Thermal Shower Switch Valve for Fast Cool Water Draining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional cool water draining systems in shower valves are inefficient, requiring manual temperature testing and resulting in prolonged draining times, potential hot water wastage, and leakage issues due to inadequate check valve functionality and design.
Innovation Solution
A cool water draining switch valve with a thermal module that automatically detects water temperature and controls the water draining process, utilizing a check valve and non-return valve to ensure simultaneous draining of residual cool water from multiple passages without reverse flow, enhancing flow rate and reducing product size while maintaining reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the check valve is normal-close and opened by suction force to drain cool water, then cool water can be drained from the inlet passage, but the suction force is insufficient to overcome spring elastic force and Y-ring friction force, resulting in inadequate draining
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the check valve design from normal-close to normal-open state. The valve body is designed with a normal-open non-return valve that allows cool water to drain freely from the second outlet passage to the cool water draining passage without requiring suction force to overcome friction and spring forces. This inversion eliminates the force deficiency problem.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the problematic normal-close check valve mechanism with spring and Y-ring components that created friction and force limitations. Instead, it uses a simplified normal-open non-return valve design that relies on water pressure differential alone, removing the sources of friction force and spring elastic force that limited draining efficiency.
2Productivity
If the section area of the cool water draining passage is increased to enhance suction force, then more cool water can drain, but the product size increases
Solution Approach 1:
By inverting the check valve to normal-open state, the patent eliminates the need for enhanced suction force mechanisms. The natural water pressure differential is sufficient to drive cooling water drainage through the existing passage dimensions, avoiding the need to increase passage section area and thus preventing product size enlargement.
3Ease of operation
If the check valve friction force with Y-rings and side wall is reduced to improve resetting, then sealing performance may deteriorate, causing water leakage through the air suction hole
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the check valve design to normal-open state, eliminating the resetting problem entirely. The valve naturally remains open and only closes when backpressure from the cool water draining passage exceeds the water pressure from the second outlet passage, ensuring both easy operation and reliable sealing without friction-related resetting issues.
4Ease of operation
If manual temperature testing is performed to determine when cool water has drained, then the user can control water temperature, but time is wasted and hot water may be wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a feedback mechanism using a temperature sensor that continuously monitors water temperature in the mixing chamber. When the temperature reaches the preset value indicating cool water has drained, the sensor triggers the solenoid valve to close the water draining passage automatically, eliminating the need for manual temperature testing and waiting.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service by automatically detecting when cool water drainage is complete through temperature monitoring and autonomously closing the drainage passage via solenoid valve actuation. This eliminates the need for user intervention in temperature testing and timing the drainage process.
5Volume of moving object
If the water draining passage section area is reduced to minimize product size, then the flowing area decreases and draining time increases
Solution Approach 1:
By inverting the check valve to normal-open state, the patent enables efficient cool water drainage through smaller passage sections. The elimination of friction forces from Y-rings and spring forces allows water to flow more freely through compact passages, achieving rapid drainage without increasing product size.
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 enables rapid and simultaneous draining of cool water from multiple passages, preventing hot water wastage and user inconvenience, while ensuring the system's compactness and reliability, with reduced leakage risks and shorter draining times.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal port of the thermal module detects the water temperature of the cool water draining passage
Implementation Method 2
the direction of the suction force by Venturi effect is parallel to the moving direction of the check valve when draining cool water
Data Source
AI summary
A cool water draining switch valve includes a valve body, a valve spool and a thermal module disposed in the valve body; the valve body has an inlet passage and a first outlet passage and a second outlet passage respectively connected to the inlet passage; the valve body is further disposed with a cool water draining passage connected to the inlet passage; the first outlet passage is connected to the cool water draining passage by a water draining hole, the second outlet passage is connected to the draining passage in unidirectional way by a check valve; a thermal port of the thermal module detects the water temperature of the draining passage, a retractable port of the thermal module opens or closes the water draining hole; when the valve spool is switched to a cool water draining mode, cool water in the inlet passage is drained to the draining passage.