Grid assembly, water softening valve and water softener

Abstract

The invention discloses a grating assembly, a soft water valve and a water softener, and relates to the technical field of water softeners, an outer sealing ring groove is formed in the outer peripheral face of the grating assembly and used for installing an outer sealing ring, and the groove bottom wall of the outer sealing ring groove at least comprises a guide inclined face; the guide inclined face inclines towards the direction close to a groove opening of the outer sealing ring groove in the direction from the middle to the edge so that the outer sealing ring can be pushed outwards in an abutting mode, and the outer sealing ring can abut against the cavity wall of the valve cavity. According to the technical scheme, the sealing effect between the grating assembly and the valve cavity can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] As people's living standards continue to improve, their demands for daily water use are also becoming increasingly stringent. Residential water contains significant amounts of calcium and magnesium ions, and long-term use of water with high hardness can pose health risks. Water softeners are commonly used to remove calcium and magnesium ions from water. These devices are typically equipped with a water softener valve, which allows them to switch between different modes. However, the sealing between the valve body and the grille assembly in current water softeners is poor and needs to be optimized. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a grille assembly, a soft water valve and a water softener, aiming to improve the sealing between the valve body and the grille assembly.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the grille assembly proposed in the present invention is used for a soft water valve, which includes a valve body, the valve body is provided with a valve cavity, and the grille assembly is arranged in the valve cavity, and is characterized in that the outer peripheral surface of the grille assembly is provided with an outer sealing ring groove, the outer sealing ring groove is used for installing an outer sealing ring, and the groove bottom wall of the outer sealing ring groove includes at least one guiding inclined surface, and the guiding inclined surface is inclined in the direction from the middle to the edge toward the notch of the outer sealing ring groove to push the outer sealing ring outward so that the outer sealing ring is pressed against the cavity wall of the valve cavity.

[0005] In one embodiment, the included angle between the guide slope and the horizontal line ranges from 30° to 60°.

[0006] In one embodiment, the included angle between the guide slope and the horizontal line is 45°.

[0007] In one embodiment, the bottom wall of the outer sealing ring groove further includes a guide arc surface, and the shortest distance from the guide arc surface to the notch of the outer sealing ring groove is greater than the shortest distance from the guide inclined surface to the notch of the outer sealing ring groove.

[0008] In one embodiment, the grille assembly includes a plurality of spliced ​​grille units, and the outer sealing ring groove is formed on the splicing surface between two adjacent grille units.

[0009] In one embodiment, a first connecting structure and a second connecting structure are respectively provided at both ends of each grille unit, and the first connecting structure of one grille unit is used to engage with the second connecting structure of another grille unit to fix the two grille units.

[0010] In one embodiment, the first connection structure is configured as a hook, and the second connection structure is configured as a bayonet provided corresponding to the hook.

[0011] In one embodiment, an outer annular notch is provided on the end surface of each grille unit, and the outer annular notch of one grille unit and the outer annular notch of another grille unit overlap with each other to form the outer sealing ring groove.

[0012] In one embodiment, the grid assembly is further provided with a piston channel and an inner sealing ring groove communicating with the piston channel, and an inner sealing ring is provided in the inner sealing ring groove and protrudes toward the piston channel.

[0013] In one embodiment, the inner sealing ring is provided with grooves on both side walls along the axial direction of the inner sealing ring, and each inner sealing ring groove is provided with a retaining rib corresponding to each of the grooves.

[0014] In one embodiment, the clamping rib is gradually contracted from the root to the free end, and the clamping groove is gradually expanded from the groove bottom to the groove opening.

[0015] In one embodiment, the inner sealing ring groove is further provided with an abutment rib protruding axially toward the grille unit, and the abutment rib is used to press the inner sealing ring.

[0016] The present invention also proposes a soft water valve, comprising a valve body, a piston and the above-mentioned grille assembly, wherein the valve body is provided with a valve cavity, the grille assembly is arranged in the valve cavity, and the valve cavity is divided into a plurality of water flow cavities in sequence along its axial direction, and the piston is movably arranged in the piston channel of the grille assembly along the axial direction of the valve cavity to control the conduction and closing of the plurality of water flow cavities.

[0017] In one embodiment, the valve body is further provided with a soft tank interface, a water inlet channel, a water outlet channel, a sewage discharge channel, and a salt absorption and water injection channel, which are communicated with the valve cavity. The soft tank interface is provided with a side wall channel and a central channel, both of which are communicated with the valve cavity.

[0018] The multiple water passage chambers include a water inlet chamber connected to the water inlet channel, a side wall chamber connected to the side wall channel, a sewage discharge chamber connected to the sewage discharge channel, a central chamber connected to the central channel, a water outlet chamber connected to the water outlet channel, and a water injection and salt absorption chamber connected to the salt absorption and injection channel. The water inlet chamber, the side wall chamber, the sewage discharge chamber, the central chamber, the water outlet chamber and the water injection and salt absorption chamber are arranged in sequence along the axial direction of the valve chamber; the soft water valve has multiple water path modes, and the piston moves along the axial direction of the valve chamber to switch the soft water valve between the multiple water path modes.

[0019] In one embodiment, the grille assembly includes a plurality of grille units sequentially spliced ​​and arranged along the axial direction of the valve cavity, and an outer sealing ring groove for mounting an outer sealing ring is formed between two adjacent grille units; the grille assembly has a pre-installed state, in which a widened gap can be formed between two adjacent grille units, and the width of the widened gap is smaller than the cross-sectional diameter of the outer sealing ring;

[0020] The soft water valve also includes a drive mounting seat that covers the valve cavity opening; when the valve cavity opening is in an open state, the grille assembly is installed to the valve cavity in the pre-installed state, and the widened gap widens the outer sealing ring groove to provide a larger deformation space for the outer sealing ring; when the drive mounting seat covers the valve cavity opening, the drive mounting seat abuts the grille assembly to eliminate the widened gap, so that the outer sealing ring abuts against the cavity wall of the valve cavity.

[0021] In one embodiment, the piston includes a first piston and a second piston, both of which are provided with a first water-passing ring groove. The axial position of the first water-passing ring groove on the first piston is different from the axial position of the second piston. Either the first piston or the second piston is installed in the grille assembly.

[0022] The multiple water channel modes include a regeneration water channel mode. When the first piston is installed in the grille assembly, in the regeneration water channel mode, the first water ring groove connects the central cavity and the sewage discharge cavity to achieve downstream regeneration; when the second piston is installed in the grille assembly, in the regeneration water channel mode, the first water ring groove connects the side wall cavity and the sewage discharge cavity to achieve countercurrent regeneration.

[0023] In one embodiment, the soft water valve also includes a soft water tank installed on the outside of the soft tank interface, the valve body includes a valve body and a valve base that are spliced ​​together, the soft tank interface is provided at the valve base, and the valve body is provided with a first dividing rib on the side close to the valve base, which cooperates with the grille assembly to separate a plurality of water flow chambers, and the valve base is provided with a second dividing rib corresponding to each first dividing rib, the first dividing rib has a first rib surface and a second rib surface opposite to each other in the radial direction of the valve cavity, the grille assembly is sealed and abutted against the first rib surface, and the second dividing rib is fixedly connected to the second rib surface.

[0024] The present invention also provides a water softener, comprising the above-mentioned water softening valve.

[0025] The technical solution of the present invention provides a guiding bevel on the bottom wall of the outer sealing ring groove to guide the outer sealing ring to move radially outward when under pressure. That is, when the guiding bevel acts on the outer sealing ring, the outer sealing ring is subjected to a radial force, causing it to move outward from the notch of the outer sealing ring groove. This radial force strongly pushes the outer sealing ring to expand radially, thereby causing the outer sealing ring to protrude further from the outer sealing groove and fit more closely against the inner wall of the valve cavity. In other words, under the action of pressure, the outer sealing ring "squeezes" toward the inner wall of the valve cavity, achieving a self-tightening seal, thereby significantly enhancing the sealing effect between the grille assembly and the valve body. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. 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 any creative work.

[0027] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram from a first angle of an embodiment of a soft water valve provided by the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a second angle of the medium soft water valve;

[0029] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Cross-sectional view of the medium soft water valve along AA;

[0030] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the soft water valve from the third angle;

[0031] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Cross-sectional view of the medium soft water valve along BB;

[0032] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A partial enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0033] Figure 7 Figure 1 a schematic diagram of the fourth angle of the middle valve body;

[0034] Figure 8 for Figure 7 Cross-sectional view of the medium soft water valve along CC;

[0035] Figure 9 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the middle valve body;

[0036] Figure 10 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the middle valve base;

[0037] Figure 11 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the middle grille assembly;

[0038] Figure 12 for Figure 11 A partial enlarged view of point B in the middle;

[0039] Figure 13 for Figure 1 Simplified structural diagram of the medium-soft water valve in water production mode;

[0040] Figure 14 for Figure 1 Simplified schematic diagram of the medium soft water valve in water injection mode;

[0041] Figure 15 for Figure 1 Simplified structural diagram of the medium soft water valve in forward wash mode;

[0042] Figure 16 for Figure 1 Simplified structural diagram of the medium soft water valve in backwash mode;

[0043] Figure 17 for Figure 1 Simplified structural diagram of the medium-soft water valve in downstream regeneration mode;

[0044] Figure 18 This is a simplified structural diagram of a soft water valve in a countercurrent regeneration mode according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0046] 1. Valve body; 101. Water inlet channel; 102. Sidewall channel; 103. Drain channel; 104. Center channel; 105. Water outlet channel; 106. Water injection and salt absorption channel; 11. Valve chamber; 111. Water passage chamber; 112. Water inlet chamber; 113. Sidewall chamber; 114. Drain chamber; 115. Center chamber; 116. Water outlet chamber; 117. Water injection and salt absorption chamber; 118. Water inlet; 119. Water outlet; 14. Bypass flow channel; 15. Valve body; 151. First dividing rib; 1511. First rib surface; 1512. Second rib surface; 16. Valve base; 161. Soft tank interface; 162. Second dividing rib; 2. Grille assembly; 21. Grille unit; 211. Outer sealing ring groove; 2111. Guide slope; 2112, guide arc surface; 212, widened gap; 213, bayonet; 214, hook; 22, outer sealing ring; 24, support retaining ring; 241, first support retaining ring; 242, second support retaining ring; 243, third support retaining ring; 244, fourth support retaining ring; 245, fifth support retaining ring; 246, sixth support retaining ring; 247, seventh support retaining ring; 25, inner sealing ring; 251, retaining groove; 26, retaining rib; 27, abutting rib; 3, piston; 31, first piston body; 311, water passage; 312, first water ring groove; 32, second piston body; 321, second water ring groove; 33, first piston; 34, second piston; 5, drive mounting seat; 200, soft water tank; 300, salt tank;

[0047] The purpose, features and advantages of the present invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings and in conjunction with the embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 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 making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0049] 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 under a certain specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indications will also change accordingly.

[0050] 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 for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or suggesting their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features limited to "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such 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 mutually contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0051] As people's living standards continue to improve, their demands for daily water use are also increasing. Residential water contains large amounts of calcium and magnesium ions. Long-term use of hard water can be harmful to the body. For example, washing clothes with hard water for extended periods of time can cause them to turn yellow and lose their luster. Water softeners are commonly used to remove calcium and magnesium ions from water. These devices are typically equipped with a water softener valve, which allows the device to switch between different modes. However, the sealing between the valve body and the grille assembly in these related water softeners is poor.

[0052] To address the above-mentioned issues, the present invention provides a grille assembly 2. The grille assembly 2 is used in a water softener's soft water valve. As one of the core components of a water softener, the soft water valve often has multiple waterway modes, such as water production mode, forward wash mode, backwash mode, and softening regeneration mode (water injection mode and salt absorption regeneration mode), allowing the water softener to operate in multiple modes.

[0053] See also Figure 5 、 Figure 6 、 Figure 11 and Figure 12 In one embodiment of the present invention, the grille assembly 2 is used for a soft water valve, which includes a valve body 1. The valve body 1 is provided with a valve cavity 11. The grille assembly 2 is disposed in the valve cavity 11. An outer sealing ring groove 211 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the grille assembly 2. The outer sealing ring groove 211 is used for installing an outer sealing ring 22. The bottom wall of the outer sealing ring groove 211 includes at least one guiding inclined surface 2111. The guiding inclined surface 2111 is inclined from the middle to the edge toward the notch of the outer sealing ring groove 211 to push the outer sealing ring 22 outward so that the outer sealing ring 22 is tightly pressed against the cavity wall of the valve cavity 11.

[0054] The technical solution of the present invention provides a guide bevel 2111 on the bottom wall of the outer sealing ring groove 211 to guide the outer sealing ring 22 to move radially outward when under pressure. That is, when the guide bevel 2111 acts on the outer sealing ring 22, the outer sealing ring 22 is subjected to a radial force, causing the outer sealing ring 22 to move toward the outside of the groove of the outer sealing ring groove 211. This radial force strongly pushes the outer sealing ring 22 to expand radially, thereby causing the outer sealing ring 22 to protrude further from the outer sealing groove and fit more closely against the inner wall of the valve cavity 11. In other words, under the action of pressure, the outer sealing ring 22 is "squeezed" toward the inner wall of the valve cavity 11, achieving a self-tightening seal, thereby significantly enhancing the sealing effect between the grille assembly 2 and the valve body 1.

[0055] Moreover, in this embodiment, the outer sealing ring 22 is configured as an O-ring, that is, the cross-section of the outer sealing ring 22 is circular, and the guide slope 2111 cooperates with the circular shape of the outer sealing ring 22, which can more firmly constrain the outer sealing ring 22 in the groove, preventing the outer sealing ring 22 from being squeezed out or rolling under high pressure difference or vibration.

[0056] In this embodiment, the included angle α between the guide slope 2111 and the horizontal line ranges from 30° to 60°, that is, 30°≤α≤60°. Within this angle range, sufficient restraining force can be provided to prevent extrusion while not excessively restricting the necessary deformation of the outer sealing ring 22. If the included angle between the guide slope 2111 and the horizontal line is greater than 60°, the radial component of force acting on the outer sealing ring 22 is too large, which can easily cause the outer sealing ring 22 to be squeezed out of the outer sealing groove. If the included angle between the guide slope 2111 and the horizontal line is less than 30°, the radial component of force is reduced, thereby making the guide slope 2111 less effective in resisting the outer sealing ring 22.

[0057] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the included angle between the guide slope 2111 and the horizontal line is 45°, which can further provide sufficient restraint to prevent extrusion while not excessively restricting the necessary deformation of the outer sealing ring 22. Of course, this solution is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the included angle between the guide slope 2111 and the horizontal line is 50°.

[0058] Optionally, the grille assembly 2 includes a plurality of grid units 21 that are spliced ​​together, and an outer sealing ring groove 211 is formed on the splicing surface between two adjacent grid units 21. It is understood that in order to limit the outer sealing ring 22, the groove width of the outer sealing ring groove 211 is generally adapted to or smaller than the outer sealing ring 22. In this way, when installing the outer sealing ring 22, it is not convenient for the outer sealing ring 22 to be installed into the outer sealing ring groove 211. In this solution, the outer sealing ring groove 211 is formed on the splicing surface between two adjacent grid units 21. In this way, the outer sealing ring groove 211 can be installed on the splicing surface of one grid unit 21 first, and then the other grid unit 21 can be spliced ​​together, which makes it easier to install the outer sealing ring 22. Of course, this solution is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the outer sealing ring groove 211 can also be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the grid unit 21.

[0059] Optionally, in the present embodiment, the bottom wall of the outer sealing ring groove 211 further includes a guide arc surface 2112, and the shortest distance from the guide arc surface 2112 to the notch of the outer sealing ring groove 211 is greater than the shortest distance from the guide inclined surface 2111 to the notch of the outer sealing ring groove 211. In the present embodiment, the outer sealing ring groove 211 is formed between two adjacent grille units 21, and the grille assembly 2 has a pre-installed state. In the pre-installed state, a widened gap 212 can be formed between the two adjacent grille units 21, and the widened gap 212 widens the outer sealing ring groove 211 to provide a larger deformation space for the outer sealing ring 22; the grille assembly 2 is installed to the valve cavity 11 in the pre-installed state, and when the driving mounting seat 5 is driven to cover the cavity opening of the valve cavity 11, the driving mounting seat 5 abuts against the grille assembly 2 to eliminate the widened gap 212, so that the outer sealing ring 22 abuts against the cavity wall of the valve cavity 11. It is understood that when the grille assembly 2 is in the pre-installed state, the outer sealing ring 22 abuts the guide arc surface 2112, which can reduce the possibility of the outer sealing ring 22 protruding from the notch of the outer sealing groove. When the drive mounting seat 5 is driven to seal the cavity opening of the valve chamber 11, the drive mounting seat 5 abuts the grille assembly 2, so that the two adjacent grille units 21 abut each other to eliminate the widened gap 212. During the process of eliminating the widened gap 212, the guide bevel 2111 will move toward the guide arc surface 2112, so that the guide bevel 2111 will push the outer sealing ring 22 toward the notch of the outer sealing groove, thereby further tightening the outer sealing ring 22 against the cavity wall of the valve chamber 11. Of course, this solution is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the bottom wall of the outer sealing ring groove 211 may also include two guide bevels 2111, and the guide bevels 2111 are arranged to be inclined from the middle to the edge toward the notch of the outer sealing ring groove 211.

[0060] Furthermore, in other embodiments, the angles between the two guiding inclined surfaces 2111 and the horizontal line are not equal. Of course, the angles between the two guiding inclined surfaces 2111 and the horizontal line may also be equal.

[0061] Optionally, each grille unit 21 may have a first connecting structure and a second connecting structure at each end. That is, each grille unit 21 may have a first connecting structure at one end and a second connecting structure at the other end. The first connecting structure of one grille unit 21 may be configured to engage with the second connecting structure of another grille unit 21 to secure the two grille units 21 to each other. As will be appreciated, this simple engaging structure facilitates the installation of two adjacent grille units 21, thereby improving the efficiency of splicing the grille assembly 2. Of course, this solution is not limited to this. In other embodiments, each grille unit 21 may have a first connecting structure and a second connecting structure at each end. The first connecting structure of one grille unit 21 may be configured to engage with the second connecting structure of another grille unit 21 to secure the two grille units 21 to each other.

[0062] Furthermore, the first connecting structure is configured as a hook 214, and the second connecting structure is configured as a slot 213 corresponding to the hook 214. It is understood that during installation, the hook 214 only needs to be aligned with the slot 213, and then the two adjacent grille units 21 are moved in a direction close to each other, and the hook 214 will automatically hook onto the edge of the slot 213. This simple installation method facilitates the installation efficiency of the grille assembly 2. Of course, this solution is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the first connecting structure is configured as two oppositely disposed elastic clamping arms, which extend along the axial direction of the grille unit 21, and the sides of the elastic clamping arms facing away from each other are respectively provided with a clamping groove. The second connecting structure is configured as a clamping hole corresponding to the two elastic clamping arms, and the inner wall surface of the clamping hole is provided with a clamping protrusion corresponding to each clamping groove. When the two grille units 21 are fixed, the elastic clamping arms extend into the clamping hole, and the clamping protrusion is engaged with the clamping groove.

[0063] Each grille unit 21 has an outer annular notch on its end face. The outer annular notch of one grille unit 21 overlaps with the outer annular notch of another grille unit 21 to form an outer sealing ring groove 211. That is, each grille unit 21 has an outer annular notch on both end faces. The outer annular notch of one grille unit 21 overlaps with the outer annular notch of another grille unit 21 to form an outer sealing ring groove 211. The outer sealing ring groove 211 formed in this manner is simple to manufacture. Furthermore, this facilitates the connection between the two grille units 21. When the end faces of the two grille units 21 abut against each other, the guide slope 2111 can push against the outer sealing ring 22, thereby further tightening the outer sealing ring 22 against the wall of the valve chamber 11. Of course, this solution is not limited to this. In other embodiments, each grille unit 21 can also have an annular notch on only one end face of the grille unit 21, with the end face of one grille unit 21 overlapping the annular notch of the other grille unit 21 to form an outer sealing ring groove 211.

[0064] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, each grille unit 21 has two end faces respectively provided with an outer annular notch, wherein the side wall of one of the outer annular notches facing the notch of the outer sealing ring groove 211 is provided with a guide arc surface 2112, and the side wall of the other outer annular notch facing the notch of the outer sealing ring groove 211 is provided with a guide inclined surface 2111.

[0065] Optionally, the grille assembly 2 is further provided with a piston 3 channel and an inner sealing ring groove connected to the piston 3 channel, and an inner sealing ring 25 protruding toward the piston 3 channel is provided in the inner sealing ring groove, which can increase the sealing between the piston 3 and the grille assembly 2.

[0066] Optionally, the inner sealing ring 25 is provided with a retaining groove 251 on both side walls thereof along the axial direction, and a retaining rib 26 is provided in each corresponding retaining groove 251. This improves the installation stability of the inner sealing ring 25 and reduces the possibility of displacement of the inner sealing ring 25 when the piston 3 moves. Of course, the present invention is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the inner sealing ring 25 can also be bonded to the inner sealing ring groove to achieve the effect of increasing the installation stability of the inner sealing ring 25.

[0067] To facilitate installation of the inner sealing ring 25, the present embodiment provides for the rib 26 to be tapered from its base to its free end, while the slot 251 to be tapered from its bottom to its opening. This means that the rib 26 is tapered in height, while the slot 251 is tapered toward the opening. Of course, the present embodiment is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the rib 26 may have a consistent width in height, and the slot 251 may have a consistent width in depth.

[0068] In order to further increase the installation stability of the inner sealing ring 25 and prevent the inner sealing ring 25 from being displaced due to excessive friction resistance during the axial movement of the piston 3, this solution also provides an abutment rib 27 axially protruding toward the grid unit 21 in the inner sealing ring groove, and the abutment rib 27 is used to press the inner sealing ring 25.

[0069] Reference Figures 1 to 5 The present invention also provides a soft water valve comprising a valve body 1, a piston 3, and the aforementioned grille assembly 2. The specific structure of the grille assembly 2 is similar to that of the aforementioned embodiments. Since the soft water valve utilizes all of the technical solutions of all of the aforementioned embodiments, it exhibits at least all of the beneficial effects provided by the technical solutions of the aforementioned embodiments, and therefore will not be further elaborated upon herein. The valve body 1 defines a valve chamber 11, and the grille assembly 2 is disposed within the valve chamber 11, dividing the valve chamber 11 into a plurality of water passage chambers 111 along its axial direction. The piston 3 is movably disposed within the piston 3 passage of the grille assembly 2 along the axial direction of the valve chamber 11 to control the opening and closing of the plurality of water passage chambers 111.

[0070] Specifically, the water softener in this solution utilizes a piston-type 3-way water softener. This means that the valve chamber 11 is divided into multiple water passage chambers 111 by a grid assembly 2. The axial movement of the piston 3 within the grid assembly 2 controls the flow between the multiple water passage chambers 111, enabling the water softener to switch between multiple water passage modes. This piston-type 3-way water softener offers a higher flow rate and softening efficiency, making it easier to achieve the design goals of a small size, high flow rate, high water production, and high salt efficiency. Furthermore, this piston-type 3-way water softener has a long service life.

[0071] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the valve body 1 is further provided with a soft tank interface 161, a water inlet channel 101, a water outlet channel 105, a sewage channel 103 and a salt absorption and water injection channel connected to the valve cavity 11, and the soft tank interface 161 is provided with a side wall channel 102 and a central channel 104 both connected to the valve cavity 11; a plurality of water passage cavities 111 include a water inlet chamber 112 connected to the water inlet channel 101, a side wall chamber 113 connected to the side wall channel 102, a sewage channel 103 connected to the sewage channel 103, and a sewage channel 114 connected to the sewage channel 103. The cavity 114, the central cavity 115 communicating with the central channel 104, the water outlet cavity 116 communicating with the water outlet channel 105, and the water injection and salt absorption cavity 117 communicating with the salt injection and water absorption channel, the water inlet cavity 112, the side wall cavity 113, the sewage discharge cavity 114, the central cavity 115, the water outlet cavity 116 and the water injection and salt absorption cavity 117 are arranged in sequence along the axial direction of the valve cavity 11; the soft water valve has multiple water path modes, and the piston 3 moves along the axial direction of the valve cavity 11 to switch the soft water valve between the multiple water path modes.

[0072] The valve chamber 11 in this solution can be cylindrical as a whole, or formed by splicing together multiple sections of cylinders to facilitate the installation of the grille assembly 2 and the piston 3. The water inlet channel 101, the side wall channel 102, the sewage channel 103, the central channel 104, the water outlet channel 105 and the water injection and salt absorption channel 106 are arranged axially along the valve chamber 11. In order to increase the flow area of ​​the soft water valve, at least one of the water inlet channel 101, the side wall channel 102, the sewage channel 103, the central channel 104, the water outlet channel 105 and the water injection and salt absorption channel 106 is staggered with the other ones in the circumferential direction of the valve chamber 11. The reasonable design of the positions of the water inlet channel 101, the side wall channel 102, the sewage channel 103, the central channel 104, the water outlet channel 105 and the water injection and salt absorption channel 106 also helps to control the overall volume of the soft water valve. Among them, the water inlet channel 101, side wall channel 102, sewage discharge channel 103, central channel 104, water outlet channel 105 and water injection and salt absorption channel 106 are respectively connected to corresponding pipelines at one end away from the valve chamber 11, thereby realizing the installation of the soft water valve in the water softener.

[0073] The valve body 1 can be formed by splicing together several parts that are fastened by bolts and sealed with sealing rings and other structures on the mating surfaces; it can also be formed by connecting several parts together by ultrasonic welding, which helps to form a more complex valve cavity 11 and various channel structures; furthermore, the valve body 1 can also be formed in one piece, such as produced by 3D printing technology, to adapt to small-batch production.

[0074] Reference Figure 3 、 Figure 5 、 Figure 11 and Figure 13 The outer periphery of the grille assembly 2 is in sealed contact with the inner periphery of the valve cavity 11, thereby dividing the valve cavity 11 into a plurality of water passage chambers 111 along its axial direction. To ensure the sealed contact between the grille assembly 2 and the inner periphery of the valve cavity 11, an outer sealing ring 22 is provided between the outer periphery of the grille assembly 2 and the inner periphery of the valve cavity 11, thereby reducing the possibility of water seepage between the plurality of water passage chambers 111.

[0075] The grille assembly 2 includes a plurality of grille units 21. Each grille unit 21 can separate a water passage cavity 111. The connection between two grille units 21 forms a support ring 24 for separating the water passage cavity 111. The plurality of grille units 21 can be integrally formed or formed in separate parts and then spliced ​​together to form an integral structure.

[0076] The piston 3 is movably inserted into the piston channel of the grille assembly 2, and the outer peripheral surface of the piston 3 is sealed against the inner sealing ring 25 of the grille assembly 2, that is, the outer peripheral surface of the piston 3 is sealed against the inner peripheral edge of the support baffle ring 24, thereby cutting off the communication between the two adjacent water passage chambers 111, and the piston 3 is generally provided with multiple water passage levels. When the piston 3 moves to a certain position, at least one of the multiple support baffle rings 24 is arranged relative to the water passage level of the piston 3, thereby forming a water passage gap at the inner peripheral edge of the support baffle ring 24 and the water passage level of the piston 3, thereby realizing the conduction of the water passage chambers 111 on both sides of the support baffle ring 24, so that through the movement of the piston 3, conduction occurs between different water passage chambers 111, thereby controlling the direction of water flow and forming a corresponding water path.

[0077] The plurality of water passage chambers 111 include a water inlet chamber 112, a side wall chamber 113, a sewage chamber 114, a central chamber 115, a water outlet chamber 116, and a water injection and salt absorption chamber 117. The water inlet chamber 112 can be communicated with the water inlet channel 101, and the water inlet channel 101 is used to communicate with the external water inlet pipe to allow external hard water to enter the soft water valve; the side wall chamber 113 is connected to the soft water tank 200 through the side wall channel 102; the sewage chamber 114 is connected to the external sewage pipe through the sewage channel 103 , thereby discharging the waste water in the water softener; the central cavity 115 is connected to the soft water tank 200 through the central channel 104; the water outlet cavity 116 is connected to the external water outlet pipe through the water outlet channel 105, and can discharge the produced soft water; the water injection and salt absorption cavity 117 is connected to the salt tank 300 through the water injection and salt absorption channel 106, thereby realizing water injection into the salt tank 300 and passing the salt water in the salt tank 300 into the soft water tank 200, so as to realize the regeneration of the soft water medium in the soft water tank 200.

[0078] The water inlet chamber 112 and the water outlet chamber 116 are both connected to the external pipeline, but are not connected to the soft water tank 200, while the side wall chamber 113 and the central chamber 115 are both connected to the soft water tank 200. Therefore, the water inlet chamber 112 and the water outlet chamber 116 can be connected to the soft water tank 200 with the help of the side wall chamber 113 and the central chamber 115. Therefore, the side wall chamber 113 is adjacent to the water inlet chamber 112, so that the water inlet chamber 112 is connected to the soft water tank 200 through the side wall chamber 113, and the two are adjacent to each other, thereby narrowing the flow path of external hard water flowing into the soft water tank 200, thereby simplifying the water path in the soft water valve; the central chamber 115 is adjacent to the water outlet chamber 116, so that the water outlet chamber 116 is connected to the soft water tank 200 through the central chamber 115, and the two are adjacent to each other, thereby narrowing the flow path of soft water flowing out of the soft water tank 200, thereby simplifying the water path in the soft water valve.

[0079] When the softened soft water in the soft water tank 200 flows out of the soft water valve, part of the soft water can flow into the water absorption and salt injection chamber, thereby injecting water into the salt tank 300. Therefore, the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117 is adjacent to the side of the water outlet chamber 116 away from the central chamber 115, so that when the soft water flows through the water outlet chamber 116, part of the soft water can flow directly from the water outlet chamber 116 to the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117. Compared with the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117 being separated from the water outlet chamber 116 and the two being connected by a special flow channel, this solution can effectively shorten the flow path of the soft water flowing into the salt tank 300, thereby further optimizing the water path of the soft water valve, and no additional special flow channel is required, which helps to reduce the volume of the soft water valve.

[0080] The water inlet channel 101 can be connected to the water inlet pipe via a quick-connect connector, the water outlet channel 105 can be connected to the water outlet pipe via a quick-connect connector, and the sewage channel 103 can be connected to the sewage pipe via a quick-connect connector. The water injection and salt absorption channel 106 can be connected to the water injection and salt absorption pipe via a quick-connect connector, and the end of the water injection and salt absorption pipe away from the water injection and salt absorption channel 106 is connected to the salt tank 300 via a quick-connect connector. The side wall channel 102 and the center channel 104 can both communicate with the soft water tank 200 via the soft tank interface 161. Therefore, the side wall channel 102 and the center channel 104 are spaced apart at the soft tank interface 161. To facilitate monitoring of the water consumption and water flow of the water softener, a flow meter can be installed in the water outlet channel 105 to facilitate monitoring the normal operation of the water softener.

[0081] Furthermore, the drain chamber 114 is disposed between the water inlet chamber 112 and the water outlet chamber 116. This increases the distance between the two chambers, thereby facilitating the arrangement of the water inlet channel 101 and the water outlet channel 105 and increasing the inner diameters of the water inlet channel 101 and the water outlet channel 105, thereby increasing the inlet and outlet water flow rates and improving work efficiency. Furthermore, the drain chamber 114 is disposed near the center of the valve chamber 11. Therefore, regardless of whether the forward or backwash mode is used, wastewater within the soft water tank 200 can be discharged directly from the drain chamber 114, further optimizing the water path. In other embodiments, the drain chamber 114 may also be disposed on the side of the water inlet chamber 112 facing away from the water outlet chamber 116.

[0082] Furthermore, the side wall cavity 113 is arranged between the water inlet cavity 112 and the sewage cavity 114; the central cavity 115 is arranged between the water outlet cavity 116 and the sewage cavity 114, that is, the sewage cavity 114 is adjacent to the side wall cavity 113 and the central cavity 115 respectively, thereby further shortening the outflow path of the water channel in the forward wash mode and the backwash mode, thereby further optimizing the water channel path.

[0083] Therefore, the water inlet chamber 112, side wall chamber 113, sewage discharge chamber 114, central chamber 115, water outlet chamber 116 and water injection and salt absorption chamber 117 in this scheme are arranged in sequence. This arrangement can take into account multiple water channel modes, so that the water flow paths in multiple water channel modes are relatively short, reducing the possibility of the water flow path detouring and flowing out in the valve chamber 11 (for example, in a certain water channel mode, when water flows from one chamber to another, it needs to cross multiple chambers along the axial direction of the valve chamber 11 to reach it, and then cross multiple chambers in the opposite direction to flow out of the soft water valve), thereby improving the rationality of the arrangement of multiple water flow chambers 111, simplifying the water flow path, and also helping to reduce the overall volume of the soft water valve.

[0084] Furthermore, because the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117 is only used to inject water into the brine tank 300 or inject salt water into the soft water tank 200, the required water flow rate is smaller than that of the water inlet chamber 112 and the water outlet chamber 116. Therefore, the volume of the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117 can be appropriately reduced, thereby reducing the inner diameter of the valve cavity 11 at the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117, and further reducing the volume of the valve body 1. Therefore, the water inlet chamber 112 is located on the side of the valve cavity 11 near the cavity opening, and the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117 is located on the side away from the cavity opening, thereby facilitating the installation of the grid assembly 2 on the valve cavity 11. As a result, the inner diameter of the grid unit 21 at the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117 is smaller than the inner diameter of the remaining grid units 21.

[0085] To accommodate the grille assembly 2, in one embodiment, the piston 3 includes a first piston body 31 and a second piston body 32 connected to each other. The diameter of the first piston body 31 is larger than that of the second piston body 32. The first piston body 31 defines a water passage 311 extending through both ends. A first water passage annular groove 312 is defined on the outer circumference of the first piston body 31, while a second water passage annular groove 321 is defined on the outer circumference of the second piston body 32. Specifically, the second piston body 32 is configured to engage with the grille unit 21 at the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117, while the first piston body 31 is configured to engage with other grille units 21. Because the diameter of the first piston body 31 is larger than that of the second piston body 32, a water passage step is formed at the junction of the first and second piston bodies 31 and 32, thereby connecting the multiple water passage chambers 111. Furthermore, the water passage 311 and the first water passage annular groove 312 are defined on the first piston body 31, while the second water passage annular groove 321 is defined on the second piston body 32, thereby enabling switching between multiple water passage modes. Compared with using a piston 3 with equal inner diameter and opening three water grooves on the piston 3, in actual design, not only the relative positions of the three water grooves need to be taken into consideration, but also the sizes of the three water grooves need to be designed separately. The design is more complicated and it is difficult to open the water channel 311. Therefore, this solution helps to reduce the design difficulty of the piston 3, thereby simplifying the structure of the piston 3.

[0086] The grid assembly 2 includes multiple support rings 24 that separate the water passage chambers 111 , and the multiple water passage chambers 111 include a water inlet chamber 112 , a side wall chamber 113 , a sewage discharge chamber 114 , a central chamber 115 , a water outlet chamber 116 and a water injection and salt absorption chamber 117 . For ease of explanation, a plurality of support baffle rings 24 are provided, including a first support baffle ring 241, a second support baffle ring 242, a third support baffle ring 243, a fourth support baffle ring 244, a fifth support baffle ring 245, a sixth support baffle ring 246, and a seventh support baffle ring 247, which are arranged in sequence. The water inlet chamber 112 is formed between the first support baffle ring 241 and the second support baffle ring 242, the side wall chamber 113 is formed between the second support baffle ring 242 and the third support baffle ring 243, the sewage discharge chamber 114 is formed between the third support baffle ring 243 and the fourth support baffle ring 244, the central chamber 115 is formed between the fourth support baffle ring 244 and the fifth support baffle ring 245, the water outlet chamber 116 is formed between the fifth support baffle ring 245 and the sixth support baffle ring 246, and the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117 is formed between the sixth support baffle ring 246 and the seventh support baffle ring 247.

[0087] See also Figure 3 、 Figure 5 and Figure 13 In an embodiment of the present invention, the multiple water channel modes include a water production mode. In the water production mode, the water inlet chamber 112 is connected to the side wall chamber 113 through the first water ring groove 312, and the central chamber 115 is connected to the water outlet chamber 116 through the connection between the first piston body 31 and the second piston body 32. The outer periphery of the first piston body 31 blocks the sewage discharge chamber 114, and the outer periphery of the second piston body 32 blocks the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117; external hard water flows into the water inlet chamber 112 through the water inlet channel 101, and flows into the soft water tank 200 for softening through the side wall chamber 113 and the side wall channel 102 in sequence; the softened soft water flows out of the soft water valve through the central channel 104, the central chamber 115, the water outlet chamber 116 and the water outlet channel 105 in sequence.

[0088] Specifically, in the water production mode, the piston 3 moves to the water production position. At this time, the first water flow ring groove 312 faces the second support baffle ring 242, so that the water inlet chamber 112 is connected to the side wall chamber 113 through the first water flow ring groove 312; the outer periphery of the first piston body 31 abuts against the inner periphery of the first support baffle ring 241, the third support baffle ring 243 and the fourth support baffle ring 244, respectively, thereby blocking the connection between the water inlet chamber 112 and the water flow channel 311, the connection between the side wall chamber 113 and the sewage discharge chamber 114, and the connection between the central chamber 115 and the sewage discharge chamber 114; the connection between the first piston body 31 and the second piston body 32 faces the central chamber 115, so that the central chamber 115 is connected to the water outlet chamber 116. At this time, the second water-passing ring groove 321 faces the water outlet cavity 116 , and the outer peripheral surface of the end of the second piston body 32 away from the first piston body 31 abuts against the sixth support ring 246 and the seventh support ring 247 respectively, thereby blocking the water injection and salt absorption cavity 117 .

[0089] See also Figure 13 , Figure 13 This is a simplified schematic diagram of the softening valve in water production mode. The arrows in the figure indicate the direction of water flow within the softening valve in this mode. Therefore, in this mode, the water flow path is as follows: external water flows through the water inlet channel 101 into the water inlet chamber 112, then flows sequentially into the sidewall chamber 113 and the sidewall channel 102, and then into the softening tank 200 for softening. The softened water flows through the central channel 104 into the central chamber 115, then through the central chamber 115, sequentially through the water outlet chamber 116 and the water outlet channel 105, and finally out of the softening valve, completing normal water production.

[0090] See also Figure 3 、 Figure 5 and Figure 14 In an embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of water channel modes include a water injection mode. In the water injection mode, the water inlet chamber 112 is connected to the side wall chamber 113 through the first water ring groove 312, the central chamber 115 is connected to the water outlet chamber 116 through the connection between the first piston body 31 and the second piston body 32, and the water outlet chamber 116 is connected to the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117 through the second water ring groove 321. The outer periphery of the first piston body 31 blocks the sewage discharge chamber 114; the external hard Water flows into the water inlet chamber 112 through the water inlet channel 101, and flows into the soft water tank 200 through the side wall chamber 113 and the side wall channel 102 in sequence to be softened; the softened soft water flows into the water outlet chamber 116 through the central channel 104 and the central chamber 115 in sequence, and then a part of the soft water flows out of the soft water valve through the water outlet channel 105, and the other part of the soft water flows into the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117, so as to inject water into the salt box 300 through the water injection and salt absorption channel 106.

[0091] Specifically, in the water injection mode, the piston 3 moves to the water injection position. At this time, the first water flow groove 312 faces the second support baffle ring 242, so that the water inlet chamber 112 is connected to the side wall chamber 113 through the first water flow groove 312; and the outer periphery of the first piston body 31 abuts against the inner periphery of the first support baffle ring 241, the third support baffle ring 243 and the fourth support baffle ring 244, respectively, thereby blocking the connection between the water inlet chamber 112 and the water flow channel 311, the connection between the side wall chamber 113 and the sewage discharge chamber 114, and the connection between the central chamber 115 and the sewage discharge chamber 114; the connection between the first piston body 31 and the second piston body 32 faces the central chamber 115, so that the central chamber 115 is connected to the water outlet chamber 116 through the connection between the first piston body 31 and the second piston body 32. At this time, the second water-passing ring groove 321 faces the sixth supporting baffle ring 246, so that the water outlet chamber 116 is connected to the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117 through the second water-passing ring groove 321, and the outer peripheral surface of the end of the second piston body 32 away from the first piston body 31 abuts against the seventh supporting baffle ring 247, thereby blocking the side of the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117 away from the water outlet chamber 116 (that is, blocking the connection between the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117 and the bypass channel 14).

[0092] See also Figure 14 , Figure 14 The simplified schematic diagram of the water softening valve in water injection mode shows the direction of water flow indicated by the arrows. In this mode, the water flow path is as follows: External water flows through the water inlet channel 101 into the water inlet chamber 112, then sequentially flows into the sidewall chamber 113 and the sidewall channel 102, and then into the soft water tank 200 for softening. The softened water flows through the central channel 104 into the central chamber 115, and then through the central chamber 115 into the water outlet chamber 116. Within the water outlet chamber 116, the softened water is divided into two parts: one part flows through the water outlet channel 105 and out of the water softening valve for normal soft water production, while the other part flows into the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117, and then flows through the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117 to the brine tank 300, thereby filling the brine tank 300 with water.

[0093] See also Figure 3 、 Figure 5 and Figure 15In an embodiment of the present invention, the multiple water channel modes include a forward wash mode. In the forward wash mode, the water inlet chamber 112 communicates with the side wall chamber 113 and the water outlet channel 105 through the water flow channel 311. The central chamber 115 communicates with the sewage discharge chamber 114 through the first water flow ring groove 312. The outer periphery of the second piston body 32 blocks the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117. External hard water flows into the water inlet chamber 112 through the water inlet channel 101, a portion of which flows into the water outlet chamber 116 through the water flow channel 311 and is discharged from the soft water valve through the water outlet channel 105. The other portion flows into the side wall chamber 113 and flows into the soft water tank 200 through the side wall channel 102 to clean the soft water tank 200. The cleaned sewage is discharged from the soft water valve through the central channel 104, the central chamber 115, the sewage discharge chamber 114, and the sewage discharge channel 103 in sequence.

[0094] Specifically, in the forward washing mode, the piston 3 moves to the forward washing position. At this time, the first piston body 31 abuts against the third support ring 243 and the fifth support ring 245, thereby blocking the communication between the side wall cavity 113 and the sewage cavity 114, and the communication between the water outlet cavity 116 and the central cavity 115. Since the first piston body 31 does not abut against the first support ring 241 and the second support ring 242, the water inlet cavity 112 is directly connected to the side wall cavity 113 and the water passage 311 respectively; the first water ring groove 312 faces the fourth support ring 244, so that the central cavity 115 The sewage discharge chamber 114 is connected through the first water flow ring groove 312, and the connection between the first piston body 31 and the second piston body 32 faces the water outlet chamber 116, so that the water outlet chamber 116 is connected to the water flow channel 311, so that the water inlet chamber 112 and the water outlet chamber 116 are connected through the water flow channel 311, and the second water flow ring groove 321 is located on the side of the seventh support retaining ring away from the sixth support retaining ring, so that the outer periphery of the end of the second piston body 32 close to the first piston body 31 respectively abuts against the sixth support retaining ring 246 and the seventh support retaining ring 247, thereby blocking the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117.

[0095] See also Figure 15 , Figure 15This is a simplified schematic diagram of the soft water valve in forward flush mode. The arrows in the figure indicate the direction of water flow through the soft water valve in forward flush mode. Therefore, in forward flush mode, the water flow path is as follows: external hard water flows into the water inlet chamber 112 through the water inlet channel 101. The hard water in the water inlet chamber 112 is divided into two parts. One part flows through the water flow channel 311 to the water outlet chamber 116 and exits the soft water valve through the water outlet channel 105. The other part flows into the side wall chamber 113 and flows into the soft water tank 200 through the side wall channel 102 to clean the soft water tank 200. The cleaned wastewater then flows through the central channel 104, the central chamber 115, the sewage chamber 114, and the sewage channel 103 in sequence to exit the soft water valve, completing the forward flush of the soft water tank 200.

[0096] At this time, since the unsoftened hard water flows directly from the water inlet chamber 112 to the water outlet chamber 116 and then flows out of the softening valve, a switch structure can be set at the water outlet channel 105 to facilitate the user to choose whether to discharge the unsoftened hard water from the water softener.

[0097] See also Figure 3 、 Figure 5 and Figure 16 In an embodiment of the present invention, the multiple water channel modes include a backwash mode. In the backwash mode, the water inlet chamber 112 is connected to the water outlet channel 105 through the water passage 311, the side wall chamber 113 is connected to the sewage discharge chamber 114 through the first water passage ring groove 312, and the central chamber 115 is connected to the water outlet chamber 116 through the connection between the first piston body 31 and the second piston body 32. The outer periphery of the second piston body 32 blocks the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117.

[0098] External hard water flows into the water inlet chamber 112 through the water inlet channel 101, and flows to the water outlet chamber 116 through the water flow channel 311, and then a part of it is discharged from the soft water valve through the water outlet channel 105; the other part flows to the central chamber 115, and flows into the soft water tank 200 through the central channel 104 to clean the soft water tank 200. The cleaned sewage is discharged from the soft water valve through the side wall channel 102, the side wall chamber 113, the sewage chamber 114 and the sewage channel 103 in sequence.

[0099] Specifically, in backwash mode, the piston 3 moves to the backwash position. At this point, the first piston body 31 abuts the second support ring 242 and the fourth support ring 244, respectively, thereby blocking the connection between the water inlet chamber 112 and the sidewall chamber 113, and the connection between the sewage chamber 114 and the central chamber 115. The first water flow annular groove 312 faces the third support ring 243, allowing the sidewall chamber 113 to communicate with the sewage chamber 114 through the first water flow annular groove 312. The connection between the first piston body 31 and the second piston body 32 faces the central chamber 115, thereby connecting the sidewall chamber 113 to the water outlet chamber 116, and the water flow channel 311 to the water outlet chamber 116. And because the first piston body 31 does not abut against the first support baffle ring 241 to conduct the water inlet chamber 112 and the water flow channel 311, the water inlet chamber 112 and the water outlet chamber 116 are connected through the water flow channel 311, and the second water flow ring groove 321 faces the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117, so that the second piston body 32 abuts against the sixth support baffle ring 246 and the seventh support baffle ring 247 on the opposite sides of the second water flow ring groove 321, thereby blocking the water injection and salt absorption chamber 117.

[0100] See also Figure 16 , Figure 16 This is a simplified schematic diagram of the soft water valve in backwash mode. The arrows in the figure indicate the direction of water flow in the backwash mode. Therefore, in backwash mode, the water flow path is as follows: external hard water flows into the water inlet chamber 112 through the water inlet channel 101, flows to the water outlet chamber 116 through the water passage 311, and is divided into two parts within the water outlet chamber 116. One part is discharged from the soft water valve through the water outlet channel 105; the other part flows back to the central chamber 115 and flows into the soft water tank 200 through the central channel 104 to clean the soft water tank 200. The cleaned wastewater then flows out of the soft water valve through the side wall channel 102, the side wall chamber 113, the sewage chamber 114, and the sewage channel 103, completing the backwash of the soft water valve.

[0101] At this time, since the unsoftened hard water flows directly from the water inlet chamber 112 to the water outlet chamber 116 and then flows out of the softening valve, a switch structure can be set at the water outlet channel 105 to facilitate the user to choose whether to discharge the unsoftened hard water from the water softener.

[0102] Reference Figure 17 and Figure 18 , Figure 17 for Figure 1 Simplified structural diagram of the medium soft water valve in downstream regeneration mode. Figure 18This is a simplified schematic diagram of the structure of a water softener valve in reverse flow regeneration mode according to another embodiment of the present invention. Optionally, the piston 3 includes a first piston 33 and a second piston 34, both of which are provided with a first water annular groove 312. The axial position of the first water annular groove 312 on the first piston 33 is different from the axial position of the second piston 34. Either the first piston 33 or the second piston 34 is installed in the grille assembly 2.

[0103] The various water channel modes include a regeneration water channel mode. When the first piston 33 is installed in the grille assembly 2, in the regeneration water channel mode, the first water ring groove 312 connects the central cavity 115 and the sewage cavity 114 to achieve downstream regeneration; when the second piston 34 is installed in the grille assembly 2, in the regeneration water channel mode, the first water ring groove 312 connects the side wall cavity 113 and the sewage cavity 114 to achieve countercurrent regeneration.

[0104] Optionally, in this embodiment, the grille assembly 2 includes a plurality of grille units 21 sequentially spliced ​​and arranged along the axial direction of the valve chamber 11, and an outer sealing ring groove 211 for installing the outer sealing ring 22 is spliced ​​between two adjacent grille units 21; the grille assembly 2 has a pre-installed state, and in the pre-installed state, a widened gap 212 can be formed between two adjacent grille units 21, and the width of the widened gap 212 is smaller than the cross-sectional diameter of the outer sealing ring 22;

[0105] The soft water valve also includes a drive mounting seat 5 that covers the cavity opening of the valve cavity 11; when the cavity opening of the valve cavity 11 is in an open state, the grille assembly 2 is installed to the valve cavity 11 in the pre-installed state, and the widened gap 212 widens the outer sealing ring groove 211 to provide a larger deformation space for the outer sealing ring 22; when the drive mounting seat 5 covers the cavity opening of the valve cavity 11, the drive mounting seat 5 abuts against the grille assembly 2 to eliminate the widened gap 212, so that the outer sealing ring 22 abuts against the cavity wall of the valve cavity 11.

[0106] Specifically, multiple grille units 21 are spliced ​​together in sequence. To facilitate the assembly of the soft water valve, during actual assembly, the grille units 21 are often spliced ​​together first, and then the grille assembly 2 is installed as a whole into the valve cavity 11. That is, the multiple grille units 21 and the outer sealing ring 22 are assembled first, and then the grille assembly 2 is installed into the valve cavity 11. Therefore, if the multiple grille units 21 are directly spliced ​​into place, the outer sealing ring 22 is clamped by the outer sealing ring groove 211. In order to ensure the sealing strength, the outer sealing ring 22 and the valve cavity 11 usually adopt an interference fit. As a result, when the grille assembly 2 is actually installed, the friction between the outer sealing ring 22 and the cavity wall of the valve cavity 11 is relatively large, making it difficult to insert the grille assembly 2 into the valve cavity 11. It is also easy to cause the outer sealing ring 22 to shift, which increases the difficulty of installing the grille assembly 2.

[0107] In this embodiment, the grille assembly 2 is pre-installed and installed in the valve cavity 11. The presence of the widened gap 212 can further increase the width of the outer sealing ring groove 211 along the axial direction of the valve cavity 11, thereby providing the outer sealing ring 22 with greater deformation space, thereby reducing the possibility of the outer sealing ring 22 falling out of the outer sealing ring groove 211 and facilitating the installation of the grille assembly 2 into the valve cavity 11. The presence of the widened gap 212 can also further increase the depth of the outer sealing ring groove 211 along the radial direction of the valve cavity 11, thereby allowing a larger portion of the outer sealing ring 22 to be installed into the outer sealing ring groove 211, helping to reduce the outer diameter of the grille assembly 2 at the outer sealing ring 22, thereby reducing friction between the outer sealing ring 22 and the cavity wall of the valve cavity 11, and further facilitating the installation of the grille assembly 2 into the valve cavity 11. The width of the widened gap 212 is smaller than the cross-sectional diameter of the outer sealing ring 22, thereby reducing the possibility of the outer sealing ring 22 getting stuck in the widened gap 212 while reducing the difficulty of installing the grille assembly 2.

[0108] When the drive mounting seat 5 covers the cavity opening of the valve cavity 11, the drive mounting seat 5 abuts against the grille assembly 2, so that under the pressing action of the drive mounting seat 5, the widened gap 212 is eliminated, and the depth and width of the outer sealing ring groove 211 are reduced, so that the two adjacent grille units 21 can clamp the sealing ring groove together, and the outer sealing ring 22 can be pressed against the cavity wall of the valve cavity 11, thereby facilitating the installation of the grille assembly 2 and ensuring the sealing strength between the grille assembly 2 and the cavity wall of the valve cavity 11.

[0109] Reference Figure 17 and Figure 18 , Figure 17 for Figure 1 Simplified structural diagram of the medium soft water valve in downstream regeneration mode. Figure 18 This is a simplified schematic diagram of the structure of a water softener valve in reverse flow regeneration mode according to another embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, the piston 3 includes a first piston 33 and a second piston 34, both of which are provided with a first water annular groove 312. The first water annular groove 312 is located at a different axial position on the first piston 33 than on the second piston 34. Either the first piston 33 or the second piston 34 is installed in the grille assembly 2.

[0110] The various water channel modes include a regeneration water channel mode. When the first piston 33 is installed in the grille assembly 2, in the regeneration water channel mode, the first water ring groove 312 connects the central cavity 115 and the sewage cavity 114 to achieve downstream regeneration; when the second piston 34 is installed in the grille assembly 2, in the regeneration water channel mode, the first water ring groove 312 connects the side wall cavity 113 and the sewage cavity 114 to achieve countercurrent regeneration.

[0111] That is, the soft water valve in this solution can be either a downstream regeneration valve or a reverse flow regeneration valve. From the structural perspective of the soft water valve, the downstream regeneration valve and the reverse flow regeneration valve only have different structures of the first piston 33 and the second piston 34, while the valve body 1, the grid assembly 2 and other structures are exactly the same. That is, the downstream regeneration valve and the reverse flow regeneration valve can share structures such as the valve body 1 and the grid assembly 2. Therefore, in actual production, the downstream regeneration valve and the reverse flow regeneration valve can be realized by producing the same valve body 1, thereby saving the cost of a set of molds, which helps to save the processing cost of the soft water valve. The only difference between the first piston 33 and the second piston 34 is that the axial position of the first water-passing ring groove 312 on the first piston 33 is different from the axial position on the second piston 34, that is, the partial water-passing levels on the first piston 33 and the second piston 34 are different. Therefore, during the actual production of the piston 3, only the position of the first water-passing ring groove 312 needs to be adjusted to simultaneously process the downstream regeneration valve and the reverse regeneration valve. Compared with the prior art, in which the structures of the downstream regeneration valve and the reverse regeneration valve are processed separately and then assembled separately, this solution can not only improve the processing efficiency, but also save the cost of a set of molds, thereby reducing the cost of the soft water valve.

[0112] Due to the change in the position of the first water-passing annular groove 312, in the downstream regeneration mode, the first water-passing annular groove 312 connects the central cavity 115 and the sewage cavity 114, allowing wastewater generated by the regeneration of the soft water medium in the soft water pipe to flow out through the central cavity 115 and the sewage cavity 114 in sequence, and the corresponding salt water enters the soft water tank 200 through the side wall cavity 113. In the reverse regeneration mode, the first water-passing annular groove 312 connects the side wall cavity 113 and the sewage cavity 114, allowing wastewater generated by the regeneration of the soft water medium in the soft water pipe to flow out of the soft water valve in sequence through the side wall cavity 113 and the sewage cavity 114, and the corresponding salt water enters the soft water tank 200 through the central cavity 115. In other waterway modes, the waterway flow directions of the downstream and reverse regeneration valves are set to be the same.

[0113] Reference Figure 5 and Figures 7 to 10In one embodiment, the water softener valve further includes a water softener tank 200 mounted outside a water softener tank interface 161. The valve body 1 comprises a valve body 15 and a valve base 16, which are joined together. The water softener tank interface 161 is located on the valve base 16. The valve body 15 is provided with a first dividing rib 151 on one side near the valve base 16, which cooperates with the grille assembly 2 to separate multiple water passage chambers 111. The valve base 16 is provided with a second dividing rib 162 corresponding to each first dividing rib 151. The first dividing rib 151 has a first rib surface 1511 and a second rib surface 1512 that oppose each other in the radial direction of the valve chamber 11. The grille assembly 2 seals against the first rib surface 1511, and the second dividing rib 162 is fixedly connected to the second rib surface 1512. Specifically, the valve body 1 is formed by joining the valve body 15 and the valve base 16, which together form the valve chamber 11 and the bypass channel 14, thereby facilitating the processing of the valve body 1.

[0114] The soft tank interface 161 is provided on the valve base 16 and is used to connect to the soft water tank 200. Therefore, the side wall channel 102 and the central channel 104 are both provided on the valve base 16. The water inlet channel 101, the water outlet channel 105, and the water injection and salt absorption channel 106 are formed in the valve body 15, thereby ensuring the circumferential continuity of the water inlet channel 101, the water outlet channel 105, and the water injection and salt absorption channel 106, thereby reducing the possibility of water leakage. Of course, in other embodiments, the water inlet channel 101, the water outlet channel 105 and the water injection and salt absorption channel 106 can be only partially arranged on the valve body 15, and the other part is formed by splicing the valve body 15 and the valve base 16 and / or arranged on the valve base 16; or, the water inlet channel 101, the water outlet channel 105 and the water injection and salt absorption channel 106 are all formed by splicing the valve body 15 and the valve base 16; or, the water inlet channel 101, the water outlet channel 105 and the water injection and salt absorption channel 106 are all arranged on the valve base 16.

[0115] The valve body 15 and valve seat 16 are spliced ​​together to form the valve cavity 11, and the valve cavity 11 is used to install the grille assembly 2. Because the outer periphery of the grille assembly 2 abuts the inner periphery of the valve cavity 11, that is, the grille assembly 2 will exert a radially outward force on the cavity wall of the valve cavity 11. Therefore, if the valve body 15 and valve seat 16 are directly spliced ​​together, that is, the outer periphery of the grille assembly 2 partially abuts the valve body 15 and the other part abuts the valve seat 16, the grille assembly 2 will cause the valve body 15 and the valve seat to move away from each other. Over long-term use, this may cause water leakage in the valve cavity 11. Therefore, the valve body 15 is provided with a first dividing rib 151 on a side near the valve base 16, which is used to separate the multiple water passage chambers 111. The first rib surface 1511 of the dividing rib abuts the grille assembly 2. Specifically, each first dividing rib 151 abuts a corresponding support ring 24 of the grille assembly 2. This ensures that the outer periphery of the grille assembly 2 abuts only against the valve body 15. This eliminates the impact of the contact between the outer periphery of the grille assembly 2 and the inner periphery of the valve chamber 11 on the connection between the valve body 15 and the valve base 16, thereby extending the service life of the soft water valve. Furthermore, the presence of the first dividing rib 151 further increases the cross-sectional area of ​​the valve chamber 11, thereby increasing the water flow rate, resulting in a flow rate of no less than 6 m³ / h for the soft water valve, further achieving a compact size and high flow rate.

[0116] The valve base 16 is provided with a second dividing rib 162 corresponding to each first dividing rib 151. The second dividing rib 162 is fixedly connected to the second rib surface 1512, thereby increasing the contact area between the valve base 16 and the valve body 15 and improving the connection stability between the two. The valve base 16 and the valve body 15 can be connected by welding.

[0117] Reference Figure 3 In one embodiment, the axial direction of the water inlet channel 101 is perpendicular to the axial direction of the valve cavity 11, that is, the water inlet channel 101 is arranged toward the water inlet cavity 112, thereby reducing the flow rate loss caused by the water flow reversal, thereby increasing the water inlet flow rate of the soft water valve, and helping to ensure the soft water efficiency of the soft water valve.

[0118] Furthermore, the axial direction of the water outlet channel 105 is perpendicular to the axial direction of the valve cavity 11, that is, the water outlet channel 105 is arranged toward the water outlet cavity 116, thereby reducing the flow rate loss caused by the water flow reversal, thereby increasing the water outlet flow rate of the soft water valve, and helping to ensure the soft water efficiency of the soft water valve.

[0119] Furthermore, the axial direction of the drain channel 103 is perpendicular to the axial direction of the valve cavity 11 , that is, the drain channel 103 is arranged toward the drain cavity 114 , thereby reducing the flow rate loss caused by water flow reversal, thereby improving the drain efficiency of the soft water valve.

[0120] Furthermore, the axial direction of the water injection and salt absorption channel 106 is perpendicular to the axial direction of the valve cavity 11, that is, the water injection and salt absorption channel 106 is arranged toward the water injection and salt absorption cavity 117, thereby reducing the flow rate loss caused by the water flow reversal, thereby improving the water injection efficiency and salt absorption efficiency of the soft water valve.

[0121] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 8 In this embodiment of the present invention, a water inlet 118 is formed in the wall of the valve cavity 11, connecting the valve cavity 11 with the water inlet channel 101. The axial width of the water inlet 118 is less than or equal to the axial width of the water inlet cavity 112. This means that while ensuring the sealing of the water inlet cavity 112, the width of the water inlet 118 is maximized, thereby increasing the water intake capacity of the water inlet 118 and ensuring the overall water flow rate and water softening efficiency of the water softener.

[0122] Furthermore, a water outlet 119 is formed in the wall of the valve cavity 11, connecting the valve cavity 11 and the water outlet channel 105. The width of the water outlet 119 along the axial direction of the valve cavity 11 is less than or equal to the width of the water outlet cavity 116 along the axial direction of the valve cavity 11. In other words, while ensuring the sealing of the water outlet cavity 116, the width of the water outlet 119 is increased as much as possible, thereby increasing the water inlet volume of the water outlet 119, thereby ensuring the overall flux of the water softening valve and ensuring the water softening efficiency of the water softening valve.

[0123] The present invention also proposes a water softener, which includes a water softener valve. The specific structure of the water softener refers to the above embodiment. Since this water softener adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0124] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural transformation made by utilizing the contents of the present invention's description and drawings under the technical concept of the present invention, or directly / indirectly applied in other related technical fields, is included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A grille assembly for a soft water valve, the soft water valve comprising a valve body, the valve body being provided with a valve cavity, the grille assembly being arranged in the valve cavity, characterized in that: An outer sealing ring groove is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the grille assembly, and the outer sealing ring groove is used for installing an outer sealing ring. The bottom wall of the outer sealing ring groove includes at least one guiding inclined surface, and the guiding inclined surface is inclined from the middle to the edge toward the notch of the outer sealing ring groove to push the outer sealing ring outward so that the outer sealing ring is pressed against the cavity wall of the valve cavity.

2. The grille assembly according to claim 1, wherein The included angle between the guide slope and the horizontal line ranges from 30° to 60°.

3. The grille assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The included angle between the guide slope and the horizontal line is 45°.

4. The grille assembly according to claim 1, wherein The bottom wall of the outer sealing ring groove further includes a guide arc surface, and the shortest distance from the guide arc surface to the notch of the outer sealing ring groove is greater than the shortest distance from the guide inclined surface to the notch of the outer sealing ring groove.

5. The grille assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The grille assembly includes a plurality of spliced ​​grille units, and the outer sealing ring groove is formed between two adjacent grille units.

6. The grille assembly according to claim 5, wherein: A first connecting structure and a second connecting structure are respectively provided at the two ends of each grille unit. The first connecting structure of one grille unit is used to be engaged with the second connecting structure of another grille unit so as to fix the two grille units.

7. The grille assembly according to claim 6, wherein: The first connecting structure is configured as a hook, and the second connecting structure is configured as a bayonet corresponding to the hook.

8. The grille assembly according to claim 5, wherein: An outer annular notch is provided on the end surface of each grille unit, and the outer annular notch of one grille unit and the outer annular notch of another grille unit overlap with each other to form the outer sealing ring groove.

9. The grille assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The grid assembly is further provided with a piston passage and an inner sealing ring groove communicated with the piston passage. An inner sealing ring is provided in the inner sealing ring groove and protrudes toward the piston passage.

10. The grille assembly according to claim 9, wherein The inner sealing ring is provided with a clamping groove on both side walls distributed along the axial direction of the inner sealing ring, and the inner sealing ring groove is provided with a clamping rib corresponding to each of the clamping grooves.

11. The grille assembly according to claim 10, wherein The clamping rib is gradually contracted in a direction from the root to the free end, and the clamping groove is gradually expanded in a direction from the groove bottom to the groove opening.

12. The grille assembly according to claim 11, wherein The inner sealing ring groove is further provided with an abutment rib axially protruding toward the grid unit, and the abutment rib is used to press the inner sealing ring.

13. A soft water valve, characterized in that: It comprises a valve body, a piston and a grille assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the valve body is provided with a valve cavity, the grille assembly is arranged in the valve cavity, and the valve cavity is divided into a plurality of water flow chambers in sequence along its axial direction, and the piston is movably arranged in the piston channel of the grille assembly along the axial direction of the valve cavity to control the conduction and closing of the plurality of water flow chambers.

14. The soft water valve according to claim 13, characterized in that The valve body is further provided with a soft tank interface, a water inlet channel, a water outlet channel, a sewage discharge channel and a salt absorption and water injection channel connected to the valve cavity; the soft tank interface is provided with a side wall channel and a central channel both connected to the valve cavity; The multiple water passage chambers include a water inlet chamber connected to the water inlet channel, a side wall chamber connected to the side wall channel, a sewage discharge chamber connected to the sewage discharge channel, a central chamber connected to the central channel, a water outlet chamber connected to the water outlet channel, and a water injection and salt absorption chamber connected to the salt absorption and injection channel. The water inlet chamber, the side wall chamber, the sewage discharge chamber, the central chamber, the water outlet chamber and the water injection and salt absorption chamber are arranged in sequence along the axial direction of the valve chamber; the soft water valve has multiple water path modes, and the piston moves along the axial direction of the valve chamber to switch the soft water valve between the multiple water path modes.

15. The soft water valve according to claim 14, characterized in that The grille assembly includes a plurality of grille units sequentially spliced ​​and arranged along the axial direction of the valve cavity, and an outer sealing ring groove for mounting the outer sealing ring is formed between two adjacent grille units; the grille assembly has a pre-installed state, in which a widened gap can be formed between two adjacent grille units, and the width of the widened gap is smaller than the cross-sectional diameter of the outer sealing ring; The soft water valve further includes a drive mounting seat for sealing the valve cavity opening; when the valve cavity opening is in an open state, the grille assembly is mounted to the valve cavity in the pre-installed state, and the widened gap widens the outer sealing ring groove to provide a larger deformation space for the outer sealing ring; When the drive mounting seat covers the cavity opening of the valve cavity, the drive mounting seat abuts against the grid assembly to eliminate the widened gap, so that the outer sealing ring abuts against the cavity wall of the valve cavity.

16. The soft water valve according to claim 14, wherein: The piston includes a first piston and a second piston, both of which are provided with a first water-passing ring groove. The axial position of the first water-passing ring groove on the first piston is different from the axial position of the first water-passing ring groove on the second piston. Either the first piston or the second piston is installed in the grille assembly. The multiple water channel modes include a regeneration water channel mode. When the first piston is installed in the grille assembly, in the regeneration water channel mode, the first water ring groove connects the central cavity and the sewage discharge cavity to achieve downstream regeneration; when the second piston is installed in the grille assembly, in the regeneration water channel mode, the first water ring groove connects the side wall cavity and the sewage discharge cavity to achieve countercurrent regeneration.

17. The soft water valve according to claim 14, wherein: The soft water valve also includes a soft water tank installed on the outside of the soft tank interface, the valve body includes a valve body and a valve base that are spliced ​​together, the soft tank interface is provided at the valve base, the valve body is provided with a first dividing rib on one side close to the valve base, which cooperates with the grille assembly to separate a plurality of the water flow chambers, and the valve base is provided with a second dividing rib corresponding to each first dividing rib, the first dividing rib has a first rib surface and a second rib surface that are opposite in the radial direction of the valve cavity, the grille assembly is sealed and abutted against the first rib surface, and the second dividing rib is fixedly connected to the second rib surface.

18. A water softener, characterized in that: Comprising the soft water valve according to any one of claims 15 to 17.

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