Sanitary Assembly Sensor for Drainage Malfunction Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Sanitary arrangements lack effective detection of malfunctions, such as blockages or defective flushing valves, which can lead to changes in drainage behavior, and existing monitoring systems are not adequately equipped to identify these issues in real-time.
Innovation Solution
A sanitary arrangement equipped with a sensor unit that detects flow parameters in the drain pipe and a controller to evaluate these parameters, providing an alarm signal when a change in drainage behavior is detected, allowing for timely intervention and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a sensor unit with controller is added to detect flow parameters in the drain pipe, then malfunction detection capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical monitoring systems with a sensor-based detection system. The sensor unit detects flow parameters (such as flow rate, pressure, or velocity) in the drain pipe and transmits data to a controller that analyzes the parameters to identify malfunctions like blockages or leaks, substituting mechanical inspection methods with automated sensor-based monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The sanitary arrangement performs self-diagnosis through the sensor unit and controller that continuously monitor drainage parameters and automatically detect malfunctions without requiring external inspection. The system serves itself by identifying issues like blockages or defective flushing valves through automated analysis of flow parameter changes.
2Reliability
If real-time monitoring of drainage behavior is implemented, then early malfunction detection is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous monitoring, the sensor unit measures flow parameters at periodic intervals during drainage events. The controller evaluates changes in drainage behavior by comparing parameters from successive drainage events, enabling early malfunction detection while consuming energy only during measurement and evaluation phases rather than continuously.
Solution Approach 2:
The system detects malfunctions by identifying changes in flow parameters (such as reduced flow rate indicating blockage or abnormal pressure changes indicating leaks) rather than requiring constant high-energy monitoring. The controller analyzes parameter deviations from normal drainage patterns to enable early detection with minimal energy input.
Data Source
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AI summary
A sanitary arrangement (1) comprises a sanitary article (2) with a drain connection (3), a drain pipe (4) connected to the drain connection (3) for conveying a flushing water mixture during flushing of the sanitary article (2), and a sensor unit (5), wherein the sensor unit (5) comprises a sensor (6), in particular exactly one, and a control unit (7), wherein the sensor (6) is configured and arranged to detect at least one flow parameter (F) of the flushing water mixture in the drain pipe (4) and to provide a measured value corresponding to the at least one measured flow parameter (F), and wherein the control unit (7) is configured to evaluate the measured value in such a way that a change in the flow behavior in the drain pipe (4) indicating a malfunction can be detected.