Water Pump Reservoir Plugging Member Capillary Seal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing water pumps face issues with leaked water rising and draining due to capillary action, leading to unwanted leakage outside the reservoir, and existing solutions either allow excessive fluid buildup or fail to prevent vapor from escaping.
Innovation Solution
A water pump design featuring a plugging member with a central opening portion, including a cylindrical or eave portion, that securely seals the reservoir and prevents water from escaping even when rising due to capillary action, combined with water repellent treatment to ensure water drips back into the reservoir.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a plugging member is used to seal the reservoir opening, then water leakage is prevented, but capillary action causes water to rise and drain outside the reservoir
Solution Approach 1:
The plugging member is segmented into distinct functional zones: a water-repellent treated outer surface that prevents capillary rise, a central opening for vapor escape, and an inner sealing portion. This segmentation allows each zone to address specific aspects of the sealing problem independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The surface properties of the plugging member are changed by applying water-repellent treatment, fundamentally altering the capillary action parameters. This treatment changes the contact angle and surface energy, preventing water from adhering to and rising along the plugging member surface.
2Reliability
If the reservoir is completely sealed to prevent water leakage, then water is contained, but vapor cannot escape and excessive fluid buildup occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The plugging member exhibits local quality differentiation: the outer surface has water-repellent properties to prevent liquid water escape, while the central opening provides a dedicated pathway for vapor escape. This localized functional differentiation resolves the contradiction between sealing and venting.
Solution Approach 2:
The central opening in the plugging member acts as an intermediary pathway that allows vapor to escape while preventing liquid water from draining outside. This intermediate structure mediates between the need for complete sealing and the need for vapor release.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If a stepped portion is provided to position the vapor hole above the opening surface, then water drainage is reduced, but capillary action still causes water to rise and drain
Solution Approach 1:
The fundamental parameter of surface wettability is changed by applying water-repellent treatment to the plugging member. This changes the capillary pressure relationship, making it energetically unfavorable for water to rise along the surface, thereby preventing drainage despite the presence of minor gaps.
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
Effectively stores a predetermined volume of leaked water and prevents its drainage, while allowing vapor to escape, maintaining a secure seal and preventing water from leaking outside, even under capillary action.
Implementation Method 1
the leaked water is prevented from flowing outside even when rising upward by capillary action at a minor gap between the plugging member which closes the side opening of the reservoir and the body to which the plugging member is press-fitted
Implementation Method 2
when the leaked water rises upward by the capillary action, the water is prevented from draining outside and is introduced back into the reservoir by the cylindrical portion
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A water pump includes an impeller (17) provided at a first end of a rotational shaft (14) supported by a body (11) via a bearing (13), a mechanical seal (18) provided between the impeller (17) and the bearing (13), a draining hole (22) introducing a water drop leaked from an impeller side via the mechanical seal (18) to a reservoir (28) provided at a bottom of the body (11) and having a side opening, a plugging member (23, 123, 223, 323) provided at the side opening of the reservoir (28) for liquid-tightly sealing the reservoir (28), and an opening portion (23a, 123a, 223a, 323a) provided at the plugging member (23, 123, 223, 323) for communicating the reservoir (28) and an atmosphere side.