Sanitary Fitting Outlet Unit With Multi-Position Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing outlet elements in sanitary fittings fail to efficiently seal transitions between the base element and the valve device, particularly when switching between different water guides.
Innovation Solution
The base element incorporates a sealing element and a seal receptacle that ensures a reliable seal between the downstream outlet openings and upstream inlet openings of the switched water guides in each switching position, using a design that accommodates the sealing element to move into different positions as the valve device is adjusted.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple sealing elements are used to seal transitions between base element and valve device for each water guide, then sealing reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sealing functions into a single sealing element that can seal transitions for multiple water guides simultaneously. This sealing element includes multiple sealing surfaces or segments that can engage with different inlet openings of different water guides, thereby reducing the total number of sealing elements while maintaining sealing reliability across all water guides.
2Device complexity
If a single sealing element is used to seal multiple water guides, then device complexity is reduced, but sealing effectiveness for each water guide may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing element is designed with different local sealing surfaces or segments, each optimized for sealing against specific inlet openings of different water guides. Each local sealing surface can have different geometric characteristics, materials, or configurations tailored to its specific sealing requirement, thereby maintaining high sealing effectiveness for each individual water guide while using a single integrated sealing element.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an improvement in the field of sanitary engineering. It discloses an outlet element (1) for a sanitary fitting which comprises a base element (2) and a valve device (3) which is connected to the base element (2) and can be adjusted relative to the base element (2) between at least two switching positions for switching over between at least two separate water conduits (4, 5). In order to seal a passage between an outlet opening (6) of the base element (2) on the outflow side and at least one inlet opening (7, 8) of a connected water conduit (4, 5) on the inflow side, the base element (2) has a sealing element (9) which in each of the at least two switching positions is designed to seal the relevant passage between an outlet opening (6) of the base element (2) on the outflow side and the at least one inlet opening (7, 8) of the connected water conduit (4, 5) on the inflow side.