Kitchen Faucet Sensing Unit for Garbage Disposer Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional kitchen faucets with garbage disposers restrict normal water outlet modes and can lead to dry grinding issues due to the lack of controlled water supply during garbage disposal processes.
Innovation Solution
A kitchen faucet with a garbage disposer that incorporates a sensing unit to differentiate between long and short sensing distances, controlling a first control valve for normal water outlet and a second control valve for garbage disposal, ensuring adequate water supply and preventing dry grinding by activating the garbage disposer only after a predetermined delay.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a dual control trigger element is used to control both water supply and garbage disposal, then the device can be operated with a single control element, but the normal water outlet mode is restricted and dry grinding may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The sensing unit is divided into two independent sensing regions: a first sensing region for normal water outlet detection and a second sensing region for garbage disposal detection. This segmentation allows the single sensing unit to differentiate between different operational modes based on which region detects the object, thereby maintaining ease of single-control operation while restoring versatility in water outlet modes and preventing dry grinding by ensuring water supply is properly controlled for each mode.
2Speed
If the water valve control module and grinding mechanism are directly activated after touch sensor activation, then the response time is reduced, but the water supply control and grinding operation cannot be properly coordinated
Solution Approach 1:
The control module serves as an intermediary between the sensing unit and the execution components (water supply control valve and grinding mechanism). It receives detection signals from the sensing unit, determines the operational mode based on which sensing region is activated, and then appropriately coordinates the water supply and grinding operations. This intermediary function ensures rapid response while maintaining reliable coordination between water supply and grinding by selecting the correct operational mode before activation.
3Productivity
If the garbage disposer is activated immediately upon sensing, then the garbage processing starts without delay, but dry grinding occurs without adequate water supply
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by first detecting which sensing region is activated (first for normal water outlet, second for garbage disposal) before initiating any processing. This preliminary detection allows the control module to prepare the appropriate operational mode, ensuring water supply is properly established before the grinding mechanism activates. This prevents dry grinding while maintaining rapid garbage processing through the second sensing region's dedicated garbage disposal mode.
Data Source
AI summary
A kitchen faucet with a garbage disposer includes a faucet unit, the garbage disposer, and a sensing unit. The faucet unit includes a water outlet passage unit, and the water outlet passage unit is disposed with a first control valve configured to control an opening and a closing of the water outlet passage unit. The garbage disposer is located under a water outlet of the water outlet passage unit of the faucet unit. The sensing unit is disposed on the faucet unit and is configured to generate a normal water outlet instruction and a garbage disposal instruction respectively according to a long sensing distance and a short sensing distance. The first control valve is configured to be opened and closed through the normal water outlet instruction, and the first control valve and the garbage disposer are respectively configured to be opened and closed through the garbage disposal instruction.