Screw cap for wine bottles

Abstract

A screw cap for wine bottles, has an outer capsule screwable to the bottle and an insert inserted in the outer capsule and intended to stay interposed between the mouth of the bottle and the outer capsule, is described. At the bottom, the insert is provided with a metal foil intended to directly stay in contact with the mouth of the bottle by intercepting the same. The metal foil is the only component of the cap wettable by the wine and is made of a precious metal inert at room temperature, or it is made of an alloy of precious metals inert at room temperature. The insert also has a gasket positioned on the metal foil, which has a radial extent larger than the metal foil itself, and has an outer crown surrounding the metal foil by adhering to the mouth of the bottle.

1 . A screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) for wine bottles (B), the screw cap comprising:
 an outer capsule ( 2 ) screwable on a bottle (B);   at least one insert ( 11   a - 11   n ) inserted in the outer capsule ( 2 ) and intended to be interposed between the mouth ( 13 ) of the bottle (B) and the outer capsule ( 2 ),   wherein the at least one insert ( 11   a - 11   n ) comprises at least one metal foil ( 12 ) configured to stay in contact directly with the mouth ( 13 ) of the bottle (B) and intercept it, and wherein the at least one metal foil ( 12 ) is made of a precious metal inert at room temperature, or it is made of an alloy of precious metals inert at room temperature,   wherein the at least one insert ( 11   a - 11   n ) comprises a gasket ( 14 ) positioned on the at least one metal foil ( 12 ) and having a radial extent greater than the at least one metal foil ( 12 ) itself, and wherein an outer crown of the gasket ( 14 ) surrounds the at least one metal foil ( 12 ) while adhering to the mouth ( 13 ) of the bottle (B).   
     
     
         2 . The screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one metal foil ( 12 ) is made of a metal selected among gold, iridium, platinum, osmium, rhodium, palladium or an alloy of these metals. 
     
     
         3 . The screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one metal foil ( 12 ) is a disk with thickness less than 0.5 mm. 
     
     
         4 . The screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) according to  claim 3 , wherein the at least one metal foil ( 12 ) is made of 24-carat gold and has a thickness between 0.01 mm and 0.05 mm. 
     
     
         5 . The screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one metal foil ( 12 ) is the only element of the cap contacting the wine contained in the bottle (B). 
     
     
         6 . The screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one metal foil ( 12 ) is subjected to deformation when the cap is screwed to the bottle (B) and edges of the at least one metal foil ( 12 ) adhere to the upper surface of the mouth ( 13 ) of the bottle (B). 
     
     
         7 . The screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one metal foil ( 12 ) comprises a plurality of micro through-holes ( 19 ), or a zone with calibrated porosity, which allow adduction of an air volume up to 500 mm 3 /year into the bottle (B). 
     
     
         8 . The screw cap ( 10   a - 10   h ) according to  claim 7 , wherein the micro-holes have diameter smaller than 0.1 mm. 
     
     
         9 . The screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) according to  claim 7 , comprising an inner volume wherein air, or a layer of porous material containing air, is in fluidic communication with the micro-holes ( 19 ) of the at least one metal foil ( 12 ). 
     
     
         10 . The screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) according to  claim 9 , further comprising a layer of granular or porous materials ( 18 ) which release volatile components in the air inside the screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ), fluiclically communicating with the micro-holes ( 19 ) of the metal foil. 
     
     
         11 . The screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) according to  claim 7 , wherein the outer capsule ( 2 ) comprises a plurality of micro through-holes ( 27 ) which fluiclically communicate the outside of the screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) with its inside. 
     
     
         12 . The screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the gasket ( 14 ) comprises a circular portion ( 14 ′) whose cross section has a S-, L-, W- or U-shape, and the circular portion being deformed when the cap is screwed and adhering to the at least one metal foil ( 12 ) at a respective upper surface. 
     
     
         13 . The screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) according to  claim 11  wherein the at least one insert ( 11   a - 11   n ) comprises an elastic element ( 15 ) interposed between the gasket ( 14 ) and the outer capsule ( 2 ), wherein the elastic element is preloaded upon screwing the cap on the bottle (B) and continuously applies a thrust directly onto the gasket ( 14 ) and, indirectly, onto the metal foil ( 12 ). 
     
     
         14 . The screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) according to  claim 13 , wherein the elastic element ( 15 ) is made of cork, rubber or a plastic material. 
     
     
         15 . The screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) according to  claim 13 , wherein the elastic element ( 15 ) extends between the outer capsule ( 2 ) and the bottle (B) at the thread. 
     
     
         16 . The screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) according to  claim 13 , wherein the at least one metal foil ( 12 ) is provided with a thickening ( 23 ) extending perimetrically and above the mouth ( 13 ) of the bottle (B) and applying a thrust on the portion of the at least one metal foil ( 12 ) contacting the mouth ( 13 ) of the bottle (B) in response to the thrust the elastic element ( 15 ) applies on the thickening ( 23 ). 
     
     
         17 . The screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) according to  claim 13 , wherein the insert ( 11   a - 11   n ) comprises a stiffening element ( 16 ) rigid with respect to the gasket ( 14 ) and the elastic element ( 15 ), which is positioned between the at least one metal foil ( 12 ) and the gasket ( 14 ), directly in contact with the at least one metal foil ( 12 ). 
     
     
         18 . The screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) according to  claim 17 , wherein the stiffening element ( 16 ) is made of glass, ceramic, metal or a high-density plastic material. 
     
     
         19 . The screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the gasket ( 14 ) is made of rubber, or a polymeric material. 
     
     
         20 . The screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the gasket ( 14 ) has micro-holes, or a zone with calibrated porosity, at the at least one metal foil ( 12 ). 
     
     
         21 . The screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one metal foil ( 12 ) is provided on its lower side and/or its upper side with an identification sign. 
     
     
         22 . The screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one metal foil ( 12 ) can be separated from the screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) in response to a force applied on the metal foil by the user. 
     
     
         23 . The screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one metal foil ( 12 ) is provided, on its lower side, with at least one stalk ( 24 ) extending towards the inside of the bottle (B) and wherein the at least one metal foil ( 12 ) can be separated from the screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) in response to a force applied by the user on the at least one metal foil ( 12 ) at said the least one stalk ( 24 ). 
     
     
         24 . The screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one metal foil ( 12 ) is provided with three stalks ( 24 ′- 24 ′″) configured to abut against the inner side of the neck (N) of the bottle (B) in response to radial movements of the at least one metal foil ( 12 ) itself. 
     
     
         25 . The screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) according to  claim 24 , wherein the stalks ( 25 ′- 25 ′″) are horseshoe shaped and define with the at least one metal foil ( 12 ) an eyelet configured to house a threadlike through-element. 
     
     
         26 . The screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the insert ( 11   a - 11   n ) comprises a leaf ( 26 ) positioned above the at least one metal foil ( 12 ) and made of ferromagnetic material and wherein said leaf ( 26 ) can be moved away from the screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) in response to the force applied on said leaf ( 26 ) by a magnet such that, when the magnet and the leaf ( 26 ) move away from the screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ), the at least one metal foil ( 12 ) also moves away from the screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ), thus separating itself from the same. 
     
     
         27 . The screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) according to  claim 26 , wherein the leaf ( 26 ) is made of a high magnetic permeability material, or is made of a permanently magnetized material. 
     
     
         28 . The screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) according to  claim 26 , wherein the gasket ( 14 ) is interposed between the leaf ( 26 ) and the at least one metal foil ( 12 ) and wherein the gasket ( 14 ) can be moved away from the screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) in response to the movements away of the leaf ( 26 ) and screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ). 
     
     
         29 . The screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) according to  claim 26 , wherein the leaf ( 26 ) is interposed between the gasket ( 14 ) and the at least one metal foil ( 12 ). 
     
     
         30 . The screw cap ( 10   a - 10   n ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the insert ( 11   a - 11   n ) is made in one piece. 
     
     
         31 . A bottle provided with the screw cap according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         32 . Wine bottle provided with screw cap according to  claim 1 , wherein the bottle has a volume smaller than 100 ml in order to be transportable in the hand baggage on airplanes.