Shuttle Valve Assembly for Continuous Water Temperature Mixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hot/cold water mixing faucets lack precise and continuous temperature adjustability, often resulting in heterogeneous water temperatures, which is undesirable for applications like aircraft where consistent and infinitely adjustable temperature is required.
Innovation Solution
A shuttle valve temperature control assembly incorporating a solenoid-controlled flow valve and a servo-controlled shuttle valve that translates or rotates to vary the relative flow rates of hot and cold water, promoting turbulent mixing to achieve a continuous range of desired water temperatures from low to high.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional lever or knob mechanisms are used to manually control water flow, then ease of operation is improved, but temperature adjustment precision deteriorates due to stepped and imprecise adjustments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical lever or knob mechanisms with an electronic control system comprising a processor, memory, and electronic communication interfaces. This substitution enables continuous and precise temperature adjustment through electronic signals, eliminating the stepped adjustment limitation of mechanical systems while maintaining ease of operation through automated or digitally-controlled valve actuation.
2Device complexity
If hot and cold water are mixed in the faucet neck, then device complexity is reduced, but water temperature homogeneity deteriorates resulting in heterogeneous output
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the water mixing process into distinct controlled flows by using separate electronically-controlled valves for hot and cold water. Each valve independently regulates its respective water flow with high precision, allowing the processor to calculate and adjust individual flow rates to achieve homogeneous mixed water temperature at the output, rather than relying on passive mixing in the faucet neck.
3Ease of operation
If touchless faucets with sensor activation are used, then ease of operation is improved, but temperature adjustability deteriorates due to predetermined fixed temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic temperature adjustment system where the processor continuously calculates and adjusts the hot and cold water flow rates based on user input or environmental conditions. The electronically-controlled valves can dynamically vary their opening positions to achieve any temperature within the available range, providing infinite adjustability rather than fixed predetermined temperatures, while maintaining touchless operation through sensor activation.
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 virtually infinite and homogeneous water temperature adjustability with high user selectivity, addressing the limitations of conventional faucets by providing a compact, lightweight, and cost-effective solution for applications like aircraft.
Implementation Method 1
A shuttle valve temperature control assembly incorporating a solenoid-controlled flow valve
Implementation Method 2
a servo-controlled shuttle valve that is selectively translated and/or rotated to vary the relative flow rates of both the hot and cold water flows
Implementation Method 3
promoting turbulent mixing to achieve a continuous range of desired water temperatures
Data Source
AI summary
A valve assembly for mixing water from hot and cold water sources to obtain water at a resulting intermediate temperature that is suitable for hand washing or the like, including: a housing defining an internal fluid flow channel in fluid communication with a hot water inlet port that selectively supplies a hot water flow to the internal fluid flow channel and a cold water inlet port that selectively supplies a cold water flow to the internal fluid flow channel; and a valve member disposed within the internal fluid flow channel operable for simultaneously partially or wholly obstructing the hot water flow from the hot water inlet port to the internal fluid flow channel and the cold water flow from the cold water inlet port to the internal fluid flow channel such that each contributes a predetermined proportional water flow to the internal fluid flow channel.