Shower Head Bubble Emitter for Intact Pure-Water Cleaning Bubbles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shower systems that produce aerated water do not effectively enhance cleaning action on the user's body and often distribute water over a larger surface area without providing a more voluminous flow or tactile sensation.
Innovation Solution
A shower head apparatus that encapsulates gas in large, individual bubbles by operating within a defined parameter space, using a gas and water supply system with a flow emitter that produces bubbles through controlled gas and water velocities, ensuring the Weber number and radial width are within specific ranges to maintain bubble integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If water is mixed with air to produce aerated water or foam, then water is distributed over a larger surface area, but the cleaning action on the user's body is not enhanced and the flow does not appear more voluminous
Solution Approach 1:
The water flow is segmented into discrete bubbles rather than continuous aerated water. Each bubble is a separate entity that travels to and bursts on the user's body, providing localized cleaning action while maintaining voluminous appearance. The flow emitter creates individual bubbles by injecting gas into water flow, segmenting the continuous water stream into discrete spherical units.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical parameters of water delivery by controlling bubble size, gas flow rate, and water flow rate. By operating within specific parameter ranges (Weber number We_g between 4-16, radial width ratio h/d_w between 0.05-0.20), the system produces bubbles that maintain integrity during travel and provide enhanced tactile sensation upon contact, thereby improving cleaning efficacy while maintaining surface area coverage.
2Quantity of substance
If surfactants are added to water to produce bubbles, then bubbles can be formed with little water and may persist to fill the shower enclosure, but the invention aims to produce bubbles without surfactants
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the operational parameters to produce bubbles without surfactants by optimizing the Weber number and radial width ratio. These parameter adjustments allow pure water to form stable bubbles that persist long enough to provide cleaning action, eliminating the need for surfactants while maintaining water efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses controlled pneumatic injection of gas into water flow through a specifically designed flow emitter. The gas injection creates bubbles without requiring surfactants, relying instead on precise control of gas and water flow rates to achieve bubble formation and stability with pure water.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the water outlet has a small radial width to produce intact bubbles, then bubble integrity is maintained, but the water flow velocity must be precisely controlled within a narrow parameter range
Solution Approach 1:
The invention identifies and controls key parameters (Weber number We_g between 4-16 and radial width ratio h/d_w between 0.05-0.20) that determine bubble integrity. By establishing these specific parameter ranges, the system maintains bubble stability while providing clear design guidelines that reduce the complexity of control compared to unrestricted parameter variation.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow emitter design itself incorporates the necessary geometric relationships (radial width to outer diameter ratio) that automatically guide the system to operate within the optimal parameter range. The structural design of the outlet geometry promotes stable bubble formation without requiring complex external control mechanisms.
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
The apparatus achieves a more voluminous and visually appealing water distribution with enhanced tactile sensation by producing large, intact bubbles that travel and burst on the user's skin, providing improved cleaning efficacy.
Implementation Method 1
The apparatus is arranged and operated to encapsulate the gas flowing from the gas outlet in a series of bubbles formed by the water flowing from the water outlet
Implementation Method 2
The water supply means is arranged for connection to a supply of water having a surface tension σ w to supply the water to flow at a velocity u w from the water outlet
Implementation Method 3
An aerodynamic Weber number (which is to say, a gaseous Weber number) is defined as We g = ρ g u g 2 d w /σ w
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~6
Figure 7a~7c
AI summary
An apparatus produces bubbles of pure water from a flow emitter 11 comprising an annular water outlet 13 surrounding a gas outlet 12. One or more flow emitters may be incorporated into an emitter body 10 configured as a shower head or a tap. In another aspect, a magnetic power connector is arranged to supply electrical energy to a shower head.