Container with magnetic closing member-type bottom fill system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for serving beverages, especially carbonated drinks, often result in excessive foam due to turbulence during filling, requiring manual intervention and increased serving time, and existing bottom-filling container systems rely on external magnetic rings for closure, complicating manufacturing and hygiene compliance.
Innovation Solution
A container design with a bottom incorporating ferromagnetic particles directly into non-magnetic materials like plastic or glass, eliminating the need for external magnetic rings and ensuring food hygiene standards, featuring a shutter with a magnetized face for closure and recognition means like circular beads for volume detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a magnetic ring is attached to the base of the container to hold the stopper in the closed position, then the stopper can be reliably held against the base by magnetic attraction, but the manufacturing process is complicated and food hygiene standards may not be met
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the magnetic closure system into a single integrated component by incorporating ferromagnetic particles directly into the base material during molding. This eliminates the need for a separate magnetic ring attachment step, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining the magnetic attraction function that holds the stopper in place.
Solution Approach 2:
The base is manufactured as a composite material combining a non-magnetic base material (such as plastic or glass) with ferromagnetic particles dispersed throughout. This composite structure provides both the necessary magnetic properties for stopper retention and the hygiene benefits of a seamless, moldable single-piece construction.
2Productivity
If carbonated beverages are filled from the top using traditional dispensers, then the beverage can be served, but turbulence during filling generates excessive foam requiring manual intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional filling approach by filling the container from the bottom upward rather than from the top downward. The beverage is injected through a nozzle that enters through the base opening, allowing the liquid to rise gently to the top without creating turbulence or excessive foam, thereby eliminating the need for manual foam removal.
3Loss of time
If a bottom-filling system with magnetic closure is implemented, then beverage service time is reduced and multitasking is enabled, but the device complexity increases with multiple components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into the base component itself: the base provides structural support, contains the ferromagnetic particles for closure, and features an opening for bottom filling. This integration reduces the number of separate parts and assembly steps while enabling rapid beverage service through the bottom-filling mechanism.
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
Facilitates efficient and hygienic bottom-filling of beverages, reducing foam formation and simplifying manufacturing, while allowing for automated dispensing systems to recognize container volume and manage filling accurately.
Implementation Method 1
magnetic coupling means configured to hold the shutter in the closed position by magnetic attraction
Implementation Method 2
at least a portion of the base is made of a material incorporating ferromagnetic particles
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
Figure 6~7
AI summary
The invention relates to a container (2) comprising a base (6) provided with an opening and a closing member (8), magnetic coupling means being arranged for keeping the closing member in the position for closing the opening by magnetic attraction. At least one portion of the base (6) consists of a non-magnetic material loaded with ferromagnetic particles and the closing member (8) comprises at least one magnetised lower face (8a) coming into contact with the base. In one embodiment, the non-magnetic material is a plastic material or glass.