FR2873276A1 - Liquid e.g. champagne, container, has contact surface defined between lid and container by reference and outer lid radii, reference and container pressures, and lid surface covering opening, where contact surface is greater than lid surface - Google Patents

Abstract

The container has a filling opening (4) for filling a drinking liquid (5) in the container, and a lid (6) for closing the opening. A contact surface (6a) is defined between the lid and the container using a reference radius, outer radius of the lid, pressure inside the container, reference pressure and surface of the lid covering the opening. The contact surface is greater than the surface of the lid covering the opening. An independent claim is also included for a method of storing a container containing a dose of a drinking liquid.

Description

Container containing at least one dose of a liquid to be drunk and

  method of storing such a container.

  The present invention relates to the field of containers containing at least a dose of a liquid to drink.

  The present invention relates more particularly to a container containing at least one dose of a liquid to be drunk, especially an effervescent liquid, comprising a filling orifice and a seal closing said orifice.

  This type of container that can be in the form of a drinking glass is generally used to produce a packaging allowing the packaging and consumption of the liquid to be drunk.

  Document FR-A-2 802 177 discloses a container in the form of a drinking glass comprising a liquid and a heat seal sealed from a filling opening of the container, said lid being in contact with a thinned upper edge of the container. so as to achieve the attachment of said lid on the container.

  Such a drinking glass has the disadvantage of providing a small functional surface for fixing the lid, the upper edge of the container comprising a particularly small outer annular surface. In addition, the attachment of the lid on the container is also made difficult by the need to peel the lid to allow consumption of the liquid contained.

  Such characteristics generate bonding forces between the operculum and the restricted container generating an oxygen permeability of the relatively high assembly, said permeability being all the greater as the surface to be sealed is large, as well as particularly important risk of separation of the lid when the container contains an effervescent liquid.

  Moreover, during the peeling of the lid, a portion of said lid may remain fixed on the container and come into contact, during the consumption of the liquid, with the mouth of a user can generate a negative appreciation of such products .

  The present invention aims to overcome these disadvantages by providing a particularly economical container adapted to contain different types of liquids and to significantly limit the risk of transformation, including oxidation, of the liquid in the container.

  For this purpose, the container contains at least one dose of a liquid to be drunk, in particular an effervescent liquid, comprising a filling orifice and a cap sealing said orifice. The contact surface between the lid and the container is defined by: Scontact = RrefIR * P / Pref * Soburée, in which Rref represents a reference radius, R the outer radius of the lid, P the pressure inside of the container, Pref a reference pressure and Soburée representing the surface of the lid covering the orifice, Rref being between 8 and 12 millimeters, and Pref being between 0.2 and 0.4 MPa.

  Here is meant by contact surface, the attachment surface between the lid and the container.

  A container comprising such a contact surface between the lid and the container has the advantage of allowing the conditioning of different types of liquids. Indeed, it is possible to fill the container with drinks that can be sensitive to oxygen, such as fruit juice, alcoholic beverages, or effervescent drinks such as soda or Champagne.

  In other words, the contact surface between the lid and the container is sufficiently large relative to the surface of the cap covering the orifice so that the binding forces of attachment of the lid with the container resist to any thrust forces on the surface of the cap covering the orifice and can be generated by the pressure of the liquid contained in the container.

  The container also has the advantage of comprising a lid that is particularly difficult to peel, given the importance of the attachment surface between the lid and the container, requiring piercing of the cap to allow consumption of the contained liquid. Such a container thus makes it possible to constitute a product that can include so-called luxuries drinks that can be handled, transported and distributed while presenting a guarantee of inviolability before consumption.

  Moreover, given the ratio between the contact surface between the lid and the container, and the surface of the cap covering the orifice, the oxygen permeability of the container, at said attachment surface, can to be controlled thus making it possible to substantially increase the lifespan of the liquids thus conditioned in drinkable glass by avoiding their transformation, in particular in the case of alcoholic liquids, due to contact with the air causing a drop in the quality of the contained liquid as well as a particularly detrimental appreciation for a user of such containers.

  In other words, the oxygen permeability of the container is mainly related to the oxygen permeability of the lid, the radial dimension of the contact surface between the lid and the container substantially eliminating possible oxygen infiltration at this attachment zone. It thus becomes possible to be able to offer a varied range of permeability depending on the liquids to be conditioned according to the permeability of the operculum retained.

  In one embodiment, the contact surface between the lid and the container is at least equal to a quarter of the surface of the lid covering the orifice.

  In a preferred embodiment, the contact area between the operculum and the container is at least half of the area of the operculum covering the orifice.

  In one embodiment, the seal extends between the peripheral edges of the opening and the container. In other words, the lid has no portion protruding from a peripheral edge of the container to prevent attachment of the lid on the side wall of the container particularly unsightly.

  In another embodiment, the lid covers at least part of the container, said lid bearing on the side walls of the container.

  In one embodiment, the contact surface between the lid and the container is substantially coplanar with the plane of the opening.

  In another embodiment, the contact surface between the lid and the container is substantially inclined relative to the plane of the opening.

  Advantageously, the lid comprises a layer of synthetic material having an oxygen permeability of between 0.004 × 10 -13 cm.sup.-2 .Pa.sup.-1 and 370.times.10.sup.-13 cm.sup.-2.

  Preferably, the lid comprises a laminate material comprising a layer of metallic material.

  Advantageously, the operculum has a thickness of between one hundredth of a millimeter and five millimeters.

  The present invention also relates to a method for storing a container containing at least one dose of a liquid to be drunk, in particular an effervescent liquid, comprising a filling orifice and a cap sealing said orifice, in which the container is stored. in a substantially liquid medium.

  Such a method has the advantage of allowing storage for a longer time of containers containing, for example, oxygen sensitive beverages.

  The present invention and its advantages will be better understood on studying the detailed description of a container taken by way of nonlimiting example and illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which: - Figure 1 is a sectional view of a container according to one aspect of the invention; and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container of FIG.

  As can be seen in Figures 1 and 2, the container 1 comprises a body 2 of generally cylindrical shape of axis 3. The body 2 is made of glass. Of course, it is also conceivable to use a molded or blown synthetic material, for example polycarbonate or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) treated against permeability. The body 2 is closed, at its lower end, by a bottom 2a extended axially upwards by a side wall 2b, said side wall 2b being extended radially inwards by a curved portion and then by an upper wall 2c substantially parallel to the bottom 2a and provided with a circular filling opening 4 centered on the axis 3. The opening 4 has a radial dimension substantially smaller than the internal diameter of the body 2. In other words, the peripheral edge of the opening 4 is offset radially inwards with respect to the side walls 2b of the body 2.

  The container 1 contains a liquid 5, for example champagne, the free surface 5a of said liquid 5 coming close to an inner surface of the upper walls 2c.

  The container 1 also comprises a cap 6 attached to the upper end of the body 2 so as to seal the opening 4.

  The cover 6, made here in the form of a disc, is centered on the vertical axis 3 of the body 2. The cover 6 has a radial dimension substantially greater than the diameter of the opening 4. The contact surface 6a between the lid 6 and the body 2 of the container 1 is of generally annular shape. Said contact surface 6a is delimited radially by the peripheral edges of the opening 4 and the cover 6, said contact surface 6a being here substantially planar. The contact surface 6a is coplanar with the plane of the opening 4, which is here perpendicular to the axis 3 of the body 2. The contact surface 6a is substantially greater than the surface of the cover 6 covering the orifice 4 .

  For the same type of cap 6, the permeability to oxygen decreases by increasing the contact surface 6a or attachment between said cap 6 and the body 2 of the container 1. It is also conceivable to provide an orifice 4 eccentric relative to to the axis 3 of the body 2 of the container 1.

  The oxygen permeability of the container 1 is mainly related to the oxygen permeability of the lid 6, the radial dimension of the contact surface between the lid and the container substantially eliminating a potential infiltration of gas, in particular oxygen, inside the container 1.

  The lid 6 has a thickness substantially less than its outer diameter. The lid 6 preferably has a thickness ranging from one hundredth of a millimeter to five millimeters. Depending on the thickness and type of material used for the lid 6, it will be possible to vary the oxygen permeability of the container 1 depending on the type of liquid contained. Indeed, permeability to oxygen is a parameter influencing the storage of liquids, including still wines or champagne-type sparkling wines.

  For example, for liquids not undergoing significant transformation in contact with oxygen, it is conceivable to provide a film of synthetic material, for example silicone, with a thickness of the order of one millimeter and exhibiting an oxygen permeability, at 30 ° C, of 370 × 10 -13 cm.sup.-2 .Pa.sup.-1. It is also conceivable to provide for the storage of the container 1 thus sealed with a silicone membrane in a liquid, for example water, or in a gel in order to substantially reduce any oxygen entry into the container 1 .

  For liquids that can undergo oxidation phenomena in the presence of oxygen, especially still wines or champagne-type sparkling wines, the cap 6 can comprise a laminate material of the order of a few tenths of a millimeter and comprising a layer of synthetic material having relatively low oxygen permeability characteristics, for example polyvinylidene chloride having an oxygen permeability, at 25 ° C., of 0.004 × 10 -13 cm.sup.-2 .Pa.sup.-1, each of the faces upper and lower layers of said layer which can be in contact with low density polyethylene layers having an oxygen permeability of 0.3 x 10-13 cm 2 s -1 -Pa-1 or between two layers of high density polyethylene having a permeability 2.2 x 10-13 cm2.s-1.Pa "1. The main function of the upper and lower faces of the layer is to allow the bonding or welding of the layer to the surface of the layer. container 1, the permeability to oxygen being provided by the intermediate layer or layers.

  Of course, it is also possible to use for said upper and lower faces of other synthetic materials for fixing the lid 6 on the container 1, regardless of their permeability to oxygen. It is also possible to use an ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) placed between two layers of weldable or bondable polymers, for example polyethylene or polypropylene.

  In the case of a container 1 comprising a champagne type effervescent drink having an internal pressure of 2 to 4 MPa, and for an orifice 4 of ten millimeters in diameter, the contact surface 6a between the lid 6 and the body 2 of the container 1 may be substantially equal to the surface of the lid covering the orifice 4, while for an orifice of twenty millimeters in diameter said contact surface 6a may be of the order of half the surface of the operculum covering the orifice 4. For higher pressures, the contact surfaces 6a for equivalent diameters can double, triple or quadruple. With the same cap 6, the larger the attachment surface between said cap 6 and said body 2, the greater the oxygen permeability of the container 1 is reduced.

  The present invention is particularly applicable for small volumes of liquid 5, for example quarter-liter for orifices 4 between 5 and 30 mm in diameter. The attachment surface between the lid 6 and the body 2 of the container 1 can be defined by the relation Seontaet = Rref / R * P / Pref * Soburée, in which Rref represents a reference radius, R the outer radius of the opercule 6, P the pressure inside the container 1, Pref a reference pressure and Soburée representing the surface of the lid covering the orifice 4, Rref being between 8 and 12 mm and Pref being between 2 and 4 MPa.

  The lid 6 may advantageously be bonded to the upper end of the body 2 of the container 1, for example by means of a silicone adhesive deposited in the form of annular concentric rings on the outer surface of the upper wall 2c so as to obtain a bonding surface of the cap 6 at least equal to half of the surface of the cap covering the orifice 4. When the container 1 contains champagne-type effervescent drinks, the presence of concentric bonding rods may allow to further reduce a possible leak of gas to the outside of the container 1 and / or a possible intrusion of gas inside the container 1.

  Of course, it is also conceivable to provide other types of attachment of the lid 6 to the body 2 of the container 1. For example, it is possible to heat seal the lid 6 according to concentric annular surfaces between the peripheral edges of the opening 4 and the lid 6, such heat sealing can occur in several continuous or discontinuous times. In a similar manner to the previous attachment mode, the heat-sealing of the lid 6 on a surface of the body 2 of the container 1 defined by the relation Seot, taet = Rref / R * P / Pref * Sobturée, in which Rref represents a reference radius, R the outer radius of the lid 6, P the pressure inside the container 1, Pref a reference pressure and Soburée representing the surface of the lid covering the orifice 4, R1ef being between 8 and 12 mm and Pref being between 2 and 4 MPa, makes it possible, in the case of an effervescent liquid, for example of the Champagne type, to obtain binding bonding forces capable of opposing thrust forces. applying on the free surface of the lid 6.

  In other words, the use of a container having such a fastening surface between the lid 6 and the container 1 has the advantage of avoiding any infiltrations or gas leaks in the area of fixation.

  It is also conceivable to have a lid 6, at the upper end of the body 2, comprising a laminate material provided with a layer of metallic material, for example aluminum, between two thicknesses of synthetic material, for example polyethylene, to obtain a seal 6 particularly suitable for being heat-sealed, for example aluminum on a polyethylene type polymer layer. Aluminum having a relatively high impermeability to oxygen, the oxygen permeability of the cap 6 depends almost solely on the radial dimension of the welded surface, and the characteristics of the synthetic material used, namely its thickness, as well as its permeability to oxygen. The use of a metal sheet thus makes it possible to further reduce a possible permeability of the lid 6 to the portion of the lid 6 closing the opening 4.

  The container 1 also comprises a hollow straw tube 7 made of plastic, for example polyethylene, which can be provided at one end with a beveled tip, for example metal. The straw 7 allows the consumption of the liquid 5 contained by the container 1, said straw 7 passing through the lid 6 and passing through the opening 4 to come close to the bottom 2a of the container 1. Of course, the straw 7 serves only to the consumption of the liquid 5 contained in the container 1. During its packaging, transport and distribution, said container 1 is devoid of such a straw 7 passing through the lid 6. It is however possible to provide for fixing the straw 7 , removably, against the side wall 2b of the body 2, in a known manner.

  In an alternative embodiment, it is also conceivable to provide a container comprising a body provided with a substantially hemispherical upper wall. In a manner similar to the embodiment previously described, the surface of the lid covering the opening forms a substantially horizontal disk.

  However, the contact surface is here a portion of hemispherical surface.

  When the liquid is of gaseous type, for example Champagne, the thrust forces exerted on the lid by the liquid are substantially equivalent, for the same orifice size, to those exerted when the upper wall of the container is substantially flat. On the contrary, the shear forces at the contact surface between the lid and the container are substantially reduced. Indeed, said shearing forces at the contact surface are equal to the thrust forces exerted by the liquid on the cap multiplied by the cosine of the angle formed by the plane of the orifice and the tangent to the surface of contact. For example, when the angle defined by the plane of the orifice and the tangent to the contact surface is substantially equal to 60, the shear forces are halved relative to the thrust forces. In the embodiment previously described, the angle defined by the plane of the orifice and the tangent to the contact surface is of the order of 0, which corresponds to a cosine equal to one and to shear forces. substantially equal to the pushing forces. In other words, the angular orientation of the contact surface with respect to the plane of the opening makes it possible to reduce the shearing forces, and thus to increase the resistance of the cover to tearing, under the effect of the pressure forces exerted by the liquid.

  Furthermore, in the case of a hemispherical top wall provided with an orifice coaxial with the container axis, a larger orifice generates an angle between the plane of the orifice and the tangent to the surface of the container. greater contact which causes a decrease in shear forces at the contact surface. The increase in pressure forces due to the increase in the size of the orifice is compensated by the greater inclination of the contact surface, forming a hemispherical surface portion, relative to the plane of the orifice.

  Of course, it is also conceivable to provide an upper wall of generally frustoconical, convex or concave shape to obtain a contact surface between the lid and the container 1 substantially inclined relative to the plane of the opening.

  In an alternative embodiment, it is also conceivable to provide a cap consisting of a member made of flexible synthetic material, for example an elastomer, capable of being stretched to cover or cover a portion of the container or the entire container. The lid thus bears on the side walls of the container. The seal, advantageously blown or molded, can be made in the form of a thermowell. Said cover can be stretched and widened at the time of laying on the container to obtain a cap conforming to the shape of the container, by springback. Of course, such a cap has, prior to stretching, an inner dimension less than the outer dimension of the container. The closure of the container is thus achieved thanks to the elasticity of the lid. However, it is also conceivable to provide an additional fastening element, for example by first arranging concentric annular bonding rods around the opening of the container.

  With such an embodiment, it thus becomes possible to provide for sealing, a container containing effervescent drinks, with a cap that can be pierced by a user, without the actual bonding time being an obstacle to hermeticity. of the container. Moreover, because of the voltage generated at the lid, when placed in position on the container, the destruction of the lid by a user to consume the contained liquid is particularly facilitated.

  The present invention comprises numerous advantages among which packaging, transport and distribution of a drinking liquid such as Champagne inside a container having particularly satisfactory oxygen permeability characteristics substantially limiting possible transformations of said liquid without it being necessary to leave a large air chamber between said liquid and the lid which can also subject said liquid to harmful transformations.

Claims (11)

  1 / Container containing at least one dose of a liquid (5) to be drunk, in particular an effervescent liquid, comprising a filling orifice (4) and a seal (6) closing said orifice, characterized in that the surface contact (6a) between the seal and the container is defined by: Scontact = Rref / R * P / Pref * Soburée, in which Rref represents a reference radius, R the outer radius of the cap, P the pressure at the inside of the container, Pref a reference pressure and Sobturée the surface of the lid covering the orifice, Rref being between 8 and 12 millimeters and Pref being between 0.2 and 0.4 MPa.   2 / container according to claim 1, characterized in that the contact surface (6a) between the lid and the container is at least equal to a quarter of the surface of the lid covering the orifice.   3 / container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the contact surface (6a) between the lid and the container is at least equal to half of the surface of the lid covering the orifice.   4 / Container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lid (6) extends between the peripheral edges of the opening and the container.   5 / container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the lid (6) covers at least partly the container, said lid bearing on the side walls of the container.   6 / container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact surface (6a) between the lid and the container is substantially coplanar with the plane of the opening (4).   7 / container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the contact surface (6a) between the lid and the container is substantially inclined relative to the plane of the opening.   8 / container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lid (6) comprises a layer of synthetic material having an oxygen permeability of between 0.004x10-13 cm2.s-1.Pa 370x10-13 cm 2 s.   9 / container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lid (6) comprises a laminate material provided with a layer of metallic material.   10 / container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lid (6) has a thickness between one hundredth of a millimeter and five millimeters.   11 / A method of storing a container containing at least one dose of a liquid (5) to be drunk, especially an effervescent liquid, comprising a filling orifice (4) and a lid (6) closing said orifice, characterized in that the container is stored in a substantially liquid medium.