Two-Vent Funnel with Adjustable Outlet for Bubble-Free Juice Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for preserving and transferring oxidizable liquids like wine and juices are ineffective, expensive, or cumbersome, particularly when using swing-top bottles, as they introduce oxygen, create bubbles, or require precise pouring techniques, making them impractical for average users.
Innovation Solution
A two-vent funnel apparatus with a double chamber, adjustable outlet extensions, and a mesh filter that allows for controlled pouring and precise filling, eliminating bubbles and enabling efficient transfer into swing-top bottles without the need for constant monitoring, while being adaptable to different container sizes and shapes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a funnel with wide opening and short outlet is used for fast transfer, then productivity is improved, but bubbles are introduced into the liquid
Solution Approach 1:
The funnel outlet length is made adjustable rather than fixed, allowing the outlet to be extended when transferring oxidizable liquids to minimize bubble formation, and retracted when speed is needed. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between fast transfer and bubble-free pouring.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical parameter of outlet length is changed based on the liquid being transferred. For oxidizable liquids like wine, the outlet is extended to reduce turbulence and bubbles. For non-oxidizable liquids or when speed is priority, the outlet is retracted. This parameter change allows the same funnel to serve different purposes optimally.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If pumping air out of the container is used to preserve liquid, then oxygen contact is reduced, but the liquid structure is damaged
Solution Approach 1:
An intermediary substance (water or inert gas) is used to displace air in the container headspace instead of applying vacuum. This intermediary allows oxygen removal without subjecting the liquid to damaging vacuum forces, thus preserving both low oxygen contact and liquid structure integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical vacuum pumping system is replaced with a gentler displacement method using water or gas pressure. Instead of mechanically removing air through vacuum (which damages delicate liquids), the system uses fluid displacement to achieve the same oxygen removal goal without harmful mechanical stress.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If custom containers with adjustable headroom are used, then oxygen contact is reduced, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable headroom function is extracted from the container itself and implemented as a separate, removable funnel component. Users can attach the funnel with adjustable outlet to any standard container, achieving the oxygen reduction benefit without requiring specialized custom containers. This separates the preservation function from the container structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The funnel apparatus is designed to work with multiple types of containers (wine bottles, juice bottles, carafes) rather than requiring specialized containers. The universal design allows one funnel to serve many container types, reducing overall system complexity and cost while maintaining preservation effectiveness.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If neutral gas cartridges are used for preservation, then oxygen contact is reduced, but operational cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces expensive reusable neutral gas cartridges with a simple, inexpensive water-based displacement method. Water is a cheap, readily available substance that can be used to displace air from containers without requiring costly gas cartridges or complex replacement systems, dramatically reducing operational costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The preservation system uses water, which users already have available, to displace air from containers. Instead of requiring external gas cartridges that need purchasing and replacement, the system uses a self-service approach where the user's own water supply performs the preservation function, eliminating recurring operational costs.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus with a two vents funnel for the transfer and preservation of juices comprising removable vents and outlet extensions at the funnel base; an asymmetrical funnel bowl separated into a main and an overflow chamber, with a pouring lip and its narrow end; a purposefully narrow funnel outlet, with its extension reaching the container's wall during transfer; its seal at the funnel's base with a stop ring; a mesh filter which can be fitted onto the funnel's bowl; and a stand, with an anti-drop plate at its base, which can hold the funnel whereby a user can do the precise transfer of a juice into a receiving container using the seal's stop ring for horizontal alignment and the overflow chamber filling as a clear indication as to when the transfer is complete, this transfer is made bubble-free having the outlet purposely slowing down the flow while at the same time releasing the juice close to the container's inner wall, thus enabling said juice long-term preservation, any leftover into the overflow chamber being easily evacuated through the bowl's narrow end equipped with a pouring lip, and any juice impurities being separated during transfer with the fitted mesh filter, and different receiving containers shape being allowed by simply replacing the extensions and the funnel being cleanly stored away on its stand after use and any drops being then collected by the plate.