Hygienic Cleaning Device Nozzle Extraction for Scale Removal

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Solution Overview

Problem

In hygienic cleaning devices, scale removing agents can inadvertently be applied to internal metal or resin members, leading to deterioration during scale removal operations, as these agents are not effectively contained within the device.

Innovation Solution

The device is designed to control the discharge and filling operations of the scale removing agent, using a flow passage switching unit and nozzle positioning to minimize agent leakage and application to internal components, ensuring the agent is primarily used within the water supply passage for scale removal.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a removing agent is discharged from the water supply passage to remove scale, then the scale removal effect is improved, but the removing agent may be applied to internal metal or resin members causing deterioration

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvescale removal effectivenessVSAvoiddeterioration of internal members
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The water discharging part is extracted from the casing during the discharging operation. The control part controls the nozzle driving unit to move the water discharging part outside the casing, separating it from the internal members that would be affected by the removing agent. This extraction principle directly resolves the contradiction by removing the source of the harmful effect from the affected area.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The water discharging part is made movable rather than fixed. The nozzle driving unit enables dynamic positioning of the water discharging part, allowing it to be moved outside the casing during discharging operations and returned inside during normal operation. This dynamic capability allows the system to adapt its configuration to prevent harmful effects while maintaining scale removal effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Volume of moving object

If the water discharging part is disposed inside the casing during normal operation, then the device structure is compact, but the removing agent cannot be effectively contained during discharge operations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice compactnessVSAvoidremoving agent leakage
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The water discharging part transitions between two positions: inside the casing during normal operation and outside the casing during discharging operations. This dynamic repositioning allows the system to maintain compactness when needed while preventing harmful effects during scale removal by moving the discharge point away from internal members.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The control part预先 controls the nozzle driving unit to move the water discharging part outside the casing before the discharging operation begins. This preliminary action ensures that the removing agent is discharged away from internal members, preventing deterioration before the harmful effect can occur.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the nozzle is moved outside the casing during discharging operation, then the removing agent application to internal members is prevented, but the device operation complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprotection of internal membersVSAvoidnozzle positioning control
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The nozzle driving unit serves multiple functions: it positions the water discharging part for both normal operation and discharging operations, and can control the movement in and out of the casing. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate mechanisms, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while achieving protection of internal members.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3434839B1Hygienic cleaning device
Publication Date: 2022.09.14 TOTO LTD
  • EP3434839B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3434839B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3434839B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided is a hygienic cleaning device which can suppress applying of a scale removing agent to a member disposed inside of a casing. The hygienic cleaning device includes: a water discharging part having a nozzle and provided for discharging water; a water supply passage provided for supplying the water to the water discharging part; a tank provided to the water supply passage; a removing agent charging part capable of charging a removing agent which dissolves a scale precipitating in the water supply passage into the tank; a control part provided for performing a scale removing mode where the scale which precipitates in the water supply passage is dissolved by the removing agent charged into the tank; and a casing provided for housing the water discharging part, the water supply passage, the tank, and the control part, wherein the control part is configured to perform a control so as to dispose the water discharging part at a scale removing position where the removing agent is discharged from the water discharging part toward the outside of the casing while the control part performs the scale removing mode.