Faucet Floating Seal Member Residual Liquid Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional faucets for dispensing pressurized fluids, such as beer taps, suffer from residual fluid exposure to ambient air, leading to contamination and quality deterioration due to trapped liquids and bacteria growth.
Innovation Solution
A liquid dispensing faucet design featuring a flow control lever that engages a sealing member within an internal cavity, allowing liquid to flow around it when open, and includes an air inlet downstream to promote residual liquid removal when closed, preventing air from entering during open positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the faucet uses a conventional valve design with sealing members, then fluid flow control is achieved, but residual liquid becomes trapped and exposed to ambient air causing contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful trapped residual liquid from the system by providing an escape path through the oversized recess. The sealing member is positioned within a recess that is larger than the sealing member itself, creating gaps that allow trapped liquid to escape and be replaced by fresh fluid, thereby removing the contamination source.
Solution Approach 2:
The faucet system performs self-cleaning through its own fluid flow. When the faucet is operated, the fluid flow automatically flushes out trapped residual liquid through the oversized recess without requiring external intervention or additional cleaning mechanisms, preventing bacterial growth through continuous self-sanitization.
2Reliability
If the sealing member is tightly fitted to ensure sealing, then valve closure is effective, but liquid flow around the sealing member is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different dimensional characteristics to different parts of the sealing member's environment. The recess containing the sealing member has local dimensions that are larger than the sealing member itself, creating localized flow paths around the sealing member while maintaining the sealing function at the critical interface. This allows fluid to flow through the faucet body around the sealing member while the sealing member maintains effective sealing where needed.
3Stability of the object's composition
If residual liquid is allowed to remain in the flow path, then the valve maintains its sealing position, but the liquid becomes contaminated by ambient air exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The oversized recess acts as an intermediary space between the sealing member and the main flow path. This recess provides an escape route for trapped residual liquid, allowing it to be flushed out and replaced by fresh fluid, thereby mediating between the need for stable valve positioning and the need to prevent air exposure contamination.
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 design effectively flushes out trapped fluids and prevents bacterial growth by ensuring residual liquids are removed, maintaining the quality and safety of the dispensed fluid.
Implementation Method 1
An air inlet is provided within the flow path downstream of the sealing member to promote removal of residual liquid from the flow path when the flow lever is in a closed position
Implementation Method 2
a sealing member held within a faucet body in an oversized recess... The sealing member is engaged by a flow control lever to prevent liquid flow through the faucet body
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid dispensing faucet including a flow control lever engaging a sealing member within an internal cavity of a faucet body. The sealing member is held within the faucet body in an oversized recess permitting liquid to flow about all sides of the sealing member when the flow control handle is placed in an open position and liquid flows through the faucet body. The faucet body may have a removable spout mounted at a second end of the body. An air inlet may be included within a flow path of the liquid downstream of the sealing member. This air inlet promotes the removal of residual liquid from the flow path when the flow lever is in a closed position and is positioned to discourage flow of the liquid through the air inlet when the flow lever is in an open position.