Electric soap dispenser
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric soap dispensers often fail to provide a continuous stream of soap, require priming, and have issues with power management and soap discharge adjustment, leading to inefficiencies and user inconvenience.
Innovation Solution
An electric soap dispenser with a housing, power supply, reservoir, pump, and electronic control unit that allows for continuous soap discharge, priming, power modulation, and adjustable soap amount, featuring a sensor device, reversible pump, and power-saving sensor activation, along with a clog-clearing mode and ambient light calibration to prevent false triggers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the pump operates in traditional automatic soap dispenser mode, then single small doses of soap are dispensed, but continuous soap flow cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts pump operation mode based on user needs. The electronic control unit can switch between single-dose dispensing mode and continuous flow mode, allowing the pump to operate differently depending on whether a sensor trigger or manual button press is received, thus achieving both precise dosing and continuous flow capabilities
2Measurement precision
If the sensor device operates continuously at high frequency, then detection accuracy is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor device operates periodically rather than continuously. The electronic control unit activates the sensor at specific intervals or triggered events, achieving sufficient detection accuracy for hand presence while dramatically reducing average power consumption compared to continuous operation
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses ambient light calibration to automatically adjust sensor thresholds. The sensor device calibrates itself by detecting ambient light levels and adjusting its trigger sensitivity, improving detection accuracy without requiring additional power for manual calibration procedures
3Power
If the battery operates at full power, then pump performance is maximized, but battery life is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The electronic control unit dynamically adjusts pump motor power parameters based on battery charge level. When battery voltage drops below certain thresholds, the control unit reduces motor speed or duty cycle to maintain operation, preventing complete power depletion and extending usable battery life while maintaining adequate pump performance
4Device complexity
If the pump is operated without priming, then device complexity is reduced, but pump reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The pump system performs self-priming through its own operation. The electronic control unit activates the pump motor, which creates negative pressure that automatically draws soap from the reservoir through the pump chamber, eliminating the need for separate manual priming mechanisms while ensuring reliable pump 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
The dispenser provides a convenient continuous soap flow, extends battery life, prevents dripping, and ensures consistent performance by optimizing power usage and soap discharge, while reducing the risk of false activations and maintaining cleanliness.
Implementation Method 1
A pump is disposed in the housing, the pump having an inlet connected to the outlet of the reservoir
Implementation Method 2
A sensor device is configured to detect the presence of an object
Data Source
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AI summary
An electric soap dispenser that includes sensors for detecting the presence of an object. The dispenser can be configured to dispense an amount of liquid soap, for example, upon detecting the presence of an object. The dispenser can include various features for enhancing the performance thereof. For example, the dispenser can include an additional button for manual operation of the pump. Additionally, the dispenser can detect the voltage of a power supply and compensate for a drop in voltage of the power supply so as to produce more uniform dispensations of the liquid product.