A wet-dry vacuum device assembly and pump accessory thereof
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wet-dry vacuum cleaners face challenges in efficiently managing water consumption and waste water flow during extended operations with continuous cooling or lubricating liquid use, leading to frequent tank emptying and increased water usage, which is undesirable for water conservation.
Innovation Solution
A wet-dry vacuum device assembly with a removable pump accessory that captures and recycles liquid from the tank, allowing for continuous operation without constant water supply and reducing waste water flow, featuring a pump that moves captured liquid from the tank to an exterior hose for reuse.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If a constant flow of cooling or lubricating liquid is provided during tool operation, then the tool can operate continuously, but water consumption increases and waste water flow into the sewer system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a pump accessory that recycles liquid from the collection tank back to the tool, converting waste water into reusable coolant. This recovering mechanism reduces water consumption while enabling continuous operation, directly addressing the contradiction between continuous operation and water loss.
2Duration of action of moving object
If a constant flow of cooling or lubricating liquid is provided during tool operation, then the tool can operate continuously, but the frequency of tank emptying increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pump accessory enables continuous recycling of liquid from the tank back to the tool, maintaining an uninterrupted flow of coolant. This continuity eliminates the need to stop operation for tank emptying, resolving the contradiction between continuous operation and time loss from frequent emptying.
3Loss of substance
If a pump accessory is added to recycle liquid, then water consumption is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The recycling function is separated into a removable pump accessory that can be attached to or detached from the vacuum cleaner. This segmentation allows the water conservation feature to be added without permanently complicating the base system, enabling users to opt-in to the recycling capability while maintaining simplicity of the core vacuum function.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump accessory serves multiple functions: it pumps liquid from the tank, filters debris, and recycles the liquid back to the tool. This multi-functionality consolidates several operations into a single component, reducing overall system complexity while achieving water conservation goals.
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 reduces the need for frequent tank emptying and minimizes water waste by recycling captured liquids, enhancing water conservation and maintaining efficient operation during extended tool use.
Implementation Method 1
a motor-fan assembly mounted in the housing and arranged to generate an air flow along an airflow path between a dirty air inlet and a clean air exhaust
Implementation Method 2
a tank positioned along the airflow path and arranged to capture liquid entrained in the dirty air flow
Implementation Method 3
the pump is arranged to move captured liquid in the tank from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A wet-dry vacuum device assembly comprises a housing and a motor-fan assembly mounted in the housing. The motor-fan assembly is arranged to generate an airflow along an airflow path between a dirty air inlet and a clean air exhaust. The wet-dry vacuum device comprises a tank positioned along the airflow path and arranged to capture liquid entrained in the dirty air flow. The wet-dry vacuum device further comprises a removable pump accessory mountable to the housing. The removable pump accessory comprises pump and a fluid inlet in fluid communication with the tank and the pump. A fluid outlet is in fluid communication with the pump and connectable to an exterior hose. The pump is arranged to move captured liquid in the tank from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet.