Pull-Out Faucet Cartridge Layout With Hose-Through Channel

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing 'pull-out' fittings in sanitary facilities face challenges in achieving a compact design due to the installation space required for the hose, which makes it difficult to accommodate a mixing valve directly within the fitting housing.

Innovation Solution

A fitting design featuring a housing with a mixing cartridge and a hose that extends through a channel within the cartridge, allowing the mixing cartridge to be arranged within the housing, enabling a space-saving configuration while maintaining fluid flow and temperature control through inlet and outlet connections and an actuating unit.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If the hose is arranged within the fitting housing, then the fitting achieves a compact design, but the installation space required for the hose makes it difficult to accommodate a mixing valve directly in the fitting

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefitting housing volumeVSAvoidmixing valve arrangement complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The hose is routed through a channel formed within the mixing cartridge itself, nesting the hose passage inside the mixing valve body. This allows the mixing valve to be compactly arranged within the fitting housing while the hose extends through the cartridge's internal channel to reach the spout, resolving the space conflict between compact housing and valve accommodation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Device complexity

If the mixing valve is arranged at a distance from the housing, then the hose passage is simplified, but the fitting design becomes less compact

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehose passage complexityVSAvoidfitting housing volume
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The mixing cartridge integrates multiple functions into a single component: it houses the mixing valve, provides the hose channel, and connects to the spout. By merging the valve body, hose passage, and connection elements into one integrated cartridge, the design achieves compact housing arrangement while maintaining simplified hose routing through the unified structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3931474B1Faucet with extendable hose
Publication Date: 2022.10.19 GROHE AG
  • EP3931474B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP3931474B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5
  • EP3931474B1 patent drawingFigure 6~7

AI summary

A fitting (1), at least comprising a housing (2) having a housing wall (3), a mixing cartridge (4), arranged in the housing (2), having a first feed connection (5), a second feed connection (6), a mixing region (7) for mixing a fluid flowing into the mixing region (7) via the feed connections (5, 6), and an outlet connection (8) via which the fluid can flow out of the mixing region (7) and out of the mixing cartridge (4); an actuation unit (9) for actuating the mixing cartridge (4) and a hose (10); the hose (10) being connected to the outlet connection (8) by means of a first end (11) and being arranged in a moveable manner on the housing (2) by means of a second end (12); the hose (10) extending through a channel (13) of the mixing cartridge (4), the mixing region (7) being arranged at least partially between the channel (13) and the housing wall (3).