Water Quality Sensor Nested Barrel Waterproofing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing water quality sensors in electrical washing appliances are prone to short circuits due to cracking from manufacturing defects or collisions, allowing cleaning water to flow into the internal circuitry and cause damage.

Innovation Solution

A water quality sensor design featuring a light transmissive inner barrel within a bucket, protected by an elastic gasket ring and a light-shading member with a condenser cone, which prevents direct contact with cleaning solutions and enhances waterproofing, ensuring the actuation module remains safe from electrical shorts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a single housing structure is used for the water quality sensor, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability deteriorates due to cracking from manufacturing defects or collisions allowing water ingress

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehousing structureVSAvoidwaterproof performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The housing is divided into two separate barrels: an outer barrel that provides structural support and an inner barrel that houses the actuation module. This segmentation allows the inner barrel to be specifically optimized for waterproofing while the outer barrel handles mechanical protection, resolving the contradiction between simplified structure and reliable waterproofing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The inner barrel is nested within the outer barrel, creating a protective layered structure. The actuation module is housed in the inner barrel, which is itself housed in the outer barrel. This nested configuration provides enhanced waterproof protection for the sensitive electronic components while maintaining a compact overall structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Reliability

If the housing is made more robust to prevent cracking, then the reliability improves, but the device complexity increases due to additional protective structures

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresistance to crackingVSAvoidprotective structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The protective function is segmented between the outer barrel (structural protection against cracking) and the inner barrel (waterproof protection). This allows each component to be optimized for its specific protective role without requiring a single overly complex structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The inner barrel acts as a pre-prepared protective barrier that cushions the actuation module against water ingress in case the outer barrel cracks. This beforehand protection ensures reliability even when the primary protective structure fails.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Reliability

If the gasket ring is made tighter to improve sealing, then the waterproof performance improves, but the ease of manufacture deteriorates due to tighter tolerance requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing effectivenessVSAvoidassembly difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

An elastic gasket ring is used instead of rigid sealing structures. The elasticity of the gasket ring allows it to deform and conform to slight variations in the barrel dimensions, providing effective sealing without requiring tight manufacturing tolerances. This flexible sealing approach maintains waterproof performance while simplifying manufacturing and assembly.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

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 effectively prevents short circuits and enhances the waterproof performance and service life of the water quality sensor by isolating the actuation module from cleaning solutions, improving detection accuracy and reliability.

Implementation Method 1

the gasket ring is squeezed in between an outer flange of the inner barrel and an annular stop edge of the bucket and elastically deformed to seal the gap between the bucket and the inner barrel

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

a light sensor consisting of a light-emitting component and a light-receiving component, and a light-shading member. The light-emitting component of the light sensor is inserted in a through hole of a light-shading member

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLight emission: Light

Implementation Method 3

detecting a water quality of a washing solution in the electrical washing appliance by means of emitting a light source and receiving a reflective light from the applied water

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLight reflection: Reflection

Data Source

PatentUS10365205B1Water quality sensor

Publication Date: 2019.07.30 SOLTEAM OPTO

AI summary

A water quality sensor includes a housing including a light transmissive bucket mounted in an electrical washing appliance and a light transmissive inner barrel mounted in the bucket, an actuation module mounted in the inner barrel for detecting a water quality of a washing solution in the electrical washing appliance. Thus, if the bucket is cracked during manufacturing or due to a collision, the contact actuation module can still be well protected by the inner barrel, so that the washing solution in the electrical washing machine does not directly flow into contact with the actuation module to cause an accidental short circuit of the circuit substrate of the actuation module, improving the water resistance and service life of the water quality sensor.