Wooden Bottle Closure with Polymer Molded Core

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current bottle closures for premium liquids like fine spirits, wine, and olive oil lack both sealing quality and aesthetic appeal, with cork closures being limited and expensive, and polymer closures prone to deformation and failure.

Innovation Solution

A bottle closure design featuring a wooden core with a polymer molded onto it, providing structural integrity and an aesthetic interface, where the polymer is molded to securely engage with the wooden core, ensuring a tight seal and preventing deformation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If cork material is used for bottle closure, then sealing quality and compressibility are improved, but cost increases and supply becomes limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing qualityVSAvoidcost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The closure combines wood and polymer materials to create a composite structure. The wooden core provides structural integrity and aesthetic appeal, while the polymer sealing layer provides the necessary compressibility and sealing quality, eliminating the need for expensive cork material.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If cork material is used for bottle closure, then sealing quality is improved, but risk of taint increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing qualityVSAvoidtaint

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The polymer sealing layer is designed as a sacrificial component that can be replaced without affecting the valuable liquid contents. This eliminates the risk of permanent taint from cork material, as the polymer can be easily replaced if needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Object-generated harmful factors

If metal screw top cap is used for bottle closure, then susceptibility to taint is eliminated, but aesthetic appeal deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetaint susceptibilityVSAvoidaesthetic appeal

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-generated harmful factorsVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

4Stability of the object's composition

If polymer closure is used for bottle closure, then compressibility similar to cork is achieved, but aesthetic appeal deteriorates and creep deformation occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovecompressibilityVSAvoidaesthetic appeal

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

5Shape

If wooden head glued to polymer portion is used for closure, then aesthetic appeal is improved, but glue joint failure causes separation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaesthetic appealVSAvoidjoint stability

Core Design Contradiction:

ShapeVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The wooden core and polymer sealing layer are merged into a single integrated component through co-molding, eliminating the need for glue joints. This creates a permanent bond between the materials while maintaining both aesthetic appeal and structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS10131471B2Bottle closure having a wood top

Publication Date: 2018.11.20 MULTIJECT LLC

AI summary

A closure for a bottle includes a wooden head portion and a stopper portion. The wooden head portion has a recess formed therein. The stopper portion has a polymer inner member and a polymer outer member. The polymer inner member includes a first part embedded in the recess in the wooden head and a second part extending away from the wooden head and substantially covered by the polymer outer member.