Fixture Isolating Capped Bottle Neck for Gas Transmission Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current testing equipment cannot accurately measure the carbon dioxide transmission rate through the cap or closure area of a carbonated beverage bottle due to simultaneous carbonation loss through the bottle sidewalls, which introduces a second variable and complicates data interpretation.
Innovation Solution
A fixture and analytical instrument that includes a selectively openable enclosure with a mounting post and passageway to seal a capped bottle neck, allowing pressurized gas to be introduced into a chamber, enabling precise measurement of gas transmission rate through the cap by isolating the bottle neck from the bottle body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If testing equipment measures carbonation loss through the cap or closure area, then the effectiveness of the cap can be evaluated, but simultaneous carbonation loss through the bottle sidewalls introduces a second variable that prevents accurate measurement
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the bottle into two separate testing components: the cap assembly (including crown and seal) and the bottle body. By testing the cap assembly separately in a dedicated chamber, the measurement of carbonation loss through the cap is isolated from the bottle body, eliminating the confounding variable of sidewall permeation and enabling accurate evaluation of cap effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap assembly is extracted from the complete bottle structure and tested independently. The seal assembly is removed from the bottle body and mounted in a specialized testing chamber, allowing measurement of carbonation loss through the cap alone without the simultaneous permeation that occurs through the bottle sidewalls when the complete bottle is tested.
2Quantity of substance
If the complete bottle is tested for carbonation loss, then total carbonation loss can be measured, but the contribution of the cap versus the bottle body cannot be determined
Solution Approach 1:
The testing system is segmented into two independent measurement capabilities: (1) measurement of the complete bottle for total carbonation loss, and (2) measurement of the cap assembly separately to determine cap-specific carbonation loss. This segmentation allows the contribution of each component to be quantified independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap assembly is extracted as a separate testable component. By removing the cap and its seal from the bottle body and mounting it in a dedicated chamber, the system can measure carbonation loss through the cap independently, thereby determining the cap's contribution to total carbonation loss.
3Measurement precision
If testing is performed on capped bottle necks, then cap effectiveness can be measured, but the seal between cap and bottle may allow unmeasured leakage
Solution Approach 1:
A specialized seal assembly acts as an intermediary component between the cap and the testing chamber. The seal assembly includes a crown seal and a second seal that creates a hermetic barrier, preventing carbonation loss through the seal interface while allowing accurate measurement of carbonation loss through the cap material itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical seal interface between the cap and bottle is replaced with a controlled seal assembly in the testing chamber. This substitution allows the seal to be optimized for hermetic sealing during testing, eliminating leakage paths that would otherwise confound the measurement of cap permeation.
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
This setup enhances accuracy by isolating the cap's carbonation loss measurement, allowing for reliable comparison of test results and determining the effectiveness of caps in preventing carbonation loss.
Implementation Method 1
The post is configured and arranged to sealingly engage an inner surface of a capped bottle neck, wherein mounting of a capped bottle neck onto the post sealingly separates the chamber into a first compartment inside the mounted capped bottle neck and a second compartment outside the mounted capped bottle neck
Implementation Method 2
The passageway is configured and arranged for introducing pressurized fluid into the first compartment of the chamber
Implementation Method 3
a target-analyte sensor in communication with the second compartment for detecting target-analyte in the second compartment
Data Source
AI summary
An analytical instrument and associated method for ascertaining gas transmission rates of a target-analyte through a capped mouth of a bottle. The instrument employs a unique fixture that includes (1) a selectively openable and closeable enclosure defining a chamber, and (2) a mounting post extending into the chamber. The post is configured and arranged to sealingly engage an inner surface of a capped bottle neck, wherein mounting of a capped bottle neck onto the post sealingly separates the chamber into a first compartment inside the mounted capped bottle neck and a second compartment outside the mounted capped bottle neck. The fixture is configured and arranged with passageways for introducing a pressurized target-analyte-containing fluid into the first compartment of the chamber and flushing the second compartment of the chamber with a target-analyte-free fluid.