Sealed Beverage Transfer Heads for Air-Free Bottle Decanting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for transferring beverages from sealed containers, such as wine bottles, expose the beverage to air and environmental conditions, leading to potential degradation and quality loss.
Innovation Solution
A system with first and second transfer heads that sealingly engage with the source and destination containers, using needles to penetrate closures and deliver pressurized gas to purge and transfer beverages without exposing them to air, utilizing gas pathways and valves to control pressure and flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the closure is removed to transfer beverage, then the beverage can be accessed, but the beverage is exposed to air and environmental conditions causing quality degradation
Solution Approach 1:
A transfer head with sealing elements acts as an intermediary device that interfaces with the container opening without requiring closure removal. The seal engages with the container rim to create a closed system, allowing beverage extraction through a needle while preventing environmental exposure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains an inert or controlled atmosphere within the container during beverage transfer. By keeping the closure in place and using a sealed transfer head, the beverage remains protected from oxidative damage and environmental contaminants throughout the extraction process.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the closure remains in place during transfer, then the beverage is protected from air exposure, but the transfer mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The transfer head is divided into functional segments: a sealing element that interfaces with the container opening, a needle or conduit for beverage extraction, and a connection interface for the transfer system. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function while maintaining overall simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The transfer head design serves multiple functions simultaneously: it seals against the container opening, penetrates the closure if needed, extracts beverage through a needle, and maintains a closed system. This multi-functionality reduces the need for multiple separate components or complex mechanisms.
3Ease of operation
If a needle penetrates the closure, then beverage can be extracted without removing the closure, but the closure integrity is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The needle design incorporates specific parameters such as gauge size, tip geometry, and surface finish that minimize damage to the closure. By optimizing these parameters, the needle can penetrate the closure material with minimal disruption to its sealing properties, allowing the closure to maintain integrity after needle removal.
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 system allows multiple transfers of beverages while maintaining seal integrity, preserving quality by minimizing exposure to air and environmental conditions, enabling storage and transfer without quality loss.
Implementation Method 1
deliver pressurized gas into the source container to pressurize the interior space of the source container
Implementation Method 2
pressurize the interior space of the source container... Flow of the beverage via the beverage pathway can be driven by pressure in the interior space of the source container
Implementation Method 3
deliver pressurized gas into the destination container to purge the destination container
Implementation Method 4
Flow of the beverage via the beverage pathway can be driven by pressure in the interior space of the source container
Data Source
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AI summary
A system and method for transferring beverage such as wine from a source container to a destination container. First and second transfer heads can be configured to sealingly engage with an opening of source and destination containers, respectively. The container opening(s) can have a closure such as a cork or septum and the transfer heads can sealingly engage with the container opening without removing the closure, e.g., by passing one or more needles through the closure. The transfer heads and the source container can be held by a support, and the first transfer head can be mounted for pivotal movement relative to the support, e.g., about a horizontal axis, to accommodate differently sized and/or shaped containers. Pressurized gas, e.g., used to purge and/or pressurize the containers, and beverage flow can be routed from one of the transfer heads to the other.