Multilayer Cork Stoppers with Discontinuous Veins
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Solution Overview
Problem
Natural cork stoppers face issues such as unwanted flavor transmission, variable quality, and defects like cracks and woodworm holes, which can lead to air leakage and oxidation of wine, due to their heterogeneous nature and intrinsic characteristics.
Innovation Solution
A method for manufacturing multilayer natural cork stoppers by selecting and positioning cylindrical stopper elements with specific angular relationships and adhesive joining to create a discontinuity in the veins and imperfections, ensuring a more uniform and imperfection-free interface, thereby preventing air leakage and flavor transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If natural cork stoppers are made from single pieces of cork, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the stoppers have heterogeneous quality with defects like cracks and woodworm holes causing air leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides a single cork stopper into multiple cylindrical elements (typically 3-5 elements) that are joined together. Each element is manufactured separately from cork slices, allowing individual quality control and selection. This segmentation eliminates the propagation of defects throughout the entire stopper length, as defects in one element do not compromise the sealing integrity of the entire stopper.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite cork stopper by joining multiple cork elements together using adhesive materials. The composite structure combines multiple cork pieces with different defect patterns, where the adhesive layers between elements provide additional sealing barriers. This composite approach transforms the homogeneous but defect-prone single-piece stopper into a heterogeneous structure with improved overall reliability.
2Ease of manufacture
If cork stoppers are made with veins arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis, then the cutting process is straightforward, but the veins create continuous pathways that allow air and flavor transmission
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the stopper into multiple elements cut from different slices of the cork plate, the continuous vein structure is interrupted. Each cylindrical element contains veins from a specific slice, and the adhesive joints between elements create discontinuities in the vein pathways, blocking the continuous channels that would otherwise allow flavor and air transmission throughout the entire stopper.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent selectively positions elements with specific vein patterns and orientations in different sections of the multilayer stopper. By controlling the angular orientation of each element relative to the others, the invention creates local variations in vein alignment that prevent the formation of continuous harmful pathways while maintaining the overall cylindrical structure.
3Manufacturing precision
If cork slices are perforated close to the belly area, then higher quality cork is utilized, but the lenticels create wider porosities that can lead to defects
Solution Approach 1:
The multilayer construction allows the use of cork slices from different regions of the cork oak plate. Elements can be manufactured from slices taken at various distances from the belly and back, distributing the porosity risk across multiple elements. The adhesive joints between elements provide additional barriers that compensate for porosity in individual elements, allowing the use of higher-quality belly-area cork without compromising overall stopper integrity.
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 method produces multilayer stoppers that effectively prevent air leakage and unwanted flavor transmission, ensuring the quality and integrity of the wine by aligning the stopper elements' base surfaces to minimize defects and imperfections in the interface.
Implementation Method 1
placing the respective facing base surfaces of the stopper elements to be mutually joined in contact with an intermediating adhesive
Data Source
Figure 1~5
Figure 6~7
Figure 8~12
AI summary
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for manufacturing multilayer natural cork stoppers, and a multilayer natural cork stopper, wherein the multilayer stopper (6) is made up of natural cork stopper elements (3; 4) juxtaposed and joined at their bases. Veins (V) of the stopper elements (3; 4) are in different angular positions with respect to their longitudinal axes (5). The method comprises inspecting areas of base surfaces (3a, 3b; 4a, 4b) of the stopper elements (3; 4), designating, according to the result of the inspection and to first and second pre-established selection criteria, relative positions of the stopper elements (3; 4) to be occupied in the multilayer stopper (6); arranging the stopper elements (3; 4) in the designated relative positions and aligned with respect to their longitudinal axes (5), and placing the base surfaces of the stopper elements (3; 4) to be joined in contact with an intermediating adhesive. The apparatus includes automatic means for implementing said method.