Bidet Nozzle and Flexible Rack Layout for Low-Profile Housing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sanitary washing devices that advance and retract with respect to a toilet are often too tall, leading to a high profile that may be undesirable in certain installations.
Innovation Solution
The sanitary washing device incorporates a nozzle unit with a curved, upwardly convex design, a flexible rack, and a gear system that allows the nozzle to advance and retract without overlapping with other components, positioning the gear and curved portions behind the nozzle to minimize vertical height.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If the nozzle unit, gear, and curved portions are arranged in a conventional layout, then the device can maintain structural simplicity, but the overall height of the device becomes too large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dimensional rearrangement by positioning the gear and curved portions in the longitudinal direction behind the nozzle unit, rather than stacking them vertically. This redistributes components across different spatial dimensions, allowing the nozzle unit to occupy the upper vertical space while the gear and curved portions occupy the lower and rearward spaces, thereby reducing the overall height of the device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements nesting by placing the curved portion within the space defined by the gear and rack guide structure. The curved portion is positioned behind the gear in the longitudinal direction, utilizing the existing structural envelope to accommodate additional components without increasing the vertical footprint, thus achieving compact integration of multiple parts.
2Length of stationary object
If the nozzle unit is positioned to avoid overlapping with gear and curved portions, then the device height is reduced, but the spatial arrangement becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the internal space into distinct zones: the nozzle unit occupies the upper front region, the gear is positioned in the middle rear region, and the curved portion is located in the lower rear region. This zonal segmentation prevents spatial overlap and simplifies assembly by allowing components to be installed in separate, non-interfering areas, while the overall compact arrangement maintains reduced device height.
Data Source
AI summary
A sanitary washing device includes a casing, a nozzle unit, a flexible rack connected to the nozzle unit, a gear configured to engage the rack, a drive motor configured to advance and retract the nozzle unit by moving the rack via the gear, and a rack guide configured to guide the rack. The nozzle unit includes a washing nozzle curved to be upwardly convex. The nozzle unit is configured to advance and retreat between the casing and a toilet. The rack guide includes a curved portion extending and being folded back in a longitudinal direction, the gear is positioned behind the nozzle unit when viewed in side-view. The curved portion is positioned behind the gear when viewed in side-view.