Hand Shower Valve Cam Mechanism for Compact Precise Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing valves for bathroom or kitchen hand showers face challenges in reducing size while maintaining reliability, durability, and user control precision.
Innovation Solution
The valve design incorporates a cam rotating on a second axis with a toothed wheel and an elastic return system, allowing for compact size and precise actuation, with springs ensuring contact between the toothed wheel and shaped profile only in the actuation position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the valve size is reduced to meet aesthetic and market demands, then the overall thickness and weight of the hand shower are reduced, but the reliability and durability of the valve may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The valve components are nested within the hand shower body in a compact arrangement. The closing body, cam, toothed wheel, and actuator button are arranged in a space-efficient configuration that fits within the limited thickness of the hand shower handle, reducing overall valve size while maintaining functional integrity and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve employs dynamic elements including a rotatable cam on a second axis, a toothed wheel for stepwise advancement, and an elastic return system with springs. These dynamic components enable precise control and reliable operation within a compact form factor, ensuring durability through controlled mechanical motion rather than static design.
2Volume of moving object
If the valve size is reduced, then the hand shower thickness is reduced, but the precision of valve operation and user control may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The toothed wheel mechanism provides stepwise advancement of the cam, ensuring that each actuation of the button produces a precise, predetermined rotational increment. This preliminary structuring of motion ensures accurate control positioning even within the constrained space of the reduced-size valve.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic return system with springs provides tactile feedback to the user during actuation, confirming each step of the toothed wheel advancement and the engagement/disengagement of the cam. This feedback mechanism ensures the user can precisely control the valve state despite the compact size.
3Reliability
If the elastic return system maintains contact between the toothed wheel and shaped profile continuously, then the actuation reliability is improved, but the size of the valve increases
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic return system is designed to maintain contact between the toothed wheel and shaped profile only during specific phases of operation (actuation and return positions), with intentional disengagement during the actuation position. This periodic contact pattern ensures reliable actuation while minimizing the space required for the return system components.
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 configuration reduces the overall size of the valve, enhances user control precision, and ensures long-term reliability and durability by maintaining perfect tightness and comfort of use.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic return system, in particular comprising at least one spring
Implementation Method 2
the elastic return system, in particular comprising at least one spring, is configured to keep the shaped profile in contact with the toothed wheel
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
A valve (1) for a bathroom or kitchen hand shower (100) is described comprising -a body of the valve (2); -an inlet (3) for the water into the body of the valve (2); -at least one outlet (2, 3) for the water out of the body of the valve (2), -a closing body (4) inside the body of the valve (2); -an actuation device (10) for shifting the closing body (4) along a first axis (X) between at least one closing position of a fluid path (5) between the inlet (3) and one of said at least one outlet (2, 3) and an opening position of the fluid path (5) between the inlet (3) and said at least one of said at least one outlet (2, 3); -an actuator button (20) outside the body of valve (2) associated with the actuation device (10). The actuation device (10) comprises a cam (11) located in the body of the valve (2) and a stepwise advancement mechanism (12) located outside the body of the valve (2) and operatively associated with the cam (11), the cam (11) being associated with the closing body (4) of the valve and the advancement mechanism (12) advancing by one step upon each next shift of the actuator button (20) from a release position to an actuation position, by moving the closing body (4) between the closing and opening positions, -an elastic return system (22) is operative between the actuator button (20) and the body of the valve (2) and between the actuator button (20) and the advancement mechanism (12), to return the actuator button (20) from the actuation position to the release position and to reposition the advancement mechanism (12) for a next step.