Permeable Membrane Caps for Controlled Wine Aging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mechanical clamping caps, such as screw and crown caps, are not suitable for wines that require aging as they provide a hermetic seal, which can compromise the organoleptic characteristics of the wine by preventing air exchange, and existing cork closures can lead to premature oxidation and contamination due to variable cork properties.
Innovation Solution
A mechanical clamping cap with a design that allows controlled air exchange, featuring a metal or plastic body with a disc-shaped upper portion and an angled side portion, incorporating a sealing element and a permeable membrane to regulate oxygen flow, ensuring a controlled and hermetic seal while allowing for minimal oxygen transfer to facilitate wine aging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a hermetic seal is provided by mechanical clamping caps, then protection against contamination is improved, but air exchange is prevented causing premature oxidation
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing element incorporates a porous structure that allows controlled air exchange between the bottle interior and exterior. The porosity is designed to permit oxygen diffusion at a controlled rate, enabling wine aging while maintaining protection against harmful contaminants. This resolves the contradiction by transforming the sealing element from a completely impermeable barrier to a selectively permeable structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing element is constructed as a composite material combining materials with different permeability characteristics. This composite structure enables simultaneous achievement of hermetic sealing against contaminants while allowing controlled oxygen transmission for wine aging. The composite nature allows optimization of both protection and air exchange functions within a single integrated component.
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional corks are used, then air exchange is allowed for wine aging, but variable cork properties cause premature oxidation and contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing element's permeability parameters are precisely controlled and standardized during manufacturing, eliminating the variability inherent in natural cork. By controlling pore size, distribution, and material composition, the invention achieves consistent and reliable air exchange rates across all sealing elements, ensuring uniform wine aging conditions and reliable sealing performance without the inconsistencies of natural materials.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a hermetic seal is used for immediate consumption wines, then protection is improved, but aging capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The porous sealing element enables continuous, controlled air exchange throughout the wine aging period. This continuous oxygen diffusion process sustains the wine aging mechanism over extended periods, allowing the wine to mature progressively while remaining sealed. The useful action of air exchange continues consistently without interruption, enabling long-term aging while maintaining protection against contaminants.
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 cap provides a hermetic seal while allowing controlled oxygen exchange, preventing premature oxidation and maintaining the organoleptic qualities of wines intended for long-term aging, thus addressing the limitations of traditional caps and corks.
Implementation Method 1
the seal prevents liquid from passing through
Implementation Method 2
a membrane allowing oxygen to pass through, in this way enabling a controlled exchange of air
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6b
AI summary
An insert (8) for a screw (1) or crown (1') cap for the closure of bottles (10) is described, the said cap (1, 1') including a body (2) and the insert (8) being designed to be fixed to the body facing the interior of the bottle (10) when the cap (1, 1') is closed over the said bottle. The insert (8) comprises a permeating element (109, 209) forming a single and homogeneous body, impermeable to liquids, of the compact type, capable of being compressed in one part between the body of the cap and a portion of the bottle (10) when the cap (1, 1') is closed over the bottle (10). The permeating element (109, 209) has a permeability to oxygen measured at 20 °C of between 7,5*10-10 Ncm3*cm/cm2*Pa*s and 7,5*10-14 Ncm3*cm/cm2*Pa*s and has a thickness and surface such as to control the flow of oxygen between the inside and outside of the bottle