Immersive Showerhead Droplet Segmentation Heat Retention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional showerheads discharge large water droplets that quickly lose heat, leading to inefficient heat retention and humidity maintenance in bathing environments, resulting in a cooler experience for users.

Innovation Solution

The showerhead design incorporates a combination of hollow cone, full cone, and flat fan nozzles that discharge a range of droplet sizes, creating a cloud of fine droplets that retain heat and humidity through an adiabatic boundary layer, with larger droplets shielding smaller ones from ambient air and surfaces.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If conventional showerheads discharge large water droplets, then water coverage is achieved, but heat retention and humidity maintenance deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat retentionVSAvoidwater droplet size

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The showerhead segments the water flow into multiple droplet sizes through different nozzle types (hollow cone nozzles producing fine droplets, full cone nozzles producing medium droplets, and flat fan nozzles producing larger droplets). This segmentation allows fine droplets to evaporate and generate humidity while larger droplets provide water coverage and shield smaller droplets from ambient air, resolving the contradiction between heat retention and water coverage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the showerhead discharge water with different local qualities - hollow cone nozzles discharge fine mist for heat retention and humidity generation, while flat fan nozzles discharge larger droplets for water coverage. This local quality differentiation allows simultaneous achievement of heat retention and adequate water coverage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Loss of energy

If conventional showerheads use large water droplets, then water flow rate is maintained, but heat loss to ambient air increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat lossVSAvoidwater droplet size

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The water flow is segmented into multiple size classes with different thermal behaviors. Fine droplets from hollow cone nozzles evaporate to generate humidity and heat the bathing environment, while larger droplets from flat fan nozzles provide coverage and shield smaller droplets from ambient air cooling, reducing overall heat loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Larger droplets from flat fan nozzles act as intermediaries that shield smaller fine droplets from direct contact with cooler ambient air and shower surfaces. This protective shielding reduces heat loss from the fine droplets while the larger droplets themselves provide adequate water coverage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Quantity of substance

If showerhead discharges fine droplets for heat retention, then humidity increases, but water coverage decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovehumidityVSAvoidwater coverage area

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The nozzle system segments water discharge into three droplet size categories: fine droplets from hollow cone nozzles for humidity generation, medium droplets from full cone nozzles, and larger droplets from flat fan nozzles for water coverage. This multi-scale segmentation simultaneously achieves humidity increase and adequate water coverage area.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The showerhead merges multiple nozzle types with different spray characteristics into a single integrated system. The combined discharge of fine, medium, and large droplets creates a comprehensive water delivery system that provides both humidity generation and adequate water coverage area that neither nozzle type could achieve alone.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

This design achieves similar heat flux and humidity retention as traditional showerheads while using less water, maintaining a warmer and more humid bathing environment with reduced water consumption.

Implementation Method 1

creating a cloud of fine droplets that retain heat and humidity through an adiabatic boundary layer, with larger droplets shielding smaller ones from ambient air and surfaces

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAdiabatic boundary layer: Boundary Layer

Data Source

PatentUS9925545B2Immersive showerhead

Publication Date: 2018.03.27 NEBIA

AI summary

One variation of a showerhead includes: a body defining a fluid circuit, a first region on a ventral side of the body, and a second region adjacent the first region on the ventral side of the body; a set of hollow cone nozzles distributed within the first region, fluidly coupled to the fluid circuit, and discharging sprays of fluid droplets within a first size range; a set of flat fan nozzles arranged within the second region, fluidly coupled to the fluid circuit, and discharging sprays of fluid droplets within a second size range; and a set of orifices fluidly coupled to the fluid circuit and discharging fluid drops between sprays discharged from the set of hollow cone nozzles and sprays discharged from the flat fan nozzles, fluid drops discharged from the set of orifices within a third size range exceeding the first size range and the second size range.