Fluid Feed Assembly With Magnetic Shielding for Precise Flow Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for feeding fluid to household appliances, such as washing machines and dishwashers, suffer from imprecise and unreliable water delivery due to signal disturbances caused by electro valve windings interfering with magnetic sensors in flow meters, leading to inefficiencies and increased device size.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of magnetic shielding elements between electro valves and electronic circuits with magnetic sensors to prevent electromagnetic interference, ensuring precise and reliable fluid delivery through the use of shielding walls and support structures that protect the magnetic sensor and flow meter from electro valve magnetic fields.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the windings of the electro valve are positioned close to the magnetic sensor, then the device size is reduced, but the magnetic signal is disturbed and measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A magnetic shielding element is introduced as an intermediary component between the electro valve windings and the magnetic sensor. This shielding element blocks the magnetic field generated by the windings from reaching the sensor, preventing signal distortion while allowing both components to remain in close proximity, thus maintaining compact device size without sacrificing measurement precision
2Measurement precision
If the windings of the electro valve are positioned away from the magnetic sensor, then signal precision is improved, but the device bulk and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The magnetic shielding element acts as a localized barrier that enables close positioning of the electro valve and magnetic sensor without signal interference. This eliminates the need for spatial separation that would otherwise be required to avoid magnetic interference, thereby preventing increase in device bulk and complexity while maintaining signal precision
3Volume of moving object
If the magnetic sensor is positioned close to the flow meter turbine, then the device is more compact, but the electro valve windings disturb the magnetic signal
Solution Approach 1:
The magnetic shielding element is positioned between the electro valve windings and the magnetic sensor to block magnetic field interference. This allows the magnetic sensor to remain in close proximity to the flow meter turbine for compact device design, while the shielding element ensures signal reliability by preventing distortion from the windings
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 solution provides a compact, reliable, and precise fluid delivery system that minimizes electromagnetic interference, resulting in accurate fluid quantity delivery to household appliances without the need for additional signal processing, enhancing both efficiency and appliance performance.
Implementation Method 1
an electronic circuit provided with a magnetic sensor positioned in proximity to the flow meter and able to detect the passage of the one or more magnetic elements when the turbine is made to rotate
Implementation Method 2
magnetic shielding elements, made of metal material or suchlike, are positioned between the electro valve and the electronic circuit provided with a magnetic sensor
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
Device to feed a fluid to a household appliance, which comprises a main body (11) provided with an inlet pipe (12) for the fluid and at least one outlet pipe (13) for the fluid, an electro valve (14) to adjust the flow rate of fluid exiting from the outlet pipe (13), a flow meter (18) provided with a turbine (21) containing one or more magnetic elements (27) and positioned in the inlet pipe (12) and an electronic circuit (29) provided with a magnetic sensor (30) positioned in proximity to the flow meter (18) and able to detect the passage of the one or more magnetic elements (27) when the turbine (21) is made to rotate by the passage of the fluid in the inlet pipe (12).