Pivotable Top Cover for Water Purifier Filter Exchange

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing water purification apparatuses face difficulties in filter exchange due to complex coupling and decoupling procedures and limited interior space, making it hard to pivot the filter assembly outside for replacement.

Innovation Solution

A water purification apparatus design featuring a main body with a pivotable lid, holders with O-rings, and a top cover with a spiral protrusion, allowing the filter assembly to be easily rotated and removed for exchange, enabling simple coupling and decoupling without requiring external pivoting.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If a one-touch fitting adapter with slide plates is used for filter assembly coupling, then the coupling mechanism is automated, but the coupling and decoupling procedure becomes complex and difficult to operate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomated coupling mechanismVSAvoidfilter exchange procedure
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The filter assembly is divided into separate components: a filter body and a cap assembly that can be independently handled. The cap assembly acts as a separate tool that users attach to the filter body to facilitate removal, rather than requiring complex integrated mechanisms. This segmentation simplifies the exchange process by making each component manageable and the overall procedure more intuitive.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If the filter assembly is designed with complex coupling mechanisms, then the connection reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection reliabilityVSAvoidcoupling mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cap assembly serves as an intermediary tool between the user and the filter body. Instead of designing complex integrated coupling mechanisms within the filter assembly itself, the cap assembly acts as a separate mediator that users attach to gain leverage for removal. This intermediary approach maintains simple filter body design while still providing reliable connection and easy release.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Volume of stationary object

If the interior space of the machinery is limited, then the compactness is improved, but the filter assembly cannot be pivoted outside during exchange

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinterior spaceVSAvoidfilter accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of stationary objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The cap assembly is extracted as a separate removable component from the filter assembly. Users attach the cap assembly to the filter body, then use this combined tool to leverage the filter body out of its housing. By extracting the cap as a separate element, the system allows filters to be removed from tight spaces without requiring the entire filter assembly to be pivoted outside the machinery, thus maintaining compact interior space while improving accessibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP1892027B1Water purification apparatus having a pivotable top cover
Publication Date: 2014.07.02 LIN YI CHOU
  • EP1892027B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1892027B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP1892027B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A water purification apparatus (90) includes a main body (92) having an accommodation chamber (922) inside and a plate (94) on a top side thereof, a lid (96) pivotally mounted on the main body (92) and closable on the main body (91), a holder (20) mounted with the plate (94) of main body (92) and defining with the plate (94) of the main body (92) a distance, a top cover (30) pivotally mounted with the holder (20) and having a retaining portion (32), an inlet (34) and an outlet (36) opposite to the inlet (34), and a housing (40) having a jamming portion (42) detachably engageable with the retaining portion (32) of the top cover (30), a first water filler, hole (44) in communication with the inlet (34) of the top cover (30) and a second water filler hole (46) in communication with the outlet (36) of the top cover (30). The water purification apparatus (90) has the advantages of being convenient to exchange a filter.