Magnetic Foot Spa Pump Coupling for Leak-Free Sanitization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional foot spa tubs suffer from water leakage, motor failure, and difficulty in sanitization due to axial shaft designs that allow water to enter the motor area, leading to electrical issues and accumulation of dirt, mold, and bacteria.
Innovation Solution
A magnetic pump system with a first magnetic drive member coupled to a drive motor and a second magnetic drive member attached to a blade, where the magnetic attraction secures the nozzle to the tub's interior surface, eliminating the need for shafts and allowing for easy detachment and sanitization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a shaft extends through the basin sidewall to couple the motor to the impeller, then the motor can drive the impeller to circulate water, but water leakage occurs around the shaft and enters the motor area causing motor failure and electrical issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical shaft coupling system with a magnetic coupling system. The motor shaft magnetically couples to the impeller shaft through the basin sidewall without physical contact, eliminating the need for shafts that extend through openings. This substitution of mechanical connection with magnetic field interaction prevents water leakage paths while maintaining power transmission capability.
2Reliability
If a seal is used about the motor shaft to retain water in the basin, then water retention is improved, but the design becomes prone to water leakage and accumulation of dirt, mold and bacteria
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the shaft and seal components from the system entirely. By using magnetic coupling, the motor shaft remains outside the water-containing basin, and the impeller shaft rotates inside the basin without requiring seals. This extraction of problematic sealing components eliminates the sources of water leakage and the associated harmful factors of dirt, mold, and bacteria accumulation.
3Ease of operation
If the pump is disassembled from the tub for sanitization, then cleaning can be performed, but the process is time-consuming and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the pump system into magnetically coupled components where the motor assembly can be easily separated from the impeller assembly. The magnetic coupling allows for simple attachment and detachment without complex fasteners or disassembly procedures. This segmentation enables rapid sanitization by allowing the impeller side to be quickly removed and cleaned separately from the motor housing.
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 coupling system prevents water leakage, reduces the risk of motor failure, and facilitates easy cleaning and sanitization by keeping the pumping mechanism separate from the motor, ensuring a safe and hygienic operation.
Implementation Method 1
The first and second magnetic drive members are magnetically coupled to each other so that a rotatable blade for circulating liquids is drivingly coupled to a drive motor
Implementation Method 2
The nozzle is detachably securable to an interior surface of the sidewall by a magnetic attraction force between the first and second magnetic drive members
Data Source
AI summary
A foot spa tub includes a tub basin, a first magnetic drive member rotatably coupled to a drive motor, and a first casing supporting the magnetic drive member. The first casing is disposed against an exterior surface of a sidewall of the basin. A second magnetic drive member is rotatably coupled to a blade. The first and second magnetic drive members are magnetically coupled to each other so that the blade is drivingly coupled to the drive motor. A nozzle houses the second magnetic drive member and the blade. The nozzle is detachably securable to an interior surface of the sidewall by a magnetic attraction force between the first and second magnetic drive members. The nozzle is further secured in place through a fixation assembly which prevents displacement and rotation of the nozzle during operation.