Water softening valve and water softening equipment

Abstract

The soft water valve comprises a valve shell, a driving mechanism and a valve element, the valve shell is provided with a water passing channel, a raw water pipe, a soft water pipe, a salt absorption water injection opening, a waste water opening, a raw water outlet and a soft water inlet are formed in the valve shell, the valve element is movably arranged in the water passing channel, the valve element comprises a piston rod and a piston body, and the piston body is provided with a hollow channel. A hollow channel is formed in the piston body, a Venturi tube is arranged in the hollow channel, a water inlet, a salt suction port and a water outlet are formed in the piston body, the Venturi tube is provided with a water inlet runner, a suction port and a mixed water runner, the water inlet runner is normally communicated with the water inlet, the suction port is normally communicated with the salt suction port, and the mixed water runner is normally communicated with the water outlet; the driving mechanism is used for driving the valve element to move, and communication of the salt absorption water injection opening and the waste water opening is controlled through the position of the valve element in the water passing channel. According to the soft water valve, a salt absorption valve does not need to be arranged on the salt absorption water injection opening, the salt absorption water injection opening can be controlled to be communicated directly by controlling the movement of the valve element, and switching of multiple modes of salt absorption regeneration and water supplementing of the soft water valve is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of water treatment equipment, and in particular relates to a soft water valve. Background Art

[0002] A water softener valve is a core component of a water softener. It controls functions such as water intake and salt absorption and regeneration. Existing water softeners typically consist of a valve core and a salt absorption valve. The salt absorption valve is installed on the salt absorption port, controlling its opening and closing. The valve core controls the direction of water flow within the valve housing, thereby switching between various functions of the water softener. When in the salt absorption mode, the salt absorption valve on the salt absorption port opens, allowing salt water from the salt tank to enter the valve housing and then into the resin tank for resin regeneration. Some water softeners utilize a separate salt flow channel within the valve housing that connects to the salt tank. This salt absorption valve controls salt flow into the valve housing and connects the salt flow channel to the main flow channel within the valve housing. When salt absorption or water replenishment is required, the salt absorption valve and valve core work together to connect the salt flow channel to the main flow channel. Consequently, existing water softeners rely on the combined efforts of the valve core and salt absorption valve to achieve salt absorption and regeneration. This requires multiple valve bodies, resulting in a complex control system for the entire water softener. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide a water softening valve to solve the problem that the existing water softening valve needs to be additionally provided with a salt absorption valve to control salt absorption.

[0004] The soft water valve of the present invention can be realized by the following technical solutions:

[0005] A soft water valve, comprising a valve housing, a drive mechanism, and a valve core; the valve housing having a water passage, the valve housing being provided with a raw water pipe, a soft water pipe, a salt absorption water injection port, a waste water port, a raw water outlet, and a soft water inlet; the raw water outlet and the soft water inlet being connected via a resin tank, and the soft water pipe being connected to the soft water inlet;

[0006] The valve core is movably arranged in the water passage, and the valve core includes a piston rod and a piston body. The piston body has a hollow channel, and a venturi tube is arranged in the hollow channel. The piston body is provided with a water inlet, a salt intake port and a water outlet. The venturi tube has a water inlet flow channel, a suction port and a mixed water flow channel. The water inlet flow channel is always connected to the water inlet, the suction port is always connected to the salt intake port, and the mixed water flow channel is always connected to the water outlet.

[0007] The driving mechanism is used to drive the valve core to move, and the conduction between the salt absorption water injection port and the wastewater port is controlled by the position of the valve core in the water passage.

[0008] In one embodiment, the water passage includes a first water passage and a second water passage, the salt absorption water injection port is connected to the first water passage, and the waste water port is connected to the second water passage; the front end of the piston body is provided with a first sealing portion, and the first sealing portion is sealed with the inner wall surface of the second water passage.

[0009] In one embodiment, a support sleeve is provided in the first water passage, a water outlet is provided on the support sleeve, the water outlet is opposite to the salt absorption and water injection port, and the valve core is passed through the support sleeve.

[0010] In one embodiment, the support sleeve includes a support tube and support legs, the water outlet is opened on the support tube, a plurality of support legs are located at one end of the support tube, the support legs are abutted against the second water inlet channel port, and water inlet grooves are formed between adjacent support legs.

[0011] In one embodiment, the piston body is further provided with a second sealing portion and a third sealing portion, and the second sealing portion and the third sealing portion are sealed in cooperation with the support sleeve.

[0012] In one embodiment, the diameter of the water inlet channel gradually decreases along the direction of water flow, and the diameter of the mixed water channel gradually increases along the direction of water flow. A first constriction is formed at the smallest diameter of the water inlet channel, and a second constriction is formed at the smallest diameter of the mixed water channel. Both the first constriction and the second constriction are connected to the suction port.

[0013] In one embodiment, the piston body includes a piston cylinder and a piston cover, the piston cover is connected to the piston rod, the piston cylinder and the piston cover are detachably connected, and the piston cylinder and the piston cover are combined to form the hollow channel.

[0014] In one embodiment, the inner wall surface of the piston cylinder is provided with a step surface, and the venturi tube is provided with a convex portion, and the convex portion is clamped on the step surface.

[0015] In one embodiment, the valve housing is provided with a bypass pipe, one end of the bypass pipe is communicated with the soft water inlet, and the other end is connected to the soft water pipe.

[0016] The present invention also provides a water softening device, comprising the above-mentioned water softening valve.

[0017] Compared to existing technologies, the water softener valve of the present invention offers the following advantages: a water passage is provided within the valve housing, the salt absorption and water injection port is connected to the water passage, the valve core is provided with a piston rod and a piston body, the piston rod is connected to a drive mechanism, and a Venturi tube is integrated within the piston body. By controlling the position of the piston body within the water passage, the water softener valve can switch between salt absorption and regeneration, water replenishment, and water shutoff modes. The water softener valve of the present invention eliminates the need for a separate salt absorption valve; a single valve core is required to achieve multiple mode switching. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the embodiments. The following drawings only illustrate certain embodiments of the present invention and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other relevant drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0019] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the soft water valve of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the valve core of the soft water valve of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the soft water valve of the present invention in a water-stopping state;

[0022] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the water softening valve of the present invention in a salt absorption and regeneration state;

[0023] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the soft water valve of the present invention in the water replenishing state;

[0024] Figure 6 It is an exploded schematic diagram of the valve core of the soft water valve of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the support sleeve of the soft water valve of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 8 It is a cross-sectional view of a Venturi tube in a valve core of a soft water valve of the present invention.

[0027] Indications in the figure: 1. Valve housing; 11. Raw water pipe; 12. Soft water pipe; 13. Salt absorption water injection port; 14. Bypass pipe; 215. Raw water outlet; 16. Soft water inlet; 17. Water passage; 171. First water passage; 172. Second water passage; 18. Support sleeve; 181. Water outlet; 182. Support pipe; 183. Support foot; 184. Water inlet notch; 3. Drive mechanism; 3. Valve core; 31. Piston rod; 311. Groove; 32. Piston body; 321. Piston cylinder; 3211. Hollow channel; 3212. Water inlet; 3213. Salt suction port; 3214. Water outlet; 3215. Step surface; 322. Piston cover; 3221. Block; 323. First sealing part; 324. Second sealing part; 325. Third sealing part; 33. Venturi tube; 331. Water inlet channel; 3311. First constriction; 332. Intake port; 333. Water mixing channel; 3331. Second constriction; 334. Protrusion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. The described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments.

[0029] It should be noted that the terms "first" and "second" are used only to describe the Magic City and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance. The terms "connected" and "connected" should be understood broadly, for example, they can refer to direct connections or indirect connections through intermediaries. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0030] like Figure 1-8 As shown, a soft water valve according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a valve housing 1, a driving mechanism 2 and a valve core 3. The valve housing 1 is provided with a raw water pipe 11, a soft water pipe 12, a salt water injection port 13, a raw water outlet 15 and a soft water inlet 16. The raw water pipe 11 is connected to the external tap water end to transport the raw water to be softened into the valve housing 1. The salt water injection port 13 is connected to the salt tank through a water pipe. The soft water pipe 12 is connected to the external water end to output the soft water produced after the resin tank is softened for use by the user. The raw water outlet 15 and the soft water inlet 16 are connected through the resin tank, that is, one of them is used to feed water into the resin tank, and the other is used to discharge the water in the resin tank, so that a circulating water circuit is formed inside the resin tank.

[0031] The valve housing 1 has a water passage 17, and the valve core 3 is movably arranged in the water passage 17. It can be understood that the valve core 3 can reciprocate relative to the valve housing 1. By controlling the position of the valve core 3 in the water passage 17, the connection and disconnection between the salt absorption water injection port 13 and the water passage 17 are controlled.

[0032] The valve core 3 includes a piston rod 31 and a piston body 32. The piston body 32 has a hollow channel 3211, and a venturi tube 33 is provided in the hollow channel 3211. The piston body 32 is provided with a water inlet 3212, a salt intake port 3213 and a water outlet 3214, all of which are connected to the hollow channel 3211. The venturi tube 33 has a water inlet channel 331, a suction port 332 and a mixing water channel 333. The water inlet channel 331 is always connected to the water inlet 3212, that is, raw water can flow into the water inlet channel 331 from the water inlet 3212; the suction port 332 is always connected to the salt absorption port 3213, that is, when the valve core 3 controls the soft water valve to be in the salt absorption regeneration state, salt water can flow out from the salt absorption port 3213 and then be sucked into the suction port 332; the mixing water channel 333 is always connected to the water outlet 3214, that is, water can flow through the mixing water channel 333 and then flow out from the water outlet 3214. This design can allow salt water and raw water to mix.

[0033] When the valve core 3 moves to a position that closes the entire water passage 17, the water passage 7 is in a water-stopping state, and the water softener valve can be in either the water-stopping or softening state. When the water softener valve is in the softening state, raw water enters the valve housing 1 through the raw water pipe 11, then flows out of the raw water outlet 15 and into the resin tank. After resin exchange, the raw water is softened, which flows into the valve housing 1 through the soft water inlet 16. Because the soft water pipe 12 is connected to the soft water inlet 16, the soft water finally flows out of the soft water pipe 12.

[0034] When the valve core 3 moves to the position where the salt intake port 3213 is opposite to the salt water injection port 13, the salt water injection port 13 and the water passage 17 are in a conducting state. The raw water can enter the hollow channel 3211 from the water inlet 3212, and then flow into the water inlet channel 331 of the venturi tube 33. Since the water inlet channel 331 is gradually narrowed, the venturi tube 33 generates a negative pressure at the suction port 332. The negative pressure causes the salt water in the salt tank to be sucked out. The salt water flows through the salt intake port 13 and the salt intake port 3213 in turn, and finally mixes with the raw water flowing out of the water inlet channel 331 at the suction port 332. After the salt water and the raw water are mixed, mixed water with a certain salt concentration is formed. After the mixed water flows through the mixed water channel 333, it flows out from the water outlet 3214, and then flows out from the soft water inlet 16 and enters the resin tank.

[0035] When the valve core 3 continues to move in the direction away from the salt water injection port 13, as the valve core 3 moves, the suction port 332 stops absorbing salt. At this time, the raw water flows into the hollow channel 3211 from the water inlet 3212, flows out from the salt suction port 3213, and finally flows into the salt tank from the salt suction injection port 13, replenishing water to the salt tank, thereby switching from the salt absorption regeneration state to the water replenishment state.

[0036] The soft water valve of the present invention can realize the switching between water stopping, salt absorption regeneration and water replenishment by controlling the movement of the valve core 3 so that the valve core 3 is at different positions in the water passage 17. There is no need to set a control valve for separately controlling salt absorption or water replenishment, which greatly simplifies the entire soft water valve salt absorption control system.

[0037] In this embodiment, a wastewater outlet (not shown in the figure) can also be provided on the valve housing 1. The wastewater outlet is connected to the raw water outlet 15. The wastewater outlet can be provided with a solenoid valve to control opening and closing. When the water passage 17 is in a water-stopping state, the wastewater outlet is in a closed state. When the water passage 17 is in a salt-absorbing state, raw water enters the water passage 17, the wastewater outlet is in an open state, and the wastewater in the resin tank can enter the valve housing from the raw water outlet 15 and then be discharged to the outside from the wastewater outlet. When the water passage 17 is in a water-supplementing state to the salt tank, the wastewater outlet is in a closed state. In this embodiment, the specific position of the wastewater outlet is not restricted, and an independent wastewater channel can be provided inside the corresponding valve housing 1 according to needs. It is only necessary to ensure that the wastewater outlet is connected to the raw water outlet 15.

[0038] The valve housing 1 can also be provided with a bypass pipe 14, with a water flow channel 17 connected to the soft water pipe 12, which is then connected to the bypass pipe 14, which is in communication with the soft water inlet 16. As a result, mixed water can flow through the soft water pipe 12 and the bypass pipe 14 in sequence, finally flowing into the resin tank through the soft water inlet 16. Bypass pipe 14 can also divert the soft water produced by the resin tank into multiple branches, making it suitable for diversion in various scenarios.

[0039] Specifically, such as Figure 2-3 As shown, the piston rod 31 is provided with a plurality of grooves 311, thereby reducing the friction between the piston rod 311 and the inner wall of the water passage 17, thereby making the force required to control the movement of the entire valve core 3 smaller, and at the same time, greatly reducing the wear of the entire valve core 3. The piston body 32 includes a piston cylinder 321 and a piston cover 322. The piston cover 322 is detachably connected to the piston rod 31. The piston cylinder 321 and the piston cover 322 are combined to form a hollow channel 3211 with closed ends. The piston body 32 is configured as a detachable structure. When installing the venturi tube 33, it is only necessary to remove the piston cover 322, directly insert the venturi tube 33 into the hollow channel, and adjust the position of the venturi tube 33 to quickly complete the installation of the venturi tube 33.

[0040] More specifically, the inner wall surface of the piston cylinder 321 is provided with a stepped surface 3215, and the venturi tube 33 is provided with a protrusion 334. The protrusion 324 is locked on the stepped surface 3215, so that the venturi tube 33 can be better restrained in the piston cylinder 321, preventing the venturi tube 33 from being displaced by the impact of the water flow. In this embodiment, a sealing ring can also be provided on the venturi tube 33. The sealing ring can ensure a tight fit between the venturi tube 33 and the inner wall surface of the piston cylinder 321, improving the sealing effect between the venturi tube 33 and the piston cylinder 321. On the one hand, it prevents the venturi tube 33 from being displaced, and on the other hand, it can prevent the phenomenon of some tap water and mixed water in the hollow channel 3211 from mixing, thereby affecting the concentration of the mixed brine.

[0041] like Figure 8 As shown, in this embodiment, the diameter of the water inlet channel 331 gradually decreases along the direction of water flow, while the diameter of the mixing water channel 333 gradually increases along the direction of water flow. The smallest diameter of the water inlet channel 331 forms a first constriction 3311, and the smallest diameter of the mixing water channel 333 forms a second constriction 3331, resulting in the narrowest point at which the two channels meet the suction port 332. As the water inlet channel 331 gradually decreases, the fluid accelerates, resulting in the lowest pressure at the suction port 332, enabling better salt absorption. The mixing water channel 333 gradually expands, decelerating the fluid and restoring pressure. Simultaneously, the diameter of the first constriction 3311 is D1, and the diameter of the second constriction 3331 is D2. By adjusting the sizes of D1 and D2, the mixing ratio of raw water and salt water can be adjusted. To accommodate different resin capacities, the piston cover 322 can be removed and replaced with a venturi tube 33 of different specifications to adjust the salt concentration in the mixed water during salt absorption.

[0042] like Figure 4 As shown, the water passage 17 includes a first water passage 171 and a second water passage 172. The salt water inlet 13 is connected to the first water passage 171. The front end of the piston body 32 is provided with a first sealing portion 323, which seals with the inner wall of the second water passage 172. When the first sealing portion 323 is in the second water passage 172, the water passage 7 is in a water-stopping state, and the soft water valve can now be in a soft water production working state. A support sleeve 18 is provided in the first water passage 171, and a water inlet 181 is provided on the support sleeve 18. The water inlet 181 is located opposite the salt water inlet 13, and the valve core 3 is inserted into the support sleeve 18. The cooperation between the support sleeve 18 and the piston body 32 can control the direction of water flow in the first water passage 171.

[0043] Specifically, such as Figure 7-8As shown, the support sleeve 18 includes a support tube 182 and support legs 183. A water outlet 181 is provided on the support tube 182. Several support legs 183 are located at one end of the support tube 182. The support legs 183 abut the end of the second water inlet channel 172, and a water channel 184 is formed between adjacent support legs 183. This design allows the support sleeve 18 to provide different cross-sectional sizes for different sections within the first water channel 171, simplifying the internal structure of the first water channel 171 and eliminating the need for multiple sections of pipelines with different cross-sectional areas. When the front end of the piston body 32 is located in the first water channel 171, the direction of water flow can be better controlled by controlling the movement of the piston body 32. When the first sealing portion 323 of the piston body 32 is located at the water channel 184, the first sealing portion 323 cannot seal with the water channel 184, so water in the first water channel 171 can flow into the second water channel 171. When the first sealing portion 323 is located in the support tube 182 , the first sealing portion 323 is sealed against the inner wall of the support tube 182 . At this time, water in the first water passage 171 cannot flow into the second water inlet passage 171 .

[0044] More specifically, the piston body 32 is further provided with a second sealing portion 324 and a third sealing portion 325, both of which are in sealing engagement with the support sleeve 18. It will be appreciated that both the second sealing portion 324 and the third sealing portion 235 can be in sealing engagement with the inner wall of the support tube 182. In this embodiment, the salt intake port 3213 is located between the second sealing portion 324 and the third sealing portion 325. When the second sealing portion 324 and the third sealing portion 325 are in sealing engagement with the inner wall of the support tube 182, and when the third sealing portion 325 and the second sealing portion 324 and the third sealing portion 325 are also in sealing engagement with the inner wall of the support tube 182, water can only flow from the salt intake port 17 to the salt intake port 3213.

[0045] An embodiment of the present invention also provides a water softening device, including the aforementioned water softening valve, which is used to control the operation of the water softening device. The water softening device also includes a salt tank and a resin tank. The salt tank's connection port and salt inlet 13 are connected via a water pipe, and the water softening valve is mounted on the resin tank. The water softening device of this embodiment is not limited to a water softener; it should be understood as any water inlet device capable of softening water.

[0046] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementation methods of the present invention. While the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent. A person skilled in the art would be able to make various modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present invention. These modifications and improvements fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. The scope of protection of the patent for this invention shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A soft water valve, characterized in that: It includes a valve housing, a drive mechanism and a valve core; the valve housing has a water passage, and is provided with a raw water pipe, a soft water pipe, a salt absorption water injection port, a raw water outlet and a soft water inlet. The raw water outlet and the soft water inlet are connected through a resin tank, and the soft water pipe is connected to the soft water inlet; The valve core is movably arranged in the water passage, and the valve core includes a piston rod and a piston body. The piston body has a hollow channel, and a venturi tube is arranged in the hollow channel. The piston body is provided with a water inlet, a salt intake port and a water outlet. The venturi tube has a water inlet flow channel, a suction port and a mixed water flow channel. The water inlet flow channel is always connected to the water inlet, the suction port is always connected to the salt intake port, and the mixed water flow channel is always connected to the water outlet. The driving mechanism is used to drive the valve core to move, and the conduction of the salt absorption and water injection port is controlled by the position of the valve core in the water passage.

2. The soft water valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water passage includes a first water passage and a second water passage. The salt absorption water injection port is connected to the first water passage. The front end of the piston body is provided with a first sealing portion, and the first sealing portion is sealed with the inner wall of the second water passage.

3. The soft water valve according to claim 2, characterized in that: A support sleeve is provided in the first water passage, and a water outlet is provided on the support sleeve. The water outlet is opposite to the salt absorption and water injection port, and the valve core is passed through the interior of the support sleeve.

4. The soft water valve according to claim 3, characterized in that: The support sleeve includes a support tube and support legs. The water outlet is opened on the support tube. Several support legs are located at one end of the support tube. The support legs are in contact with the second water inlet channel port, and water inlet slots are formed between adjacent support legs.

5. The soft water valve according to claim 3, characterized in that: The piston body is further provided with a second sealing portion and a third sealing portion, and the second sealing portion and the third sealing portion are in sealing cooperation with the support sleeve.

6. The soft water valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The diameter of the water inlet channel gradually decreases along the direction of water flow, and the diameter of the mixed water channel gradually increases along the direction of water flow. A first constriction is formed at the smallest diameter of the water inlet channel, and a second constriction is formed at the smallest diameter of the mixed water channel. Both the first constriction and the second constriction are connected to the suction port.

7. The soft water valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The piston body includes a piston cylinder and a piston cover. The piston cover is connected to the piston rod. The piston cylinder and the piston cover are detachably connected. The piston cylinder and the piston cover are combined to form the hollow channel.

8. The soft water valve according to claim 7, characterized in that: The inner wall surface of the piston cylinder is provided with a step surface, and the venturi tube is provided with a convex portion, and the convex portion is clamped on the step surface.

9. The soft water valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The valve housing is provided with a bypass pipe, one end of the bypass pipe is communicated with the soft water inlet, and the other end is connected to the soft water pipe.

10. A water softening device, characterized in that: The utility model comprises a soft water valve as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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