FR3061202A1 - DEVICE FOR PRESERVING WINES AFTER THE FIRST OPENING OF THE BOTTLE - Google Patents

Abstract

Device for blocking an opening of a container partially filled with a liquid so that, in a storage position, there is a space (18) filled with gas between a free surface of the liquid and the opening. The device comprises a body provided with: a shutter (2) for sealing the aperture, and a processing circuit having an inlet (12) and an outlet (13) which open into the shutter to be in communication with said space (18), and means (4) for forced circulation of the gas through a gas treatment member (3) disposed between the inlet (12) and the outlet (13) of the treatment circuit. In a variant for effervescent drinks, the shutter (2) further comprises means for manufacturing (25) and injection (26) of carbon dioxide.

Description

@ Holder (s): SANBRI SAS.

® Agent (s): SOCIETE SANBRI.

FR 3 061 202 - A1 ® DEVICE FOR STORING BOTTLES.

@) Device for plugging an opening of a container partially filled with a liquid so that, in a storage position, there is a space (18) filled with gas between a free surface of the liquid and the opening. The device comprises a body provided with: a shutter (2) intended to seal the opening, and a processing circuit having an inlet (12) and an outlet (13) which open into the shutter to be in communication with said space (18), and means (4) for forced circulation of the gas through a gas treatment member (3) disposed between the inlet (12) and the outlet (13) of the treatment circuit. In a variant intended for effervescent drinks, the shutter (2) further comprises the means for manufacturing (25) and injecting (26) carbon dioxide.

WINES AFTER THE FIRST OPENING OF THE

The present invention relates to the storage of liquids in containers and more particularly to the conservation of wines in bottles.

The wines, and more particularly those that are called great wines, are sold in bottles closed by a stopper. The bottles generally have a body surmounted by a neck receiving the stopper.

STATE OF THE ART

Before the opening of a bottle, this one resting on its bottom, the wine occupies the body and the lower part of the neck, the upper part of which is closed by the stopper so that only a small amount remains in the neck. air trapped between the free surface of the wine and the cork. The free surface of the wine also has a relatively small area since it depends on the radius of the neck. After opening the bottle, as wine is taken from the bottle, the amount of air retained in the bottle increases and the free surface of the wine increases to its maximum area depending on the radius of the body. from the bottle.

However, it is known that wine tends to oxidize on contact with oxygen present in the air and that this oxidation is all the more important as the quantity of air retained in the bottle and the area of the free surface area of the wine is important. Beneficial at the very beginning, this oxidation becomes, beyond a certain stage, detrimental to the tasting of the wine because it alters the organoleptic qualities of the wine being specified that it only intervenes significantly after a few hours .

This does not matter if the bottle is emptied of its contents quickly. On the other hand, it is frequent that a bottle is not finished for example because of the moderation shown by the guests during a meal or because the wine in question is sold by the glass in a restaurant.

There are devices allowing either to empty the bottle or to inject a neutral gas into it. In the particular case of sparkling drinks and wines, there are also proposals for devices making it possible to create a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure, this in order to limit the losses of carbon dioxide. All these devices are unfortunately relatively ineffective while being complex and relatively expensive.

The devices intended to create a vacuum only allow a partial vacuum to be produced, which has the effect of reducing the amount of oxygen present in the space between the surface of the liquid and the device for obstructing the neck. These devices therefore have the effect of slowing the rate of oxidation of the liquids contained in a bottle but are unable to suppress this oxidation. Furthermore, the use of such devices has the consequence of extracting aromatic molecules, molecules whose presence is nevertheless an essential condition for the proper perception of the taste qualities of wine.

The devices providing for injecting a neutral gas into the space between the upper level of the liquid and the obstructed neck have the effect of mixing this neutral gas injected with the atmosphere existing in the upper part of the bottle prior to injection. neutral gas. Consequently, these devices make it possible to reduce the proportion of oxygen present in the volume in contact with the surface of the liquid but do not make it possible to reduce the absolute amount of oxygen present in this volume. Here again, the oxidation of the liquid can be slowed down but is not effectively combated. However, mention will be made of the devices and methods described in document N ° USD-A-689353 which recommends using coaxial needles passing through the original cap of the bottle to simultaneously inject a neutral gas and withdraw the liquid contained in the bottle to due proportion of the quantity of gas injected. The devices according to this document give satisfactory results in terms of wine conservation, in particular because the quantities of oxygen present in the volume not occupied by the liquid are in all circumstances very low. Unfortunately, these devices are very expensive to buy and use (need to change the cartridges), and their use is both delicate and meticulous, imposing speeds and methods of pouring wine little in line with the habits of sommeliers or consumers (the wine flows slowly and noisily through the needle under the effect of the pressure of the neutral gas).

Finally, the devices dedicated to the treatment of sparkling wines and drinks, devices which include means of increasing the pressure above the free surface of the liquid effectively make it possible to limit the speed at which the carbon dioxide bubbles disappear, but these devices cause an additional supply of oxygen, which accelerates the degradation of taste qualities.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to provide a simple means allowing better preservation of the organoleptic qualities of a liquid contained in a container which has been opened a first time.

An additional objective is to achieve the highest performance in terms of protection of liquids against the phenomena of aging oxidation and taste alteration after opening a bottle or a container by using a simple and good device. market, allowing a quick and easy pouring of the liquid, according to the usual procedure, that is to say by simply tilting the bottle.

An important additional objective is, in the particular case of carbonated drinks and sparkling wines, to allow to preserve or restore the sparkling character for several days and weeks after the first opening of the bottle without degrading the taste qualities of the liquid.

BRIEF STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION

To this end, there is provided, according to the invention, a device for plugging an opening of a container partially filled with a liquid so that, in a storage position, there is a space filled with gas between a surface. free of liquid and opening. The device comprises a body provided with: a shutter intended to seal the opening, and a processing circuit having an inlet and an outlet which open into the shutter to be in communication with said space, and circulation means forced gas through a gas processing member disposed between the inlet and the outlet of the processing circuit.

Thus, the device of the invention makes it possible to treat the volume of gas being in contact with the liquid without seeking to reinject a treated or untreated gas coming from the outside. It is distinguished from the state of the art by the fact that it consists in extracting then modifying by suitable treatments and finally reinjecting the gaseous atmosphere initially contained in the upper part of a bottle.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge on reading the following description of particular non-limiting embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Reference will be made to the appended drawings, among which:

- Figure 1 shows a side view, in section, of a device according to the invention positioned on the neck of a bottle. Figure 1a shows the same device in top view.

- Figure 2 shows a side view in section of a device according to the invention, in a variant making it possible to keep the original stopper of the bottle, the said stopper being in the initial position. Figure 2a shows the same device in top view

- Figure 3 shows a side view in section of a device according to the invention in the variant of Figure 2 but with the original plug in the opened position. Figure 3a shows the same device in top view.

- Figure 4 shows a sectional side view of a device according to the invention placed on a bottle in a variant suitable for carbonated drinks and sparkling wines.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the figures, the invention provides a device for plugging an opening of a container partially filled with a liquid so that, in a storage position, there is a space (18) filled with gas between a surface. free of liquid and opening. The device is remarkable in that it comprises a body provided with: a shutter (2) intended to seal the neck (1), and a treatment circuit having an inlet (12) and an outlet (13) which open into the shutter (2) to be in communication with said space (18), as well as means (4) for forced circulation of the gas through a gas treatment device (3) disposed between the inlet ( 12) and the output (13) of the processing circuit. Preferably these means (4) will be constituted by a manual or electric pump - supplied in this case by batteries or battery -, the said pump being able to create a vacuum in the space (18) and to inject by compressing it in the processing unit (3) the air extracted from this space (18).

The processing device (3) will consist of a sealed container placed between the outlet of the means (4) of forced circulation and the outlet pipe (13) of the processing circuit. This container will have several compartments communicating with each other so that the gas mixture introduced can pass through each of these compartments. The main function of the treatment unit (3) will be to eliminate the oxygen initially contained in the gas mixture extracted from the space (18). A complementary function of this treatment member (3) will be to eliminate the water vapor likely to be found in the gas mixture extracted from the space (18). After treatment, the gaseous mixture will be essentially composed of the nitrogen initially contained in the atmosphere and will therefore be inert.

In the embodiment described, the treatment member (3) comprises at least one compartment (7) filled with activated carbon, for example in the form of flakes or crystals. In addition, this organ has a compartment (6) filled with anhydrous sulfite, a material which also has the property of fixing oxygen. To perfect the operations for removing oxygen from the gas mixture intended to be reintroduced into the bottle, it is possible to use a membrane (8) having the property of letting oxygen pass and of retaining the nitrogen molecules, which have dimensions slightly larger than those of oxygen; this membrane (8) is completed by one or more orifices provided in the walls of the container, orifices which make it possible to evacuate the oxygen molecules after they have passed through the membrane (8). Thus the treatment member (3) will include at least one of the following elements: at least one compartment (7) filled with activated carbon., At least one membrane (8) allowing the escape of oxygen and retaining the 'nitrogen, at least one compartment (6) filled with anhydrous sulfite.

In an advantageous embodiment, the treatment member (3) will comprise at least one cobalt salt having properties close to those of an artificial solid hemoglobin, that is to say functioning as an oxygen sponge.

To complete the action aimed at eliminating oxygen, provision will be made to fix the water vapor initially contained in the gas mixture occupying the space (18). To this end, the treatment member (3) will comprise at least one desiccant (5) such as a silicate. This component will preferably be placed before the others in the direction of circulation of the gas mixture in the treatment member (3).

The gas mixture is moved from the space (18) by the means (4) of forced circulation which comprise a pump between the inlet (12) of the treatment circuit and the member (3) of treatment while the member treatment (3) has an outlet connected, via a calibrated valve (17), to the outlet (13) of the treatment circuit. The calibrated valve (17) will be calibrated or adjusted to guarantee a sufficient residence time of the gas in the treatment member (3). This arrangement is important since the calibration of the valve (17) at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure makes it possible to adjust the duration during which the gas mixture extracted from the space (18) is in contact with the processing means contained. in the processing unit (3). In addition, this contact takes place, under the action of the pump and throughout the period during which the valve (17) remains closed, at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure so that the efficiency of the treatment means is improved. By way of example, by choosing a setting pressure of the valve (17) at 2.2 bars, tests carried out by the applicants have made it possible to obtain a residence time of the gaseous mixture extracted from the space (18) in the treatment unit (3) for approximately 15 seconds, which made it possible to modify the composition of the gas mixture in the following proportions:

Initial composition N ₂ : 76%, O ₂ : 21%, H ₂ O: 2%, CO ₂ + Argon + aromatic molecules: 1%

Final composition after passage and stay in the treatment unit containing 10 grams of activated carbon and 5 grams of desiccant salt: N ₂ : 94.8%, 0 ₂ : 4%, H ₂ 0: 0.2%,

CO ₂ + Argon + aromatic molecules: 1%. It is noted that, taking into account the capture and or elimination by the treatment means (3) of the oxygen contained in the initial mixture, the volume reintroduced is less than the volume extracted so that the pressure in the bottle decreases .

This result can be improved by subjecting several stays and successive passages of the gaseous mixture taken from the space (18) then treated by the treatment member (3) and reinjected into the space (18). This procedure is particularly suitable for precious wines (grands crus) as well as organic wines containing little or no sulphites and therefore particularly sensitive to the phenomena of degradation by oxidation. By means of three successive passages, it is indeed possible that oxygen is only present in an amount that cannot be detected with conventional means in space (18). In the embodiment described and tested, the invention makes it possible to keep fragile wines for at least six weeks after the first opening of the bottle without perceptible degradation of the taste qualities of these drinks.

The device may be fixed to the neck of a bottle by watertight means comprising seals (20) and clamping means (19). Depending on the nature and shape of the bottles or flasks, different fixing means can be chosen. The shutter (2) is provided with means for withdrawing the liquid contained in the container. These withdrawal means comprise an outlet channel (10) for liquid and a member (9) for blocking out the channel. The outlet channel (10) extends into the shutter (2) to have a first end opening into the space (18) and a second end opening to the outside of the bottle. In the embodiment shown, the concealment member (9) consists of a simple valve controlled by a lever on which the operator acts when he tilts the bottle. In an alternative embodiment not shown, this lever will be replaced by a ring to which the operator will rotate, which will have the effect of discovering an opening in the body of the device. In another embodiment, also not shown, the concealment member may include a ball or a closed valve when the bottle is in the vertical position and open when the bottle is tilted, the movements of the ball or valve occurring under the only effect of gravity.

In an advantageous and particularly efficient variant of the invention, means will be provided to limit the amount of atmospheric air likely to enter the bottle during the entire period between the first opening and the pouring of the last drop of liquid. . To do this, a device for extracting a plug (16) initially closing the container will be mounted on the shutter body (2). The vertical translation of the plug (16) will result in putting the space (18) into communication with the processing means (3) via the inlet (12) and outlet (13) conduits, and this without atmospheric air being able to enter the bottle. This provision will in particular limit the workload of the processing means and therefore increase the efficient service life of each refill containing the processing means. With this arrangement, it is easy to obtain a protective capacity of more than 100 consecutive bottles with a cartridge of 8 centilitres containing 10 grams of activated carbon and 5 grams of drying salt. In any event, since the capacity for fixing or evacuating oxygen by the treatment means is not infinite, the treatment member (3) will be removably mounted on the obturator body (2). be interchangeable.

To allow the vertical translation of the stopper (16) from a low position where it obstructs the neck of the bottle towards a high position where it is completely disengaged from the neck and is received in the upper part of the shutter (2), the extraction device comprises a wick (14) of the "pigtail" type mounted to pivot around an extraction axis and arranged in such a way that its rotation causes the translation of the plug (16) along the axis of extraction.

To protect the active elements of the treatment device (3) and prevent these active components from being in contact with atmospheric air other than that introduced into the bottle in place of the spilled liquid, the device will include a shutter secondary (11), preferably in the form of a ring, said secondary shutter (11) being moved, during the movement of extraction of the plug (16), between a position for closing the inlet (12) and outlet ( 13) of the treatment circuit and an open position of the inlet (12) and outlet (13) conduits of the treatment circuit. A spring (15) will facilitate the operations of extracting the stopper (16) and lowering the shutter (11) between each sequence of use of the device on a bottle.

For the particular case of sparkling drinks and in particular wines having undergone a double fermentation (champagne wines, sparkling wines or similar) it is noted that the degradation of the taste qualities after opening the bottle comes not only from the oxidation of the liquid but also loss of carbon dioxide (CO ² ) following the drop in pressure caused by the extraction of the original plug. In this case, the processing means (3) which prevent the oxidation of the liquid will be supplemented by at least one means (26) for injecting carbon dioxide into the liquid which will be provided with the shutter (2) as more precisely represented. on the face

4.

The means (26) for injecting carbon dioxide is preferably constituted by a hollow rod opening into the lower part of the bottle, in an area close to the bottom of the latter and will be associated with means (25) for producing carbon dioxide. comprising a first component (22) and a second component (24) which will be brought into contact with or in contact with each other following the activation of the means (4) of forced circulation. In an advantageous embodiment, the first component (22) will be yeast (for example baker's yeast) and the second component (24) will be a liquid or a sweet gel. In another embodiment, the first component (22) will be a basic carbon product (for example baking soda) and the second component (24) will be an acid product (for example citric acid). In all cases, the first and second components will be chosen so that the carbon dioxide produced is of food grade.

Like the processing member (3), the means (25) for producing carbon dioxide will be mounted on the shutter body (2) in a removable manner so as to be interchangeable. To avoid carbon dioxide production and therefore unnecessary consumption of the components outside the period of use, we will choose to place the first component (22) near the second component (24) but without these two components being in con tact. These two components will be brought into contact either directly or through a permeable membrane (23) following the action of the pump (4) which will create sufficient pressure in the compartment (25) containing these two components. To this end, the outlet pipe of the pump (4) will be connected on the one hand to the treatment member (3) and on the other hand to the means (25) for producing carbon dioxide; the rod (26) will pass through the treatment member (3) and open into the lower part of the bottle, so that the pressure produced at the outlet of the pump (4) will be maintained in the treatment member (3) and transmitted in the volume (18) both directly, by the carbon dioxide produced in the means (25) and by the carbon dioxide present in the liquid, and indirectly, after opening the valve (17) at the outlet of the member treatment (3).

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described but encompasses any variant coming within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims. In particular, the forms and relative arrangements of the various components are given for information only and may be freely chosen.

Claims (15)

1. Device for plugging an opening of a container partially filled with a liquid such that, in a storage position, there is a space filled with gas between a free surface of the liquid and the opening, characterized in that that the device comprises a body provided with: a shutter (2) intended to seal the neck (1), and a treatment circuit having an inlet (12) and an outlet (13) which open into the shutter ( 2) to be in communication with said space, and means (4) for forced circulation of the gas through a gas treatment unit (3) disposed between the inlet (12) and the outlet (13) of the circuit treatment. 2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the treatment member (3) comprises at least one of the following elements: at least one compartment (7) filled with activated carbon, at least one membrane (8) authorizing the escape of oxygen and retaining nitrogen, at least one anhydrous sulfite (6). 3. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the treatment member (3) comprises at least one cobalt salt. 4. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the treatment member (3) comprises at least one desiccant (6) such as a silicate. 5. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the shutter (2) is provided with means (10) for withdrawing the liquid contained in the container. 6. Device according to claim 5, wherein the withdrawal means comprise an outlet channel (10) of liquid extending in the shutter (2) to have a first end opening into said space and a second end opening out to the 'exterior, and a member (9) of occultation of the channel, which is controllable by a user or by gravity means. 7. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the means (4) of forced circulation comprise a pump between the inlet (12) of the treatment circuit and the member (3) of treatment and the member treatment (3) has an outlet connected, via a calibrated valve (17), to the outlet (13) of the treatment circuit, the calibrated valve (17) being calibrated to guarantee a sufficient residence time of the gas in the treatment . 8. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which on the closure body (2) is mounted a device for extracting a plug (16) initially closing the container. 9. Device according to claim 8, in which the extraction device comprises a wick (14) of the "pigtail" type mounted to pivot around an extraction axis and arranged in such a way that its rotation causes translation. of the plug (16) along the extraction axis. 10. Device according to claim 9, comprising a secondary shutter (11) moved, during the movement of extraction of the plug (16), between a closed position of the treatment circuit and an open position of the treatment circuit. 11. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the shutter body (2) is provided with means (26) for injecting carbon dioxide gas into the liquid. 12. Device according to claim 11, in which the injection means (26) is associated with means (23) for producing carbon dioxide gas comprising a first component (22) and a second component (24) which are brought into contact by activating the means (4) of forced circulation. 13. Device according to claim 12 wherein the first component (22) is yeast and the second component (24) is a liquid or a sweet gel. 14. Device according to claim 12, in which the first component (22) is a basic carbon product and the second component (24) is an acid product. 15. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the treatment member (3) is mounted on the shutter body (2) in a removable manner so as to be interchangeable.