Microbubble generating apparatus
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bubble generating apparatuses for micro bubble production are costly and impractical for large-scale use due to inefficiencies in gas release and clogging issues with small orifices, making them unsuitable for integration with fluid dispensing fittings like hydrotherapy jets and shower heads.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses a high-pressure pump to mix gas and liquid in a pressure vessel, creating micro bubbles that remain suspended in water, with a micro bubble generating apparatus designed to prevent clogging by using a housing with internal fluid pathways that break up gas bubbles into small micro bubbles, allowing them to be used with hydrotherapy jets, shower heads, and nozzles without clogging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If small orifices and screens are used to generate micro bubbles, then micro bubble generation efficiency is improved, but clogging by debris and contaminants occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The bubble generation process is divided into two distinct stages: first, gas is dissolved in liquid under pressure in a saturation chamber; second, the pressurized liquid flows through a relief valve to create micro bubbles. This segmentation eliminates small orifices and screens that are prone to clogging, while still achieving efficient micro bubble generation through the pressure differential mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
A saturation chamber acts as an intermediary component between the gas source and the bubble generation point. The chamber allows gas to dissolve in the liquid under controlled pressure, creating a saturated solution that then flows through a relief valve. This intermediary process eliminates the need for direct contact between gas and liquid through small openings, preventing clogging while maintaining micro bubble generation efficiency.
2Productivity
If electrolysis between two electrodes is used to produce micro bubbles, then micro bubbles are generated, but cost increases for large-scale production
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the electrochemical electrolysis process with a purely mechanical pressure-based system. Gas is forced into liquid under pressure in a saturation chamber, and micro bubbles are generated through a mechanical relief valve. This mechanical substitution eliminates the need for expensive electrical equipment, electrodes, and power consumption associated with electrolysis, making large-scale micro bubble production more cost-effective.
3Reliability
If prefiltering or continuous cleaning is implemented to prevent clogging, then system reliability is improved, but complexity and maintenance burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the problematic small orifices and screens from the bubble generation system. By eliminating these clog-prone components entirely, the need for prefiltering systems and continuous cleaning mechanisms is removed. The system achieves reliability through a simple relief valve design that is inherently resistant to clogging, reducing both device complexity and maintenance requirements.
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 system efficiently generates and maintains micro bubbles in water, providing therapeutic benefits such as toxin neutralization, skin oxygenation, and sanitation, while preventing clogging and maintaining system integrity.
Implementation Method 1
a first fluid pathway in communication with the intermediate chamber and having a distal opening for releasing the plurality of micro bubbles
Implementation Method 2
designed to prevent clogging by using a housing with internal fluid pathways that break up gas bubbles into small micro bubbles
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A
AI summary
A micro bubble generating system includes a shell (200) having a well for retaining a first liquid to immerse an object. A micro bubble apparatus (124) is provide to the shell for providing a pressurized mixture of a second liquid and a dissolved gas into the well so as to create a plurality of micro bubbles within the first liquid for engaging the object. A shower apparatus (122) includes a head (601) having a plurality of projections (612) for engaging a surface of an object, and an orifice therein; and a micro bubble component for fluid communication with the orifice.