Sink-Integrated Liquid Dispensing with Separate Sterile Water Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid dispensing apparatuses fail to provide sterilized water effectively, leading to mixing with purified water, occupy excessive space, and suffer from contamination and erosion issues, particularly when integrated with water purifiers or treatment devices.
Innovation Solution
A liquid dispensing device with separate nozzles for purified, cold, hot, and sterilized liquids, positioned to prevent contamination, and a modular design that integrates with sinks, including a sterilized liquid module and independent valve control for each liquid type, ensuring separate discharge points and efficient space utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If sterilized water and purified water are discharged through one cock, then the device complexity is reduced, but the purified water and sterilized water mix and the sterilized water becomes contaminated
Solution Approach 1:
The single discharge cock is segmented into separate discharge points: a first cock for purified water and a second cock for sterilized water. This segmentation prevents mixing between the two liquid types while maintaining manageable device complexity through modular separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The sterilized water discharge function is extracted from the common discharge system and assigned to a dedicated second cock. This extraction ensures that sterilized water maintains its sterility by being discharged through a separate, contamination-free pathway.
2Manufacturing precision
If all electrodes are made flat, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the volume of the sterilized water generation device increases occupying excessive space
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode structure transitions from a two-dimensional flat configuration to a three-dimensional mesh configuration. This dimensional change increases the effective surface area for electrolysis without proportionally increasing the device volume, as the mesh structure utilizes vertical and lateral spaces efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
The mesh electrodes are nested within a compact electrode assembly that fits inside the sterilized water generation device. This nesting arrangement maximizes the electrode surface area within a minimized volume, allowing flat manufacturing precision to be maintained while reducing overall device footprint.
3Reliability
If sterilized water remains in the tube, valve, and cock, then precipitation occurs causing erosion, but frequent flushing increases water consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by automatically flushing the sterilized water discharge path (second cock, tube, and valve) with a predetermined amount of water before precipitation and erosion can occur. This preventive flushing eliminates the need for excessive water consumption while maintaining component integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The flushing operation is implemented as periodic action, occurring at predetermined intervals or under specific conditions (such as when sterilized water is not used for a certain period). This periodic maintenance approach prevents erosion through regular clearing of precipitates without requiring continuous water flow.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a liquid dispensing device. The liquid dispensing device includes a cylinder body coupled to a sink and at least one nozzle coupled to the cylinder body. The at least one nozzle may include a first liquid discharge nozzle coupled to an upper region of the cylinder body to extend horizontally, the first liquid discharge nozzle being configured to supply a drinkable liquid, such as a purified liquid, a heated liquid, or a cooled liquid. The at least one nozzle may a second liquid discharge nozzle coupled to the cylinder body to extend horizontally, the second liquid discharge nozzle being positioned to be spaced apart from the first liquid discharge nozzle to supply a non-drinkable liquid, such as a sterilizing liquid containing hypochlorous acid or other additive.