Multi-way valve and water softener

Abstract

The application relates to a multi-way valve and a water softener, which comprises a valve body, a jet device and a bypass valve. The valve body comprises a main body and a first pipeline extending in a first direction. One end of the first pipeline is communicated with the main body. The jet device is assembled at the other end of the first pipeline away from the main body in the first direction. The bypass valve is assembled at one end of the jet device away from the valve body in the first direction. Thus, the multi-way valve provided by the application is formed by sequentially arranging the valve body, the jet device and the bypass valve in the first direction, realizes the cascade assembly in the first direction, reduces the size of the multi-way valve in other directions, and is beneficial to the miniaturization of the multi-way valve.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of water softener technology, and in particular to a multi-way valve and a water softener. Background Technology

[0002] With economic development and social progress, people have increasingly higher demands for quality of life, leading to the application of various water treatment equipment in people's lives. Common water treatment equipment includes water softeners and water purifiers. Among them, water softeners are widely used because they can remove calcium and magnesium ions from water, reducing water hardness.

[0003] In existing water softeners, the multi-way valve is the core component controlling the flow of water in the integrated water circuit. By controlling the multi-way valve to switch between different operating positions, the water flow can be controlled to flow in different directions and structures, thereby realizing functions such as water supply, backwashing, regeneration, and water replenishment. When the water softener is working, it exchanges calcium and magnesium ions with the water through its resin tank, removing excess calcium and magnesium ions from the raw water to remove scale (calcium carbonate or magnesium carbonate). After all the resin is saturated with calcium and magnesium ions, an ejector is installed on the multi-way valve to mix the brine and replenish it into the resin tank, achieving a regeneration effect and preparing it for the next water softening cycle. When the water softener is not working, a bypass structure is installed on the multi-way valve to form a water supply loop, allowing users to use water through the water softener even in other functional states.

[0004] However, multi-way valves require various parts such as valve bodies, ejectors, and bypass structures, which require a large assembly space and can easily lead to excessively large sizes of multi-way valves and water softeners. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Based on this, this application proposes a multi-way valve to address the problem of excessive size caused by the assembly of multi-way valves and water softeners. This multi-way valve has the technical advantages of reasonable assembly and small size.

[0006] A multi-way valve includes: a valve body, comprising a main body and a first conduit extending along a first direction, one end of the first conduit being connected to the main body;

[0007] An ejector, mounted along the first direction on the side of the first conduit away from the main body; and

[0008] A bypass valve is mounted along the first direction at the end of the ejector away from the valve body.

[0009] Thus, the multi-way valve provided in this application forms a valve body, an ejector, and a bypass valve arranged sequentially along the first direction, realizing a sequential assembly in the first direction, thereby reducing the size of the multi-way valve in other directions, which is beneficial for the miniaturization of the multi-way valve.

[0010] In one embodiment, the multi-way valve further includes a fixing member with a fixed position, the opposite ends of which are fixed to the ejector and the bypass valve, respectively, and the ejector and the bypass valve are fixed within the fixed position.

[0011] In one embodiment, the fastener includes a first fixing part and a second fixing part disposed opposite to each other, the first fixing part and the second fixing part being configured to form the fixing position, and the first fixing part being snapped onto the ejector, and the second fixing part being snapped onto the bypass valve.

[0012] By adding additional fasteners, the ejector and bypass valve can be directly connected without the need for additional structures to connect them. This directly fixes the two together, reducing the number of parts, materials, and assembly costs of the multi-way valve.

[0013] In one embodiment, the fastener further includes a connecting portion that connects between the first and second fasteners, and the three together enclose the fastening position to prevent the bypass valve from detaching from the ejector.

[0014] In one embodiment, the fasteners include at least two fasteners, all of which are fixed along a second direction to opposite sides of the ejector and the bypass valve. The second direction intersects with the first direction, thereby enhancing the fixing strength of the ejector and the bypass valve and ensuring that the bypass valve will not fall off during the use of the multi-way valve.

[0015] In one embodiment, the multi-way valve further includes fasteners that pass through the fixing member and are disposed within the ejector and / or the bypass valve to securely connect the fixing member to the ejector and / or the bypass valve. The fixing member and fasteners achieve a fixed connection between the bypass valve and the ejector. When it is necessary to disassemble the ejector and the bypass valve, all fasteners can be removed, enabling quick assembly and disassembly of the bypass valve.

[0016] In one embodiment, the ejector has a second conduit extending along the first direction, and the bypass valve has a third conduit extending along the first direction; the first conduit may optionally connect to either the second or the third conduit. With the first, second, and third conduits all extending along the first direction to form conduits in the same direction, the multi-way valve only increases its space requirement in the first direction, reducing its space requirement in other directions. This makes the multi-way valve's structure more rational and its space requirement smaller.

[0017] In one embodiment, the third pipeline includes a third inlet pipe and a third outlet pipe. The third inlet pipe can be connected to the third outlet pipe to form a raw water supply circuit. When the multi-way valve is in the water supply position, if the resin tank or the multi-way valve becomes blocked, or when the multi-way valve is in the non-water supply position, the user can obtain water through the water softener.

[0018] In one embodiment, the bypass valve has a water passage and an adjusting element, the water passage being connected between the third inlet pipe and the third outlet pipe, and the adjusting element being used to close or open the water passage.

[0019] According to another aspect of this application, a water softener is provided, including the multi-way valve described in any of the above embodiments.

[0020] The aforementioned multi-way valve has a primary direction, namely the first direction. The first pipeline of the valve body, the ejector, and the bypass valve are assembled along the first direction, thus forming a valve body, ejector, and bypass valve arranged sequentially along the first direction, achieving a chain-like assembly. This reduces the size of the multi-way valve in other directions, which is beneficial for the miniaturization of the multi-way valve. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a multi-way valve provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The exploded view of the multi-way valve provided in the diagram;

[0023] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional structural diagram of the multi-way valve provided in the document;

[0024] Figure 4 for Figure 3 The enlarged structural diagram of the multi-way valve at point A provided in the diagram;

[0025] Figure 5 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of the mounting hardware for the multi-way valve provided.

[0026] Reference numerals: 100, multi-way valve; 10, valve body; 11, main body; 12, first pipeline; 20, jet injector; 21, second pipeline; 30, bypass valve; 31, third inlet pipe; 32, third outlet pipe; 33, water passage; 34, adjusting component; 35, snap-fit ​​groove; 40, fixing component; 41, first fixing part; 42, second fixing part; 43, connecting part; 431, through hole; 50, fastener; L1, first direction; L2, second direction. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0028] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0029] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0030] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0031] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0032] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0033] One embodiment of this application provides a water softener (not shown in the figure). The water softener removes calcium and magnesium ions from raw water through ion exchange resin in a resin tank, thereby reducing water hardness and providing users with soft water with lower calcium and magnesium ion content. The water softener includes an integrated water circuit and a water softening device and a brine supply device connected to the integrated water circuit. The integrated water circuit is equipped with a multi-way valve for controlling the water flow direction.

[0034] The multi-way valve has seven positions: water supply position, backwash position, first regeneration position, slow wash position, second regeneration position, water replenishment position, and forward wash position. The multi-way valve can switch between the above positions so that the water softener has seven states: water supply state, backwash state, first regeneration state, slow wash state, second regeneration state, water replenishment state, and forward wash state.

[0035] When the multi-way valve is in the water supply position, the user obtains soft water through the water softener. When the water softener is stopped, clogged, or the multi-way valve is in a non-water supply position (i.e., the backwash position, first regeneration position, slow wash position, second regeneration position, water replenishment position, and forward wash position mentioned above), water cannot be supplied to the user. In this case, a corresponding bypass structure (i.e., bypass valve) is installed on the multi-way valve to directly form a loop for the raw water, ensuring that the user can obtain water through the water softener in other functional states without the need for additional piping.

[0036] When the water softener is in water supply mode, the multi-way valve is in the water supply position. Raw water enters the multi-way valve through the bypass valve, and then enters the resin layer in the resin tank. The calcium and magnesium ions in the raw water exchange with the sodium ions on the resin layer to soften the water. The resulting softened water flows out from the multi-way valve to the bypass valve to supply water to water-using equipment.

[0037] When the water softener is in the first regeneration state and the second regeneration state, the multi-way valve is in the first regeneration position and the second regeneration position. Raw water can flow into the ejector through the bypass valve. The brine in the brine supply device is drawn out and mixed with the raw water to form a regenerated solution of the first concentration. The brine solution flows out from the ejector to the multi-way valve and enters the resin layer in the resin tank. After the brine solution mixes with the resin layer and replaces the sodium and magnesium ions on the resin layer, it is discharged through the multi-way valve.

[0038] When the water softener is in the water replenishment state, the multi-way valve is in the water replenishment position. Raw water flows into the ejector through the bypass valve and then into the brine supply device to replenish the brine supply device.

[0039] This necessitates the installation of various components on the multi-way valve, such as the valve body, ejector, and bypass structure. Generally, the ejector in a multi-way valve is placed on the left or right side of the valve body, and the bypass valve is assembled with the valve body along the axial direction of the valve body. This results in the multi-way valve having an assembly structure in multiple directions, with excessive space for lateral assembly, leading to an excessively large overall width dimension and failing to effectively meet the small-volume design requirements of the water softener.

[0040] To solve the above problems, the first step is to design the multi-way valve 100 to have a smaller size. For details, please refer to [reference needed]. Figures 1 to 3 This application provides a multi-way valve 100, including a valve body 10, an ejector 20 and a bypass valve 30. The valve body 10 includes a main body 11 and a first pipeline 12 extending along a first direction L1. One end of the first pipeline 12 is connected to the main body 11. The ejector 20 is mounted along the first direction L1 at the other end of the first pipeline 12 away from the main body 11. The bypass valve 30 is mounted along the first direction L1 at the end of the ejector 20 away from the valve body 10.

[0041] Thus, the multi-way valve 100 provided in this application forms a valve body 10, an ejector 20 and a bypass valve 30 arranged sequentially along the first direction L1, realizing a sequential assembly in the first direction L1, thereby reducing the size of the multi-way valve 100 in other directions, which is beneficial to the miniaturization of the multi-way valve 100.

[0042] The ejector 20 is positioned between the valve body 10 and the bypass valve 30. When the multi-way valve 100 is in the water supply position, it guides liquid from the bypass valve 30 side to the ejector 20 to mix with the salt solution. When the multi-way valve 100 is in the water supply position, the raw water entering from the bypass valve 30 side directly enters the valve body 10 and then flows into the resin tank for softening, without passing through the ejector 20.

[0043] Specifically, the main body 11 may have a valve cavity, and there may be multiple first pipelines 12, which respectively allow water to enter and exit the valve cavity. The valve body 10 may also include structures other than the main body 11, such as moving valve plates and fixed valve plates, to cooperate with the valve cavity of the main body 11 and the first pipelines 12 to perform water entry and exit operations under various conditions.

[0044] In one embodiment, the jet injector 20 has a second conduit 21 extending along a first direction L1, the bypass valve 30 has a third conduit extending along the first direction L1, and the first conduit 12 may be selectively connected to and communicate with either the second conduit 21 or the third conduit.

[0045] The first pipeline 12, the second pipeline 21 and the third pipeline all extend along the first direction L1 to form pipelines in the same direction. At this time, the multi-way valve 100 only increases the space occupied in the first direction L1 and reduces the space occupied in other directions, thus making the structure of the multi-way valve 100 more reasonable and occupying less space.

[0046] In one embodiment, the first pipeline 12 can be connected to the second pipeline 21. At this time, the multi-way valve 100 is in the first regeneration station, the second regeneration station, or the water replenishment station. The second pipeline 21 can be connected to the third pipeline of the bypass valve 30 to obtain raw water.

[0047] Specifically, the first pipe 12 may include multiple pipes, and the second pipe 21 may also include multiple pipes. The multiple second pipes 21 are connected to the multiple first pipes 12 in a one-to-one correspondence, so as to form multiple flow paths for water inlet and outlet respectively.

[0048] In one embodiment, the first pipeline 12 can be connected to the third pipeline. At this time, the multi-way valve 100 is in the water replenishment position. The raw water flowing in through the bypass valve 30 enters the multi-way valve 100 directly without passing through the ejector 20 and then enters the resin tank to be softened before flowing out from the bypass valve 30.

[0049] Understandably, when the multi-way valve 100 is in the water supply position, if the resin tank or the multi-way valve 100 becomes blocked, or when the multi-way valve 100 is in the non-water supply position, the user cannot obtain water through the water softener. In this case, the bypass valve 30 needs to be configured accordingly to meet the user's water demand. In one embodiment, the third pipeline includes a third inlet pipe 31 and a third outlet pipe 32. The third inlet pipe 31 can be connected to the third outlet pipe 32 to form a raw water supply loop. In this case, the user can directly obtain water through the raw water supply loop.

[0050] In one embodiment, the bypass valve 30 has a water passage 33 that connects the third inlet pipe 31 and the third outlet pipe 32. When raw water is required, the third inlet pipe 31 is directly connected to the third outlet pipe 32 through the water passage 33, thereby forming a raw water supply loop.

[0051] Specifically, the multi-way valve 100 also includes a regulating element 34, which is used to close or open the water passage 33. When the regulating element 34 opens the water passage 33, the raw water supply circuit is formed. When the regulating element 34 closes the water passage 33, the third inlet pipe 31 and the third outlet pipe 32 independently perform the functions of water inlet and water outlet. At this time, the multi-way valve 100 can be in the water supply position normally.

[0052] Furthermore, the regulating member 34 has a first position and a second position within the water passage 33 and can switch between the first position and the second position. When the regulating member 34 is in the first position, the third inlet pipe 31 and the third outlet pipe 32 are connected, forming a raw water supply loop, and the water passage 33 is open at this time. When the regulating member 34 is in the second position, the water passage 33 is closed, and the third inlet pipe 31 and the third outlet pipe 32 are not connected at this time.

[0053] In one embodiment, the adjusting member 34 can be configured as a piston structure, and the position of the adjusting member 34 can be moved by manual or mechanical automation.

[0054] In one embodiment, see [reference] Figure 4 The multi-way valve 100 also includes a fixing member 40 with a fixed position. The opposite ends of the fixing member 40 are fixed to the ejector 20 and the bypass valve 30, respectively. The ejector 20 and the bypass valve 30 are fixed in the fixed position, thereby fixing the bypass valve 30 to the ejector 20.

[0055] By setting a fixing member 40 with a fixed position, the ejector 20 and the bypass valve 30 can be directly connected and fixed without having to set other structures to connect the ejector 20 and the bypass valve 30. This reduces the number of parts, materials and assembly costs of the multi-way valve 100.

[0056] Specifically, see Figure 5 The fastener 40 includes a first fixing part 41 and a second fixing part 42 arranged opposite to each other. A fixing position is formed between the first fixing part 41 and the second fixing part 42, and the first fixing part 41 is snapped onto the ejector 20. The first fixing part 41 can be snapped onto the outer wall of the ejector 20, or a snap-fit ​​groove can be provided at a corresponding position on the ejector 20. The second fixing part 42 is snapped onto the bypass valve 30. The second fixing part 42 can be snapped onto the outer wall of the bypass valve 30, or as shown in the image. Figure 4 As shown, a snap-fit ​​groove 35 is provided on the bypass valve 30.

[0057] Thus, the fixed position formed on the fastener 40 ensures a fixed connection between the jet injector 20 and the bypass valve 30.

[0058] In one embodiment, see [reference] Figure 5 The fastener 40 also includes a connecting part 43, which is connected between the first fixing part 41 and the second fixing part 42, and the three together form the fixing position.

[0059] Specifically, the first fixing part 41, the connecting part 43, and the second fixing part 42 are connected to form a U-shaped plate structure. The U-shaped plate has two vertical surfaces and one horizontal surface. The two vertical surfaces are formed by the facing surfaces of the first fixing part 41 and the second fixing part 42, respectively, and the horizontal surface is formed by the connecting part 43. One of the vertical surfaces is connected to the bypass valve 30, and the other vertical surface is connected to the ejector 20. When the U-shaped plate is assembled, the horizontal surface is perpendicular to the assembly direction of the bypass valve 30 onto the ejector 20, i.e., the first direction L1, so that the bypass valve 30 cannot fall off the ejector 20.

[0060] In one embodiment, see [reference] Figure 4 and Figure 5 The multi-way valve 100 also includes a fastener 50 that passes through the fixing member 40 and is disposed within the ejector 20 and / or bypass valve 30 to securely connect the fixing member 40 to the ejector 20 and / or bypass valve 30.

[0061] Specifically, see Figure 5 The connecting part 43 is provided with a through hole 431 that matches the fastener 50. When the fastener 50 passes through the through hole 431 and is inserted into the ejector 20, the second fixing part 42 is engaged with the bypass valve 30, thereby achieving a fixed connection between the bypass valve 30 and the ejector 20 through the fixing part 40 and the fastener 50. When the fastener 50 passes through the through hole 431 and is inserted into the bypass valve 30, the first fixing part 41 is engaged with the ejector 20, thereby achieving a fixed connection between the bypass valve 30 and the ejector 20 through the fixing part 40 and the fastener 50.

[0062] Understandably, when there are two or more fasteners 50, some of which can pass through the through hole 431 into the bypass valve 30, and other fasteners 50 can pass through the through hole 431 into the ejector 20, when it is necessary to disassemble the ejector 20 and the bypass valve 30, all the fasteners 50 can be removed, thus achieving quick disassembly and assembly of the bypass valve 30.

[0063] In one embodiment, the fastener 40 includes at least two fasteners, all of which are fixed along the second direction L2 on opposite sides of the ejector 20 and the bypass valve 30, the second direction L2 being intersected with the first direction L1.

[0064] Specifically, when the fixing member 40 includes two, one can be fixed on each side of the ejector 20 and the bypass valve 30 in the second direction L2. When the fixing member 40 includes three, one and two can be fixed on each side of the ejector 20 and the bypass valve 30 in the second direction L2, thereby enhancing the fixing strength of the ejector 20 and the bypass valve 30 and ensuring that the bypass valve 30 will not fall off during the use of the multi-way valve 100.

[0065] According to another aspect of the present invention, the water softener provided in this application includes a multi-way valve 100 as in the above embodiment, thereby forming a valve body 10, an ejector 20 and a bypass valve 30 arranged sequentially along the first direction L1, realizing a sequential assembly to reduce the size of the multi-way valve 100 in other directions, which is beneficial to the miniaturization of the water softener.

[0066] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0067] The above embodiments merely illustrate several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A multi-way valve, characterized in that, include: The valve body (10) includes a main body (11) and a first pipe (12) extending along a first direction (L1), one end of the first pipe (12) being connected to the main body (11); An ejector (20) is mounted along the first direction (L1) at the other end of the first conduit (12); and A bypass valve (30) is mounted along the first direction (L1) at one end of the ejector (20) away from the valve body (10); The jet injector (20) has a second conduit (21) extending along the first direction (L1), and the bypass valve (30) has a third conduit extending along the first direction (L1). The first pipeline (12) may be connected to either the second pipeline (21) or the third pipeline.

2. The multi-way valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multi-way valve (100) also includes a fixing member (40) with a fixed position. The two ends of the fixing member (40) are respectively fixed to the ejector (20) and the bypass valve (30), and the ejector (20) and the bypass valve (30) are fixed in the fixed position.

3. The multi-way valve according to claim 2, characterized in that, The fastener (40) includes a first fixing part (41) and a second fixing part (42) disposed opposite to each other. The first fixing part (41) and the second fixing part (42) are configured to form the fixing position. The first fixing part (41) is snapped onto the jet injector (20), and the second fixing part (42) is snapped onto the bypass valve (30).

4. The multi-way valve according to claim 3, characterized in that, The fastener (40) also includes a connecting part (43), which is connected between the first fixing part (41) and the second fixing part (42), and the three together form the fixing position.

5. The multi-way valve according to claim 2, characterized in that, The fasteners (40) include at least two, and all the fasteners (40) are fixed along the second direction (L2) on opposite sides of the jet injector (20) and the bypass valve (30), the second direction (L2) being intersected with the first direction (L1).

6. The multi-way valve according to claim 2, characterized in that, The multi-way valve (100) further includes a fastener (50) that passes through the fixing member (40) and is disposed within the ejector (20) and / or the bypass valve (30) to securely connect the fixing member (40) to the ejector (20) and / or the bypass valve (30).

7. The multi-way valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, The third pipeline includes a third inlet pipe (31) and a third outlet pipe (32). The third inlet pipe (31) can be connected to the third outlet pipe (32) to form a raw water supply circuit.

8. The multi-way valve according to claim 7, characterized in that, The bypass valve (30) has a water passage (33) and an adjusting member (34). The water passage (33) is connected between the third inlet pipe (31) and the third outlet pipe (32). The adjusting member (34) is used to close or open the water passage (33).

9. A water softener, characterized in that, The multi-way valve (100) includes any one of claims 1-8.

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