A storage container
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Solution Overview
Problem
Food and drink products, such as wine and olive oil, deteriorate quickly due to air exposure when stored in glass bottles, leading to oxidation and flavor loss, and existing storage solutions do not effectively prevent air contact or allow for reusable containers.
Innovation Solution
A storage device with a receptacle and a movable closure member featuring a seal and valve that maintains contact with the receptacle's internal surface, allowing air to escape while preventing liquid leakage, enabling the device to be refilled and reducing glass waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional glass bottle is used to store liquid, then the liquid can be stored, but air remains in the bottle causing oxidation and flavor loss
Solution Approach 1:
The closure member is made movable within the receptacle, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position according to the liquid level. This dynamic positioning ensures the seal remains in contact with the liquid surface while allowing air to escape, resolving the contradiction between preventing air exposure and maintaining storage functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The closure member automatically performs multiple functions: it seals against the receptacle wall, prevents air contact with liquid, and allows air escape through the valve. The system serves itself by using the liquid's own level to position the closure member, eliminating the need for manual adjustment while maintaining preservation quality
2Ease of repair
If a glass bottle is opened and kept, then the bottle can be reused, but air remains in the bottle contributing to rancidification
Solution Approach 1:
The valve mechanism extracts and removes air from the receptacle by allowing it to escape through the closure member while preventing liquid loss. This extraction of harmful air while maintaining the bottle for reuse resolves the contradiction between reusability and quality maintenance
Solution Approach 2:
By removing air from the receptacle and preventing its return, the system creates an inert or air-free environment around the liquid. This inert atmosphere preservation allows the bottle to be reused multiple times without compromising liquid quality through oxidation or rancidification
3Reliability
If a closure member seals completely against the receptacle, then liquid cannot escape, but air also cannot be removed from above the liquid
Solution Approach 1:
The closure member is segmented into distinct functional zones: a seal portion for preventing liquid escape and a valve portion for air removal. This segmentation allows simultaneous achievement of liquid containment and air removal by directing different functions to different parts of the same component
Solution Approach 2:
The valve acts as an intermediary mechanism between the sealed receptacle and the external environment. It mediates the contradiction by selectively allowing air to pass through while blocking liquid, enabling air removal without compromising liquid containment through the sealed closure member
4Ease of operation
If the closure member is positioned at the liquid surface, then air can escape, but liquid may escape through the closure member
Solution Approach 1:
The closure member dynamically adjusts its position and sealing pressure based on liquid level and air pressure. When air needs to escape, the member positions itself to allow air passage; when liquid contact is made, the seal engages to prevent liquid escape, resolving the contradiction between venting and sealing
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the closure member have different properties: the valve portion allows selective air passage while the seal portion provides liquid-tight sealing. This local differentiation of qualities within the same component resolves the contradiction between air venting and liquid sealing by applying the appropriate property at the appropriate location
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device effectively prevents air from contacting the liquid, reducing oxidation and allowing for repeated use, thus extending the shelf life of stored liquids and minimizing glass waste.
Implementation Method 1
a seal about its periphery, for positioning against the inside of the receptacle
Implementation Method 2
a valve within its periphery, wherein the closure member can be moved within the receptacle... when in a closed position, the valve prevents flow of liquid from within the receptacle
Implementation Method 3
the closure member can be moved within the receptacle such that its periphery is substantially continually in contact with the internal surface of the receptacle
Implementation Method 4
As liquid cannot be compressed, the valve is essentially acting against an incompressible body and so is limited in its movement
Data Source
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AI summary
A storage device (10) comprising a receptacle (12) and a movable closure member (22), the closure member comprising a seal (30) about its periphery, for positioning against the inside of the receptacle, and a valve (32) within its periphery, wherein the closure member can be moved within the receptacle such that its periphery is substantially continually in contact with the internal surface of the receptacle, and wherein, when in an open position, the valve allows flow of fluid from within the receptacle through the valve, and when in a closed position, the valve prevents flow of liquid from within the receptacle, wherein the receptacle is substantially closed at its lower end.