Liquid Suction Head Orientation Control for Battery Saving
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Solution Overview
Problem
Handheld liquid suction devices often consume unnecessary battery power due to manual on/off switches, which can inadvertently switch off when tilted or moved, leading to inefficient energy use and potential liquid leakage.
Innovation Solution
A liquid suction device with an orientation switch that automatically shuts off or reduces power when tilted, featuring a delay switch to prevent brief movements from affecting motor function, and a rotor-based separating mechanism to efficiently separate liquids from air without intermediate storage, ensuring reliable operation and optimized energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a manual on/off switch is used, then the device can be switched off when not in use, but the device switches off inadvertently when tilted or moved, leading to unnecessary battery consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The device uses its own motion state (detected by the orientation switch) to automatically control the motor, eliminating the need for manual switching. The system serves itself by detecting when it is tilted beyond the operational range and automatically shutting down, preventing both inadvertent shutdowns during normal use and unnecessary battery consumption when stored.
Solution Approach 2:
The orientation switch provides continuous feedback about the device's tilt angle to the control system. This feedback mechanism allows the system to make real-time decisions about whether to operate or shut down the motor, creating a closed-loop control system that optimizes battery usage while maintaining reliable operation during valid use scenarios.
2Loss of energy
If the device switches off automatically when tilted, then battery consumption is optimized, but the device may switch off during brief pivoting movements that are part of normal operation
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts its response based on the duration and magnitude of the tilt event. By introducing a time delay before shutdown, the system can distinguish between brief operational pivoting movements and prolonged storage positions, maintaining operational flexibility while still achieving energy optimization for genuine non-use scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The delay switch provides a preliminary action period between detecting the tilted state and actually shutting down the motor. This preliminary time window allows the system to wait and see if the tilt is temporary (part of normal operation) or permanent (storage position), thereby preventing premature shutdowns during legitimate use while still enabling energy savings when the device is truly not in use.
3Ease of operation
If a delay switch is added to prevent brief pivoting from affecting motor function, then operational flexibility is maintained, but the device consumes battery power during brief movements when it could be switched off
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically evaluates each tilt event based on its duration and characteristics. During brief pivoting movements, the motor remains running to maintain operational flexibility. During prolonged tilted positions indicating storage, the motor shuts down to optimize energy consumption. The delay switch enables this dynamic decision-making by providing a transition period to assess the situation.
4Ease of operation
If manual switching is used, then the user has full control over operation, but the device runs too long and consumes battery reserves unnecessarily
Solution Approach 1:
The device takes control of the shutdown function from the user by using its own orientation state to automatically turn off the motor when in a storage position. This self-service approach eliminates the common problem of users forgetting to switch off the device, thereby preventing unnecessary battery consumption while still allowing full manual control during active use periods.
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 device operates reliably with optimized energy consumption, preventing unnecessary battery drain and liquid leakage, even when used in dynamic positions, by automatically managing power based on orientation and using a rotor to effectively separate liquids and air.
Implementation Method 1
a rotor (6) which, due to its rotation, separates the liquid from the air/liquid flow
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
Liquid suction device for drawing off and sucking up liquids, with a housing (1), a scraping lip (7) for drawing off and collecting the liquid in front of a suction mouth (5), a motor-driven suction device which draws an air/liquid stream along a flow path from the suction mouth ( 5) sucks into the housing (1) through a suction duct (4), a separator (13) for separating the liquid from the air, and a tank for receiving the separated liquid. The known liquid suction devices are switched on and off manually by a switch, which has the disadvantage that the device often runs for too long and consumes battery reserves. This is avoided by providing an on/off function which is able to switch off the motorized drive via an orientation switch or to reduce the motor power.