Open-Side Shunt Pan for Visible Appliance Leak Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Kitchen appliances such as dishwashers and refrigerators often experience water leaks without visible indications, leading to costly damage due to the difficulty in positioning overflow pans under these appliances, which are either too heavy or lack adequate clearance.
Innovation Solution
A rectangular shunt pan with three walled sides and an open side directs leaking water into a walkway, featuring an indicator material that remains visible even if the water evaporates, such as marking chalk or a non-toxic vapor-producing chemical reaction, to alert users to leaks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If an overflow pan is positioned under the appliance, then water damage is prevented, but it is extremely difficult to position due to the appliance being too heavy or lacking adequate clearance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a shunt pan as an intermediary device that redirects leaking water away from walls and cabinets through a channel, allowing the pan to be positioned remotely from the appliance while still preventing water damage to vulnerable surfaces
Solution Approach 2:
The shunt pan extends the protection strategy into a different spatial dimension by creating a dedicated water diversion path that reaches toward the appliance, enabling protection without requiring direct positioning under the heavy appliance
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a common drip pan is used, then some water damage is delayed, but the indication of water leak is not communicated until obvious visual or olfactory indications of water damage occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies indicator material to the shunt pan that changes color or becomes visible when contacted by water, providing early visual detection of leaks before significant water damage occurs. The indicator material remains visible even after water evaporates
Solution Approach 2:
The shunt pan system provides continuous visual feedback about the presence of water leaks through the indicator material, allowing users to detect and respond to leaks immediately rather than waiting for obvious signs of water damage
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 shunt pan effectively prevents water absorption into walls and cabinets, providing clear visual or olfactory indicators of leaks, reducing damage and facilitating early detection.
Implementation Method 1
For a very slow water leak, small amounts of water will simply evaporate off the floor of the shunt pan rather than be absorbed by walls and cabinets
Data Source
AI summary
A shunt pan is used to prevent excessive water damage from occurring if water leaking from a kitchen appliance is not discovered in a timely manner. The shunt pan directs the flow of collecting water into a walkway of a kitchen, where it is visible, rather than allowing the water to soak into surrounding kitchen walls and cabinets. A shunt pan is characterized by a rectangular floor bordered on three sides by walls, but not bordered by a physical obstruction on the fourth side, which is open. Preferably, the open side includes an indicator material, such as confetti or glitter in a water-soluble binder, that can be carried by flowing water into the walkway. If the water that carried the indicator material evaporates, the indicator material will remain in the walkway to clearly show the presence of a water leak.