Shelf Spigot Water Prefilling With Sensor-Based Overflow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerating appliances lack an efficient system for prefilling and dispensing water into removable containers while maintaining temperature and preventing overflow.
Innovation Solution
A water dispensing system integrated with a shelf spigot and fluid level sensor within a refrigerating appliance, allowing for prefilled containers to be cooled and dispensed with a controller-regulated flow, and a load cell or tension cell for monitoring fluid levels to prevent overflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a water dispensing system with shelf spigot is used, then water can be dispensed into removable containers, but the system lacks overflow prevention and accurate fluid level monitoring
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a fluid level sensor that provides feedback to a controller to monitor the fluid level in the container. When the fluid reaches a predetermined level, the sensor signals the controller to stop the flow, preventing overflow. This feedback mechanism ensures reliable overflow prevention while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a load cell integrated with the shelf spigot assembly to automatically detect when a container is properly positioned and to monitor fluid level changes. The system self-regulates the dispensing process without requiring user intervention for level monitoring or overflow prevention.
2Reliability
If a fluid level sensor is added to monitor fluid levels, then overflow is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the fluid level sensor and load cell directly into the shelf spigot assembly, merging multiple functions (fluid monitoring, weight detection, and flow control) into a single integrated unit. This reduces the number of separate components and simplifies the overall system architecture while maintaining reliable fluid level monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The shelf spigot assembly is designed as a multi-functional unit that simultaneously serves as a support structure, a fluid dispensing mechanism, and a sensor integration platform. The load cell and fluid level sensor share the same mounting structure, allowing one assembly to perform multiple functions without requiring separate dedicated components for each function.
3Volume of moving object
If the shelf spigot is positioned below the shelf underside, then space is optimized, but access for container placement becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the shelf spigot in a vertical arrangement below the shelf underside, utilizing the vertical dimension rather than horizontal space. This allows the refrigerating compartment to maintain its horizontal storage capacity while providing dedicated vertical clearance for container placement and fluid dispensing, effectively using three-dimensional space optimization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a fill zone as an intermediary space between the shelf spigot and the container opening. This fill zone acts as a mediator that facilitates easy container placement and alignment with the spigot outlet, compensating for the vertical positioning challenge and maintaining ease of operation despite the space-optimized configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid delivery system for an appliance includes a fluid line in selective communication with a fluid source. A shelf defines a fill zone positioned below an underside of the shelf. A shelf spigot is coupled with the fluid line and disposed proximate the underside of the shelf and over the fill zone. A fluid level sensor is positioned in communication with the fill zone. The fluid level sensor is also in communication with a controller that regulates a flow of fluid through the shelf spigot.