Bottle stopper made of cork materials with integrated sound / music and / or LED lighting device

Abstract

Bottle closure made of natural cork, agglomerated cork, composite cork or another elastic, gas-tight material with a head and shaft region, characterized in that a non-continuous cavity is provided substantially in the head region and optionally partially in the shaft, which can accommodate a device for generating acoustic signals, sound, music, noises or speech as well as optical signals (e.g. LED, RGB or similar), wherein the device is designed such that it can be activated upon removal and / or opening of the bottle closure and / or by external control in order to emit acoustic and / or optical signals, and wherein the closure meets the technical requirements applicable to sparkling wine corks with regard to pressure resistance, mechanical strength, fracture strength and gas tightness.

Description

[0001] German patent DE202023000447.0 discloses a plastic bottle closure with a cavity and an integrated sound / music and / or LED lighting device. This plastic closure has a plastic cap that, by design, can accommodate a larger cavity without impairing its mechanical stability and sealing function.

[0002] For bottle closures made of natural cork, agglomerated cork, or composite cork—as typically used for sparkling wines, champagne, or similar beverages—cavities with a comparable function are not known. While smaller indentations in the head or stem area do exist in the prior art (for example, for opening aids or pressure-reducing functions), these are not structurally suitable for accommodating an audio / music or LED lighting device.

[0003] The challenge lies in integrating a sufficiently large cavity into a cork bottle stopper to accommodate a sound / music and / or LED lighting device without compromising the technical requirements for sparkling wine corks (pressure resistance, mechanical strength, breaking strength, gas tightness). To date, the industry has avoided such solutions because large cavities in cork materials were associated with high risks to stability and sealing performance.

[0004] The invention solves the aforementioned problem by means of a bottle stopper made of natural cork, agglomerate cork, composite cork or another elastic, gas-tight material with a head and shaft area, wherein essentially in the head area - and optionally partially in the shaft - a non-continuous cavity is provided which is designed and dimensioned in such a way that it can accommodate a sound / music and / or LED lighting device.

[0005] The cavity meets the technical requirements for pressure resistance, strength, break resistance and gas tightness that apply to sparkling wine corks.

[0006] The device includes in particular: - Loudspeakers (preferably located in the upper head area, optionally covered with a perforated cork layer or foil for sound transmission) - Switches (mechanical, optical, touch-, motion-controlled or code / wireless responding) - Control board with chip and LED (RGB or similar) - Power source (battery, rechargeable battery, solar cell or inductive charging device) - Optional unit for recording your own voice / music recordings (microphone and storage device)

[0007] The trigger can be initiated by: - Removing the clip (wire basket / safety bar) - Removing a cover or shrink film - Pulling out or twisting the cork - Reaching certain brightness or movement thresholds (photocell) - Wireless control via smartphone or other digital devices

[0008] The device can be programmed or time-controlled so that acoustic and / or optical signals (music, speech, noises, LED lights, flashing or color sequences) are played back when triggered. Examples of implementation:

[0009] Bottle stopper made of natural cork with axial cavity in the head area (depth approx. 23 mm, width approx. 18 mm) in which the sound / LED device is fully housed. - Variant in which the cavity protrudes slightly into the shaft to accommodate components such as a battery or circuit board without affecting the sealing zone. - Version in which the switch is activated by removing the clip before the cork itself is pulled. - Version with LED light emission at the top or side in the head area. - Variant with acoustic covering via a thin layer of cork or foil, so that the sound quality of the loudspeaker is not impaired. Advantages of the invention Advantages: - For the first time, it is possible to integrate a sound / music and LED (RGB) lighting device into a cork bottle stopper. - Compliance with all technical requirements for sparkling wine corks despite the cavity - Flexible release mechanisms, even before the actual cork is pulled. - Option for individual speech or music playback - High appeal for marketing and promotional purposes (Flasc) Reference symbol list 1 bottle stopper made of cork 2 Head (top) 3 shaft 4-cavity head 5 cavity shaft 6-hole / perforation 7 speakers 8 switches (On / Off) 9 Control board with chip and LED 10 Power source 11 safety bars 12. Recess in the middle of the bracket QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 202023000447.0

[0001]

Claims

[1] Bottle stopper made of natural cork, agglomerated cork, composite cork or another elastic, gas-tight material with head and stem area, characterized by , that essentially in the head area and optionally partially in the shaft a non-continuous cavity is provided which can accommodate a device for generating acoustic signals, sound, music, noises or speech as well as optical signals (e.g. LED, RGB or similar), wherein the device is designed so that it can be activated when the bottle closure is removed and / or opened and / or by external control in order to emit acoustic and / or optical signals, and wherein the closure meets the technical requirements applicable to sparkling wine corks with regard to pressure resistance, mechanical strength, breaking strength and gas tightness. [2] Bottle closure according to claim 1, characterized bythat the cavity is dimensioned so that the device is arranged completely or predominantly in the head area and can optionally extend partially into the shaft. [3] Bottle closure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the device includes: speaker, switch, control board with chip and LED (RGB or similar), and a power source. [4] Bottle closure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the loudspeaker is located in the upper head area and is optionally covered by a perforated cork layer or foil, a perforated plastic layer or other layer, so that the sound quality is not affected. [5] Bottle closure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the power source is designed as a battery, accumulator, solar array, or inductive charging device. [6] Bottle closure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the device includes a unit for recording one's own voice or music recordings and contains a microphone. [7] Bottle closure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the switch is activated mechanically, optically, by touch, by motion, or wirelessly by a smartphone or other digital device. [8] Bottle closure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the device is activated when the clip (safety bar) is removed, when a cover or shrink film is removed, when the cork is pulled out or turned, or when certain brightness or movement thresholds are reached. [9] Bottle closure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the locking clip (agraffe) in the attached state acts mechanically on the cover and / or on the switch, so that the device is deactivated and that activation occurs when the clip is removed. [10] Bottle closure according to claim 9, characterized by that the locking clip has a depression or protrusion in its central zone which, when placed on the cork, presses the cover onto the underlying switch (speaker). [11] Bottle closure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the device is programmed or time-controlled in such a way that, when triggered, acoustic, music or speech and / or optical signals, light sequences are reproduced.

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