Beverage Container Stopper Corrosion Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Beverage containers, especially party kegs made of sheet metal, corrode when in contact with beverages, leading to taste impairment and unsafe closure issues due to oxygen ingress and pressure buildup.
Innovation Solution
A stopper design featuring an outer part with a bulge, a spreading ring with L-shaped elements and hooks, a bushing, and a rotary cover that engages the bulge to form a fluid-tight seal, preventing metal contact and corrosion, and incorporating a tapping assembly with a draw tube for safe and corrosion-resistant closure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a stopper is inserted into a fill opening of a sheet metal beverage container, then the container can be closed and sealed, but the rim of the fill opening corrodes due to contact with the beverage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary element (the stopper body with bulge and flange structure) that acts as a barrier between the beverage and the metal rim. The stopper's flange rests on the rim while the bulge extends into the beverage, preventing direct contact between the beverage and the metal rim, thus preventing corrosion while maintaining closure safety
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the corrosion-prone metal rim from direct contact with the beverage by positioning the stopper's flange on the rim and the bulge in the beverage. This separation removes the harmful interaction between the beverage and metal rim, eliminating corrosion while preserving the closure function
2Reliability
If a closure is used to prevent oxygen ingress, then beverage quality is maintained, but pressure buildup from CO2 development can cause overpressure safety issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a deformable bulge made of elastomeric material that can change its shape in response to pressure changes. When internal pressure increases due to CO2 development, the bulge deforms outward, creating a pressure relief mechanism that maintains oxidation protection while preventing dangerous overpressure buildup
3Ease of manufacture
If the stopper structure is simplified, then manufacturing is easier and cost is reduced, but corrosion protection and sealing effectiveness may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the stopper into distinct functional segments: a flange for resting on the rim, a bulge for sealing and pressure relief, and a stem for insertion. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall manufacturing simplicity and effective corrosion protection
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a stopper (1) for a beverage container, a tapping assembly and a beverage container (100). The stopper (1) comprises an outer part (4) which has a ring flange (41) and a sleeve (42), the sleeve (42), below the ring flange (41), being circumferentially deformed to form a bulge (43), and a spreading ring (3) which has a ring flange (31) and a plurality of L-shaped elements (32) which have a pivot (D) at the angle of the “L” and the free ends of which are designed as hooks (33), and a bushing (2) and a rotational cover (5), which has a cover plate (54) and a sleeve (51). When the stopper (1) is in a position of nonuse, the spreading ring (3) is pre-positioned in the outer part (4), the bushing (2) protrudes partially into the spreading ring (3), and the hooks (33) point radially inward. The rotational cover (5) can provide a closure arrangement, in which the rotational cover (5), the spreading ring (3), and the bushing (2) are accommodated so far from the outer part (4) that the hooks (33) of the spreading ring (3) are turned outward and engage in the bulge (43), whereby a circumferential projection is pressed in the direction of an underside of the ring flange (41).