Cover for bottle, bottle comprising cover and methods

Abstract

A cover (52) for protection of a neck (44) and a closure member (46) of a bottle (42), wherein the cover (52) comprises a sleeve (54); wherein the sleeve (54) comprises a stretchable paper material (12); wherein the sleeve (54) is configured to enclose the neck (44); and wherein the stretchability according to ISO 1924-3:2005 of the stretchable paper material (12) the sleeve (54) is at least 5% in the machine direction (MD) and at least 5% in the cross direction (CD). A bottle (42) comprising a cover (52), a method of forming a cover (52) for a bottle (42), and a method of attaching a cover (52) to a bottle (42), are also provided.

Claims

1. A cover (52) for protection of a neck (44) and a closure member (46) of a bottle (42), wherein the cover (52) comprises a sleeve (54); wherein the sleeve (54) comprises a stretchable paper material (12); wherein the sleeve (54) is configured to enclose the neck (44); and wherein the stretchability, according to ISO 1924-3:2005 of the stretchable paper material (12) the sleeve (54), is at least 5% in the machine direction (MD) and at least 5% in the cross direction (CD).

2. The cover (52) according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve (54) is configured to attach to the neck (44) by at least partial stretching of the stretchable paper material (12) of the sleeve (54).

3. The cover (52) according to claim 1, wherein the grammage according to ISO 536:2012 of the stretchable paper material (12) of the sleeve (54) is 30 g/m.sup.2 to 300 g/m.sup.2.

4. The cover (52) according to claim 1, wherein the stretchable paper material (12) of the sleeve (54) comprises a surface for printing (24).

5. The cover (52) according to claim 1, wherein the Bendtsen roughness according to ISO 8791-2 of at least one side of the stretchable paper material (12) of the sleeve (54) is 2500 ml/min or lower.

6. The cover (52) according to claim 1, wherein the stretchable paper material (12) of the sleeve (54) comprises at least one annular line of weakness (28, 30) for removal of an upper portion (56) of the cover (52) after tearing the at least one annular line of weakness (28, 30).

7. The cover (52) according to claim 6, wherein the stretchable paper material (12) of the sleeve (54) comprises at least one longitudinal line of weakness (40) for opening a lower portion (60) of the cover (52) after tearing the at least one longitudinal line of weakness (40).

8. The cover (52) according to claim 7, wherein the stretchable paper material (12) of the sleeve (54) comprises an opening (38), and wherein one of the at least one annular line of weakness (28, 30) and one of the at least one longitudinal line of weakness (40) join the opening (38).

9. The cover (52) according to claim 1, wherein the stretchable paper material (12) of the sleeve (54) comprises at least one embossed structure (26).

10. The cover (52) according to claim 1, further comprising a head (14) attached to the sleeve (54), wherein the head (14) comprises a stretchable paper material (12).

11. A bottle (42) comprising a neck (44), a closure member (46) and a cover (52) according claim 1 attached to the neck (44).

12. A method of attaching a cover (52) to a bottle (42), the method comprising: providing a cover (52) according to claim 1; arranging the cover (52) around a neck (44) of the bottle (42); and attaching the cover (52) to the neck (44).

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising at least partially stretching the stretchable paper material (12) of the sleeve (54) such that the sleeve (54) attaches to the neck (44).

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising applying a pressure on the cover (52) such that the stretchable paper material (12) of the sleeve (54) at least partially stretches during the attachment of the cover (52) to the neck (44).

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising applying a pressure on the cover (52) such that the stretchable paper material (12) of the sleeve (54) at least partially stretches during the attachment of the cover (52) to the neck (44).

16. The cover (52) according to claim 3, wherein the grammage according to ISO 536:2012 of the stretchable paper material (12) of the sleeve (54) is 50 g/m.sup.2 to 200 g/m.sup.2.

17. The cover (52) according to claim 3, wherein the grammage according to ISO 536:2012 of the stretchable paper material (12) of the sleeve (54) is 80 g/m.sup.2 to 120 g/m.sup.2.

18. The cover (52) according to claim 5, wherein the Bendtsen roughness according to ISO 8791-2 of at least one side of the stretchable paper material (12) of the sleeve (54) is 2000 ml/min or lower.

19. The cover (52) according to claim 5, wherein the Bendtsen roughness according to ISO 8791-2 of at least one side of the stretchable paper material (12) of the sleeve (54) is 1500 ml/min or lower.

20. A method of forming a cover (52) for a bottle (42), the method comprising: providing a blank (10) of a stretchable paper material (12), wherein 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); and forming the blank (10) into a sleeve (54) configured to enclose a neck (44) of the bottle (42).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further details, advantages and aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following embodiments taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1: schematically represents a plan view of a blank and a head of a stretchable paper material;

(3) FIG. 2: schematically represents a front view of a bottle and the blank;

(4) FIG. 3: schematically represents a front view of a cover comprising a sleeve formed from the blank and the head;

(5) FIG. 4: schematically represents a front view of the cover arranged around a neck of the bottle;

(6) FIG. 5: schematically represents a front view of the cover attached to the bottle;

(7) FIG. 6: schematically represents a front view of the bottle and the cover after a folding process;

(8) FIG. 7: schematically represents a side view of the bottle and the cover in FIG. 6;

(9) FIG. 8: schematically represents a rear view of the bottle and the cover when being torn;

(10) 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;

(11) FIG. 10: schematically represents a side view of the bottle and the cover;

(12) FIG. 11: schematically represents a side view of the bottle and the cover during removal of a lower portion of the cover; and

(13) FIG. 12: schematically represents a side view of the bottle and the cover after removal of the lower portion of the cover.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(14) 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.

(15) 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.

(16) 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.

(17) The grammage according to ISO 536:2012 of the stretchable paper material 12 may for example be 80 g/m.sup.2 to 120 g/m.sup.2, such as 100 g/m.sup.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.

(18) 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).

(19) 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.

(20) 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.

(21) 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.

(22) 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.

(23) 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.

(24) 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.

(25) 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.

(26) 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.

(27) 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.

(28) 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.

(29) 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.

(30) 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.

(31) 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.

(32) 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.

(33) 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.

(34) 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.

(35) 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.

(36) 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.

(37) 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.

(38) 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.

(39) 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 6o from the opening 38 and along the longitudinal line of weakness 40.

(40) FIG. 11 schematically represents a side view of the bottle 42 and the cover 52 during removal of the lower portion 6o 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 6o 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.

(41) 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.