Salt box control mechanism and soft water heater

Abstract

The utility model discloses a salt box control mechanism and a soft water heater, and the salt box control mechanism comprises a salt box which contains soft water salt; one end of the water injection pipe is connected with water to be treated through a water inlet pipe, the other end of the water injection pipe extends into the salt tank, and a stop valve is arranged on the water injection pipe; the salt valve is arranged in the salt box, the salt valve is connected with a salt suction pipe to output saturated salt water, and a valve is arranged on the salt suction pipe; a salt cavity with a large inner diameter and a pipe cavity with a small inner diameter are formed in the salt valve, one end of the salt cavity is communicated with the salt suction pipe, the other end of the salt cavity is communicated with the pipe cavity, and the pipe cavity is arranged on one side of the salt cavity and extends downwards to abut against the inner bottom wall of the salt box. According to the salt box, saturated salt water in the salt box can be absorbed in an unpowered mode to form a dry type salt box, the salt climbing phenomenon is avoided, the water injection amount can be flexibly adjusted according to requirements, the amount of the formed saturated salt water can meet the requirement for regeneration of soft water resin, and waste is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of water treatment equipment technology, and in particular to a salt tank control mechanism and a soft water water heater. Background Technology

[0002] A water heater is a device that uses various physical principles to raise the temperature of cold water to produce hot water within a certain time. Based on different principles, they can be divided into electric water heaters, gas water heaters, solar water heaters, etc. Currently, with the improvement of people's living standards, people's requirements for daily water use are also increasing. Due to regional factors, water quality varies greatly across the country, and water resources differ significantly. In most areas, the water quality is hard. Prolonged use of hard water can cause dry, rough skin and accelerated aging. Therefore, the demand for soft water is constantly rising. Soft water contains little or no soluble calcium and magnesium compounds. Using soft water can effectively inhibit fungi, delay skin aging, and prevent scale buildup after heating, offering numerous benefits to daily life.

[0003] Based on this, water softening water heaters that integrate water softening components with water heater components have emerged on the market. These heaters use water softening resin to remove calcium and magnesium ions from the water, reducing water hardness. The water softening component is equipped with a brine tank containing water softening salt. Water is added to the brine tank to dissolve the salt and form a saturated brine solution. This saturated brine solution is then supplied to the water softening component to regenerate the resin when its adsorption capacity decreases after prolonged use, allowing the resin to be reused.

[0004] Currently, both water level control and brine suction control in the brine tank are achieved through a brine valve. The valve remains open during both water filling and brine suction until both processes are complete. However, due to the valve's structural design, it's impossible to completely drain the saturated brine from the tank during soft water resin regeneration. A significant amount of saturated brine remains, preventing the tank from becoming a truly dry environment and leading to brine creep. Furthermore, when the water level is high, a float mechanism lifts the brine valve, closing the water filling. This float mechanism only lifts when the water level reaches a certain height, meaning the water volume is fixed and generally not adjustable. This limits the applicability of the system to specific operating conditions. Utility Model Content

[0005] To address the aforementioned deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention aims to provide a salt tank control mechanism and a soft water water heater that can not only drain the saturated brine in the salt tank without power to form a dry salt tank and avoid salt creep, but also flexibly adjust the water injection volume according to needs so that the amount of saturated brine formed meets the requirements for the regeneration of soft water resin without causing waste.

[0006] The first aspect of this utility model provides a salt tank control mechanism, comprising:

[0007] Salt tank, containing soft water salt;

[0008] The water injection pipe has one end connected to the water to be treated via the inlet pipe, and the other end extends into the salt tank. A shut-off valve is installed on the water injection pipe.

[0009] The salt valve is located inside the salt tank and is connected to a salt suction pipe to output saturated brine. The salt suction pipe is equipped with a valve.

[0010] The salt valve has a salt chamber with a large inner diameter and a tube with a small inner diameter. One end of the salt chamber is connected to the salt suction pipe, and the other end of the salt chamber is connected to the tube. The tube is located on one side of the salt chamber and extends downward to abut the inner bottom wall of the salt tank.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, in the first aspect of this utility model, the water injection pipe and the brine suction pipe are the same water pipe, and the shut-off valve and the valve are the same electronic valve. The electronic valve has a dual-pass structure for use in water injection and brine suction respectively.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, in the first aspect of this utility model, the salt valve includes a valve seat, a sleeve, and a top cover. One end of the valve seat is connected to a water pipe, and the sleeve is fitted onto the other end of the valve seat with the top cover covering its upper end, so as to form a salt cavity inside the sleeve. The pipe cavity is located on the side of the sleeve and connects to the salt cavity inside the sleeve.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, in the first aspect of this utility model, the side of the other end of the valve seat is provided with a slot that extends vertically, and the side of the sleeve is provided with a matching insert tube corresponding to the slot. The upper end of the insert tube is connected to the salt chamber, and the lower end of the insert tube is inserted into the slot and extends to abut against the inner bottom wall of the salt tank, so as to form a cavity in the insert tube.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, in the first aspect of this utility model, a connecting part is provided at the connection between the sleeve and the other end of the valve seat, and a matching sealing member is provided in the valve seat corresponding to the connecting part. The sealing member is connected to a guide rod, and the guide rod can move up and down to seal through the top cover and be set on the fixed frame so as to drive the sealing member to move up and down to seal or open the connecting part. The fixed frame is fixed on the water pipe, and a floating member is provided on the guide rod.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, in the first aspect of this utility model, the guide rod can move up and down relative to the upper cover;

[0016] Alternatively, the top cover has an elastic structure, with a fixing ring pressed onto the top circumferential edge of the top cover, and the fixing ring is fixedly connected to the upper end of the sleeve.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, in the first aspect of this utility model, a float is provided inside the salt cavity, and the float is provided corresponding to the connecting part. The float can fall down to block the connecting part or rise up to open the connecting part.

[0018] As a preferred embodiment, in the first aspect of this utility model, the float is guided and positioned by a float cylinder, which is disposed in the salt cavity and extends to the inner wall of the sealing connection. The float is disposed in the float cylinder so that it can fall down to block the lower end of the float cylinder or float up to open the lower end of the float cylinder. A water passage hole is provided at the lower end of the float cylinder to connect to the connection, and a through hole is provided at the upper end of the float cylinder to connect to the salt cavity.

[0019] The sealing element is located at the bottom of the float tube, and the guide rod is connected to the sealing element through the float tube.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment, in the first aspect of this utility model, the float cylinder includes a cylindrical portion with a through hole and an inverted conical portion with a water passage hole. The float is disposed inside the cylindrical portion, and the top end of the inverted conical portion is embedded in the bottom end of the cylindrical portion to support the float. The top end of the inverted conical portion has a groove, which is disposed around the float in the falling state.

[0021] The second aspect of this utility model provides a soft water water heater, including: a water heater body and the aforementioned salt tank control mechanism. The salt tank control mechanism is detachably disposed at the bottom of the water heater body. The water heater body includes a hot water component and a soft water component. The soft water component is connected to the water inlet pipe, and the salt valve is connected to the soft water component via a salt suction pipe.

[0022] The salt tank control mechanism and soft water water heater provided by this utility model have the following technical effects:

[0023] First, the brine valve's tube extends downwards to abut the inner bottom wall of the brine tank, allowing for complete absorption of the brine within the tank when saturated with brine, creating a truly dry brine tank and preventing salt runoff. Furthermore, because the small-diameter tube directly connects to the inner bottom wall of the brine tank, and its other end connects to the softening water assembly via a large-diameter brine cavity and a suction pipe, a negative pressure is created in the tube and brine cavity when the valve on the suction pipe is opened. Based on the Venturi effect, the small-diameter tube automatically draws the saturated brine from the tank into the tube, which is then sequentially transported to the softening water assembly through the brine cavity and suction pipe. This regenerates the softening resin within the assembly, eliminating the need for a power pump. Thus, this brine tank control mechanism enables the draining of saturated brine from the tank without power, ensuring a dry brine tank and offering energy savings, significantly reducing costs.

[0024] Secondly, the water injection pipe is equipped with a shut-off valve and connected to the water to be treated via an inlet pipe. When water needs to be injected into the brine tank to dissolve the softening salt, the required amount of saturated brine can be determined based on the degree of reduction in the softening resin's adsorption capacity. The shut-off valve controls the injection time to control the injection volume. In this way, the brine tank control mechanism can flexibly adjust the injection volume according to demand, ensuring that the resulting saturated brine meets the needs of softening resin regeneration without waste. This not only guarantees that the softening components inside the water heater can be fully activated to treat water normally and meet the water heater's demand for outputting softened hot water, but also prevents resource waste. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of the soft water water heater of this utility model;

[0026] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the salt tank control mechanism of this utility model;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of the salt tank control mechanism of this utility model;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the main structure of the salt tank control mechanism of this utility model;

[0029] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the main structure of the salt tank control mechanism of this utility model from another perspective.

[0030] Figure label:

[0031] 1. Salt tank; 11. Salt valve chamber; 12. Salt box chamber; 13. Salt box; 2. Salt valve; 21. Valve seat; 211. Slot; 22. Sleeve; 221. Salt chamber; 222. Pipe chamber; 223. Insert pipe; 23. Top cover; 24. Connecting part; 25. Sealing part; 26. Fixing ring; 27. Float; 28. Float cylinder; 281. Water passage hole; 282. Through hole; 283. Cylindrical part; 284. Inverted conical part; 285. Groove; 3. Water pipe; 4. Guide rod; 5. Float; 6. Fixing frame; 61. Bracket; 62. Locking part; 7. Fixing part; 8. Water heater body; 9. Protective cover. Detailed Implementation

[0032] To better understand and implement this invention, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0033] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", and "outer" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0034] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention.

[0035] See Figure 2-5 This utility model provides a salt tank control mechanism, including a salt tank 1, a water injection pipe, a salt valve 2, and a salt suction pipe. The salt tank 1 contains soft water salt. One end of the water injection pipe is connected to the water to be treated through an inlet pipe, and the other end of the water injection pipe extends into the salt tank 1. A shut-off valve is provided on the water injection pipe. The salt valve 2 is located inside the salt tank 1 and is connected to the salt suction pipe to output saturated brine. A valve is provided on the salt suction pipe. The salt valve 2 has a salt cavity 221 with a large inner diameter and a tube cavity 222 with a small inner diameter. One end of the salt cavity 221 is connected to the salt suction pipe, and the other end of the salt cavity 221 is connected to the tube cavity 222. The tube cavity 222 is located on one side of the salt cavity 221 and extends downward to abut against the inner bottom wall of the salt tank 1.

[0036] The brine tank 1 uses a water inlet pipe to introduce external water to dissolve the softening salt and form a saturated brine. A shut-off valve on the inlet pipe allows water injection to stop after a certain time or volume. Based on this, the inlet pipe, connected to the water to be treated, allows for precise control of the injection time and volume by determining the required amount of saturated brine to be added to the brine tank 1 when necessary to dissolve the softening salt, based on the degree of reduction in the softening resin's adsorption capacity. This allows the brine tank control mechanism to flexibly adjust the injection volume as needed, ensuring the formed saturated brine meets the regeneration requirements of the softening resin without waste. This not only guarantees that the softening components inside the water heater are fully activated for normal water treatment, meeting the water heater's demand for soft water, but also prevents resource waste.

[0037] Salt valve 2 is used to draw saturated brine from salt tank 1 and deliver it to the brine suction pipe. The brine suction pipe is connected to the water softener assembly so that, after the valve is opened, salt valve 2 can draw saturated brine from salt tank 1 and deliver it to the water softener assembly. The cavity 222 of salt valve 2 extends downward to abut the inner bottom wall of salt tank 1, allowing the brine in salt tank 1 to be completely drained when drawing saturated brine, forming a truly dry salt tank and preventing salt creep. Furthermore, since the small-diameter cavity 222 is directly connected to the inner bottom wall of salt tank 1, and its other end is connected to the water softener assembly via the brine suction pipe through the large-diameter brine cavity 221, when the valve on the brine suction pipe is opened, a negative pressure is formed in the cavity 222 and the brine cavity 221. Based on the Venturi effect, the small-diameter structure of the cavity 222 automatically draws saturated brine from salt tank 1 into the cavity 222, and then delivers it to the water softener assembly through the brine cavity 221 and the brine suction pipe, thereby regenerating the water softener resin in the water softener assembly without the need for a power pump or other power source. In this way, the salt tank control mechanism can achieve the non-powered suction of saturated brine in the salt tank 1, which not only ensures the formation of a dry salt tank, but also has the characteristics of energy saving and consumption reduction, which is conducive to greatly reducing costs.

[0038] As a basic structure, the water inlet pipe and the brine suction pipe are two separate pipes. A shut-off valve is installed on the water inlet pipe to directly control the water inlet time, and a valve is installed on the brine suction pipe to directly control the opening and closing of the brine suction. Both the shut-off valve and the valve can be manual or electric. Manual valves need to be installed externally for easy opening and closing, and their installation structure has certain requirements. Electric valves can be directly installed inside the soft water water heater for electrical connection with the control device, thereby achieving automatic control of water inlet time and brine suction.

[0039] In this invention, the water pipe and the brine suction pipe are the same water pipe 3, and the shut-off valve and the valve are the same electronic valve. The electronic valve has a dual-pass structure for water injection and brine suction respectively. The electronic valve is electrically connected to a control device, which can be the control mechanism of a soft water water heater. The electronic valve can be directly installed inside the soft water water heater, which is convenient for installation and can realize automated control of water injection and brine suction, and has a simple structure. Thus, the brine valve 2 is connected to the water pipe 3, and the water pipe 3 is equipped with a dual-pass electronic valve. One pass of the electronic valve is connected to the external water to be treated through the inlet pipe, and the other pass of the electronic valve is connected to the soft water assembly. When there is a need for water injection, the control device opens one pass of the electronic valve, and the external water to be treated is introduced into the brine tank 1 through the inlet pipe, water pipe 3, valve seat 21 of the brine valve 2, brine chamber 221 and pipe chamber 222 to dissolve the soft water salt and form saturated brine. The water injection time can be adjusted according to the needs to obtain the required amount of saturated brine. When there is a need for salt absorption, the control device opens another passage of the electronic valve to introduce the saturated brine in the salt tank 1 into the water softening component through the venturi effect via the pipe 222, the salt chamber 221, the valve seat 21 and the water pipe 3 to regenerate the water softening resin.

[0040] Based on this structure, the salt valve 2 includes a valve seat 21, a sleeve 22 and a top cover 23. One end of the valve seat 21 is connected to the water pipe 3. The sleeve 22 is fitted onto the other end of the valve seat 21 and the top cover 23 is placed on its upper end to form a salt cavity 221 inside the sleeve 22. The pipe cavity 222 is located on the side of the sleeve 22 and is connected to the salt cavity 221 inside the sleeve 22.

[0041] Valve seat 21 is located at the bottom of brine valve 2. One end of it is a pipe structure for connecting to water pipe 3. Specifically, one end of valve seat 21 can be detachably connected to water pipe 3 via a plug-in structure. One end of water pipe 3 is placed outside brine tank 1 to connect to inlet pipe and soft water assembly via electronic valve. The other end of water pipe 3 extends downward into brine tank 1 and plugs into one end of valve seat 21, and is locked by fastener 7 to achieve a fixed and sealed connection between water pipe 3 and valve seat 21, ensuring stable water injection and absorption of saturated brine, and preventing leakage. Fastener 7 can be a threaded sleeve, rivet, screw, etc. When installing fastener 7, the tightening force must be controlled to ensure the sealing of the connection between water pipe 3 and valve seat 21 to prevent leakage, while avoiding over-tightening that could deform the connection between water pipe 3 and valve seat 21, thus ensuring smooth water injection and absorption of saturated brine.

[0042] The other end of the valve seat 21 is a base structure, which is connected to the pipeline structure. The sleeve 22 is mounted on the base structure, and the connection between the two is sealed and forms a water channel to ensure stable water injection and absorption of saturated brine, while preventing leakage. The brine chamber 221 and the pipeline chamber 222 connected inside the sleeve 22 are arranged vertically side by side to form a venturi-type chamber, enabling unpowered brine suction. The upper end of the sleeve 22 is open, and the upper cover 23 is a sealing cap located at the upper end of the sleeve 22. This cap, in conjunction with the inner bottom wall of the salt tank 1, forms a sealed chamber between the salt cavity 221 and the pipe cavity 222. When the electronic valve's salt suction passage is opened, a negative pressure is created in the salt cavity 221 and the pipe cavity 222. Based on the Venturi effect, the small inner diameter of the pipe cavity 222 automatically draws the saturated brine from the salt tank 1 into the pipe cavity 222, and then sequentially delivers it through the salt cavity 221, valve seat 21, and water pipe 3 to the water softener assembly, regenerating the water softening resin within the assembly without the need for a power pump. The purpose of the upper cover 23 is to achieve a seal at the upper end of the sleeve 22; any sealable cap structure is acceptable, whether hard, soft, or flexible.

[0043] The valve seat 21 has a slot 211 that runs vertically through the other side. The sleeve 22 has a matching insertion tube 223 on the side corresponding to the slot 211. The upper end of the insertion tube 223 is connected to the salt chamber 221, and the lower end of the insertion tube 223 is inserted into the slot 211 and extends to abut against the inner bottom wall of the salt tank 1, so as to form a cavity 222 in the insertion tube 223.

[0044] The slot 211 is located on the side of the base structure of the valve seat 21. The lower end of the valve seat 21 abuts against the inner bottom wall of the salt tank 1. The slot 211 extends vertically and its lower end abuts against the inner bottom wall of the salt tank 1. The insertion tube 223 is located on the side of the sleeve 22, and its length is sufficient to extend downwards to abut against the inner bottom wall of the salt tank 1. When the insertion tube 223 is inserted into the slot 211, the outer wall of the insertion tube 223 fits against the inner wall of the slot 211 to form a sealing structure, preventing saturated brine from being drawn into the gap between the insertion tube 223 and the slot 211, thereby ensuring that the saturated brine is drawn into the lumen 222 using the Venturi effect. Generally, the insertion tube 223 can be directly set to extend downwards to abut against the inner bottom wall of the salt tank 1 to automatically draw in saturated brine using the Venturi effect. The fitting arrangement of the insertion tube 223 and the slot 211 in this utility model helps to improve the stability of the sleeve 22 installation, thereby ensuring that the lower end of the insertion tube 223 can stably abut against the inner bottom wall of the salt tank 1, so as to ensure smooth absorption of saturated brine.

[0045] Based on this, a connecting part 24 is provided at the connection between the sleeve 22 and the other end of the valve seat 21. A matching sealing part 25 is provided inside the valve seat 21 corresponding to the connecting part 24. The sealing part 25 is connected to a guide rod 4. The guide rod 4 can move up and down to seal through the upper cover 23 and is set on the fixed frame 6 so as to drive the sealing part 25 to move up and down to seal or open the connecting part 24. The fixed frame 6 is fixed on the water pipe 3, and a floating part 5 is provided on the guide rod 4.

[0046] Due to differences in water pressure in different water circuits, the set water injection time may result in excessive water being injected into the brine tank 1 before the electronic valve can close, causing water waste and a risk of overflow in the brine tank 1. The structure of the sealing component 25 in conjunction with the float component 5 can solve this problem. The float component 5 can be a float cylinder, float ball, or similar structure, located above the brine valve 2 inside the brine tank 1. Under normal circumstances, the sealing component 25, float component 5, and guide rod 4 naturally fall until the sealing component 25 abuts against the inner bottom wall of the valve seat 21 to open the connection part 24, thereby enabling the absorption of saturated brine and normal water injection. When the water level in the brine tank 1 reaches a certain height but the water injection passage of the electronic valve is not closed, the float component 5 rises due to buoyancy and uses the guide rod 4 to move the sealing component 25 upwards to the sealing connection part 24, thus stopping the water injection.

[0047] The water pipe 3 extends vertically into the salt tank 1. The fixing frame 6 includes a bracket 61 and a locking member 62. The bracket 61 is locked to the water pipe 3 by the locking member 62. The bracket 61 has a hole through which a guide rod 4 passes and can move up and down. The diameter of the hole is larger than the outer diameter of the guide rod 4, so that the guide rod 4 can move up and down through the hole, thereby realizing the up and down movement of the guide rod 4, the float 5, and the sealing member 25. The bracket 61 is clamped onto the water pipe 3 and locked in place by the locking member 62. The locking member 62 is threadedly connected to the bracket 61, so that the bracket 61 is fixed to the water pipe 3 by tightening the locking member 62. It is worth noting that the tightening force of the locking member 62 should be properly controlled to avoid deformation of the water pipe 3.

[0048] The guide rod 4 can move up and down relative to the upper cover 23. That is, while the guide rod 4 is sealed through the upper cover 23, it can move up and down relative to the upper cover 23 to drive the sealing component 25 to open or seal the connecting part 24. At this time, the upper cover 23 can be of any structure, such as a hard cover, a soft cover, an elastic cover, etc., as long as it can achieve a seal with the guide rod 4 and the sleeve 22.

[0049] Alternatively, the top cover 23 can be an elastic structure, with a fixing ring 26 pressed onto the circumferential edge of its top end. The fixing ring 26 is fixedly connected to the upper end of the sleeve 22. When the top cover 23 is an elastic structure, under normal circumstances, the sealing element 25, the float element 5, and the guide rod 4 naturally fall to the point where the sealing element 25 abuts against the inner bottom wall of the valve seat 21 to open the connection part 24. At this time, the top cover 23 is in its natural state. When the water level in the salt tank 1 reaches a certain height but the water injection passage of the electronic valve is not closed, the float element 5 floats upward due to buoyancy and uses the guide rod 4 to drive the sealing element 25 upward to the sealing connection part 24, thereby stopping the water injection. At this time, the top cover 23 moves upward synchronously with the guide rod 4 and is stretched. When the water level in the salt tank 1 drops, the elasticity of the top cover 23 can assist the sealing element 25, the float element 5, and the guide rod 4 to return to their original positions. The fixing ring 26 ensures a stable connection between the top cover 23 and the sleeve 22, preventing the top cover 23 from detaching from the top of the sleeve 22 due to the upward movement of the guide rod 4, thereby ensuring the sealing of the sleeve 22.

[0050] Based on this structure, a float 27 is provided inside the salt chamber 221, corresponding to the connection part 24. The float 27 can fall to block the connection part 24 or rise to open the connection part 24. When no water injection or salt absorption operation is performed, the float 27 falls due to its own weight to block the connection part 24. When the water injection passage of the electronic valve is opened, the external water to be treated enters the valve seat 21 through the water pipe 3. When it flows to the connection part 24, it pushes open the float 27 to open the connection part 24, allowing the water to be treated to enter the salt chamber 221 and then enter the salt tank 1 through the pipe 222 to dissolve the soft water salt. When the brine suction passage of the electronic valve is opened, a negative pressure is formed in the tube 222 and the brine chamber 221. Based on the Venturi effect, the saturated brine in the brine tank 1 is automatically drawn into the tube 222 directly using the small inner diameter structure of the tube 222, and then into the brine chamber 221. The buoyancy of the saturated brine causes the float 27 to rise, opening the connection 24. This allows the saturated brine to enter the valve seat 21 through the connection 24 and be transported to the water softener assembly via the water pipe 3 to regenerate the water softener resin, without the need for a power pump. When the saturated brine in the brine tank 1 is almost completely absorbed, as the amount of saturated brine in the brine chamber 221 decreases, the buoyancy of the saturated brine on the float 27 gradually decreases. Finally, after the saturated brine in the brine tank 1 is completely absorbed, the disappearance of buoyancy causes the float 27 to fall due to its own weight, sealing the connection 24 and preventing air from being drawn into the water softener assembly. This ensures the safe operation of the electronic valve and the water softener assembly. The connecting part 24 can also support the float 27 to ensure the stable drop and sealing of the float 27.

[0051] The float 27 is guided and positioned by the float cylinder 28, which is located inside the brine chamber 221 and extends to the inner wall of the sealing connection part 24. The float 27 is located inside the float cylinder 28 so that it can fall to block the lower end of the float cylinder 28 or float up to open the lower end of the float cylinder 28. The lower end of the float cylinder 28 has a water passage hole 281 to connect to the connection part 24, and the upper end of the float cylinder 28 has a through hole 282 to connect to the brine chamber 221. The sealing member 25 is located at the bottom of the float cylinder 28, and the guide rod 4 is connected to the sealing member 25 through the float cylinder 28. When water is added or saturated brine is drawn, the float 27 will rise due to buoyancy. Due to the fluidity of the water and the saturated brine, the position of the float 27 is prone to shift. After water addition is complete or the saturated brine in the brine tank 1 is completely drawn, the loss of buoyancy will cause the float 27 to fall due to its own weight, resulting in a shift in position and preventing precise sealing of the connection 24. Furthermore, air may be drawn in during brine extraction. The float cylinder 28 guides and positions the float 27, ensuring that after water addition or the saturated brine in the brine tank 1 is complete, the loss of buoyancy allows the float 27 to fall due to its own weight and precisely seal the connection 24.

[0052] The float tube 28 includes a cylindrical part 283 with a through hole 282 and an inverted conical part 284 with a water passage hole 281. The float 27 is disposed inside the cylindrical part 283. The top end of the inverted conical part 284 is embedded in the bottom end of the cylindrical part 283 to support the float 27. The top end of the inverted conical part 284 has a groove 285, which is disposed around the float 27 in the falling state.

[0053] The cylindrical portion 283 connects to the salt chamber 221 through the through hole 282. The lower part of the inverted cone portion 284 is inserted into the connecting portion 24. The outer wall of the inverted cone portion 284 is sealed to the inner wall of the top of the connecting portion 24. The water passage hole 281 is opened on the side wall of the inverted cone portion 284 and located inside the connecting portion 24, so that the communication between the salt chamber 221 and the pipe 222 and the valve seat 21 is achieved through the water passage hole 281 and the through hole 282 of the float cylinder 28. The float 27 can fall to block the inverted cone portion 284 or rise to open the inverted cone portion 284 to block or connect the float cylinder 28 and the valve seat 21. Thus, when no water injection or salt absorption operation is performed, the float 27 falls due to its own weight to block the inverted cone portion 284. When the water inlet passage of the electronic valve is opened, the external water to be treated enters the valve seat 21 through the water pipe 3. When it flows to the connection part 24, it pushes open the float ball 27 through the water passage 281 to open the inverted cone part 284, so that the water to be treated enters the salt chamber 221 through the through hole 282 of the cylindrical part 283, and enters the salt tank 1 through the pipe 222 to dissolve the soft water salt. When the salt intake passage of the electronic valve is opened, a negative pressure is formed in the tube 222 and the salt chamber 221. Based on the Venturi effect, the saturated brine in the salt tank 1 is automatically drawn into the tube 222 directly using the small inner diameter structure of the tube 222, and then into the salt chamber 221. It also enters the cylindrical part 283 through the through hole 282. The buoyancy of the saturated brine causes the float 27 to float up and open the inverted cone part 284, so that the saturated brine flows into the connecting part 24 through the water passage 281 and into the valve seat 21, and is then transported to the soft water component through the water pipe 3 to regenerate the soft water resin without the need for a power pump or other power supply. As the saturated brine in the brine tank 1 is nearly exhausted, the buoyancy of the float 27 gradually decreases as the amount of saturated brine in the brine chamber 221 diminishes. Finally, after the saturated brine in the brine tank 1 is completely absorbed, the loss of buoyancy causes the float 27 to fall under its own weight, sealing the inverted cone portion 284. This, combined with the sealing structure of the inverted cone portion 284 and the connecting portion 24, prevents air from being drawn into the water softener assembly, thus ensuring the safe operation of the electronic valve and the water softener assembly. The inverted cone portion 284 also provides support for the float 27, ensuring its stable fall and sealing.

[0054] The groove 285 may be provided with one section, one ring, two rings or more. When saturated brine is drawn in, after the saturated brine enters the cylindrical part 283 of the float cylinder 28 through the through hole 282, the saturated brine flows downward to the groove 285 and forms a vortex. With a greater impact force, the float 27 is propelled to float up, which is conducive to the rapid floating of the float 27, so as to ensure the rapid drawing of saturated brine to the soft water component.

[0055] Of course, the guide structure can also be an elastic structure such as a spring, as long as it can achieve the accurate drop of the float 27.

[0056] In addition to the above structure, see [link / reference] Figure 2 The salt tank 1 contains a salt valve chamber 11 and at least one salt box chamber 12. A salt box 13 is detachably housed within the salt box chamber 12. A salt valve 2 is located within the salt valve chamber 11 and connected to the salt box 13 within the salt box chamber 12 via a pipeline. The salt valve chamber 11 houses the salt valve 2. One end of a water pipe 3 is positioned outside the salt tank 1 to connect to the soft water assembly and the inlet pipe via a dual-channel electronic valve. The other end of the water pipe 3 extends downwards into the salt tank 1 and is inserted into one end of the valve seat 21 of the salt valve 2. The salt box chamber 12 houses the salt box 13. The salt valve chamber 11 and the salt box 13 within the salt box chamber 12 are connected via a pipeline, thereby maintaining the same level of saturated brine and injection water in both chambers. Furthermore, during water injection, the uniform distribution of saturated brine within the salt valve chamber 11 and the salt box chamber 12 is achieved through the flow of water. When saturated brine is drawn in, the saturated brine in the salt valve chamber 11 is first drawn into the tube 222 due to the Venturi effect. As the water level in the salt valve chamber 11 drops, the saturated brine in the salt box 13 is continuously replenished into the salt valve chamber 11 through the pipeline to ensure that the water levels in the salt valve chamber 11 and the salt box 13 are equal until the saturated brine in the salt tank 1 is completely drawn out.

[0057] The salt box 13 is detachably installed inside the salt box cavity 12 so that when the soft water salt in the salt box 13 is insufficient, the salt box 13 can be removed to replenish the soft water salt. There may be one salt box cavity 12, or two or more, depending on the requirements such as weight and amount of soft water salt needed.

[0058] This utility model also provides a soft water water heater, including a water heater body 8 and the aforementioned salt tank control mechanism. The salt tank control mechanism is detachably located at the bottom of the water heater body 8. The water heater body 8 includes a hot water component and a soft water component. The soft water component is connected to the water inlet pipe, and the salt valve 2 is connected to the soft water component via a salt suction pipe.

[0059] When both the water inlet pipe and the brine suction pipe are water pipes 3, one end of water pipe 3 is placed inside the water heater body 8 and connected to the water softening component and the inlet pipe respectively through a dual-pass electronic valve. The other end of water pipe 3 extends into the brine valve chamber 11 to connect to the brine valve 2. Furthermore, the inlet pipe can also be directly connected to the water softening component. Thus, under normal conditions of the water softening resin, external water to be treated directly enters the water softening component through the inlet pipe to generate soft water for heating by the water heater component. When the adsorption capacity of the water softening resin decreases and regeneration is required, the water inlet passage of the electronic valve is opened, and external water to be treated enters the valve seat 21 through water pipe 3. When it flows to the connection part 24, it pushes open the float ball 27 through the water passage 281 to open the inverted cone part 284, so that the water to be treated enters the brine chamber 221 through the through hole 282 of the cylindrical part 283, and enters the brine tank 1 through the pipe 222 to dissolve the water softening salt until the required amount of saturated brine is obtained, and then the water inlet is closed. Then, the brine suction passage of the electronic valve is opened, creating a negative pressure in the tube 222 and the brine chamber 221. Based on the Venturi effect, the saturated brine in the brine tank 1 is automatically drawn into the tube 222 using the small inner diameter structure of the tube 222, and then into the brine chamber 221. It then enters the cylindrical part 283 through the through hole 282. The buoyancy of the saturated brine causes the float 27 to rise, opening the inverted cone part 284. This allows the saturated brine to flow through the water passage 281 into the connecting part 24 and into the valve seat 21, and then be delivered to the water softening component via the water pipe 3 to regenerate the water softening resin. When the saturated brine in the brine tank 1 is almost completely absorbed, as the amount of saturated brine in the brine chamber 221 decreases, the buoyancy of the saturated brine on the float 27 gradually decreases. Finally, after the saturated brine in the brine tank 1 is completely absorbed, the disappearance of buoyancy causes the float 27 to fall due to its own weight, sealing the inverted cone part 284. Combined with the sealing structure between the inverted cone part 284 and the connecting part 24, this prevents air from being drawn into the water softening component. Furthermore, a saturated brine detector may be installed inside the salt tank 1 to promptly provide feedback to the control device after the saturated brine in the salt tank 1 has been completely absorbed, thereby controlling the closure of the salt absorption passage of the electronic valve.

[0060] Since one end of the water pipe 3 is located inside the water heater body 8, a protective cover 9 is provided over one end of the water pipe 3, and the end of the water pipe 3 passes through the protective cover 9 to connect to the water softening component, so as to prevent damage during installation.

[0061] The technical means disclosed in this utility model are not limited to those disclosed in the above embodiments, but also include technical solutions composed of any combination of the above technical features. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications without departing from the principle of this utility model, and these improvements and modifications are also considered within the scope of protection of this utility model.

Claims

1. A salt tank control mechanism, characterized in that, include: A salt tank containing soft water salt; Water injection pipe, one end of which is connected to the water to be treated via an inlet pipe, and the other end of which extends into the salt tank, and a shut-off valve is provided on the water injection pipe; A salt valve is located inside the salt tank. The salt valve is connected to a salt suction pipe to output saturated brine. A valve is provided on the salt suction pipe. The salt valve has a salt cavity with a large inner diameter and a tube cavity with a small inner diameter inside. One end of the salt cavity is connected to the salt suction pipe, and the other end of the salt cavity is connected to the tube cavity. The tube cavity is located on one side of the salt cavity and extends downward to abut against the inner bottom wall of the salt tank.

2. The salt tank control mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water injection pipe and the brine suction pipe are the same water pipe, and the shut-off valve and the valve are the same electronic valve. The electronic valve has a dual-pass structure for water injection and brine suction respectively.

3. The salt tank control mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The salt valve includes a valve seat, a sleeve, and a top cover. One end of the valve seat is connected to the water pipe. The sleeve is fitted onto the other end of the valve seat and the top cover is placed on its upper end to form the salt cavity inside the sleeve. The pipe cavity is located on the side of the sleeve and connects to the salt cavity inside the sleeve.

4. The salt tank control mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that: The valve seat has a through slot on the other side, and the sleeve has a matching tube on the side corresponding to the slot. The upper end of the tube is connected to the salt chamber, and the lower end of the tube is inserted into the slot and extends to abut against the inner bottom wall of the salt tank to form the cavity in the tube.

5. The salt tank control mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that: The sleeve is connected to the other end of the valve seat with a connecting part. The valve seat is provided with a matching sealing part corresponding to the connecting part. The sealing part is connected to a guide rod. The guide rod can move up and down to seal through the upper cover and is set on the fixed frame to drive the sealing part to move up and down to seal or open the connecting part. The fixed frame is fixed on the water pipe. The guide rod is provided with a float.

6. The salt tank control mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that: The guide rod can move up and down relative to the upper cover; Alternatively, the top cover is an elastic structure, and a fixing ring is pressed onto the top circumferential edge of the top cover, the fixing ring being fixedly connected to the upper end of the sleeve.

7. The salt tank control mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that: The salt chamber is equipped with a float ball, which is positioned corresponding to the connecting part. The float ball can fall down to block the connecting part or rise up to open the connecting part.

8. The salt tank control mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that: The float is guided and positioned by a float cylinder, which is located inside the salt chamber and extends to the inner wall of the sealing connection. The float is located inside the float cylinder so that it can fall to block the lower end of the float cylinder or float up to open the lower end of the float cylinder. The lower end of the float cylinder has a water passage hole to connect to the connection, and the upper end of the float cylinder has a through hole to connect to the salt chamber. The sealing element is located at the bottom of the float cylinder, and the guide rod is connected to the sealing element through the float cylinder.

9. The salt tank control mechanism according to claim 8, characterized in that: The float tube includes a cylindrical part with a through hole and an inverted conical part with a water passage hole. The float is disposed inside the cylindrical part. The top end of the inverted conical part is embedded in the bottom end of the cylindrical part to support the float. The top end of the inverted conical part has a groove, which is located on the periphery of the float in the falling state.

10. A soft water water heater, characterized in that, include: The water heater body and the salt tank control mechanism according to any one of claims 1-9, wherein the salt tank control mechanism is detachably disposed at the bottom of the water heater body, the water heater body includes a hot water component and a soft water component, the soft water component is connected to the water inlet pipe, and the salt valve is connected to the soft water component via the salt suction pipe.

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