Water Purifier Flow Path Module for Guided, Leak-Safe Replacement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional water purifiers are difficult for users to maintain and replace flow paths and circuit boards due to complex internal structures, leading to inconvenience and potential water leakage, especially when incorrect placement or disconnection occurs.
Innovation Solution
A water purifier design that allows easy replacement of flow paths by separating a flow path module from the main body, with orientation guides and a cover frame that prevents arbitrary closure, and supports circuit boards for easy maintenance, while preventing water leakage by ensuring correct positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the flow path is made separable from the filter for easy replacement, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional connection mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The flow path module is divided into separable components including the flow path, filter, and connection mechanisms that can be independently removed and replaced. This segmentation allows users to replace only the flow path without replacing the entire water purifier system, significantly improving ease of operation while the modular design keeps the added complexity manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow path module is extracted as a separate, removable unit from the main water purifier body. The connection mechanism includes a fixation protrusion and fixation groove that allow the flow path module to be easily detached and reattached, enabling simple replacement operations without requiring users to disassemble the entire device.
2Reliability
If the circuit board is placed inside the water purifier for protection, then the reliability is improved, but the ease of repair deteriorates as all components must be separated to access it
Solution Approach 1:
The internal structure is segmented into multiple accessible chambers. The circuit board is housed in a dedicated space that can be accessed by removing only specific components (such as the flow path module or cover) rather than requiring complete disassembly of the water purifier, thus maintaining both protection and accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
A cover or access panel acts as an intermediary structure that protects the circuit board while allowing easy access for maintenance. This intermediate component can be quickly removed to expose the circuit board for repair work, then reattached to restore protection, balancing reliability and ease of repair.
3Ease of operation
If orientation guidance is added to guide correct module placement, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional guiding structures
Solution Approach 1:
The connection mechanism employs asymmetric features such as a fixation protrusion on one side and a corresponding fixation groove on the other side. This asymmetric design provides built-in orientation guidance, ensuring that the flow path module can only be correctly installed in one orientation, improving ease of operation while using simple geometric features rather than complex guiding mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A water purifier may include: a filter filtering raw water to provide purified water; a discharge port through which the purified water is discharged outside; water pipes providing a flow space for the purified water to flow; a flow path module including a body part supporting the water pipes; and a tubing assembly detachably connected to the water pipes to selectively open and close at least a portion of the water pipes when connected thereto. The tubing assembly has one side connected to the filter and the other side connected to the flow path module, and the flow path module receives the purified water filtered by the filter through the tubing assembly. The flow path module may be placed above the tubing assembly, and disposed between the filter and the discharge port while overlapping at least a portion of the tubing assembly without overlapping the filter when viewed from above.