Water heating device
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing water heating device design makes it difficult to securely attach the fan and chamber, as the mixed gas discharged from the fan is not efficiently directed into the chamber, complicating the screw attachment process.
Innovation Solution
The design includes a housing with side plates that oppose each other, a fan with a discharge opening and flow passage, and a chamber with an intake opening and flow passage, where the flanges are secured by a screw with a slanted axis, allowing easy alignment and connection through the housing opening, and optionally uses a sandwiching member with convex portions to prevent rotation and improve assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the chamber and fan are disposed so that the mixed gas discharged from the fan is sucked into the chamber in a direction from the first side plate portion to the second side plate portion, then the mixed gas can be efficiently supplied into the chamber, but it becomes difficult to secure the first attachment surface and the second attachment surface by a screw
Solution Approach 1:
The screw hole is formed to be slanted rather than orthogonal, creating an asymmetric configuration that allows the screw to be inserted from the opening part while accommodating the diagonal gas flow direction from the first side plate portion to the second side plate portion
Solution Approach 2:
The screw hole is oriented in a slanted direction rather than perpendicular to the attachment surfaces, changing the dimensional orientation of the fastening mechanism to enable access through the opening part while maintaining secure attachment of the flanges
2Device complexity
If the screw hole is formed to be orthogonal to the first attachment surface and the second attachment surface, then the attachment structure is simple, but the mixed gas discharged from the fan cannot be sucked into the chamber in the desired direction
Solution Approach 1:
The screw hole is deliberately designed with a slanted orientation rather than a symmetric orthogonal configuration, enabling the attachment structure to accommodate the diagonal gas flow path while maintaining structural integrity
3Ease of operation
If the center axis of the screw is slanted so that the head portion side is closer to the opening part than the tip-end portion side, then the screw can be easily inserted through the opening part, but the attachment surfaces must be positioned at specific slanted angles
Solution Approach 1:
The screw hole is pre-formed with a specific slanted angle during manufacturing, allowing the screw to be easily inserted through the opening part without requiring complex alignment procedures during assembly
Solution Approach 2:
The orientation parameter of the screw hole is changed from orthogonal to slanted, transforming the insertion characteristics to enable easier access through the opening part while maintaining secure fastening of the flanges
Data Source
AI summary
A water heating device equipped with a housing, a fan and a chamber arranged in the interior of the housing, and screws. The housing has first and second side plates which oppose one another in a first direction and extend from the ends of a back plate along a second direction intersecting the first direction. An opening part is provided in the housing on the side opposite the back plate in the second direction. The fan has a discharge opening, a first flow passage extending along the first direction, and a first flange. The chamber has an intake opening, a second flow passage extending along the first direction, and a second flange. The first and the second flanges are secured by screws. In a planar view, the center axis of the screws is slanted such that a head portion is closer to the opening part than the tip-end portion.