Water softener

Abstract

The invention discloses a water softener, and relates to the technical field of water softeners, the water softener comprises a main box and an exhaust structure, the main box is provided with a water softening cavity, a water inlet and a water outlet, and the water inlet and the water outlet are communicated with the water softening cavity; the exhaust structure is connected with the main box, the water softening cavity is communicated with the atmosphere through the exhaust structure, and the exhaust structure is used for exhausting air in the water softening cavity; according to the technical scheme, the water outlet stability of the water softener can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of water softeners, and in particular to a water softener. Background Art

[0002] A water softener is a device used to soften water. It reduces scale formation by removing hardness ions in water, such as calcium and magnesium. In the related art, air is retained in the resin tank of the water softener after the resin is regenerated, resulting in unstable water output due to the presence of air when the water is discharged from the water softener. Summary of the invention

[0003] The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a water softener, aiming to improve the water output stability of the water softener.

[0004] To achieve the above object, the water softener proposed by the present invention comprises:

[0005] A main box, wherein the main box is provided with a soft water chamber, and a water inlet and a water outlet communicating with the soft water chamber;

[0006] An exhaust structure is connected to the main box, and the soft water chamber is connected to the atmosphere through the exhaust structure. The exhaust structure is used to exhaust the air in the soft water chamber.

[0007] In one embodiment, the communication position between the exhaust structure and the soft water chamber is located at the highest point of the top wall of the main box.

[0008] In one embodiment, the main box includes a resin tank and a waterway plate arranged above the resin tank, the resin tank includes a resin cavity and a water inlet connected to the top of the resin cavity, the waterway plate is provided with a water passage cavity connected to the water inlet and the water inlet, the soft water cavity includes the resin cavity and the water passage cavity, and the exhaust structure is connected to the water passage cavity.

[0009] In one embodiment, the waterway plate is further provided with a water replenishment outlet connected to the water passage chamber, and the water softener further comprises a salt box and a salt valve, wherein the salt box is provided above the waterway plate, and the salt box is connected to the water replenishment outlet through the salt valve.

[0010] In one embodiment, the salt box is provided with a connecting structure connected to the atmosphere, and the exhaust structure is configured as the salt valve;

[0011] Alternatively, the waterway plate is further provided with an exhaust hole connected to the water passage cavity, the exhaust hole and the water replenishment outlet are configured with different structures, and the exhaust structure is configured as an exhaust valve provided on the exhaust hole.

[0012] In one embodiment, the water passage cavity includes a water passage inlet, a water passage channel, a water passage outlet and a connecting cavity, the water inlet is connected to the water passage channel through the water passage inlet, the water passage channel is connected to the water inlet through the water passage outlet, and the water passage outlet is connected to the water replenishment outlet through the connecting cavity;

[0013] The waterway plate includes a cover body and a tube body arranged on the cover body, the cover opening of the cover body faces downward and is connected to the water inlet, the water passage and the water outlet are arranged on the tube body, and the connecting cavity is formed between the tube body and the cover wall of the cover body.

[0014] In one embodiment, the water replenishment outlet is provided on the top wall of the cover body and is located outside the tube body.

[0015] In one embodiment, the tube body includes a first tube section arranged inside the cover body, the lower end surface of the first tube section is provided with the water outlet, the first tube section extends along the length direction of the water inlet, and / or the water outlet extends along the length direction of the water inlet.

[0016] In one embodiment, the salt valve comprises:

[0017] A base, provided with a water injection channel, a water injection inlet and a water injection outlet connected to the water injection channel, the water injection inlet is connected to the water replenishment outlet, and the water injection outlet is connected to the salt box; and

[0018] The floating member comprises a connected float and a valve plug. When the float rises to a first sealing position, the valve plug seals and cooperates with the edge of the water injection outlet to block the communication between the water injection channel and the water injection outlet.

[0019] In one embodiment, a mounting column is provided on the bottom wall of the salt box, the salt valve is installed on the mounting column, and the mounting column is provided with a water injection hole connected to the water replenishment outlet.

[0020] In one embodiment, the water softener further comprises a transfer seat, which is sealingly connected between the salt box and the waterway plate and is provided with a transfer channel, wherein the transfer channel is connected between the water injection hole and the water replenishment outlet.

[0021] In one embodiment, the salt box includes a box body and a salt grid, the salt grid is arranged in the box body to separate the inner cavity of the box body into a placement cavity and a salt cavity, the placement cavity is connected to the salt cavity through the grid holes of the salt grid, and the salt valve is arranged in the placement cavity.

[0022] In one embodiment, the salt grid includes a first partition and a second partition connected to each other, the first partition extends vertically, the second partition extends horizontally and is provided with the grid holes, the placement chamber includes a connected receiving chamber section and a lower channel section, the receiving chamber section is arranged on a side of the first partition away from the second partition, the lower channel section is arranged below the second partition, and the salt chamber is arranged on a side of the first partition close to the second partition.

[0023] In the technical solution of the present invention, an exhaust structure is provided on the main box. After the water softener runs in the regeneration mode and in the water making mode, the soft water chamber can be connected to the atmosphere through the exhaust structure to exhaust the air in the soft water chamber. As a result, the water output of the water softener is not accompanied by air, thereby ensuring the stable water output of the water softener. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying creative work.

[0025] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of a water softener provided by the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Top view of the water softener;

[0027] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Sectional view of the medium water softener cut along section line AA;

[0028] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Explosion diagram of the salt tank and waterway plate;

[0029] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the middle waterway plate;

[0030] Figure 6 for Figure 5 Cross-sectional view of the waterway plate;

[0031] Figure 7 for Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the explosion of the medium salt valve;

[0032] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view of the salt valve, where the floating part is supported on the outlet sealing ring;

[0033] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the salt valve, at which the valve plug is in sealing cooperation with the edge of the water injection outlet;

[0034] Fig.10 for Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the structure of the middle float.

[0035] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0036] 10. Main box; 111. Soft water chamber; 112. Water inlet; 113. Water outlet; 12. Resin tank; 121. Resin chamber; 122. Water inlet; 13. Waterway plate; 131. Water passage chamber; 132. Water supply outlet; 14. Cover body; 15. Pipe body; 151. First pipe section; 161. Water passage inlet; 162. Water passage channel; 163. Water passage outlet; 164. Connecting chamber;

[0037] 20. Salt box; 21. Box body; 22. Salt grid; 221. Grid hole; 231. First partition; 232. Second partition; 24. Placement chamber; 241. Accommodation chamber section; 242. Lower channel section; 25. Salt chamber; 26. Mounting column; 261. Water injection hole; 27. Communication structure;

[0038] 30. Salt valve; 301. Water flow space; 302. Buoyancy chamber; 31. Base; 311. Water injection channel; 312. Water injection inlet; 313. Water injection outlet; 32. Floating member; 321. Float; 322. Cylinder body; 323. Water flow gap; 324. Valve plug; 33. Outlet sealing ring;

[0039] 40. Adapter; 41. Adapter channel; 50. Current limiting structure.

[0040] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0042] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indications are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the components in a certain specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0043] In addition, if there are descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of the present invention, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features limited to "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In addition, if "and / or" or "and / or" appears in the full text, its meaning includes three parallel solutions. Taking "A and / or B" as an example, it includes solution A, solution B, or solutions that satisfy both A and B. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in this field to implement. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0044] A water softener is a device used to soften water. It reduces scale formation by removing hardness ions in water, such as calcium and magnesium. In the related art, air is retained in the resin tank of the water softener after the resin is regenerated, resulting in unstable water output due to the presence of air when the water is discharged from the water softener.

[0045] In order to solve this technical problem, the present invention provides a water softener.

[0046] See also Figures 1 to 10 In one embodiment of the present invention, the water softener includes a main box 10 and an exhaust structure, wherein the main box 10 is provided with a soft water chamber 111, a water inlet 112 and a water outlet 113 connected to the soft water chamber 111; the exhaust structure is connected to the main box 10, and the soft water chamber 111 is connected to the atmosphere through the exhaust structure, and the exhaust structure is used to discharge the air in the soft water chamber 111; thereby improving the water output stability of the water softener.

[0047] In the technical solution of the present invention, an exhaust structure is provided on the main box 10. After the water softener runs in the regeneration mode and in the water making mode, the soft water chamber 111 can be connected to the atmosphere through the exhaust structure to exhaust the air in the soft water chamber 111. As a result, the water output of the water softener is not accompanied by air, thereby ensuring the stable water output of the water softener.

[0048] Specifically, the water softener includes a main box 10 and an exhaust structure. The main box 10 can be used to store resin particles. In the water-making mode of the water softener, the resin particles can soften the water flow entering the main box 10, and the soft water formed can meet the user's water demand; since the soft water chamber 111 of the main box 10 is connected to the atmosphere through the exhaust structure, after the water softener runs in the regeneration mode, the water flows into the soft water chamber 111 from the water inlet 112, and flows to the upper end of the water outlet 113 through the resin particles. In this process, the air in the soft water chamber 111 is discharged to the outside of the soft water chamber 111 through the exhaust structure, thereby effectively improving the water output stability of the water softener, thereby improving the user's experience. When the resin is close to saturation or has been saturated, in the regeneration mode of the water softener, salt water can flow into the main box 10, so that the resin can restore the ability to soften water and flow out of the soft water chamber 111. At this time, there is no water but air in the main box 10.

[0049] It should be noted that the water softener protected by the present invention includes but is not limited to a central water softener and a terminal water softener. Among them, the terminal water softener mainly provides soft water for local or individual water-using equipment or water outlet terminals, which is used to improve the water quality delivered to these water-using equipment or water outlet terminals, reduce the impact of hard water on the equipment structure, human body or clothing, and improve the comfort of local water use. Specifically, water-using equipment includes but is not limited to water heaters, washing machines or humidifiers, etc., and water outlet terminals include but are not limited to showers, faucets, etc. For example, the terminal water softener is used in the bathroom scene, which can make the water output of the shower soft water to improve the user's water use comfort. For the convenience of writing, the present invention will be explained by taking the terminal water softener used in the bathroom as an example.

[0050] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present invention, the communication position between the exhaust structure and the soft water chamber 111 is located at the highest point of the top wall of the main box 10. In this way, the air gathers on the top wall of the main box 10 under the compression of the incoming water, and because the communication position between the exhaust structure and the soft water chamber 111 is set at the highest point of the top wall of the main box 10, it can ensure that the air in the soft water chamber 111 is completely discharged through the exhaust structure, thereby improving the water output stability of the water softener while increasing the capacity of the soft water chamber 111 for water flow.

[0051] See also Figure 1 and Figure 3In an embodiment of the present invention, the main box 10 includes a resin tank 12 and a waterway plate 13 disposed above the resin tank 12, the resin tank 12 includes a resin chamber 121 and a water inlet 122 connected to the top of the resin chamber 121, the waterway plate 13 is provided with a water passage chamber 131 connected to the water inlet 122 and the water inlet 112, the soft water chamber 111 includes the resin chamber 121 and the water passage chamber 131, the exhaust structure is connected to the water passage chamber 131, so that the exhaust structure and the waterway plate 13 are both disposed above the resin tank 12, the waterway plate 13 constitutes the top wall of the main box 10, and the exhaust structure is connected to the soft water chamber 111 due to the communication position of the exhaust structure The exhaust structure is arranged at the highest point of the top wall of the main box 10, and the exhaust structure is arranged on the top wall of the waterway plate 13 and is connected with the water passage chamber 131. Then, after the regeneration mode ends, that is, when the resin tank 12 is empty, the raw water entering the water passage chamber 131 of the waterway plate 13 flows toward the resin chamber 121 of the resin tank 12. When the water level in the resin tank 12 rises, the air in the tank is gathered through the resin chamber 121 and the water passage chamber 131 to the connecting position between the top wall of the waterway plate 13 and the exhaust structure, so that the air in the tank is exhausted, and the resin particles soften the raw water entering the resin chamber 121 to form soft water; the raw water is an untreated external water source, which can be tap water.

[0052] The water inlet 112 can be integrated into the resin tank 12. When the water inlet 112 and the water outlet 113 are both arranged at the bottom of the resin tank 12, the water inlet waterway connecting the waterway plate 13 and the water inlet 112 integrated on the resin tank 12 extends from the bottom to the top of the resin tank 12 and is located on the side of the resin cavity 121. In this way, the waterway plate 13 is arranged above the resin tank 12, and the water inlet 122 and the water inlet waterway are connected, which can not only reasonably utilize the space above the resin tank 12, but also allow the water flow to enter the water cavity 131 and rely on gravity to enter the resin cavity 121 for softening treatment, simplifying the complexity of water flow treatment, reducing operating costs, and reducing the risk of downtime caused by failure of the power equipment that drives the water flow, thereby improving the reliability of the water softener. However, the present design is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the water inlet 112 is integrated into the waterway plate 13.

[0053] See also Figures 1 to 6In an embodiment of the present invention, the waterway plate 13 is further provided with a water replenishment outlet 132 connected to the water passage chamber 131, and the water softener further comprises a salt box 20 and a salt valve 30, wherein the salt box 20 is arranged above the waterway plate 13, and the salt box 20 is connected to the water replenishment outlet 132 through the salt valve 30; it can be understood that the inner cavity of the salt box 20 is connected to the soft water chamber 111 through the water replenishment outlet 132, and the salt valve 30 is used as a control valve at the communication position between the soft water chamber 111 and the inner cavity of the salt box 20. In the process of replenishing water flowing to the soft water chamber 111, part of the water flow can flow into the salt box 20 through the salt valve 30. At this time, part or all of the structure of the soft water chamber 111 is reused as part of the water replenishment waterway of the salt box 20, that is, the water replenishment process of the salt box 20 is carried out in the water production mode, and the water replenishment process does not need to rely on an additionally arranged water replenishment branch and a control valve thereon, which can simplify the overall structure of the water softener and effectively reduce the cost.

[0054] The salt box 20 is arranged above the water channel plate 13, which can reasonably utilize the space above the main box 10 and reduce the space occupied by the side of the main box 10, which is convenient for realizing the miniaturized design of the water softener, and also facilitates the communication between the inner cavity of the salt box 20 and the soft water cavity 111, simplifying the complexity of the water replenishment waterway.

[0055] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present invention, the salt box 20 is provided with a connecting structure 27 connected to the atmosphere, and the exhaust structure is configured as the salt valve 30, that is, the air in the soft water chamber 111 enters the salt box 20 through the salt valve 30, and the air is discharged from the salt box 20 by using the connecting structure 27 on the salt box 20. In this way, the water replenishment outlet 132 serves as an exhaust hole and is located at the highest point of the top wall of the waterway plate 13. The inner cavity of the salt box 20 is reused as part of the exhaust passage, and the salt valve 30 serves as a control valve on the exhaust passage. At this time, the exhaust process of the water softener does not need to rely on an additionally arranged exhaust branch and the control valve thereon, which can simplify the overall structure of the water softener and effectively reduce costs. Specifically, the connecting structure 27 can be a structure such as a hole, a slit or a notch that penetrates the wall of the salt box 20. For example, a connecting hole can be opened on the top wall of the salt box 20 so that the inner cavity of the salt box 20 is connected to the outside atmosphere through the connecting hole.

[0056] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present invention, the waterway plate 13 is further provided with an exhaust hole connected to the water passage chamber 131, and the exhaust hole and the water replenishment outlet 132 are configured as different structures, and the exhaust structure is configured as an exhaust valve arranged on the exhaust hole. It can be understood that the waterway plate 13 is provided with an exhaust hole and a water replenishment outlet 132 at the same time, and the exhaust hole is opened at the highest point of the top wall of the waterway plate 13. The water replenishment outlet 132 can be arranged at the highest point of the top wall of the waterway plate 13 together with the exhaust hole, and can also be lower than the position of the exhaust hole. Then, the exhaust valve is used to control the opening and closing of the exhaust hole, and the air in the soft water chamber 111 is discharged from the soft water chamber 111 through the exhaust hole and the exhaust valve; and the salt valve 30 is used to control the opening and closing of the salt box 20 and the water passage chamber 131, so as to realize the water replenishment operation of the salt box 20 and prepare for the resin regeneration. However, in other embodiments, the exhaust structure includes a waterproof and breathable membrane.

[0057] See also Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 In the embodiment of the present invention, the water passage chamber 131 includes a water passage inlet 161, a water passage channel 162, a water passage outlet 163 and a connecting chamber 164. The water inlet 112 is connected to the water passage channel 162 through the water passage inlet 161, the water passage channel 162 is connected to the water inlet 122 through the water passage outlet 163, and the water passage outlet 163 is connected to the water replenishment outlet 132 through the connecting chamber 164. In this way, the water passage channel 162 is not directly connected to the water replenishment outlet 132, but is connected to the water replenishment outlet 132 through the connecting chamber 164. The connection between the water passage 162 and the water replenishment outlet 132 can prevent the raw water flowing into the waterway plate 13 from being directly diverted to the water replenishment outlet 132 when the resin tank 12 is in an empty tank state. On the one hand, it ensures that the raw water will only flow into the resin tank 12 preferentially in the empty tank state, which can reduce the problem of low water output of the resin tank 12 caused by the diversion. On the other hand, when the exhaust structure is configured as a salt valve 30, it ensures that the salt valve 30 can maintain a state of connection with the outside atmosphere and the air above the resin tank 12, so as to achieve the purpose of exhausting the air inside the resin tank 12.

[0058] Specifically, there are two water replenishment processes for the water softener. One is that after the regeneration mode ends, that is, when the resin tank 12 is empty and the waterway plate 13 is dry, the raw water entering the water passage cavity 131 of the waterway plate 13 will only flow toward the resin cavity 121 of the resin tank 12 first. While the water level in the resin tank 12 rises, the air in the tank is gathered through the resin cavity 121 and the water passage cavity 131 to the connecting position of the top wall of the waterway plate 13 and the exhaust structure, so that the air in the tank is exhausted. The resin particles soften the raw water entering the resin cavity 121 to form soft water; until the resin cavity 121 and the water passage cavity 131 are connected, the water level in the resin tank 12 rises and the air in the tank is discharged. After the water chamber 131 is filled with water, the water will flow through the salt valve 30 to the salt chamber 25 of the salt box 20, that is, there is a time difference between the water production process and the water replenishment process, ensuring that the raw water will only flow into the resin tank 12 first when the tank is empty, which can reduce the problem of low water output of the resin tank 12 caused by diversion; secondly, during daily use, that is, the resin tank 12 is in a water state, specifically a full water state, the raw water entering the water chamber 131 will flow downward to the resin chamber 121 and upward to the salt chamber 25 at the same time, and the air entering the water chamber 131 will enter the connecting chamber 164, and then be discharged from the water softener through the exhaust structure.

[0059] The waterway plate 13 includes a cover body 14 and a tube body 15 disposed on the cover body 14, the cover opening of the cover body 14 faces downward and is connected to the water inlet 122, the water passage 162 and the water passage outlet 163 are disposed on the tube body 15, and the communication cavity 164 is formed between the tube body 15 and the cover wall of the cover body 14. It can be understood that the cover body 14 and the resin tank 12 can be fixed by welding, and specifically, hot plate welding and other processing methods can be used according to the materials of the waterway plate 13 and the resin tank 12, so that the waterway plate 13 and the resin tank 12 are fixed as a whole, thereby improving the connection strength and connection stability of the waterway plate 13 and the resin tank 12; the cover body 14 is provided Above the resin tank 12, the cover body 14 and the upper end of the resin tank 12 are enclosed to form a water passage cavity 131, wherein a tube body 15 is arranged in the cover body 14, so that the cover wall of the cover body 14, the tube body 15 and the upper end of the resin tank 12 are enclosed together to form a connecting cavity 164, and a water passage 162 and a water passage outlet 163 are formed on the tube body 15 to guide the water flow to flow along the water passage 162 and enter the circulation cavity through the water passage outlet 163. At this time, the water passage outlet 163 can correspond to the middle position of the water inlet 122, ensuring that the water flow entering the resin cavity 121 through the water inlet 122 is evenly distributed and flows over the resin particles from top to bottom, so as to achieve the purpose of uniformly treating the water flow.

[0060] See also Figure 5In the embodiment of the present invention, the water replenishment outlet 132 is arranged on the top wall of the cover body 14 and is located outside the tube body 15, so that the water passage 162 is connected with the water replenishment outlet 132 through the connecting cavity 164. On the one hand, after the connecting cavity 164 is full of water, that is, the water flow gives priority to and fills the resin cavity 121 to meet the user's soft water demand, the water in the water passage cavity 131 will enter the salt cavity 25 through the water replenishment outlet 132 through the salt valve 30 to prepare for resin regeneration. On the other hand, it is ensured that the raw water will only flow into the resin tank 12 first in the empty tank state, which can reduce the problem of low water output of the resin tank 12 caused by diversion.

[0061] Specifically, in the embodiment of the present invention, the pipe body 15 includes a first pipe section 151 disposed inside the cover body 14, the lower end surface of the first pipe section 151 is provided with the water outlet 163, the first pipe section 151 extends along the length direction of the water inlet 122, and / or the water outlet 163 extends along the length direction of the water inlet 122. It can be understood that the water passage 162 in the first pipe section 151 extends along the length direction of the water inlet 122, and the water passage 162 is connected to the water inlet 112 through the water passage inlet 161, so that the water flowing in through the water passage inlet 161 can be extended along the length direction of the first pipe section 151. The water passage 162 flows to the water outlet 163, wherein the water outlet 163 is formed at the lower end surface of the first pipe segment 151, that is, the water outlet 163 is directly opposite to the water inlet 122, shortening the path length of the water flow to the water inlet 122. At this time, the upper end surface of the first pipe segment 151 can be connected to the top wall of the cover body 14, or the first pipe segment 151 is formed on the top wall of the cover body 14, or the top wall of the cover body 14 is formed with a downwardly recessed reinforcement groove to improve the bearing reliability of the waterway plate 13 to the salt box 20. At the same time, the bottom of the reinforcement groove is connected to the upper end surface of the first pipe segment 151, so as to ensure the connection reliability between the first pipe segment 151 and the cover body 14.

[0062] The water outlet 163 extends along the length direction of the water inlet 122 to increase the cross-sectional area of ​​the water outlet 163 on the first pipe section 151 and is consistent with the flow direction of water in the water channel 162, which is beneficial to improving the efficiency of water flowing through the water outlet 163 to the connecting cavity 164.

[0063] See also Figures 7 to 10 In an embodiment of the present invention, the salt valve 30 comprises:

[0064] The base 31 is provided with a water injection channel 311, a water injection inlet 312 and a water injection outlet 313 connected to the water injection channel 311, the water injection inlet 312 is connected to the water replenishment outlet 132, and the water injection outlet 313 is connected to the salt box 20; and

[0065] The floating member 32 includes a float 321 and a valve plug 324 connected to each other. When the float 321 rises to the first sealing position, the valve plug 324 seals and cooperates with the edge of the water injection outlet 313 to block the communication between the water injection channel 311 and the water injection outlet 313 .

[0066] It can be understood that the salt valve 30 includes a base 31 and a floating member 32. The floating member 32 can float up and sink relative to the base 31. The water flowing through the water replenishment outlet 132 can enter the water injection channel 311 from the water injection inlet 312, and flow out from the water injection outlet 313 and be injected into the salt box 20, so that the salt block in the salt box 20 can be fully dissolved to form saturated salt water, thereby ensuring the regeneration efficiency of the resin in the water softener. Specifically, when the buoyancy in the salt valve 30 is less than the total weight of the floating member 32, the water flows continuously through the water injection outlet 313 of the salt valve 30 and is replenished into the salt box 20. When the buoyancy in the salt valve 30 is greater than the total weight of the floating member 32, the float 321 floats to the first sealing position and causes the valve plug 32 moving together to float. 4 is sealed against the edge of the water injection outlet 313 to block the connection between the water injection outlet 313 and the water injection channel 311, that is, to prevent the water from flowing through the water injection outlet 313 and stop the water replenishment to the salt box 20. In this way, compared with the use of electric drive to control the water injection amount, the salt valve 30 accurately controls the water injection amount entering the salt box 20, realizes automatic replenishment and control of the water flow, and ensures that the water injection amount entering the salt box 20 is constant, which can not only ensure the stable operation of the water replenishment process of the water softener, but also can fully dissolve the salt block through the quantitative water injection amount to form a saturated salt water with a stable concentration, thereby ensuring the stable operation of the regeneration mode of the water softener, and also because no additional sensors or complex control systems are required, the maintenance difficulty and maintenance cost are reduced. However, the present design is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the salt valve 30 is configured as a solenoid valve.

[0067] Specifically, the float 321 and the valve plug 324 can be separately provided, and the connection method between the two includes but is not limited to threaded connection, interference fit, and snap connection; the float 321 and the valve plug 324 can be integrally provided. In this case, the valve plug 324 includes a connecting rod and a sealing portion. The connecting rod of the valve plug 324 is integrally provided with the float 321, and the sealing portion of the valve plug 324 is detachably connected to the connecting rod for sealing against the edge of the water injection outlet 313.

[0068] The water injection outlet 313 is provided with an outlet sealing ring 33, and at the first sealing position, the valve plug 324 is sealed and connected to the outlet sealing ring 33. Thus, through the outlet sealing ring 33 provided at the water injection outlet 313, when the valve plug 324 moves to the first sealing position along with the float 321, the valve plug 324 is sealed and abutted against the outlet sealing ring 33, so as to achieve the blocking of the water injection outlet 313, thereby blocking the communication between the water injection channel 311 and the water injection outlet 313, and stopping the water replenishment operation to the salt box 20. However, in other embodiments, the valve plug 324 has a sealing surface and directly seals and abuts against the edge of the water injection outlet 313.

[0069] See also Figures 8 to 10In the embodiment of the present invention, the float 321 is provided with a cylinder body 322 with the cylinder mouth facing downward, the cylinder body 322 is arranged around the outer periphery of the base 31, and is spaced from the peripheral side of the base 31 to form a water-passing space 301, and a buoyancy chamber 302 is constructed above the inner cavity of the cylinder body 322. In this way, on the one hand, because the cylinder body 322 is covered on the outer periphery of the base 31, the base 31 can guide the cylinder body 322, so that the float 321 can move up and down smoothly and accurately, thereby driving the valve plug 324 connected to the float 321 to move smoothly and accurately On the other hand, the barrel body 322 is arranged around the outer periphery of the base 31, and the barrel body 322 is spaced apart from the peripheral side of the base 31 to form a water flow space 301 connecting the water injection outlet 313 and the salt box 20. It can be understood that water flows into the salt box 20 through the water flow space 301 of the salt valve 30, so that the water level in the salt box 20 gradually rises. When the water level in the salt box 20 overflows the water flow space 301 connecting the outlet of the salt box 20 and reaches the upper edge of the outlet, the water in the salt box 20 forms a water seal at the outlet, that is, The air in the cylinder body 322 is sealed between the cylinder body 322 and the base 31. Specifically, according to the characteristics of the air, the air forms a buoyancy chamber 302 above the inner cavity of the cylinder body 322, which can provide buoyancy to the floating member 32. Specifically, before the buoyancy chamber 302 is formed in the cylinder body 322, the water always flows from the water injection outlet 313 to the water flow space 301 and is replenished into the salt box 20. When the water level in the salt box 20 exceeds the upper edge of the outlet of the water flow space 301 connected to the salt box 20, for example, exceeds the surface of the cylinder mouth of the cylinder body 322, the water in the salt box 20 forms a buoyancy chamber 302 at the outlet. The water seal allows a stream of air to be sealed between the float 32 and the base 31, thereby providing buoyancy to the float 32. When the water continues to flow through the water injection outlet 313 to replenish the water flow space 301, due to the existence of the buoyancy chamber 302, the float 32 will move upward relative to the base 31 as the amount of water injection increases. When the float 32 moves to the first sealing position, the valve plug 324 can be sealed and connected with the outlet sealing ring 33 at the water injection outlet 313, thereby sealing the water injection outlet 313 and stopping the continued injection of water into the water flow space 301, thereby ensuring strict control of the water injection amount of the salt box 20.

[0070] Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, a water-passing notch 323 communicating with the water-passing space 301 is provided at the bottom of the barrel body 322. At the first sealing position, the upper edge of the water-passing notch 323 is lower than the upper edge of the water injection outlet 313. In this way, regardless of the water level in the salt box 20, for example, when the water level exceeds the water injection outlet 313, the salt water will not flow back to the resin tank 12 through the water injection outlet 313. The reason is that the boundary of the buoyancy chamber 302 is from the upper edge of the water-passing notch 323 to the top wall of the barrel body 322. The air in the buoyancy chamber 302 can play a sealing role, effectively preventing the salt water from flowing into the water injection outlet 313 through the water-passing space 301. In addition, the thickness of the air layer in the buoyancy chamber 302 is related to the upper edge position of the water-passing notch 323. Therefore, by setting the water-passing notch 323, the mold structure of the barrel body 322 is conveniently adjusted, that is, only the position of the upper edge of the water-passing notch 323 needs to be adjusted, so as to facilitate the adjustment of the thickness of the air layer in the later stage of the project to meet the design requirements.

[0071] See also Figure 3 In an embodiment of the present invention, a mounting column 26 is provided on the bottom wall of the salt box 20, and the salt valve 30 is installed on the mounting column 26. The mounting column 26 is provided with a water injection hole 261 connected to the water replenishment outlet 132. It can be understood that the base 31 of the salt valve 30 is provided with a water injection channel 311 and a water injection inlet 312. The mounting column 26 is sealed and installed in the water injection inlet 312 to achieve the communication between the water injection inlet 312 and the water injection hole 261, ensuring that water flows into the salt box 20 through the salt valve 30; further, when a flow limiting structure 50 is provided in the water injection inlet 312, the upper end surface of the mounting column 26 extending into the water injection inlet 312 can be against the lower end surface of the flow limiting structure 50, which helps to improve the installation stability of the flow limiting structure 50 in the water injection inlet 312. However, the present design is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, a mounting groove is provided in the placement cavity 24 , the base 31 of the salt valve 30 is installed in the mounting groove, and the mounting groove is provided with a water injection hole 261 communicating with the water injection inlet 312 .

[0072] Specifically, the flow limiting structure 50 is used to adjust the water flow rate flowing into the water injection channel 311, thereby stabilizing the flow rate and flow rate of the water flow. In this way, on the one hand, it can prevent the valve plug 324 from being directly lifted up by the high-pressure water flow and accidentally blocking the water injection outlet 313, thereby ensuring the stability of the water injection amount entering the salt box 20, thereby ensuring the movement stability of the water replenishment mode; on the other hand, the stable water injection amount is conducive to more complete dissolution of the salt blocks in the salt box 20, thereby promoting the stability of the concentration of the salt water formed, and improving the regeneration effect of the resin.

[0073] In addition, due to the combination of the flow limiting structure 50 and the floating member 32, by controlling the water inlet time at the water inlet 112 of the water softener, there is no need to set a corresponding water level sensor in the salt box 20. The volume of the water flow entering the salt box 20 can be calculated by the water inlet time of the water softener and the flow rate at the flow limiting structure 50 or the water injection inlet 312. It can also be judged whether the water level in the salt box 20 meets the standard, and the control valve at the water inlet 112 is closed in time, which simplifies the structure and makes the control simple and convenient. However, the present design is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the flow limiting structure 50 is provided at the water replenishment outlet 132.

[0074] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present invention, the water softener further includes an adapter seat 40, which is sealed and connected between the salt box 20 and the waterway plate 13, and is provided with an adapter channel 41, and the adapter channel 41 is connected between the water injection hole 261 and the water replenishment outlet 132, which can not only ensure that there is no water or air leakage at the docking position of the water replenishment outlet 132 and the water injection hole 261, but also ensure reliable connection between the water replenishment outlet 132 and the water injection hole 261. However, the present design is not limited to this, and in other embodiments, a sealing ring is directly provided between the salt box 20 and the waterway plate 13 at the docking position of the water replenishment outlet 132 and the water injection hole 261.

[0075] See also Figure 4 In the embodiment of the present invention, the salt box 20 includes a box body 21 and a salt grid 22. The salt grid 22 is arranged in the box body 21 to divide the inner cavity of the box body 21 into a placement chamber 24 and a salt chamber 25. The placement chamber 24 is communicated with the salt chamber 25 through the grid holes 221 of the salt grid 22. The salt valve 30 is arranged in the placement chamber 24. In this way, the salt valve 30 is separated from the salt block in the salt chamber 25, and the placement chamber 24 is communicated with the salt chamber 25 through the grid holes 221 of the salt grid 22. This can ensure that the movement of the floating member 32 in the salt valve 30 is not affected by the salt block and improve the smoothness of the movement of the floating member 32. It can also provide water flow to the salt chamber 25 to obtain saturated salt water, ensure the regeneration efficiency of the resin in the water softener, and discharge the air in the soft water chamber 111 to the atmosphere through the salt valve 30 and the salt chamber 25, so as to ensure the stable water output of the water softener.

[0076] Specifically, in an embodiment of the present invention, the salt grid 22 includes a first partition 231 and a second partition 232 connected to each other, the first partition 231 extends vertically, the second partition 232 extends horizontally and is provided with the grid hole 221, the placement chamber 24 includes a receiving chamber section 241 and a lower channel section 242 that are connected, the receiving chamber section 241 is arranged on a side of the first partition 231 away from the second partition 232, the lower channel section 242 is arranged below the second partition 232, and the salt chamber 25 is arranged on a side of the first partition 231 close to the second partition 232. In this way, the inner cavity of the box body 21 is reasonably divided to ensure that the salt box 20 can be loaded with more salt blocks. At the same time, the connection between the placement chamber 24 and the salt chamber 25 is guaranteed, so that the air in the saturated brine and the soft water chamber 111 is exhausted.

[0077] It can be understood that, since the first partition 231 extends vertically along the box body 21, and the second partition 232 extends horizontally along the box body 21, a support plate abutting the bottom of the box body 21 can be provided under the second partition 232. When the salt grid 22 is set in the box body 21, the inner cavity of the box body 21 can be divided into a placement chamber 24 and a salt chamber 25, wherein the placement chamber 24 includes a receiving chamber section 241 and a lower channel section 242, the lower channel section 242 is laterally connected to the receiving chamber section 241, and is located below the second partition 232, the salt chamber 25 and the lower channel section 242 are connected through the grid hole 221, and the salt valve 30 is set in the receiving chamber section 241 to ensure that the salt valve 30 reliably controls the water injection amount entering the salt box 20, and then the water flow out of the salt valve 30 needs to be Only after the lower channel section 242 is filled up can the water enter the salt chamber 25 from the grille hole 221 of the lower channel section 242. Compared with the water flow directly entering the salt chamber 25 horizontally from the receiving chamber section 241, the water flow evenly flows over the salt blocks in the salt chamber 25 from bottom to top, which can push the salt blocks to suspend and move continuously, which can reduce local accumulation, increase the contact area between the salt blocks and water, and improve the salt dissolution efficiency, and can also promote the salt blocks to dissolve from the bottom of the salt chamber 25, reduce the retention of undissolved salt in the upper layer, and avoid the compaction of the salt blocks to hinder the penetration of water flow, thereby improving the utilization rate of the salt in the salt chamber 25, thereby obtaining saturated salt water with stable concentration and achieving a more stable regeneration effect, that is, the resin in the resin tank 12 can be fully regenerated, thereby improving the softening efficiency of the water softener for raw water.

[0078] More specifically, the salt valve 30 is reused as an exhaust structure, and the water replenishment outlet 132 is reused as an exhaust port. After the regeneration mode ends, when the water softener is running in the water making mode, raw water enters the soft water chamber 111 through the water inlet 112. When the water level in the resin chamber 121 rises, the air in the resin tank 12 converges at the water replenishment outlet 132 through the resin chamber 121 and the connecting chamber 164. The air flowing out of the water replenishment outlet 132 enters the salt box 20 through the salt valve 30. The exhaust path in the salt box 20 is that the air flows through the receiving chamber section 241, the lower channel section 242, the grille hole 221, and the salt chamber 25 in sequence. Since the salt chamber 25 is connected to the atmosphere through the connecting structure 27, the air entering the salt chamber 25 is discharged from the salt box 20 through the connecting structure 27.

[0079] The above description is only an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural changes made by using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings under the technical concept of the present invention, or directly / indirectly applied in other related technical fields are included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A water softener, characterized in that: include: A main box, wherein the main box is provided with a soft water chamber, and a water inlet and a water outlet communicating with the soft water chamber; An exhaust structure is connected to the main box, and the soft water chamber is connected to the atmosphere through the exhaust structure. The exhaust structure is used to exhaust the air in the soft water chamber.

2. The water softener according to claim 1, characterized in that: The communication position between the exhaust structure and the soft water chamber is located at the highest point of the top wall of the main box.

3. The water softener according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main box includes a resin tank and a waterway plate arranged above the resin tank, the resin tank includes a resin cavity and a water inlet connected to the top of the resin cavity, the waterway plate is provided with a water passage cavity connected to the water inlet and the water inlet, the soft water cavity includes the resin cavity and the water passage cavity, and the exhaust structure is connected to the water passage cavity.

4. The water softener according to claim 3, characterized in that: The waterway plate is also provided with a water replenishment outlet connected to the water passage chamber. The water softener also includes a salt box and a salt valve. The salt box is arranged above the waterway plate, and the salt box is connected to the water replenishment outlet through the salt valve.

5. The water softener according to claim 4, characterized in that: The salt box is provided with a connecting structure connected to the atmosphere, and the exhaust structure is configured as the salt valve; Alternatively, the waterway plate is further provided with an exhaust hole connected to the water passage cavity, the exhaust hole and the water replenishment outlet are configured with different structures, and the exhaust structure is configured as an exhaust valve provided on the exhaust hole.

6. The water softener according to claim 4, characterized in that: The water passage cavity comprises a water passage inlet, a water passage channel, a water passage outlet and a connecting cavity, the water inlet is connected to the water passage channel through the water passage inlet, the water passage channel is connected to the water inlet through the water passage outlet, and the water passage outlet is connected to the water replenishment outlet through the connecting cavity; The waterway plate includes a cover body and a tube body arranged on the cover body, the cover opening of the cover body faces downward and is connected to the water inlet, the water passage and the water outlet are arranged on the tube body, and the connecting cavity is formed between the tube body and the cover wall of the cover body.

7. The water softener according to claim 6, characterized in that: The water replenishment outlet is arranged on the top wall of the cover body and is located outside the tube body.

8. The water softener according to claim 6, characterized in that: The tube body includes a first tube section arranged inside the cover body, the lower end surface of the first tube section is provided with the water outlet, the first tube section extends along the length direction of the water inlet, and / or the water outlet extends along the length direction of the water inlet.

9. The water softener according to claim 4, characterized in that: The salt valve comprises: A base, provided with a water injection channel, a water injection inlet and a water injection outlet connected to the water injection channel, the water injection inlet is connected to the water replenishment outlet, and the water injection outlet is connected to the salt box; and The floating member comprises a connected float and a valve plug. When the float rises to a first sealing position, the valve plug seals and cooperates with the edge of the water injection outlet to block the communication between the water injection channel and the water injection outlet.

10. The water softener according to claim 9, characterized in that: The bottom wall of the salt box is provided with a mounting column, the salt valve is mounted on the mounting column, and the mounting column is provided with a water injection hole communicated with the water replenishment outlet.

11. The water softener according to claim 10, characterized in that: The water softener also includes a transfer seat, which is sealed and connected between the salt box and the waterway plate and is provided with a transfer channel, and the transfer channel is connected between the water injection hole and the water replenishment outlet.

12. The water softener according to claim 4, characterized in that: The salt box comprises a box body and a salt grid, wherein the salt grid is arranged in the box body to separate the inner cavity of the box body into an accommodation cavity and a salt cavity, the accommodation cavity is connected with the salt cavity through the grid holes of the salt grid, and the salt valve is arranged in the accommodation cavity.

13. The water softener according to claim 12, characterized in that: The salt grid includes a first partition and a second partition connected to each other, the first partition extends vertically, the second partition extends horizontally and is provided with the grid holes, the placement cavity includes a receiving cavity section and a lower channel section that are connected, the receiving cavity section is arranged on a side of the first partition away from the second partition, the lower channel section is arranged below the second partition, and the salt cavity is arranged on a side of the first partition close to the second partition.

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