Droplet-proof faucet based on siphon phenomenon

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of drip-proof faucets based on siphon phenomenon, comprising: siphon, water reservoir, siphon convex part and water outlet, the siphon convex part is higher than the bottom of the water reservoir, the bottom of the water reservoir is higher than the water outlet, the bottom of the water reservoir, the siphon convex part and the water outlet are connected and constitute siphon passage, one end of the siphon extends to the bottom of the water reservoir, the other end passes through the siphon convex part and extends downward along the water outlet. The scheme of the present application can realize the function of preventing water dripping, is conducive to standardized water management, reduces invalid water consumption, the structure is relatively simple, the cost is lower, and the application range is wide.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the technical field of fluid control, specifically relating to an anti-drip faucet based on the siphon phenomenon. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional mechanical faucets rely on reverse tightening to stop water flow, but their sealing structure is susceptible to wear, aging, and improper operation. Even if they can stop continuous water flow, they cannot completely eliminate dripping caused by tiny gaps. Piston vacuum faucets, while able to handle residual water through a special structure, can still cause water meters to malfunction due to backflow after the user turns off the faucet, posing a risk of unauthorized water use by exploiting insufficient meter sensitivity and creating problems for water supply management. In terms of maintenance, existing leak detection and repair mechanisms rely on users to proactively discover and report leaks, resulting in delayed responses. Small drips are often overlooked due to their low water consumption per leak, but long-term accumulation leads to significant water waste. Replacing valve cores and seals with high-quality ones can temporarily alleviate leaks, but the high cost and difficulty in preventing component wear and tear make long-term solutions impossible. While smart sensor faucets achieve precise water stopping through sensor control, their high usage and maintenance costs limit their widespread adoption. Its operation relies on batteries or mains power, which leads to unstable power supply; its sophisticated structural design results in high maintenance costs; and its contactless operation method differs significantly from traditional usage habits, which poses a considerable obstacle to its promotion in large-scale places such as ordinary faucet renovation, dormitories, and low-cost water dispenser application scenarios. Utility Model Content

[0003] To address the aforementioned problems in the existing technology, this application proposes an anti-drip faucet based on the siphon phenomenon. Utilizing a siphon structure, it achieves both anti-drip and metered drainage, preventing improper water use and improving water conservation. The technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows:

[0004] A drip-proof faucet based on the siphon phenomenon includes: a siphon tube, a water reservoir, a siphon protrusion, and a water outlet. The siphon protrusion is higher than the bottom of the water reservoir, and the bottom of the water reservoir is higher than the water outlet. The bottom of the water reservoir, the siphon protrusion, and the water outlet are connected to form a siphon channel. One end of the siphon tube extends to the bottom of the water reservoir, and the other end passes through the siphon protrusion and extends downward along the water outlet.

[0005] The siphon channel achieves the anti-drip function, allowing water to be discharged from the faucet in a measured amount, preventing users from using water improperly, which is conducive to standardized water management. Moreover, the siphon structure itself does not require electricity to drive, has a simple structure, is especially suitable for water-saving renovation of old buildings, reduces installation costs, is easy to maintain, and has wide applicability.

[0006] Preferably, the bottom of the water reservoir is hemispherical. This allows water to converge naturally and flow more smoothly. When the siphon is triggered, it reduces water flow obstruction, making the siphon start-up faster and the process more stable, thus improving the siphon efficiency of the anti-drip system. Furthermore, the smooth curved surface of the hemisphere has no obvious dead corners, ensuring that the water reservoir can drain residual water to the maximum extent during both siphon emptying and regular drainage, reducing the risk of bacteria growth and impurity deposition due to residual water at the bottom.

[0007] Preferably, one end of the siphon tube is the siphon inlet, located at the center of the bottom of the water reservoir, and the other end is the siphon outlet, flush with the outlet. This makes the siphon start-up smoother and improves the quantitative drainage efficiency of the siphon and faucet.

[0008] Preferably, the siphon protrusion is curved. The curved siphon protrusion can achieve a smooth transition, and when the water level reaches the apex of the protrusion, a continuous liquid column can be quickly formed, triggering the siphon effect, shortening the siphon start-up delay, avoiding the retention of air bubbles that would disrupt the siphon continuity, and facilitating cleaning.

[0009] Preferably, the system also includes an outlet pipe. The top of the water reservoir is connected to the outlet via the outlet pipe, and the bottom of the water reservoir is connected to the outlet via the siphon protrusion and the outlet pipe. One end of the outlet pipe is connected to the siphon protrusion and the water reservoir in an arc shape, and the other end is connected vertically to the outlet. This makes the liquid flow generated by the siphon smoother, reduces flow resistance, and ensures continuous and stable siphoning. The fact that the outlet pipe is only vertically connected to the outlet in the latter half allows for faster drainage while ensuring siphon stability.

[0010] More preferably, an overflow baffle is provided at the position of the siphon protrusion on the siphon tube. The overflow baffle is disposed between the outlet pipe and the siphon tube, with its bottom connected to the siphon protrusion. The height of the overflow baffle is equal to the outer diameter of the siphon tube. The overflow baffle can accelerate the submersion of the top of the siphon tube, shorten the siphon start-up time, and reduce water demand. Even with low-flow dripping, a single drop can trigger the siphon, ensuring successful siphoning and significantly improving response efficiency.

[0011] Preferably, the system also includes a water level electrode, one end of which is positioned above one end of the siphon tube in the water reservoir, and the other end is positioned below one end of the siphon tube in the water reservoir. The water reservoir, the siphon protrusion, and the water level electrode are structurally compatible, preventing dripping while the water level electrode accurately captures the water level signals at the start and end of the siphon. By precisely capturing the critical points where the water level exceeds the top of the siphon tube and falls back to the bottom of the siphon tube using the water level electrodes at both ends, the accuracy of quantitative drainage triggering and stopping is ensured.

[0012] More preferably, it also includes a control module and functional components, the control module being connected to the water level electrode and the functional components. This enhances and utilizes the anti-drip and metered drainage functions, improving flexibility in adapting to different scenarios.

[0013] More preferably, the functional components include a Hall effect flow meter and a TDS sensor. The Hall effect flow meter is used to detect water flow rate, and the TDS sensor is used to detect water quality.

[0014] More preferably, the functional components also include a water flow generator, a battery, an alarm device, indicator lights, a user input device, a clock module, a display screen, and a solenoid valve. It can issue warnings when there are abnormalities such as abnormal water flow or water quality exceeding standards, strengthening the ability to regulate water use and conserve water. It also features a visual interactive system, improving operational intuitiveness and management convenience.

[0015] More preferably, the control module includes a microcontroller of model ESP32.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial results of this utility model are as follows:

[0017] This utility model provides an anti-drip faucet based on the siphon phenomenon. By innovating the faucet's siphon structure, the anti-drip function is upgraded. The layout of the water reservoir, siphon protrusion, and siphon tube forms a drainage channel, transforming the traditional passive anti-drip into active quantitative drainage, preventing users from using water improperly. This application avoids the vulnerability of mechanical valves and breaks through the flow limitation of traditional anti-drip solutions, providing a reliable guarantee for water conservation. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The accompanying drawings provide further illustration of the embodiments and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present invention. Other embodiments and many anticipated advantages of the embodiments will be readily recognized as they become better understood through reference to the following detailed description. Other features, objects, and advantages of this application will become more apparent from reading the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0019] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of a drip-proof faucet based on the siphon phenomenon according to a specific embodiment of the present utility model;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an anti-overflow baffle for an anti-drip faucet based on the siphon phenomenon according to a specific embodiment of the present utility model.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of an anti-drip faucet based on the siphon phenomenon according to a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] The numbers in the diagram represent the following: 1-faucet, 101-water reservoir, 102-siphon protrusion, 103-outlet, 104-siphon tube, 1041-siphon inlet, 1042-siphon outlet, 105-overflow baffle, 2-water level electrode, 3-control module, 4-Hall flow meter, 5-TDS sensor, 6-flow generator, 7-battery, 8-alarm device, 9-indicator light, 10-user input device, 11-clock module, 12-display screen, 13-solenoid valve. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0024] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Directional terms such as "top," "bottom," "left," "right," "upper," and "lower" are used with reference to the orientation of the described figures. Because components of the embodiments can be positioned in several different orientations, directional terms are used for illustrative purposes and are not intended to be limiting. Terms such as "installed," "equipped," "sleeved / connected," and "connected" should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connected" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can be a connection within two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0025] Figure 1 This application shows a specific structural diagram of an anti-drip faucet based on the siphon phenomenon according to a particular embodiment of the present application, as follows: Figure 1 As shown, the faucet 1 includes a siphon tube 104 and a water reservoir 101, a siphon protrusion 102, and a water outlet 103 connected thereto. The siphon protrusion 102 is higher than the bottom of the water reservoir 101, and the bottom of the water reservoir 101 is higher than the water outlet 103. The bottom of the water reservoir 101, the siphon protrusion 102, and the water outlet 103 are connected to form a siphon channel. One end of the siphon tube 104 extends to the bottom of the water reservoir 101, and the other end passes through the siphon protrusion 102 and extends downward along the water outlet 103.

[0026] In a specific embodiment, the water reservoir 101 is located between the water inlet of the faucet 1 and the siphon protrusion 102. The lowest liquid level of the water reservoir 101 is lower than the water inlet connected to the water pipe and the siphon protrusion 102. The siphon protrusion 102 is higher than the water inlet. The water outlet 103 is connected to the water reservoir 101 through the siphon protrusion 102. The water outlet 103 is lower than the bottom of the siphon protrusion 102 and the water reservoir 101. One end of the siphon tube 104 extends to the bottom of the water reservoir 101. One end of the siphon tube 104 is the siphon inlet end 1041. The other end passes through the siphon protrusion 102 and extends downward along the water outlet 103. The other end of the siphon tube 104 is the siphon outlet end 1042.

[0027] In a specific embodiment, the bottom of the water reservoir 101 is hemispherical. For example... Figure 1 As shown in the cross-sectional view, the pipe of the outlet 103 is connected to the water storage tank 101 in an arc shape through the siphon protrusion 102; the siphon protrusion 102 is curved. The surface of the entire siphon channel is continuous and smooth, without sharp edges, to adapt to the hydrodynamic characteristics of siphon fluid.

[0028] In a specific embodiment, a water outlet pipe is also included. The top of the water reservoir 101 is connected to the water outlet 103 via the water outlet pipe, and the bottom of the water reservoir 101 is connected to the water outlet 103 sequentially via the siphon protrusion 102 and the water outlet pipe. One end of the water outlet pipe is arc-shapedly connected to the siphon protrusion 102 and the water reservoir 101, and the other end is vertically connected to the water outlet 103. Optionally, the siphon tube 104 is not tightly attached to the siphon channel. This ensures the continuous and stable operation of the siphon phenomenon while improving siphon efficiency.

[0029] In a specific embodiment, one end of the siphon pipe 104 is a siphon inlet end 1041, located at the bottom center of the water reservoir 101, and the other end of the siphon pipe 104 is a siphon outlet end 1042, flush with the outlet 103. This reduces water accumulation and improves siphon efficiency.

[0030] In a specific embodiment, a water level electrode 2 is also included. One end of the water level electrode 2 is positioned above one end of the siphon tube 104 in the water storage 101, that is, one end of the water level electrode 2 is positioned above the siphon inlet end 1041 in the water storage 101, and the other end is positioned below one end of the siphon tube 104 in the water storage 101, that is, the other end of the water level electrode 2 is positioned below the siphon outlet end 1042. The water level electrode 2 is disposed inside the water storage 101 to detect whether a siphon phenomenon occurs. When the water level electrode 2 changes from contact to disconnection, it represents a siphon phenomenon occurring. By draining a fixed volume and counting the number of times, the siphon water volume is recorded.

[0031] Figure 2 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of an anti-overflow baffle for an anti-drip faucet based on the siphon phenomenon, according to a specific embodiment of this application. Figure 2 As shown, in the cross-section of the water outlet pipe, an overflow baffle 105 is provided at the position of the siphon protrusion 102 on the siphon pipe 104. The overflow baffle 105 is disposed between the water outlet pipe and the siphon pipe 104. The bottom of the overflow baffle 105 is connected to the siphon protrusion 102, and the height of the overflow baffle 105 is equal to the outer diameter of the siphon pipe 104.

[0032] When the dripping speed is slow or extremely slow, air bubbles can easily form inside the siphon tube 104 due to the slow rise of the liquid level, disrupting the continuous siphon column. The overflow baffle 105 is flush with the outer diameter of the siphon tube 104, allowing the slowly dripping water to first converge in the area of ​​the overflow baffle 105, quickly submerging the highest point of the siphon tube 104. This avoids air bubble retention and the occurrence of communicating vessels, ensuring successful siphoning and enabling siphoning to be triggered with just one drop of water, achieving milliliter-level metering accuracy. Without the overflow baffle 105, when the dripping speed is too slow, water will slowly overflow directly from the outlet pipe, failing to trigger the siphon, causing continuous water accumulation in the water tank 101 and eventually overflowing.

[0033] In a specific embodiment, the siphon tube 104 is inserted into the faucet, and the overflow baffle 105 is located at the highest point of the siphon tube 104 inside the faucet. The highest point of the siphon tube 104 inside the faucet is located on the siphon protrusion 102. The overflow baffle 105 is located in the lower part of the water outlet pipe, and its height is flush with the highest point of the siphon tube 104. Optionally, the outer diameter of the siphon tube 104 is less than or equal to half of the inner diameter of the water outlet pipe.

[0034] Figure 3 This application shows a structural diagram of a drip-proof faucet based on the siphon phenomenon according to a specific embodiment of the present application, as follows: Figure 3 As shown, it includes: a faucet 1, a water level electrode 2, a control module 3, and functional components. The control module 3 connects the functional components and the water level electrode 2. The functional components include a solenoid valve 13, a Hall effect flow meter 4, a water flow generator 6, a battery 7, an alarm device 8, an indicator light 9, a user input device 10, a clock module 11, a display screen 12, and a TDS (Total Dissolved Solids Sensor) sensor 5, all connected to the control module 3.

[0035] In a specific embodiment, the solenoid valve 13 is connected to the Hall flow meter 4, the Hall flow meter 4 is connected to the water flow generator 6 and then to the faucet 1, and the water flow generator 6 is connected to the faucet 1 through the water inlet pipe.

[0036] In a specific embodiment, the Hall flow meter 4 and the TDS sensor 5 are installed in front of the water inlet of the faucet 1. The Hall flow meter 4 is used to detect the water flow rate and is connected to the control module 3 for the control module 3 to acquire water flow rate data. The TDS sensor 5 is used to detect the water quality and is connected to the control module 3 for the control module 3 to acquire water quality data.

[0037] In a specific embodiment, the solenoid valve 13 is connected to the control module 3, and the control module 3 controls the solenoid valve 13 to open or close to control the water flow. Preferably, the control module 3 controls the opening or closing of the solenoid valve through a relay; the battery 7 is connected to the water flow generator 6 and the control module 3 to supply power to the system. The water flow generator 6 generates electricity using water flow to provide part of the power to the system; optionally, the battery 7 is a rechargeable lithium battery, equipped with a TP4056 chip for lithium battery charging management, and a power switch is provided to control the power supply of the entire system.

[0038] Optionally, the user input device 10 is connected to the control module 3 for inputting system parameters and manually controlling the solenoid valve 13. The system parameters may be water level thresholds or timed tasks, etc. The clock module 11 is connected to the control module 3 for providing accurate time. The user input device 10 includes four input buttons, and the clock module 11 includes a DS102 clock chip.

[0039] Optionally, the alarm device 8 includes a buzzer, and the display screen 12 uses an SSD1306 driver chip in conjunction with a 0.96-inch OLED display module to display data such as water consumption, siphon count, and battery power, visually presenting the system status.

[0040] In a specific embodiment, the control module 3 includes an ESP32 microcontroller. The control module employs a microcontroller with integrated communication functions, connected to the display screen 12 and clock module 11 via an IIC bus, and connected to the Hall effect flow meter 4, TDS sensor 5, water level electrode 2, solenoid valve 13, indicator light 9, alarm device 8, and user input device 10 via GPIO interfaces. The battery 7 and water flow generator 6 are connected to the VBAT pin of the microcontroller. The microcontroller is an ESP32 or an equivalent chip with the same functions.

[0041] This application discloses an anti-drip faucet based on the siphon phenomenon, which realizes quantitative collection, drainage, and accurate measurement of trace amounts of seepage. The working principle of the anti-drip faucet of this application is described below: In the initial state, the water reservoir 101 is filled with tap water. Due to gravity overcoming the surface tension at the outlet 103, the water flows out from the outlet 103. When the water level drops to the siphon protrusion 102, the first siphon is triggered by the height difference between the siphon protrusion 102 and the outlet 103. The water in the water reservoir 101 is drained below the siphon inlet 1041. The siphon tube 104 cannot continue to siphon due to the entry of air and enters the waiting state.

[0042] When the valve experiences slight leakage due to prolonged use and erosion by dirt, water droplets continuously seep into the water reservoir 101 and accumulate. As the water level rises, the water level electrode 2, located above the siphon inlet 1041, receives the water level signal and transmits it to the control module 3. When the water level reaches the highest point of the siphon tube 104, i.e., the siphon protrusion 102, the air inside the siphon tube 104 is completely expelled, forming a continuous liquid column. At this time, because the outlet 103 is lower than the liquid surface in the water reservoir 101, gravity drives the liquid column to flow along the siphon tube 104 from the siphon protrusion 102 to the outlet 103, activating the siphon effect and rapidly emptying the water accumulated in the water reservoir 101 through the siphon tube 104.

[0043] During the siphon process, the water level in the reservoir 101 continuously decreases, and the water flow speed slows down. When the water level falls below the siphon inlet 1041, the liquid column in the siphon tube 104 breaks due to air entering, the siphon effect terminates, and the drainage action stops. The water level electrode 2 identifies the water level drop through changes in the water level signal. Combined with the geometric parameters of the reservoir 101 and the siphon tube 104, such as the height difference and pipe diameter, it can precisely control the fixed amount of water discharged in a single siphon, realizing a cycle from the accumulation of trace seepage, to threshold-triggered siphon, and finally to quantitative emptying.

[0044] Through the aforementioned siphon mechanism, the anti-drip faucet of this application transforms the sporadic dripping of traditional valves into controllable quantitative drainage. When the siphon is activated, it empties the water in the water storage tank 101 above the siphon inlet 1041 in one go, preventing continuous dripping and waste, preventing improper water use, and facilitating water management. Furthermore, by combining the water level electrode to record the siphon trigger frequency and the structural parameters of the water storage tank 101 and the siphon pipe 104, it can statistically analyze the amount of water loss, providing data support for water management and valve status assessment. This effectively solves the problems of wasting even a single drop of water and the inability to accurately measure water in traditional faucets, achieving a synergistic function of anti-drip and monitoring.

[0045] Hall effect flow meter 4 is installed in the inlet pipe before the water inlet of faucet 1. When faucet 1 is turned on, the control module 3 obtains water flow data through Hall effect flow meter 4, and the TDS sensor obtains water quality data and transmits it to the control module 3. If the water quality is unqualified, the control module 3 controls the indicator light 9 to switch states, forcibly closes the solenoid valve 13, and records this event and time through the clock module 11. After faucet 1 is turned off, the control module 3 receives the water level signal from water level electrode 2 and records the leakage situation. The control module 3 receives pulse signals from the Hall flow meter 4 and water level signals from the water level electrode 2. If water continues to flow for a long time, the alarm device 8 is triggered to issue a warning signal, and the water circuit is forcibly shut off through the solenoid valve 13. The control module 3 sends a signal to the mobile terminal to notify the user of abnormal water usage. The quantitative drainage and recording achieved by the anti-drip faucet based on the siphon design can provide an extra layer of safety for users such as elderly people living alone. If the water level signal from the water level electrode 2 detects a continuous siphon phenomenon, the solenoid valve 13 is forcibly shut off, which can also remind the user to perform maintenance. If the number of siphon phenomena differs from the elderly's water usage habits database, the control module 3 first issues a warning signal through the alarm device 8. If there is no response to the alarm signal, the control module 3 sends a signal to the mobile terminal of the children or community grid workers to remind them whether the elderly are in a condition.

[0046] It should be noted that the water level signal in this application refers to the level signal output by the water level electrode. That is, when the two ends of the water level electrode 2 are connected by water, it outputs a high-level signal; when the water level falls below the bottom of the siphon tube, the electrode is disconnected and outputs a low-level signal.

[0047] It is obvious that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and alterations to the embodiments of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. In this way, this application also aims to cover such modifications and alterations if they fall within the scope of the claims and their equivalents. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps not listed in the claims. The simple fact that certain measures are described in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used for profit. Any reference numerals in the claims should not be considered limiting in scope.

Claims

1. A drip-proof faucet based on the siphon phenomenon, characterized in that, include: The system includes a siphon tube, a water reservoir, a siphon protrusion, and a water outlet. The siphon protrusion is higher than the bottom of the water reservoir, and the bottom of the water reservoir is higher than the water outlet. The bottom of the water reservoir, the siphon protrusion, and the water outlet are connected to form a siphon channel. One end of the siphon tube extends to the bottom of the water reservoir, and the other end passes through the siphon protrusion and extends downward along the water outlet.

2. The anti-drip faucet according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the water storage device is hemispherical.

3. The anti-drip faucet according to claim 1, characterized in that, One end of the siphon tube is the siphon inlet, which is located at the bottom center of the water reservoir, and the other end of the siphon tube is the siphon outlet, which is flush with the outlet.

4. The anti-drip faucet according to claim 1, characterized in that, The siphon protrusion is curved.

5. The anti-drip faucet according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a water outlet pipe. The top of the water storage device is connected to the water outlet through the water outlet pipe. The bottom of the water storage device is connected to the water outlet in sequence through the siphon protrusion and the water outlet pipe. One end of the water outlet pipe is connected to the siphon protrusion and the water storage device in an arc shape, and the other end is connected to the water outlet vertically.

6. The anti-drip faucet according to claim 5, characterized in that, An overflow baffle is provided at the position of the siphon protrusion of the siphon tube. The overflow baffle is located between the water outlet pipe and the siphon tube. The bottom of the overflow baffle is connected to the siphon protrusion. The height of the overflow baffle is equal to the outer diameter of the siphon tube.

7. The anti-drip faucet according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a water level electrode, one end of which is positioned above one end of the siphon tube in the water storage device, and the other end is positioned below one end of the siphon tube in the water storage device.

8. The anti-drip faucet according to claim 7, characterized in that, It also includes a control module and functional components, wherein the control module is connected to the water level electrode and the functional components.

9. The anti-drip faucet according to claim 8, characterized in that, The functional components include a Hall effect flow meter, a TDS sensor, a water flow generator, a battery, an alarm device, indicator lights, a user input device, a clock module, a display screen, and a solenoid valve.

10. The anti-drip faucet according to claim 8, characterized in that, The control module includes a microcontroller of model ESP32.

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