Faucet Inner Water Pipe Assembly Modular Design
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional faucets have a copper shell that increases production costs and poses health risks due to high heavy metal content in drinking water, and their complex structure complicates manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
An inner water pipe assembly for faucets featuring a copper shell with a non-toxic plastic valve seat, a valve sleeve, and annular inlet passage, which separates the water pipes from the faucet body, reducing copper usage and heavy metal exposure, and simplifies manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the copper shell with integrally formed water pipes is used in conventional faucets, then the structural integrity and sealing performance are improved, but the production cost increases and heavy metal contamination occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the water pipe system into separate modular components: a valve body, a valve seat assembly, and detachable inlet/outlet pipes. This segmentation allows the use of non-toxic materials for water contact surfaces while maintaining copper components for structural functions, thereby eliminating heavy metal contamination while preserving structural integrity through modular assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the water-conducting function from the copper shell structure by using separate detachable pipes made of non-toxic materials. The copper shell is retained only for its structural and aesthetic functions, while the water flow path is completely separated and formed by non-toxic components, thus removing the harmful copper-water contact while maintaining the original structural benefits.
2Reliability
If the copper shell with integrally formed water pipes is used in conventional faucets, then the structural integrity is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the faucet into multiple independently manufacturable modules: valve body, valve seat, valve core, inlet pipe, and outlet pipe. Each component can be manufactured separately using optimized processes and then assembled, significantly reducing manufacturing complexity compared to integral casting while maintaining structural integrity through precision assembly and sealing mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple functions into the valve body component (housing, sealing surface, mounting features) while keeping water pipes detachable and separate. This functional integration in the valve body simplifies manufacturing by consolidating critical functions in one piece, while the separate pipes allow for simplified, specialized production of each component.
3Reliability
If the copper shell with integrally formed water pipes is used in conventional faucets, then the sealing performance is improved, but the copper material consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the water-conducting function from copper material by using detachable non-toxic pipes, thereby eliminating unnecessary copper material consumption in water flow paths while retaining copper components only where structurally necessary. The sealing performance is maintained through dedicated sealing elements and gaskets in the modular assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different material qualities to different functional zones: non-toxic materials are used specifically in water contact areas, while copper is used for structural and aesthetic portions. This localized material selection reduces overall copper consumption while maintaining sealing performance through material-appropriate sealing solutions in each zone.
Data Source
AI summary
An inner water pipe assembly for faucet includes a copper shell with a longitudinal channel and a lateral channel. A valve seat is mounted in the longitudinal channel, and includes an inlet channel, an outlet channel, and a seat hole formed there through. A valve sleeve is fitted into the lateral channel, and has an inlet notch communicating with the inlet channel, a chamber inside the valve seat and an annular inlet passage formed between the valve sleeve and a valve. The valve is fitted into the pipe sleeve for water passage control. A valve chamber inside the valve communicates with the outlet channel of the valve seat and a water inlet formed through a periphery of the valve. The inner water pipe assembly provides a rational design reducing the copper material and cost in production, simplifying the manufacture, and resolving excessive heavy metal in drinking water.