Elastic Membrane Water Tank for Pump-Free Ice Maker Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional water purifiers require the ice making unit to be positioned below the purified water tank, necessitating a booster pump to pressurize water, which limits design flexibility and generates noise.
Innovation Solution
A water purifier design featuring a purified water tank with a separation membrane that allows the ice making unit to be positioned above or horizontally with the tank, eliminating the need for a motor or pump to pressurize water, using a valve unit with multiple flow modes to control the flow of raw and purified water.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the ice making unit is disposed above the purified water tank, then the design flexibility is improved, but a motor or pump is required to pressurize purified water to flow into the ice making unit
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a pump to push water upward, the invention inverts the approach by allowing water to flow downward from the purification unit to the ice making unit positioned below. This eliminates the need for a motor or pump while achieving the desired ice making functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention removes the pump component from the system entirely by reconfiguring the water flow path. The purification unit is positioned above the ice making unit, allowing gravity to naturally drive water flow without requiring additional pressurization equipment.
2Reliability
If a booster pump is used to flow purified water to the purified water storage and ice making unit, then the water flow is ensured, but noise is generated
Solution Approach 1:
The booster pump is completely removed from the system. The purification unit is positioned above the storage tank and ice making unit, utilizing gravity flow to ensure reliable water delivery without the noise generated by pump operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses gravity as a free resource to drive water flow from the purification unit through the storage tank to the ice making unit. This self-service approach eliminates the need for energy-consuming, noise-generating pump equipment while maintaining reliable water flow.
3Ease of operation
If the ice making unit is disposed below the purified water tank, then purified water can flow by gravity, but the design is limited and the ice making unit cannot be positioned above the tank
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the conventional arrangement by positioning the purification unit above the ice making unit. This allows the ice making unit to be disposed below the purification unit while still maintaining gravity flow, thereby achieving both ease of operation and design flexibility.
4Ease of operation
If the purified water tank is not airtight, then access is easier, but contamination can occur
Solution Approach 1:
The purified water tank is designed with airtight properties in the storage portion to prevent contamination, while the discharge portion maintains ease of access. This local differentiation of properties allows the tank to simultaneously achieve contamination prevention and user-friendly operation.
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
Enables flexible positioning of the ice making unit, reduces noise by eliminating the need for a pump, and allows for airtight storage to prevent contamination, facilitating maintenance without interfering with the purified water tank.
Implementation Method 1
a separation membrane formed of an impermeable material which independently partitions the first storage and the second storage
Implementation Method 2
the separation membrane has elasticity, wherein the second storage shrinks when the first storage expands, and the first storage shrinks when the second storage expands
Implementation Method 3
an ice making unit configured to cool the purified water to generate ice
Data Source
AI summary
A water purifier includes a water purification unit, and an ice making unit. The water purification unit includes: a water filter for filtering introduced raw water to provide the purified water and unfiltered living water; a purified water tank including a first storage for storing unfiltered water, a second storage for storing the purified water discharged from the water filter, and a separation membrane formed of an impermeable material which independently partitions the first storage and the second storage and has elasticity, wherein the second storage shrinks when the first storage expands, and the first storage shrinks when the second storage expands; a flow channel connecting the water filter, the purified water tank, and the ice making unit to provide a passage through which the raw water, the living water, and the purified water flow; and a valve unit including a plurality of valve modules.