Magnetic Buoyancy Drain Closure for Household Water Containers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Household appliances with water tanks face issues with efficiently and reliably closing the drain opening to prevent surfactants or detergents from being carried over during washing or rinsing cycles, due to vibrations causing the free-floating buoyancy body to open the drain.
Innovation Solution
A household appliance with a water tank and a drain line, where a freely floating buoyant body is pressed against the drain opening using a magnetic force, combined with a magnetic holding device and an electromagnet to ensure reliable closure, and an elastic sealing lip to prevent leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a free-floating buoyancy body is used to close the drain opening, then the drain opening can be closed without additional actuation mechanisms, but vibrations can set the buoyancy body in motion and open the drain opening
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the purely mechanical buoyancy-based closure system with a magnetic field-based retention system. A permanent magnet is embedded in the buoyancy body to provide magnetic attraction force that counteracts vibrations and maintains reliable closure of the drain opening, while the buoyancy mechanism remains for basic operation.
2Reliability
If the buoyancy body is pressed against the drain opening with magnetic force, then closure reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional magnetic components
Solution Approach 1:
The permanent magnet is embedded within the buoyancy body structure, nesting the magnetic field-generating component inside the existing closure mechanism. This integration adds magnetic retention functionality without requiring separate external magnetic components or additional actuation mechanisms.
3Reliability
If a permanent magnet is embedded in the buoyancy body, then magnetic force can be exerted to fix the buoyancy body to the drain opening, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material composition parameter of the buoyancy body by embedding a permanent magnet within it. This modification enables the buoyancy body to generate and respond to magnetic fields, providing additional fixation force to the drain opening while maintaining the basic buoyancy closure function.
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 magnetic force effectively fixes the buoyant body to close the drain opening, preventing surfactant carryover and ensuring efficient washing cycles by maintaining a tight seal despite vibrations.
Implementation Method 1
a freely floating buoyant body for closing the drain opening, the freely floating buoyant body being able to be pressed against the drain opening by means of a magnetic force
Implementation Method 2
a freely floating buoyant body for closing the drain opening, the freely floating buoyant body being able to be pressed against the drain opening by means of its buoyancy
Implementation Method 3
combined with a magnetic holding device and an electromagnet to ensure reliable closure
Implementation Method 4
an elastic sealing lip to prevent leakage
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a household appliance comprising a water container (111), a discharge line (113) for discharging water from the water container (11), and a free-floating buoyancy element (117) for sealing the outlet (115). The free-floating buoyancy element (117) can be pressed against the outlet (115) by a magnetic force.