Wine Bottle Vacuum Head Positioning for Easy Sealed Preservation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing household appliances for preserving open bottles of wine are cumbersome, time-consuming, and often require the use of neutral or heavy gases, which are costly and pose environmental concerns, or they rely on manual vacuum extraction, which is tedious and inefficient in maintaining the quality of the wine.

Innovation Solution

A household appliance that automatically positions and seals a vacuum extraction head against the bottle neck, allowing for easy and quick preservation of open bottles by maintaining a satisfactory vacuum level without manual intervention, thus ensuring stable wine quality over time.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual vacuum extraction is used, then wine preservation is achieved, but user effort and time consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewine preservation qualityVSAvoiduser effort
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The device enables automatic vacuum extraction where the system positions and operates the vacuum head without manual intervention. The bottle is simply placed in the device and the vacuum process occurs automatically, eliminating the need for users to manually operate vacuum pumps or seals while maintaining effective wine preservation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual mechanical operations with an automated positioning system that uses mechanical guides and movable supports to automatically position the vacuum head on the bottle neck, substituting complex manual sealing and positioning actions with an automated mechanical system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Ease of operation

If automatic positioning system is implemented, then ease of operation improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomation levelVSAvoidmechanical system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The device is divided into functional modules: a bottle receiving area, a movable vacuum head assembly, positioning guides, and a vacuum extraction system. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, simplifying the overall system design while maintaining automation capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a movable support frame with guides as an intermediary mechanism between the bottle and the vacuum head. This intermediary structure automatically positions the vacuum head on the bottle neck through guided movement, reducing the need for complex control systems while achieving automatic positioning.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 appliance simplifies the preservation process, reduces user effort, and maintains a high level of wine quality by automatically achieving and maintaining a vacuum level exceeding 0.1 bar, ensuring the wine remains fresh for an extended period.

Implementation Method 1

maintains a satisfactory vacuum level in the bottle

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVacuum: Vacuum

Data Source

PatentEP2146901B1Household apparatus for storing bottles, notably bottles of wine that have been opened and/or partially consumed
Publication Date: 2011.08.10 EUROCAVE
  • EP2146901B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2146901B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2146901B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

This household apparatus (1) comprises a vacuum draught head (60, 62) for each bottle (2, 3), each head delimiting a suction passageway suitable for being connected to a vacuum source (6). In order to make the use of this apparatus extremely easy and fast, while obtaining a storage via the vacuum that is of good quality and stable over time, means (110) for moving each head mechanically guide the head relative to a frame (10) of the apparatus and press each head in sealed contact against the neck (4, 5) of the bottle so that its suction passageway emerges in the neck when the bottle occupies a predetermined position that is fixed relative to the frame.