Showerhead Bracket Flow Control With Rotating Spool Valve
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Solution Overview
Problem
Showerhead brackets often lack adjustable flow control, forcing users to choose from fixed flow rates that may not meet individual preferences for water conservation or personal comfort, and existing solutions do not allow for dynamic changes in flow rate during use.
Innovation Solution
A showerhead bracket with a flow control assembly that includes a rotatable valve and housing, allowing users to adjust the flow rate by positioning the valve within the housing, which includes a spool with a spring-biased fluid seal and a cradle for supporting the showerhead handle, enabling customizable water flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If a fixed flow regulator is installed in the showerhead bracket, then water conservation is achieved, but users cannot dynamically adjust the flow rate according to their preferences
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by replacing the fixed flow regulator with a rotatable valve mechanism that allows users to dynamically adjust the flow rate. The valve can be rotated to different positions to change the flow opening, enabling the system to adapt from a static flow control design to a dynamic one where the flow rate can be continuously modified according to user needs while still maintaining water conservation capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by modifying the flow rate parameter through rotational adjustment of the valve. The valve's rotation changes the opening parameter, which directly controls the water flow rate. This allows the system to operate at different flow rates (e.g., lower for water conservation, higher for comfort) by simply changing the valve position parameter, rather than being locked into a single fixed flow rate.
2Ease of manufacture
If a flow regulator is set to a predetermined flow rate, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but user comfort and preference customization are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the flow control function into two separate components: a flow regulator that maintains predetermined flow rate limits (simplifying manufacturing) and a rotatable valve that enables user adjustment (improving ease of operation). The valve is segmented into rotational positions that correspond to different flow rates, allowing users to customize flow while the regulator ensures water conservation standards are met.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements universality by designing the valve mechanism to serve multiple functions: it acts as both a flow control device and an adjustment mechanism. The same rotational valve structure provides both the ability to customize flow rates for user comfort and the ability to work within the constraints of the flow regulator for water conservation, making the system universally adaptable to different user preferences without requiring multiple specialized components.
3Manufacturing precision
If the valve is fully restrained in the housing, then manufacturing precision is improved, but the valve cannot rotate to adjust flow rates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by applying the dynamics principle to the valve-housing interface. Instead of fully restraining the valve (which would improve manufacturing precision but eliminate adjustability), the design allows the valve to rotate dynamically within the housing. The housing provides sufficient restraint to maintain proper alignment and sealing during rotation, while simultaneously permitting the rotational movement needed for flow rate adjustment. This dynamic balance enables both manufacturing precision and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies the nested doll principle by placing the valve inside the housing in a nested configuration. The valve is nested within the housing structure, which provides guidance and restraint, yet allows the valve to rotate on its axis. This nested arrangement enables the smaller valve component to move (rotate) within the larger housing component, maintaining precise positioning while enabling the flow adjustment function through rotational motion.
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
Enables users to dynamically adjust water flow from approximately 2 gallons per minute to 1.6 gallons per minute, accommodating different user preferences and providing comfort by reducing pressure in certain spray modes while maintaining desired flow rates.
Implementation Method 1
a spool with a spring-biased fluid seal
Data Source
AI summary
A showerhead bracket including a bracket body, a spool rotatable relative to the bracket body, and a flow control knob non-rotatably connected to the spool such that the flow control knob and the spool rotate together relative to the bracket body. The flow control knob non-slidably connected to the spool to inhibit axial disengagement of the flow control knob from the spool.