Showerhead Pressure Compensator with Flexible Flow Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing water-saving devices, such as showerheads and kitchen aerators, fail to maintain stable flow rates under varying water pressures, limiting their water-saving efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A pressure compensator with a flexible flow control member made of elastic materials, such as plastic, that reduces the flow area through orifices as water pressure increases, maintaining a constant flow rate by flexing and blocking part of the orifices, allowing for stable flow rates between 10 to 100 psi.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If water flow rate is limited to achieve water savings, then water consumption is reduced, but flow rate stability under varying pressure conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible flow control member that dynamically adjusts the flow area in response to pressure changes. The member flexes under increased pressure to reduce flow area, automatically maintaining stable flow rates without external control systems. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by making the flow control responsive to real-time pressure conditions while maintaining water savings.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state of the flow control member from rigid to flexible, allowing it to change shape in response to pressure variations. This parameter change enables the system to maintain constant flow rates across varying pressure conditions (10-100 psi) while still achieving water conservation goals.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid flow control structure is used to maintain stable flow rates, then flow stability is improved, but adaptability to pressure changes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes a flexible flow control member made of elastomeric material that can deform under pressure. This flexible component automatically adapts to pressure changes by flexing to reduce flow area, eliminating the need for complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms while maintaining flow stability across a wide pressure range.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible flow control member serves itself by automatically adjusting its position and flow area in response to pressure changes without external control. The material's inherent elasticity provides the adaptive response, eliminating the need for external actuators, sensors, or control systems.
3Stability of the object's composition
If complex pressure compensation mechanisms are added to maintain stable flow rates, then flow stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the pressure compensation function from complex mechanical mechanisms and embeds it directly into the flow control member itself. The flexible member's material properties provide the pressure compensation effect, eliminating the need for separate compensation devices, springs, or diaphragms found in traditional systems.
Solution Approach 2:
By changing the material properties of the flow control member to be flexible and pressure-responsive, the invention achieves pressure compensation through material behavior rather than mechanical mechanisms. This parameter change simplifies the overall device structure while maintaining stable flow rates under varying pressure conditions.
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 ensures consistent flow rates across a range of pressures, enhancing water-saving efficiency by maintaining flow rates between 0.5 to 2.5 gallons per minute, even at increased pressures, and can be applied to various flow controllers like showerheads and aerators.
Implementation Method 1
at least one flexible flow control member capable of at least partially blocking the at least one flow orifice to provide the at least one flow orifice with a predetermined flow area, whereby the at least one flexible flow control member is caused to flex and reduce the predetermined flow area at increased water pressures
Data Source
AI summary
Pressure compensators for stabilizing the flow of water are disclosed including at least one flow orifice (10) passing through a pressure compensator body (1) and at least one flexible flow controller (2) which can at least partially block the orifice (10) to provide it with a predetermined flow area whereby the flow controller flexes and reduces the flow area at increased water pressures. Flow controllers are also disclosed for controlling the flow of water including a revolving body (5) for selectively opening and closing a number of flow openings (17) therethrough.