• 专利附录
  • 专利说明
  • 权利要求
  • 类似技术
  • 同族专利
  • 引用文献
  • 法律状态
  • 优先权
    • 专利摘要:
    The present invention relates to a wine bottle that comprises a unitary, sealed, glass enclosure. 40h 4,00
    公开号:AU2013206707A1
    申请号:U2013206707
    申请日:2013-06-25
    公开日:2014-01-16
    发明作者:Iain Jones；Nick Mount
    申请人:Treasury Wine Estates Vintners Ltd；
    IPC主号:B65D1-02
    专利说明:
    AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 ORIGINAL COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention title: Wine bottle The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: 1 Wine Bottle Field of the invention [0001] The present invention relates to a wine bottle, a method for packaging wine and to a method for opening a wine bottle and decanting the wine stored therein. More particularly, the present invention relates to a wine bottle that is suitable for containing a valuable wine, potentially for an indefinite period of time. Background of the invention [0002] Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles and the like in this specification is included solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention. It is not suggested or represented that any of these matters formed part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present invention as it existed in Australia or elsewhere before the priority date of each claim of this application. [0003] The majority of wine sold to consumers is packaged in glass bottles with a traditional wine bottle cork or an alternative closure, such as a synthetic cork or a screw cap. There is an ongoing debate between advocates of traditional cork and those of alternative closures as to which closure best protects wine against degradation due to oxygen exposure and contamination from the closure itself. [0004] The present invention aims to take an alternative approach to the task of packaging wine for sale to consumers. Summary of the invention [0005] According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a wine bottle comprising a unitary, sealed, glass enclosure. [0006] Unlike the approach of the prior art, the present invention provides a wine bottle that does not have a separate closure. One advantage of such an approach is that the wine bottle provides an ideal environment that facilitates storage of wine for considerable -and even indefinite - periods of time. This lends orem A011 r 719O91,,1 A~ 2 itself well to packaging valuable and 'trophy' wines, which are often sold as investments, rather than for consumption in the foreseeable future. [0007] Glass enclosures can also be moulded by skilled glass makers, or by automated processes, into a variety of visually appealing and compelling shapes. This again makes them well suited as a packaging option for valuable and 'trophy' wines. [0008] Preferably, the enclosure comprises a body and an integrally formed closing region extending from one end of the body. In an alternative embodiment, the enclosure includes first and second closing regions respectively extending from each end of the body. According to some embodiments, the body is elongated. Providing a definable closing region apart from the main body of the enclosure facilitates both the filling and eventual opening of the wine bottle. [0009] Optimally, the closing region includes: a neck that extends from the body and has a reduced diameter from that of the body; and a bulbous dome extending from the neck. [0010] Such a construction is advantageous, in that the neck provides a convenient opening point for the wine bottle (albeit by a specialist winemaker) and the bulbous dome (as described below) acts as a heat-blocking insulator that protects the wine during the bottle formation process. [0011] According to preferred embodiments, the bulbous dome, from its plane of maximal circumference, tapers inwardly to a tip, the tapering region comprising solid glass. [0012] In a typically preferred embodiment, a wine bottle according to the present invention is substantially symmetrical about a transverse plane extending through the bottle. [00131 According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for packaging wine, the method including the steps of: forming or providing an elongated glass body with an orifice; introducing wine into the glass body; and 3 closing the orifice, so as to form a unitary, sealed glass enclosure. [00141 Preferably, the elongated glass body includes an integrally formed tubular region extending from one end of the body, the tubular region having a reduced diameter from that of the glass body, wherein the step of closing the orifice comprises removing a part of the tubular region by applying heat, wherein the orifice is closed by congelation of glass. [00151 According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a wine package comprising a wine bottle according to the first aspect of the invention suspended in a housing such that its lower end is spaced from the floor of the housing. [0016] Typically the wine bottle will be suspended in the housing along its longitudinal axis. [0017] The housing may be of any suitable shape. In one embodiment the housing is tapered. [0018] The wine bottle may be suspended in the housing by any suitable mounting means. The mounting means selected will typically take into account aesthetic considerations of the wine package when viewed as a whole. The mounting means may accordingly be suitably hidden from view or otherwise incorporated unobtrusively into another aesthetic feature of the package. [0019] In one embodiment the wine bottle and the housing have complementary mounting means to facilitate suspension of the bottle in the housing. The mounting means may provide engagement between the bottle and the housing by sliding the bottle into the housing thereby facilitating mounting therebetween. [0020] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of opening a glass wine bottle having a neck, the method including the steps of: locating the neck in a hand held cutting tool having a cutting blade; rotating the blade about the neck so as to disrupt its surface tension and define a line of weakness; and 4 pulling the cutting tool in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of neck, to thereby snap off the neck at the line of weakness. Brief description of the drawings [0021] An embodiment of the invention will now be further explained and illustrated by reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wine bottle in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged view of one of the ends of the wine bottle illustrated in Figure 1; Figure 2A is a cross-sectional view of the closing region of the wine bottle illustrated in Figure 2; Figure 3 is an illustration of a manual glass blowing operation; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a glass body that is produced from the glass blowing operation illustrated in Figure 3; Figures 5 and 6 illustrate the filling of the body illustrated in Figure 4 with wine; Figure 7 illustrates the sealing of the component illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 to produce the wine bottle illustrated in Figures 1 and 2; Figure 8 is an elevation view of a wine bottle according to the invention housed within a metal and glass presentation sculpture; Figure 8A is an exploded view of the metal and glass presentation sculpture shown in Figure 8; and Figure 9 illustrates a tool for opening wine bottles according to the invention. nr<m AM 9127A9Q~u9 12 qnR9019 5 Detailed description of the drawings [0022] Turning to Figure 1, a wine bottle 10 is illustrated. Wine bottle 10 includes an elongated tubular body 20 with an integrally formed closing region 40 extending from each end thereof. The form of wine bottle 10 is somewhat reminiscent of an enlarged medicine-containing ampoule, but (unlike traditional ampoules) has a neck at both, rather than at just one end. The present invention is not limited to any particular body shape or neck arrangement. In particular, body 20 need not be elongated nor tubular and bottle 10 may have a single closing region 40 extending from one end thereof. [0023] An annular flange 22 is moulded into body 20 roughly midway along its length. [0024] Wine bottle 10 is symmetrical about a transverse plane through body 20 at the position of annular flange 22. [0025] As most clearly illustrated in Figures 2 and 2A, closing region 40 includes a tubular neck 42 that extends into a bulbous (roughly 'onion-shaped') dome 44. [0026] Dome 44 is formed by exploiting the inherent properties of liquefied glass and as such, opens from neck 42 into a hollow region 46. Below dome 46's plane of maximal circumference 50, hollow region 46 is commensurate with dome's overall shape. Hollow region 46 tapers upwardly from maximal plane 50 to a tip 52, and consequently has the form of an inverted cone. [0027] A solid region 48 extends from the walls of hollow region 46 up to and including the exterior of dome 46. The exterior walls 54 of dome 46 also taper upwardly from maximal plane 50 to an outer tip 56. [0028] Wine bottle 20 needs to be of a suitable volume to contain a commercially saleable quantity of wine. As such, it is preferable (but not essential) to manufacture individual bottles 20 through manual glass blowing techniques, rather than in the automated mass production lines that are typical in the manufacture of medicine-containing ampoules. [0029] As illustrated in Figure 3, glass blowing involves the use of a blow tube 60, with a preheated tip 62, to introduce air into a molten blob of glass 64.
    6 Blob 64 is inflated and worked into a desired shape through selective reheating and manipulation with suitable glass blower's tools (including marvers, blocks, jacks, paddles, tweezers, paper, and shears). [0030] The finished piece is then conventionally annealed in order to relieve internal stresses introduced into the piece during formation. [00311 Laboratory-grade borosilicate glass is the preferred material for wine bottle 10, due primarily to its striking transparency. The low coefficient of thermal expansion (-3 x 10 6 /C at 20*C) and the consequent chemical and heat resisting properties, is another beneficial feature of borosilicate glass that makes it well suited to the manufacture of wine bottles, and especially bottles that are used to contain extremely valuable wines. [0032] As illustrated in Figure 4, wine bottle 20 is produced by forming a transitional closing region 64 at either end of body 20. Transitional closing region 64 incorporates neck 42 and hollow region 46 of closing region 40, but includes an extension tube 66 that projects from the end of hollow region 46. Extension tube 66 includes a region of narrower diameter 68 adjacent to hollow region 46, which opens into a region of wider diameter 70 further away from hollow region 46. [0033] Closing region 40 is formed at one end of body 20 by removing extension tube 66 at narrow diameter region 68 and sealing the resulting orifice to form solid region 48, inner tip 52, exterior walls 54 and outer tip 56. [0034] The process of filling and finalising wine bottle 10 is described by reference to Figures 5 and 6. Conventionally, bottle 10 is thoroughly cleaned, dried and disinfected before being filled. [0035] Body 20 is first clamped in an upright position to a stand 70, with already-formed closing region 40 at the bottom and transitional closing region 64 at the top. A filling tube 72 is introduced into extension tube 72 and lowered into the interior of bottle 10 to the bottom of the bottle. The other end of filling tube 72 is attached to a suitable wine supply 74 via a pressure-differential-exploiting liquid-transfer assembly (not shown). Wine supply 74 is illustrated as bottled wine, however other supplies may also be used such as barrels and the like.
    7 [0036] Wine 76 is transferred from supply 74, through filling tube 72 into bottle 10. The filling end of filling tube is progressively raised as the bottle is filled in order to remain above or slightly below the top surface 78 of wine 76. [0037] Turning to Figure 7, once filled, bottle 10 is finalised by being sealed. A sealing operation progresses by removing extension tube 66 from transitional closing region 64. If desired, the headspace 80 of filled bottle 10 can be purged with a suitable inert gas prior to sealing. Carbon dioxide is one example of a suitable purging gas, however other gases could also be used. [0038] Extension tube 66 is removed by heating narrower diameter region 68 with a blow torch 82 into a liquefied form and lifting the upper end of extension tube 66 in an upwards direction away from dome 44. The heat is then removed, causing liquefied glass located adjacent to the plane of detachment to congeal and, under the influence of gravity, flow downwardly to form solid region 48, inner tip 52, exterior walls 54 and outer tip 56. Once finalised, wine bottle 10 is a unitary, sealed, glass enclosure. [0039] Dome 44 (and especially solid region 48) and upper lateral wall 24 of body 20 both present a curved surface which serves to deflect the heat that is applied during the sealing process away from (and thus insulating) wine 76. [0040] As a completely sealed vessel, it is envisaged that wine bottle 10 will be used to contain very valuable wines that will not be consumed for a considerable period of time. Wine contained in wine bottle 10 could even be stored for an essentially indefinite period. As such, a filled wine bottle 10 can be seen as a desirable object in its own right, thus lending itself to incorporation into objets d'art. For example, Figure 8 shows wine bottle 10 incorporated into a work of glass sculpture 84 comprising a tapered housing with precious metal detailing 86 to form a wine package. Bottle 10 is vertically suspended in sculpture 84 with its lower end raised off the floor of the tapered housing. [0041] As shown in Figure 8A, sculpture 84 is openable approximately midway along its length into first 85 and second 87 parts. A cylindrical mounting sleeve 89 is concentrically mounted within a circular plate 91 located at the top of first part 85. Fastening bosses 93 project upwardly from circular plate 91 to locate in corresponding holes in a second plate 95 provided at the bottom of second part 87. In this way, first part 85 and second part 87 can be joined together to form completed sculpture 84. nrcm AM96 A7VQ'7v 190flA90l9 8 [0042] Wine bottle 10 is suspended in sculpture 84 by sliding the bottom of bottle 10 into mounting sleeve 89 until flange 22 comes into contact with and rests upon the top of mounting sleeve 89. [0043] If wine bottle 10 is to be opened, it is done so through shearing dome 44 off closing region 40 at neck 42. In view of the value of bottle 10, sculpture 84 and wine 76, it is envisaged that bottle 10 will be opened by a specialist winemaker. [0044] A suitable tool 88 for opening bottle 10 is illustrated in Figure 9. Tool 88 includes first 90 and second 92 members connected to each other by way of hinge 94. A curved cutting blade 98 is housed within second member 92. A pair of guide members 96 are housed within first member 90. Wine bottle 10 is opened by placing dome 44 between guide members 92 in the interior of tool 88 and closing first and second members 90 and 92 so that guide members 96 and blade 98 encircle neck 42. Tool 88 is rotated about neck 42 which causes blade 98 to score the surface of the glass and thus disrupt its surface tension and define a line of weakness. [0045] Tool 98 is then pulled in a direction orthogonal to the axis of neck 42, causing dome 44 to snap off at the line of weakness. [0046] It is recommended that wine 76 is poured into, and served from, a suitable decanter. [0047] It is to be understood that, throughout the description and claims of the specification, the word "comprise" and variations of the word, such as "comprising" and "comprises", is not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers or steps. [00481 Modifications and improvements to the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Such modifications and improvements are intended to be within the scope of this invention.
    权利要求:
    Claims (19)
    [1] 1. A wine bottle comprising a unitary, sealed, glass enclosure.
    [2] 2. A wine bottle according to claim 1, wherein the enclosure comprises a body and an integrally formed closing region extending from one end of the body.
    [3] 3. A wine bottle according to claim 1, wherein the enclosure comprises a body and first and second closing regions respectively extending from each end of the body.
    [4] 4. A wine bottle according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the body is elongated.
    [5] 5. A wine bottle according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the closing region includes: a neck that extends from the body and has a reduced diameter from that of the body; and a bulbous dome extending from the neck.
    [6] 6. A wine bottle according to claim 5, wherein the bulbous dome tapers inwardly from its plane of maximal circumference to a tip, the tapering region comprising solid glass.
    [7] 7. A wine bottle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the wine bottle is substantially symmetrical about a transverse plane extending through the bottle.
    [8] 8. A method for packaging wine, the method including the steps of: forming or providing an elongated glass body with an orifice; introducing wine into the glass body; and closing the orifice, so as to form a unitary, sealed glass enclosure. Arnl, AA1101,,o~)) ionwto9Av 10
    [9] 9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the step of forming or providing the elongated glass body includes forming a tubular region extending from one end of the body, the tubular region having a reduced diameter from that of the glass body.
    [10] 10. A method according to claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the step of closing the orifice includes removing a part of the tubular region by applying heat.
    [11] 11. A method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the step of closing the orifice includes closing the orifice by congelation of glass.
    [12] 12. A wine package comprising a wine bottle according to any one of claims 1 to 7 suspended in a housing such that its lower end is spaced from the floor of the housing.
    [13] 13. A wine package according to claim 12, wherein the wine bottle is suspended in the housing along its longitudinal axis.
    [14] 14. A wine package according to claim 12 or claim 13, wherein the housing is tapered.
    [15] 15. A wine package according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the wine bottle is suspended in the housing by way of mounting means, the mounting means being hidden from view or otherwise incorporated unobtrusively into the housing.
    [16] 16. A wine package according to any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein the wine bottle and the housing have complementary mounting means to facilitate suspension of the bottle in the housing.
    [17] 17. A wine package according to claim 15, wherein the mounting means provides engagement between the bottle and the housing by sliding the bottle into the housing thereby facilitating mounting therebetween.
    [18] 18. A method of opening a glass wine bottle having a neck, the method including the steps of: locating the neck in a hand held cutting tool having a cutting blade; 11 rotating the blade about the neck so as to disrupt its surface tension and define a line of weakness; and pulling the cutting tool in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of neck, to thereby snap off the neck at the line of weakness.
    [19] 19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the bottle comprises a unitary, sealed, glass enclosure.
    类似技术:
    公开号 | 公开日 | 专利标题
    US9834466B2|2017-12-05|Bottle neck with internal embossments and method manufacture
    AU2008339122B2|2013-07-18|Improvements in Containers
    CA2801103C|2017-09-05|Glass container with internally threaded neck
    US20050092760A1|2005-05-05|Beverage bottle convertible to stemmed drinking glass
    JPH06247449A|1994-09-06|Package for drink and formation of the same
    JP2006103701A|2006-04-20|Cap and beverage-container closure
    US3986535A|1976-10-19|System and apparatus for the production of sparkling wine
    AU2013206707B2|2017-07-06|Wine bottle
    US20110163094A1|2011-07-07|Fluid preservation system and method for use
    AU2003206885B2|2006-08-03|Bottle, method for the production thereof, method for filling a bottle, and method for opening a bottle
    WO2013067494A1|2013-05-10|Bottle including a hollow removable closure
    US9706862B2|2017-07-18|Double-walled articles for receiving decorative filler materials
    US9133428B2|2015-09-15|Wine degassing method and apparatus
    US5687862A|1997-11-18|Hollow glass objects
    CN110330224B|2021-08-10|Large bottle and can glass suitable for artificial forming and preparation method thereof
    BG107947A|2004-12-30|Cap for a wine bottle
    CN201545300U|2010-08-11|Red wine cork
    WO2006103365A3|2006-11-23|Bottle closing device
    RU2734639C2|2020-10-21|Tubular neck of glass bottle
    US20150375982A1|2015-12-31|Dispenser device of carbonated beverages
    AU708481B2|1999-08-05|A sealed beverage package and a method of forming such a package
    JP3786949B2|2006-06-21|Cap and beverage closure device
    CN212964478U|2021-04-13|A shake bottle device for detecting barley, malt gushing potentiality
    CA1113413A|1981-12-01|Fermentation apparatus
    WO2015103062A1|2015-07-09|Bottle closure
    同族专利:
    公开号 | 公开日
    AU2013206707B2|2017-07-06|
    引用文献:
    公开号 | 申请日 | 公开日 | 申请人 | 专利标题
    CN2127702Y|1992-05-15|1993-03-03|李晋川|Once-used glass wine bottle bewaring of imitation|
    FR2737715A1|1995-08-11|1997-02-14|Reillaudoux Jean Claude|Packaging vintage wines and spirits by transferring from bottles to smaller containers under inert atmosphere - comprises preliminary test of organoleptic properties, ensuring high quality prod.|
    法律状态:
    2017-11-02| FGA| Letters patent sealed or granted (standard patent)|
    2022-01-20| PC| Assignment registered|Owner name: PENFOLDS WINES AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED Free format text: FORMER OWNER(S): TREASURY WINE ESTATES VINTNERS LIMITED |
    优先权:
    申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题
    AU2012902682||2012-06-25||
    AU2012902682A|AU2012902682A0||2012-06-25|Wine bottle|
    AU2013206707A|AU2013206707B2|2012-06-25|2013-06-25|Wine bottle|AU2013206707A| AU2013206707B2|2012-06-25|2013-06-25|Wine bottle|
    [返回顶部]