Shower Waste Pump Dual Chamber Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric shower-waste pump and control units are prone to water ingress due to pump leaks, which can lead to direct contact with electrically energized control circuitry, posing a risk of electrocution as the water-tightly sealed box can fill with water, especially when diaphragm pumps fail and water leaks through air vent holes.
Innovation Solution
The design features a housing with separate water-tightly sealable chambers for the pump and control circuitry, with removable covers to prevent water ingress into the control circuitry chamber, ensuring IPx4 or IPx5 sealing standards and providing accessible user controls while maintaining a watertight seal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the pump and control circuitry are housed in a single water-tightly sealed box, then the unit provides a compact integrated design, but water leakage from the pump can cause electrocution risk by contacting the control circuitry
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into two separate chambers: a first chamber for the pump and a second chamber for the control circuitry. This segmentation isolates the control circuitry from potential water leakage in the pump chamber, eliminating electrocution risk while maintaining a compact integrated design. The chambers are separated by a partition wall that prevents water from reaching the electrical components.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the pump and control circuitry are separated into different chambers, then electrocution risk is eliminated, but the housing structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
While separating the pump and control circuitry into different chambers, the design merges the housing structure by using a single integrated housing with an internal partition wall. This approach eliminates the need for separate external housings, reducing overall structural complexity while maintaining the safety isolation between pump and control circuitry.
3Ease of manufacture
If a diaphragm pump is used for water pumping, then the pump is cost-effective and simple in design, but diaphragm wear causes water leakage through air vent holes
Solution Approach 1:
The design converts the harmful effect of diaphragm leakage into a beneficial configuration by positioning the air vent hole in the partition wall rather than in the pump housing. This allows the vent hole to serve dual purposes: maintaining air circulation for the diaphragm pump while preventing leaked water from reaching the control circuitry, thus transforming a potential hazard into a safety feature.
4Ease of operation
If the control circuitry is exposed for easy access, then user control is simplified, but water ingress can cause electrocution
Solution Approach 1:
The partition wall acts as an intermediary barrier between the pump chamber and control circuitry chamber. It allows air venting and electrical connections while preventing water ingress to the control circuitry. This intermediary structure enables easy access to controls for users while maintaining water-tight separation to prevent electrocution.
Data Source
AI summary
An electric shower-waste pump and control unit for pumping run-off shower water from a waste outlet to a drain, the unit comprising a housing having a first chamber and a separate second chamber which is water-tightly sealable, a removable housing cover for closing the housing, an electric pump provided in the first chamber, electronic control circuitry provided in the second chamber, and a removable second chamber cover for water-tightly sealing the second chamber against ingress of water leakage from the pump.