Urinal Spray Nozzle Tool-Free Replacement Design
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spray nozzles for urinals are vulnerable to vandalism and not economical in terms of water consumption, with the nozzle head being difficult to replace without tools and lacking consistent water distribution throughout its service life.
Innovation Solution
A spray nozzle design featuring a nozzle head that can be easily replaced without tools, secured within a line piece using a tongue and groove or cover mechanism, ensuring consistent alignment and water distribution, with the line piece being independent of the sanitary item dimensions and allowing for easy maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the spray nozzle is designed as a single integrated unit, then structural simplicity is achieved, but the nozzle becomes difficult to replace and maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The spray nozzle is divided into separate functional components: a removable nozzle head containing the spray nozzle and a separate body housing containing the water supply connection. This segmentation allows the nozzle head to be easily replaced without replacing the entire assembly, while the body housing remains fixed in the sanitary fixture.
Solution Approach 2:
The spray nozzle head is inserted into and nested within the body housing, forming a compact assembled unit. The nozzle head fits into the interior of the body housing, creating a nested structure that is simple when assembled but easily separable for maintenance.
2Reliability
If the nozzle head is securely fixed in the line piece, then reliability is improved, but tool-free replacement becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The securing mechanism transitions from a static fixed connection to a dynamic bayonet-style connection that can be easily engaged and disengaged. The nozzle head can be inserted, rotated into the locked position, and later removed by reversing the rotation, providing both secure fixation and easy replacement without tools.
Solution Approach 2:
The bayonet-style securing mechanism is designed to be operated by hand without requiring any external tools. The user can easily insert, lock, remove, and reinsert the nozzle head themselves, enabling self-service maintenance.
3Manufacturing precision
If alignment elements are added to ensure consistent positioning, then water distribution consistency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bayonet-style securing mechanism incorporates asymmetric features including a single-sided flat surface on the nozzle head that fits into a corresponding groove in the body housing, and a rotation direction that locks the nozzle head in a specific angular position. This asymmetric design ensures consistent alignment and water distribution without requiring complex multi-point alignment systems.
4Ease of manufacture
If the line piece is integrated with the sanitary item, then structural simplicity is achieved, but adaptability to different sanitary item dimensions is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The body housing is designed as a universal mounting component that can be installed on different types and dimensions of sanitary items. The standardized exterior dimensions and mounting features of the body housing allow it to adapt to various sanitary item configurations, while the interior accommodates the nozzle head assembly.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4a~5b
AI summary
A spray nozzle (1) for a sanitary article (2), in particular for a urinal, comprises a nozzle head (3) having a nozzle channel (4) extending along a central axis (M) with a nozzle inlet (5) and a nozzle outlet (6), and a conduit section (7) having an interior (8) with an inlet (9) to which a water line (10) can be connected and an outlet (11). The nozzle head (3) is mounted in the interior (8), the nozzle inlet (5) being accessible from the interior (8) so that flushing water can enter the nozzle channel (4) from the interior (8) and the nozzle outlet (6) projecting out of the interior (8), and the nozzle head (3) being secured against the interior (8) of the conduit section (7) by a locking element (12).