Docking Station Guiding Assembly for Leak-Free Liquid Replenishment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional household cleaning systems face inefficiencies due to difficulties in accurately aligning the cleaning device with the docking station, leading to water leakage and prolonged liquid replenishment times, which reduces cleaning efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A docking station with a guiding assembly and a liquid feeding assembly that includes a connector with a liquid outlet, designed to align and communicate with a mating assembly on the cleaning device, ensuring precise and efficient liquid replenishment through a guiding fit, preventing water leakage and enhancing overall cleaning efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional docking station feeds liquid to cleaning device without guiding assembly, then device complexity is reduced, but alignment precision deteriorates causing water leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The docking station is divided into functional modules: a guiding assembly with guiding protrusions and grooves for alignment, and a liquid feeding assembly with separate liquid outlet and connector. This segmentation allows each module to perform its specific function independently, achieving precise alignment without overcomplicating the overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The guiding protrusions and grooves act as intermediary elements between the docking station and cleaning device. These guiding features mediate the alignment process, ensuring that the liquid outlet and connector are properly positioned before liquid transfer, thereby preventing water leakage.
2Productivity
If cleaning device enters docking region slowly to ensure alignment, then alignment precision is improved, but replenishment time increases reducing cleaning efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding assembly performs preliminary alignment action before the liquid feeding process begins. The guiding protrusions and grooves establish the correct relative position between the docking station and cleaning device in advance, ensuring that when the liquid outlet and connector make contact, they are already properly aligned, enabling fast and accurate replenishment.
3Reliability
If liquid outlet and connector are positioned without guiding fit, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates causing water leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding protrusions and grooves feature asymmetric geometries that provide directional guidance. The protrusions on one component fit into corresponding grooves on the mating component, creating a unique alignment orientation. This asymmetric design ensures reliable connection between the liquid outlet and connector while maintaining simple overall structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A docking station includes a station body and a liquid feeding assembly. The station body has a docking region and guiding assembly on a side of the station body. The guiding assembly is in the docking region. The guiding assembly is configured to be in guiding fit with a mating assembly of a cleaning device. The liquid feeding assembly is on the station body and includes a liquid feeding connector. The liquid feeding connector has a liquid outlet oriented toward the docking region. The liquid outlet is configured to be butted and communicated with a connector of the cleaning device under the guiding fit of the guiding assembly and the mating assembly.