Collapsible Air Humidifier Water Tank with Rigid-Flexible Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional collapsible air humidifiers face issues with water leakage and insufficient side strength when collapsed, leading to complex structures and high production costs due to the use of multiple clamping plates and extended pressing plates.

Innovation Solution

A collapsible air humidifier design featuring a base with a containing cavity and a water tank composed of rigid lower and upper sections and a flexible middle section, connected through bonding, welding, or welding processes, eliminating the need for clamping plates and simplifying the structure while maintaining strength and reducing leakage risks.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If the water tank is made collapsible with flexible middle section, then storage space is reduced, but side strength becomes insufficient when collapsed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage spaceVSAvoidside strength

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The water tank is divided into three distinct sections: rigid upper section, flexible middle section, and rigid lower section. This segmentation allows the flexible middle section to collapse for compact storage while the rigid upper and lower sections maintain structural strength and support the top cover when collapsed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different sections of the water tank have different mechanical properties - the upper and lower sections are rigid to provide strength where needed (supporting the top cover and base), while the middle section is flexible to enable collapsing. This local differentiation of material properties resolves the contradiction between collapsibility and strength.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Strength

If clamping plates and extended pressing plates are used to strengthen the collapsible part, then side strength is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveside strengthVSAvoidstructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The rigid upper section and rigid lower section are integrated directly with the flexible middle section through bonding, welding, or ultrasonic welding, eliminating the need for separate clamping plates and pressing plates. This merging of structural elements simplifies the overall device complexity while maintaining the necessary strength.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The complex clamping and pressing plate mechanisms from prior art are completely removed from the design. Instead, the strength function is achieved through the inherent rigidity of the upper and lower sections and their direct connection to the flexible middle section, extracting unnecessary complexity from the system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If multiple clamping plates and pressing plates are used to secure the collapsible part, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewater leakage preventionVSAvoidproduction cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The mechanical clamping and pressing systems are replaced with bonding, welding, or ultrasonic welding processes that directly join the rigid sections to the flexible middle section. This substitution eliminates multiple mechanical components while maintaining reliable sealing and preventing water leakage, thereby reducing manufacturing cost.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The rigid upper and lower sections themselves provide the clamping and securing function through their inherent rigidity and direct connection to the flexible middle section, eliminating the need for additional clamping plates and pressing plates. This self-service approach reduces component count and manufacturing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS20230324055A1Collapsible air humidifier

Publication Date: 2023.10.12 SHENZHEN HEBRON TECH CO LTD

AI summary

Disclosed is a collapsible air humidifier, comprising: a base including a containing cavity having an upper open; and a water tank that is collapsible having a bottom cover, a lower section, a middle section, an upper section and a top cover, wherein the lower section is mounted on the containing cavity, the middle section and the upper section are mounted above the containing cavity, and the upper section and the middle section are stored within the middle section when the water tank is in a collapsed state; and wherein the lower section and the upper section are rigid pieces, the middle section is a flexible piece, an upper end of the middle section is connected to and sealed with a lower end of the upper section, and a lower end of the middle section is connected to and sealed with an upper end of the lower section.