Movable Water Nozzle Positioning to Reduce Splash and Contamination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing water purifiers face challenges such as limited mobility of the water ejection nozzle, risk of hot water splashes, contamination, and inconvenience in dispensing water at various heights, failing to provide a hygienic and user-friendly experience.
Innovation Solution
A water ejecting apparatus with a lifting motor and gear assembly that allows the water ejection nozzle to move vertically and rotate horizontally, equipped with a touch bar and sensors to detect container height and position, minimizing water splashes and enhancing user convenience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the water ejection nozzle is fixed at a predetermined position, then the structure is simple and reliable, but the user cannot place containers at various locations for water dispensing
Solution Approach 1:
The water ejection nozzle is transformed from a fixed structure to a movable one, enabling dynamic adjustment of its position. The nozzle can now move vertically along the guide rail and horizontally along the arc track, allowing users to place containers at various locations for water dispensing while maintaining structural reliability through guided motion paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The nozzle positioning system adds multiple dimensions of movement: vertical movement along the guide rail and horizontal movement along the arc track. This multi-dimensional mobility enables the nozzle to reach various positions around the container, significantly improving adaptability while using standardized mechanical components.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the water ejection nozzle is positioned at a high location, then the structure is compact, but water splashes when dispensed water drops contact the cup below
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle height is made dynamically adjustable rather than fixed. The motor-driven mechanism allows the nozzle to move vertically along the guide rail, enabling it to adapt its position to match the container height. This eliminates water splash by positioning the nozzle closer to the container while maintaining a compact overall structure through the vertical adjustment capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a sensor to detect the container height and provides feedback to the control unit. Based on this feedback, the control unit automatically adjusts the nozzle position to the appropriate height, ensuring optimal dispensing position that prevents water splash while adapting to different container sizes.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the water ejection nozzle can move vertically and horizontally, then container placement flexibility is improved, but the mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The complex positioning task is divided into two independent segments: vertical movement along the guide rail and horizontal movement along the arc track. Each segment has its own simple mechanism, avoiding the need for a complex single mechanism that would handle both movements simultaneously. This segmentation reduces overall system complexity while achieving full positioning capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The motor-driven mechanism serves multiple functions: it provides both vertical lifting motion and horizontal rotational motion through the arc track. This multi-functional design reduces the number of separate components needed, simplifying the overall mechanism while enabling comprehensive nozzle positioning capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A water ejecting apparatus includes a case and a water ejection unit connected to the case. The water ejection unit includes a fixed cover connected to the case, having atop dead point and a bottom dead point, and including a lifting gear provided between the top dead point and the bottom dead point, a lifting cover movably coupled to the fixed cover, a lifting motor coupled to the lifting cover and a gear module interworking with the lifting motor and the lifting gear, a water ejection nozzle for ejecting water, a signal detecting unit that detects a frequency generation (FG) signal generated by the lifting motor during an operation of the lifting motor, and a controller configured to control the operation of the lifting motor upon determining that the lifting cover reaches the top dead point or the bottom dead point based on the FG signal.