Wine Bottle Inspection Windows for Non-Destructive Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current wine bottles do not allow for the evaluation of wine integrity without opening the bottle, leading to potential economic losses and customer dissatisfaction due to undetectable defects in wine quality.

Innovation Solution

A bottle design featuring inspection windows with optical shields in the neck, enabling non-invasive spectroscopic analysis of the wine and headspace without breaking the seal, allowing for repeated analyses without destructive effects.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the bottle seal is broken to analyze wine quality, then the wine can be analyzed, but the economic value of the bottle is lost and the seal cannot be restored

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewine quality analysisVSAvoidseal integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The bottle neck is segmented into multiple inspection windows that allow optical access to the wine without compromising the overall seal integrity. Each window is a discrete opening that enables analysis while the rest of the seal remains intact.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

An optical shield is introduced as an intermediary element between the external analyzer and the wine. The shield allows light to pass through to the wine and back, enabling spectroscopic analysis without direct contact or opening of the bottle seal.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If the bottle is opened to detect wine defects, then the wine can be evaluated, but the defect detection occurs too late for prevention

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedefect detectionVSAvoidtime for defect detection
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The inspection windows are pre-installed in the bottle neck during manufacturing, enabling immediate spectroscopic analysis of the wine without requiring subsequent opening of the bottle. This allows defect detection at the bottling stage or during storage, well before consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If spectroscopic analysis is performed through the bottle wall, then non-destructive analysis is achieved, but the bottle structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenon-destructive analysisVSAvoidbottle structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of making the entire bottle complex, only specific localized areas (the neck region) are modified with inspection windows. The rest of the bottle maintains its simple, traditional structure, minimizing the impact on overall device complexity while enabling the required optical analysis functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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

Enables non-destructive, repeated analysis of wine quality and integrity without opening the bottle, allowing for timely detection of defects and maintaining the economic value of the wine, thereby reducing losses and enhancing customer satisfaction.

Implementation Method 1

Each inspection window (7) comprises an optical shield (8) adapted to allow the passage of a light beam for the carrying out of spectroscopic analysis techniques

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSpectroscopic analysis: Absorption Spectroscopy

Data Source

PatentEP4289755B1Bottle for containing a liquid and associated analysis kit
Publication Date: 2025.01.15 TAGLIAFERRI ALBERTO
  • EP4289755B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4289755B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4289755B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A bottle (1) for containing a liquid in an internal volume (V) thereof comprises a main body (2) adapted to delimit at least part of the internal volume (V) of said bottle (1) and has a resting base (3) configured to enable the bottle (1) to remain in a stable upright position. A neck (4) extends from the main body (2) along a longitudinal direction (L) up to a final open end (5) thereof adapted to receive a closure (6). In particular, the neck (4) has a pair of inspection windows (7) opposite each other relative to the longitudinal direction (L). Each inspection window (7) comprises an optical shield (8) adapted to allow the passage of a light beam for the carrying out of spectroscopic analysis techniques. The analysis is carried out using a specific kit for spectroscopic analysis (100) configured to receive a bottle 1 in one or more operating positions.