A foaming assembly, shower controller and shower system
By designing a foaming component in the shower head, and using a method of mixing the functional liquid with water first and then with air, the problem of insufficient mixing of soap liquid and water is solved by utilizing a spiral stirring channel and a multi-layer filter, thus achieving the generation of rich and dense foam.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- XIAMEN SOLEX HIGH TECH INDUSTRIES CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-03-24
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-31
AI Technical Summary
The soap and water in the existing shower head are not mixed sufficiently, resulting in poor foaming effect and insufficient foam volume.
A foaming component was designed, comprising a water inlet channel, a functional liquid inlet channel, an air inlet channel, a first mixing chamber, a stirring channel, and a second mixing chamber. The functional liquid is first mixed with water and then with air. The mixing effect is enhanced by using a spiral stirring channel and a multi-layer filter to form rich and dense foam.
It achieves thorough mixing of functional liquid and water, producing a large amount of rich and dense foam, thus improving the foaming effect.
Smart Images
Figure CN224572665U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to a bathroom product, and more particularly to a shower system. Background Technology
[0002] In existing showerhead technology, some showerheads have a soap reservoir. When soap is needed, it is typically forced out of the reservoir by pressing or squeezing, mixing with the incoming water flow to foam before flowing out. However, due to the limited internal space of the showerhead, the mixture of soap and water often has a short flow path. The soap and water in the reservoir are usually not fully mixed before foaming, resulting in insufficient foam and poor foaming effect. Furthermore, in existing bubble showers, the soap and water are only initially mixed, leading to incomplete mixing and poor foaming. Utility Model Content
[0003] The main technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a foaming component with rich and dense foaming.
[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides a foaming component, which has a water inlet channel, a functional liquid inlet channel for connecting to a liquid pump, an air inlet channel for connecting to an air pump, a foam outlet, a first mixing chamber, a stirring channel, and a second mixing chamber.
[0005] The first mixing chamber is connected to the water inlet channel and the functional liquid inlet channel to form a mixed flow of functional liquid and water; the inlet of the stirring channel is connected to the first mixing chamber, and the outlet is connected to the second mixing chamber, which is also connected between the air inlet channel and the foam outlet.
[0006] In a preferred embodiment: the functional liquid inlet channel and the water inlet channel are connected to the first mixing chamber in different directions.
[0007] In a preferred embodiment: the functional liquid inlet channel and the water inlet channel are connected to the first mixing chamber in mutually perpendicular directions.
[0008] In a preferred embodiment, multiple layers of filters are spaced apart along the direction of the gas flow channel within the second mixing chamber.
[0009] In a preferred embodiment: the side of the functional liquid inlet channel connected to the first mixing chamber has a structure with a gradually narrowing channel diameter.
[0010] In a preferred embodiment: the stirring channel is located outside the functional liquid inlet channel.
[0011] In a preferred embodiment: the stirring channel and the air intake channel are connected to the second mixing chamber in different directions.
[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the liquid inlet direction of the stirring channel is perpendicular to the axial direction of the second mixing chamber.
[0013] In a preferred embodiment, a pressure reducing valve is installed in the water inlet channel.
[0014] In a preferred embodiment: the water inlet channel, the air inlet channel, and the functional liquid inlet channel are each provided with a one-way valve.
[0015] In a preferred embodiment: the stirring channel is a spiral stirring channel.
[0016] In a preferred embodiment: the foaming assembly includes a housing and a mandrel; the housing is provided with a water inlet channel, a foam outlet, an air inlet channel, and a channel that simultaneously connects a liquid pump, an air pump, a first mixing chamber, and a second mixing chamber;
[0017] The mandrel is disposed within the flow channel, and the functional liquid inlet flow channel is axially penetrated within the mandrel. The outer wall of the mandrel is threaded to form the spiral stirring channel between the outer wall of the mandrel and the inner wall of the flow channel.
[0018] In a preferred embodiment: the outer wall of the mandrel is provided with protrusions spaced apart along the circumference, the protrusions forming an obstruction surface for the mixed flow, and an acceleration channel for the mixed flow being formed between two adjacent protrusions.
[0019] In a preferred embodiment: the stirring channel is a vibrating stirring channel.
[0020] In a preferred embodiment: the stirring channel has a built-in vibrating rod or the stirring channel is driven to vibrate by an ultrasonic device.
[0021] This utility model also provides a shower controller, including an air pump, a liquid pump, and a foaming component as described above; the foaming component is provided with a water inlet connector, an air pump connector, and a liquid pump connector at the water inlet channel, the air inlet channel, and the functional liquid inlet channel, respectively.
[0022] This utility model also provides a shower system, including a shower controller and a water outlet terminal as described above, wherein the foam outlet is connected to the water outlet terminal.
[0023] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of this utility model has the following beneficial effects:
[0024] This invention provides a foaming component that uses a functional liquid and water to mix first, and then stirs the mixture through a spiral stirring channel to achieve a thorough mixing of the functional liquid and water. The thoroughly mixed mixture is then mixed with gas for a second time, thereby producing a large amount of rich and dense foam. Attached Figure Description
[0025] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the shower system in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0026] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the shower controller in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the water circuit in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0028] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the foaming component in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0029] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the mandrel in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0030] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the mandrel in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0031] Figure 7 for Figure 6 A magnified view of a portion of the image. Detailed Implementation
[0032] To make the technical solution and features of this utility model clearer, the following detailed description of this utility model is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific examples. It should be understood that these examples are only for illustrating this utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of this utility model. After reading this utility model, any modifications of this utility model by those skilled in the art in various equivalent forms fall within the scope defined by the appended claims.
[0033] refer to Figures 1-7 This embodiment provides a shower system, including: a shower controller 1, an overhead shower head 2, and a handheld shower head 3. In addition to the conventional functions of adjusting water temperature, flow rate, and switching between different water outlets, the shower controller 1 in this embodiment also has a soap-dispensing function. That is, foamed soap flows from a specific water outlet through a foaming component, allowing users to conveniently obtain soap with rich, dense foam for body cleaning during showering. This embodiment uses soap as an example, but it could also be shampoo, beauty serum, essential oils, or other functional liquids with fragrance additives. Furthermore, when this foaming component is applied to other products, the functional liquid could also be dishwashing liquid, detergent, or laundry liquid, etc.
[0034] Therefore, the aforementioned shower controller 1 includes an air pump 12, a liquid pump 11, and a foaming component 13. The foaming component 13 is equipped with a water inlet connector 1302, an air pump connector 1303, and a liquid pump connector 1304 at the water inlet channel 136, the air inlet channel 137, and the functional liquid inlet channel 138, respectively. In this way, the water inlet channel 136, the air inlet channel 137, and the functional liquid inlet channel 138 of the foaming component 13 can respectively achieve the purpose of water intake, air intake, and functional liquid intake. Then, these three media are mixed in the foaming component 13 to produce rich and dense foam.
[0035] Specifically, the foaming component 13 also has a foam outlet 131, a first mixing chamber 132, a spiral stirring channel 134, and a second mixing chamber 135; the first mixing chamber 132 is connected to the water inlet channel 136 and the functional liquid inlet channel 138 to form a mixed flow of functional liquid and water; the inlet of the spiral stirring channel 134 is connected to the first mixing chamber 132, and the outlet is connected to the second mixing chamber 135, and the second mixing chamber 135 is also connected between the air inlet channel 137 and the foam outlet 131.
[0036] After the above settings, the three media—water, functional liquid, and air—are not mixed simultaneously in the foaming component 13, but rather in a specific order. Specifically, water and functional liquid are first mixed in the first mixing chamber 132, then thoroughly mixed through the spiral stirring channel 134, and finally enter the second mixing chamber 135 to mix with air. This sequence ensures that the water and functional liquid are fully mixed before contacting the air, resulting in sufficiently rich and dense bubbles, leading to better foaming effects and more uniform and delicate foam.
[0037] In this embodiment, the functional liquid inlet channel 138 and the water inlet channel 136 are connected to the first mixing chamber 132 in different directions. Specifically, in this embodiment, the functional liquid inlet channel 138 and the water inlet channel 136 are connected to the first mixing chamber 132 in mutually perpendicular directions. This allows the functional liquid and water to collide due to their different flow directions upon entering the mixing chamber, increasing their mixing effect. Similarly, the spiral stirring channel 134 and the air inlet channel 137 are connected to the second mixing chamber 135 in different directions. This also increases the mixing effect between the mixed flow and air. In this embodiment, the liquid inlet direction of the stirring channel 134 is perpendicular to the axis of the second mixing chamber 135.
[0038] Furthermore, to further enhance the mixing effect of air and the mixed flow, multiple layers of filters 1351 are spaced apart along the direction of the gas flow channel within the second mixing chamber 135. The multiple layers of filters 1351 can cut and output foam from the air and mixed flow, thus increasing the cutting effect, thereby increasing the foam density and forming smaller and more numerous bubbles.
[0039] Furthermore, since the functional liquid is relatively viscous before mixing with water, its flow rate in the functional liquid inlet channel 138 is slow. This leads to an imbalance in the ratio of functional liquid to water in the first mixing chamber 132, resulting in a low proportion of functional liquid in the resulting mixture. Therefore, it is necessary to accelerate the functional liquid so that it can quickly flow from the functional liquid inlet channel 138 into the first mixing chamber 132. To this end, the functional liquid inlet channel 138 has a gradually narrowing channel diameter structure 1381 on one side connected to the first mixing chamber 132. Utilizing the Venturi effect, when the functional liquid flows through this gradually narrowing channel diameter structure 1381, its flow velocity increases, achieving acceleration and facilitating its outflow. The gradually narrowing channel diameter structure 1381 connects to the first mixing chamber 132 through a spray nozzle 1382. The functional liquid is sprayed out from the spray nozzle 1382, making it easier to disperse when mixed with water, resulting in a better mixing effect.
[0040] Meanwhile, although the functional fluid is accelerated, the water still needs to be decelerated so that the water and functional fluid can mix more gently in the first mixing chamber 132 to form a mixed flow. Therefore, a pressure reducing valve 1361 is installed in the water inlet channel 136 to decelerate the water flowing into the first mixing chamber 132. The pressure reducing valve 1361 is a common structure already existing in the prior art and is a direct application of the prior art. Therefore, the structure of the pressure reducing valve 1361 will not be described in detail in this application.
[0041] In this embodiment, to achieve a more compact structure, the spiral stirring channel 134 is located outside the functional liquid inlet channel 138. That is, the spiral stirring channel 134 and the functional liquid inlet channel 138 are located on the same side of the first mixing chamber 132, except that the flow direction of the functional liquid in the functional liquid inlet channel is opposite to the flow direction of the mixed flow in the spiral stirring channel 134. This nests the functional liquid inlet channel 138 and the spiral stirring channel 134 together, resulting in a more compact structure and reducing the overall volume of the foaming assembly.
[0042] Furthermore, to prevent backflow of water, air, and functional fluid, one-way valves are respectively provided in the water inlet channel 136, the air inlet channel 137, and the functional fluid inlet channel 138. The structure of the one-way valve is also a common structure in the prior art, and will not be elaborated on in this embodiment.
[0043] Finally, to achieve the above structure, the foaming component 13 in this embodiment includes a housing 130 and a mandrel 139; the housing 130 is provided with the water inlet channel 136, the foam outlet 131, the air inlet channel 137, and a channel 1301 that simultaneously connects the liquid pump 11, the air pump 12, the first mixing chamber 132, and the second mixing chamber 135; the mandrel 139 is disposed in the channel 1301, and the functional liquid inlet channel 138 is provided axially through the mandrel 139; the outer wall of the mandrel 139 is provided with a thread 1391 or a spiral structure to form the spiral stirring channel 134 between the outer wall of the mandrel 139 and the inner wall of the channel 1301.
[0044] Furthermore, in this embodiment, to further enhance the mixing effect of the mixed flow in the spiral stirring channel 134, the outer wall of the mandrel 139 is provided with protrusions 1392 spaced circumferentially. These protrusions 1392 form obstruction surfaces for the mixed flow, and an acceleration channel is formed between adjacent protrusions 1392. That is, when the mixed flow flows in the spiral stirring channel 134, it stops flowing when it encounters an obstruction surface and accelerates when it encounters an acceleration channel, thus achieving a rapid stop-and-go effect in the spiral stirring channel 134, allowing the water and functional liquid in the mixed flow to mix more thoroughly. In this embodiment, the thread 1391 is divided into two sections, and the protrusions 1392 are located between the two sections of the thread 1391. That is, after the mixed flow rapidly stops and goes through the protrusions 1392, it will continue its spiral motion through another section of the thread 1391, achieving a secondary spiral stirring effect.
[0045] Since the water outlet is not always intended to dispense soapy liquid with abundant foam, in this embodiment, a first solenoid valve 15 and a second solenoid valve 16 are connected in series between the water outlet and the flow regulating valve 14 of the shower controller 1. The first solenoid valve 15 is connected to both the second and second solenoid valves and is also connected to the first mixing chamber 132. The second solenoid valve 16 is connected to the second mixing chamber 135. Therefore, when both the first and second solenoid valves 15 and 16 are open, the water flows directly into the second mixing chamber 135 after passing through the series-connected valves 15 and 16, and then enters the water outlet from the foam outlet 131, achieving the basic shower function. When the soap-dispensing function is needed, the first solenoid valve 15 is opened and the second solenoid valve 16 is closed, allowing water to enter the first mixing chamber 132. The soap-dispensing function can then be achieved by controlling the liquid pump 11 and the air pump 12 to operate. In this embodiment, the water outlet for the soap-dispensing function is the handheld shower head 3. Therefore, the overhead shower head 2 and the lower water outlet function only require a solenoid valve 17 or 18 to control the opening or closing of their respective flow channels to achieve water flow and shut-off for the overhead shower head 2 and the lower water outlet function. To achieve the switching of the above functions, the control panel of the shower controller 1 is equipped with buttons corresponding to the water outlet and soap-dispensing functions of each water outlet. These buttons send control signals to the corresponding solenoid valves, controlling their operation. The buttons are touch-sensitive, and each solenoid valve is connected to the PCB control panel, receiving an opening signal via a touch switch outside the showerhead.
[0046] This embodiment uses a spiral stirring channel as an example. As a simple alternative, a vibrating channel can also be used instead of a spiral stirring channel. When the mixed flow passes through the vibrating channel, vibration is used to achieve thorough mixing of the functional liquid and water. The vibrating channel can consist of a vibrating rod installed within the channel, driven by an ultrasonic device. Alternatively, the entire channel can be driven to vibrate directly by an ultrasonic device.
[0047] The above is only one specific embodiment of the present utility model, but the design concept of the present utility model is not limited thereto. Any non-substantial modifications made to the present utility model using this concept shall be deemed as an infringement of the protection scope of the present utility model.
Claims
1. A foaming assembly characterized by: The foaming component has a water inlet channel, a functional liquid inlet channel for connecting to a liquid pump, an air inlet channel for connecting to an air pump, a foam outlet, a first mixing chamber, a stirring channel, and a second mixing chamber. The first mixing chamber is connected to the water inlet channel and the functional liquid inlet channel to form a mixed flow of functional liquid and water; the inlet of the stirring channel is connected to the first mixing chamber, and the outlet is connected to the second mixing chamber, which is also connected between the air inlet channel and the foam outlet.
2. A foaming assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The functional liquid inlet channel and the water inlet channel are connected to the first mixing chamber in different directions.
3. A foaming assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The functional liquid inlet channel and the water inlet channel are connected to the first mixing chamber in mutually perpendicular directions.
4. A foaming assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The second mixing chamber is provided with multiple layers of filters at intervals along the direction of the gas flow channel.
5. A foaming assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The functional liquid inlet channel has a structure with a gradually narrowing channel diameter on one side connected to the first mixing chamber.
6. A foaming assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The stirring channel is located outside the functional liquid inlet channel.
7. A foaming assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The stirring channel and the air intake channel are connected to the second mixing chamber in different directions.
8. A foaming assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The liquid inlet direction of the stirring channel is perpendicular to the axis of the second mixing chamber.
9. A foaming assembly according to claim 1, wherein: A pressure reducing valve is installed in the water inlet channel.
10. A foaming assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The water inlet channel, air inlet channel, and functional liquid inlet channel are each equipped with a one-way valve.
11. A foaming assembly according to any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that: The stirring channel is a spiral stirring channel.
12. A foaming assembly according to claim 11, wherein: The foaming assembly includes a housing and a mandrel; the housing is provided with a water inlet channel, a foam outlet, an air inlet channel, and a channel that simultaneously connects a liquid pump, an air pump, a first mixing chamber, and a second mixing chamber; The mandrel is disposed within the flow channel, and the functional liquid inlet flow channel is axially penetrated within the mandrel. The outer wall of the mandrel is threaded to form the spiral stirring channel between the outer wall of the mandrel and the inner wall of the flow channel.
13. A foaming assembly according to claim 12, wherein: The outer wall of the mandrel is provided with protrusions spaced circumferentially, the protrusions forming an obstruction surface for the mixed flow, and an acceleration channel for the mixed flow being formed between two adjacent protrusions.
14. A foaming assembly according to any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that: The stirring channel is a vibrating stirring channel.
15. A foaming assembly according to claim 14, wherein: The stirring channel has a built-in vibrating rod or the stirring channel is driven to vibrate by an ultrasonic device.
16. A shower controller characterised by It includes an air pump, a liquid pump, and a foaming component according to any one of claims 1-15; the foaming component is provided with an inlet connector, an air pump connector, and a liquid pump connector at the water inlet channel, the air inlet channel, and the functional liquid inlet channel, respectively.
17. A shower system characterised in that Includes the shower controller and water outlet terminal as described in claim 16, wherein the foam outlet is connected to the water outlet terminal.