Urinal Fin Design to Reduce Splashback Using Surface Tension
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sanitary ware vessels, such as urinals and sinks, experience significant splashback when a stream of fluid is directed into them, leading to unhygienic conditions, damage, and unpleasantness due to the rebound of fluid onto users and surrounding areas.
Innovation Solution
A sanitary ware vessel design featuring a central raised fin or ridge with concave side surfaces, where the longitudinal length of the fin or ridge is arranged in a substantially vertical plane, and the waste outlet cover extends to form a continuous fin or ridge, allowing fluid to be directed at a shallow angle, reducing splashing by utilizing surface tension to keep the fluid clinging to the side surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a stream of fluid is directed substantially perpendicularly against a surface in conventional sanitary ware vessels, then the waste outlet can be positioned directly at the bottom, but significant splashing occurs onto the user and surrounding areas
Solution Approach 1:
The waste outlet structure is segmented into multiple functional zones: a central raised fin or ridge that divides the vessel interior, concave side surfaces for fluid redirection, and a waste outlet positioned at the rear. This segmentation allows the fluid stream to be progressively guided and contained, preventing splashing while maintaining efficient waste discharge.
Solution Approach 2:
The fin or ridge extends in the longitudinal dimension of the vessel, creating a three-dimensional structure that intercepts the fluid stream before it can rebound. By adding this longitudinal element rather than simply modifying the bottom surface, the design captures fluid in multiple spatial dimensions, directing it along the concave surfaces toward the waste outlet without perpendicular rebound.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the waste outlet is positioned at the rear of the vessel with a central fin or ridge, then splashing is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fin or ridge is merged with the waste outlet cover, forming an integrated component rather than separate parts. This merging simplifies manufacturing by reducing the number of discrete elements that must be produced and assembled, while still achieving the complex fluid redirection function through the unified structure of the fin, concave surfaces, and waste outlet.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If fluid is directed at a shallow angle against the side surface, then splashing is significantly reduced due to surface tension, but the waste outlet positioning becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The concave side surfaces are specifically shaped with particular curvature and orientation to create the optimal shallow angle for fluid contact. This local geometric quality at the point of fluid interaction maximizes surface tension effects and minimizes splashing, while the overall waste outlet configuration remains integrated and manufacturable through the unified fin and cover structure.
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 design significantly reduces splashback by directing fluid at an angle of less than 90°, minimizing splashing away from the user and surrounding areas, and maintaining fluid on the side surfaces, thus enhancing hygiene and reducing damage.
Implementation Method 1
the fluid will cling to the side surface of the fin or ridge against which it is directed due to surface tension
Data Source
Figure 1~5
Figure 3
Figure 6~9
AI summary
A sanitary ware vessel (20) such as a urinal is disclosed including a fin or ridge (10) with one or more side surfaces (11, 12) against which a stream of fluid may be directed to reduce the amount of splash. A sink including a fin or ridge (52) which may be curved, a waste outlet cover (40) with a fin or ridge (10) and the retro fitting of a fin or ridge to a sanitary ware vessel are also disclosed.