Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02289104 1999-11-O1
POURING DEVICE
The invention relates to a pouring device for bottle-like receptacles
according to the disclosure
part of Claim 1.
Such a pouring device is known for example from DE 88 14 921 U1. With a
pouring device in
general it is common that it consist of a plug-like member having a borehole
in the middle, into
which, according to the intended use, is fitted a straight or easily bent tube
with diameter
remaining the same or narrowing upward to the pouring edge. As is required for
uniform
pouring, the bottle is ventilated through a separate borehole or a separate
tube.
The fastening and sealing usually occurs in the top nearly cylindrically
formed part of the bottle-
like receptacle. For the most part the widening areas in this case incorporate
tapering corks as
well as basic plastic members of one piece and having radially aligned annular
ribs or chutes
arranged around the circumference.
However, the pouring device of the aforementioned type, and including
particularly pouring
devices which can be mounted interchangeably on wine flasks, display
considerable drawbacks
One common drawback lies in the geometry and dimensions of the pouring device.
Because a
relatively heavy concentrated stream of liquid is being discharged in the
pouring process, the
stream produces a relatively long pouring parabola. With greater liquid
through-flow the liquid
discharge generally begins to take the form of strong pulses, which
counteracts control of the
desired volume of discharge. Effective control of the pouring process can take
place essentially
CA 02289104 1999-11-O1
only through considerable uninterrupted modifications of the tilt angle of the
bottle, whereby fine
dosing is then not generally possible, especially dosing with avoidance of any
subsequent
dripping.
Another considerable drawback lies in the relatively limited liquid through-
flow. Thus the use of
such a pouring device, especially for the distribution of wine or similar
beverages in traditional
volumes for consumption, is possible only in a very unsatisfactory manner.
Another drawback lies in the handling, residing in its requiring either an
especially considerable
output of force in order to fasten the pouring device to the pouring orifice,
or in the problematical
sealing with the result that liquid drips out uncontrolled.
Starting from this state of the art, the object of the invention is to
disclose a pouring device which
increases the ease of pouring, and can be mounted simply on the receptacle
neck and held there
securely.
The solution of this problem has been disclosed in the characterizing features
found in Claim 1.
The advantages obtained with the invention consist especially in the essential
improvement of the
pouring properties. By shifting the pouring orifice forward from the pouring
orifice of the bottle-
like receptacle and by its widening, a geometric arrangement is produced which
circumferentially surrounds the parabolic-shaped liquid flow occurnng during
the pouring and/or
offers this same parabolic shape while pursuing a sliding or slipping surface.
It has been shown
surprisingly that a considerably shorter and thus more controllable pouring
parabola is thus
produced, which with the narrowing of the liquid through-flow changes its
course only
unremarkably, whereby a concentrated liquid stream is maintained despite the
configuration of
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CA 02289104 1999-11-O1
the wall widening outward. By using the pouring device according to the
invention, even
inexperienced persons are able to generate a finely dosed, drip-free and thus
elegant pouring of
beverages.
As a result of the elastic brackets the pouring device can also be mounted by
less experienced
persons with little outlay of force, securely holding and sealing the pouring
device on a bottle-
like receptacle corresponding to the configuration of the pouring device,
whereby even deviations
produced by stopping of a press during production or by variations in
dimensions are
compensated by the elastically springing elements.
Corresponding to one advantageous embodiment, the pouring device has a cover
which can be
mounted on the pull-off edge or on the interior wall beneath the pull-off
edge, covering the
orifice, said cover being penetrated in another embodiment to advantageously
facilitate air
ventilation or exchange.
It is then advantageous that additional further functions can be fulfilled
with a pouring device of
the invention. Since the pouring orifice having large dimensions has a greater
tendency to
receive a greater quantity of dust or other particles, especially foreign
bodies present in the air in
the room, a covering of the orifice is necessary, whereby this cover can be
capable of breathing.
In another embodiment of the object of the invention a screen structure is
provided which can be
arranged between the sealing member mountable on the edge of the pouring
orifice of the bottle-
like receptacle and the contact surface of the body, stretching over the
orifice.
It is advantageous in this case that according to another additional function
of the pouring device
foreign bodies can be screened out of the liquid, for which purpose a simple
upgrading of the
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CA 02289104 1999-11-O1
pouring device of the invention is facilitated.
Hereinafter are described a plurality of embodiments of the device according
to the invention
relative to the drawing.
The drawings show
Fig. 1 a pouring device of the invention with cover, in a configuration for a
standard wine bottle, in side view
Fig. a pouring device as in Fig. 1 without cover and in
2 cross section
Fig. a pouring device as in Fig. 2 showing the pouring
3 out of a small volume
Fig. a pouring device as in Fig. 2 showing the pouring
4 out of a greater volume
Fig. a pouring device as in Fig. 2 at an inclination, in
S which the liquid flow is
interrupted
Fig. 6 a pouring device as in Fig. 2 at an inclination, in which liquid
residues
flow back
Fig. 7 a pouring device as in Fig. 2 with modified interior wall and an
inserted
screen, in cross section
Fig. 8 a pouring device as in Fig. 2 with reduced pouring orifice and open cut
Fig. 9 a pouring device in cross section with two-part hollow body.
The pouring device according to the invention represented in Figs. 1 and 2
consists of a hollow
body 2 which can be placed on a wine bottle 1. Hollow body 2 has an axially
aligned borehole 3
for the through-flow of liquid, in this case wine, and engages with the
bearing surface 4 on the
edge of the pouring orifice S of the wine bottle 1. For sealing, a highly
elastically working
sealing element 6 is inserted between bearing surface 4 and the edge of
pouring orifice 5 in work
direction W. Extending the axial borehole 3 upward, the wall 8 is arranged
inclined outward in
the direction of pull-off edge 7. Wall 8 and outer wall 9 then form an acute
angle S, producing
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pull-off edge 7. Outer wall 9 is determined to be such that the exterior
diameter of body 2
diminishes in a downward direction. For this purpose it is important that a
hollowed-out, fillet-
like rear taper cut be provided directly beneath pull-off edge 7. The rear
taper cut is fitted
smoothly on the exterior contour of the pouring device.
Beneath bearing surface 4 are arranged eight elastically springing working
brackets 10 in such a
manner that hollow body 2 is extended downward. At the bottom edge of brackets
10 are
provided stop pins 11, which hold the pouring device on the edge of pouring
orifice 5 of wine
bottle 1. Stop pins 11 are of such configuration that with thrusting of the
pouring device on the
bottle neck they are pressed away from one another by bottom diagonals 12,
slide over the
enlarged area of the bottle and beneath this enlarged area they spring back
together. The material
thicknesses of brackets 10 in the area over stop pins 11 are selected so that
a sufficient springing
effect is produced and the forces working upward impinging on sealing element
6 in work
direction W are overcome and with that the pouring device is held securely.
For removal of the
pouring device, it is simply pulled upward from wine bottle 1 while the bottle
is being held. For
this purpose brackets 10 are again pressed away from one another by a top
diagonal 14,
whereupon the pouring device comes free in upward direction. Relative to their
operation and in
order to function, bottom diagonals 12 are embodied with a long notch or bevel
and thus with a
small side angle, in this case approximately 20° to the axis of the
body, and top diagonals 14 are
embodied with a side angle of approximately 45° to the axis of the
body. The pouring device can
then be remarkably lightweight, which means it can be displaced with minimal
outlay of force.
Because of the 45° diagonal the pouring device is automatically braced
self locking under
enlarged area 13 of the wine bottle against the elastically working sealing
element 6. The self
locking effect of top diagonal 14 however is effective only insofar as the
pouring device can be
pulled upward with an easily increased outlay of force.
CA 02289104 1999-11-O1
The diameter of axial borehole 3 corresponds maximally to the narrow width of
the neck of wine
bottle 1. Thus the possible through-flow is not reduced by the pouring device.
The aperture
angle L is 90°. It has been shown that this angle is particularly
suitable for the combination of the
other effects according to the invention.
If necessary the pouring device can be closed with a cover 15. Such a cover is
provided in
another configuration, the cover having an orifice at the top, whereby the
orifice advantageously
has a flow passing through it allowing for breathing. When for example a red
wine has been
opened for breathing and is to be held for a certain time, such a cover
prohibits foreign bodies
from penetrating into the bottle.
The pouring procedure corresponding to all of the configurations of the
pouring device is to be
described in greater detail relative to Figs. 3 to 6. For the pouring, wine
bottle 1 is inclined
sufficiently that the liquid begins to flow, and flows down through pouring
orifice 5 of bottle 1
and through axial borehole 3 of the pouring device over inclined wall 8,
describing a pouring
parabola P. If bottle 1 is tilted further, then indeed the liquid flow
increases, but then, as shown
in Fig. 4, describes the parabola P. The decisive advantage lies in that the
position of bottle 1
during the dosed pouring must be adapted or proportional, and not following a
changing pouring
parabola. In connection with the large axial borehole 3, the possibility is
yielded of dosing the
liquid stream over a wide band width while retaining the same ease of pouring.
With
interruption of the pouring process the liquid stream, as shown in Fig. 5, is
interrupted at the
transition 16, which means the liquid level drops behind this edge, whereby
the liquid residue
found at this moment still on the inclined wall 8 conglomerates into a trickle
17, which flows
back into the interior or else remains on the interior wall, corresponding to
the representation in
Fig. 6, upon further straightening up of bottle 1.
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The pa~uriag device shown m Fig. 7 corresponds in its essential feahn~es to
Figs. 1 and 2.
~her~ore the esse~o~ial feattmes art not to be described again. In order to
disclose a possibility of
filtering Foreign bodies for example bits of cork out of the wino, here is
found as additional
screen striLCturc I8, which is formed like a pointed cone and has a bottle-
like added part, inserted
between bearing surface 4 and sealing element 6. Since annular sealing
eleazcnt 6 seals to the
side and at the bottom, und~uted disobar$e of wine is P~~- A refitting o~r an
exchange of
the screen structtae as possible at any time because of the simple
arrangenvcnt. The cone-shaped
configuration facilitates improved sir feed and thus improves the floyv
behavior of the wine. In
another configuration the inclined wall 8 is slightly arched or camber.d and
is represented
overlapping a rou~d~ing pad un the vertical wall of axial borehole 3. Such a
g~mettical
~g~ent ~a~esponds with the inclination of wall 8 according to the invention
and likewise to
the concept of the imiention. The eonfigtuation of transition area 15 as
rounding can slightly
improve the uniform flow of the wine,
'fhe pouring device shown in Fig. 8 cotrespotsds in its essential featiQes
likewise to Figs. 1 and 2.
Identical parts are here too not to be described again. The pouring orifice of
the pouring device
suszounded by pull-off edge 7 is reduced to a minimum. In order to guarantee
fuactzon without
any problem, an open cut 19 is provided in this case, which replaces the
fillet-lice rear taper cut
of the pull-off edge working is the same manner. Using a cvnfigttrahoa as in
Fig, 8 it is possible
to modify and mini~oni~e the p~p~oas of hollow body 2 so that a ale-saving
form is derived
theTefirom, and also less adaptation is required. Cost reductions necessitated
is the manufsciure
ate additionally advantageous.
The pouring devioe shows in Fig. 9 includes a two-part hollow body 2. The top
pert 20 engages
with its bearing surface 4 on eeatinB element 6, wl~ch in turn engagoa oz~
pouring orifice 5 of a
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bottle. Axial borehole 3 is extendmd according to the invention into an
incli~aed wall 8 having a
pull-off edge 7. Open cut 19 uadercutg pull.off edge 7 on the outside. Top
part 20 is fa9tened
togethez with bottom part 21 on the exterior bottle waU surrounding po,uin8
0~' rrx 5, bottom
part 21 being aacbwred in the annular groove 22 of top part 20.1 he advstttage
of this
e~aabodiment lies is the plurality of possible material combinations, whereby
the material of top
part 20 need not have the same special properties ijn relation to the
springing effect ss the
maxerial of bottom part 21.
It is expedient to produce the pouring device of the inventuon iun either
one'part or two-part
plastic con~rgurabiaa using it~e~on molding tcchraique and to insert a slotted
sealing elemeAt
interchangeably tberein. However, the po~uiag device can likewise be produced
by sht;tchitag or
beading m ssnglo-part 8 processes, whereby all admissible and suitable
mar~rials
can be used.
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List of references
1 wine bottle
2 hollow body
3 axial borehole
4 bearing surface (contact
surface)
pouring orifice
6 sealing element
7 pull-ofl edge
8 inclined wall
9 outer wall
bracket
11 stop pin
12 bottom diagonal
13 enlarged area
14 top diagonal
cover
16 transition area
17 dripping
18 screen
19 open cut
top part
21 bottom part
22 annular groove
S acute angle
L obtuse or aperture angle
P pouring parabola
9
