Modular Inverted Bottle Drying Rack with Integrated Fluid Drainage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for storing bottles after rinsing are inefficient, time-consuming, and pose risks of breakage and contamination, particularly in industrial settings where bottles need to be inverted for drying.
Innovation Solution
A modular retaining system that holds bottles in an inverted position, allowing rinsing fluid to drain out and directing it to a sink or utility drain, with complementary retention features that can be affixed to various bottle styles and facilitate multi-storey stacking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If bottles are emptied over a sink manually, then rinsing fluid can be disposed of, but the process is tedious and time-consuming and carries risk of breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the bottle handling process into distinct functional zones: an inverted positioning mechanism that separates bottles from the rinsing area, a draining zone where fluid is collected, and a drying zone. This segmentation allows simultaneous draining and drying of multiple bottles, eliminating the sequential manual emptying process and reducing total processing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The inverted bottle positioning system enables bottles to drain and dry themselves without manual intervention. Once positioned inverted, gravity automatically drains the rinsing fluid, and the bottle's own structure facilitates evaporation of remaining fluid. This self-service mechanism eliminates the tedious manual emptying step while maintaining effective fluid removal.
2Loss of time
If bottles are held in inverted position for drying, then drying time is reduced, but apparatus complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inverted bottle positioning mechanism serves multiple functions simultaneously: it positions bottles for draining, holds them in the inverted drying position, prevents contamination from splashing back, and facilitates collection of rinsing fluid. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate apparatus for each function, thereby limiting the increase in overall system complexity despite the significant reduction in drying time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes vertical space by positioning bottles in an inverted orientation, effectively using the upward vertical dimension for draining and the downward direction for fluid collection. This dimensional approach allows multiple bottles to be stacked or arranged vertically, reducing the horizontal footprint and minimizing the spatial complexity of the apparatus while maximizing drying efficiency.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If rinsing fluid is not collected and diverted, then apparatus simplicity is maintained, but contamination risk increases and cleanup time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an intermediary fluid collection mechanism positioned beneath the inverted bottles that captures rinsing fluid as it drains. This intermediary structure acts as a barrier between the rinsing fluid and the surrounding environment, preventing contamination while directing fluid to a designated collection point. The intermediary design is integrated into the positioning mechanism, so the same structure that holds bottles inverted also collects fluid, thereby limiting the increase in overall system 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
Facilitates efficient drying of bottles, reduces cleanup time, and prevents contamination by collecting and diverting rinsing fluid, enabling versatile and space-saving bottle storage in diverse working environments.
Implementation Method 1
holding bottles in an inverted position so that rinsing fluid from a previous washing or rinsing process is allowed to drain out of the bottles
Implementation Method 2
The bays are hydraulically connected to a drain tube (4) inserted into a drain lumen (16) of the base retainer (3)
Data Source
AI summary
A facility for storing bottles includes a base retainer, at least one auxiliary retainer, and one or more struts. The base retainer has an upward-facing cavity and the auxiliary retainers may include downward-facing and upward-facing cavities so that the base and one or more auxiliary retainers may be stacked upon struts received within these cavities. The retainers include spaced apart bottle-receiving bays for receiving bottles for draining. The bays include drain lumina communicating with the retainer cavities and the base retainer may also include a drain which receives a drain tube for plumbing drained fluids from the bottles to a nearby sink basin or utility drain. The struts are preferably hollow to allow fluids collected by the auxiliary retainers to collect and flow out by the drain tube. Each bay includes a flange-receiving slot complementary with flanges on bottles for holding bottles inverted for draining.