Washer Pump Cover Structure Snap-Fit Fastening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current water spa machines face issues due to the screw plug structure of nozzle caps, which can be either too tight or too loose, leading to cleaning difficulties and ineffective spa experiences as each user's strength varies.
Innovation Solution
A cover structure for a washer pump comprising a base, a cover, and a fastener unit that includes a locking mechanism to ensure secure assembly and disassembly, preventing accidental opening and excessive water flow impact, thereby enhancing the tightness and fluency of water flow and spa massage effects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a screw plug structure is used to combine the nozzle cap with the water supply device, then the assembly can be disassembled for cleaning, but the tightening strength varies with user strength leading to either too tight (cleaning difficulty) or too loose (ineffective spa) conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional screw plug mechanical fastening system with a snap-fit structural system. The cover structure includes a base and cover that are snap-fit connected, eliminating the need for threaded fasteners that require variable user strength. This substitution provides consistent tightening force through the elastic deformation of the snap-fit components, ensuring reliable connection without over-tightening or under-tightening issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The snap-fit structure is designed to be self-regulating during assembly. When the cover is installed on the base, the elastic components automatically deform and lock into place, providing the correct tightening force without requiring the user to apply variable strength. The structure serves itself by using material elasticity to maintain consistent clamping force, eliminating the reliability issue of variable tightness.
2Reliability
If the nozzle cap is tightened too tight, then the connection is secure, but cleaning becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The pump structure is segmented into a base and a removable cover that are connected through snap-fit joints rather than permanent screw fastening. This segmentation allows the cover to be easily detached for cleaning access while maintaining secure connection during operation. The snap-fit design provides sufficient connection security during use but allows easy separation when cleaning is required, resolving the contradiction between connection security and cleaning accessibility.
3Ease of operation
If the nozzle cap is tightened too loose, then cleaning is easy, but the spa effect becomes ineffective
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the screw plug system with a snap-fit structural system that provides consistent and reliable tightening force through elastic deformation of the connection components. This ensures the cover remains securely attached during operation, maintaining effective spa function, while still allowing easy removal for cleaning. The elastic snap-fit mechanism guarantees sufficient clamping force without requiring the user to apply excessive tightening strength.
4Reliability
If a locking member is added to ensure the fastener unit is locked, then the tightness is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking function is merged into the snap-fit connection structure itself rather than being a separate mechanism. The elastic components of the snap-fit joint inherently provide both the connection and locking functions through their deformation characteristics. When the cover is installed, the elastic material deforms and locks the components together, eliminating the need for additional separate locking members and reducing overall device complexity while maintaining reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A cover structure of a washer pump includes a base, a cover and a fastener unit assembled relative to each other. The base and the cover are fastened through the fastener unit, which facilitates the assembly and disassembly of the user. The locking member ensures that the fastener unit is in a locked state to provide a safety protection effect, which not only prevents the fastener unit from being opened by mistake, but also prevents the flow path from being too strong and causes the cover to escape the doubt of the base, thereby enhancing the The tightness of the combination of base and the cover is increased, which increases the fluency of water flow in and out, and at the same time enhances spa and massage effects.