Nozzle Assembly Cam Mechanism for Pool Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing nozzles used in swimming pools face challenges in efficiently directing water flow to clean the entire pool floor, particularly in adjusting position automatically to avoid obstacles and ensure thorough cleaning without clogging or jamming.
Innovation Solution
A nozzle assembly design featuring upper and lower washers with grooves, a spring element, and cam halves with varying cam teeth dimensions, allowing for adjustable positioning and fluid communication, which reduces the likelihood of jamming and enables efficient water flow around obstacles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a nozzle assembly uses a simple structure without cam teeth and washers, then manufacturing is easier and device complexity is reduced, but the nozzle cannot automatically adjust its position to avoid obstacles and clean the entire pool floor effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle assembly employs a dynamic cam mechanism where the cam rotates to different positions to automatically adjust the nozzle's orientation. The cam profile is designed with varying cam teeth dimensions that translate rotational movement into linear displacement of the nozzle, enabling it to sweep across the pool floor and adapt to different cleaning positions without manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The nozzle assembly utilizes water flow pressure itself to drive the cam rotation and positioning mechanism. The flowing water activates the cam to rotate to appropriate positions, allowing the system to self-adjust and self-position without requiring external actuators or complex control systems, thereby achieving automatic adaptation while keeping the structure relatively simple.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the cam teeth are made with varying dimensions to enable position adjustment, then adaptability improves, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cam profile incorporates local quality variations through its cam teeth design, where different segments of the cam have different tooth dimensions tailored to specific positioning requirements. This allows the cam to provide multiple discrete positions with varying adjustment ranges, optimizing the nozzle's coverage area while maintaining manufacturability through localized feature differentiation rather than uniform complexity throughout.
3Productivity
If the nozzle assembly uses a fixed position design, then device complexity is reduced, but the nozzle cannot avoid obstacles and clean the entire pool floor thoroughly
Solution Approach 1:
The cam assembly is divided into separable components including the cam body, cam teeth, washers, and spring elements that can be independently manufactured and assembled. This segmentation allows for simplified production of individual parts while achieving the complex function of automatic position adjustment when assembled together, thereby increasing cleaning coverage without proportionally increasing overall assembly complexity.
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 nozzle assembly effectively directs water flow to clean the pool floor, minimizes jamming, and allows for adjustable positioning to avoid obstacles, ensuring thorough cleaning without the need for adhesives, using spring pressure and water pressure to maintain cam assembly alignment.
Implementation Method 1
A spring element may be disposed around the stem between the upper and lower washer grooves
Implementation Method 2
the upper washer may be biased against the cam or cam assembly through the spring element
Implementation Method 3
cams that include upper and lower halves
Implementation Method 4
water flow through nozzles can be used to move contaminants on the pool floor through entrainment in the water streams exiting the nozzles
Data Source
AI summary
A nozzle assembly that includes upper and lower washers and a cam. A particular implementation of a nozzle assembly includes a stem coupled with a cam assembly. The stem has a nozzle in a first end which is in fluid communication with a second end of the stem. An upper washer is slidably coupled with a washer race in the stem and may have an upper washer groove and a lower washer may be coupled with the second end of the stem and have a lower washer groove. A spring element may be disposed around the stem between the upper and lower washer grooves. Particular implementations of a cam assembly may include a lower cam half slidably coupled into an upper cam half. Other particular implementations may further include the lower cam half rotationally and, in some implementations, removably indexed in relation to the upper cam half.