Flexible Cylinder Bottle Closure for Airtight Resealing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bottle closure methods, such as corks and twist-off caps, fail to provide a practical, reusable, and airtight seal that maintains the integrity of the contents while allowing easy access, and often introduce contaminants or are difficult to reseal.
Innovation Solution
A flexible cylinder with a top and bottom ring made of materials like Thermoplastic elastomer or silicone, featuring elliptical openings and a virtual hinge, that securely fits over the bottle neck, allowing easy access and resealing, and can host a can cap covering for convenience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If corks are press-fit into the bottle neck, then the bottle contents are protected, but the cork expands and becomes difficult to re-install
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible cylindrical closure made of elastomeric material that can be stretched and deformed. The closure includes a top surface with a raised circle that seals against the bottle opening and a bottom ring that fits over the bottle neck. The flexible material allows the closure to be easily installed and removed multiple times without permanent deformation, resolving the contradiction between seal integrity and re-installability.
2Reliability
If corks are press-fit into the bottle neck, then the bottle contents are protected, but the cork is porous and allows air migration
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible cylindrical closure made of non-porous elastomeric material creates an airtight seal against the bottle opening. The solid top surface with raised circle and the cylindrical wall structure prevent air migration while maintaining seal integrity, eliminating the harmful effect of porosity present in traditional corks.
3Reliability
If metal caps are press-fit onto the bottle, then the bottle contents are protected, but the cap is bent and impossible to re-install
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible elastomeric closure can be stretched and deformed during installation and removal without permanent damage. Unlike rigid metal caps that bend and cannot be re-installed, the flexible material returns to its original shape, enabling repeated installation and removal while maintaining seal integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic flexible structure that can adapt its shape during operation. The elastomeric material allows the closure to deform during installation and removal, then return to its original configuration, enabling multiple uses while maintaining sealing performance.
4Ease of operation
If twist-off caps are used for sealing, then the bottle can be resealed, but it becomes tedious to do so repeatedly
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible cylindrical closure with bottom ring design allows for simple snap-on installation over the bottle neck without requiring twisting or threading operations. The elastic material enables quick placement and removal, dramatically reducing the time and effort required for repeated sealing compared to twist-off caps.
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 device provides a secure, airtight seal that prevents contamination, maintains freshness, and allows easy access, while being reusable and safe for food contact, with the option to carry a can cap covering for easy transport.
Implementation Method 1
a cylinder of flexible material, where a diameter of the cylinder is an outside diameter of a neck of a bottle... the first elliptical opening configured to allow the solid top surface to be removed from the top opening of the neck of the bottle by stretching the flexible material
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus comprising a cylinder of flexible material, where the diameter of the cylinder matches the outside diameter of a bottle neck. The apparatus includes a solid top surface with a top ring of flexible material extending around the circumference, and an underside containing a centered raised circle matching the inside diameter of the bottle neck. The solid top surface is designed to cover the top opening of the bottle neck. The cylinder has an open bottom end with a bottom ring of flexible material extending around the circumference, configured to slide over the bottle neck. Inside the cylinder, a void extends from below the solid top surface through the open bottom end. A first elliptical opening in the cylinder wall extends around at least 50% of the circumference, allowing the solid top surface to be removed from the bottle neck by stretching the flexible material so that the top opening of the bottle neck extends through the elliptical opening.