US 6,601,722 B1Granted

Composite stopper with controlled permeability

AssigneeCortex, LLC

InventorsFrançois Litoux-Desrue, Philippe Poitevin

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Abstract

A composite stopper for closing bottles, in particular wine bottles, comprising a body made of a compressible material such as cork, provided at least at its end facing the contents of the bottle to be closed with matching element forming a joint. The element (25) is made from a substantially incompressible elastomer, filling up a cavity arranged circular in shape and a concentric position in the end surface (24) of the stopper body (22) and having a volume such that the element, under the effect of compression whereto the stopper body is subjected when the bottle is closed, is elastically deformed at the front of the end surface, so as to produce after closure, at the front of the cork body end surface, a sealing joint covering the whole of the end surface and in contact the bottle neck inner surface (26). The invention is useful for closing bottles of sparking or non-sparking wine.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A composite stopper for stopping the neck of bottles of wine, comprising:

a stopper body of generally cylindrical shape made from an elastically compressible material and having at least one circular flat end face, said stopper body having a circular cavity with a bottom formed concentrically in said end face, the diameter of the outer edge of said cavity being smaller than the diameter of the outer edge of said end face in the uncompressed condition of the stopper body such that a ring of said end face remains between the outer edge of said cavity and the outer edge of said end face;
and a circular member made from an elastomer which is liquid impervious and which is elastically deformable but substantially incompressible, said circular member being fitted into said cavity such as to completely fill said cavity and to leave uncovered at least an outer portion of said ring of said end face of the stopper body, said cavity having such a volume that said member, upon radial compression to which the stopper body is subjected upon stopping, is elastically deformed forward of said end face, so as completely to cover said end face after stopping.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/857,444Filed 4 Jun 2001
Priority: FR 98 153514 Dec 1998
Granted: 5 Aug 2003
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

B65D 39/00
Closures arranged within necks or pouring openings or in discharge apertures
B65D 39/0011
Made in one piece: from natural or synthetic cork, e.g. for wine bottles or the like
B65D 51/005
Closures not otherwise provided for: closures provided with linings or internal coatings so as to avoid contact of the closure with the contents
B65D 2539/008
Details of closures arranged within necks or pouring opening or in discharge apertures, e.g. stoppers: with coatings or coverings