Methods and Articles of Manufacture for Sealing a Bottle Jar or Container

Abstract

The present invention is directed to bottle jars and other storage places corks, connected with reusable stickiness (adhesive) to seal and open the corks without the rotational movement. While the gecko's “glue” holds the bottle corks strongly in one direction, one can easily pull the gecko cork to the other direction and open or close the bottle. Due to the lack of rotational movement to open or close the bottle, the bottle shape can be adjusted for saving in raw materials. This concept is applicable to all types of bottles, jars or other storage space corks. A cork includes a reusable adhesive, for easy sealing and opening of the bottles. The present invention also include a cork that has reusable adhesive made out of carbon nanotubes mimicking a gecko foot. realizing a cork closing or sealing a bottle or a jar without a rotational movement or bottle opener, rather than by a special “glue” or any other glue product which doesn't leave residue, reusable, easy to use and doesn't wear off even in dusty or damp conditions.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to bottles, jars, and storage spaces (will be referred as bottles) corks/covers/caps (will be referred as corks) for sealing, and in particular, it concerns reusable adhesive on the corks for sealing and opening the bottles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In a world where raw materials are getting scarce and more expansive by the day, and where watching over the environment becomes a big deal, companies are trying to reduce the use of raw materials to lower costs and to reach environmental laws that are being passed by governments around the world. Up to now soft and alcoholic drinks producers and food companies would have corked their bottles (glass, PET or jars) with plastic or metal corks. With this patent we propose a complete new way of corking bottles, by using a material that has reusable stickiness to hold the cork enable to close or seal the bottles, easy to open when needed. All above saves in raw materials.

Note, all materials that have stickiness (by glue, vacuum or other forces) that can seal the cork, and the stickiness doesn't wear off with water or even in dusty or damp conditions, and can easily free the cork from the bottles, can be used and will be referred as gecko “glue”.

Non-limiting exemplary embodiments of exemplary includes an adhesive imitating the geckos foot. The adhesive is made out of carbon nanotubes, it can hold on extremely strong in one direction, and can be easily freed on the other direction.

Geckos have the remarkable ability to cling to just about any surface, even something as smooth and slippery as glass. It's not due to suction, glue or Velcro-like bristles. Instead, geckos toe pads are covered with millions of tiny, flexible hairs. When a gecko plants its foot, the individual hairs come in extremely close contact with the surface is climbing on. That super-closeness makes it possible for atoms and molecules in the hairs to attract their counterpart atoms and molecules in the surface layer.

This attraction is called the Van Der Waals force (after the discoverer). The attraction is weak, but its effect is multiplied by the density and sheer number of hairs (or in the glue case the carbon nanotubes) on the gecko's toe pads. Each hair stalk, or seta, branches into hundreds of smaller, flattened tips called spatulae. The setae are able to shed dirt and to an extent, water, meaning a gecko's stickiness doesn't wear off even in dusty or damp conditions. To unstick its feet a gecko curls its toes upward (the other direction), peeling the setae away from the surface.

Referring to FIG. 1, inspired from the structure found on gecko feet, an optional embodiment synthesized carbon nanotube-based hierarchical hairy structure. Carbon nanotubes can be synthesized using chemical vapor deposition. Image of scanning electron microscope (SEM) of pillars of carbon nanotubes.

Referring to FIG. 2, non-limiting example patterns of pillared size ranging from 50-500 μm. The patterns act as setae and individual carbon nanotubes as spatula. These vertically aligned nanotubes can be transferred onto a polymeric substrate (the geometry would be referred as gecko tape). By optimizing the pattern size and the size and height of carbon nanotubes, very high shear forces can be achieved. For a non-limiting example 50 μm pattern size with 200 μm carbon nanotube length showed four times higher adhesion than natural gecko foot.

SUMMARY

The present invention is directed to corks and caps, also referred to as “sealing elements” or opening sealer, for sealing bottle and jars. Sealers according to embodiments may be removably attached to their respective bottles, jars, containers, etc. with reusable stickiness.

In addition to the adapted corks noted above, the present invention also includes the use of a carbon nanotube “glue” imitating the gecko's foot, for sealing the bottles, jars and other storage spaces. The “glue” imitating the gecko's foot can seal the bottles easily and completely in one direction while the bottle can be opened easily by pulling them to the other direction. As well the gecko's “glue” can be reused and it doesn't wear off even in dusty or damp conditions.

An additional advantage of the new inventive gecko cork is that the bottles or jars can be adjusted differently and by thus saving raw materials, and by that reducing costs and pollution.

As mentioned before our objective is to realize a cork closing or sealing a battle or a jar without a rotational movement or bottle opener, rather by a special reusable adhesive.

In an exemplary, non-limiting embodiment the “glue” consist of the carbon nanotubes imitating the gecko's foot, can stick on top of the bottles keeping the bottle sealed, only with an easy fast press and not with a rotational movement. To open the bottle the gecko cork just need a pool to the opposite direction without a rotational movement or a bottle opener, the gecko cork can be reusable.

The gecko cork will be made by thin layer (the thickness will be determined by the product in the bottle, for example with high carbonation the thickness will grow compared to low amount of carbonation) of plastic, metal or other material depends of the product. The gecko “glue” can be dispersed on the bottom (inner) part of the cork or on the bottle itself or both. The gecko's “glue” can be dispersed only on certain location on the bottom part of the cork for creating a good seal, thus saving gecko “glue” material.

An additional advantage of the new inventive gecko cork is by saving raw materials, and by that reducing costs and pollution. This concept is applicable to all types of bottles, jars or other storage spaces corks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

FIG. 1: pillars of carbon nanotubes mimicking the setae.

FIG. 2: individual carbon nanotubes as the spatula.

FIG. 3A: example of a bottle with a rotational movement.

FIG. 3B: example of a bottle without a rotational movement.

FIG. 3C: non-limiting example of a gecko cork

FIG. 3D: example of a bottle with a rotational movement closed with the gecko cork.

FIG. 3E: example of a bottle without a rotational movement closed with the gecko cork.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The principles and operation of the apparatus and method according to a present embodiment may be better understood with reference to the drawings and the accompanying description. A present invention is an apparatus for sealing bottles with an adhesive cork. The apparatus facilitates sealing the bottles cork, using an innovative gecko “glue”. The gecko cork closes the bottle with reusable adhesive material that does not leave residue, in order to stick and unstick. The bottles shapes with the gecko cork can change due to the lake of rotational sealing of the bottle, hence the top of the bottle can be in different shape to save raw materials.

Current research in the field is focused on improving the conventional use of rotational sealing and one time (not reusable) corks such as for beers etc. A gecko cork can be for multiuse meaning a cork with the same shape can be used for soft and alcoholic drinks in glass or plastic bottles.

Refer to FIG. 1, non-limiting example of a top view SEM picture of pillars contain out of carbon nanotubes. The pillars act as the setae in order to create adhesive mimicking the gecko's foot. The pillars size and shape can be adjusted to a specific product in order to get the best adhesive.

Refer to FIG. 2, non-limiting example of a side view zoom of a pillar a cluster of carbon nanotubes, individual carbon nanotube can be seen. The individual carbon nanotubes act as the spatula in order to create adhesive mimicking the gecko's foot. The carbon nanotube size and height can be adjusted to a specific product demands.

Refer to FIG. 3, non-limiting example of 301 bottles, 302 gecko cork and 303 bottles sealed with the gecko corks.

Refer to FIG. 3A, non-limiting example of a bottle with rotational sealing 305, 304 is a zoom on the head of a bottle with the rotational sealing.

Refer to FIG. 3B, non-limiting example of a bottle without rotational sealing 307, 306 is a zoom on the head of a bottle without the rotational sealing, note that the shape of the bottle can change due to the lack of rotational sealing.

Refer to FIG. 3C, non-limiting example of the gecko cork 302. 308 refer to the inner part of the gecko cork, 309 is the location on the cork where the gecko “glue” is added, the “glue” can be added on the cork or on the bottle or on both. In one side of the gecko “glue” it will be connected to a polymeric substrate that will hold in sealed to the cork, the other side will be able to connect and disconnect to other surfaces (the bottle) by the gecko “glue” adhesive. 317 is the gecko cork cross section. 310 is the bulge for the location of the bottle's mouth. 311 is the casing for covering the bottle mouth. 312 refer to the outer part of the gecko cork, on this side logos etc. can be printed. Note: all materials such as plastic, silicon or metal etc. can be used to produce the gecko cork, as well the shape, size and location of the adhesive can change in order to adjust to the product.

Refer to FIG. 3D, non-limiting example of a bottle with a rotational head (one can see the extra bottle plastic) sealed with gecko cork 313 where 314 is where the adhesive is connected to the bottle.

Refer to FIG. 3E, non-limiting example of a bottle without a rotational head (less bottle plastic) sealed with gecko cork 315 where 316 is where the adhesive is connected to the bottle.

A gecko cork has been shown to provide improved and easier sealing of a bottle compared to conventional techniques, and is a preferred implementation. Alternatively, the shape of the bottle can change due to the lack of rotational sealing.

The choices used to assist in the description of this embodiment should not detract from the validity and utility of the invention. It is foreseen that more general choices including, but not limited to materials, different shape size and configuration can be used, depending on the application.

The use of simplified calculations to assist in the description of this embodiment should not detract from the utility and basic advantages of the invention.

It should be noted that the above-described examples, numbers used, and exemplary calculations are to assist in the description of this embodiment. Inadvertent typographical and mathematical errors should not detract from the utility and basic advantages of the invention.

It will be appreciated that the above descriptions are intended only to serve as examples, and that many other embodiments are possible within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A bottle opening sealer comprising: a bottle contact surface including microstructure or nanostructure based adhesive.

2. The bottle opening sealer according to claim 1 comprising a cork.

3. The bottle opening sealer according to claim 2 wherein the contact surface comes in contact with an inner surface of a bottleneck.

4. The bottle opening sealer according to claim 1 comprising a cap.

5. The bottle opening sealer according to claim 4 wherein the contact surface comes in contact with an outer surface of a bottleneck.

6. The bottle opening sealer according to claim 1 including multiple contact surface with adhesive.

7. The bottle opening sealer corks can seal the bottle from the inside (similar to a wine cork) as well as from the outside (regular cork).