Cistern Drain Fitting With Lateral Actuator And Adjustable Closing Weight
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drain fittings for cisterns lack a compact design with a large adjustment range, especially when operated with fluidically or electrically controllable actuators for partial flushing.
Innovation Solution
A drain fitting with a housing and valve body, featuring a float and closing weight arrangement that allows for adjustable height and movement, utilizing a fluidically or electrically controllable actuator to raise the valve body, and a control unit with a closing weight that provides a closing force, ensuring the fitting can be compactly designed without protruding elements, allowing for adjustable flushing volumes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the closing weight is made adjustable to increase the adjustment range for partial flushing, then the adaptability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The closing weight is made adjustable in height along the lateral surface of the housing, allowing dynamic adaptation of the flushing volume. The actuator can position the closing weight at different heights to achieve different partial flushing volumes, transforming a static component into a dynamically adjustable one that adapts to various flushing requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustment range is segmented into discrete height positions along the lateral surface. The control unit can select from multiple predetermined height positions, dividing the continuous adjustment range into manageable segments that correspond to different flushing volumes, making the system both adaptable and controllable.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the actuator and closing weight are arranged opposite each other laterally to the housing, then the adjustment range is improved without collision, but the device occupies more lateral space
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of arranging the actuator and closing weight in a linear sequence along one dimension, they are positioned in opposite lateral directions from the central axis. This spatial arrangement in multiple dimensions allows both components to have full adjustment ranges without interfering with each other, effectively utilizing three-dimensional space.
Solution Approach 2:
The actuator and closing weight are positioned asymmetrically on opposite sides of the housing rather than in a symmetric or linear arrangement. This asymmetric positioning optimizes the use of available space and prevents collision during the full range of motion of both components.
3Device complexity
If the actuator is designed only for raising the valve body without holding function, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the hydraulic equilibrium in the float chamber to automatically hold the valve body in the flushing position without requiring the actuator to maintain position. The float mechanism self-regulates the valve position based on water level, eliminating the need for continuous actuator engagement and simplifying the actuator design while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The float chamber creates a hydraulic counterbalance that opposes the weight of the valve body, automatically holding it in the flushing position. This counterbalancing mechanism provides inherent stability and reliability without requiring the actuator to continuously counteract gravity, allowing the actuator to be simpler in design.
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 solution enables a compact drain fitting with a wide adjustment range, ensuring reliable operation even without the actuator, and allows for efficient flushing without the need for precise timing control, with the ability to perform both full and partial flushes.
Implementation Method 1
air can enter the float chamber from areas outside the float chamber in such a way that the pressure conditions between the float chamber and the areas outside the float chamber can be compensated for
Implementation Method 2
The function of the closing weight is defined in such a way that its buoyancy in the water ceases when the water level drops below the closing weight and the full weight force acts on the valve body
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A flushing assembly (1) for a cistern comprises a housing (2) with a housing wall (3) having a outer surface (4), and a valve body (5) movably mounted in the housing (2) with a float (6), wherein the valve body (5) is movable along a central axis (M) from a rest position to a flushing position and from the flushing position to the rest position, wherein the float (6) is movable along the central axis (M) within a float chamber (7) bounded by the housing (2) and hydraulically cooperates with the float chamber (7), wherein the float chamber (7) comprises at least one control passage (8) for controlling a first flush quantity, through which, as soon as a flushing water level (S) surrounding the flushing assembly (1) has dropped to the height of the control passage (8), air from areas (9) outside the float chamber (7) can enter the float chamber (7).such that the pressure conditions between the float chamber (7) and the areas (9) outside the float chamber (7) can be equalized, wherein the float (6) can be moved from the flushing position to the rest position when the pressure conditions are equalized, wherein the drain assembly (1) further comprises a control unit (10) with a closing weight (12) adjustable in its height for controlling a second flush quantity, wherein the closing weight (12) exerts a closing force on the valve body (5) when the second flush quantity is triggered, and wherein the closing weight (12) is arranged outside the housing (2) to be movable laterally to the outer surface (4) and relative to the outer surface (4), wherein the drain assembly (1) further comprises a fluidically or electrically controllable actuator (11) with which the valve body (5) can be raised from the rest position to the flushing position,and wherein the actuator (11) is arranged laterally to the outer surface (4) and with respect to the central axis (M) opposite the closing weight (12) arranged outside the housing (2).