Water softening valve and water softener

Abstract

The invention discloses a water softening valve and a water softening machine, and relates to the technical field of water softening machines, a valve body of the water softening valve is provided with a valve cavity, a grating assembly comprises a plurality of supporting baffle rings arranged at intervals, the outer peripheries of the multiple supporting baffle rings abut against the inner circumferential face of the valve cavity, and a water passing cavity is formed between every two adjacent supporting baffle rings; the piston is connected to the inner peripheries of the supporting baffle rings in an inserted mode and comprises a first piston body and a second piston body which are connected, the diameter of the first piston body is larger than that of the second piston body, the first piston body is provided with a water passing channel with the two ends communicated, and a first water passing ring groove is formed in the periphery of the first piston body. A second water passing ring groove is formed in the periphery of the second piston body, and the supporting baffle ring abuts against the piston to block communication between the corresponding water passing cavities. In the process that the piston moves in the axial direction of the valve cavity, the first piston body is at least connected with the inner peripheries of the two supporting baffle rings in an abutting mode. According to the technical scheme, the sealing performance of the soft water valve can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of water softener technology, and particularly to a water softener valve and a water softener. Background Technology

[0002] Water softeners improve water quality, enhancing the user's experience, saving detergent, and conserving water. The core component of a water softener is the softening valve. Softening valves typically have multiple water circuit modes, with a piston moving within the valve chamber to switch between them. However, current technology suffers from inadequate valve design, resulting in unstable piston movement within the valve chamber. This affects the valve's sealing performance, leading to cross-contamination or leakage between water circuits. This not only impacts softening effectiveness but can also cause equipment malfunctions. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The main objective of this invention is to provide a water softener valve and a water softener, which aims to improve the sealing performance of the water softener valve.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a soft water valve comprising: Valve body, including valve cavity; A bar grid assembly is disposed in the valve cavity. The bar grid assembly includes a plurality of spaced-apart support rings, the outer peripheries of which abut against the inner circumferential surface of the valve cavity, and a water passage cavity is formed between adjacent support rings; and A piston is inserted into the inner periphery of a plurality of supporting retaining rings. The piston includes a first piston body and a second piston body connected to each other. The diameter of the first piston body is larger than the diameter of the second piston body. The first piston body has a water passage that is open at both ends. The outer periphery of the first piston body has a first water passage ring groove, and the outer periphery of the second piston body has a second water passage ring groove. The inner periphery of the supporting retaining ring abuts against the outer periphery of the piston to block the communication between the corresponding water passage chambers. The soft water valve has multiple water circuit modes. The piston moves axially along the valve cavity to switch between the multiple water circuit modes. During the switching of the multiple water circuit modes, the first piston body abuts against the inner periphery of at least two of the support retaining rings.

[0005] In one embodiment, the plurality of support retaining rings include a first support retaining ring, a second support retaining ring, a third support retaining ring, a fourth support retaining ring, a fifth support retaining ring, a sixth support retaining ring, and a seventh support retaining ring arranged in sequence, wherein the inner diameter of the sixth support retaining ring and the seventh support retaining ring is smaller than the inner diameter of the first support retaining ring, the second support retaining ring, the third support retaining ring, the fourth support retaining ring, and the fifth support retaining ring; The first piston body abuts against the inner periphery of at least two of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth support retaining rings, and the second piston body abuts against the inner periphery of the sixth and / or seventh support retaining rings.

[0006] In one embodiment, the plurality of water circuit modes include a water production mode, in which the first piston body abuts against the first support retaining ring, the third support retaining ring, and the fourth support retaining ring, the first water passage groove faces the second support retaining ring, and the second piston body abuts against the sixth support retaining ring and the seventh support retaining ring.

[0007] In one embodiment, the plurality of water circuit modes include a water injection mode, in which the first piston body abuts against the first support retaining ring, the third support retaining ring, and the fourth support retaining ring, the first water-passing ring groove faces the second support retaining ring, the second piston body abuts against the seventh support retaining ring, and the second water-passing ring groove faces the sixth support retaining ring.

[0008] In one embodiment, the plurality of water circuit modes include a forward wash mode, in which the first piston body abuts against the third and fifth support retaining rings, the first water passage groove faces the fourth support retaining ring, and the second piston body abuts against the sixth and seventh support retaining rings.

[0009] In one embodiment, the plurality of water circuit modes include a backwash mode, in which the first piston body abuts against the second and fourth support retaining rings, the first water passage groove faces the third support retaining ring, and the second piston body abuts against the sixth and seventh support retaining rings.

[0010] In one embodiment, the plurality of water circuit modes include a downstream regeneration mode, in which the first piston body abuts against the second, fourth, and fifth support rings, the first water-passing ring groove faces the third support ring, the second piston body abuts against the sixth support ring, and the second water-passing ring groove faces the seventh support ring.

[0011] In one embodiment, the plurality of water circuit modes include a counter-current regeneration mode, in which the first piston body abuts against the second, third, and fifth support rings, the first water-passing ring groove faces the fourth support ring, the second piston body abuts against the sixth support ring, and the second water-passing ring groove faces the seventh support ring.

[0012] In one embodiment, the difference between the diameter of the first piston body and the diameter of the second piston body is greater than or equal to 5 mm; and / or, The ratio of the length of the second piston body to the length of the first piston body is greater than or equal to 4 / 5 and less than or equal to 8 / 9.

[0013] In one embodiment, the diameter of the first piston body is greater than or equal to 32 mm.

[0014] In one embodiment, at least the outer periphery of the end of the first piston body has a chamfer or rounded corner.

[0015] In one embodiment, the end of the first piston body is provided with an adapter plate, and the adapter plate is provided with a water passage hole communicating with the water passage, and the second piston body is snapped into the adapter plate.

[0016] In one embodiment, the adapter plate is provided with a locking hole, and a portion of the periphery of the locking hole is provided with a break that connects to the water passage hole. The second piston body is provided with a limiting ring groove on the periphery facing the first piston body. The second piston body passes through the water passage hole, and the limiting ring groove is locked into the locking hole through the break.

[0017] In one embodiment, the piston further includes a retaining ring, the end of the first piston body is provided with a mounting groove, and the peripheral wall of the mounting groove is provided with a snap-fit ​​ring groove, the adapter plate is mounted in the mounting groove, and the outer periphery of the retaining ring is snapped into the snap-fit ​​ring groove to prevent the adapter plate from dislodging from the mounting groove; or, The adapter plate is threadedly connected to the first piston body; or... The adapter plate is integrally formed with the first piston body.

[0018] In one embodiment, the adapter plate has a plurality of the water passage holes; The plurality of water passage holes are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the adapter plate; the plurality of water passage holes include a first water passage hole and a second water passage hole, and the first water passage hole and the second water passage hole are arranged alternately along the circumference of the adapter plate.

[0019] In one embodiment, the soft water valve further includes a drive module, the drive module including a drive rod, one end of the drive rod being inserted into the valve cavity and throttle connected to the piston; Both ends of the first piston body are provided with the adapter plate that connects to the water passage. The second piston body is engaged with one of the two adapter plates, and the drive rod is engaged with the other of the two adapter plates.

[0020] In one embodiment, the first piston body and / or the second piston body are made of polyetherimide or polyoxymethylene.

[0021] In one embodiment, the first piston body and / or the second piston body are made of lubrication-modified polyetherimide or polyoxymethylene material; or, The outer surface of the first piston body and / or the second piston body is provided with a lubricating layer.

[0022] The outer surface of the first piston body and / or the second piston body is provided with a lubricating layer.

[0023] In one embodiment, the first piston body is integrally formed, and / or the second piston body is integrally formed.

[0024] In one embodiment, the first piston body and / or the second piston body are made of copper, and the outer surface of the first piston body and / or the second piston body is provided with a Teflon coating.

[0025] In one embodiment, the grille assembly includes a plurality of grille units sequentially spliced ​​along the axial direction of the valve cavity, and an outer sealing ring groove for installation of an outer sealing ring is spliced ​​between two adjacent grille units; the grille assembly has a pre-installation state, in which a widened gap can be formed between two adjacent grille units, and the width of the widened gap is smaller than the cross-sectional diameter of the outer sealing ring; The soft water valve also includes a drive mounting seat that covers the valve cavity opening; when the valve cavity opening is in an open state, the bar grid assembly is installed in the valve cavity in the pre-installed state, and the widening gap widens the outer sealing ring groove to provide a larger deformation space for the outer sealing ring; when the drive mounting seat covers the valve cavity opening, the drive mounting seat abuts against the bar grid assembly to eliminate the widening gap, so that the outer sealing ring abuts against the cavity wall of the valve cavity.

[0026] In one embodiment, the valve body includes a valve body and a valve base that are assembled separately. The valve base is provided with a soft can interface. The valve body is provided with a first dividing rib on the side near the valve base, which cooperates with the grille assembly to separate multiple water passage chambers. The valve base is provided with a second dividing rib corresponding to each of the first dividing ribs. The first dividing rib has a first rib surface and a second rib surface that are radially opposite to each other in the valve chamber. The grille assembly is sealed and abuts against the first rib surface, and the second dividing rib is fixedly connected to the second rib surface.

[0027] The present invention also proposes a water softener, including the water softener valve as described above.

[0028] The technical solution of this invention involves setting a valve cavity in the valve body, with a grille assembly disposed in the valve cavity. The grille assembly includes multiple spaced-apart support rings, the outer peripheries of which abut against the inner circumferential surface of the valve cavity, forming a water passage cavity between adjacent support rings. A piston is inserted into the inner periphery of the multiple support rings. The piston includes a first piston body and a second piston body connected together. The diameter of the first piston body is larger than the diameter of the second piston body. The first piston body has a water passage channel extending through both ends. The outer periphery of the first piston body has a first water passage ring groove, and the outer periphery of the second piston body has a second water passage ring groove. The inner periphery of the support rings abuts against the outer periphery of the piston to block the conduction between the corresponding water passage cavities. The soft water valve has multiple water circuit modes, and the piston moves axially along the valve cavity to switch between the multiple water circuit modes.

[0029] During the switching of multiple water circuit modes, the first piston body abuts against the inner periphery of at least two of the supporting retaining rings. That is, during the movement of the piston, at least two supporting retaining rings guide the piston together. Since the supporting retaining rings in this solution are all coaxially arranged, the possibility of the piston swinging or shaking during the movement is effectively reduced, thereby ensuring the stability of the piston movement, thus ensuring the sealing performance between the piston and the supporting retaining rings, reducing the possibility of cross-contamination or leakage between different water passage chambers, thereby ensuring the softening effect of the water softener and improving the reliability of the equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0030] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0031] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an angled structure of an embodiment of the soft water valve provided by the present invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 Another structural diagram of the soft water valve; Figure 3 for Figure 2 Cross-sectional view of the medium-soft water valve along AA; Figure 4 for Figure 1 A simplified structural diagram of a medium-soft water valve in water production mode; Figure 5 for Figure 1 A simplified structural diagram of a medium-soft water valve in water injection mode; Figure 6 for Figure 1 A simplified structural diagram of a medium-soft water valve in forward washing mode; Figure 7 for Figure 1 A simplified structural diagram of a medium-soft water valve in backwash mode; Figure 8 for Figure 1 A simplified structural diagram of a medium-soft water valve in co-current regeneration mode; Figure 9 for Figure 1 A simplified structural diagram of a medium-soft water valve in counter-current regeneration mode; Figure 10 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the angle structure of the piston in the middle; Figure 11 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the piston in the middle; Figure 12 for Figure 1 Another structural diagram of the piston at another angle; Figure 13 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the angled structure of the first piston body in the middle; Figure 14 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the first piston body; Figure 15 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the first piston body and the adapter plate; Figure 16 A schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the first piston body and the adapter plate in the soft water valve provided by the present invention; Figure 17 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of another angle structure of a medium-soft water valve; Figure 18 for Figure 17 Cross-sectional view of the medium-soft water valve along BB; Figure 19 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the middle valve body; Figure 20 for Figure 19 Cross-sectional view of the medium-soft water valve along CC; Figure 21 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the central valve body; Figure 22 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the middle valve base; Figure 23 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the central grille assembly; Figure 24 for Figure 23A magnified view of a portion of point A in the middle.

[0032] Explanation of icon numbers: 1. Valve body; 101. Water inlet channel; 102. Side wall channel; 103. Sewage discharge channel; 104. Central channel; 105. Water outlet channel; 106. Water injection and brine absorption channel; 11. Valve chamber; 111. Water passage chamber; 112. Water inlet chamber; 113. Side wall chamber; 114. Sewage discharge chamber; 115. Central chamber; 116. Water outlet chamber; 117. Water injection and brine suction chamber; 1171. First sub-chamber; 1172. Second sub-chamber; 1173. Brine suction hole; 12. First jet cavity; 13. Second jet cavity; 14. Bypass channel; 15. Valve body; 151. First partition rib; 1511. First rib surface; 1512. Second rib surface; 16. Valve base; 161. Flexible can interface; 162. Second partition rib; 2. Grille assembly; 21. Grille unit; 211. Outer sealing ring groove; 212. Widened gap; 213. Snap-fit ​​hole; 214. Snap-fit ​​protrusion; 22. Outer sealing ring; 23. Inner sealing ring; 24. Support retaining ring; 241. First support retaining ring; 242. Second support retaining ring; 243. Third support retaining ring; 244. Fourth support retaining ring; 245. Fifth support retaining ring; 246. Sixth support retaining ring; 247. Seventh support retaining ring; 3. Piston; 31. First piston body; 311. Water passage; 312. First water passage ring groove; 313. Mounting groove; 314. Snap-fit ​​ring groove; 315. Chamfer; 32. Second piston body; 321. Second water passage ring groove; 322. Limiting ring groove; 35. Adapter plate; 351. Water passage hole; 352. First water passage hole; 353. Second water passage hole; 354. Snap-fit ​​hole; 355. Break; 36. Retaining ring; 5. Drive mounting base; 6. Flow meter; 200. Soft water tank; 300. Brine tank.

[0033] The realization of the objective, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0035] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly.

[0036] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this invention involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the use of "and / or" or "and / or" throughout the text includes three parallel solutions. For example, "A and / or B" includes solution A, solution B, or a solution where both A and B are satisfied simultaneously. Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.

[0037] This invention proposes a water softener valve for use in water softeners. As one of the core components of a water softener, the water softener valve often has multiple water circuit modes, such as water production mode, forward washing mode, backwashing mode, and softening regeneration mode (water injection mode and salt absorption regeneration mode), so that the water softener can have multiple operating conditions.

[0038] Please see Figures 1 to 4 In one embodiment of the present invention, the soft water valve includes: Valve body 1 includes valve cavity 11; A bar screen assembly 2 is disposed in the valve cavity 11. The bar screen assembly 2 includes a plurality of spaced-apart support rings 24. The outer periphery of the plurality of support rings 24 abuts against the inner circumferential surface of the valve cavity 11, and a water passage cavity 111 is formed between two adjacent support rings 24. Piston 3 is inserted into the inner periphery of multiple support retaining rings 24. Piston 3 includes a first piston body 31 and a second piston body 32 connected to each other. The diameter of the first piston body 31 is larger than the diameter of the second piston body 32. The first piston body 31 has a water passage 311 that is open at both ends. The outer periphery of the first piston body 31 has a first water passage ring groove 312. The outer periphery of the second piston body 32 has a second water passage ring groove 321. The inner periphery of the support retaining ring 24 abuts against the outer periphery of the piston 3 to block the communication between the corresponding water passage chambers 111. The soft water valve has multiple water circuit modes. The piston 3 moves along the axial direction of the valve cavity 11 to switch between the multiple water circuit modes. During the switching of the multiple water circuit modes, the first piston body 31 abuts against the inner periphery of at least two of the support retaining rings 24.

[0039] Specifically, the soft water valve in this solution is a piston-type soft water valve, that is, the valve chamber 11 is divided into multiple water passage chambers 111 by the grid assembly 2, so that the flow between the multiple water passage chambers 111 is controlled by the axial movement of the piston 3 in the valve chamber 11, realizing the switching of the soft water valve between multiple water circuit modes. This piston-type soft water valve has a larger flow rate and higher softening efficiency, so it is easier to achieve the design goals of small size, large flow rate, high water production and high salinity efficiency, and this piston-type soft water valve has a long service life.

[0040] In this design, the valve cavity 11 can be cylindrical in shape or formed by assembling multiple cylindrical segments to facilitate the installation of the grille assembly 2 and the piston 3. The valve body 1 can be formed by assembling several components fastened with bolts and sealing the mating surfaces with structures such as sealing rings; or it can be formed by connecting several components together using ultrasonic welding, which helps to form a more complex valve cavity 11 and the structure of each channel; furthermore, the valve body 1 can also be integrally molded, such as by 3D printing technology, to adapt to small-batch production.

[0041] Understandably, to facilitate the installation of the grille assembly 2, one axial end of the valve cavity 11 is provided with an opening. The grille assembly 2 is inserted into the valve cavity 11 through the opening, thereby installing the grille assembly 2 inside the valve cavity 11. The outer periphery of the grille assembly 2 seals against the inner circumferential surface of the valve cavity 11, thereby dividing the valve cavity 11 axially into multiple water passage chambers 111. To ensure a tight seal between the grille assembly 2 and the inner circumferential surface of the valve cavity 11, an outer sealing ring 22 is provided between the outer periphery of the grille assembly 2 and the inner circumferential surface of the valve cavity 11, thereby reducing the possibility of mutual water seepage between the multiple water passage chambers 111.

[0042] See Figure 3 , Figure 20 and Figure 23The grid assembly 2 includes multiple grid units 21, and the connection between two grid units 21 forms a support ring 24 for separating the water passage chambers 111. The multiple grid units 21 can be integrally formed or separately formed and then spliced ​​to form an integral structure. A piston 3 is inserted into the inner periphery of the multiple support rings 24 and seals against them, thereby cutting off the communication between the two water passage chambers 111 on both sides of the support ring 24. The piston 3 has multiple water passage levels, including a first water passage groove 312, a second water passage groove 321, and a water passage step. When the piston 3 moves to a certain position, the water passage level of the piston 3 is aligned with a support ring 24, thus forming a water passage gap between the inner periphery of the support ring 24 and the water passage level of the piston 3, enabling communication between the adjacent water passage chambers 111 on both sides of the support ring 24. Therefore, the movement of the piston 3 controls the communication between different water passage chambers 111, thereby controlling the water flow direction and forming corresponding water channels.

[0043] Furthermore, during the switching of multiple water circuit modes, the first piston body 31 abuts against the inner periphery of at least two of the supporting retaining rings 24. That is, during the movement of the piston 3, at least two supporting retaining rings 24 guide the piston 3 together. Since the supporting retaining rings 24 in this solution are all coaxially arranged, the possibility of the piston 3 swinging or shaking during the movement is effectively reduced, thereby ensuring the movement stability of the piston 3 and ensuring the sealing performance between the piston 3 and the supporting retaining rings 24. This reduces the possibility of cross-contamination or leakage between different water passage chambers 111, thereby ensuring the softening effect of the water softener and improving the reliability of the equipment.

[0044] See Figure 3 and Figure 20 The system includes multiple water passage chambers 111, including an inlet chamber 112, a side wall chamber 113, a drain chamber 114, a central chamber 115, an outlet chamber 116, and a water injection and brine absorption chamber 117. The inlet chamber 112 is connected to an inlet channel 101, which is used to connect to an external inlet pipe to allow external hard water to enter the soft water valve. The side wall chamber 113 is connected to the soft water tank 200 via a side wall channel 102. The drain chamber 114 is connected to an external drain via a drain channel 103. The central chamber 115 is connected to the soft water tank 200 through the central channel 104; the outlet chamber 116 is connected to the external outlet pipe through the outlet channel 105, which can discharge the produced soft water; the water injection and brine suction chamber 117 is connected to the brine tank 300 through the water injection and brine suction channel 106, which can realize the injection of water into the brine tank 300 and the introduction of brine from the brine tank 300 into the soft water tank 200 to regenerate the soft water medium in the soft water tank 200.

[0045] That is, both the inlet chamber 112 and the outlet chamber 116 are connected to the external pipeline, but not to the soft water tank 200. The side wall chamber 113 and the central chamber 115 are connected to the soft water tank 200. Therefore, the inlet chamber 112 and the outlet chamber 116 can be connected to the soft water tank 200 through the side wall chamber 113 and the central chamber 115. The side wall chamber 113 is adjacent to the inlet chamber 112, so that the inlet chamber 112 is connected to the soft water tank 200 through the side wall chamber 113. The two are arranged adjacent to each other, thereby reducing the flow path of external hard water into the soft water tank 200, thus simplifying the water path in the soft water valve. The central chamber 115 is adjacent to the outlet chamber 116, so that the outlet chamber 116 is connected to the soft water tank 200 through the central chamber 115. The two are arranged adjacent to each other, thereby reducing the flow path of soft water out of the soft water tank 200, thus simplifying the water path in the soft water valve.

[0046] When the softened water from the soft water tank 200 flows out of the soft water valve, some of the softened water can flow to the brine injection chamber, thereby injecting water into the brine tank 300. Therefore, the brine injection chamber 117 is located adjacent to the side of the outlet chamber 116 away from the central chamber 115. Thus, when the soft water flows through the outlet chamber 116, some of the soft water can flow directly from the outlet chamber 116 to the brine injection chamber 117. Compared to the method where the brine injection chamber 117 and the outlet chamber 116 are separated and connected by a special flow channel, this solution can effectively shorten the flow path of the soft water into the brine tank 300, thereby further optimizing the water circuit of the soft water valve, and without the need for an additional special flow channel, which helps to reduce the size of the soft water valve.

[0047] Optionally, the inlet chamber 112, side wall chamber 113, drain chamber 114, center chamber 115, outlet chamber 116, and brine injection chamber 117 are arranged sequentially. This arrangement can accommodate multiple water circuit modes, resulting in shorter water flow paths in all modes. This reduces the possibility of water flowing around the valve chamber 11 (e.g., in a certain water circuit mode, when water flows from one chamber to another, it needs to cross multiple chambers along the axial direction of the valve chamber 11 to reach its destination, and then cross multiple chambers in the opposite direction to exit the soft water valve). This improves the rationality of the arrangement of the multiple water passage chambers 111, simplifies the water flow path, and also helps to reduce the overall size of the soft water valve. In other embodiments, the inlet chamber 112, side wall chamber 113, drain chamber 114, center chamber 115, outlet chamber 116, and brine injection chamber 117 can also be arranged in other orders, as long as multiple water circuit modes of the soft water valve can be realized.

[0048] Furthermore, since the brine injection chamber 117 only participates in the function of injecting water into the brine tank 300 or injecting brine into the soft water tank 200, the water flow required is smaller than that of the inlet chamber 112 and the outlet chamber 116. Therefore, the volume of the brine injection chamber 117 can be appropriately reduced, thereby reducing the inner diameter of the valve chamber 11 at the brine injection chamber 117, and further reducing the volume of the valve body 1. Therefore, the inlet chamber 112 is located on the side of the valve chamber 11 near the opening, and the brine injection chamber 117 is located on the side away from the opening, which facilitates the installation of the grid assembly 2 in the valve chamber 11. Therefore, the inner diameter of the grid unit 21 at the brine injection chamber 117 is smaller than the inner diameter of the other grid units 21.

[0049] To accommodate the grid assembly 2, in one embodiment, the piston 3 includes a first piston body 31 and a second piston body 32 connected together. The diameter of the first piston body 31 is larger than the diameter of the second piston body 32. The first piston body 31 has a water passage 311 extending through both ends. The outer periphery of the first piston body 31 is provided with a first water passage annular groove 312, and the outer periphery of the second piston body 32 is provided with a second water passage annular groove 321. Specifically, the second piston body 32 is used to cooperate with the grid unit 21 at the water injection and brine suction chamber 117, and the first piston body 31 is used to cooperate with other grid units 21. Since the diameter of the first piston body 31 is larger than the diameter of the second piston body 32, a water passage step is formed at the connection between the first piston body 31 and the second piston body 32, thereby enabling the multiple water passage chambers 111 to be connected through the water passage step. The first piston body 31 has a water passage 311 and a first water passage annular groove 312, and the second piston body 32 has a second water passage annular groove 321, thereby realizing the switching of multiple water circuit modes. Furthermore, compared to using a piston 3 with the same inner diameter and opening three water passage grooves on the piston 3, in actual design, not only is it necessary to take into account the relative positions of the three water passage grooves, but also to design the dimensions of the three water passage grooves separately, which is more complicated. The opening of the water passage channel 311 is more difficult. Therefore, this solution helps to reduce the design difficulty of the piston 3, thereby simplifying the structure of the piston 3.

[0050] In one embodiment, the plurality of support retaining rings 24 include a first support retaining ring 241, a second support retaining ring 242, a third support retaining ring 243, a fourth support retaining ring 244, a fifth support retaining ring 245, a sixth support retaining ring 246, and a seventh support retaining ring 247 arranged in sequence, and the plurality of water passage chambers 111 include an inlet chamber 112, a side wall chamber 113, a sewage discharge chamber 114, a central chamber 115, an outlet chamber 116, and a water injection and brine absorption chamber 117 arranged in sequence. The inlet chamber 112 is formed between the first support ring 241 and the second support ring 242, the side wall chamber 113 is formed between the second support ring 242 and the third support ring 243, the sewage discharge chamber 114 is formed between the third support ring 243 and the fourth support ring 244, the central chamber 115 is formed between the fourth support ring 244 and the fifth support ring 245, the outlet chamber 116 is formed between the fifth support ring 245 and the sixth support ring 246, and the water injection and brine absorption chamber 117 is formed between the sixth support ring 246 and the seventh support ring 247.

[0051] Furthermore, because the inner diameter of the grid unit 21 at the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117 is smaller than the inner diameter of the other grid units 21, the inner diameters of the sixth support ring 246 and the seventh support ring 247 are smaller than the inner diameters of the first support ring 241, the second support ring 242, the third support ring 243, the fourth support ring 244, and the fifth support ring 245. Furthermore, the first piston body 31 abuts against the inner periphery of at least two of the first support retaining ring 241, the second support retaining ring 242, the third support retaining ring 243, the fourth support retaining ring 244, and the fifth support retaining ring 245. That is, the inlet chamber 112, the side wall chamber 113, the drain chamber 114, the center chamber 115, and the outlet chamber 116 are all controlled by the first piston body 31, and the first piston 3 abuts against at least two support retaining rings 24. The second piston body 32 abuts against the inner periphery of the sixth support retaining ring 246 and / or the seventh support retaining ring 247. That is, the water injection and brine suction chamber 117 is controlled by the second piston body 32, and the second piston body 32 abuts against at least one support retaining ring 24. In other words, during its movement, the piston 3 abuts against at least three support retaining rings 24, thereby further improving the smoothness of the piston 3's movement and ensuring the sealing performance of the soft water valve.

[0052] Among them, see Figure 17The inlet channel 101 can be connected to the inlet pipe via a quick-connect coupling, the outlet channel 105 can be connected to the outlet pipe via a quick-connect coupling, and the drain channel 103 can be connected to the drain pipe via a quick-connect coupling. The brine injection channel 106 can be connected to the brine injection pipe via a quick-connect coupling, and the end of the brine injection pipe away from the brine injection channel 106 is connected to the brine tank 300 via a quick-connect coupling. The side wall channel 102 and the central channel 104 can both be connected to the softened water tank 200 via the softened water tank interface 161, therefore, the side wall channel 102 and the central channel 104 are spaced apart at the softened water tank interface 161. To facilitate monitoring of the water consumption of the softener and to monitor the water flow rate, a flow meter 6 can be installed in the outlet channel 105, which also facilitates monitoring the normal operation of the softener.

[0053] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 18 In one embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of water circuit modes include a water production mode. In the water production mode, the first piston body 31 abuts against the first support retaining ring 241, the third support retaining ring 243 and the fourth support retaining ring 244, the first water passage groove 312 faces the second support retaining ring 242, and the second piston body 32 abuts against the sixth support retaining ring 246 and the seventh support retaining ring 247.

[0054] Specifically, in the water production mode, the piston 3 moves to the water production position. At this time, the first water-passing ring groove 312 faces the second support retaining ring 242, so that the water inlet chamber 112 is connected to the side wall chamber 113 through the first water-passing ring groove 312; the outer periphery of the first piston body 31 abuts against the inner periphery of the first support retaining ring 241, the third support retaining ring 243 and the fourth support retaining ring 244 respectively, thereby blocking the connection between the water inlet chamber 112 and the water passage 311, the connection between the side wall chamber 113 and the sewage discharge chamber 114, and the connection between the central chamber 115 and the sewage discharge chamber 114; the connection between the first piston body 31 and the second piston body 32 faces the central chamber 115, so that the central chamber 115 is connected to the water outlet chamber 116. At this time, the second water passage groove 321 faces the water outlet chamber 116, and the outer peripheral surface of the end of the second piston body 32 away from the first piston body 31 abuts against the sixth support retaining ring 246 and the seventh support retaining ring 247 respectively, thereby blocking the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117.

[0055] Please see Figure 4 , Figure 4This is a simplified structural diagram of a water softener valve in water production mode. The arrows in the diagram indicate the direction of water flow in this mode. Therefore, in water production mode, the water flow path is as follows: external water flows into the inlet chamber 112 through the inlet channel 101, then sequentially flows into the side wall chamber 113 and the side wall channel 102, and finally flows into the water softener tank 200 for softening. The softened water flows into the central chamber 115 through the central channel 104, and then sequentially flows through the outlet chamber 116 and the outlet channel 105, finally exiting the water softener valve, thus completing the normal water production process.

[0056] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 18 In one embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of water circuit modes include a water injection mode. In the water injection mode, the first piston body 31 abuts against the first support retaining ring 241, the third support retaining ring 243 and the fourth support retaining ring 244, the first water passage groove 312 faces the second support retaining ring 242, the second piston body 32 abuts against the seventh support retaining ring 247, and the second water passage groove 321 faces the sixth support retaining ring 246.

[0057] Specifically, in water injection mode, piston 3 moves to the water injection position. At this time, the first water-passing ring groove 312 faces the second support retaining ring 242, so that the water inlet chamber 112 is connected to the side wall chamber 113 through the first water-passing ring groove 312; and the outer periphery of the first piston body 31 abuts against the inner periphery of the first support retaining ring 241, the third support retaining ring 243 and the fourth support retaining ring 244 respectively, thereby blocking the connection between the water inlet chamber 112 and the water passage 311, the connection between the side wall chamber 113 and the drain chamber 114, and the connection between the central chamber 115 and the drain chamber 114; the connection between the first piston body 31 and the second piston body 32 faces the central chamber 115, so that the central chamber 115 is connected to the water outlet chamber 116 through the connection between the first piston body 31 and the second piston body 32. At this time, the second water-passing ring groove 321 faces the sixth support retaining ring 246, so that the water outlet chamber 116 is connected to the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117 through the second water-passing ring groove 321. The outer peripheral surface of the end of the second piston body 32 away from the first piston body 31 abuts against the seventh support retaining ring 247, thereby blocking the side of the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117 away from the water outlet chamber 116 (that is, blocking the connection between the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117 and the bypass channel 14).

[0058] Please see Figure 5 , Figure 5This is a simplified structural diagram of the water softener valve in water injection mode. The arrows in the diagram indicate the direction of water flow in water injection mode. Therefore, in water injection mode, the water flow path is as follows: external water flows into the inlet chamber 112 through the inlet channel 101, then flows sequentially to the side wall chamber 113 and the side wall channel 102, and finally flows into the water softener tank 200 for softening treatment. The softened water flows into the central chamber 115 through the central channel 104, and then flows into the outlet chamber 116 through the central chamber 115. In the outlet chamber 116, the softened water is divided into two parts: one part flows through the outlet channel 105 and out of the water softener valve for normal soft water production, and the other part flows to the brine injection chamber 117 and then to the brine tank 300, thereby realizing the injection of water into the brine tank 300.

[0059] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 6 and Figure 18 In an embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of water circuit modes include a forward washing mode. In the forward washing mode, the first piston body 31 abuts against the third support retaining ring 243 and the fifth support retaining ring 245, the first water passage groove 312 faces the fourth support retaining ring 244, and the second piston body 32 abuts against the sixth support retaining ring 246 and the seventh support retaining ring 247.

[0060] Specifically, in the forward wash mode, the piston 3 moves to the forward wash position. At this time, the first piston body 31 abuts against the third support retaining ring 243 and the fifth support retaining ring 245 respectively, thereby blocking the connection between the side wall cavity 113 and the drain cavity 114, and the connection between the water outlet cavity 116 and the central cavity 115. Since the first piston body 31 does not abut against the first support retaining ring 241 and the second support retaining ring 242, the water inlet cavity 112 is directly connected to the side wall cavity 113 and the water passage 311 respectively. The first water passage groove 312 faces the fourth support retaining ring 244, allowing the central cavity 115 to pass through... The first water-passing ring groove 312 is connected to the sewage discharge chamber 114, and the connection between the first piston body 31 and the second piston body 32 faces the water outlet chamber 116, so that the water outlet chamber 116 is connected to the water passage 311, thereby connecting the water inlet chamber 112 and the water outlet chamber 116 through the water passage 311. The second water-passing ring groove 321 is located on the side of the seventh support ring 247 away from the sixth support ring 246, so that the outer periphery of the second piston body 32 near the first piston body 31 abuts against the sixth support ring 246 and the seventh support ring 247 respectively, thereby blocking the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117.

[0061] Please see Figure 6 , Figure 6This is a simplified structural diagram of the soft water valve in forward wash mode. The arrows in the diagram indicate the water flow direction in forward wash mode. Therefore, in forward wash mode, the water flow path is as follows: external hard water flows into the inlet chamber 112 through the inlet channel 101, and the hard water in the inlet chamber 112 is divided into two parts. One part flows to the outlet chamber 116 through the water passage 311 and is discharged from the soft water valve through the outlet channel 105; the other part flows to the side wall chamber 113 and flows into the soft water tank 200 through the side wall channel 102 to clean the soft water tank 200. The wastewater after cleaning is discharged from the soft water valve sequentially through the central channel 104, the central chamber 115, the drain chamber 114, and the drain channel 103, thereby completing the forward flushing of the soft water tank 200.

[0062] At this time, since the unsoftened hard water flows directly from the inlet chamber 112 to the outlet chamber 116 and then out of the softened water valve, a switch structure can be set at the outlet channel 105 to facilitate the user's choice of whether to discharge the unsoftened hard water from the water softener.

[0063] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 7 and Figure 18 In an embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of water circuit modes include a backwash mode. In the backwash mode, the first piston body 31 abuts against the second support retaining ring 242 and the fourth support retaining ring 244, the first water passage groove 312 faces the third support retaining ring 243, and the second piston body 32 abuts against the sixth support retaining ring 246 and the seventh support retaining ring 247.

[0064] Specifically, in backwash mode, piston 3 moves to the backwash position. At this time, the first piston body 31 abuts against the second support retaining ring 242 and the fourth support retaining ring 244 respectively, thereby blocking the connection between the water inlet chamber 112 and the side wall chamber 113, and the connection between the drain chamber 114 and the central chamber 115. The first water-passing ring groove 312 faces the third support retaining ring 243, so that the side wall chamber 113 is connected to the drain chamber 114 through the first water-passing ring groove 312, and the connection between the first piston body 31 and the second piston body 32 faces the central chamber 115, so that the side wall chamber 113 is connected to the water outlet chamber 116, and the water passage 311 is connected to the water outlet chamber 116. Since the first piston body 31 does not abut against the first support retaining ring 241 to conduct water inlet chamber 112 and water passage 311, the water inlet chamber 112 and water outlet chamber 116 are connected through the water passage 311, and the second water passage ring groove 321 faces the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117, so that the second piston body 32 abuts against the sixth support retaining ring 246 and the seventh support retaining ring 247 on opposite sides of the second water passage ring groove 321, thereby blocking the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117.

[0065] Please see Figure 7 , Figure 7 This is a simplified structural diagram of a soft water valve in backwash mode. The arrows in the diagram indicate the water flow direction in backwash mode. Therefore, in backwash mode, the water flow path is as follows: external hard water flows into the inlet chamber 112 through the inlet channel 101, and then flows to the outlet chamber 116 through the water passage 311. Within the outlet chamber 116, the water is divided into two parts: one part is discharged from the soft water valve through the outlet channel 105; the other part flows in the opposite direction to the central chamber 115, and then flows into the soft water tank 200 through the central channel 104 to clean the soft water tank 200. The cleaned wastewater is then discharged from the soft water valve sequentially through the side wall channel 102, the side wall chamber 113, the drain chamber 114, and the drain channel 103, thus completing the backwashing of the soft water valve.

[0066] At this time, since the unsoftened hard water flows directly from the inlet chamber 112 to the outlet chamber 116 and then out of the softened water valve, a switch structure can be set at the outlet channel 105 to facilitate the user's choice of whether to discharge the unsoftened hard water from the water softener.

[0067] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 3 , Figure 19 and Figure 21 The soft water valve is further provided with a first jet chamber 12 and a second jet chamber 13, and a bypass channel 14 connecting the first jet chamber 12 and the second jet chamber 13. The bypass channel 14 can also be connected to the water injection and brine suction chamber 117. The first jet chamber 12 is connected to the water inlet chamber 112 and the side wall channel 102 respectively. The second jet chamber 13 is connected to the water outlet chamber 116 and the central channel 104 respectively. The soft water valve also includes a jet ejector, which is selectively installed in the first jet chamber 12 and the second jet chamber 13.

[0068] Specifically, the first jet chamber 12 is connected to the inlet chamber 112, the side wall chamber 113, and the bypass channel 14. When the water in the inlet chamber 112 flows into the first jet chamber 12, it can trigger the ejector in the first jet chamber 12 to generate a siphon effect, thereby drawing the brine in the bypass channel 14 into the first jet chamber 12, and then into the side wall chamber 113, and then discharged into the soft water tank 200 to achieve the co-current regeneration of the soft water medium inside. The second jet chamber 13 is connected to the outlet chamber 116, the central chamber 115, and the bypass channel 14. When the water in the inlet chamber 112 flows into the second jet chamber 13, it can trigger the ejector in the second jet chamber 13 to generate a siphon effect, thereby drawing the brine in the bypass channel 14 into the second jet chamber 13, and then into the central chamber 115, and then discharged into the soft water tank 200 to achieve the counter-current regeneration of the soft water medium inside.

[0069] Understandably, only one of the first jet chamber 12 and the second jet chamber 13 needs to be retained in actual use. Therefore, the jet injector is installed in one of the first jet chamber 12 and the second jet chamber 13, and the other can be sealed with a plug. This allows users to choose between a co-current regeneration valve or a counter-current regeneration valve according to their actual needs. Furthermore, the valve body 1 in this design can be used for both co-current and counter-current regeneration valves. In actual production, both co-current and counter-current regeneration valves can be manufactured using the same valve body 1, which helps to save on the processing costs of soft water valves.

[0070] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 8 , Figure 18 and Figure 21 In an embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of water circuit modes include a downstream regeneration mode. In the downstream regeneration mode, the first piston body 31 abuts against the second support retaining ring 242, the fourth support retaining ring 244 and the fifth support retaining ring 245, the first water passage groove 312 faces the third support retaining ring 243, the second piston body 32 abuts against the sixth support retaining ring 246, and the second water passage groove 321 faces the seventh support retaining ring 247.

[0071] Specifically, in the co-current regeneration mode, the piston 3 moves to the co-current regeneration position. At this time, the first piston body 31 abuts against the second support ring 242, the third support ring 243, and the fifth support ring 245, respectively, thereby blocking the communication between the inlet chamber 112 and the side wall chamber 113, the communication between the side wall chamber 113 and the drain chamber 114, and the communication between the central chamber 115 and the outlet chamber 116. The first water-passing ring groove 312 faces the fourth support ring 244, so that the central chamber 115 is connected to the drain chamber 114 through the first water-passing ring groove 312. The first piston body 31 does not abut against the first support retaining ring 241, thereby making the water inlet chamber 112 connected to the water passage 311. The connection between the first piston body 31 and the second piston body 32 faces the water outlet chamber 116, thereby making the water outlet chamber 116 connected to the water passage 311. In other words, the water inlet chamber 112 and the water outlet chamber 116 are connected through the water passage 311. The second piston body 32 abuts against the sixth support retaining ring 246, thereby blocking the connection between the water outlet chamber 116 and the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117. The second water passage ring groove 321 faces the seventh support retaining ring 247, thereby making the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117 connected to the bypass channel 14.

[0072] Please see Figure 8 , Figure 8This is a simplified structural diagram of a soft water valve in co-current regeneration mode. The arrows in the diagram indicate the water flow direction in this mode. Therefore, in co-current regeneration mode, the water flow path is as follows: the brine in the brine tank 300 flows sequentially through the brine injection channel 106 and the brine injection chamber 117 into the bypass channel 14; simultaneously, external hard water flows into the inlet chamber 112 through the inlet channel 101, and the water flow in the through chamber 111 is divided into two parts: one part flows through the through channel 311 to the outlet chamber 116 and is discharged from the soft water valve through the outlet channel 105; the other part flows to the first jet chamber 12. The process triggers the jet ejector in the first jet chamber 12 to generate a siphon effect, thereby drawing the brine in the bypass channel 14 into the first jet chamber 12, which then flows to the side wall cavity 113 and is introduced into the soft water tank 200 through the side wall channel 102, so as to regenerate the soft water medium in the soft water tank 200. The regenerated wastewater is discharged from the soft water valve in sequence through the central channel 104, the central cavity 115, the sewage discharge cavity 114 and the sewage discharge channel 103, thereby realizing the downstream regeneration of the soft water valve.

[0073] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 9 , Figure 18 and Figure 21 In an embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of water circuit modes include a counter-current regeneration mode. In the counter-current regeneration mode, the first piston body 31 abuts against the second support retaining ring 242, the third support retaining ring 243 and the fifth support retaining ring 245, the first water passage groove 312 faces the fourth support retaining ring 244, the second piston body 32 abuts against the sixth support retaining ring 246, and the second water passage groove 321 faces the seventh support retaining ring 247.

[0074] Specifically, in counter-current regeneration mode, piston 3 moves to the counter-current regeneration position. At this time, the first piston body 31 abuts against the second support retaining ring 242, the fourth support retaining ring 244, and the fifth support retaining ring 245, respectively, thereby blocking the connection between the inlet chamber 112 and the side wall chamber 113, the connection between the central chamber 115 and the drain chamber 114, and the connection between the central chamber 115 and the outlet chamber 116. The first water-passing ring groove 312 faces the third support retaining ring 243, so that the side wall chamber 113 is connected to the drain chamber 114 through the first water-passing ring groove 312. The first piston body 31 does not abut against the first support retaining ring 241, thereby making the water inlet chamber 112 connected to the water passage 311. The connection between the first piston body 31 and the second piston body 32 faces the water outlet chamber 116, thereby making the water outlet chamber 116 connected to the water passage 311. Therefore, the water inlet chamber 112 and the water outlet chamber 116 are connected through the water passage 311. The second piston body 32 abuts against the sixth support retaining ring 246, thereby blocking the connection between the water outlet chamber 116 and the water injection and brine suction chamber 117. The second water passage ring groove 321 faces the seventh support retaining ring 247, thereby making the water injection and brine suction chamber 117 connected to the bypass channel 14.

[0075] Please see Figure 9 , Figure 9 This is a simplified structural diagram of a soft water valve in counter-current regeneration mode. The arrows in the diagram indicate the water flow direction in this mode. Therefore, in counter-current regeneration mode, the water flow path is as follows: the brine in the brine tank 300 flows sequentially through the brine injection channel 106 and the brine injection chamber 117 into the bypass channel 14; simultaneously, external hard water flows into the inlet chamber 112 through the inlet channel 101 and then through the water passage 311 to the outlet chamber 116. The water flow in the outlet chamber 116 is divided into two parts: one part is discharged from the soft water valve through the outlet channel 105; the other part flows into the second jet chamber 13. The process triggers the ejector in the second jet chamber 13 to generate a siphon effect, thereby drawing the brine in the bypass channel 14 into the second jet chamber 13, which then flows to the central chamber 115 and is introduced into the soft water tank 200 through the central channel 104, so as to regenerate the soft water medium in the soft water tank 200. The regenerated wastewater is discharged from the soft water valve in sequence through the side wall channel 102, the side wall chamber 113, the sewage discharge chamber 114 and the sewage discharge channel 103, thereby realizing the counter-current regeneration of the soft water valve.

[0076] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 21In one embodiment, the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117 is divided into a first sub-chamber 1171 and a second sub-chamber 1172 by a seventh support baffle ring 247. The second sub-chamber 1172 is located on the side of the first sub-chamber 1171 away from the water outlet chamber 116. The first sub-chamber 1171 can be connected to the water outlet chamber 116 and the water injection and salt absorption channel 106 respectively. The second sub-chamber 1172 can be connected to the bypass channel 14. Thus, by controlling the connection between the first sub-chamber 1171 and the second sub-chamber 1172, the bypass channel 14 and the water injection and salt absorption channel 106 can be connected. In the co-current regeneration mode or the counter-current regeneration mode, the first sub-chamber 1171 and the second sub-chamber 1172 are connected by a second water-passing ring groove 321, and then the brine in the salt tank 300 flows into the bypass channel 14 sequentially through the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117. In order to facilitate the connection between the second sub-cavity 1172 and the bypass channel 14, for example, the cavity wall of the second sub-cavity 1172 is provided with at least one salt suction hole 1173 that connects to the bypass channel 14.

[0077] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 10 and Figure 11 The diameter difference between the first piston body 31 and the second piston body 32 is greater than or equal to 5 mm. Specifically, the diameter of the first piston body 31 is D1, and the diameter of the second piston body 32 is D2, where D1-D2≥5 mm. This amplifies the diameter difference between the first piston body 31 and the second piston body 32 to ensure the opening size between the outer diameter of the first piston body 31 and the grid assembly 2, thus ensuring the required flow rate for the cross-sectional area of ​​the water passage. The first piston body 31, as the main body of the piston 3, provides high driving force to ensure rapid response to water path switching actions. The second piston body 32 enables fine flow regulation, meeting the precise control requirements of different regeneration modes, thereby shortening the water path switching time. The diameter difference between the first piston body 31 and the second piston body 32 can be 5 mm, 6 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm, 9 mm, etc.

[0078] Furthermore, the diameter of the first piston body 31 is greater than or equal to 32mm, that is, the inner diameter of the grille is greater than or equal to 32mm, thereby realizing a high-flow soft water valve, so that the cross-sectional area of ​​the water passage chamber 111 meets the flow requirements. The diameter D1 of the first piston body 31 can be 32mm, 33mm, 34mm, 35mm, 37mm, 40mm, 45mm, 50mm, etc.

[0079] In an embodiment of the present invention, the ratio of the length of the second piston body 32 to the length of the first piston body 31 is greater than or equal to 4 / 5 and less than or equal to 8 / 9. Specifically, the length of the first piston body 31 is L1, the length of the second piston body 32 is L2, and 4 / 5 ≤ L2 / L1 ≤ 8 / 9, thereby enabling the piston 3 to better adapt to water circuit switching. The ratio of the length of the first piston body 31 to the length of the second piston body 32 can be 4 / 5, 5 / 6, 6 / 7, 7 / 8, or 8 / 9.

[0080] Reference Figure 13 and Figure 14 In one embodiment, at least the outer periphery of the end of the first piston body 31 has a chamfer 315 or a rounded corner. This forms an inlet angle at the end of the first piston body 31, which guides the contact between the piston 3 and the inner sealing ring 23 of the support retaining ring 24 during the relative movement of the piston 3 and the grid assembly 2, preventing the first piston body 31 from cutting the inner sealing ring 23 during axial movement and causing internal sealing failure.

[0081] See Figure 11 , Figure 12 , Figures 14 to 16 In one embodiment, the end of the first piston body 31 is provided with a transition plate 35, and the transition plate 35 is provided with a water passage hole 351 communicating with the water passage 311. The second piston body 32 is snapped onto the transition plate 35. That is, the first piston body 31 and the second piston body 32 are formed separately, and the first piston body 31 and the second piston body 32 are connected by the transition plate 35, which facilitates both the processing of the piston 3 and the assembly of the first piston body 31 and the second piston body 32. Because the drive module in this soft water valve drives the piston 3 to move axially, thereby switching multiple water circuit modes, the drive module has a drive rod connected to the piston 3. The drive module drives the piston 3 to move axially through the drive rod. Therefore, the drive rod is connected to the end of the first piston body 31 away from the second piston body 32, thereby realizing the transmission connection between the drive module and the piston 3. Therefore, a transition plate 35 can be provided at both ends of the first piston body 31. One of the two transition plates 35 is engaged with the second piston body 32, and the other is engaged with the drive rod, thereby facilitating the transmission connection between the drive module and the piston 3. Furthermore, the transition plate 35 is also provided with a water passage hole 351 that connects to the water passage 311, thereby enabling the two ends of the water passage 311 to be connected.

[0082] To facilitate the snap-fit ​​connection between the second piston body 32 and the adapter plate 35, in one embodiment, the adapter plate 35 is provided with a snap-fit ​​hole 354, and a partial section of the periphery of the snap-fit ​​hole 354 is provided with a break 355 that connects to the water passage hole 351. The second piston body 32 is provided with a limiting ring groove 322 on its periphery facing the first piston body 31. The second piston body 32 passes through the water passage hole 351, and the limiting ring groove 322 is snapped into the snap-fit ​​hole 354 through the break 355. During actual installation, the second piston body 32 passes through the water passage hole 351 and is engaged with the locking hole 354 through the break 355, thereby engaging the second piston body 32 with the adapter plate 35. This facilitates the engagement of the second piston body 32 with the first piston body 31. Furthermore, since the outer circumferential surface of the piston 31 can abut against the inner circumferential edge of the grille assembly 2 when the piston 31 is installed on the valve body 1, this further limits the position of the second piston body 32, reducing the possibility of it exiting the locking hole 354 through the break 355. The locking hole 354 is located at the axis of the adapter plate 35, ensuring that the first piston body 31 and the second piston body 32 are coaxially connected, further guaranteeing their motion stability. The second piston body 32 has a limiting annular groove 322 on its circumference facing the first piston body 31. This limiting annular groove 322 is used to engage with the locking hole 354, so that the periphery of the locking hole 354 is engaged with the limiting annular groove 322, thereby further improving the engagement stability of the adapter plate 35 and the second piston body 32, and limiting the axial movement of the second piston body 32, thereby further ensuring the installation stability of the first piston body 31 and the second piston body 32, and ensuring their synchronous movement. When the adapter plate 35 is connected to the drive rod, the drive rod is also provided with a limiting annular groove, which is engaged with the locking hole 354 at the break 355, thereby engaging with the adapter plate 35.

[0083] In one embodiment, the piston 3 further includes a retaining ring 36. The end of the first piston body 31 is provided with a mounting groove 313, and the peripheral wall of the mounting groove 313 is provided with a snap-fit ​​ring groove 314. The adapter plate 35 is mounted in the mounting groove 313, and the outer periphery of the retaining ring 36 snaps into the snap-fit ​​ring groove 314 to prevent the adapter plate 35 from dislodging from the mounting groove 313. That is, a mounting groove 313 is formed at the end of the water passage 311, thereby forming a limiting step at the end of the first piston body 31. The adapter plate 35 is then mounted... The mounting groove 313 is used, and the edge of the adapter plate 35 abuts against the limiting step, thereby limiting the inner side of the adapter plate 35. The peripheral wall of the mounting groove 313 is provided with a snap-fit ​​ring groove 314, which is located on the outer side of the adapter plate 35. The outer periphery of the retaining ring 36 snaps into the snap-fit ​​ring groove 314, thereby limiting the outer side of the adapter plate 35 and preventing the adapter plate 35 from coming out of the mounting groove 313. Thus, the mounting groove 313 and the retaining ring 36 together limit the adapter plate 35, allowing the adapter plate 35 to snap into the first piston body 31. Furthermore, for ease of installation, the retaining ring 36 has a partial break 355, which facilitates adjustment of the diameter of the retaining ring 36 during installation, making it easier to snap the outer periphery of the retaining ring 36 into the snap-fit ​​ring groove 314. This facilitates the installation of the adapter plate 35 and ensures its installation stability.

[0084] In another embodiment, the adapter plate 35 is threaded to the first piston body 31.

[0085] In another embodiment, the adapter plate 35 is integrally formed with the first piston body 31.

[0086] In one embodiment, reference is made to Figure 16 The adapter plate 35 has a plurality of water passage holes 351, which are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the adapter plate 35. That is, the plurality of water passage holes 351 can be of the same shape and size, and are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the adapter plate 35. Furthermore, the size of the water passage holes 351 can be further increased to improve water flow smoothness. (Refer to...) Figure 16 The break 355 is located on one side of the locking hole 354, so that the middle part of the adapter plate forms an integral U-shaped or C-shaped locking rib. The limiting ring groove is locked with the locking rib, and the locking rib is connected to the first piston body 31 through multiple connecting ribs. The water passage hole 351 is formed between the connecting ribs, thereby maximizing the size of the water passage hole 351 and improving the smoothness of water passage.

[0087] In one embodiment, reference is made to Figure 15The adapter plate 35 has a plurality of first water passage holes 352, and the plurality of water passage holes 351 include first water passage holes 352 and second water passage holes 353. The first water passage holes 352 and the second water passage holes 353 are arranged alternately along the circumference of the adapter plate 35. That is, the shape and size of the plurality of water passage holes 351 can be the same, and water passage holes 351 with different shapes or sizes can be arranged alternately along the circumference of the adapter plate 35, thereby ensuring the uniformity of water flow when passing through the adapter plate 35. In other words, in this solution, there is no limitation on the specific shape and size of the water passage holes 351, as long as the water passage channel 311 can be opened. The specific shape and size can be set according to the actual flow rate requirements.

[0088] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first piston body 31 is made of polyetherimide or polyoxymethylene. Both polyetherimide (PEI) and polyoxymethylene (POM) possess high structural strength and rigidity. Compared to a copper-based material coated with Teflon, the material used in this embodiment offers comparable structural strength while being lighter, thus reducing the overall weight of the product and lowering manufacturing costs. Furthermore, both polyetherimide and POM are fluorine-free materials, making them safer to use and facilitating the attainment of relevant industry safety certifications, thereby effectively enhancing the product's market competitiveness. In other embodiments, the first piston body 31 may also be made of copper, and the outer surface of the first piston body 31 is provided with a Teflon coating, that is, a copper substrate coated with Teflon. In this case, the copper substrate may be HPb59-1 (ordinary leaded brass grade HPb59-1), and Teflon is coated and cured on the outer surface of the copper substrate to form a Teflon coating.

[0089] In another embodiment, the second piston body 32 is made of polyetherimide (PEI) or polyoxymethylene (POM). Both polyetherimide (PEI) and polyoxymethylene (POM) possess high structural strength and rigidity. Compared to the prior art where the second piston body is made of a copper substrate coated with Teflon, the material used in this solution for the second piston body 32 has comparable structural strength and is lighter, helping to reduce the overall weight of the product and lower manufacturing costs. Furthermore, both polyetherimide and POM are fluorine-free materials, making them safer to use and facilitating the passing of relevant industry safety certifications, thereby effectively enhancing the product's market competitiveness. In other embodiments, the second piston body 32 may also be made of copper, and the outer surface of the second piston body 32 is coated with Teflon, that is, a copper substrate coated with Teflon. Specifically, only the first piston body 31 may be made of polyetherimide or polyoxymethylene, corresponding to the second piston body 32 being a copper substrate coated with Teflon; or only the second piston body 32 may be made of polyetherimide or polyoxymethylene, corresponding to the first piston body 31 being a copper substrate coated with Teflon; or both the first piston body 31 and the second piston body 32 may be made of polyetherimide or polyoxymethylene, meaning the entire piston 3 is made of polyetherimide or polyoxymethylene; or both the first piston body 31 and the second piston body 32 may be a copper substrate coated with Teflon.

[0090] To facilitate the processing of piston 3, in one embodiment, the first piston body 31 is integrally formed; the second piston body 32 is integrally formed. That is, the first piston body 31 and the second piston body 32 are formed separately, and then the two are assembled into one piece. When both the first piston body 31 and the second piston body 32 are made of polyetherimide or polyoxymethylene, the first piston body 31 or the second piston body 32 can be integrally injection molded, or polyetherimide or polyoxymethylene rods can be extruded first, and then the first piston body 31 or the second piston body 32 can be formed by machining or other processing methods.

[0091] To reduce friction and improve the smoothness of piston 3's movement, in one embodiment, the outer surfaces of the first piston body 31 and / or the second piston body 32 are smoothly configured, thereby improving the smoothness of piston 3's surface, effectively reducing the coefficient of friction, and improving product performance and lifespan. Specifically, a lubricating layer can be sprayed onto the outer surfaces of the first piston body 31 and / or the second piston body 32 to make their outer surfaces smooth. When both the first piston body 31 and the second piston body 32 are made of polyetherimide or polyoxymethylene, they can also undergo self-lubricating modification treatment to improve the lubricity of their outer surfaces. This self-lubricating modification involves adding various lubricants to the plastic matrix (such as POM, PEI, etc.) during processing, allowing the lubricant to gradually migrate to the surface during processing and friction, forming a permanent lubricating film, thus giving piston 3 a smooth surface. The lubricant can be polytetrafluoroethylene, molybdenum disulfide, graphite, silicone, or silicone oil, etc.

[0092] Please see Figure 23 and Figure 24 In one embodiment, the grille assembly 2 includes a plurality of grille units 21 sequentially spliced ​​along the axial direction of the valve cavity 11, and an outer sealing ring groove 211 for the installation of the outer sealing ring 22 is spliced ​​between two adjacent grille units 21; the grille assembly 2 has a pre-installation state, in which an enlarged gap 212 can be formed between two adjacent grille units 21, and the width of the enlarged gap 212 is smaller than the cross-sectional diameter of the outer sealing ring 22; The soft water valve also includes a drive mounting seat 5 that covers the opening of the valve cavity 11; when the opening of the valve cavity 11 is in an open state, the grid assembly 2 is installed in the valve cavity 11 in the pre-installation state, and the widening gap 212 widens the outer sealing ring groove 211 to provide a larger deformation space for the outer sealing ring 22; when the drive mounting seat 5 covers the opening of the valve cavity 11, the drive mounting seat 5 abuts against the grid assembly 2 to eliminate the widening gap 212, so that the outer sealing ring 22 abuts against the cavity wall of the valve cavity 11.

[0093] Specifically, multiple screen units 21 are sequentially assembled. To facilitate the assembly of the soft water valve, the screen units 21 are often assembled first, and then the screen assembly 2 is installed into the valve cavity 11 as a whole. That is, the assembly of multiple screen units 21 and the outer sealing ring 22 is completed first, and then the screen assembly 2 is installed into the valve cavity 11. Therefore, if multiple screen units 21 are directly assembled, the outer sealing ring 22 is clamped by the outer sealing ring groove 211. In order to ensure the sealing strength, the outer sealing ring 22 and the valve cavity 11 are usually interference fit. This results in a large friction between the outer sealing ring 22 and the cavity wall of the valve cavity 11 during actual installation. It is difficult to insert the screen assembly 2 into the valve cavity 11, and the outer sealing ring 22 is also prone to displacement, which increases the installation difficulty of the screen assembly 2.

[0094] In this design, the grille assembly 2 is pre-installed into the valve cavity 11. The presence of the widened gap 212 further increases the width of the outer sealing ring groove 211 along the axial direction of the valve cavity 11, thereby providing a larger deformation space for the outer sealing ring 22. This reduces the friction between the outer sealing ring 22 and the cavity wall of the valve cavity 11 during assembly, facilitating the installation of the grille assembly 2 into the valve cavity 11 and reducing the probability of the outer sealing ring 22 coming out of the outer sealing ring groove 211. Furthermore, the presence of the widened gap 212 also further increases the radial depth of the outer sealing ring groove 211 along the valve cavity 11, allowing more of the outer sealing ring 22 to be installed within the outer sealing ring groove 211. This helps to reduce the outer diameter of the grille assembly 2 at the outer sealing ring 22, thereby reducing the friction between the outer sealing ring 22 and the cavity wall of the valve cavity 11, further facilitating the installation of the grille assembly 2 into the valve cavity 11. Furthermore, the width of the widened gap 212 is smaller than the cross-sectional diameter of the outer sealing ring 22, thereby reducing the possibility of the outer sealing ring 22 getting stuck in the widened gap 212 while reducing the installation difficulty of the grille assembly 2.

[0095] When the drive mounting seat 5 covers the opening of the valve cavity 11, the drive mounting seat 5 abuts against the grille assembly 2. Under the pressing action of the drive mounting seat 5, the widening gap 212 is eliminated, and the depth and width of the outer sealing ring groove 211 are reduced. This allows two adjacent grille units 21 to clamp the sealing ring groove together, and also allows the outer sealing ring 22 to abut against the cavity wall of the valve cavity 11. This facilitates the installation of the grille assembly 2 and ensures the sealing strength between the grille assembly 2 and the cavity wall of the valve cavity 11.

[0096] Multiple grille units 21 can be connected by snap-fit. For example, one of the adjacent sides of two adjacent grille units 21 is provided with a snap-fit ​​hole 213, and the other is provided with a snap-fit ​​protrusion 214. In the pre-installation state, the snap-fit ​​protrusion 214 passes through the snap-fit ​​hole 213 and snaps onto the edge of the snap-fit ​​hole 213.

[0097] Please see Figure 18 , Figure 20 and Figure 22 In one embodiment, the valve body 1 includes a valve body 15 and a valve base 16, which are assembled separately. The soft can interface 161 is located on the valve base 16. The valve body 15 has a first dividing rib 151 on the side near the valve base 16, which cooperates with the grille assembly 2 to separate multiple water passage chambers 111. The valve base 16 has a second dividing rib 162 corresponding to each of the first dividing ribs 151. The first dividing rib 151 has a first rib surface 1511 and a second rib surface 1512 that are radially opposite to each other in the valve chamber 11. The grille assembly 2 is sealed and abuts against the first rib surface 1511, and the second dividing rib 162 is fixedly connected to the second rib surface 1512. Specifically, the valve body 1 is formed by assembling the valve body 15 and the valve base 16. The two are joined together to form the valve chamber 11 and the bypass flow channel 14, thereby facilitating the processing of the valve body 1.

[0098] The soft water tank interface 161 is located on the valve base 16 and is used to connect to the soft water tank 200. Therefore, both the side wall channel 102 and the central channel 104 are located on the valve base 16. The inlet channel 101, the outlet channel 105, and the water injection and brine suction channel 106 are formed on the valve body 15, thereby ensuring the circumferential continuity of the inlet channel 101, the outlet channel 105, and the water injection and brine suction channel 106, thus reducing the possibility of leakage. Of course, in other embodiments, the water inlet channel 101, the water outlet channel 105, and the water injection and salt absorption channel 106 may be partially provided on the valve body 15, and the other part may be formed by splicing the valve body 15 and the valve base 16 and / or provided on the valve base 16; or, the water inlet channel 101, the water outlet channel 105, and the water injection and salt absorption channel 106 may all be formed by splicing the valve body 15 and the valve base 16; or, the water inlet channel 101, the water outlet channel 105, and the water injection and salt absorption channel 106 may all be provided on the valve base 16.

[0099] Furthermore, since the valve body 15 and the valve base 16 are spliced ​​together to form the valve cavity 11, and the valve cavity 11 is used for the installation of the grille assembly 2, and since the outer periphery of the grille assembly 2 abuts against the inner periphery of the valve cavity 11, that is, the grille assembly 2 will exert a radially outward force on the cavity wall of the valve cavity 11, if the valve body 15 and the valve base 16 are directly spliced ​​together, that is, the outer periphery of the grille assembly 2 abuts against the valve body 15 and the other part abuts against the valve base 16, the grille assembly 2 will cause the valve body 15 and the valve base to tend to move away from each other. Under long-term use, this may cause water leakage into the valve cavity 11. Therefore, the valve body 15 is provided with a first separating rib 151 on the side near the valve base 16 to separate multiple water passage chambers 111. The first rib surface 1511 of the separating rib abuts against the grille assembly 2, so that the outer periphery of the grille assembly 2 abuts only against the valve body 15. This eliminates the impact of the abutment between the outer periphery of the grille assembly 2 and the inner periphery of the valve chamber 11 on the splicing of the valve body 15 and the valve base 16, thus improving the service life of the soft water valve. In addition, the presence of the first separating rib 151 can further increase the cross-sectional area of ​​the valve chamber 11, thereby increasing the flow rate, so that the flow rate of the soft water valve is not less than 6m³. 3 / h, further achieving small volume and high throughput.

[0100] The valve base 16 is provided with a second partition rib 162 corresponding to each of the first partition ribs 151. The second partition rib 162 is fixedly connected to the second rib surface 1512, thereby increasing the contact area between the valve base 16 and the valve body 15 and improving the splicing stability of the two. The valve base 16 and the valve body 15 can be connected by welding.

[0101] The present invention also proposes a water softener, which includes a water softening valve. The specific structure of the water softening valve is as described in the above embodiments. Since the present water softener adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be described in detail here.

[0102] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural transformations made based on the technical concept of the present invention and the contents of the specification and drawings of the present invention, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A soft water valve, characterized in that, include: Valve body, including valve cavity; A bar grid assembly is disposed in the valve cavity. The bar grid assembly includes a plurality of spaced-apart support rings. The outer periphery of the plurality of support rings abuts against the inner circumferential surface of the valve cavity, and a water passage cavity is formed between two adjacent support rings. as well as A piston is inserted into the inner periphery of a plurality of supporting retaining rings. The piston includes a first piston body and a second piston body connected to each other. The diameter of the first piston body is larger than the diameter of the second piston body. The first piston body has a water passage that is open at both ends. The outer periphery of the first piston body has a first water passage ring groove, and the outer periphery of the second piston body has a second water passage ring groove. The inner periphery of the supporting retaining ring abuts against the outer periphery of the piston to block the communication between the corresponding water passage chambers. The soft water valve has multiple water circuit modes. The piston moves axially along the valve cavity to switch between the multiple water circuit modes. During the switching of the multiple water circuit modes, the first piston body abuts against the inner periphery of at least two of the support retaining rings.

2. The soft water valve as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The plurality of support retaining rings include a first support retaining ring, a second support retaining ring, a third support retaining ring, a fourth support retaining ring, a fifth support retaining ring, a sixth support retaining ring, and a seventh support retaining ring arranged in sequence, wherein the inner diameter of the sixth support retaining ring and the seventh support retaining ring is smaller than the inner diameter of the first support retaining ring, the second support retaining ring, the third support retaining ring, the fourth support retaining ring, and the fifth support retaining ring; The first piston body abuts against the inner periphery of at least two of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth support retaining rings, and the second piston body abuts against the inner periphery of the sixth and / or seventh support retaining rings.

3. The soft water valve as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The plurality of water circuit modes include a water production mode, in which the first piston body abuts against the first support retaining ring, the third support retaining ring and the fourth support retaining ring, the first water passage groove faces the second support retaining ring, and the second piston body abuts against the sixth support retaining ring and the seventh support retaining ring.

4. The soft water valve as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The multiple water circuit modes include a water injection mode, in which the first piston body abuts against the first support retaining ring, the third support retaining ring, and the fourth support retaining ring, the first water-passing ring groove faces the second support retaining ring, the second piston body abuts against the seventh support retaining ring, and the second water-passing ring groove faces the sixth support retaining ring.

5. The soft water valve as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The multiple water circuit modes include a forward wash mode, in which the first piston body abuts against the third and fifth support retaining rings, the first water passage groove faces the fourth support retaining ring, and the second piston body abuts against the sixth and seventh support retaining rings.

6. The soft water valve as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The multiple water circuit modes include a backwash mode, in which the first piston body abuts against the second and fourth support retaining rings, the first water passage groove faces the third support retaining ring, and the second piston body abuts against the sixth and seventh support retaining rings.

7. The soft water valve as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The multiple water circuit modes include a downstream regeneration mode, in which the first piston body abuts against the second, fourth, and fifth support rings, the first water-passing ring groove faces the third support ring, the second piston body abuts against the sixth support ring, and the second water-passing ring groove faces the seventh support ring.

8. The soft water valve as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The multiple water circuit modes include a counter-current regeneration mode. In the counter-current regeneration mode, the first piston body abuts against the second, third, and fifth support rings, the first water-passing ring groove faces the fourth support ring, the second piston body abuts against the sixth support ring, and the second water-passing ring groove faces the seventh support ring.

9. The soft water valve as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The difference between the diameter of the first piston body and the diameter of the second piston body is greater than or equal to 5 mm; and / or, The ratio of the length of the second piston body to the length of the first piston body is greater than or equal to 4 / 5 and less than or equal to 8 / 9.

10. The soft water valve as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The diameter of the first piston body is greater than or equal to 32 mm.

11. The soft water valve as described in claim 1, characterized in that, At least the outer periphery of the end of the first piston body has a chamfer or rounded corner.

12. The soft water valve as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first piston body has an adapter plate at its end, and the adapter plate has a water passage hole that connects to the water passage. The second piston body is snapped into the adapter plate.

13. The soft water valve as described in claim 12, characterized in that, The adapter plate is provided with a locking hole, and a partial break is provided around the periphery of the locking hole to connect to the water passage hole. The second piston body is provided with a limiting ring groove on the periphery facing the first piston body. The second piston body passes through the water passage hole and the limiting ring groove is locked into the locking hole through the break.

14. The soft water valve as described in claim 12, characterized in that, The piston further includes a retaining ring. The end of the first piston body is provided with a mounting groove, and the peripheral wall of the mounting groove is provided with a snap-fit ​​ring groove. The adapter plate is mounted in the mounting groove, and the outer periphery of the retaining ring snaps into the snap-fit ​​ring groove to prevent the adapter plate from dislodging from the mounting groove; or... The adapter plate is threadedly connected to the first piston body; or... The adapter plate is integrally formed with the first piston body.

15. The soft water valve as described in claim 12, characterized in that, The adapter plate has multiple water passage holes; The plurality of water passage holes are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the adapter plate; the plurality of water passage holes include a first water passage hole and a second water passage hole, and the first water passage hole and the second water passage hole are arranged alternately along the circumference of the adapter plate.

16. The soft water valve as described in claim 12, characterized in that, The soft water valve also includes a drive module, which includes a drive rod. One end of the drive rod is inserted into the valve chamber and is connected to the piston. Both ends of the first piston body are provided with the adapter plate that connects to the water passage. The second piston body is engaged with one of the two adapter plates, and the drive rod is engaged with the other of the two adapter plates.

17. The soft water valve as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first piston body and / or the second piston body are made of polyetherimide or polyoxymethylene.

18. The soft water valve as described in claim 17, characterized in that, The first piston body and / or the second piston body are made of lubrication-modified polyetherimide or polyoxymethylene material; or, The outer surface of the first piston body and / or the second piston body is provided with a lubricating layer.

19. The soft water valve as described in claim 17, characterized in that, The first piston body is integrally formed, and / or the second piston body is integrally formed.

20. The soft water valve as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first piston body and / or the second piston body are made of copper, and the outer surface of the first piston body and / or the second piston body is coated with Teflon.

21. The soft water valve as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The grille assembly includes multiple grille units sequentially spliced ​​along the axial direction of the valve cavity, with an outer sealing ring groove for installation of an outer sealing ring spliced ​​between adjacent grille units; the grille assembly has a pre-installation state, in which an enlarged gap can be formed between adjacent grille units, the width of the enlarged gap being smaller than the cross-sectional diameter of the outer sealing ring; The soft water valve also includes a drive mounting seat that seals the valve cavity opening; when the valve cavity opening is in an open state, the grille assembly is installed into the valve cavity in the pre-installed state, and the widening gap widens the outer sealing ring groove to provide a larger deformation space for the outer sealing ring; When the drive mounting seat covers the opening of the valve cavity, the drive mounting seat abuts against the grille assembly to eliminate the widened gap and make the outer sealing ring press against the cavity wall of the valve cavity.

22. The soft water valve as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The valve body includes a valve body and a valve base that are assembled separately. The valve base is provided with a soft can interface. The valve body has a first dividing rib on the side near the valve base that cooperates with the grille assembly to separate multiple water passage chambers. The valve base has a second dividing rib corresponding to each of the first dividing ribs. The first dividing rib has a first rib surface and a second rib surface that are radially opposite to each other in the valve chamber. The grille assembly is sealed and abuts against the first rib surface, and the second dividing rib is fixedly connected to the second rib surface.

23. A water softener, characterized in that, Includes the soft water valve as described in any one of claims 1 to 22.

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