Pressurised Closed-Loop Beverage Transfer Without Air Exposure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Alcoholic beverages, particularly wine, age and change flavor characteristics due to exposure to air during and after opening, leading to a limited shelf life and degradation of aromas and flavors.
Innovation Solution
A closed-loop beverage transfer device that uses a needle and pressurization mechanism to transfer beverages from a sealed container into a storage vessel without external air mixing, incorporating a vacuum pump to purge air and an inert gas reservoir to maintain flavor integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a bottle is opened to access the beverage, then the beverage can be consumed, but air enters the bottle causing oxidation and degradation of flavor characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
The beverage is divided into multiple sealed individual portions (single-serve containers) that can be accessed independently without opening the main bottle. Each portion is hermetically sealed until consumption, preventing air exposure while allowing easy access to individual servings.
Solution Approach 2:
A dispensing mechanism acts as an intermediary between the sealed beverage portions and the consumer. This mechanism allows the beverage to be transferred from sealed containers to the consumer without exposing it to air, using a closed-loop transfer system that maintains inert atmosphere throughout.
2Reliability
If the beverage is stored in a sealed container, then oxidation is prevented, but the container must be opened for consumption which exposes the beverage to air
Solution Approach 1:
The beverage is segmented into multiple hermetically sealed individual portions within the container. This allows the main beverage to remain sealed and preserved while enabling easy access to individual portions through a dispensing mechanism that does not require opening the main container.
Solution Approach 2:
The dispensing mechanism enables the beverage system to serve itself by automatically transferring sealed portions to the consumer without requiring manual opening of the container. The system maintains its own sealed environment throughout the transfer process.
3Device complexity
If air is present in the storage vessel, then the system is simpler, but the beverage quality degrades due to mixing with external air
Solution Approach 1:
The storage vessel and transfer system are filled with an inert atmosphere (nitrogen or carbon dioxide) to displace air. This creates a protective environment that prevents oxidation while maintaining relative simplicity, as the inert gas simply needs to be introduced and maintained at positive pressure.
Solution Approach 2:
A positive pressure nitrogen or carbon dioxide atmosphere is used to displace air from the storage vessel and transfer lines. The pneumatic pressure differential automatically prevents air ingress and maintains the beverage in an inert environment throughout storage and transfer operations.
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
Preserves the beverage's flavor characteristics by preventing oxidation and over-aging, allowing long-term storage and consumption of individual portions with consistent quality.
Implementation Method 1
a pressurisation mechanism configured to pressurise the sealed container to displace the beverage through the needle and into the storage vessel in use
Implementation Method 2
The apparatus may comprise a vacuum pump operable to remove any residual air from the closed system
Implementation Method 3
The pressurisation mechanism may comprise a reservoir of inert gas. The pressurisation mechanism may be configured to introduce inert gas into the sealed container through the needle
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for transferring a beverage from a sealed container into a storage vessel includes a needle for insertion through a stopper of the sealed container having a conduit for the flow of beverage through the needle and a pressurisation mechanism configured to pressurise the sealed container to displace the beverage through the needle and into the receiving vessel in use. The apparatus is configured so that, when the needle is inserted into the sealed container and connected to the storage vessel, the sealed container, needle and storage vessel form a closed system, allowing the beverage to be transferred from the sealed container into the storage vessel without air outside of the closed system mixing with the beverage.