Glass Bottle Neck Channel for Drip-Free Pouring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional glass wine bottles experience dripping of residual wine due to the shape of the bottle's orifice and changing tilt angles during pouring, which is exacerbated by the hydrophilic nature of glass surfaces, leading to unwanted stains on surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A glass bottle design featuring a neck collar or screw thread assembly with a circumferential channel and flow guide that guides liquid flow, preventing drips by controlling the mechanics of liquid flow and maintaining residual droplets on the flow guide.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a conventional glass bottle with dome-shaped orifice is used, then the bottle structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but wine droplets drip down the outside of the bottle during pouring
Solution Approach 1:
The bottle neck is segmented into distinct functional zones: a flow guide region with downward slope, a horizontal transition zone, and an upper neck region. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specific function in controlling liquid flow, preventing drips while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through continuous molding
Solution Approach 2:
The inner surface of the bottle neck has different geometric configurations at different locations. The flow guide region has a downward slope to control flow direction, while the upper neck maintains a conventional dome shape. This local differentiation of surface properties enables drip prevention without compromising overall bottle manufacturability
2Productivity
If the bottle neck is tilted upward at 15 degrees during pouring to control flow rate, then pouring speed is regulated, but the exiting wine stream curves backward onto the underside of the neck surface initiating wine dripping
Solution Approach 1:
The flow guide structure is pre-configured in the bottle neck to anticipate and counteract the backward curling of the wine stream. The downward slope and horizontal transition zone are designed beforehand to intercept and redirect the curved flow before it reaches the underside of the neck, preventing drip formation at the source
Solution Approach 2:
The flow guide introduces a new spatial dimension to liquid flow control by creating a three-dimensional path with downward and horizontal components. This dimensional approach redirects the wine stream along a controlled trajectory, preventing it from contacting the external neck surface while maintaining pouring rate control
3Object-generated harmful factors
If a circumferential channel is added to the bottle neck to prevent dripping, then wine drip is eliminated, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow guide and circumferential channel are merged into a single integrated geometric feature molded directly into the bottle neck. This unified structure performs multiple functions (flow direction control, drip prevention, and structural reinforcement) without requiring separate components, thus eliminating drips while minimizing added 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
The design ensures drip-free pouring over a range of angles without additional inserts, maintaining residual droplets on the flow guide, thus preventing wine from dripping down the bottle.
Implementation Method 1
any droplets of residual wine of sufficient size (and dependant upon the adhesion of the wine droplet to the glass bottle) around and beneath the lip of the bottle tend to drip down the outside of the neck
Implementation Method 2
dependant upon the adhesion of the wine droplet to the glass bottle
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3
AI summary
Described herein is a glass bottle configured to improve the mechanics of liquid flow and prevent drip initiation. Additionally, the glass bottle eliminates dripping during pouring to enable drip-free pouring. The dripping is prevented over a full range of pouring angles, which vary depending on the amount of liquid held in the glass bottle. A method of making the glass bottle and a method of enabling drip-free pouring using the glass bottle are also disclosed.