Water softener, electrolysis apparatus and control method thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a water softener, which comprises a shell (1) with a softening chamber (102), a first water inlet (13) and a second water inlet (14), characterized in that the water softener further comprises a water inlet pipeline (4) comprising a water inlet main pipe (41), a first water inlet branch pipe (42) and a second water inlet branch pipe (43), and a water outlet pipeline (5) comprising a water outlet main pipe (51), a first water outlet branch pipe (52) and a second water outlet branch pipe (53), and valves are arranged on the first water inlet branch pipe (42), the second water inlet branch pipe (43), the first water outlet branch pipe (52) and the second water outlet branch pipe (53). The application further discloses an electrolytic device and a control method using the water softener. Compared with the prior art, the water softener can improve the utilization efficiency of soft water resin.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of electrolytic equipment, and particularly refers to a water softener, an electrolytic equipment and a control method thereof. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the process of preparing water by electrolysis, in order to avoid the influence of water scale on the service life of the electrode plate in the electrolytic tank, a water softener is needed to provide softened water as raw material.

[0003] The water softener generally has a resin cavity and a salt cavity, and its working principle is to replace and remove the hardness components such as Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ ions in the water body with ion exchange resin to achieve the purpose of softening hard water. In the above process, when the exchange ions on the resin become calcium and magnesium, the conversion effect of the resin is saturated, and the conversion capacity will be invalid. At this time, the calcium and magnesium ions need to be regenerated, and sodium ions are needed to replace the calcium and magnesium ions. In this regeneration process, salt water flows through the resin cavity and reacts with the resin in the resin cavity, so that sodium ions replace calcium and magnesium ions, thereby restoring the soft water capacity of the resin. For details, see the utility model patent with patent application number CN202221384421.5 (publication number CN217651920U) “Integrated sink”.

[0004] However, for the existing water softener, first, the water flow in the resin is unidirectional, and the performance of the resin at the back end is still good even if the resin at the front end has been used up, resulting in insufficient utilization of the resin; second, the resin in the resin cavity is basically in a static state, the mixing effect of the resin and hard water is uneven, and the utilization rate of the resin at different positions is different, and many small bubbles are adsorbed on the resin particles in the resin, resulting in ineffective reaction of the resin particles with hard water, and therefore the softening effect is generally poor. SUMMARY

[0005] The first technical problem to be solved by the present application is to provide a water softener capable of improving the utilization efficiency of soft water resin in view of the current status of the prior art.

[0006] The second technical problem to be solved by the present application is to provide a water softener capable of enhancing the softening effect.

[0007] The third technical problem to be solved by the present application is to provide an electrolytic equipment applying the above-mentioned water softener.

[0008] The fourth technical problem to be solved by the present application is to provide a control method applying the above-mentioned water softener.

[0009] The softener comprises a shell, the inside of the shell has a softening chamber for containing softening resin, the shell has a first water inlet and a second water inlet in fluid communication with the softening chamber, the first water inlet is used for hard water to enter and the second water inlet is used for soft water to be discharged, and the softener further comprises

[0010] An inlet water pipeline comprises an inlet water main pipe and a first inlet water branch pipe and a second inlet water branch pipe branched from the outlet end of the inlet water main pipe, the outlet end of the first inlet water branch pipe is connected with the first water inlet, and the outlet end of the second inlet water branch pipe is connected with the second water inlet.

[0011] An outlet water pipeline comprises an outlet water main pipe and a first outlet water branch pipe and a second outlet water branch pipe branched from the inlet end of the outlet water main pipe, the inlet end of the first outlet water branch pipe is connected with the second water inlet, and the inlet end of the second outlet water branch pipe is connected with the first water inlet.

[0012] The first inlet water branch pipe, the second inlet water branch pipe, the first outlet water branch pipe and the second outlet water branch pipe are all provided with valves, so that the softener has at least two states.

[0013] In the first state, the first inlet water branch pipe and the first outlet water branch pipe are connected, and the second inlet water branch pipe and the second outlet water branch pipe are disconnected.

[0014] In the second state, the second inlet water branch pipe and the second outlet water branch pipe are connected, and the first inlet water branch pipe and the first outlet water branch pipe are disconnected.

[0015] Preferably, the valves on the first inlet water branch pipe and the second inlet water branch pipe are located at the upstream sections of the first inlet water branch pipe and the second inlet water branch pipe, and the valves on the first outlet water branch pipe and the second outlet water branch pipe are located at the downstream sections of the first outlet water branch pipe and the second outlet water branch pipe.

[0016] In order to simplify the arrangement of the valves on the first inlet water branch pipe and the second inlet water branch pipe, the first inlet water branch pipe and the second inlet water branch pipe share a first valve, the first valve has an inlet water end, a first outlet water end and a second outlet water end, the inlet water end of the first valve is connected with the outlet end of the inlet water main pipe, the first outlet water end of the first valve is connected with the inlet end of the first inlet water branch pipe, and the second outlet water end of the first valve is connected with the inlet end of the second inlet water branch pipe.

[0017] In order to simplify the setting of valves on the first and second water outlet branch pipes, the first and second water outlet branch pipes share a same second valve, which has a first water inlet end, a second water inlet end and a water outlet end, the first water inlet end of the second valve is communicated with the outlet end of the first water outlet branch pipe, the second water inlet end of the second valve is communicated with the outlet end of the second water outlet branch pipe, and the water outlet end of the second valve is communicated with the inlet end of the water outlet main pipe.

[0018] In order to simplify the setting of pipelines, the downstream section of the first water inlet branch pipe shares a same pipeline with the upstream section of the second water outlet branch pipe.

[0019] In order to simplify the setting of pipelines, the downstream section of the second water inlet branch pipe shares a same pipeline with the upstream section of the first water outlet branch pipe.

[0020] In order to facilitate the judgment of whether the hardness of the softened water meets the requirements, a hardness detector for monitoring the hardness of the softened water is installed on the water outlet main pipe.

[0021] In order to further solve the second technical problem, the softening chamber is in a cylindrical shape, and includes a first softening zone and a second softening zone arranged along the axial direction of the softening chamber in sequence, the first softening zone and the second softening zone are in fluid communication, and the first softening zone and the second softening zone are respectively in fluid communication with the first water passage and the second water passage;

[0022] The softening chamber is provided with a feeding screw rod, which includes

[0023] a central shaft extending along the axial direction of the softening chamber, and the end part is rotationally connected to the shell;

[0024] a first spiral blade arranged in a spiral shape along the axial direction of the central shaft on the peripheral wall of the central shaft, and accommodated in the first softening zone, the outer diameter of the first spiral blade gradually decreases from the end close to the second softening zone to the end away from the second softening zone, and can apply a pushing force away from the second softening zone to the soft water resin located between the first spiral blades during the rotation of the central shaft; and

[0025] a second spiral blade arranged in a spiral shape along the axial direction of the central shaft on the peripheral wall of the central shaft, and accommodated in the second softening zone, and the rotation direction of the second spiral blade is opposite to that of the first spiral blade, the outer diameter of the first spiral blade gradually decreases from the end close to the first softening zone to the end away from the first softening zone, and can apply a pushing force away from the first softening zone to the soft water resin located between the second spiral blades during the rotation of the central shaft.

[0026] In order to facilitate the uniform entry of hard water into the softening chamber and the uniform discharge of softened water from the softening chamber, the interior of the shell also has a first buffer chamber and a second buffer chamber located at both ends of the softening chamber. The first water outlet is connected to the first softening zone through the first buffer chamber, and the second water outlet is connected to the second softening zone through the second buffer chamber.

[0027] In order to facilitate the formation of the first buffer chamber, the softening chamber and the second buffer chamber, the shell is cylindrical, and two first partitions are arranged in the axial direction of the shell to separate the inner cavity of the shell into the first buffer chamber, the softening chamber and the second buffer chamber arranged in sequence from the first water outlet to the second water outlet;

[0028] The first partition plate near the first water outlet has a first flow hole communicating with the first buffer chamber and the softening chamber;

[0029] A first flow hole communicating with the softening chamber and the second buffer chamber is provided on the first partition plate near the second water outlet.

[0030] In order to conveniently guide the soft water resin moved near the first partition to move toward the periphery of the softening chamber, the first partition has a guide surface on the surface facing the softening chamber, which gradually moves away from the corresponding spiral blade from the position facing the central axis toward the periphery.

[0031] In order to facilitate the formation of the first softening zone and the second softening zone, a second partition is provided in the softening chamber to separate the softening chamber into the first softening zone and the second softening zone, and the second partition has a second flow hole connecting the first softening zone and the second softening zone.

[0032] In order to ensure the flow uniformity of the water softening resin, the central axis is coaxially arranged in the softening chamber.

[0033] In order to realize the automatic rotation of the feeding screw, a driving member is installed on the outer side of the shell, and the power output shaft of the driving member is connected to the central shaft to drive the first spiral blade and the second spiral blade to rotate around their axis along with the central shaft.

[0034] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the third technical problem is: an electrolysis device, characterized in that it includes an electrolytic cell and the above-mentioned water softener, and the outlet end of the water outlet main of the water softener is fluidically connected to the soft water inlet of the electrolytic cell.

[0035] The present invention solves the fourth technical problem by adopting two technical solutions:

[0036] Solution 1: A control method for the water softener, characterized by comprising the following steps:

[0037] Step 1: The control system adjusts the valve to switch the water softener to the first state, so that hard water enters the water softener through the first water inlet and is discharged through the second water inlet. Finally, the soft water with the required hardness is supplied to the downstream through the water outlet main until the soft water hardness cannot meet the requirement.

[0038] Step 2: The control system adjusts the valve to switch the water softener to the second state, so that hard water enters the water softener through the second water inlet and is discharged through the first water inlet. Finally, the soft water with the required hardness is supplied to the downstream through the water outlet main until the soft water hardness cannot meet the requirement.

[0039] Step 3: The control system determines that the service life of the water softening resin has been reached and reminds the user to replace the water softening resin.

[0040] Solution 2: A control method for the water softener, characterized by comprising the following steps:

[0041] Step 1: The control system adjusts the valve to switch the water softener between the first state and the second state at a predetermined time interval, so that in the first state, hard water enters the water softener through the first water port and is discharged through the second water port, and in the second state, enters the water softener through the second water port and is discharged through the first water port, and finally the soft water with the hardness reaching the required output is supplied to the downstream through the water outlet main until the hardness of the soft water fails to reach the required output;

[0042] Step 2: The control system determines that the service life of the water softening resin has been reached and reminds the user to replace the water softening resin.

[0043] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are:

[0044] (1) The water softener is switched between the first state and the second state by adjusting the valve, so that hard water enters the water softener through the first water inlet and is discharged through the second water inlet in the first state, and enters the water softener through the second water inlet and is discharged through the first water inlet in the second state, thereby ensuring that the soft water resin in the softening chamber is fully utilized, and avoiding the situation where the front-end resin is exhausted but the performance of the back-end resin is still good;

[0045] (2) By arranging a feeding screw with a variable diameter design in a cylindrical softening chamber, first, the design of the spiral blade can extend the flow path of hard water in the softening chamber, thereby improving the softening effect; second, under the thrust of the spiral blade, the soft water resin is in a circulating motion state in the softening chamber, thereby realizing the efficient utilization of the soft water resin, thereby enhancing the softening effect; third, the rotating stirring of the spiral blade can break up and peel off the bubbles in the water and attached to the surface of the soft water resin, thereby improving the softening effect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] Figure 1Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a water softener in an embodiment of the electrolysis device of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional decomposition of

[0048] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A longitudinal cross-sectional view of

[0049] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Enlarged view of the middle housing, feed screw and drive components;

[0050] Figure 5 Flowchart of Example 1 of the control method for a water softener of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 6 This is a flow chart of Example 2 of the control method for a water softener of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] The present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0053] In the specification and claims of the present invention, directional terms such as "front," "back," "up," "down," "left," "right," "side," "top," and "bottom" are used to describe various exemplary structural parts and components of the present invention. However, these terms are used herein for convenience of description only and are based on the exemplary orientations shown in the accompanying drawings. Because the disclosed embodiments of the present invention can be arranged in different orientations, these directional terms are intended for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting. For example, "up" and "down" are not necessarily limited to directions opposite to or consistent with the direction of gravity.

[0054] The "fluid communication" referred to in the new invention refers to the spatial position relationship between two components or parts (hereinafter collectively referred to as the first part and the second part), that is, the fluid (gas, liquid or a mixture of the two) can flow from the first part along the flow path and / or be transported to the second part. The first part and the second part can be directly connected, or the first part and the second part can be indirectly connected through at least one third party. The third party can be a fluid channel such as a pipe, channel, conduit, guide member, hole, groove, etc., or it can be a chamber allowing fluid to flow through, or a combination of the above.

[0055] like Figures 1 to 4 FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the novel electrolysis device of the present invention. The electrolysis device includes a water softener and an electrolytic cell (not shown). The water softener includes a housing 1, a feed screw 2, a drive member 3, a water inlet pipe 4, a water outlet pipe 5, a first valve 6, and a second valve 7.

[0056] The shell 1 is cylindrical and horizontally arranged.

[0057] Specifically, the shell 1 is internally provided with two first partitions 11 arranged along the axial direction of the shell 1, which divide the inner cavity of the shell 1 into a first buffer chamber 101, a softening chamber 102 and a second buffer chamber 103 arranged in sequence from left to right, the first buffer chamber 101 and the second buffer chamber 103 being used for containing hard water or soft water, and the softening chamber 102 being used for containing soft water resin.

[0058] The softening chamber 102 is internally provided with a second partition 12, which divides the softening chamber 102 into a first softening area 102a on the left side and a second softening area 102b on the right side, the second partition 12 being provided with a second flow-through hole 121 communicating the first softening area 102a and the second softening area 102b; the first partition 11 on the left side is provided with a first flow-through hole 111 communicating the first buffer chamber 101 and the first softening area 102a, and the first partition 11 on the right side is provided with a first flow-through hole 111 communicating the second softening area 102b and the second buffer chamber 103, the surface of the first partition 11 on the side facing the softening chamber 102 being provided with a guide surface 112 gradually moving away from the second partition 12 from the center to the periphery;

[0059] The left end wall of the shell 1 is provided with a first water inlet 13 communicating with the first buffer chamber 101;

[0060] The right end wall of the shell 1 is provided with a second water inlet 14 communicating with the second buffer chamber 103;

[0061] In the embodiment, the first flow-through hole 111 is strip-shaped and extends along the radial direction of the first partition 11, the number of the first flow-through hole 111 is multiple and arranged along the circumferential direction of the first partition 11, the second flow-through hole 121 is a circular hole, the number of the second flow-through hole 121 is multiple and arranged in a matrix, so as to ensure efficient and uniform water flow transmission, and the flow-through hole can only allow water flow to pass through, so as to avoid loss of soft water resin.

[0062] The feeding screw 2 is arranged in the softening chamber 102 and includes a central shaft 21, a first helical blade 22 and a second helical blade 23.

[0063] Specifically, the central shaft 21 extends along the axial direction of the softening chamber 102 and is coaxially arranged in the softening chamber 102, the left end of the central shaft 21 penetrating through the first partition 111 on the left side and being rotationally connected to the left end wall of the shell 1; in the embodiment, the second partition 12 and the central shaft 21 are an integral piece.

[0064] The first spiral blade 22 is arranged in a spiral shape along the axial direction of the central shaft 21 on the peripheral wall of the central shaft 21 and is accommodated in the first softening area 102a, and the outer diameter of the first spiral blade 22 gradually decreases from right to left;

[0065] The second spiral blade 23 is arranged in a spiral shape along the axial direction of the central shaft 21 on the peripheral wall of the central shaft 21 and is accommodated in the second softening area 102b, and the rotating direction is opposite to that of the first spiral blade 22, and the outer diameter of the first spiral blade 22 gradually decreases from left to right.

[0066] The driving member 3 is a motor installed on the left side of the shell 1, and the power output shaft of the driving member 3 is connected with the left end of the central shaft 21, so as to drive the first spiral blade 22 and the second spiral blade 23 to rotate around the axis of the central shaft 21, and to apply a leftward pushing force to the soft water resin located between the first spiral blade 22 and a rightward pushing force to the soft water resin located between the second spiral blade 23.

[0067] The water inlet pipeline 4 comprises a water inlet main pipe 41 and a first water inlet branch pipe 42 and a second water inlet branch pipe 43 branched from the outlet end of the water inlet main pipe 41. Specifically, the outlet end of the first water inlet branch pipe 42 is connected with the first water passage 13, and the outlet end of the second water inlet branch pipe 43 is connected with the second water passage 14.

[0068] The water outlet pipeline 5 comprises a water outlet main pipe 51 and a first water outlet branch pipe 52 and a second water outlet branch pipe 53 branched from the inlet end of the water outlet main pipe 51. Specifically, the inlet end of the first water outlet branch pipe 52 is connected with the second water passage 14, and the inlet end of the second water outlet branch pipe 53 is connected with the first water passage 13, and the water outlet main pipe 51 is provided with a hardness detector 511 for monitoring the hardness of the soft water. In the embodiment, the downstream section of the first water inlet branch pipe 42 and the upstream section of the second water outlet branch pipe 53 share the same pipeline, and the downstream section of the second water inlet branch pipe 43 and the upstream section of the first water outlet branch pipe 52 share the same pipeline.

[0069] The first valve 6 is a three-way valve having a water inlet end, a first water outlet end and a second water outlet end. The water inlet end of the first valve 6 is communicated with the outlet end of the water inlet main pipe 41, the first water outlet end of the first valve 6 is communicated with the inlet end of the first water inlet branch pipe 42, and the second water outlet end of the first valve 6 is communicated with the inlet end of the second water inlet branch pipe 43.

[0070] The second valve 7 is a three-way valve having a first water inlet end, a second water inlet end and a water outlet end. The first water inlet end of the second valve 7 is communicated with the outlet end of the first water outlet branch pipe 52, the second water inlet end of the second valve 7 is communicated with the outlet end of the second water outlet branch pipe 53, and the water outlet end of the second valve 7 is communicated with the inlet end of the water outlet main pipe 51.

[0071] The soft water inlet of the electrolytic tank is communicated with the outlet end of the water outlet main pipe 51.

[0072] The opening and closing of each branch pipe can be controlled by adjusting the first valve 6 and the second valve 7, so that the soft water device has at least two states:

[0073] In the first state, the first water inlet branch pipe 42 and the first water outlet branch pipe 52 are communicated, and the second water inlet branch pipe 43 and the second water outlet branch pipe 53 are disconnected.

[0074] In the second state, the second water inlet branch pipe 43 and the second water outlet branch pipe 53 are communicated, and the first water inlet branch pipe 42 and the first water outlet branch pipe 52 are disconnected.

[0075] The working principle of the embodiment is as follows:

[0076] The soft water device is switched to the first state or the second state by adjusting the first valve 6 and the second valve 7. Taking the first state as an example, when working, the hard water flowing into the water inlet main pipe 41 enters the first buffer chamber 101 of the shell 1 through the first water inlet branch pipe 42 and the first water inlet 13. The hard water in the first buffer chamber 101 enters the first softening area 102a through the first flow-through hole 111 of the left first partition plate 11, and then enters the second softening area 102b through the second flow-through hole 121 of the second partition plate 12. The soft water is finally discharged through the second water outlet 14, and then supplied to the electrolytic tank through the first water outlet branch pipe 52 and the water outlet main pipe 51.

[0077] In this process, the driving member 3 drives the first spiral blade 22 and the second spiral blade 23 to rotate around the axis of the central shaft 21, and applies a leftward pushing force to the soft water resin located between the first spiral blade 22 and a rightward pushing force to the soft water resin located between the second spiral blade 23. In this way, the soft water resin located in the middle of the softening chamber 102 (i.e. the area covered by the spiral blade) will move close to the corresponding first partition plate 11 under the pushing force of the spiral blade. The soft water resin that moves close to the corresponding first partition plate 11 will move to the periphery of the softening chamber 102 under the guidance of the guide surface, and the soft water resin located in the periphery of the softening chamber 102 (i.e. the area between the outer periphery of the spiral blade and the peripheral wall of the softening chamber) will move close to the second partition plate 12 under the extrusion force of other soft water resin. The soft water resin that moves close to the second partition plate 12 will reset to the middle of the softening chamber 102 along the second partition plate 12.

[0078] In the above solution, first, the design of the spiral blades can extend the flow path of hard water in the softening chamber 102, thereby improving the softening effect. Second, under the thrust of the spiral blades, the softening resin is in a circulating motion state in the first softening zone 102a and the second softening zone 102b, thereby achieving efficient utilization of the softening resin and enhancing the softening effect. Third, the rotating stirring of the spiral blades can break up and remove bubbles in the water and attached to the surface of the softening resin, thereby improving the softening effect.

[0079] In addition, in the first state, the first water opening 13 serves as a hard water inlet and the second water opening 14 serves as a soft water outlet. In this way, the soft water resin in the first softening zone 102a is the front-end resin, and the soft water resin in the second softening zone 102b is the rear-end resin. In the second state, the second water opening 14 serves as a hard water inlet and the first water opening 13 serves as a soft water outlet. In this way, the soft water resin in the second softening zone 102b is the front-end resin, and the soft water resin in the first softening zone 102a is the rear-end resin. It can be seen that by switching the water softener between the first state and the second state only by adjusting the first valve 6 and the second valve 7, the soft water resins in the first softening zone 102a and the second softening zone 102b can be fully utilized, thereby avoiding the situation where the front-end resin has been used up but the performance of the rear-end resin is still very good.

[0080] The present invention also provides a control method for the water softener.

[0081] Example 1:

[0082] like Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a first preferred embodiment of a control method for a water softener according to the present invention, and the control method includes the following steps:

[0083] Step 1: The control system adjusts the valve to switch the water softener to the first state, so that hard water enters the water softener through the first water opening 13 and is discharged through the second water opening 14. Finally, the soft water with the required hardness is supplied to the downstream through the water outlet main 51 until the soft water hardness no longer meets the requirement.

[0084] Specifically, the above step 1 is implemented by the following method:

[0085] S101, start, start the hardness tester 511 to monitor the soft water hardness B, and enter S102;

[0086] S102, the control system adjusts the first valve 6 and the second valve 7 to switch the water softener to the first state, and enters S103;

[0087] S103, the control system determines whether the soft water hardness B reaches the set value, if so, returns to S102, if not, enters S104;

[0088] S104, the control system starts the driving member 3 to drive the feeding screw 2 to rotate for a preset time t, and enters S105;

[0089] S105, the control system judges whether the soft water outlet hardness B reaches the set value, if yes, returns to S102, if no, enters step two;

[0090] Wherein, t is a preset value, preferably 5min;

[0091] Step two, the control system adjusts the valve to switch the water softener to the second state, so that the hard water enters the water softener through the second water inlet 14 and is discharged through the first water inlet 13, and finally the soft water outlet hardness reaches the required soft water supplied to the downstream through the water outlet main pipe 51 until the soft water outlet hardness cannot reach the requirement;

[0092] Specifically, the above step two is realized by the following method:

[0093] S201, the control system adjusts the first valve 6 and the second valve 7 to switch the water softener to the second state, and enters S202;

[0094] S202, the control system judges whether the soft water outlet hardness B reaches the set value, if yes, returns to S201, if no, enters S203;

[0095] S203, the control system starts the driving member 3 to drive the feeding screw 2 to rotate for a preset time t, and enters S204;

[0096] S204, the control system judges whether the soft water outlet hardness B reaches the set value, if yes, returns to S201, if no, enters step three;

[0097] Wherein, t is a preset value, preferably 5min;

[0098] Step three, the control system determines that the soft water resin has reached the service life, reminds the user to replace the soft water resin, and ends.

[0099] Embodiment 2:

[0100] As Figure 6 shown, it is a second preferred embodiment of the control method of the water softener, which comprises the following steps:

[0101] Step one, the control system adjusts the valve to switch the water softener between the first state and the second state at a predetermined time interval, so that the hard water enters the water softener through the first water inlet 13 and is discharged through the second water inlet 14 in the first state, and enters the water softener through the second water inlet 14 and is discharged through the first water inlet 13 in the second state, and finally the soft water outlet hardness reaches the required soft water supplied to the downstream through the water outlet main pipe 51 until the soft water outlet hardness cannot reach the requirement;

[0102] Specifically, the step one is realized by the following method:

[0103] S101, start, start the hardness detector 511 to monitor the soft water hardness B, start the timer to record the time T, enter S102;

[0104] S102, the control system adjusts the first valve 6 and the second valve 7 to switch the water softener to the first state, enters S103;

[0105] S103, the control system judges whether T reaches the set value, if yes, enters S104, if no, enters S105;

[0106] S104, T=0, enters S108;

[0107] S105, the control system judges whether the soft water hardness B reaches the set value, if yes, returns to S102, if no, enters S106;

[0108] S106, the control system starts the driving member 3 to drive the feeding screw 2 to rotate for a preset time t, enters S107;

[0109] S107, the control system judges whether the soft water hardness B reaches the set value, if yes, returns to S102, if no, enters step two;

[0110] S108, the control system adjusts the first valve 6 and the second valve 7 to switch the water softener to the second state, enters S109;

[0111] S109, the control system judges whether T reaches the set value, if yes, enters S110, if no, returns to S111;

[0112] S110, T=0, returns to S102;

[0113] S111, the control system judges whether the soft water hardness B reaches the set value, if yes, returns to S108, if no, enters S112;

[0114] S112, the control system starts the driving member 3 to drive the feeding screw 2 to rotate for a preset time t, enters S113;

[0115] S113, the control system judges whether the soft water hardness B reaches the set value, if yes, returns to S108, if no, enters step two;

[0116] Wherein, t is a preset value, preferably 5min;

[0117] Step two, the control system determines that the soft water resin has reached the service life, reminds the user to replace the soft water resin, and ends.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a water softener, wherein the water softener comprises a housing (1), wherein the housing (1) has a softening chamber (102) for accommodating a water softening resin, and wherein the housing (1) has a first water opening (13) and a second water opening (14) in fluid communication with the softening chamber (102), for allowing hard water to enter and soft water to exit, respectively. The method is characterized in that: The water softener also includes a water inlet pipe (4), comprising a water inlet main pipe (41) and a first water inlet branch pipe (42) and a second water inlet branch pipe (43) branching from the outlet end of the water inlet main pipe (41), wherein the outlet end of the first water inlet branch pipe (42) is connected to the first water opening (13), and the outlet end of the second water inlet branch pipe (43) is connected to the second water opening (14); and The water outlet pipe (5) comprises a water outlet main pipe (51) and a first water outlet branch pipe (52) and a second water outlet branch pipe (53) branching from the inlet end of the water outlet main pipe (51), wherein the inlet end of the first water outlet branch pipe (52) is connected to the second water outlet (14), and the inlet end of the second water outlet branch pipe (53) is connected to the first water outlet (13); The first water inlet branch pipe (42), the second water inlet branch pipe (43), the first water outlet branch pipe (52) and the second water outlet branch pipe (53) are all provided with valves so that the water softener has at least two states: In the first state, the first water inlet branch pipe (42) and the first water outlet branch pipe (52) are connected, and the second water inlet branch pipe (43) and the second water outlet branch pipe (53) are disconnected; In the second state, the second water inlet branch pipe (43) and the second water outlet branch pipe (53) are connected, and the first water inlet branch pipe (42) and the first water outlet branch pipe (52) are disconnected; The control method of the water softener includes the following steps: Step 1: The control system adjusts the valve to switch the water softener to the first state, so that hard water enters the water softener through the first water outlet (13) and is discharged through the second water outlet (14), and finally the soft water with the required hardness is supplied to the downstream through the water outlet main (51) until the hardness of the soft water cannot meet the requirement; Step 2: The control system adjusts the valve to switch the water softener to the second state, so that hard water enters the water softener through the second water outlet (14) and is discharged through the first water outlet (13), and finally the soft water with the required hardness is supplied to the downstream through the water outlet main (51) until the soft water hardness fails to meet the requirement; Step 3: The control system determines that the service life of the water softening resin has reached the end, and reminds the user to replace the water softening resin; Or the control method of the water softener includes the following steps: Step 1: The control system adjusts the valve to switch the water softener between the first state and the second state at a predetermined time interval, so that hard water enters the water softener through the first water opening (13) and is discharged through the second water opening (14) in the first state, and enters the water softener through the second water opening (14) and is discharged through the first water opening (13) in the second state, and finally the soft water having the required hardness is supplied to the downstream through the water outlet main (51) until the hardness of the soft water fails to meet the requirement. Step 2: The control system determines that the service life of the water softening resin has been reached and reminds the user to replace the water softening resin.

2. The water softener control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The valves on the first water inlet branch pipe (42) and the second water inlet branch pipe (43) are located at the upstream section of the first water inlet branch pipe (42) and the second water inlet branch pipe (43), and the valves on the first water outlet branch pipe (52) and the second water outlet branch pipe (53) are located at the downstream section of the first water outlet branch pipe (52) and the second water outlet branch pipe (53).

3. The control method of the water softener according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first water inlet branch pipe (42) and the second water inlet branch pipe (43) share the same first valve (6), which has a water inlet end, a first water outlet end, and a second water outlet end. The water inlet end of the first valve (6) is connected to the outlet end of the water inlet main pipe (41), the first water outlet end of the first valve (6) is connected to the inlet end of the first water inlet branch pipe (42), and the second water outlet end of the first valve (6) is connected to the inlet end of the second water inlet branch pipe (43).

4. The control method of the water softener according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first water outlet branch pipe (52) and the second water outlet branch pipe (53) share the same second valve (7), and the second valve (7) has a first water inlet end, a second water inlet end and a water outlet end. The first water inlet end of the second valve (7) is connected to the outlet end of the first water outlet branch pipe (52), the second water inlet end of the second valve (7) is connected to the outlet end of the second water outlet branch pipe (53), and the water outlet end of the second valve (7) is connected to the inlet end of the water outlet main pipe (51).

5. The control method of a water softener according to claim 2, characterized in that: The downstream section of the first water inlet branch pipe (42) and the upstream section of the second water outlet branch pipe (53) share the same pipeline.

6. The control method for a water softener according to claim 2, characterized in that: The downstream section of the second water inlet branch pipe (43) and the upstream section of the first water outlet branch pipe (52) share the same pipeline.

7. The water softener control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water outlet main pipe (51) is provided with a hardness detector (511) for monitoring the hardness of the soft water outlet.

8. The control method for a water softener according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The softening chamber (102) is cylindrical and includes a first softening zone (102a) and a second softening zone (102b) arranged in sequence along its axial direction. The first softening zone (102a) and the second softening zone (102b) are in fluid communication, and the first softening zone (102a) and the second softening zone (102b) are in fluid communication with the first water outlet (13) and the second water outlet (14), respectively. The softening chamber (102) is provided with a feeding screw (2), which includes A central shaft (21) extends along the axial direction of the softening chamber (102), with an end portion rotatably connected to the housing (1); a first spiral blade (22) arranged in a spiral shape on the peripheral wall of the central shaft (21) along the axial direction of the central shaft (21) and accommodated in the first softening zone (102a); the outer diameter of the first spiral blade (22) gradually decreases from an end close to the second softening zone (102b) to an end away from the second softening zone (102b), and can apply a thrust away from the second softening zone (102b) to the softening resin located between the first spiral blades (22) during the process of rotating with the central shaft (21); as well as The second spiral blade (23) is arranged in a spiral shape on the peripheral wall of the central shaft (21) along the axial direction of the central shaft (21), is accommodated in the second softening zone (102b), and rotates in a direction opposite to that of the first spiral blade (22). The outer diameter of the first spiral blade (22) gradually decreases from the end close to the first softening zone (102a) to the end away from the first softening zone (102a), and can apply a thrust away from the first softening zone (102a) to the softening resin located between the second spiral blades (23) during the rotation process with the central shaft (21).

9. The control method for a water softener according to claim 8, characterized in that: The shell (1) further comprises a first buffer chamber (101) and a second buffer chamber (103) located at both ends of the softening chamber (102); the first water opening (13) is connected to the first softening zone (102a) through the first buffer chamber (101); and the second water opening (14) is connected to the second softening zone (102b) through the second buffer chamber (103).

10. The control method of a water softener according to claim 9, characterized in that: The shell (1) is cylindrical, and is provided with two first partitions (11) arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the shell (1), dividing the inner cavity of the shell (1) into the first buffer chamber (101), the softening chamber (102), and the second buffer chamber (103) arranged in sequence from the first water outlet (13) to the second water outlet (14); The first partition plate (11) near the first water outlet (13) has a first flow hole (111) communicating with the first buffer chamber (101) and the softening chamber (102); The first partition plate (11) on the side close to the second water outlet (14) has a first flow hole (111) communicating with the softening chamber (102) and the second buffer chamber (103).

11. The water softener control method according to claim 10, characterized in that: The first partition (11) has a guide surface (112) on the side facing the softening chamber (102), which gradually moves away from the corresponding spiral blade from a position facing the central axis (21) toward the periphery.

12. The control method for a water softener according to claim 8, characterized in that: A second partition (12) is provided in the softening chamber (102) to separate the softening chamber (102) into the first softening zone (102a) and the second softening zone (102b). The second partition (12) has a second flow hole (121) connecting the first softening zone (102a) and the second softening zone (102b).

13. The control method of a water softener according to claim 8, characterized in that: The central axis (21) is coaxially arranged in the softening chamber (102).

14. The control method for a water softener according to claim 8, characterized in that: A driving member (3) is installed on the outer side of the housing (1), and a power output shaft of the driving member (3) is connected to the central shaft (21) to drive the first spiral blade (22) and the second spiral blade (23) to rotate around the axis of the central shaft (21).

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