Handheld Wine Vacuum Sealer with Stopper Actuator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for preserving wine by creating a vacuum in bottles are cumbersome, costly, and require device-specific stoppers, limiting their usability and effectiveness in maintaining the quality of partially consumed wine.
Innovation Solution
A handheld device that forms airtight seals with bottles, uses a vacuum pump to evacuate air, and includes an actuator assembly to securely insert and remove the original stopper, allowing for multiple bottles to be sealed without additional parts or devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional vacuum sealers with one-way valve stoppers are used, then air can be evacuated from the bottle, but the stoppers are prone to air leakage and work poorly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the one-way valve mechanism from the stopper entirely, using only the original natural or synthetic cork without any additional sealing components. This extraction of the problematic valve mechanism eliminates the air leakage issue while maintaining the vacuum sealing function through the simple act of insertion itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The original stopper serves dual functions: it acts as both the bottle seal and the vacuum seal without requiring any specialized valve components. The stopper's own structure and the vacuum pressure differential work together to maintain the seal, making the system self-sufficient without additional parts.
2Productivity
If device-specific stoppers are used with conventional vacuum sealers, then vacuum sealing can be achieved, but the number of bottles that can be sealed is limited by the number of stoppers owned
Solution Approach 1:
The device works with any standard wine bottle and its original stopper, making it universally compatible across different bottle types and brands. Users can seal as many bottles as they own without needing to purchase additional device-specific stoppers, as the system relies on the bottle's existing stopper rather than requiring proprietary components.
Solution Approach 2:
The system separates the vacuum sealing function from the stopper, allowing the stopper to remain a generic, bottle-specific component while the device provides the specialized vacuum functionality. This segmentation enables unlimited use with different bottles using their respective original stoppers.
3Reliability
If conventional vacuum sealers are used, then wine preservation can be achieved, but the devices are cumbersome and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the vacuum pump, stopper securement device, and bottle opening mechanism into a single integrated handheld unit. This merging of functions eliminates the need for separate devices for opening bottles and preserving them, reducing both cost and complexity while maintaining effective wine preservation through vacuum sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The device performs multiple functions: it opens bottles by removing stoppers, creates vacuum seals, and can be used with any standard wine bottle. This multi-functionality replaces what would traditionally require multiple separate tools, making the system more portable and cost-effective while maintaining preservation reliability.
4Reliability
If the entire vacuum sealer device remains fixed atop the bottle, then vacuum sealing can be performed, but a separate device is needed for each bottle
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the vacuum sealing mechanism from the bottle, allowing a single portable device to be moved between multiple bottles. The device creates a temporary seal around the bottle mouth during operation but is not permanently attached, enabling one device to serve multiple bottles without requiring separate fixed installations for each bottle.
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 device effectively preserves wine by removing oxygen, extending the shelf life of wine without the need for device-specific stoppers, making it cost-effective and convenient for multiple uses.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum pump configured to evacuate air out of the interior air cavity and the headspace to create a vacuum or partial vacuum within the headspace
Data Source
AI summary
One feature pertains to a device that includes a main body having a bottle-receiving end that receives an end of a bottle having a mouth and forms an airtight seal between an exterior surface of the bottle and an interior air cavity of the main body. The device also includes an actuator assembly that drives a stopper securement device into a stopper positioned within the mouth of the bottle and retracts the stopper securement device to remove the stopper from the mouth of the bottle. The device also includes a vacuum pump that evacuates air out of the interior air cavity and the bottle's headspace after the stopper has been removed to create a vacuum within the headspace. The actuator assembly may also drive the stopper securement device and the stopper back into the mouth of the bottle to reseal the bottle while the headspace is under vacuum.