Deformable Bottle Retainer for Vacuum-Insulated Pouring Vessels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing insulated containers fail to maintain the temperature of bottled beverages effectively, accommodate bottles of different shapes and sizes, and prevent condensation, while also allowing easy pouring without removing the bottle.
Innovation Solution
A vacuum-insulated vessel with a retaining member featuring a frustoconical body and a deformable member, integrated with a double-walled structure, which includes a cylindrical skirt with adjustable threads for secure bottle retention and condensation prevention, allowing for easy pouring without bottle removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If ice is placed in coolers to chill bottled beverages, then the beverages become cooler, but once the ice melts, the remaining water becomes warm and unable to maintain a colder temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses phase change material that undergoes phase transition at a specific temperature range to maintain beverage temperature. The PCM absorbs heat during melting while maintaining a constant temperature, and releases heat during freezing, thereby extending temperature maintenance duration beyond what ordinary ice can achieve.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces phase change material as an intermediary substance between the beverage and the external environment. This PCM layer acts as a thermal buffer that mediates heat transfer, absorbing excess heat when beverages need cooling and releasing heat when temperatures drop, thereby extending effective temperature maintenance.
2Temperature
If bottled beverages are placed in contact with ice in coolers, then they become cooler, but large amounts of liquid remain on the external surface making bottles slippery and dangerous
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a hydrophobic coating as an intermediary layer between the beverage bottle and the condensation-prone environment. This coating repels water and prevents condensation from forming on the bottle surface, eliminating the slipperiness hazard while allowing the beverage to be cooled effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the surface energy parameters of the bottle by applying a hydrophobic coating. This modification alters the wettability of the surface, causing water to bead up and roll off rather than spread and form a slippery film, thereby eliminating the harmful condensation effect.
3Adaptability or versatility
If traditional bottle holders use multiple components and shapes to accommodate different bottles, then they can secure various bottle sizes, but they become expensive and difficult to manufacture and assemble
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a universal bottle holder structure that can accommodate multiple bottle sizes and shapes through a single standardized component design. The holder uses adjustable elements and flexible materials that adapt to different bottle dimensions, eliminating the need for multiple specialized holders for different bottle types.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple functions into a single integrated bottle holder structure. The holder simultaneously provides mechanical support, adjustable positioning, and secure retention for various bottle types through unified design features, rather than requiring separate components for each function.
4Reliability
If bottled beverages are completely enclosed within bottle holders with caps or stoppers, then the bottles are secured, but users must remove the cap or the bottled beverage to retrieve or pour the beverage, which is cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic closure system that can transition between locked and open states. The mechanism allows the bottle to be securely held in the holder during storage and transport, then easily released or accessed for pouring by simple user action, combining security with convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent separates the bottle retention function from the beverage access function. The holder structure provides secure mechanical retention of the bottle, while the closure mechanism is designed to be independently operable, allowing users to access the beverage without removing the entire bottle from the holder.
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 solution effectively maintains the temperature of bottles, accommodates various shapes and sizes, prevents condensation, and allows for secure handling and pouring without removing the bottle, enhancing user safety and convenience.
Implementation Method 1
A retaining member for a vacuum-insulated vessel
Implementation Method 2
maintain the temperature of bottle
Implementation Method 3
a deformable member. The deformable member may include a first layer adjacent to the body portion and a second layer extending away from the first layer
Data Source
AI summary
A retaining member for use with a vacuum-insulated vessel is described. The retaining member may include a body and a deformable member. The deformable member may have a first layer and a second layer extending from the first layer to a resilient end of the second layer. The resilient end of the second layer may define an opening of the second layer and the opening of the second layer may be aligned with a first aperture of the body and a second aperture of the body, to receive and securely hold a bottle such as a wine bottle within the opening, the first aperture, and the second aperture. The second layer may be resiliently flexible between a first position and a second position of a peripheral edge of the resilient end, to receive and retain bottles having various sizes.