Personal Fogging Umbrella With Pneumatic Atomization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional personal cooling systems, such as misters, require large water supplies and batteries, making them cumbersome and inefficient for mobile use, especially when targeting the face and neck for effective cooling, as they often distribute water emitters away from these areas.
Innovation Solution
A personal fogging umbrella with a hollow handle containing a pressurizer and two-stage fogging nozzles that use pressurized air to efficiently evaporate water close to the user's face and neck, reducing the need for large water supplies and allowing for better mobility with a shoulder-rest handle design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional misters are used for personal cooling, then cooling effect is achieved, but water consumption increases and device weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a pressurized air system (pneumatics) to generate fog through two-stage fogging nozzles. Compressed air from the pressurizer forces water through the nozzles, creating fine fog droplets that evaporate quickly. This pneumatic mechanism replaces conventional water-pumping misters, dramatically reducing water consumption while maintaining effective cooling through efficient evaporation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent exploits the phase transition of water from liquid to vapor through rapid evaporation of fine fog droplets. The two-stage nozzle system creates extremely fine droplets that evaporate almost instantly upon contact with ambient air, absorbing heat and producing cooling effect. This phase transition mechanism is far more water-efficient than conventional misting systems.
2Temperature
If conventional misters are used for personal cooling, then cooling effect is achieved, but device weight increases due to large water supply and batteries
Solution Approach 1:
The pressurized air system replaces heavy water pumps and large water tanks. The pressurizer (hand-operated or electric) generates sufficient pressure to atomize water through the two-stage nozzles, eliminating the need for heavy-duty pumping mechanisms and large water reservoirs, thereby reducing overall device weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the water delivery function from the cooling mechanism itself. Instead of carrying large water supplies integrated into the device, the system uses a minimal water reservoir combined with pressurized air to deliver water only when needed through the fogging nozzles, significantly reducing the weight of water carriage.
3Area of stationary object
If water emitters are placed around the perimeter of the umbrella, then coverage area is maximized, but distance from face and neck increases reducing cooling effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cooling function into multiple two-stage fogging nozzles distributed across the umbrella structure. These nozzles are positioned at strategic locations including the canopy perimeter for general coverage and specifically near the handle/head area to target the face and neck, ensuring both broad coverage and localized effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by positioning specific fogging nozzles in different locations with different functions. Nozzles near the handle provide concentrated cooling for the face and neck area, while perimeter nozzles provide broader environmental cooling. This localized positioning optimizes cooling effectiveness for each body region.
4Duration of action of moving object
If large water supply is carried to operate misters for sufficient time, then operating duration is extended, but mobility is reduced due to weight burden
Solution Approach 1:
The pressurized air system dramatically improves water efficiency, allowing the device to operate for extended periods with a small water reservoir. The two-stage fogging nozzles produce such fine droplets that water is consumed at a minimal rate, enabling all-day operation without carrying heavy water supplies, thus maintaining full mobility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of water delivery by using pressurized air to create extremely fine droplet sizes through the two-stage nozzle system. This parameter change (droplet size) increases the surface area to volume ratio, accelerating evaporation and reducing water consumption rate, thereby extending operating duration without increasing water supply weight.
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 personal fogging umbrella provides effective cooling with less water usage, reducing the weight burden and allowing for easier mobility by positioning the cooling effect closer to the user's face and neck, enhancing comfort during strenuous activities.
Implementation Method 1
The evaporation of water has long been used to manipulate air temperature to make an otherwise hot environment more comfortable
Implementation Method 2
two-stage fogging nozzles that use pressurized air to efficiently evaporate water close to the user's face and neck
Implementation Method 3
a pressurizer releasably coupled to the bottom end of the handle. The pressurizer includes a one-way valve in fluid communication with the control valve of the head through the hollow cavity
Data Source
AI summary
A personal fogging umbrella having a handle, a head, and a pressurizer is disclosed. The handle includes a hollow cavity that is watertight. The head is coupled to the top end of the handle and comprises a plurality of two-stage fogging nozzles feed pressurized air and water from the hollow cavity of the handle through conduits. The head is pivotally coupled to a plurality of ribs connected to a flexible canopy. The pressurizer is releasably coupled to the bottom end of the handle and has a one-way valve connected to a pump to pressurize the air inside the hollow cavity. The handle has a shoulder rest, the handle extending upward from the shoulder rest toward the top end and extending outward to curve downward toward the bottom end. The handle above the shoulder rest is substantially linear, and the handle below the shoulder rest is at least partially curved.