RO Storage Tank Ribbed Shells for Instant Water Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Reverse osmosis water filtration systems experience an initial hesitation in product water dispensing due to the bladder lying flat against the tank wall, causing a delay in squeeze water flow and product water pressurization.
Innovation Solution
The use of rib-like protrusions on the interior surfaces of the tank shells to hold the bladder away from the tank wall, creating flow passages for immediate squeeze water flow and pressurization of product water when needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the bladder is allowed to lie flat against the tank wall when full, then the storage capacity is maximized, but the initial product water dispensing experiences hesitation and delay
Solution Approach 1:
The ribs are pre-formed on the tank wall during manufacturing, creating predetermined flow channels that are ready before use. When the bladder becomes full, these ribs automatically maintain a gap between the bladder and tank wall, pre-positioning the squeeze water pathway for immediate activation without hesitation.
2Speed
If the bladder is held away from the tank wall using ribs, then the initial squeeze water flow is immediate, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ribs are integrally molded as part of the tank shell structure during the same manufacturing process, rather than being separate components that require assembly. This merging of the bladder support function into the tank's basic structure eliminates additional manufacturing steps while achieving the desired effect of maintaining a gap between the bladder and tank wall.
3Ease of manufacture
If the ribs are integrally molded on the tank shells, then the manufacturability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ribs are strategically positioned only at specific locations on the tank wall where they are most effective at maintaining the bladder gap and creating flow channels. This localized approach provides the necessary structural complexity only where needed, rather than uniformly throughout the entire tank structure, thus minimizing overall device complexity while maintaining manufacturability benefits.
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
This design eliminates the hesitation in initial product water dispensing from a full storage tank by allowing immediate pressurization and flow of squeeze water, enhancing the manufacturability and performance of the filtration system.
Implementation Method 1
Reverse osmosis water filtration systems pressurize one side of an appropriate membrane with source water, causing the water to slowly pass through the membrane, leaving impurities therein on the source water side of the membrane
Implementation Method 2
the bladder lies flat against the tank wall. Now when the product water is to be dispensed, squeeze water is coupled to the region between the bladder and the tank wall
Data Source
AI summary
A reverse osmosis product water storage tank having first and second molded shells coupled together to form an enclosure, a bladder within the enclosure and coupled to separate product water from squeeze water within the enclosure, a first port through a wall of the enclosure to provide water access to the product water side of the bladder, a second port through a wall of the enclosure to provide squeeze water access to the squeeze water side of the bladder and wherein the inner surfaces of the enclosure having a topography configured to define a plurality of channels between the inner surfaces of the enclosure and the bladder when the bladder is full of product water for accommodating squeeze water flow into the enclosure between the enclosure and the bladder when the bladder is full of product water.