Bearing component for flow sensor, flow assembly and household appliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flow sensors, especially wing wheels, in house technology devices face high loads and wear due to poor water quality, leading to reduced lifespan and increased abrasion.
Innovation Solution
A one-piece bearing component with two elastic thighs is designed to store the flow sensor, allowing it to be inserted between the thighs' axis shots, thus separating it from the housing material that can cause abrasion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the flow sensor is mounted directly in the housing made of fiber-reinforced plastics, then the housing provides structural support and durability, but the fiber-reinforced material causes rapid abrasion of the flow sensor in poor water quality
Solution Approach 1:
A bearing component made of fiber-reinforced plastic is introduced as an intermediary between the flow sensor and the housing. This bearing component has two legs that can be elastically separated to insert the flow sensor, and then return to a closed position to securely hold the flow sensor. The bearing component protects the flow sensor from direct contact with abrasive fiber-reinforced housing material while maintaining structural support.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting structure is divided into separate components: the housing, the bearing component, and the flow sensor. The bearing component is a separate one-piece structure with two legs that can be independently manipulated during assembly. This segmentation allows the flow sensor to be inserted between the separated legs and then secured when the legs return to their closed position.
2Reliability
If the bearing component legs are made rigid, then the flow sensor is securely held in position, but the flow sensor cannot be inserted between the legs
Solution Approach 1:
The legs of the bearing component are designed with elastic properties, allowing them to dynamically change their configuration. During installation, the legs can be elastically separated to increase the distance between them, enabling flow sensor insertion. After insertion, the legs return to their original closed position to securely retain the flow sensor.
3Ease of manufacture
If the bearing component is designed as a single integrated piece, then manufacturing and assembly are simplified, but the structure must incorporate elastic legs that can both open for insertion and close for retention
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing component combines multiple functions into a single integrated piece: structural support, elastic leg mechanism for insertion and retention, and positioning features. This merging eliminates the need for separate assembly steps involving multiple components while incorporating the necessary elastic leg mechanism that can open and close to facilitate flow sensor installation and secure retention.
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
This solution ensures the durability of flow sensors by protecting them from the abrasive effects of fiber-reinforced housing materials, especially in poor water quality conditions, while also simplifying assembly and preventing the flow sensor from falling out.
Implementation Method 1
The two legs are designed to be elastic in such a way that, for inserting the flow sensor, a distance between the axle receptacles can be increased
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a bearing component of a flow sensor, in particular an impeller, of a domestic appliance, in particular a continuous flow heater. The flow sensor has an axle which is substantially perpendicular to the flow direction of a fluid channel of the domestic appliance in the installed state, and the bearing component is designed as a single part and has two interconnected limbs, each limb having an axle receiving area for one end of the axle of the flow sensor, wherein both axle receiving areas are mutually spaced so as to correspond to the extension of the axle of the flow sensor when the bearing component is unloaded. The two limbs are designed to be elastic such that the spacing between the axle receiving areas can be increased in order to insert the flow sensor between the axle receiving areas.