Ablutionary Device Control System with Diagnostic Fault Isolation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronically controlled ablutionary devices, such as digital showers and taps, face difficulties in diagnosing issues with the water supply versus control system faults, often requiring unnecessary servicing or replacement due to incorrect fault identification.
Innovation Solution
A control system for ablutionary devices that includes a mixer valve and a controller capable of obtaining operating signals to generate diagnostic signals indicating failure modes, distinguishing between water supply and control system issues, and adjusting operations accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a digital control system is implemented to provide remote control functionality, then user convenience and control capability are improved, but difficulty in diagnosing faults increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by having the controller monitor operating signals from sensors (flow rate sensor, temperature sensor, pressure sensor) and compare actual output properties against target properties. This feedback mechanism enables automatic detection of deviations and generation of diagnostic signals indicating failure modes, thus resolving the contradiction by maintaining remote control functionality while adding self-diagnostic capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system performs self-service through automatic fault diagnosis. The controller autonomously monitors operating parameters, detects failures, and generates diagnostic signals without requiring user intervention or physical inspection. This allows the system to self-identify problems with water supply or control components, eliminating the need for difficult manual troubleshooting while preserving remote control benefits.
2Area of stationary object
If the mixer valve unit is installed in a loft space or under a bath, then space utilization is improved, but accessibility for fault checking deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The controller receives feedback from sensors monitoring flow rate, temperature, and pressure of the water supply. By continuously comparing actual operating parameters against expected values, the system can automatically detect faults and generate diagnostic signals indicating the nature and location of failures. This eliminates the need for physical inspection of the mixer valve unit, allowing it to be installed in hard-to-reach locations like lofts or under baths while maintaining ease of fault identification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical inspection with electronic monitoring and signal processing. Instead of requiring physical access to the mixer valve unit for fault checking, the system uses sensors and electronic controllers to monitor operating parameters and generate diagnostic information that can be accessed remotely, thus substituting mechanical accessibility requirements with electronic detection capabilities.
3Measurement precision
If diagnostic functionality is added to identify failure modes, then fault diagnosis accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The diagnostic functionality is segmented into distinct sensor modules (flow rate sensor, temperature sensor, pressure sensor) and a central controller that processes their signals separately. Each sensor independently monitors a specific parameter, and the controller integrates these signals to generate comprehensive diagnostic information. This segmentation allows for improved diagnosis accuracy while managing complexity through modular architecture, where each component has a dedicated function.
Data Source
AI summary
A control system for one or more ablutionary devices, comprising: a mixer valve having a first inlet and a second inlet configured to receive a supply of hot and cold water, and an outlet configured to output cold water, hot water or a mixture thereof as an output stream for suppling water to the one or more ablutionary devices downstream of the mixer valve; and a controller in communication with the mixer valve. The controller is configured to control the mixer valve according to one or more target output water properties; obtain one or more operating signals each related to an operating parameter of the control system; and generate, based on the one or more operating signals, a diagnostic signal that indicates an associated failure mode of the water supply if the mixer valve cannot be controlled to reach the one or more target water output properties.