A liquid dispenser for animals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pet water dispensers fail to provide fresh, clean water at a desirable temperature, prevent contamination, offer flowing water, accurately detect water levels, and operate efficiently using both battery and external power, while also being aesthetically pleasing and therapeutic for pets and humans.
Innovation Solution
A pet water dispenser with a container, pump, lid, and base that includes a fan, heat sink, Peltier device, and UV sterilization, allowing for temperature control, water filtration, and remote operation, featuring a design that provides flowing water and is easy to clean and repair.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the functional insert housing is provided inside the drinking bowl, then the structure is compact, but pets cannot drink falling water and can only drink water flowing along the upper surface
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into separate functional modules: a drinking bowl for storing water and a separate functional insert for water circulation. This segmentation allows pets to access both falling water from the bowl and circulating water from the insert, providing multiple drinking options without compromising structural compactness.
Solution Approach 2:
The functional insert is positioned at a different spatial level (inside the bowl) while the bowl itself provides falling water from above. This dimensional arrangement allows pets to choose between water falling from the bowl's upper surface and water circulating within the insert, adding versatility without increasing overall device complexity.
2Productivity
If the functional insert has a slope with high height at the center and low height toward the edge, then water circulation is improved, but it becomes difficult for pets to drink water in the bowl or from a flat surface
Solution Approach 1:
The drinking area is segmented into two distinct zones: a sloped circulation channel within the functional insert for efficient water flow, and a separate flat drinking surface in the bowl for pet accessibility. This segmentation allows each zone to optimize its function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the device have different surface characteristics: the functional insert has a sloped surface optimized for water circulation, while the drinking bowl maintains a flat surface optimized for pet drinking. This local differentiation of surface quality allows both water circulation efficiency and pet accessibility to be maximized simultaneously.
3Ease of operation
If the upper side of the drinking bowl is open, then access is easy, but water contained in the drinking bowl may be easily contaminated
Solution Approach 1:
The functional insert acts as an intermediary structure between the open bowl and the water supply system. It provides a covered circulation chamber that protects water from contamination while maintaining easy access to the bowl. The insert's design allows water to flow through it in a controlled manner, reducing exposure to contaminants.
4Temperature
If heating and cooling modules are provided in the technology block, then water temperature control is improved, but the stored water in the drinking bowl cannot be cooled
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling function is extracted from the central technology block and implemented as a separate cooling module integrated with the functional insert. This allows the drinking bowl to be cooled independently through the insert's cooling channels, providing temperature control for stored water without requiring complex centralized cooling infrastructure.
5Device complexity
If a water level gauge is immersed in the water in the technology block, then water level detection is simple, but the water level may not be accurately detected when used for a long time
Solution Approach 1:
An external magnetic field acts as an intermediary to detect water level without direct contact with the water. The magnetic field interacts with a magnetic sensor positioned outside the water-containing chamber, allowing accurate water level detection without immersing the gauge in water, thereby maintaining both simplicity and long-term accuracy.
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 solution ensures fresh, clean water at a desirable temperature, prevents contamination, accurately detects water levels, and operates efficiently using both battery and external power, while being aesthetically pleasing and therapeutic for pets and humans.
Implementation Method 1
a Peltier device mounted on the heat sink
Implementation Method 2
a fan having an intake and an outtake, a suction grill through which ambient air is suctioned via the intake of the fan
Implementation Method 3
UV sterilization
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
A liquid dispenser, comprising: a container (200) configured to store liquid and having an upper opening; a pump (192) having an inlet (192c) to suction liquid stored in the container (200) and an outlet (192a) to discharge the liquid; a lid (300 and 400) seated on the container (200) to cover the upper opening and having a hole (421) through which liquid discharged from the pump (192) flows, and a base (100) to support the container (200), the base (100) including: a fan (180) having an intake and an outtake, a suction grill (121) through which ambient air is suctioned via the intake of the fan (180), a plurality of exhaust vents (115) through which air from the outtake of the fan (180) is discharged, and a fan housing (170) to which the fan (180) is mounted, the fan housing (170) having at least one inclined surface which is inclined outward from a top end to a bottom end, the bottom end being closer to the exhaust vents (115) than the top end.