Biodegradable device for sparkling wine and champagne riddling process

Abstract

The present application relates to a biodegradable device for riddling the bottles of sparkling wine and champagne during the Classic Method. The biodegradable device is made of a composite comprising a polymeric material and natural fibers, which provide the device with thermal resistance, durability, is wear-resistance, resistance to cold and humidity, being recyclable and biodegradable.

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] "BIODEGRADABLE DEVICE FOR SPARKLING WINE AND CHAMPAGNE RIDDLING PROCESS"

[0003] Technical field

[0004] This application relates to a biodegradable device for the riddling process , part of the Clas sic Method ( or Traditional Method) used for the production of sparkling wine and champagne bottles .

[0005] Background art

[0006] In the Classic Method of sparkling wines and champagne production, riddling, or remuage, and disgorging, or degorgement in French, are techniques in which the excess yeasts , also known as sediments or yeast lees , produced during the beverage fermentation are removed from the bottle .

[0007] The bottle is initially placed by neck into the riddling rack ( or pupi tre) hori zontally to the floor . After this , during a period of time , the bottle is rotated gradually, inverting the bottles in small increments of inclination every day for the yeast lees to accumulate on the neck of the bottle . Yeast lees can take up to 6 weeks to completely settle on the neck of the bottle .

[0008] After the yeast lees settle in the neck of the bottle , they are either removed mechanically by freezing the neck of the bottle , turning it upright and quickly allowing the frozen yeast pellet to come out of the bottle due to a di f ference in pressure , or removed manually by tipping the bottle upside down, removing the cork and allowing the yeast lees to come out , an operation called disgorging . Both operations mentioned allow to remove the yeast lees without compromising the sparkling wine or champagne inside the bottle .

[0009] These operations were originally performed entirely by human labor until speciali zed devices were developed for that purpose .

[0010] Document FR2470158 discloses a rack for supporting bottles of champagne in either a hori zontal or an inverted position, comprises the form of an easel stand with slats having oval holes to accept the neck of a bottle in either of the required orientations , and to allow the orientation to be changed without removal of the bottle .

[0011] Document FR1543394 discloses improvements made to wine riddling desks , which comprises a frame , a certain number of supports pierced with several holes , each of which receives the neck of a bottle mounted in rotation around hori zontal axes on the frame and means for blocking these supports in di f ferent inclinations with respect to the frame .

[0012] Summary

[0013] The present application related to a biodegradable device for sparkling wine and champagne riddling process comprising an A- frame with two planar faces facing each other and connected by their upper edge via at least one articulating means ; at least one of the two planar faces comprises a plurality of regularly spaced holes suitable to receive the neck of a bottle ; wherein the device is made of a composite comprising a polymeric material and natural fibers . In one embodiment the composite comprises between 60 and 90 % wt of polymeric material .

[0014] In one embodiment polymeric material is selected from high- density polyethylene , polypropylene , polyamide , acrylonitrile butadiene styrene , or mixtures thereof .

[0015] In one embodiment the composite comprises natural fibers between 10 and 40 % wt .

[0016] In one embodiment the natural fibers are selected from coconut fibers , hemp fibers , hemp cellulose fibers , wood fibers , rice husk fibers , Sisal fibers , or mixtures thereof .

[0017] In one embodiment the composite further comprises an additive selected from grape seeds , olive pits , cof fee grounds , cork, cocoa, or mixtures thereof , between 10 and 20 % wt .

[0018] General disclosure

[0019] The present application relates to a biodegradable device for riddling bottles of sparkling wine or champagne for further disgorgement , in which the device is made of a composite comprising a polymeric material and natural fibers .

[0020] The biodegradable device of the present application is known as a riddling rack or pupitre , which is suitable for riddling before disgorgement operations .

[0021] Riddling racks , or pupitres , are devices traditionally made of wood, comprising tapering angled holes suitable for the operation of manual riddling prior to the disgorgement of sparkling wine or champagne bottles . A plurality of inverted bottles are placed in the pupitre for the purpose of rotating each bottle manually and fractionally to modi fy its inclination at regular time intervals to allow the yeast lees to settle on the bottle neck .

[0022] The pupitres currently in the market are made of wood . However, since these devices are used in wine cellars subj ect to environmental stress , such as cold temperatures and humidity, the devices made of wood suf fer deterioration during their use , which shortens their li fespan .

[0023] Additionally, wood is a natural resource that despite being the most renewable natural resource , is becoming increasingly scarce due to massive deforestation, either manmade or related to natural disasters , or from excessive harvesting to meet the increasing production demands of all sorts of products without suf ficient replacement of new trees .

[0024] Therefore , there is a need to find alternative materials to avoid depleting this natural resource . These alternative materials should also be recyclable and biodegradable in order to reduce the pollution footprint and be reintroduced in the same or other production processes .

[0025] Thus , the present application discloses a biodegradable device suitable for riddling bottles of sparkling wine or champagne , in which the device is made of a composite comprising a polymeric material and natural fibers , to overcome the current problems in this technical field . Brief description of drawings

[0026] For easier understanding of this application, figures are attached in the annex that represent the preferred forms of implementation which nevertheless are not intended to limit the technique disclosed herein.

[0027] Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the device of the present application .

[0028] Detailed description of embodiments

[0029] Now, preferred embodiments of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the annexed drawings. However, they are not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0030] The present application discloses a biodegradable device (1) for sparkling wine and champagne riddling process, in which the device is made of a composite comprising a polymeric material and natural fibers.

[0031] The device of the present application comprises an A-frame with two planar faces (1.1) facing each other and connected by their upper edge via at least one articulating means (1.2) .

[0032] In one embodiment, the articulating means is a hinge.

[0033] The device further comprises means for limiting the opening angle between the two planar faces (1.1) . In one embodiment the limiting means are a chain with ends that are fixed in the lateral side of each of the two planar faces (1.1) . At least one of the two planar faces (1.1) comprises a plurality of regularly spaced holes (1.3) suitable to receive the neck of a bottle. Each hole (1.3) is shaped in a manner that is suitable to hold a bottle by its neck in at least two positions. In one embodiment, in one position the bottle is positioned horizontally to the ground and another position the bottle is inclined with its neck pointing towards the ground .

[0034] The plurality of regularly spaced holes (1.3) are aligned in horizontal rows.

[0035] In one embodiment the two planar faces comprise a plurality of regularly spaced holes (1.3) suitable to receive the neck of a bottle.

[0036] Once placed in the holes (1.3) of the device, the bottle can acquire at least one position in which the neck is pointing downwards to facilitate the riddling operation and subsequent disgorgement.

[0037] In one embodiment, the polymeric material is selected from, but not limited to, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) , polypropylene (PP) , polyamide (PA) , acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) , or mixtures thereof.

[0038] In one embodiment, the polymeric material is recycled from waste found in the ocean. Thus, the present invention aims to divert plastic waste away from ending at the ocean or landfills .

[0039] In one embodiment, the composite of the biodegradable device comprises between 60 to 90 % wt of polymeric material. In one embodiment, the natural fibers are selected from, but not limited to, coconut fibers, hemp fibers, hemp cellulose fibers, wood fibers, rice husk fibers, Sisal fibers, or mixtures thereof.

[0040] In one embodiment, the composite of the biodegradable device comprises between 10 and 40 % wt . of natural fibers.

[0041] In one embodiment, the composite of the biodegradable device can further comprise additives such as grape seeds, olive pits, coffee grounds, cork, cocoa, or mixtures thereof.

[0042] In one embodiment, the composite of the biodegradable device comprises between 10 to 20 wt. % of said additives.

[0043] The grape seeds used in the composite of the device can preferably come from the waste of the wine making process.

[0044] The composite herein disclosed allows to provide thermal resistance, wear-resistance, cold and humidity resistance, recyclability and biodegradability to the device.

[0045] Preferably, the biodegradable device of the present application is produced by injection moulding.

[0046] The biodegradable device of the present application is 100% recyclable, and it is possible to recycle in order for the composite to be reused in other injection moulding processes.

[0047] The biodegradable device according to the present application weights approximately 88 % less than the same device traditionally produced in wood. Thus, the device herein disclosed has thermal resistance, is durable, is wear-resistant, resistant to cold and humidity, recyclable and biodegradable.

[0048] Due to its characteristics, in a yearly production of 100,000 units of the biodegradable devices according to the present application, it is possible to reduce 180 Tons of polymeric material usage due to using a composite of polymeric material mixed with natural fibers.

[0049] For comparison, 9,800 tons of wood are necessary to produce 100,000 wood pupitres. The same amount of pupitres require only 1,200 tons of polymer material to be produced. These amounts of wood represent 19, 600 m3and a tree between 13 and 18 years has an average of 0.5 m3to 1.02 m3of wood. One tree allows to produce 5 wood pupitres and 19,000 are needed to produce 100,000 wood pupitres. Thus, the present invention becomes a solution against deforestation without producing an additional problem with plastic polymers in the environment since the present invention is biodegradable and can be fully recycled into new products.

[0050] This description is of course not in any way restricted to the forms of implementation presented herein and any person with an average knowledge of the area can provide many possibilities for modification thereof without departing from the general idea as defined by the claims. The preferred forms of implementation described above can obviously be combined with each other. The following claims further define the preferred forms of implementation.

Claims

CLAIMS1 . Biodegradable device for sparkling wine and champagne riddling process comprising an A- frame with two planar faces facing each other and connected by their upper edge via at least one articulating means ; at least one of the two planar faces comprises a plurality of regularly spaced holes suitable to receive the neck of a bottle ; wherein the device is made of a composite comprising a polymeric material and natural fibers .2 . Biodegradable device according to the previous claim, wherein the composite comprises between 60 and 90 % wt of polymeric material .3 . Biodegradable device according to any of the previous claims , wherein the polymeric material is selected from high- density polyethylene , polypropylene , polyamide , acrylonitrile butadiene styrene , or mixtures thereof .4 . Biodegradable device according to any of the previous claims , wherein the composite comprises natural fibers between 10 and 40 % wt .5 . Biodegradable device according to any of the previous claims , wherein the natural fibers are selected from coconut fibers , hemp fibers , hemp cellulose fibers , wood fibers , rice husk fibers , Sisal fibers , or mixtures thereof .6 . Biodegradable device according to any of the previous claims , wherein the composite further comprises an additiveselected from grape seeds, olive pits, coffee grounds, cork, cocoa, or mixtures thereof, between 10 and 20 % wt .

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