Spray Nozzle Piston Suction to Prevent Clogging and Drips
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spray devices for household appliances, such as irons, suffer from nozzle clogging due to lime scale deposits and the formation of water meniscus at the nozzle outlet, which leads to larger droplets that can stain delicate fabrics and are difficult to dry, disrupting the release of the first water droplets.
Innovation Solution
A spray device with a movable piston that suddenly interrupts the liquid supply and generates a depression to suck residual liquid into a recovery cavity, preventing nozzle clogging and eliminating the water meniscus, while a compact design integrates the recovery cavity into the housing and uses a spring or pressurized liquid for piston return, ensuring efficient operation and easy cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a valve is used to interrupt water flow when the pump is not activated, then water flow control is improved, but residual water remains in the nozzle causing clogging and meniscus formation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful residual water from the nozzle by introducing a recovery cavity that collects and removes water remaining after the valve closes. This prevents the water meniscus from forming at the nozzle outlet, eliminating the root cause of clogging and staining while maintaining the flow control function.
Solution Approach 2:
The recovery cavity acts as an intermediary element between the valve and the nozzle outlet. It provides a designated space for residual water to be redirected and stored, preventing direct contact between the meniscus and the nozzle outlet, thus solving the clogging problem without compromising valve functionality.
2Device complexity
If residual water is present at the nozzle outlet, then the spray device structure is simple, but the nozzle blocks rapidly due to limestone deposits
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful residual water is extracted from the nozzle system and redirected to the recovery cavity. This removes the source of limestone deposits that would otherwise accumulate at the nozzle outlet, maintaining reliable operation without significantly increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a discarding mechanism for residual water by channeling it into the recovery cavity where it is stored separately. This prevents the residual water from remaining in the nozzle where it would cause clogging, while the recovery cavity recovers the water for potential reuse or proper disposal.
3Device complexity
If a water meniscus forms at the nozzle outlet, then the spray device structure is simple, but large droplets are formed that stain delicate fabrics
Solution Approach 1:
The water meniscus is extracted from the nozzle outlet by redirecting residual water into the recovery cavity. This eliminates the meniscus that would otherwise disrupt droplet formation and create large staining droplets, ensuring fine spray quality without complicating the device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The recovery cavity serves as an intermediary that captures residual water before it can form a meniscus at the nozzle outlet. This prevents the meniscus from interfering with the spray pattern and droplet size control, thereby preventing fabric staining while maintaining structural simplicity.
4Reliability
If the recovery cavity volume is large enough to contain all residual liquid, then liquid retention is improved, but the device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The recovery cavity is nested within the existing housing structure of the spray device. By utilizing the available internal space and integrating the recovery cavity into the housing, the patent achieves effective liquid retention without significantly increasing the overall device volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The recovery cavity is designed to utilize vertical space and three-dimensional volume efficiently within the housing. By optimizing the cavity's shape and position in 3D space, the patent achieves sufficient retention capacity without proportionally increasing the device's external dimensions.
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 effectively prevents nozzle clogging and reduces the formation of large droplets, ensuring efficient and uniform spraying without stains on fabrics, and allows for easy disassembly and cleaning, enhancing the operational reliability and user experience.
Implementation Method 1
the displacement of the said piston from the operating position towards the rest position generates a vacuum causing the aspiration of a volume of liquid located in the nozzle towards the inside of the supply circuit
Implementation Method 2
the movable element being returned to the rest position by return means
Data Source
AI summary
Spray device (1) comprising a nozzle (2) for diffusing a spray of liquid, said nozzle (2) being supplied with pressurized liquid by means of a supply circuit connected to a pump (105), said supply circuit of the nozzle (2) comprising an element (3) movable between a rest position, in which said movable element (3) prevents the flow of liquid in the direction of the nozzle (2), and a position of operation, in which the mobile element (3) allows the circulation of liquid in the direction of the nozzle (2), the mobile element (3) being returned to the rest position by return means (31), characterized in that that said movable element is constituted by a piston (3) having a shape adapted so that the movement of said piston (3) from the operating position to the rest position generates a vacuum causing the suction of a volume of liquid located in the nozzle (2) towards the inside of the supply circuit.