Shower Head Valve Group Switching Mechanism
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shower heads require significant force to switch outlet functions due to large size and high friction, resulting in a poor user experience and reduced service life, with protruding gear positions increasing costs.
Innovation Solution
A push button switch valve with a concave-convex structure on the switch shaft that alternately pushes support covers to switch waterways, combined with a push-and-pull rod mechanism, reducing friction and size while enhancing user convenience and service life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a rotating panel mechanism is used to switch outlet functions, then the shower head can achieve function switching, but it requires large force to rotate and has large inner size resulting in poor hand feel
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of rotating the panel to switch functions, the invention inverts the mechanism by using a push button that moves linearly to drive a switch rod, which in turn rotates the outlet panel. This inversion transforms the user's linear pushing motion into the required rotational motion of the panel, significantly reducing the force required from the user while maintaining compact dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a switch rod as an intermediary component between the push button and the outlet panel. The switch rod translates the linear motion of the push button into rotational motion of the outlet panel, acting as a mechanical mediator that amplifies the user's input force and converts motion types, thereby reducing the direct force requirement on the panel while keeping the mechanism compact.
2Ease of operation
If the switch rod directly closes water diversion holes or inlet holes, then the waterways can be switched, but it needs to overcome large friction force requiring larger switching force and resulting in poor hand feel
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the direct contact between the switch rod and the water diversion holes/inlet holes by introducing support covers as intermediate elements. The support covers are rotatably disposed and selectively align with the holes to open or close waterways. This extraction eliminates the need for the switch rod to directly overcome friction against the holes, significantly reducing the switching force required while maintaining effective waterway control.
3Ease of operation
If protruding gear positions are disposed at the head portion of the switch rod to switch gear positions, then the switching function is achieved, but it increases the use of the head portion reducing service life and increasing cost
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the switching function by separating the gear position switching mechanism from the head portion of the switch rod. Instead of having protrusions at the head, the switch rod has grooves formed on its surface that engage with corresponding protrusions on the outlet panel. This segmentation distributes the wear across the groove surfaces rather than concentrating it at the head portion, significantly extending the service life of the switch rod while maintaining the gear position switching function.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A valve group switched by a push button and a shower head using the valve group are provided. The valve group comprises: a fixing part (150), a plurality of support cover bodies (400) and a switching mechanism (500), wherein the fixing part (150) is provided with a water inlet channel (110), multiple water dividing holes (211) which are communicated with the water inlet channel (110); the support cover bodies (400) are as many as the water dividing holes (211) and are rotationally mounted and connected to the fixing part (150) to be in one-to-one correspondence with the water dividing holes (211). The switching mechanism (500) comprises a switching shaft body (510) and a push button (520); the switching shaft body (510) which can slide on the fixing part (150) is mounted on the fixing part (150); the push button (520) which can slide left and right is mounted on the fixing part (150); the push button (520) and the switching shaft body (510) are connected in transmission, so that the push button (520) when sliding can drive the switching shaft body (510) to slide; the switching shaft body (510) is provided with a convex-concave structure (515); and the convex-concave structure (515) can select to support separate or all the support cover bodies (400) through the axial movement of the switching shaft body (510). The structure has a small and exquisite inner core, so that the whole shower head has the advantages of slim and simple appearance, low switching force and brisk hand feeling.