Water Quality Sensor Layout for Automated Optical Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional water quality sensors are expensive and not suitable for automated production, leading to high labor and production costs due to manual assembly and increased risk of human error, which hampers their widespread adoption in household applications.
Innovation Solution
A water quality sensor design featuring a housing with a sensing module that includes a circuit board with positioning plates and connectors mounted in reversed directions with a phase difference of 180 degrees, allowing for automated assembly and reducing the need for multiple molds, thus enabling cost-effective and efficient production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional water quality sensor design is used, then sensing function is achieved, but manufacturing cost is high and automated production is not suitable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by designing connectors with different orientations (one facing left, one facing right) mounted on the circuit board at positions with 180-degree phase difference. This asymmetric arrangement enables automated assembly machines to efficiently position and mount the connectors without complex manual intervention, while maintaining functional symmetry in the optical path of the light emitter and receiver.
Solution Approach 2:
The circuit board serves multiple functions: it provides electrical connections, structural support for mounting the light emitter and receiver, positioning reference for the connectors, and integration platform for the sensing circuitry. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components and simplifies the overall assembly structure, making it suitable for automated production.
2Productivity
If manual assembly is used for positioning block installation, then assembly is flexible, but labor cost increases and production efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The connectors are pre-mounted on the circuit board in specific orientations with 180-degree phase difference before the final assembly step. This preliminary action allows automated assembly machines to simply place the light emitter and receiver into their respective connectors without requiring complex manual positioning or tilting operations, thereby improving production efficiency while maintaining operational simplicity.
3Ease of manufacture
If multiple molds are used for different connectors, then connector functionality is optimized, but mold cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses identical connectors for both the light emitter and light receiver mounting. This universal connector design allows a single mold to produce all connectors, significantly reducing mold costs. The connectors achieve adaptability through their identical but oppositely oriented designs, mounted at positions with 180-degree phase difference on the circuit board, which accommodates the different functional requirements of the emitter and receiver.
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 design facilitates automated assembly, reduces labor and production costs, improves product quality, and increases yield by eliminating human error while saving on mold costs and enhancing production speed and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a light emitter and a light receiver respectively mounted in the connectors to face toward each other for water quality detection
Data Source
AI summary
A water quality sensor includes a housing having two hollow protruding portions, and a sensing module including a circuit board mounted inside the housing and having two positioning plates respectively positioned in the two hollow protruding portions, two identical connectors respectively mounted on the two positioning plates of the circuit board in reversed directions with a phase difference of 180 degrees therebetween, and a light emitter and a light receiver respectively mounted in the connectors to face toward each other for water quality detection. Thus, the invention allows the implementation of automated assembly to replace manual assembly, reducing the risk of human error, saving much labor and production costs, improving product quality and increasing product yield.