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, a salt box and a salt valve, 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 salt box is provided with a salt cavity communicated with the soft water cavity; the salt valve is communicated with the salt cavity and the water softening cavity, and the salt valve is configured to enable water in the water softening cavity to flow to the salt cavity through the salt valve in a water production mode; according to the technical scheme, the overall structure of the water softener can be simplified.

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, a water softener is usually provided with a corresponding water replenishment branch and a control valve thereon to realize the water replenishment operation of the salt tank to obtain salt water with a certain concentration, which results in a relatively complex structure and high cost. Summary of the invention

[0003] The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a water softener, aiming to simplify the overall structure 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] A salt box, provided with a salt chamber connected to the soft water chamber;

[0007] A salt valve is connected to the salt chamber and the soft water chamber. The salt valve is configured so that water in the soft water chamber flows to the salt chamber through the salt valve in a water production mode.

[0008] In one embodiment, the main box includes a resin tank and a waterway plate arranged above the resin tank, the resin tank is provided with 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 a cavity provided at the resin cavity and the water passage cavity, and the salt valve is connected to the water passage cavity.

[0009] In one embodiment, the water softener further comprises an upper water distributor arranged at the water inlet, the water passage chamber comprises a connecting chamber located above the upper water distributor, the waterway plate further comprises a water replenishment outlet connected to the connecting chamber, and the water replenishment outlet is connected to the salt valve.

[0010] In one embodiment, the water flow chamber further includes a water flow inlet, a water flow channel and a water flow outlet, the water inlet is connected to the water flow channel through the water flow inlet, the water flow channel is connected to the water inlet through the water flow outlet, the water flow outlet is connected to the water replenishment outlet through the connecting chamber, and the water flow outlet is arranged corresponding to the middle part of the water inlet.

[0011] In one embodiment, 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, the connecting cavity is formed between the tube body and the cover wall of the cover body, and the water replenishment outlet is arranged on the top wall of the cover body.

[0012] 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.

[0013] In one embodiment, the salt valve comprises:

[0014] 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 soft water chamber, and the water injection outlet is connected to the salt box; and

[0015] 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.

[0016] In one embodiment, the salt valve further comprises a flow limiting structure provided at the water injection inlet, and the flow limiting structure is used to adjust the water flow rate flowing into the water injection channel.

[0017] In one embodiment, the flow limiting structure includes a flow limiting plate that can be elastically deformed, the flow limiting plate is provided with a flow limiting hole, and the water injection inlet is connected to the water injection channel through the flow limiting hole.

[0018] In one embodiment, the water injection outlet is provided with an outlet sealing ring, and at the first sealing position, the valve plug is sealingly connected to the outlet sealing ring.

[0019] In one embodiment, the float is provided with a cylinder body with its mouth facing downward, the cylinder body is arranged around the outer periphery of the base, and is spaced from the peripheral side of the base to form a water-passing space, and a buoyancy cavity is constructed above the inner cavity of the cylinder body.

[0020] In one embodiment, a water-passing notch communicating with the water-passing space is provided at the bottom of the cylinder body, and at the first sealing position, an upper edge of the water-passing notch is lower than an upper edge of the water injection outlet.

[0021] In one embodiment, the salt valve is configured as a solenoid valve.

[0022] 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.

[0023] 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.

[0024] In the technical solution of the present invention, the water flow in the soft water chamber is directed to the salt chamber through the salt valve, so as to synchronously replenish water to the salt box in the water production mode. In this way, the salt valve serves as a control valve on the water replenishment water path, and reuses part or all of the structure of the soft water chamber as a part of the water replenishment water path of the salt box. At this time, the water replenishment process of the salt box does not need to rely on an additionally arranged water replenishment branch and the control valve thereon, which can simplify the overall structure of the water softener and effectively reduce costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] 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.

[0026] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of a water softener provided by the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Top view of the water softener;

[0028] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Sectional view of the medium water softener cut along section line AA;

[0029] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Explosion diagram of the salt tank and waterway plate;

[0030] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the middle waterway plate;

[0031] Figure 6 for Figure 5 Cross-sectional view of the waterway plate;

[0032] Figure 7 for Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of the middle salt box;

[0033] Figure 8 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the resin tank;

[0034] Fig. 9 for Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the explosion of the medium salt valve;

[0035] Fig.10 This is a cross-sectional view of the salt valve, where the floating part is supported on the outlet sealing ring;

[0036] Fig.11 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;

[0037] Fig.12 for Fig. 9 Schematic diagram of the structure of the middle float.

[0038] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0039] 10. Main box; 111. Soft water chamber; 112. Water inlet; 113. Water outlet; 12. Resin tank; 121. Resin chamber; 122. Water inlet; 123. Installation step; 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;

[0040] 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. Installation column; 261. Water injection hole; 27. Installation guide rib;

[0041] 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; 325. Sealing cone; 326. Mounting boss; 33. Outlet sealing ring;

[0042] 40. current limiting structure; 41. current limiting sheet; 411. current limiting hole; 42. fixing seat; 421. receiving groove; 422. water through hole;

[0043] 50. Upper water distributor; 60. Adapter; 61. Transfer channel.

[0044] 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

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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.

[0047] 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.

[0048] 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, a water softener is usually provided with a corresponding water replenishment branch and a control valve thereon to realize the water replenishment operation of the salt tank to obtain salt water with a certain concentration, which results in a relatively complex structure and high cost.

[0049] In order to solve this technical problem, the present invention provides a water softener.

[0050] See also Figures 1 to 12In one embodiment of the present invention, the water softener includes a main tank 10, a salt tank 20 and a salt valve 30. The main tank 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 salt tank 20 is provided with a salt chamber 25 connected to the soft water chamber 111; the salt valve 30 connects the salt chamber 25 and the soft water chamber 111, and the salt valve 30 is configured so that the water in the soft water chamber 111 flows to the salt chamber 25 through the salt valve 30 in the water making mode; in this way, the water replenishment of the salt tank 20 in the water softener is achieved.

[0051] In the technical solution of the present invention, the water flow in the soft water chamber 111 is directed to the salt chamber 25 through the salt valve 30, so as to synchronously replenish water to the salt box 20 in the water production mode. In this way, the salt valve 30 serves as a control valve on the water replenishment water path, and reuses part or all of the structure of the soft water chamber 111 as part of the water replenishment water path of the salt box 20. At this time, the water replenishment process of the salt box 20 does not need to rely on an additionally arranged water replenishment branch and the control valve thereon, which can simplify the overall structure of the water softener and effectively reduce costs.

[0052] Specifically, the water softener includes a salt tank 20, a main tank 10 and a salt valve 30. The main tank 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 tank 10, and the formed soft water can meet the water needs of the user; since the soft water chamber 111 of the main tank 10 is connected to the salt chamber 25 of the salt tank 20, and the reused salt valve 30 is used as a control valve for the connection position between the soft water chamber 111 and the salt chamber 25, in the process of replenishing water flow to the soft water chamber 111, part of the water flow can flow into the salt chamber 25 through the salt valve 30, that is, the water replenishment process of the salt tank 20 is in the water making mode. The water mode is carried out, which can effectively simplify the water path in the water softener, thereby simplifying the overall structure of the water softener and reducing costs; wherein, the water added to the salt tank 20 is raw water or a mixture of soft water and raw water. When the water flow is raw water, the loss of soft water can be reduced to ensure the normal supply of soft water. When the water flow is a mixture of soft water and raw water, because the soft water does not contain calcium and magnesium ions under the action of resin particles, it will not compete with salt when dissolving salt blocks, that is, salt water close to saturation concentration can be uniformly and quickly formed in the salt tank 20, thereby improving the resin regeneration efficiency and ensuring the stable operation of the regeneration mode of the water softener. Specifically, the raw water is an untreated external water source, which can be tap water.

[0053] 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.

[0054] See also Figure 1 and Figure 3 In 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 is provided with 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 a portion disposed in the resin chamber 121 and the water passage chamber 131. The salt valve 30 is connected to the water passage chamber 131. In this way, the salt valve 30 and the waterway plate 13 are both disposed above the resin tank 12. When the main box 10 is full of water, that is, the resin tank 12 and the water passage chamber 131 of the soft water chamber 111 are both full of water, raw water enters the water passage chamber 131 through the water inlet 112, and most of the raw water will directly flow to the salt valve 30, effectively preventing excessive soft water from entering the salt tank 20 with the raw water, thereby ensuring a stable and reliable soft water supply of the water softener.

[0055] 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 in an empty tank state, the raw water entering the water passage chamber 131 of the water channel plate 13 will only flow toward the resin chamber 121 of the resin tank 12 first, and the water level in the resin tank 12 rises while the air in the tank is discharged, and the resin particles soften the raw water entering the resin chamber 121 to form soft water; until the resin chamber 121 and the water passage chamber 131 are 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 in the empty tank state, which can reduce the problem of low water output of the resin tank 12 caused by diversion; the second is during daily use, that is, when the resin tank 12 is in a water state, specifically a full water state, the raw water entering the water passage chamber 131 will flow downward to the resin chamber 121 and upward to the salt chamber 25 at the same time. When the resin is close to saturation or has been saturated, in the regeneration mode of the water softener, the brine in the salt box 20 can flow into the resin tank 12, so that the resin can restore its ability to soften water and flow out of the resin tank 12. At this time, there is no water in the resin tank 12, and it is in an empty tank state.

[0056] 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.

[0057] See also Figure 3 and Figure 8 In an embodiment of the present invention, the water softener further comprises an upper water distributor 50 disposed at the water inlet 122, the water passage chamber 131 comprises a connecting chamber 164 located above the upper water distributor 50, and the waterway plate 13 is further provided with a water replenishment outlet 132 connected to the connecting chamber 164, and the water replenishment outlet 132 is connected to the salt valve 30. In this way, the upper water distributor 50 plays a separating role, and the water passage chamber 131 and the resin chamber 121 are separated by the upper water distributor 50. On the one hand, the possibility of resin particles entering the connecting chamber 164 from the water inlet 122 is effectively reduced. On the other hand, the amount of soft water formed that flows back into the connecting chamber 164 and follows the raw water through the water replenishment outlet 132 to the salt tank 20 can be reduced, thereby increasing the output of soft water flowing out of the soft water chamber 111 through the water outlet 113 to meet the soft water needs of users.

[0058] Specifically, the inner wall of the water inlet 122 is provided with an installation step 123, so that the upper water distributor 50 is fixed in the resin tank 12 through the installation step 123, and a sealing ring is fixed on the outer peripheral surface of the upper water distributor 50, and the sealing ring seals against the inner wall of the water inlet 122, which can prevent water from flowing out of the resin tank 12 through the assembly gap between the upper water distributor 50 and the water inlet 122. The water softener is also provided with a lower water distributor, which is connected to the water outlet 113 and the resin cavity 121, and while playing the role of uniform water distribution, it reduces the possibility of resin particles escaping from the resin tank 12 through the water outlet 113.

[0059] And as Figure 2As shown, the water softener also includes an adapter seat 60, which is sealed and connected between the salt box 20 and the waterway plate 13, and is provided with an adapter channel 61, and the adapter channel 61 is connected between the water injection hole 261 of the salt box 20 and the water replenishment outlet 132, which can not only ensure that there is no water leakage at the docking position of the water replenishment outlet 132 and the water injection hole 261, but also ensure the 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.

[0060] See also Figures 5 to 6 In the embodiment of the present invention, the water passage chamber 131 further includes a water passage inlet 161, a water passage channel 162 and a water passage outlet 163. 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. The water passage outlet 163 is arranged corresponding to the middle part of the water inlet 122. , through the central setting of the water outlet 163, on the one hand, the water flowing out through the water outlet 163 can flow to the upper water distributor 50 more evenly, improving the uniform water distribution effect of the upper water distributor 50. On the other hand, the water outlet 163 is far away from the water inlet and is close to the water replenishment outlet 132 through its central setting, which can effectively shorten the path length from the water outlet 163 to the water replenishment outlet 132, so that the raw water can flow directly to the water replenishment outlet 132 more, reducing the amount of soft water accompanying its flow. In addition, the water passage 162 is not directly connected to the water replenishment outlet 132, which can avoid the situation where the raw water flowing into the waterway plate 13 is diverted to the water replenishment outlet 132 when the resin tank 12 is in the empty tank state, ensuring 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 an embodiment of the present invention, 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, the communication cavity 164 is formed between the tube body 15 and the cover wall of the cover body 14, and the water replenishment outlet 132 is disposed on the top 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 between the waterway plate 13 and the resin tank 12;

[0062] The cover 14 is arranged above the resin tank 12, so that the cover 14 and the upper end of the resin tank 12 are enclosed to form a water passage cavity 131, wherein a tube 15 is arranged inside the cover 14, so that the cover wall of the cover 14, the tube 15 and the upper end of the resin tank 12 are enclosed together to form a communication cavity 164, and a water passage channel 162 and a water passage outlet 163 are formed on the tube 15 to guide the water flow along the water passage channel 162 and enter the flow cavity through the water passage outlet 163. When the water inlet 122 is in the middle position, it is ensured that the water flowing to the upper water distributor 50 is more evenly distributed in the upper water distributor 50; and in order to reduce the amount of soft water entering the salt box 20, the water replenishment outlet 132 is set on the top wall of the cover body 14, so that after the connecting chamber 164 is full of water, that is, the water flow gives priority to and fills the resin chamber 121 to meet the user's soft water needs, the water in the water passage chamber 131 will enter the salt chamber 25 through the salt valve 30 from the water replenishment outlet 132 to prepare for resin regeneration.

[0063] See also Figure 6 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 water passage in the first pipe section 151. The water channel 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 of the first pipe segment 151 and the cover body 14.

[0064] 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.

[0065] See also Figure 3 , Figures 9 to 12 In an embodiment of the present invention, the salt valve 30 comprises:

[0066] 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 soft water chamber 111, and the water injection outlet 313 is connected to the salt box 20; and

[0067] 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 .

[0068] 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 down relative to the base 31. The water flowing through the water replenishment outlet 132 on the soft water chamber 111 can enter the water injection channel 311 through 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 makes the floating member 321 move together with the floating member 321. The valve plug 324 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 water from flowing through the water injection outlet 313 and stop replenishing the salt box 20. In this way, compared with using electric drive to control the water injection amount, the salt valve 30 can accurately control the water injection amount entering the salt box 20 to achieve automatic replenishment and control of the water flow and ensure 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 fully dissolve the salt blocks through a quantitative water injection amount to form saturated brine with a stable concentration, thereby ensuring the stable operation of the regeneration mode of the water softener. In addition, since no additional sensors or complex control systems are required, the maintenance difficulty and maintenance cost are reduced.

[0069] 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 which 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.

[0070] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present invention, the salt valve 30 further includes a flow limiting structure 40 disposed at the water injection inlet 312, and the flow limiting structure 40 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 is possible to 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, a stable water injection amount is conducive to a more complete dissolution of the salt blocks in the salt box 20, thereby promoting the stability of the concentration of the formed brine and improving the regeneration effect of the resin.

[0071] In addition, due to the combination of the flow-limiting structure 40 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 40, and 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 can be 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 40 is provided at the water replenishment outlet 132.

[0072] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present invention, the flow limiting structure 40 includes a flow limiting sheet 41 capable of elastic deformation, the flow limiting sheet 41 is provided with a flow limiting hole 411, and the water injection inlet 312 is connected to the water injection channel 311 through the flow limiting hole 411. In this way, by using the setting of the flow limiting hole 411, a stable pressure difference can be formed on both sides of the flow limiting hole 411, and then the flow rate can be controlled by controlling the pressure difference. Combined with the elastic deformation ability of the flow limiting sheet 41, the water flow passing through the flow limiting hole 411 can be stabilized. The flow rate and flow rate can be stabilized, and the possibility of the water flow directly impacting the valve plug 324 due to its high speed and large flow rate, and directly rising to press the water injection outlet 313, thereby improving the control effect of the salt valve 30 on the water flow. In this embodiment, the flow limiting sheet 41 is specifically configured as a rubber sheet. Of course, other flow limiting sheets 41 capable of elastic deformation are also applicable, and are not limited here.

[0073] Specifically, the flow limiting structure 40 also includes a fixed seat 42, and the fixed seat 42 is provided with a receiving groove 421 on the end face close to the water injection channel 311. The bottom of the receiving groove 421 is provided with a water through hole 422 with a larger aperture than the flow limiting hole 411. The flow limiting sheet 41 is arranged in the receiving groove 421, and the flow limiting hole 411 is connected with the water through hole 422, so that the water entering the water injection inlet 312 passes through the water through hole 422 and the flow limiting hole 411 in sequence and flows to the water injection channel 311. Since the aperture of the water through hole 422 is larger than the aperture of the flow limiting hole 411, the water through hole 422 serves as a buffer transition hole, which can slow down the flow toward the flow limiting hole 411. The impact force of the water flow, and further, the flow limiting hole 411 on the flow limiting plate 41 and its elastic deformation performance can further buffer the water flow, so that the flow velocity and flow rate of the water flowing through the flow limiting hole 411 are stable, and then the water flows into the water injection channel 311, and flows out from the water injection outlet 313 to stably replenish the salt box 20, and the water level rises and fluctuates slightly; and when its pressure is sufficient to lift the floating member 32 to the first sealing position, the valve plug 324 of the floating member 32 presses against the edge of the water injection outlet 313, preventing the water flow from continuing to pass through the water injection outlet 313, thereby stopping the water replenishment of the salt box 20, and achieving the purpose of accurately controlling the water injection amount. The fixing seat 42 can be installed on the water injection inlet 312 by bonding, interference connection, plugging, etc.

[0074] See also Fig.12 In an embodiment of the present invention, the water injection outlet 313 is provided with an outlet sealing ring 33. At the first sealing position, the valve plug 324 is sealingly connected to the outlet sealing ring 33. In this way, by setting the outlet sealing ring 33 at the water injection outlet 313, when the valve plug 324 moves to the first sealing position with the float 321, the valve plug 324 is sealingly abutted against the outlet sealing ring 33 to achieve the blocking of the water injection outlet 313, thereby blocking the connection between the water injection channel 311 and the water injection outlet 313, and stopping the water replenishment operation to the salt box 20.

[0075] Specifically, the valve plug 324 is provided with a sealing cone surface 325 which is gradually expanded in a direction from top to bottom. The sealing cone surface 325 abuts against the lower end surface of the outlet sealing ring 33 at the first sealing position, so as to enhance the sealing effect of the valve plug 324 on the water injection outlet 313; the sealing cone surface 325 can be replaced by a sealing step surface in other embodiments.

[0076] See also Figures 10 to 11In 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 smoothly On the other hand, the barrel body 322 is arranged around the outer periphery of the base 31, and the barrel body 322 and the peripheral side of the base 31 are arranged at intervals 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 connected to the outlet of the salt box 20 and reaches the upper edge of the outlet, the water in the salt box 20 is discharged from the outlet. The water seal is formed at the outlet of the barrel body 322, that is, the air in the barrel body 322 is sealed between the barrel body 322 and the base 31. Specifically, according to the characteristics of the air, the air constructs a buoyancy chamber 302 above the inner cavity of the barrel body 322, which can provide buoyancy to the floating member 32. Specifically, before the buoyancy chamber 302 is formed in the barrel 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, the water in the salt box 20 forms a water seal at the outlet, so that A stream of air is sealed between the floating member 32 and the base 31 to provide buoyancy to the floating member 32. When the water flow 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 floating member 32 will move upward relative to the base 31 as the water injection amount increases. When the floating member 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 water injection into the water flow space 301, thereby ensuring strict control of the water injection amount of the salt box 20.

[0077] Specifically, in the embodiment of the present invention, a mounting boss 326 is provided on the inner side surface of the top wall of the barrel body 322, and the peripheral side surface of the mounting boss 326 is spaced apart from the side wall surface of the barrel body 322. When the float 321 descends to the second sealing position, the lower end surface of the mounting boss 326 abuts against the outlet sealing ring 33, so that the base 31 can support the floating member 32 and restrict the descending range of the floating member 32. It can also block the connection between the water injection outlet 313 and the salt box 20 to a certain extent, prevent the water flow in the salt box 20 from overflowing the salt box 20 through the salt valve 30, and ensure the amount of salt water in the salt box 20; and the spacing between the peripheral side surface of the mounting boss 326 and the side wall surface of the barrel body 322 can make the air sealed between the base 31 and the float 321 at least gather between the peripheral side surface of the mounting boss 326 and the side wall surface of the barrel body 322, so as to ensure the formation of the buoyancy chamber 302.

[0078] See also Fig.12 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.

[0079] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present invention, the salt valve 30 is configured as a solenoid valve. In this case, the water softener further includes a control device electrically connected to the solenoid valve, and a corresponding water level detection device. In this way, under the control of the control device, the solenoid valve can control the on-off of the water flow to achieve control of the amount of water injected into the salt box 20. However, the present design is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the salt valve 30 is configured as an electric valve.

[0080] See also Figures 3 to 4In an 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 cavity 24 and a salt cavity 25. The placement cavity 24 is communicated with the salt cavity 25 through a grid hole 221 of the salt grid 22. The salt valve 30 is arranged in the placement cavity 24. In this way, the salt valve 30 is separated from the salt block in the salt cavity 25, and the placement cavity 24 is communicated with the salt cavity 25 through the grid hole 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 cavity 25 to obtain saturated salt water, thereby ensuring the regeneration efficiency of the resin in the water softener.

[0081] Specifically, Figure 3 and Figure 7 As shown, a mounting column 26 is provided in the placement cavity 24, and the base 31 of 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 injection inlet 312. 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 can be sealed and installed in the water injection inlet 312 through a claw assembly to achieve the connection between the water injection inlet 312 and the water injection hole 261, thereby ensuring that water flows into the salt box 20 through the salt valve 30; further, when a flow limiting structure 40 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 40, which helps to improve the installation stability of the flow limiting structure 40 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 .

[0082] Furthermore, if Figure 7 As shown, the installation cavity 24 is further provided with an installation guide rib 27, and the installation guide rib 27 is used to guide the salt valve 30 to be installed on the installation column 26. In this way, through the guiding effect of the installation guide rib 27, the water injection inlet 312 of the salt valve 30 can be quickly aligned with the installation column 26, so that the base 31 can be smoothly installed on the installation column 26, thereby improving the assembly efficiency of the salt valve 30.

[0083] See also Figure 4In 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 connected to each other, 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 to obtain saturated brine.

[0084] 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.

[0085] 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; A salt box, provided with a salt chamber connected to the soft water chamber; A salt valve is connected to the salt chamber and the soft water chamber. The salt valve is configured so that water in the soft water chamber flows to the salt chamber through the salt valve in a water production mode.

2. 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 is provided with 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 a cavity provided at the resin cavity and the water passage cavity, and the salt valve is connected to the water passage cavity.

3. The water softener according to claim 2, characterized in that: The water softener also includes an upper water distributor arranged at the water inlet, the water passage chamber includes a connecting chamber located above the upper water distributor, the waterway plate is also provided with a water replenishment outlet connected to the connecting chamber, and the water replenishment outlet is connected to the salt valve.

4. The water softener according to claim 3, characterized in that: The water flow cavity also includes a water flow inlet, a water flow channel and a water flow outlet. The water inlet is connected to the water flow channel through the water flow inlet, the water flow channel is connected to the water inlet through the water flow outlet, the water flow outlet is connected to the water replenishment outlet through the connecting cavity, and the water flow outlet is arranged corresponding to the middle part of the water inlet.

5. The water softener according to claim 4, characterized in that: 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, the connecting cavity is formed between the tube body and the cover wall of the cover body, and the water replenishment outlet is arranged on the top wall of the cover body.

6. The water softener according to claim 5, 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.

7. The water softener according to claim 1, 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 soft water chamber, 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.

8. The water softener according to claim 7, characterized in that: The salt valve further comprises a flow-limiting structure arranged at the water injection inlet, and the flow-limiting structure is used to adjust the water flow rate flowing into the water injection channel.

9. The water softener according to claim 8, characterized in that: The flow-limiting structure comprises a flow-limiting plate capable of elastic deformation, the flow-limiting plate is provided with a flow-limiting hole, and the water injection inlet is connected to the water injection channel through the flow-limiting hole.

10. The water softener according to claim 7, characterized in that: The water injection outlet is provided with an outlet sealing ring, and at the first sealing position, the valve plug is sealingly connected to the outlet sealing ring.

11. The water softener according to claim 7, characterized in that: The float is provided with a cylinder body with a cylinder mouth facing downwards, the cylinder body is arranged around the outer periphery of the base, and is spaced from the peripheral side of the base to form a water-passing space, and a buoyancy cavity is constructed above the inner cavity of the cylinder body.

12. The water softener according to claim 11, characterized in that: A water-passing notch communicating with the water-passing space is provided at the bottom of the cylinder body. At the first sealing position, the upper edge of the water-passing notch is lower than the upper edge of the water injection outlet.

13. The water softener according to claim 1, characterized in that: The salt valve is configured as a solenoid valve.

14. The water softener according to claim 1, 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.

15. The water softener according to claim 14, 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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