Sanitary Fitting Sensor Validation for Hygiene Flushing Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing building water supply systems face challenges in ensuring operational safety, particularly in preventing ineffective hygiene flushing due to defective water outlet valves or closed supply lines, which can lead to incorrect assumptions of successful flushing.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a procedure that uses a sensor, such as a TOF sensor, to validate the actual change in the water outlet from sanitary fittings outside the respective fittings, ensuring successful control of the water outlet valve and preventing uncontrolled water outlets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a central control system controls sanitary fittings to flush and logs this, then the flushing strategy is implemented, but the flushing may not actually take place due to defective valves or closed supply lines
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by using sensors to detect whether water is actually discharged from the sanitary fitting during flushing operations. The sensor signals are sent to the control unit, which compares the expected flushing state with the actual detected state. This closed-loop feedback mechanism allows the system to identify when flushing fails to occur despite being commanded, thereby resolving the information loss problem and improving reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-diagnosis by automatically detecting flushing failures through sensor feedback without requiring external intervention. The control unit monitors its own operational commands versus actual system responses, enabling the water supply system to identify and report defects in valves or supply lines autonomously.
2Loss of information
If the central control system logs flushing commands, then record-keeping is maintained, but incorrect assumptions of successful flushing occur when valves are defective
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces assumption-based logging with evidence-based logging by incorporating sensor feedback. The control unit only records flushing as successful when the sensor confirms actual water discharge. This transforms the logging system from merely recording commands to verifying actual outcomes, thereby improving both information accuracy and reliability.
3Reliability
If a sensor is used to detect water outlet changes, then operational safety is enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a sensor as an intermediary element between the water outlet valve and the control unit. This mediator detects the physical state of water discharge and translates it into electrical signals that the control unit can process. While this adds a component, it enables reliable automated monitoring without requiring complex manual inspection systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual verification methods with automated sensor-based detection. Instead of requiring physical inspection or complex mechanical monitoring systems, the solution uses electronic sensors to detect water presence, simplifying the overall system architecture while improving reliability.
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 solution enhances operational safety by accurately validating the control of water outlet valves, preventing incorrect assumptions of successful hygiene flushing, and ensuring the system operates safely, easily, and inexpensively.
Implementation Method 1
a sensor, in particular a ToF (time-of-flight) sensor, is provided for detecting the surroundings of the sanitary fitting
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for operating a building water supply system (1) with sanitary fittings (4), wherein several of the sanitary fittings (4) each have a water outlet opening (7), an electrically controllable water outlet valve (8) for releasing water from the water outlet opening (7), and a fitting control unit (9) for opening and/or closing the water outlet valve (8), wherein a hygiene flushing instruction is implemented by the fitting control unit (9) by controlling the water outlet valve (8), wherein a sensor (11), in particular a ToF sensor, is provided for detecting the environment of the sanitary fitting (4), and wherein, by means of the sensor (11), after the water outlet valve (8) has been controlled, in particular due to a hygiene flushing instruction,The sensor (11) detects an actual change in the water outlet (12) from the sanitary fitting (4) outside the respective sanitary fitting (4) and thus validates a successful control of the water outlet valve (8) in a validation routine (13).