Spray Ring Nozzle Pin Assembly for Shower Head Drip Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shower heads experience leakage or dripping after the water supply is shut off due to residual water pressure, requiring additional flow control devices upstream.
Innovation Solution
A nozzle configuration with nozzle pins that utilize surface tension and pressure differentials to restrict water flow, preventing leakage by creating a choke point within the nozzles when the water supply is shut off, eliminating the need for mechanical valves.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional shower heads are used with additional flow control devices upstream to stop water flow, then water leakage is prevented, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the leak prevention function from the upstream flow control devices and relocates it to the nozzle assembly itself. The nozzle assembly includes a nozzle body with a nozzle orifice and a movable nozzle pin that can seal the orifice from the inside, eliminating the need for external flow control valves while preventing leakage.
Solution Approach 2:
The nozzle pin is designed to automatically seal the nozzle orifice when water flow stops, using the residual pressure and surface tension of water to maintain the sealed state. This self-acting mechanism eliminates the need for external mechanical valves or complex flow control systems, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining reliable leak prevention.
2Reliability
If mechanical valves are used to control water flow, then leakage is prevented, but device complexity and moving parts increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces external mechanical valves with an internal nozzle pin mechanism that uses fluid pressure and surface tension to seal the nozzle orifice. This substitution eliminates complex mechanical valve assemblies while achieving the same leak prevention function through a simpler, more integrated design.
Solution Approach 2:
The nozzle pin automatically seals the nozzle orifice based on the presence or absence of water flow, using the residual pressure and surface tension of water to maintain the sealed state without requiring external mechanical control. This self-acting mechanism eliminates the need for complex mechanical valves.
3Device complexity
If nozzle pins with surface tension forces are used to restrict water flow, then leakage is prevented and device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle pin is designed with specific local geometric features including a tapered portion and a sealing surface that match corresponding features in the nozzle body. These localized precision features ensure proper sealing and fit, while the rest of the nozzle pin can be manufactured with standard tolerances, balancing manufacturing precision requirements with overall system simplification.
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
Effectively prevents water leakage and dripping by leveraging surface tension forces, simplifying the system and reducing complexity without the need for moving parts or mechanical coupling.
Implementation Method 1
the plurality of nozzle pins may facilitate limiting or restricting flow of water through the nozzles via surface tension forces and relatively low pressure of the residual water in the nozzles
Implementation Method 2
the plurality of nozzle pins may be configured to create a choke point with increased contact surface area within the plurality of nozzles
Data Source
AI summary
Provided herein is a leak prevention system for an ablutionary fitting such as a shower head. The leak prevention system includes a nozzle configuration for the ablutionary fitting, the nozzle configuration including a plurality of nozzles configured to dispense water supplied to the ablutionary fitting and a plurality of nozzle pins positioned in the plurality of nozzles. The nozzle pins operate to selectively allow and limit flow of water through the nozzles in response to variations in pressure of the water supplied to the ablutionary fitting. For example, when water is actively being supplied to the ablutionary fitting, the nozzle pins may allow the water to flow through the nozzles. When the water supply is shut off, the nozzle pins may facilitate limiting the flow of water through the nozzles via water surface tension forces that develop between the nozzle pins and the nozzles.