Sanitary Fitting Solenoid Valve Compact Design
Solution Overview
Problem
Sanitary fittings with increased functionality face challenges in achieving a compact design due to the space requirements for mixer taps and hot water shut-off valves, limiting their potential for a more compact form factor.
Innovation Solution
The use of an electrically controllable solenoid valve for adjusting hot water quantity, operated by a second actuating element with safety features such as a sensor, restoring force, and timer, allows for a more compact design while maintaining functionality, and the ability to control pretreated water from a cooler, carbonator, or filter unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a manually operated shut-off valve is used to control hot water quantity, then the functionality is achieved, but the space requirement in the sanitary fitting increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manually operated mechanical shut-off valve with an electrically controllable solenoid valve. This substitution eliminates the need for a large mechanical valve body and associated manual operating mechanisms, significantly reducing the space required within the sanitary fitting while maintaining the hot water quantity control function. The solenoid valve can be actuated electrically via the second actuating element, achieving the same functionality in a compact form.
2Reliability
If safety measures such as restoring force and timer are added to the second actuating element, then unintentional actuation is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary safety actions by incorporating a restoring force mechanism that automatically returns the second actuating element to its initial position if not properly released, and a timer that prevents operation unless a specific duration is held. These preliminary safety measures are built into the actuating mechanism itself, providing reliable protection against unintentional actuation through inherent mechanical and temporal constraints rather than complex external control systems.
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 enables a compact sanitary fitting design with enhanced functionality, ensuring safety and efficient operation by reducing the need for manual shut-off valves and allowing dual-function control of hot water and pretreated water, while preventing unintentional actuation and providing adjustable settings for different water types.
Implementation Method 1
the amount of hot water is no longer adjusted via a manually operated shut-off valve, but rather by a valve element, in particular a solenoid valve, which can be electrically controlled by the second actuating element
Implementation Method 2
The second actuating element is assigned a sensor element which can, for example, electrically detect the position of the actuating element
Implementation Method 3
When released, the second actuating element is therefore automatically returned to its rest position
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a sanitary fitting having at least one first actuating element (17), in particular for setting the temperature and/or volume of mixed water, and having at least one second actuating element (21) for setting the volume of hot water. According to the invention, in order to set the volume of hot water, a valve element (43), in particular a solenoid valve, which is electrically controllable by the second actuating element (21), is arranged in the hot water flow path.