Shower Head Spray Nozzle Synchronization via Planetary Gate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shower head technologies fail to produce a moving spray pattern that can be varied to provide different massage effects, limiting user experience in terms of spray direction and intensity.
Innovation Solution
A spray forming element with pivotably mounted axial-flow spray outlet elements and a gear mechanism, utilizing a planetary gear system with a wavy gate to synchronize the movement of nozzles, allowing for adjustable spray patterns and frequencies to achieve a calming or stimulating massage effect.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If multiple gear elements are used to move spray outlet elements, then individual control of nozzles is possible, but the device complexity increases and synchronized movement becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The gear mechanism is segmented into a gate element with multiple gates, where each gate controls one spray outlet element. This segmentation allows independent control of each nozzle while maintaining synchronized movement through a single integrated gate element that moves all nozzles simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The single gate element serves multiple functions: it transmits force to all spray outlet elements, guides their movement, and enables synchronized operation. By making the gate element multi-functional, the design avoids the complexity of multiple separate gear elements while achieving the desired control.
2Adaptability or versatility
If spray outlet elements are fixed in position, then the structure is simple, but variable spray patterns and massage effects cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The spray outlet elements are designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing them to change position and orientation. The gate mechanism enables dynamic adjustment of nozzle positions, creating variable spray patterns and massage effects while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The gate mechanism produces periodic movement of the spray outlet elements, creating oscillating spray patterns that provide massage effects. This periodic action is achieved through the rotational movement of the gate element, which systematically varies the position of each nozzle in a repeating cycle.
3Productivity
If the gate moves quickly, then productivity is high, but the massage effect frequency may be too fast for calming effects
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows adjustment of the gate rotation speed to change the frequency of nozzle movement. By controlling the rotational parameter of the gate mechanism, the spray output frequency can be optimized to provide either high productivity or calming massage effects depending on the desired application.
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 solution enables the creation of variable spray patterns with individual sprays that diverge or converge, providing a calming or stimulating massage effect by synchronizing the movement of nozzles, with a frequency adjustable based on flow rate, enhancing user experience.
Implementation Method 1
a gear mechanism for moving the spray outlet elements
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of axial-flow spray outlet elements
Data Source
AI summary
In a spray forming element for a shower head having a housing, a plurality of axial-flow spray outlet elements, a housing base which has passage openings for the spray outlet elements, each of the spray outlet elements being pivotably mounted in the housing base, and which additionally has a gear mechanism for moving the spray outlet elements, in order to transmit a force to the spray outlet elements, a single gear element having a gate is provided, by means of which the spray outlet elements are positively guided and, during a movement of the gear element, the movement of all the spray outlet elements is carried out simultaneously.