 12 and 13 are front views, from two different angles, of the stopper shown in Figure 11 , as viewed in the state in which it is fitted on to the bottle;
• FIG. 14 is a perspective front view of the stopper shown in Figure 11, as viewed in the state in which it is fitted on to the bottle;
• Figure 15 is a plan view of the stopper shown in Figure 14;
• FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional front view of the stopper shown in Figure 11, as viewed in the state in which it is fitted on to the bottle;
• FIG. 17 is an exploded front elevational view of the various component parts making up the stopper according to the present invention, intended for fitting in a bottle, in a fifth embodiment thereof;
• FIGS. 18 and 19 are front views, from two different angles, of the stopper shown in Figure 17, as viewed in the state in which it is fitted on to the bottle;
• FIG. 20 is a perspective front view of the stopper shown in Figure 17, as viewed in the state in which it is fitted on to the bottle;
• Figure 21 is a plan view of the stopper shown in Figure 20;
• FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional front view of the stopper shown in Figure 17, as viewed in the state in which it is fitted on to the bottle;
• FIGS. 23 and 24 are front views, from two different angles, of the stopper according to the present invention in a sixth embodiment thereof, as viewed in the state in which it is fitted on to a bottle;
• FIG. 25 is a perspective front view of the stopper shown in Figures 23 and 24, as viewed in the state in which it is fitted on to the bottle;
• FIG. 26 is a plan view of the stopper shown in Figure 25;
• FIG. 27 is a cross-sectional front view of the stopper shown in Figures 23 and 24, as viewed in the state in which it is fitted on to the bottle.
• a stopper 10 which is adapted to plug and seal bottles or other vessels of various kind that have previously been filled with wine, spirits, alcoholic and hydroalcoholic substances and beverages of various kind, edible oil, and the like, and which is adapted to be drawn, i.e. pulled out from the related bottle, or other vessel of a different kind, as the case may ⁇ be, for the contents thereof to be made accessible.
• a bottle 11 which is partially illustrated in the various Figures, and which is shaped to feature an upper neck portion 12 delimiting an inlet hole 13, which gives into the interior volume of the same bottle, and provided with an external thread 14 at the upper terminal portion thereof.
• the inventive stopper is illustrated in a first embodiment thereof, it can be noticed that it is substantially comprised of a stopper body 15, which is adapted to close the mouth portion of the neck 12 of the bottle 11 in an air-tight manner, and a covering cap 16 capable of being fitted on and removed from the stopper body 15 in the manner and to the purpose that shall be described in greater detail below.
• the stopper body 15 is provided with an appropriately- shaped upper portion 17 and an equally appropriately shaped lower portion 18 that are joined with each other, of which the upper portion 17 is formed of at least two thin planar circular disks 19 and 20 that are slightly spaced from each other axially and are joined to each other via a curved surface 21, whereas the lower portion 18 is formed of a cylindrical middle body 22 joining the bottom side of the lower circular disk 20 and projecting downwards therefrom to eventually terminate into a tapered lower end portion 23, wherein such middle body 22 and such tapered end portion 23 are so sized as to be able to compliably fit into the inlet hole 13 of the neck 12 of the bottle 11.
• the stopper body 15 is preferably provided with the upper portion 17 thereof that is made of a plastic material and the lower portion 18 thereof that is made of natural cork; however, as already hinted hereinbefore, it can also be made of other, different materials or it can be made to be comprised of just a single and same material, such as plastics, cork, metal, etc.
• the covering cap 16 (see Figure 2) is comprised of an elongated cylindrical body 24 delimiting an inner cavity 25, which is open below and is closed on top by a planar sealing wall 26, wherein such inner cavity 25 is provided with a thread 27 extending along most of the length dimension thereof, said thread being adapted to be screwed on and unscrewed from, i.e.
• said upper sealing wall 26 being provided as a single-piece unitary construction with a cylindrically shaped upper cap portion 28 that joins to the elongated body 24 of the cap 16 and is provided with a diameter that is larger than the one of the same elongated body 24 and a height that is slightly greater than the one of the upper portion 17 of the stopper body 15, so as to allow said upper stopper portion 17 to compliably fit into this upper cap portion 28.
• the filling mouth of the neck portion of the bottle can be sealed in a most simple and quick manner by screwing the internal thread 27 of the covering cap 16 on the external thread 14 of the neck 12 of the bottle, whereby the middle stopper body 22 is gradually inserted in the inlet hole 13 of the neck 12 of the bottle until - when said cap 16 is fully screwed on the bottle neck 12 - the bottom planar surface of the lower disk 20 of the upper stopper portion 17 eventually comes to abut against the upper planar edge 29 of the bottle neck 12 and rests in this position in a condition in which said filling mouth of the neck 12 of the bottle 11 is closed in an air-tight manner by the stopper body 15 owing to the sealing effect produced by both the middle stopper body 22 inserted in the inlet hole 13 and the lower disk 20 of the stopper portion 17 abutting against the rim, i.e.
• Opening, i.e. removing the stopper from the bottle can again be done in a most simple and quick manner by just repeating the above-described handling sequence in the reverse order, wherein the covering cap 16 is therefore unscrewed from the neck 12 of the bottle until the same cap is fully loosened and, as a result, the middle stopper body 22 is completely drawn out of the inlet hole 13 of the neck 12 of the bottle.
• the stopper body 15 may be joined to the covering cap 16 even in manners differing from the afore-described one, e.g. by providing it in a single-piece unitary construction with the same covering cap, so as to be able to directly manufacture it in a single moulding operation, thereby avoiding the need for the two pieces (i.e. the stopper body 15 and the covering cap 16) to be first manufactured separately and then press-fitted together in the afore-described manner, whereby manufacturing these two pieces would be significantly simplified and the costs sustained to produce the inventive stopper reduced accordingly.
• the inventive stopper is illustrated in a second embodiment thereof, it can be noticed that it is still substantially comprised of the same component parts 15 and 16 as the afore-described ones, while differing from the previously described stopper in that the stopper body 15 is in this case solely provided with the upper stopper portion 17, which on the other hand is fully similar to the one described in connection with the previously considered first embodiment of the inventive stopper, whereas the lower stopper portion 18, i.e. the cylindrical middle body 22, is in this case eliminated.
• such upper stopper portion 17 is - as in the previously discussed case - joined to the covering cap 16 by either press-fitting the two parts together or manufacturing, i.e.
• FIG. 8 to 10 in which the inventive stopper is illustrated in a third embodiment thereof, it is now solely comprised of a covering cap 30, which is adapted to close, i.e. seal in an air-tight manner the filling mouth of the neck 12 of a bottle 11 , and which is shaped and formed in the manner that shall be further described below, wherein such cap is capable of being fitted on and removed from said bottle neck so as to cause the bottle to be corked and uncorked, i.e. closed and opened, respectively.
• a covering cap 30 which is adapted to close, i.e. seal in an air-tight manner the filling mouth of the neck 12 of a bottle 11 , and which is shaped and formed in the manner that shall be further described below, wherein such cap is capable of being fitted on and removed from said bottle neck so as to cause the bottle to be corked and uncorked, i.e. closed and opened, respectively.
• this covering cap 30 may be made with the use of similar materials as the ones employed to manufacture the previously discussed cap, and is basically provided with an elongated cylindrical body 31 delimiting an inner cavity 32, which is open below and is closed on top by a planar sealing wall 33, wherein such inner cavity 32 is provided as a single-piece unitary construction with a cylindrically shaped upper cap portion 34 that joins to the elongated body 31 of the cap 30 and has a diameter that is larger than the one of the same elongated body, as well as a height that is slightly greater than the one of the threaded portion 14 of the neck 12 of the bottle, while the inner cavity being delimited by said upper cap portion 34 is provided with a threaded portion 35 (see Figure 10) adapted to threadably engage and disengage the corresponding threaded portion 14 of the neck 12 of the bottle.
• the planar sealing wall 33 on top is shaped internally so as to feature a protruding circular edge or rim 36 facing the inner cavity 32 of the cap and formed in a position coinciding with the inlet hole 13 of the neck 12 of the bottle, wherein the outer surface of said protruding rim 36 is inclined with a top-down descending slope, so as to be able to come into abutting and resting against the rim around the mouth of the inlet hole 13 of the bottle neck 12 when the threaded portion 35 of said cap 30 is fully screwed down on the corresponding threaded portion 14 of the same bottle neck, thereby causing the bottle to be plugged in an air-tight manner.
• Such air-tight sealing effect is also promoted by the elasticity of the protruding rim 36, which can therefore be pressed against the rim around the mouth of the inlet hole 13 of the bottle neck 12 without suffering any permanent deformation, so that, after having been pressed in this manner, such protruding rim 36 is then able to spring back into, i.e. recover the original shape and position thereof when the stopper is unscrewed and removed from the bottle.
• the inventive stopper is illustrated in a fourth embodiment thereof, it is substantially comprised of a stopper body 37, which is adapted to close the mouth portion of the neck 12 of the bottle 11 in an air-tight manner, and a covering cap 38 cooperating with said stopper body 37 as this shall be described further on, capable of being fitted on and removed from the bottle neck 12 in the manner and to the purpose that shall be described in greater detail below.
• the stopper body 37 is made in a single-piece unitary construction of a material of any of the afore-mentioned kinds; as this is particularly illustrated in Figures 11 and 16, it is shaped so as to feature a thin upper planar sealing wall 39 of a cylindrical shape and provided with a short cylindrical threaded portion 40, and an elongated cylindrical body 41 extending therebelow with a diameter that is smaller than the one of said upper wall 39 and the threaded portion 40, said cylindrical body being adapted to fit into the corresponding inlet hole 13 of the bottle neck 12.
• the upper sealing wall 39 is solidly applied, e.g. by a so-called over- injection process, on to the upper stopper portion 42, which is firmly joined to the elongated body 41, and is formed of two planar circular disks 43 and 44 that are slightly spaced from each other axially and are joined to each other via a curved surface 45.
• the covering cap 38 is formed (see Figures 11 to 15) of an elongated cylindrical body 46 delimiting a through-bore 47 and made in a single-piece unitary construction with an upper cap portion 48 provided with a first upper internal threaded portion 49, in which there is capable of being screwed and unscrewed the corresponding threaded portion 40 of the stopper body 37, as well as a second lower internal threaded portion 50 that extends all along the remaining height of the covering cap 38 and is capable of being screwed on and unscrewed from the threaded portion 14 of the bottle neck 12.
• the threaded portion 40 of the stopper body 37 is screwed on and unscrewed from the corresponding first internal threaded portion 49 of the covering cap 38 and, when said stopper body is fully screwed down into the covering cap 38, the air-tight plugging or sealing effect is obtained owing to both the elongated cylindrical body 41 being in close contact against the inner wall of the inlet hole 13 of the bottle neck 12 and the lower circular disk 44 abutting and pressing against the planar rim 29 of the bottle neck 12.
• the inventive stopper is illustrated in a fifth embodiment thereof, it can be noticed that it is still substantially comprised of the same component parts 37 and 38 as described above, while differing from the previously described stopper in that the stopper body 37 is in this case solely provided with the upper sealing wall 39 and the upper stopper portion 42, which on the other hand are fully similar to the afore-described ones, whereas the elongated cylindrical body 41, is in this case eliminated.
• the upper sealing wall 39 is provided with a short threaded portion 40 adapted to be screwed on and unscrewed from the corresponding first internal threaded portion 49 of the covering cap 38, while the air-tight plugging or sealing effect is solely obtained owing to the lower circular disk 44 abutting and pressing against the planar rim 29 of the bottle neck 12 when the second internal threaded portion 50 of the covering cap 38 is fully screwed down on the corresponding threaded portion 14 of the bottle neck 12.
• the inventive stopper is illustrated in a sixth embodiment thereof, it is still substantially comprised of a stopper body 51, which is made in the way as described below, and a covering cap 38 similar to the one described in connection with the previously illustrated embodiment with reference to Figures 13 to 22, said covering cap being again provided with a first internal threaded portion 49, which cooperates with said stopper body 51, and a second internal threaded portion 50 that is capable of being screwed on and unscrewed from the corresponding threaded portion 14 of the bottle neck 12.
• the stopper body 51 is formed of an upper planar sealing wall 52 that is made in a single-piece unitary construction with a short cylindrical body 53 having a smaller diameter than the wall itself, which is provided with an external threaded portion 54 and an internal threaded portion 55, which are capable of being screwed on and unscrewed from the corresponding first internal threaded portion 49 of the covering cap 38 and the corresponding threaded portion 14 of the bottle neck 12, respectively.
• the upper sealing wall 52 is shaped internally so as to feature a protruding circular edge or rim 56 facing the inner cavity of the covering cap 38 and formed in a position coinciding with the inlet hole 13 of the neck 12 of the bottle, wherein the outer surface of said protruding rim 56 is inclined with a top-down descending slope, so as to be able to come into abutting and resting against the rim around the mouth of the inlet hole 13 of the bottle neck 12 when the second internal threaded portion 50 of said covering cap 38 is fully screwed down on the corresponding threaded portion 14 of the same bottle neck 12, and when the external threaded portion 54 and the internal threaded portion 55 of the stopper body 51 are fully screwed down on the corresponding first internal threaded portion 49 of the covering cap 38 and the corresponding threaded portion 14 of the bottle neck 12, respectively.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Closures For Containers (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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ID=38723675

Family Applications (1)

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Cited By (1)

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• 2006
  • 2006-05-18 IT ITPN20060039 patent/ITPN20060039A1/it unknown
• 2007
  • 2007-05-15 WO PCT/IB2007/001435 patent/WO2007135560A2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2007-05-15 EP EP07734725A patent/EP2024246A2/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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