System for avoiding drips

Abstract

The system for avoiding drips when pouring contents from a bottle, in particular a wine bottle, into a drinking vessel consists of a sheet 1 which is rolled into a tube shape when pushed into a bottle neck 24; an insertion tool 8 which grips the sheet and pushes it into the bottle neck; and a dispenser 14 in which a number of sheets are stored.

Description

[0001] System to prevent drips

[0002] The invention relates to a system for preventing unwanted drops from falling when pouring from a bottle, especially a wine bottle, into a drinking vessel or the like. The system comprises three components: a drip stopper that is inserted into the bottle opening, a dispenser for holding the drip stoppers, and an insertion device for inserting the drip stopper into a wine bottle.

[0003] The problem of unwanted drips when pouring from bottles into glasses is well-known in both restaurants and private homes. A single drop of red wine often necessitates changing an otherwise clean tablecloth. Drops can also fall onto guests' clothing, which can be even more problematic.

[0004] To avoid these inconveniences, various inserts and attachments for bottle necks have been described in the past. Most of these solutions have the disadvantage that they must be handled with bare hands for insertion into or attachment to the bottles, which does not meet today's standard hygiene requirements, especially in the hospitality industry.

[0005] A long-known and widely used version of a drip stopper consists of an elastic metal or plastic film rolled into a tube shape and inserted into the bottle opening. Various shaped metal films that can be rolled up and inserted into the bottle mouth are described in EP 560 777, FR 1198362, WO 95 / 19917, and US 6,073,816. All these film-shaped drip stops have the disadvantage that they must be rolled and pushed into the bottle opening by hand. This might be acceptable for private use, but it is unacceptable in the hospitality industry.

[0006] Therefore, it is understandable that, as a result of interventions from guests, numerous restaurateurs have refrained from using these drip stoppers for hygienic reasons.

[0007] Furthermore, the previously known drip stoppers made of foil sheets cannot be inserted into the bottle opening with a simple tool because their opposing edges collide when rolled up and thus block each other during insertion. This makes insertion into the bottle opening impossible. This problem can only be avoided by inserting them by hand.

[0008] The invention aims to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages and create a tool suitable for removing a specially designed drip stopper from a dispenser and inserting it into the opening of a wine bottle without having to touch the drip stopper with bare fingers. The invention also aims to design the foil sheets in such a way that they can be inserted into a bottle using a simple tool without being touched by the fingers.

[0009] According to the invention, this problem is solved by a system of the type mentioned at the outset with the characterizing features of the patent claims.

[0010] Preferred embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. They show:

[0011] Fig. 1 a sheet of foil ,

[0012] Fig. 2 an insertion tool, Fig. 3 a container called a dispenser for holding a number of foil sheets,

[0013] Fig. 4 shows an alternative form of a foil sheet.

[0014] Fig. 5 shows a schematic representation of a drip stopper inserted into a bottle neck.

[0015] The foil sheet 1 shown in Figure 1, as is known from conventional drip stoppers, functions as a drip stopper when rolled up and inserted into the bottle. For the purposes of this description, the terms drip stopper and foil sheet are therefore used interchangeably, depending on whether the form or the function is emphasized.

[0016] The foil sheet 1 is essentially circular with two points 2 and 3 projecting beyond the circular shape. At a distance from the edge of the circle is a rectangular recess 4. The first, approximately triangular point 2 and the recess 4 are arranged symmetrically around a radius indicated by a dashed line.

[0017] The second point 3 is asymmetrically shaped and has a steep edge 5 facing the point 2 and with a setback, and a flatter edge 6 that curves towards the circle.

[0018] The entire foil sheet, including the tips, is flat. The foil sheet has a diameter of approximately 75 mm and is die-cut from a single piece of elastic and resilient metal foil or plastic, possibly coated with metal on both sides.

[0019] The insertion tool 7 shown in Fig. 2 essentially consists of a flat profile strip made of metal or plastic, approximately 140 mm long. The upper part in the drawing represents a handle 8. It is approximately 80 mm long and approximately 15 mm wide. The handle is integrally connected to a lower part in the drawing, designated as the receiving part 9. The receiving part is a profile of approximately 4 x 4 mm or a round profile. The receiving part is as long as the film sheet to be received is high, i.e., approximately 75 mm. It serves both to grip the film sheet and to insert it into the bottle opening. A short and thin hook 10 is formed in the area of ​​the lower end section of the receiving part; it consists of a flat profile approximately 3 x 3 x 0.5 mm. Alternatively, it can consist of a cylindrical projection approximately 3 mm long with a diameter of approximately 2 mm.

[0020] The hook is angled downwards towards the lower end of the receiving part. This hook engages in recess 4 when a sheet of foil is picked up.

[0021] The angled position of the hook is important for trouble-free operation during the subsequent insertion, i.e., pushing the foil sheet into the bottle opening. The angled position is also important for the subsequent trouble-free decoupling of the inserted foil sheet from the insertion device.

[0022] A foil holder 11 is formed on the lower end section of the handle. Its function is to hold a foil sheet to be picked up for insertion into a wine bottle. The foil holder consists essentially of a straight, rectangular strip of spring steel and is approximately 10 mm wide and up to 50 mm long. The foil holder is firmly attached to the handle at its upper end 12. At its lower end 13, the foil holder is cut straight. From the point of attachment, the foil holder is slightly bent upwards towards its lower end, so that when not in use, it is open at the tip by approximately 1 mm. The lower end 13 of the foil holder is also slightly bent upwards. This facilitates picking up a foil sheet from the dispenser. The lower end of the foil holder extends approximately 10 mm beyond the handle. The protruding section lies above the receiving part of the insertion tool.

[0023] In an alternative embodiment of the insertion device, the film holder can consist of a rigid steel band with a hinge. It is held open by a compression spring on the handle, positioned between the handle and the film holder. Applying slight pressure with a finger to the steel band closes the film holder, thus clamping a sheet of film in place.

[0024] Additionally, the insertion device may have a stop that limits the insertion depth of the drip stopper into the bottle neck 24.

[0025] The foil sheets are held in a container 14 called a dispenser, which, together with a snap-on lid (not shown), forms the packaging. The dispenser is designed so that the foil sheets do not touch each other. This is important because the foil sheets are to be removed individually from the dispenser using the insertion device.

[0026] A separate chamber 15 is provided for each sheet of film. The chambers are designed so that the sheets of film are essentially vertical, with a distance of approximately 5 mm. This distance ensures proper engagement of a hook on the receiving part of the insertion device in the recess 4 and trouble-free pickup of the sheets of film by means of a film holder or a holding plate on the insertion device.

[0027] Vertical guide rails 16 are attached in pairs to the walls of the chambers 15, with the distance between the guide rails being narrower on one side and wider on the opposite side.

[0028] In each chamber of the dispenser, a sheet of film 1 is positioned between the vertical guide rails, which are beveled at the top to facilitate insertion of the film sheet into the dispenser. To remove a film sheet from the dispenser, the insertion tool is pushed vertically from top to bottom between the two closely spaced vertical rails, with the hook and film sheet holder pointing towards the film sheet.

[0029] In its resting state, the film sheet rests without tension between the two pairs of guide rails. When the receiving part 9 of the insertion device is advanced between the two rear guide rails, the film sheet is pressed forward between the two front guide rails. The spring tension of the film sheet causes it to be pressed firmly against the receiving part. In this way, the hook 10 is forced to engage in the recess 4 at the correct moment. Simultaneously, the film sheet is also forced to slide under the film sheet holder.

[0030] Additionally, the foil sheet holder can have a rounded recess, a kind of half-shell, running lengthwise and towards the receiving part. The receiving part forms the counterpart to this recess and engages within it. This arrangement creates tension on the foil sheet, which holds it securely between the receiving and holding parts. This tension is released once the foil sheet has fully unwound and the angle has flattened, freeing the tool.

[0031] If the foil sheets are to be used multiple times, it is advantageous if they can be placed in a chamber regardless of orientation. For this purpose, the walls of the chambers are adapted to the contours of the foil sheet on both sides, i.e., in a mirror image.

[0032] Since the insertion tool can be guided independently into any chamber, it is possible to select any one from a selection of different foil sheets.

[0033] When inserting the film sheet into a bottle neck 24, the side of the receiving part to which the hook is attached is supported against the edge of the bottle opening. Slight downward pressure causes the film sheet to bend in the desired direction before rolling. The film sheet can now be placed vertically in the bottle. Once the film sheet is vertical, it forms an upward-facing funnel in the bottle neck. To allow the transition from the funnel shape to a tube shape, pressure on the film holders must be avoided, as the funnel needs to be able to twist when transforming into a tube shape.When the film holder is closed and forward pressure is applied to the funnel, excessive friction (adhesion) is generated at the bottom of the funnel between the opposing edges and between the funnel and the bottle wall, making free twisting extremely difficult. However, if no pressure is applied to the funnel from above, but the film sheet is pulled deeper into the bottle using the hook on the pushing insertion tool, the opposing edges are relieved of pressure and can move freely in all directions. The funnel then becomes a tube shape that can be easily pushed into the bottle neck.

[0034] The tip 3 glides over the opposite edge of the film at a distance of 2-3 mm, without touching it, thus preventing the two film edges from colliding on the bottle neck. As the film forms a cone, the area of ​​tip 3 remains stretched and glides, with sufficient clearance, over the opposite, now underlying, edge of the film. The area formed by tip 3 initially resists being rolled up, thanks to the springy material of the film sheet. The rolling up occurs immediately afterward.

[0035] To make it easier to insert the foil sheet into the dispenser, the guide rails are cut at an angle at the top.

[0036] In the embodiment of the foil sheet shown in Fig. 4, several functional areas are arranged around the approximately circular edge of the foil sheet, as described below. Two symmetrically opposite and identically shaped areas 18 have a free edge 19 and a support edge 20 that is separated from the central part during die-cutting. When the foil sheet is rolled into a tube shape, these areas form the positioning elements of the drip stop. During die-cutting, a straight fold line 21 is simultaneously embossed along the connecting line between the foil sheet and the areas 18 for both areas. The areas 18 are folded over so that they face outwards when the foil sheet is rolled, and this fold is extended until they lie almost flat on the surface of the central part of the foil sheet. When the foil sheet is rolled, pressure is exerted on these areas 18.They do not simply lie flat, but are forced to stand upright because the course of their folds is straight and tends to maintain this straightness even when the foil sheet is bent. In the case of the foil sheet rolled into a tube shape for the drip stopper, the erected positioning elements 18 point radially outwards and, when inserted into the neck 24 of a bottle, come to rest upright with their bearing edge on the rim 25 of the bottle neck, as shown schematically in Fig. 5.

[0037] The protruding positioning elements offer advantages: They precisely define the insertion depth of the drip stopper, thus preventing it from being accidentally or intentionally pushed completely into the bottle neck. Furthermore, their design allows you to determine how far the spout should protrude from the bottle relative to its diameter, for an aesthetically pleasing appearance. The drip stopper described here, for example, protrudes approximately 11 mm from the bottle.

[0038] The distance between the two positioning elements can vary, depending on the method used to punch the foil sheet.

[0039] Above the tip is a recess 4 which serves for the engagement of the insertion tool, as already described above.

[0040] On one of the two lateral edges, another functional area 22 is formed in the form of a projecting circular segment, which is connected to the central part of the foil sheet via an embossed fold line 23 in the same way as the positioning elements. This projection is folded around the fold line so that it stands upright when the foil sheet is rolled inwards. As soon as the foil sheet assumes a tubular shape during insertion and the insertion pressure is increased, the pressure on the two lateral edges of the foil sheet is also increased.

[0041] In this embodiment, the folded-over projection serves to enable the two edges to slide over each other when inserted into a bottle neck, by allowing the edge without a fold to slide easily under the edge with a fold.

[0042] In a simpler version of the above-described embodiment of the foil sheet, the positioning elements can be omitted if the insertion tool is provided with a means for limiting the insertion depth.

[0043] Normally, the dispenser rests on a base. However, it can also be tilted slightly forward with the other, free hand, and simultaneously tilted to the right for right-handed users and to the left for left-handed users, depending on dexterity or ergonomic preferences.

[0044] When the foil sheet is pushed to the desired depth into the bottle opening, the stop of the released and open foil holders abuts the edge of the bottle opening. At this moment, the hook also releases from the recess, as it is no longer pressed into the angle of the hook.

[0045] The insertion tool detaches from the drip stopper and can be lifted out of the bottle opening. In practice, inserting the drip stopper at the table takes only seconds, meaning it is not only more hygienic but also easier and faster than rolling it by hand.

Claims

Patent claims 1. System for preventing unwanted dripping when pouring from a bottle, especially a wine bottle, into a drinking vessel or the like, comprising a foil sheet (1) which is rolled into a tube shape when inserted into a bottle neck, an insertion tool (8) with which the foil sheet is grasped and pushed into the bottle neck, and a dispenser (14) in which a number of foil sheets are held, characterized in that the foil sheet has a recess (4) in its lower area when inserted, and that the insertion tool has a downwardly directed hook (10) for engaging in the recess in the foil sheet and a holding element (11) for grasping the upper edge of the foil sheet.

2. Pouring system according to claim 1, characterized in that a point (2) projecting beyond the circular edge is arranged symmetrically to the recess at the lower edge of the foil sheet when it is inserted.

3. Pouring system according to claim 2, characterized in that a further point ( 3 ) is arranged asymmetrically laterally offset from the recess in the lower edge of the foil sheet when it is inserted.

4. Pouring system according to claim 1, characterized in that the dispenser ( 14 ) is designed as a container with separate chambers ( 15) for receiving individual foil sheets and the partitions of the chambers are provided with guide rails (16 ).

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