A method for monitoring the status of a water softening device

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of clothing processing equipment, and more particularly to a method for monitoring the status of a water softener. The method comprises: first, acquiring status data of an ion resin; and second, determining the status of the water softener based on the ion resin status data. The ion resin status data includes at least one of the ion resin's exchange efficiency and the number of times the ion resin has been regenerated. The status of the water softener includes at least one of regeneration, abnormality, and replacement. This method allows for timely treatment of the ion resin to ensure its effectiveness in softening hard water.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of clothing processing equipment, and in particular relates to a state monitoring method for water softening equipment. Background Art

[0002] During daily laundry, the hardness of household tap water significantly impacts the quality of laundry. Long-term use of hard water for washing not only causes clothes to fade, harden, and lose their luster, but also easily leads to the accumulation of scale in the heaters of clothing treatment equipment, potentially causing malfunctions. Currently, water softeners are installed in the water supply systems of clothing treatment equipment. These softeners incorporate ion resins that soften the hard water before washing clothes. However, with use, the softening capacity of water softeners decreases, eventually losing its ability to soften hard water completely. Therefore, determining the current condition of water softeners has become a new research topic. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, the present invention provides a state monitoring method for a water softening device, which is used to determine the current state of the water softening device.

[0004] An embodiment of the present invention provides a method for monitoring the status of a water softening device, the method comprising:

[0005] Get the status data of ion resin;

[0006] determining the state of the water softening device according to the state data of the ion resin;

[0007] The status data of the ion resin includes at least one of an exchange efficiency of the ion resin and a regeneration number of the ion resin, and the status of the water softening device includes at least one of regeneration, abnormality, and replacement.

[0008] Further optionally, the status monitoring method further includes: detecting the hardness value of water flowing out of the softening device by a water hardness sensor, and if the hardness value of the water flowing out of the softening device does not decrease, executing the step of obtaining the status data of the ion resin.

[0009] Further optionally, the obtaining of the state data of the ion resin includes obtaining the exchange efficiency of the ion resin in the following manner:

[0010] The actual total water volume flowing through the softening device from the last regeneration process to the present is recorded as the second softened water volume, and the calculated theoretical total water volume is recorded as the first softened water volume. The exchange efficiency of the ion resin is calculated based on the first softened water volume and the second softened water volume.

[0011] Further optionally, the first soft water amount is calculated by the resin filling amount, the resin working exchange capacity and the average value of the water hardness of previous supplies.

[0012] Further optionally, determining the state of the water softening device according to the state data of the ion resin includes:

[0013] determining whether the state of the water softening device is regeneration according to the exchange efficiency of the ion resin; and / or,

[0014] According to the exchange efficiency of the ion resin and the number of regenerations of the ion resin, it is determined that the state of the water softening device is abnormal or needs to be replaced.

[0015] Further optionally, determining whether the state of the water softening device is regeneration according to the exchange efficiency of the ion resin includes:

[0016] If the exchange efficiency of the ion resin is greater than a first preset value, it is determined that the state of the water softening device is regeneration.

[0017] Further optionally, determining that the state of the water softening device is abnormal or needs to be replaced based on the exchange efficiency of the ion resin and the number of regeneration times of the ion resin includes:

[0018] If the exchange efficiency of the ion resin is less than or equal to a first preset value, and the number of regeneration times of the ion resin is greater than or equal to a second preset value, determining that the state of the water softening device is replacement;

[0019] If the exchange efficiency of the ion resin is less than or equal to a first preset value, and the number of regeneration times of the ion resin is less than a second preset value, it is determined that the state of the water softening device is abnormal.

[0020] An embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device, comprising:

[0021] a memory for storing one or more computer instructions;

[0022] The processor is used to call and execute the computer instructions in the memory, thereby implementing the status monitoring method as described in the above embodiment.

[0023] An embodiment of the present invention provides a water supply system for a washing machine, the water supply system comprising a water supply pipeline, a water softening device connected to the water supply pipeline, and a water softening device status monitoring device.

[0024] The water supply pipeline is provided with a flow meter for recording the amount of water flowing through the water softening device;

[0025] The water supply pipeline is provided with a water hardness sensor on the downstream side of the water softening device, which is used to detect the hardness value of the water flowing out of the water softening device;

[0026] The soft water equipment status monitoring device monitors the status of the soft water equipment using the method described in the above embodiment, or the soft water equipment status monitoring device includes the electronic device described in the above embodiment.

[0027] An embodiment of the present invention provides a washing machine, which adopts the state monitoring method described in the above embodiment, or has the electronic device described in the above embodiment, or has the water supply system described in the above embodiment.

[0028] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are mainly:

[0029] The present invention provides a method for monitoring the status of a water softener. The method first obtains status data of an ion resin and then determines the status of the water softener based on the ion resin status data. The ion resin status data includes at least one of the ion resin's exchange efficiency and the number of times the ion resin has been regenerated. The status of the water softener includes at least one of regeneration, abnormality, and replacement. This method allows for timely treatment of the ion resin to ensure its effectiveness in softening hard water. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] To more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art can, without inventive effort, derive other implementation drawings based on the provided drawings.

[0031] The structures, proportions, sizes, etc. illustrated in this specification are intended only to complement the contents disclosed herein and to facilitate understanding and reading by persons familiar with the art. They are not intended to limit the conditions under which the present invention may be implemented and therefore have no substantive technical significance. Any structural modifications, changes in proportions, or adjustments in sizes, without affecting the efficacy and objectives of the present invention, shall still fall within the scope of the technical contents disclosed herein.

[0032] Figure 1 This is a flow chart of status monitoring according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the water supply system structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The following describes the implementation of the present invention using specific embodiments. Those skilled in the art will readily understand the other advantages and benefits of the present invention from the disclosure herein. Obviously, the embodiments described are only a portion of the present invention, not all of it. All other embodiments derived by persons of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort are intended to fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0035] The terms used in the embodiments of the present invention are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the present invention. The singular forms "a," "the," and "the" used in the embodiments of the present invention and the appended claims are also intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. "A plurality" generally includes at least two, but does not exclude the inclusion of at least one.

[0036] It should be understood that the term "and / or" as used herein is merely a description of the relationship between associated objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone. Furthermore, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0037] It should also be noted that the terms "include," "comprises," or any other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion, such that a product or system comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such product or system. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprises a..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the product or system comprising the element.

[0038] Example 1

[0039] Embodiment 1 of the present invention provides a method for monitoring the status of a water softener. The method comprises: first, obtaining status data of an ion resin; and then determining the status of the water softener based on the ion resin status data. The ion resin status data includes at least one of the ion resin exchange efficiency and the number of times the ion resin has been regenerated. The status of the water softener includes at least one of regeneration, abnormality, and replacement. Tap water used for laundry is hard water. The crystallization of calcium and magnesium ions in hard water in clothing causes white clothing to turn yellow or brown and colored clothing to fade, resulting in a poor user experience and shortening the lifespan of clothing. Ion resins can reduce hard water to a certain extent, converting it from hard water to soft water, preventing clothing from becoming hard or yellowing after washing. The ion resin status data can be evaluated using a variety of criteria. The present invention selects two criteria: the ion resin exchange efficiency and the number of times the ion resin has been regenerated to determine whether the water softener is in the regeneration, abnormality, or replacement state.

[0040] Optionally, in an implementation of this embodiment, as Figure 1 As shown, the status monitoring method further includes: detecting the hardness of the water flowing out of the softener using a water hardness sensor 2. If the hardness of the water flowing out of the softener has not decreased, acquiring the ion resin status data. During each wash cycle, the hardness of the water flowing out of the softener is detected by the water hardness sensor 2. The hardness of the water flowing into the softener can be determined either by the water hardness sensor 2 or by conventional judgment based on experience. If the hardness of the water flowing out of the softener has significantly decreased, it indicates that the softener is operating normally, and the wash cycle can continue. If the hardness of the water flowing out of the softener has not decreased, it indicates that the ion resin in the softener needs to be regenerated, the soft water tank 3 is abnormal, or the ion resin needs to be replaced.

[0041] Optionally, in an implementation of this embodiment, obtaining the status data of the ion resin includes obtaining the exchange efficiency of the ion resin in the following manner:

[0042] The actual total water volume flowing through the water softening equipment from the last regeneration process to the current regeneration process is recorded as the second softened water volume T2 (L), which is the amount of water softened by the ion resin after completing one softening water regeneration cycle (between two regeneration processes). At the same time, the filling volume M (L) of the ion resin, the working exchange capacity Q (mmol l / L), and the average value A (mg / L) of all water supply hardness recorded during the ion resin's completion of one softening water regeneration cycle are obtained. The theoretical softened water volume of the ion resin is calculated from these obtained values ​​and recorded as the first softened water volume T1 (L), which is the total amount of water that the filled ion resin can theoretically soften from the beginning of softening water to saturation and requiring regeneration under the current water supply hardness. The working exchange capacity Q of the ion resin depends on the type of resin selected, and the Q value is generally 0.85-1.05 mmol l / L. T1 = M*Q / A*50*10^3. The exchange efficiency of the ion resin is calculated from the first softened water volume and the second softened water volume as n = T2 / T1*100%.

[0043] Optionally, in an implementation of this embodiment, determining the state of the water softening device according to the state data of the ion resin includes:

[0044] Determining whether the state of the water softening device is regeneration based on the exchange efficiency of the ion resin; and / or,

[0045] According to the exchange efficiency of the ion resin and the number of times the ion resin is regenerated, it is determined that the status of the water softener is abnormal or needs to be replaced.

[0046] Optionally, in an implementation of this embodiment, determining whether the state of the water softening device is regeneration according to the exchange efficiency of the ion resin includes:

[0047] If the exchange efficiency n of the ion resin is greater than a first preset value (the first preset value is 75%), the state of the water softening device is determined to be regeneration. At this time, the ion resin has not failed and still has a good ability to reduce hard water. It is only necessary to control the water inlet valve to allow water to flow into the regeneration chamber 4 to form a regenerated salt solution and then pass it into the soft water chamber 3 to reduce and regenerate the ion resin, and then continue the washing process.

[0048] Optionally, in an implementation of this embodiment, determining whether the state of the water softening device is abnormal or requires replacement based on the exchange efficiency of the ion resin and the number of regeneration times of the ion resin includes:

[0049] If the exchange efficiency of the ion resin is less than or equal to the first preset value, and the number of regenerations of the ion resin is greater than or equal to the second preset value (400 times), the status of the water softener is determined to be replacement. At this time, the ion resin has completely failed, and the user should be reminded to replace the resin in time.

[0050] If the ion resin's exchange efficiency is less than or equal to the first preset value, and the number of ion resin regenerations is less than the second preset value, the water softener is considered abnormal. Although the ion resin has not exceeded its typical lifespan, its exchange efficiency has fallen below the first preset value. This is because hard water contains not only calcium and magnesium ions but also sand and gravel impurities and other ions such as iron and chloride. These ions, when passed through the ion resin for a long time, can "poison" the resin, leaving a large amount of other metal ions within the resin and accelerating its failure. Therefore, an abnormality warning should be issued for the softening tank 3, allowing professionals to analyze the cause of the premature failure of the ion resin and implement targeted measures.

[0051] Example 2

[0052] Embodiment 2 of the present invention provides an electronic device, the electronic device including:

[0053] a memory for storing one or more computer instructions;

[0054] The processor is used to call and execute computer instructions in the memory, thereby implementing the status monitoring method as described in Example 1.

[0055] Example 3

[0056] Embodiment 3 of the present invention provides a water supply system for a washing machine, such as Figure 2 As shown, the water supply system includes a water supply pipeline, a soft water device connected to the water supply pipeline, and a soft water device status monitoring device.

[0057] A flow meter 1 is provided in the water supply pipeline to record the amount of water flowing through the water softening equipment;

[0058] Water hardness sensors 2 are installed on the upstream and downstream sides of the water softening equipment in the water supply pipeline to detect the hardness value of the water flowing into and out of the water softening equipment, so as to judge whether the ion resin needs to be regenerated according to the hardness of the water flowing into and out of the soft water tank.

[0059] The softening equipment includes a softening tank 3 and a regeneration tank 4. The softening tank 3 is provided with an ion resin, which can reduce the calcium and magnesium ions in the hard water to form soft water for washing. When the ion resin reaches saturation, the salt in the regeneration tank 4 is dissolved to form a regenerated salt solution. The salt can be sodium chloride. The regenerated salt solution is passed into the softening tank 3 to reduce the ion resin so that it can continue to soften the hard water.

[0060] The soft water equipment status monitoring device monitors the status of the soft water equipment using the method described in Example 1, or the soft water equipment status monitoring device has the electronic device described in Example 2.

[0061] Example 4

[0062] Embodiment 4 of the present invention provides a washing machine, which adopts the status monitoring method described in Embodiment 1, or has the electronic device described in Embodiment 2, or has the water supply system described in Embodiment 3.

[0063] While the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been specifically illustrated and described above, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the detailed structures, configurations, or implementations described herein; rather, the present disclosure is intended to encompass various modifications and equivalent configurations within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring the status of a water softening device, characterized in that: The method comprises: Get the status data of ion resin; determining the state of the water softening device according to the state data of the ion resin; The status data of the ion resin includes at least one of the exchange efficiency of the ion resin and the number of regenerations of the ion resin, and the status of the water softening device includes at least one of regeneration, abnormality, and replacement; The determining the state of the water softening device according to the state data of the ion resin includes: Determining whether the state of the water softening device is regeneration based on the exchange efficiency of the ion resin; and / or determining whether the state of the water softening device is abnormal or needs to be replaced based on the exchange efficiency of the ion resin and the number of regenerations of the ion resin; The determining whether the state of the water softening device is regeneration according to the exchange efficiency of the ion resin includes: if the exchange efficiency of the ion resin is greater than a first preset value, determining that the state of the water softening device is regeneration; The step of determining whether the state of the water softening device is abnormal or requires replacement based on the exchange efficiency of the ion resin and the number of regeneration times of the ion resin includes: If the exchange efficiency of the ion resin is less than or equal to a first preset value, and the number of regeneration times of the ion resin is greater than or equal to a second preset value, determining that the state of the water softening device is replacement; If the exchange efficiency of the ion resin is less than or equal to a first preset value, and the number of regeneration times of the ion resin is less than a second preset value, it is determined that the state of the water softening device is abnormal.

2. The method for monitoring the status of a water softening device according to claim 1, wherein: The state monitoring method further comprises: detecting the hardness value of water flowing out of the softening device by means of a water hardness sensor (2); and if the hardness value of water flowing out of the softening device does not decrease, executing the step of acquiring the state data of the ion resin.

3. The method for monitoring the status of a water softening device according to claim 1, wherein: The obtaining of the state data of the ion resin includes obtaining the exchange efficiency of the ion resin in the following manner: The actual total water volume flowing through the softening device from the last regeneration process to the present is recorded as the second softened water volume, and the calculated theoretical total water volume is recorded as the first softened water volume. The exchange efficiency of the ion resin is calculated based on the first softened water volume and the second softened water volume.

4. The method for monitoring the status of a water softening device according to claim 3, wherein: The first soft water amount is calculated based on the resin filling amount, the resin working exchange capacity and the average value of the water hardness of previous supplies.

5. An electronic device, characterized in that: The electronic device comprises: a memory for storing one or more computer instructions; A processor is configured to call and execute computer instructions in the memory, thereby implementing the status monitoring method according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A water supply system for a washing machine, characterized in that: The water supply system includes a water supply pipeline, a soft water device connected to the water supply pipeline, and a soft water device status monitoring device. A flow meter (1) is provided in the water supply pipeline for recording the amount of water flowing through the water softening device; The water supply pipeline is provided with a water hardness sensor (2) on the downstream side of the water softening device, for detecting the hardness value of water flowing out of the water softening device; The soft water equipment status monitoring device monitors the status of the soft water equipment using the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, or the soft water equipment status monitoring device has the electronic device according to claim 5.

7. A washing machine, characterized in that: The washing machine adopts the state monitoring method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, or has the electronic device according to claim 5, or has the state monitoring method according to claim 6. The water supply system according to claim 6.

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