UV-LED Water Intake Finger for In-Bottle Dispenser Sterilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bottled water dispensers face challenges in effectively treating water and air space in bottles using UV radiation due to issues with UV lamp placement, material transmittance, strength, and safety, particularly with rigid plastic bottles, which require special caps and pose health risks.
Innovation Solution
A bottled water dispenser with a water intake finger equipped with a semiconductor LED source of UV radiation, protected by quartz glass, that automatically opens rigid plastic bottle caps and directs UV radiation towards the water surface and bottle walls, ensuring effective treatment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a UV lamp is placed inside the water intake finger, then UV treatment of water in the bottle is achieved, but the water intake finger becomes more fragile and dangerous to use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a transparent window as an intermediary element in the water intake finger. This window allows UV radiation to pass through while maintaining the structural integrity of the water intake finger. The window acts as a mediator that separates the structural function (intake finger) from the UV transmission function, resolving the contradiction between strength and UV treatment effectiveness.
2Reliability
If the length of the water intake finger is increased to improve UV treatment coverage, then more water and air space is treated, but the strength of the water intake finger is reduced and installation becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The transparent window serves as a localized UV transmission interface that eliminates the need to increase the overall length of the water intake finger. By concentrating UV emission at the finger tip through the window, effective treatment is achieved without compromising structural strength or installation ease.
3Ease of manufacture
If plastic materials are used for the water intake finger, then manufacturing is easier and cost is lower, but UV radiation transmittance is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The water intake finger is constructed as a composite structure combining plastic material with a transparent window. The plastic body provides ease of manufacture and structural integrity, while the transparent window (made of UV-transmissive material) ensures adequate UV radiation transmission. This composite approach resolves the contradiction between manufacturing ease and UV transmittance.
4Illumination intensity
If quartz glass is used for the water intake finger, then UV radiation transmittance is improved, but the material becomes more expensive and more fragile
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the entire water intake finger from quartz glass, the patent applies the UV-transmissive window only at the specific location where UV emission is needed (the tip). This localized application provides sufficient UV transmittance while maintaining the overall structural strength and cost-effectiveness of the plastic finger body.
5Reliability
If a UV lamp is placed in the water intake finger, then UV treatment is achieved, but the throughput of the finger is significantly reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the UV emission function from a bulky lamp and implements it through a compact LED source integrated into the water intake finger tip. This extraction of the lighting function to a compact component minimizes space occupation and maintains high water throughput while providing effective UV treatment.
6Reliability
If a UV lamp is used instead of LED, then UV treatment is achieved, but mercury vapour contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adopts a compact LED UV source that is inherently free of mercury, replacing traditional mercury-vapour lamps. This substitution eliminates the harmful mercury vapour contamination risk while maintaining UV treatment effectiveness. The LED source represents a safer, modern alternative that aligns with environmental and health safety requirements.
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 ensures reliable water treatment within the bottle, reduces microbiological contamination, and maintains dispenser functionality while enhancing safety and compatibility with standard caps.
Implementation Method 1
a source of UV radiation placed in the case. The case is detachably connected to a hole in the container for contact with water in the container; a light emitting component is located on the case and emits UV to irradiate the water in the container
Implementation Method 2
the known plastic materials have a sufficiently low UV radiation transmittance, which requires an increase in the power of the source of UV radiation. And if quartz glass is used, which has a higher transmittance
Data Source
AI summary
A bottled water dispenser with a system for treating water in a bottle with UV radiation, containing a water intake finger equipped with a source of UV radiation and configured to open the bottle sealed by a cap by pushing a valve installed in the centre of the cap inside to the bottle or by rupturing this valve, wherein a semiconductor LED is used as the source of UV radiation, the semiconductor LED is installed in a recess made at the end face of the water intake finger, so that when the bottle is opened with the water intake finger, the source is inside the bottle, and the radiation of the source is directed towards the water surface and towards the walls of the bottle, and wherein the semiconductor LED is protected by a quartz glass covering the recess.