Stepped In-Wall Cistern Body for Stability and Cost Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional concealed cisterns for toilet bowls have high production costs and are not easily installed due to complex manufacturing processes and stability issues.
Innovation Solution
A concealed cistern design featuring a cistern body with step-shaped walls that can be easily stacked and connected, providing improved flexural strength and stability, along with a separately manufactured cistern cover for quick installation and reduced material usage, including a clip connection and strategically placed inspection openings for enhanced accessibility and flushing capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional one-piece plastic containers are used for concealed cisterns, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but production costs are high and stability is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The cistern body is divided into multiple wall sections (front, rear, left, right walls) that are separately formed and then integrally combined at the base. This segmentation allows each section to be optimized for manufacturing while the integral connection provides enhanced stability and structural strength, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and stability.
2Reliability
If wall thickness is reduced to save material costs, then production costs decrease, but flexural strength and stability are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The base is designed as a separate integral connection element that joins multiple thin-walled sections. This allows each wall section to have reduced thickness for cost savings while the base provides structural reinforcement through integral connection, maintaining overall flexural strength despite thinner walls.
Solution Approach 2:
The cistern body combines multiple plastic wall sections with a reinforcing structure at the base. This composite construction allows thin-walled sections to be used while the base connection provides the necessary structural strength, achieving both cost efficiency and mechanical performance.
3Ease of operation
If inspection opening is placed in the cistern cover, then accessibility is improved, but gaping occurs in weakened areas and stability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The inspection opening is extracted from the cistern cover and relocated to the front wall of the cistern body. This allows the cistern cover to remain intact and structurally sound, eliminating gaping issues, while the inspection opening in the front wall provides equivalent accessibility for maintenance operations.
4Adaptability or versatility
If cistern body and cover are manufactured as separate parts, then installation flexibility is improved, but assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cistern body sections are integrally combined at the base to form a unified structure, while the cover remains separately manufacturable for installation flexibility. This partial merging maintains assembly simplicity for the main body while allowing flexible installation of the cover, balancing both requirements.
Data Source
Figure 1~3
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Figure 6~7
AI summary
The cistern (1) has a box body (1.1) and a separately manufactured flush cistern cover (2), where the box body has a base and a wall section is formed as a single piece with the base. The wall section of the box body is formed in a form of steps, such that the box body is expanded from its base to its upper container edge in the form of steps. Another box body is inserted into the box body with one-third of its height. An access opening (1.15) is formed in an upper area of a front wall of the box body.