Wineglass, a method of packaging wine, and a wine container

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. A container comprising: (a) a glass comprising a bottom, a sidewall extending from the bottom and terminating in a rim; the rim defining an opening in the glass; (b) wine in the glass; and (c) a film lid detachably sealed to the rim of the glass and covering the opening at a distance above a top surface of the wine; the lid comprising a bottom face that defines with the top surface of the wine a head space within the glass; the lid being substantially planar but comprising at least one deformation in a portion thereof that causes the portion to deform and to impinge into the head space when there is a reduction in pressure in the head space that causes a pressure differential between the head space and an environment outside the glass to exceed a threshold value, wherein the impingement substantially reduces a volume of the head space and limits the pressure reduction in the head space.

2. The container according to claim 1, wherein the lid comprises a plurality of deformations at points on the lid that are spaced from each other, the deformations being configured such that, when there is a reduction in pressure in the head space that causes the pressure differential to exceed the threshold value, the deforming portion of the lid that impinges into the head space encompasses the plurality of spaced points.

3. The container according to claim 1, wherein the rim comprises a rib on a top surface thereof and a receiver surface on each side of the rib; and wherein the at least one deformation is configured such that, when there is a reduction in pressure in the head space that causes the pressure differential to exceed the threshold value, the deforming portion of the lid projects into the head space to a distance below the receiver surfaces.

4. The container according to claim 1, wherein the at least one deformation is configured such that, when there is a reduction in pressure within the head space, the portion deforming and impinging into the head space can reduce the volume of the head space sufficiently to maintain a pressure reduction within the head space at a value in the order of 0.03 bar to 0.3 bar.

5. The container according to claim 1, wherein the at least one deformation exhibits circular symmetry about a longitudinal axis of the glass.

6. The container according to claim 1, wherein the film lid comprises a metal layer.

7. The container according to claim 6, wherein the lid comprises a plurality of concentric deformations within the metal layer, each of the plurality of concentric deformations exhibiting circular symmetry about a longitudinal axis of the glass.

8. The container according to claim 1, wherein the at least one deformation, in section, has a shape that is U, V, half-wave or full-wave.

9. The container according to claim 1, wherein the lid comprises a plurality of deformations that are substantially regularly distributed over at least a substantial part of the lid.

10. The container according to claim 9, wherein the lid includes at least ten deformations per square centimeter, the deformations being of substantially identical shape.

11. The container according to claim 1, wherein the film lid is detachably sealed to the rim in a peripheral portion thereof, the peripheral portion of the lid being free of deformations.

12. The container according to claim 1, wherein the sidewall comprises a first wall portion and a second wall portion, the first and second wall portions being integrally formed in the sidewall with the second wall portion having a thickness that is less than a thickness of the first wall portion and encompassing an area of the sidewall that is less than an area encompassed by the first wall portion; the second wall portion being constructed and arranged to confer on the glass a capacity for elastic deformation when the glass is subject to a compression force of a threshold value along a longitudinal axis thereof; the first wall portion being disposed closer to the rim than the second wall portion and being constructed and arranged to provide protection against diffusion of oxygen through the sidewall.

13. The container according to claim 12, wherein the first and second wall portions provide the glass with sufficient elasticity such that, when the glass is subject to a compression force along the longitudinal axis thereof, a height of the glass can be reduced by 1% to 2%.

14. The container according to claim 12, wherein a ratio of the thickness of the first wall portion to the thickness of the second wall portion is greater than 1 and up to about 3:1.

15. The container according to claim 12, wherein the first wall portion comprises a first surface of revolution about a longitudinal axis of the glass and the second wall portion comprises a second surface of revolution about the longitudinal axis, said second surface of revolution tapering radially outwardly while extending axially away from the first surface of revolution.

16. The container according to claim 12, wherein the first wall portion comprises a first surface of revolution about a longitudinal axis of the glass and the second wall portion comprises a second surface of revolution about the longitudinal axis, said second surface of revolution tapering radially inwardly while extending axially away from the first surface of revolution.

17. The container according to claim 1, wherein the head space has a volume in a range of about 3-30% of a capacity of the glass.

18. The container according to claim 1, wherein the film lid comprises stamped deformations.

19. The container according to claim 1, wherein the film lid comprises embossed deformations.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view in section on a diametral plane of a glass of one embodiment of the invention.

(2) FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view in section on a diametral plane of a glass of another embodiment of the invention.

(3) FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view in section of the rim of the glass shown in FIG. 2 and is a view to a larger scale of the detail III from FIG. 2.

(4) FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view in section of the rim shown in FIG. 3 after sealing a film lid to the rim.

(5) FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view in section of the rim after tearing off the film lid to consume the wine.

(6) FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view in section on a diametral plane of a glass of a further embodiment of the invention.

(7) FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic side view of a glass of another embodiment of the invention.

(8) FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic plan view of a film lid of one embodiment of the invention.

(9) FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic view in section taken along the line IX-IX of the film lid shown in FIG. 8.

(10) FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic view in section of the film lid shown in FIG. 9 having a central part that has been deformed by the effects of a reduced pressure on its lower face.

(11) FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic view in section of a film lid of another embodiment of the invention.

(12) FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic view in section showing the attachment of the film lid from FIG. 11, having a central part that has been deformed, to the rim of a glass filled with wine, which is shown in part.

(13) FIG. 13 is a diagrammatic view the film lid shown in FIG. 15 in section taken along the line XIII-XIII.

(14) FIG. 14 is a diagrammatic view in section of the film lid shown in FIG. 13, having a central part that has been deformed by the effect of a reduced pressure.

(15) FIG. 15 is a diagrammatic plan view of a film lid of another embodiment of the invention.

(16) FIG. 16 is a diagrammatic plan view of a film lid of a further embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(17) 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.

(18) Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 6, and 7 in particular, a plastics material glass 20 includes a wall 45 forming the bottom of the glass and a lateral wall 21 extending from the bottom 45 and terminated by a free edge (or rim) 22.

(19) In the configurations shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 6, the glass 20 and the walls 21, 45 exhibit generally circular symmetry about the vertical longitudinal axis 26 of the glass; in particular, the upper part 60 of the wall 21 may have a cylindrical or frustoconical shape of circular section about an axis 26.

(20) In the configuration shown in FIG. 7, the wall 21 does not have this circular symmetry, a thinner part 63 of this wall lying in a plane, given reference 49 in the figure, that is not orthogonal to the longitudinal axis 26 of the glass.

(21) Referring to FIGS. 1 and 6, the major part 60 of the lateral wall 21 and likewise the major part 61 of the bottom wall 45 have respective thicknesses 25 and 27, that may be of the order of 1 mm to 2.5 mm.

(22) In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, a lower part 23 of the wall 21, which has a thickness 28 less than the thicknesses 25 and 27 of the wall portions 60 and 61, projects outwards from the upper part 60 of the wall 21; this thinner portion 23 connects the portion. 60 of the wall 21 to the bottom wall 45 and is the result of a local enlargement of the inside section of the glass.

(23) In contrast, in the configuration shown in FIG. 6, the thinner lower part 62 of the wall 21, which lies between and connects together the bottom wall 45 and the upper part 60 of the wall 21, 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.

(24) In the configuration shown in FIG. 2, the bottom wall 45 also includes a thinner portion 29 that is centrally located and surrounded by the thick wall portion 61.

(25) These thinner wall portions, thickness that may be of the order of 0.5 mm to 1 mm, facilitate substantially elastic deformation of the glass 20, in particular if the glass is subjected to a compression force along its longitudinal axis 26; this makes it possible, notably when sealing a film lid, to reduce the height. 24 of the glass, for example by 1% to 2%, and to reduce the volume of the head space.

(26) Referring to FIG. 3, the rim 22 includes a peripheral portion 36 projecting from the outside face 21a of the lateral wall 21 and forming a projecting annular flange.

(27) As shown in FIG. 7, this flange 39 may serve as a bearing point, to receive the end of a holding tool 48, 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.

(28) Referring to FIG. 3, the upper end of the rim 22 includes a rib 90 of upside down T shape that lies above two surfaces 34, 35 of the rim lying on either side of the rib 90. These surfaces 34, 35 are substantially plane and coplanar, i.e. they form part of or extend along a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the glass.

(29) This configuration confers upon the (diametral) cross-section of the upper end of the rim a stepped shape with three levels and five steps 31 to 35: the faces/surfaces 34, 35 form two first level steps; two other faces/surfaces 32, 33 that are substantially coplanar correspond to the two arms of the T shape and lie above the surfaces 34, 35, forming two second level steps; and a central surface 31 that corresponds to the end of the stem of the T shape and that lies above the surfaces 32, 33 forms a fifth third level step.

(30) The vertical distance 38 between the surfaces 32 and 34 and also between the surfaces 33 and 35 is preferably greater than the vertical distance 37 between the surfaces 32 and 33, and the central surface 31. The vertical distances 37, 38 are preferably less than 1 mm and for example in a range from 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm.

(31) The surface 31 may be substantially plane and orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the glass or, as shown in FIG. 3, have a rounded profile (in section).

(32) Connecting surfaces such as the surfaces 50 that extend along cylinders whose axis is the longitudinal axis of the glass, for example, connect the surfaces 31 to 35 together in pairs.

(33) As emerges in particular from a comparison of FIGS. 3 and 4 or of FIGS. 3 and 5, the part. 51 of the rib 90 corresponding to the stem of the T shape disappears: this upper central part 51 of the rib 90, 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.

(34) This results in enlargement of this lower part of the rib and reduction of the width of the surfaces 34 and 35; 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 surfaces 34, 35, and the vertical distance 38 are 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 surfaces 34, 35, which would make the glass less user friendly.

(35) Accordingly, with the connecting surface 50, the two surfaces 34, 35 determine 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 hack from the top and the portion 51 of the rib, to receive the plastics material that creeps upon the flattening of the rib caused by the heat-sealing process.

(36) When sealing a film lid to the rim, the central portion 51 may thus disappear completely (see FIG. 4), or only in part (see FIG. 5), in particular if the upper end of the central portion is not perfectly flat.

(37) In the sealing configuration shown in FIG. 4, the film lid 40 includes a metal central layer 42, in particular a layer of aluminum, the thickness 46 of which may be of the order of 30 micrometers to 60 micrometers, for example; the outside face of the layer 42 is coated with a layer 41 that may be a lacquer or a film of plastics material, in particular a polyester film adhering to the layer 42.

(38) The layer 42 is moreover coated on its inside face (which is also its lower face in relation to the disposition shown in the figures) with a layer 43 of thickness 47 that may consist of a lacquer or a heat-sealing plastics material.

(39) 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) 30 of the rim being increased (see FIG. 3).

(40) Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the film lid 40 includes a single centered circular deformation 70 having (in section) a half-wave profile and projecting from the lower face (inside face) of the film lid.

(41) In the configuration shown in FIG. 11, the film lid 40 includes two concentric circular deformations 70, 73 each having a half-wave profile and projecting from the inside face of the film lid.

(42) Referring to FIGS. 10 and 12, if the inside face of the film lid (sealed to a glass) is subjected to a sufficiently reduced pressure, the portions 71, 76 of the film lid respectively defined by the deformations 70, 73 are entirely deformed and project on the inside face of the film lid.

(43) The result of this is the appearance of a cavity 72 over a substantial part of the outside (upper) face of the film lid, a reduction in the volume of the head space (88 in FIG. 12), and a limitation of the reduced pressure in the glass filled with wine 81.

(44) In the embodiments corresponding to FIGS. 13 to 16, the substantially plane film lid 40 includes many small deformations 80 regularly distributed over a substantial part of the film lid in the form of a disk (FIG. 15) or of a ring (FIG. 16).

(45) These small deformations enable overall deformation 75 of the corresponding part of the film lid, with at least the central part thereof then assuming a dome shape projecting from the inside face 40d of the film lid as shown in FIG. 14 when this inside face is subjected to a sufficiently reduced pressure, and enable a depression 72 of substantial volume to be formed in the outside face 40a of the film lid.

(46) These deformations 80, 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.

(47) In the FIG. 16 configuration, a central part 40b of the film lid is free of such deformations 80; another peripheral part 40c (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.

(48) Reducing the volume of the head space 88 by 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*10.sup.3 Pascal to 3*10.sup.4 Pascal), and in particular to a value situated in a range from approximately 0.1 bar to approximately 0.2 bar.

(49) The deformation of the film lid and/or the walls of the glass 20 may 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.

(50) 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.