Plumbing Fixture Fitting with Segmented Conduits for Spray Performance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Plumbing fixture fittings with limited flow rates face challenges in maintaining effective spray performance, as legislation restricts flow rates, impacting user expectations for spray functionality.
Innovation Solution
A faucet design featuring a hub, spout, and wand with a waterway and diverter valve system that includes separate conduits and nozzles, allowing for improved spray distribution and performance by diverting fluid flow between conduits to deliver water as both a stream and a spray, maintaining effectiveness at reduced flow rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If flow rate is limited by legislation, then water conservation is improved, but spray performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The waterway is divided into multiple separate conduits (first conduit, second conduit, third conduit) that carry water to different nozzles. This segmentation allows the system to distribute limited water flow across multiple spray streams, maintaining effective spray coverage and performance even at reduced flow rates while still conserving water overall.
Solution Approach 2:
Different nozzles are designed with specific configurations to deliver water with different characteristics (stream vs. spray patterns). The diverter valve chamber enables selective activation of different nozzle configurations based on local needs, optimizing spray performance for specific cleaning tasks while maintaining low overall water consumption.
2Loss of substance
If flow rate is reduced, then water conservation is improved, but spray force and velocity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The water flow is segmented into multiple separate conduits leading to different nozzles. This segmentation concentrates the limited water flow into focused streams rather than dispersing it, maintaining spray force and velocity despite reduced overall water consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The nozzle designs and diverter valve system enable changes in spray parameters (stream vs. spray patterns) to optimize force delivery. By controlling flow distribution through the diverter valve chamber, the system maintains adequate spray force and velocity for effective cleaning while using less water.
3Loss of substance
If flow rate is reduced, then water conservation is improved, but spray velocity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The waterway segments flow into multiple conduits that deliver water to different nozzles. This segmentation maintains spray velocity by directing limited water flow through optimized conduit paths and nozzle designs that preserve flow speed, ensuring effective spray performance despite reduced overall water consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system can change spray parameters through the diverter valve chamber to optimize velocity for different cleaning needs. By controlling which conduits and nozzles are active, the system maintains adequate spray velocity while using less water overall.
4Reliability
If multiple conduits and nozzles are added, then spray performance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple conduits and nozzles are merged into a single integrated waterway assembly with a unified diverter valve chamber. This combining approach maintains multiple spray outlets for improved performance while consolidating the structure into a compact, manageable unit that reduces overall device complexity compared to separate systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The waterway assembly serves multiple functions through its multiple conduits and nozzles, delivering both stream and spray patterns from a single integrated structure. This multi-functionality improves spray performance for various cleaning tasks while avoiding the need for separate devices, thereby managing 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 design achieves improved spray performance with increased force, velocity, and unbroken stream length, while minimizing splash, even at lower flow rates, ensuring effective cleaning and user satisfaction.
Implementation Method 1
The nozzles are operable to fluidly communicate with the third conduit and the second outlet passage and deliver water from the spray face in the form of a spray. The spray includes a plurality of streamlets. An average unbroken length of the streamlets is greater than approximately two inches at a flow rate of approximately thirty-seven thousandths gallons per minute.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a plumbing fixture fitting having a spray mode with improved spray performance. The fitting includes a spray face. The spray face includes nozzles. The nozzles are operable to deliver water from the spray face in the form of a spray. The spray includes streamlets. An average unbroken length of the streamlets is greater than approximately two inches at a flow rate of approximately thirty-seven thousandths gallons per minute.