Fluid Dispensing Closure With Rotary Valve Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing caps for carbonated beverages lose carbonation quickly due to gas pressure loss when the cap is initially removed, leading to difficulty in opening and closing as leftover beverage enters the threaded connection, affecting subsequent uses.
Innovation Solution
A fluid dispensing closure device with a valve member and actuator mechanism that allows controlled dispensing without loosening the cap, maintaining pressure and preventing liquid entry into the threaded connection, using a valve member and actuator member that operate between open and closed positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the cap is loosened to dispense beverage, then the beverage can be served, but the threaded connection accumulates leftover beverage that interferes with subsequent opening and closing operations
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is divided into functionally separate components: an outer member that threads onto the bottle neck and remains stationary, and an inner sleeve with valve member that moves independently to control dispensing. This segmentation prevents liquid from reaching the threaded connection while maintaining dispensing functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner sleeve acts as an intermediary component between the valve member and the bottle opening. It provides a sealed pathway for liquid flow while isolating the threaded connection from liquid exposure, effectively mediating between the dispensing function and the sealing requirement.
2Productivity
If the cap is removed to serve beverage, then the beverage can be dispensed, but gas pressure is lost and carbonation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The valve member transitions between closed and open positions dynamically, allowing controlled beverage flow while maintaining pressure containment. The actuator member enables precise control of the valve opening, permitting selective dispensing without complete cap removal and preserving headspace pressure.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve mechanism provides localized opening only at the dispensing point while maintaining sealed closure elsewhere. This localized quality allows beverage flow control without compromising the overall pressure seal of the container, preserving carbonation in the remaining beverage.
3Reliability
If a valve mechanism is added to prevent liquid entry, then threaded connection protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inner sleeve containing the valve member is nested within the outer member's collar portion. This nested arrangement integrates the valve mechanism compactly within the cap structure, adding protective functionality without proportionally increasing overall device complexity or size.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing function and valve control function are merged into a single integrated inner sleeve component. This combining of functions reduces the number of separate parts needed while achieving both liquid prevention and controlled dispensing, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
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
Maintains carbonation by preventing gas pressure loss and minimizing liquid spillage, ensuring easy and consistent operation with minimal beverage residue in the threaded connection.
Implementation Method 1
a valve member supported on the inner sleeve so as to be movable relative to the inner sleeve in the axial direction of the inner sleeve between a closed position in which a valve body portion of the valve member is seated on a valve seat on the inner sleeve to block fluid flow through the fluid passage
Implementation Method 2
an actuator member rotatably supported on the outer member and including (i) an external portion that is externally accessible on the collar portion of the outer member and (ii) an internal portion in operative connection with the valve member such that rotation of the actuator member drives axial displacement of the valve member between the open position and the closed position
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid dispensing closure device for a bottle has an outer member with a collar portion sized to thread externally onto the neck and an inner sleeve disposed within the collar portion to be received within the opening in the neck of the bottle, and an annular surface extending radially between a top end of the inner sleeve and the collar portion to seal against the top of the neck. A valve member is movably axially relative to a valve seat on the inner sleeve. An actuator member includes an externally accessible external portion rotatable relative to the outer member by an operator and an internal portion connected with the valve member such that rotation of the actuator member drives axial displacement of the valve member between open and closed positions. The device fits within the dimensions of convention bottle caps.