Multi-Directional Touch Valve for Faucet Shutoff From Any Angle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional faucet valves are limited in directionality, often requiring wet hands to operate, leading to wet countertops due to restricted press directions, which is inconvenient and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A multi-directional touch valve design featuring a valve unit with a housing, switching unit, and press unit that allows water flow control from various angles, including axial, transverse, and oblique directions, using a shoulder portion, hanging portion, and abutting portion to selectively block the main flow channel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional tip touch valve is mounted in the tip of a faucet, then water can be stopped without using wet hands, but the valve can only be pressed from one direction (limited press direction)
Solution Approach 1:
The press unit is designed to accept pressing forces from multiple directions (axial, radial, and oblique) by incorporating a hanging portion that can pivot and an abutting portion that can engage the switching unit from different angles. This transforms the single-direction pressing mechanism into a multi-directional one, allowing users to operate the valve regardless of hand position or water flow direction.
2Ease of operation
If the control handle is disposed near the edge of the sink, then it is easy to operate, but wet hands must be used to turn it off, causing water to drop and wet the countertop
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the traditional mechanical control handle with a touch-activated valve mechanism. Instead of requiring manual rotation of a handle, the valve responds to tactile pressure applied to the press unit, which actuates the switching unit through mechanical leverage. This substitution eliminates the need for wet hand contact and prevents water from spilling onto the countertop.
3Device complexity
If a conventional valve requires pressing from a specific direction, then the internal mechanism is simpler, but it limits user convenience when hands are wet or positioned differently
Solution Approach 1:
The valve is segmented into distinct functional components: the press unit (with hanging portion, passing portion, and abutting portion), the switching unit, and the housing with shoulder portion. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while working together to achieve multi-directional operation. The hanging portion can pivot independently, and the abutting portion can engage the switching unit from various angles, providing user convenience without excessive complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-directional touch valve has a valve unit and a press unit. The valve unit has a housing, a main flow channel, and a switching unit. The housing has a shoulder portion being adjacent to an outlet end of the housing. The switching unit is mounted in the housing and selectively blocks the main flow channel. The press unit is connected with the valve unit and has a passing portion, a hanging portion, and an abutting portion. The hanging portion is movably held on the shoulder portion and has an inner edge spaced from an outer surface of the housing and a space formed in a side of the at least one hanging portion facing the passing portion. The press unit can be pressed from any of axial direction, transversal directions, and oblique directions to switch the switching unit.