Faucet Cartridge Flow Diversion for Hot Water Without Waste
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing solutions for providing hot water in homes, such as demand-type water heaters and recirculating systems, are hindered by high initial costs, ongoing energy consumption, and the need for electrical outlets or gas lines, leading to substantial waste of cooled water when hot water is desired at faucets far from the water heater.
Innovation Solution
A faucet cartridge assembly that regulates cooled water to flow into a container for storage and hot water to flow directly out, eliminating the need for additional installations or energy consumption, by using a moveable and fixed disk mechanism to divert flows along different paths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If a demand-type water heater is installed near the area of use, then hot water is provided almost immediately, but the initial cost and installation complexity increase due to need for electrical outlets or gas lines
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the water heating function from the faucet assembly and separates it into a dedicated water heater unit located elsewhere in the building. The cartridge assembly retains only the flow regulation and diversion functions, while the heating function is performed by an external water heater, eliminating the need for electrical outlets or gas lines at the faucet location.
Solution Approach 2:
The cartridge assembly acts as an intermediary device that receives water from the main supply, regulates its flow, and diverts it to appropriate outlets (hot water faucet or recirculation line). This intermediary function allows the system to coordinate between the remotely located water heater and the local faucet needs without requiring complex installation at the faucet site.
2Loss of time
If a water heater recirculating system is installed, then hot water is continuously available, but ongoing energy consumption costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between two operational modes: normal hot water delivery mode and recirculation mode. The cartridge assembly can divert flow to the hot water faucet when needed, or redirect flow back to the water heater for recirculation when no hot water is being used, allowing the system to adapt its behavior based on demand and minimize energy waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The recirculation system operates periodically rather than continuously, with the cartridge assembly diverting flow back to the water heater during periods when hot water demand is low or zero. This periodic recirculation ensures hot water availability while reducing continuous energy consumption compared to traditional always-on recirculation systems.
3Ease of operation
If cooled water is flushed down the drain, then hot water becomes available at the faucet, but substantial loss of clean potable water occurs
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of discarding cooled water down the drain, the system recovers it by diverting the flow back to the water heater through the cartridge assembly. This recovered water is reheated and reused, eliminating the waste of potable water while ensuring hot water availability at the faucet.
Solution Approach 2:
The cartridge assembly provides multiple functions: it regulates water flow, diverts flow to the hot water faucet when needed, and redirects cooled water back to the water heater for recirculation. This multi-functionality allows the system to both provide hot water availability and prevent water waste through a single device.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a cartridge assembly having a cartridge shell. The cartridge assembly permits flow from a flow source to be regulated by the cartridge assembly to flow along a first flow path or along a second flow path. Flow along the first flow path enters through a first end of the cartridge shell and exits through at least one opening in the cartridge shell. Flow along the second flow path enters through the first end of the cartridge shell and is diverted to exit through the first end of the cartridge shell.