Air-Gap Faucet Valve Structure for Siphoning Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing faucets with air gap devices are complex, making manufacturing and assembly difficult and increasing costs, while also requiring separate production lines for faucets with and without air gaps to comply with different national regulations.
Innovation Solution
A faucet design that includes a faucet body with a channel, a curved faucet spigot, a rotatable handle, and a fastening member, along with a valve featuring an upper hollow cylinder, a space, a fastening element, a drain seat, and a vent with an air gap to prevent siphoning of unfiltered water.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an air gap device is provided in the faucet body to prevent siphoning of unfiltered water, then the reliability of preventing pollution is improved, but the device complexity increases making manufacturing and assembly difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the air gap device into a standard faucet body design that can serve both markets requiring air gap prevention and markets where it is not required. The faucet body includes a waste water passage with an air gap feature built-in, allowing the same faucet design to comply with different national regulations without requiring separate production lines, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining universal applicability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the air gap prevention function with the existing faucet body structure by integrating the waste water passage and air gap feature into the main faucet assembly. This merging eliminates the need for separate air gap devices or complex additional components, achieving pollution prevention while simplifying the overall device structure and manufacturing process.
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate production lines are used for faucets with and without air gap devices to comply with different national regulations, then the adaptability to different regulations is improved, but the manufacturing cost and storage cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal faucet body design that incorporates an air gap feature in the waste water passage, enabling the same product to meet different national regulations. This single design can be deployed globally without requiring separate production lines for different markets, thereby maintaining regulatory adaptability while significantly reducing manufacturing complexity and storage costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the faucet into functional modules where the waste water passage with air gap feature is integrated into the main body. This modular segmentation allows the same base design to serve multiple regulatory requirements, enabling manufacturers to produce a standardized product line that adapts to different markets without requiring complete separate production lines.
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 faucet design effectively prevents siphoning of unfiltered water while simplifying manufacturing and reducing costs by integrating the air gap device into a more streamlined and efficient faucet structure.
Implementation Method 1
a vent having a first end in fluid communication with the second tunnel and a second end in fluid communication with an outer surface of the upper, hollow cylinder
Data Source
AI summary
A faucet device includes a faucet body including a faucet spigot communicating with a channel, a handle, and a fastening member; and a valve including a hollow cylinder, a fastening element on a top of the hollow cylinder and complementarily secured to the fastening member, a drain seat on a bottom of the hollow cylinder, a first hole through the drain seat and having a first tunnel through the drain seat, an inlet connector secured to the first hole, a second hole through the drain seat and having a second tunnel through the drain seat, an outlet connector secured to the second hole, a curved tube having a first end secured to the first tunnel and a second end passing through the second tunnel into the outlet connector, and a vent having a first end communicating with the second tunnel and a second end communicating with the atmosphere.