Water Purifier Pump and Storage Tank Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional water purifiers face challenges in reducing contamination of purified water stored in the flushing tank, requiring additional pumps for hydraulic pressure, leading to noise, increased complexity, and unnecessary raw water consumption, while also wasting water and reducing filter durability.
Innovation Solution
A water purifier design incorporating a water storage tank with a separator membrane that allows purified water to be used for flushing and discharging without a separate pump, recycling residential water, and optimizing flow modes to reduce raw water usage and contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stress or pressure
If a separate pump is added to provide hydraulic pressure for flushing the RO filter, then the flushing pressure is improved, but the device complexity and noise increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the purified water discharge pump's suction side to provide flushing pressure, allowing the pump itself to serve dual purposes without requiring an additional dedicated pump for flushing
Solution Approach 2:
The purified water discharge pump is made multi-functional by utilizing its suction capability to simultaneously perform both purified water discharge and RO filter flushing operations, eliminating the need for a separate flushing pump
2Productivity
If a separate pump is added to discharge purified water from the water storage tank, then the discharge capability is improved, but the device complexity and noise increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pump is designed to perform multiple functions: it discharges purified water from the storage tank and simultaneously provides suction pressure for flushing the RO filter, eliminating the need for a separate pump
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the flushing tank is sealed to improve hygiene, then contamination is reduced, but purified water cannot flow into the tank due to internal air pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The air vent function is extracted from the flushing tank system and integrated into the pump mechanism, where the pump's operation naturally creates negative pressure that draws purified water into the tank without requiring a separate air vent opening
Solution Approach 2:
The pump acts as an intermediary mechanism that creates negative pressure to facilitate purified water flow into the flushing tank while maintaining the tank's sealed state for hygiene
4Productivity
If raw water is used to discharge purified water from the storage unit, then discharge is achieved, but raw water is wasted and filter durability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the pump's suction capability to create negative pressure that draws purified water from the storage tank without requiring additional raw water flow, making the discharge process self-sufficient
Solution Approach 2:
The pump continuously provides both purified water discharge and flushing pressure simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate raw water flows for each function and reducing overall water waste
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 solution effectively prevents impurity adsorption on the RO filter, recycles wasted water, maintains consistent raw water flow rates, and lowers contamination concentrations, enhancing the efficiency and hygiene of the water purification process.
Implementation Method 1
a separator membrane made of a non-permeable material to independently partition the raw water storage unit and the purified water storage unit and having elasticity
Implementation Method 2
an RO filter including a non-filtering unit into which raw water flows, a filtering unit for discharging purified water, and a reverse osmosis membrane that partitions the non-filtering unit and the filtering unit and filters the raw water into the purified water
Data Source
AI summary
A water purifier comprises: an RO filter comprising a non-filtering unit, a filtering unit for discharging purified water, and a reverse osmosis membrane for partitioning the non-filtering unit and the filtering unit and for purifying the raw water; a raw water storage unit; a purified water storage unit; a water storage tank comprising a separator membrane made of a non-permeable material so as to independently partition the raw water storage unit and the purified water storage unit and to have elasticity, the water storage tank being configured such that, when the raw water storage unit expands, the purified water storage unit contracts, and when the purified water storage unit expands, the raw water storage unit contracts; a flow channel for providing passages along which the raw water and the purified water flow; a valve unit comprising multiple valve modules; and a control device for controlling valve modules.