Removable Liquid Transport Assembly for Water Dispenser Sanitization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Bottom-Loading water dispensers are difficult to sanitize due to increased water contact components and are costly to produce, while Top-Loading dispensers face challenges with heavy water bottle installation and sanitization complexity.
Innovation Solution
A Bottom-Loading water dispenser design with a removable, rigid liquid transport assembly that minimizes flexible hoses and components, featuring a self-priming pump and non-return valve to facilitate easy sanitization and reduce production costs, allowing for efficient liquid conveyance between the storage container and dispensing nozzle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a Bottom-Loading water dispenser is used to avoid heavy water bottle installation, then water bottle installation becomes easier, but the number of water contact components increases making sanitization more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid transport assembly is divided into separate components: a removable manifold unit, reservoir, and associated tubing. This segmentation allows the manifold to be detached from the reservoir and tubing, enabling sanitization of the manifold separately without disassembling the entire assembly, thus reducing the complexity of the sanitization process while maintaining the bottom-loading configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The manifold is designed as a removable component that can be extracted from the reservoir and tubing assembly. This extraction allows the manifold to be removed for sanitization independently, reducing the number of components that need to be disassembled for cleaning while preserving the bottom-loading water bottle configuration.
2Ease of operation
If a Bottom-Loading water dispenser with multiple water contact components is used, then water bottle installation is easier, but the cost of production increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manifold, reservoir, and tubing are designed as an integrated liquid transport assembly that functions as a single operational unit. This merging reduces the number of separate components that need to be manufactured and assembled, lowering production costs while maintaining the bottom-loading configuration and ease of water bottle installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The removable manifold unit is designed to be universally applicable across different reservoir and tubing configurations. This universality allows the manifold to serve multiple functions and be used with various assembly configurations, reducing the need for multiple specialized components and thereby lowering production costs while maintaining operational ease.
3Ease of repair
If a removable liquid transport assembly is designed to facilitate sanitization, then sanitization becomes easier, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid transport assembly is segmented into a removable manifold unit and a reservoir-tubing assembly. This segmentation allows the manifold to be separated for sanitization without requiring disassembly of the entire liquid transport system, simplifying the sanitization process while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The manifold is designed with dynamic connectivity, allowing it to be easily attached and detached from the reservoir and tubing through simple coupling mechanisms. This dynamic design enables rapid removal and reattachment of the manifold for sanitization purposes without complex assembly procedures, maintaining ease of sanitization while keeping the overall structure simple.
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 enables rapid and effective sanitization of the water dispenser while being cost-effective to manufacture, reducing the complexity of sanitization processes and addressing installation issues associated with Top-Loading systems.
Implementation Method 1
pumps are typically employed to pump the drinking water to the dispensing location located above the water bottle
Implementation Method 2
The valve assembly includes a non-return valve and a pressure relief valve
Implementation Method 3
A significant number of existing water dispensers use gravity as the driving force to dispense water from the water dispenser
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid dispenser for dispensing a liquid from a liquid storage container operably associated with the liquid dispenser. Preferably, the liquid dispenser includes a main housing having a dispensing location at which liquid from a liquid storage container is dispensed and a storage location for storing a liquid storage container. Preferably, the liquid dispenser includes a removable liquid transport assembly removable from the main housing having a substantially rigid liquid manifold, a valve assembly, a riser tube, a reservoir, a reservoir dip tube, a pump head, a pinch tube and a dispensing nozzle that are removable as a single unit from the main housing. Preferably, the liquid dispenser includes a single self-priming pump. Preferably, the valve assembly includes a non-return valve and a pressure relief valve that act in concert to control the flow of liquid between the liquid storage container and the reservoir.