Water softener and salt tank therefor

Abstract

The utility model relates to water purification equipment technical field, concretely provides a water softener and salt tank thereof, at least solves one of the problems of inconvenient dismounting of salt valve of prior art water softener, large space occupation. The salt tank of water softener provided by the utility model includes box and salt sucking valve, the box includes roof, the salt sucking valve is not provided with salt well, the salt sucking valve includes valve body and valve cover, the valve cover is detachably installed on the roof, the first end of valve body is arranged in the box, the second end of valve body passes through the roof and is connected with the valve cover. The utility model can get rid of the limitation of extra space occupation of salt well, and when needing to dismount and maintain, the valve body of salt sucking valve can be taken out together with the valve cover, and has the advantages of convenient and fast dismounting.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of water purification equipment technology, specifically providing a water softener and its brine tank. Background Technology

[0002] In related technologies, the brine valve of a water softener is typically fixed within a brine well structure at the front of the brine tank to control brine generation and regeneration. However, this design has significant drawbacks: firstly, when the brine tank is full of salt particles, if the brine valve malfunctions (such as valve core jamming, seal failure, or brine suction pipe blockage), all salt particles in the brine tank must be completely removed before the brine valve can be disassembled, resulting in cumbersome, time-consuming, and labor-intensive maintenance; secondly, the brine well structure requires additional internal space in the brine tank, increasing not only the overall height and volume of the unit but also limiting the effective salt storage capacity of the brine tank. Furthermore, the integrated design of the brine well and the brine valve further increases the equipment size, making it difficult to adapt to the needs of compact installation scenarios. Utility Model Content

[0003] The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, namely, to at least solve one of the problems of inconvenient disassembly and large space occupation of the salt valve in existing water softeners.

[0004] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a brine tank for a water softener, the brine tank comprising:

[0005] The enclosure includes a top plate; and

[0006] A brine suction valve that does not have a brine well; the brine suction valve includes a valve body and a valve cover, the valve cover being detachably mounted on the top plate; a first end of the valve body is located inside the housing, and a second end of the valve body passes through the top plate and is connected to the valve cover.

[0007] The brine tank of the water softener provided by this utility model has the following advantages:

[0008] Firstly, it adopts a salt intake valve design without a salt well. This eliminates the space constraints of a salt well, allowing for more efficient use of the internal space. This not only helps reduce the overall height and size of the unit, thus improving the flexibility of the water softener during installation and enabling it to better adapt to the space requirements of compact installation scenarios, but also increases the effective salt storage capacity of the salt tank, allowing it to hold more salt and reducing the frequency of salt additions, thus providing convenience for users.

[0009] Secondly, the valve cover of the brine suction valve is detachably mounted on the outside of the tank. When disassembly and maintenance are required, the valve body of the brine suction valve can be removed together with the valve cover, eliminating the need to completely remove all salt particles from the salt tank as in traditional designs. This simplifies the maintenance process, shortens maintenance time, and reduces potential losses caused by prolonged downtime for maintenance, effectively lowering equipment maintenance costs.

[0010] In some feasible embodiments of the brine tank of the water softener described above, the valve cover and the top plate are snap-fitted together.

[0011] In some feasible embodiments of the brine tank of the water softener described above, the top plate is provided with a through hole, and at least a portion of the edge of the through hole extends outward to form a first snap-fit ​​portion;

[0012] The valve cover is formed with a second snap-fit ​​portion for snapping with the first snap-fit ​​portion.

[0013] In some feasible embodiments of the brine tank of the aforementioned water softener, the first snap-fit ​​part is an annular wall structure; and / or

[0014] The second snap-fit ​​part is a buckle, which includes a hook, and the valve cover has a disassembly auxiliary port corresponding to the hook.

[0015] In some feasible embodiments of the brine tank of the water softener described above, a brine baffle is also provided inside the tank, the brine baffle is provided with a limiting groove, and the first end of the valve body is disposed in the limiting groove.

[0016] In some feasible embodiments of the brine tank of the water softener described above, the top plate is provided with a brine inlet, which is located on the tank body away from the valve cover.

[0017] In some feasible embodiments of the brine tank of the water softener described above, the brine tank further includes a resin tank, which is installed inside the tank.

[0018] A portion of the sidewall of the housing is recessed inward to form a concave structure. The concave structure and the valve cover are located on the same side of the resin tank, while the salt inlet is located on the other side of the resin tank.

[0019] In some feasible embodiments of the brine tank of the water softener described above, the brine tank further includes a control valve, which is at least partially installed within the recessed structure, and the control valve is connected to the resin tank and the valve body respectively via pipelines.

[0020] In some feasible embodiments of the brine tank of the water softener described above, the brine tank further includes a top cover, which is detachably installed on the top of the tank body;

[0021] The upper cover has an opening whose position corresponds to the salt filling port;

[0022] The top cover is equipped with a movable salt-adding cap to open or close the opening.

[0023] In a second aspect, the present invention also provides a water softener, the water softener including the brine tank of the water softener described in any of the foregoing technical solutions.

[0024] Those skilled in the art will understand that, since the water softener includes the salt tank in any of the aforementioned technical solutions, it possesses all the technical effects that the aforementioned salt tank can achieve, and will not be elaborated further here. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The preferred embodiments of this utility model are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0026] Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the salt tank of a water softener provided for an embodiment of this utility model;

[0027] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the salt tank of the water softener after disassembly, as provided in this embodiment of the utility model.

[0028] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the brine tank of the water softener provided in this embodiment of the utility model after the valve head cover and the top cover are installed;

[0029] Figure 4 A three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the salt tank of the water softener provided in an embodiment of the present utility model from another perspective;

[0030] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram after removing the control valve and some water circuit components;

[0031] Figure 6 A top view of the top plate and valve cover of the brine tank of a water softener provided in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0032] Figure 7 for Figure 6 A cross-sectional view along the AA direction;

[0033] Figure 8 for Figure 7 Enlarged view at point B;

[0034] Figure 9 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the top plate of the salt tank of the water softener provided in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0035] Figure 10 A perspective view of the valve cover of the brine tank of the water softener provided in this embodiment of the utility model from a first-view perspective;

[0036] Figure 11 A perspective view of the valve cover of the brine tank of the water softener provided in this embodiment of the present invention, from a second perspective.

[0037] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0038] 1. Tank body; 11. Top plate; 111. Through hole; 112. Annular enclosure structure; 113. Salt inlet; 12. Salt partition; 121. Limiting groove; 13. Recessed structure; 2. Salt suction valve; 21. Valve body; 22. Valve cover; 221. Elastic buckle; 2211. Protrusion; 222. Mounting hole; 223. Hook; 224. Disassembly auxiliary port; 23. Bend joint; 3. Resin tank; 4. Control valve; 5. Valve head cover; 6. Top cover; 61. Salt inlet cover; 7. Water circuit components. Detailed Implementation

[0039] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical principles of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make adjustments as needed to adapt to specific applications. To better illustrate the present invention, numerous specific details are provided in the following detailed description. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention can be implemented even without certain specific details.

[0040] In the description of this utility model, terms such as "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," "left," "right," "front," and "rear," which indicate direction or positional relationships, are based on the actual direction or positional relationships in practical application. These terms are used merely for ease of description and do not indicate or imply that the device to be protected 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. Furthermore, ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" are used only for convenience of explanation and are not used to indicate or imply relative importance.

[0041] Furthermore, it should be noted that, in the description of this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation" and "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0042] Please see Figures 1 to 11 This utility model provides a salt tank for a water softener, which includes a tank body 1 and a salt suction valve 2.

[0043] The box 1 includes a box body and a top plate 11 disposed on the box body. The top plate 11 is disposed on the top of the box body and is detachably connected to the box body.

[0044] The brine suction valve 2 does not have a brine well, that is, the brine suction valve 2 adopts a brine well-free design. The brine suction valve 2 includes a valve body 21 and a valve cover 22. The valve cover 22 is detachably installed on the top plate 11. The first end of the valve body 21 is located inside the housing 1, and the second end of the valve body 21 passes through the top plate 11 and is connected to the valve cover 22.

[0045] Specifically, such as Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, the valve cover 22 is provided with a mounting hole 222. The second end of the valve body 21 passes through the mounting hole 222 and is connected to the valve cover 22. The valve body 21 and the valve cover 22 can be fixedly connected by snap-fit, interference fit or other means.

[0046] In this embodiment, the valve cover 22 and the top plate 11 are detachably connected by a snap-fit ​​mechanism. However, it should be noted that the detachable connection between the valve cover 22 and the top plate 11 is not limited to a snap-fit ​​mechanism. For example, a detachable connection can also be achieved by bolt fixing, magnetic fixing, or pin insertion fixing. Other detachable connection methods will not be described in detail.

[0047] When the valve cover 22 and the top plate 11 are snap-fitted together, the top plate 11 has a through hole 111, at least a portion of the edge of the through hole 111 extends outward to form a first snap-fit ​​portion, and the valve cover 22 has a second snap-fit ​​portion for snapping with the first snap-fit ​​portion. The first snap-fit ​​portion can be formed by the outward extension of either the portion of the through hole 111 corresponding to the second snap-fit ​​portion, or by the entire edge of the through hole 111 extending outward to form the first snap-fit ​​portion. The valve cover 22 and the top plate 11 are engaged by the first and second snap-fit ​​portions, offering advantages such as convenient and quick assembly and disassembly, and stable and reliable connection. When disassembly and maintenance are required, based on this snap-fit ​​design, the valve body 21 of the brine suction valve 2 can be removed together with the valve cover 22, simplifying the maintenance process and facilitating equipment maintenance by personnel.

[0048] Please see Figures 8 to 11 The first engaging part is an annular wall structure 112. Specifically, part or all of the edges of the through hole 111 protrude inward to form the annular wall structure 112, that is, the annular wall structure 112 is an annular protrusion on the inner wall of the through hole 111. The second engaging part is a buckle, which includes hooks 223 that can engage with the annular wall structure 112. The number of hooks 223 is one or more, and the specific number of hooks 223 is set according to actual needs.

[0049] In addition, the valve cover 22 has a disassembly auxiliary port 224 corresponding to the hook 223. The disassembly auxiliary port 224 on the valve cover 22 provides space for tools (such as screwdrivers, pry bars, etc.) to enter, allowing the tools to smoothly reach the position of the hook 223 and apply force to it. When used with tools, the disassembly auxiliary port 224 can provide sufficient external force to overcome the jamming force, allowing the hook 223 to smoothly exit the position where it is jammed with the annular enclosure structure 112, thereby easily separating the valve cover 22 from the top plate 11.

[0050] Furthermore, such as Figure 8 , Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, the second snap-fit ​​part also includes a V-shaped elastic snap 221. Part of the elastic snap 221 protrudes from the top of the valve cover 22, and the side of the elastic snap 221 has a protrusion 2211 that engages with the annular enclosure structure 112. The elastic snap 221 has the advantage of being easy and quick to install and remove, and the V-shaped elastic snap 221 has a clear opening guide feature. When installing the valve cover 22 onto the top plate 11, the V-shaped opening of the elastic snap 221 provides a clear guide for the installation process. In this way, the operator can gradually move the valve cover 22 closer to the top plate 11 along the direction of the V-shaped opening, making it easier for the annular enclosure structure 112 to align with the protrusion 2211 on the side of the elastic snap 221, reducing the number of trial and error attempts during installation, and improving installation efficiency and accuracy.

[0051] In this embodiment, a salt separator 12 is also provided inside the tank 1. The salt separator 12 separates the salt from the water at the bottom of the salt tank to a certain extent, preventing the salt from accumulating directly at the bottom of the tank and forming insoluble salt blocks. Salt blocks can cause uneven brine concentration and affect the regeneration effect. The presence of the salt separator 12 ensures that the salt can dissolve in the water relatively evenly. Furthermore, the salt separator 12 is provided with a limiting groove 121. The first end of the valve body 21 is set in the limiting groove 121. The limiting groove 121 can provide effective constraint for the valve body 21. Combined with the valve cover 22 fixing the valve body 21, it can limit the movement of the valve body 21 in the horizontal and vertical directions, ensuring that the valve body 21 is always in a stable position, avoiding problems such as loose connection and seal failure caused by displacement, thereby ensuring the structural stability of the entire salt tank.

[0052] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 The top plate 11 is provided with a salt inlet 113, which is located in the housing 1 away from the valve cover 22. Setting the salt inlet 113 in the housing 1 away from the valve cover 22 not only makes it convenient for operators to add salt without interfering with the operation of the valve cover 22 and to clearly observe the amount of salt, but also avoids the problem of difficulty in removing the salt suction valve 2 due to it being buried in salt.

[0053] Furthermore, the salt tank also includes a resin tank 3, which is installed inside the tank body 1. A portion of the sidewall of the tank body 1 is recessed inward to form a concave structure 13. The concave structure 13 and the valve cover 22 are located on the same side of the resin tank 3, and the salt inlet 113 is located on the other side of the resin tank 3. The concave structure 13 increases the local space of the sidewall of the tank body 1, providing space for the installation and routing of other components and pipes. Furthermore, the concave structure 13 also increases the local strength and toughness of the sidewall of the tank body 1 to a certain extent.

[0054] Furthermore, since the salt inlet 113 is generally located on the front of the salt tank, this invention places the concave structure 13 on the rear side of the salt tank (i.e., the side away from the salt inlet 113). This position is far from the salt inlet 113, and the rear of the salt tank usually does not store salt. Therefore, when the salt tank is replenished, there will be raw water on the rear side that is not in direct contact with the salt. This raw water occupies a large space and cannot play an effective role in the salt dissolution process, resulting in a waste of water resources. The concave structure 13 can effectively reduce this ineffective water-holding space, reduce unnecessary water accumulation, improve the overall utilization rate of the internal space of the salt tank, and also help reduce the unnecessary consumption of water resources.

[0055] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the brine tank also includes a control valve 4, which is at least partially installed within the recessed structure 13. The control valve 4 is connected to the resin tank 3 and the valve body 21 via pipes. All the pipes in the brine tank together form the water circuit assembly 7 shown in the figure. The recessed structure 13 provides a built-in installation space for the control valve 4, avoiding the control valve 4 occupying additional space outside the brine tank. In situations where the overall installation space of the water softener is limited, this design allows for a more compact layout, especially suitable for small residences, apartments, or installation environments with limited space, improving space utilization efficiency. Furthermore, partially embedding the control valve 4 into the recessed structure 13 creates a more integrated structure between the brine tank and the control valve 4. This integrated design reduces the dispersion between components, improves the overall integrity and coordination of the equipment, and simplifies the installation process and reduces maintenance difficulty.

[0056] In this embodiment, both the valve body 21 of the brine valve 2 and the resin tank 3 are vertically installed inside the housing 1. During operation, tap water enters the water softener and flows through the resin tank 3. The resin contains sodium ions, which can exchange with calcium and magnesium ions in the water, thereby adsorbing excess calcium and magnesium ions in the water to remove scale (calcium carbonate or magnesium carbonate) and soften the water. Specifically, when water containing calcium and magnesium ions passes through the resin, these ions come into contact with the resin and are exchanged by sodium ions on the resin. When the resin is saturated with calcium and magnesium ions, it no longer has an adsorption effect. At this time, the resin needs to be regenerated. Under the control of the control valve 4, the brine in the housing 1 is drawn into the resin tank 3 through the brine valve 2. The sodium ions in the brine exchange with the calcium and magnesium ions on the resin, removing them. Finally, the remaining brine is rinsed out of the water softener with clean water to restore the softening capacity of the resin.

[0057] like Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the valve body 21 passes through the valve cover 22 and is connected to the control valve 4 via the bend connector 23. The bend connector 23 can easily change the connection direction of the pipeline, allowing the control valve 4 to be installed in the optimal direction without being strictly restricted by the original direction of the valve body 21, making it convenient for operators to connect the control valve 4 to the valve body 21 through the pipeline.

[0058] In this embodiment, the salt tank also includes a valve head cover 5, which is detachably connected to the tank body 1. The valve head cover 5 covers part or all of the control valve 4. By providing a detachable valve head cover 5 on the salt tank to cover the control valve 4, dust and impurities can be prevented from entering the control valve 4, reducing its failure rate and extending its service life. It also facilitates the operation and maintenance of the control valve 4 by the operators, ensuring the normal operation of the equipment.

[0059] like Figure 3 As shown, the salt tank also includes a top cover 6, which is detachably installed on the top of the tank body 1. The top cover 6 has an opening (not shown in the figure) corresponding to the salt filling port 113. The top cover 6 has a movable salt filling cover 61 to open or close the opening. By setting the movable salt filling cover 61, both the opening and the salt filling port 113 can be sealed to prevent the salt water in the salt tank from evaporating and emitting odors, maintaining the salt water concentration and indoor air quality. It can also prevent dust and debris from entering the salt tank, avoiding contamination of salt particles and damage to internal equipment. Furthermore, its movable design makes it convenient for operators to add salt and observe the salt level, combining the advantages of practicality and convenience.

[0060] In addition, this utility model also provides a water softener, which includes the salt tank of the water softener in any of the foregoing technical solutions.

[0061] The brine tank of the water softener provided by this utility model has the following advantages:

[0062] Firstly, it adopts a salt suction valve 2 with a salt well-free design. This eliminates the space constraints of a salt well, allowing for more efficient use of the internal space. This not only helps reduce the overall height and size of the unit, thus improving the flexibility of the water softener during installation and enabling it to better adapt to the space requirements of compact installation scenarios, but also increases the effective salt storage capacity of the salt tank, allowing it to hold more salt, reducing the frequency of salt addition, and providing convenience for users.

[0063] Secondly, the valve cover 22 of the salt suction valve 2 is detachably mounted on the outside of the housing 1. When disassembly and maintenance are required, the valve body 21 of the salt suction valve 2 can be removed together with the valve cover 22. Unlike traditional designs, it is not necessary to completely remove all the salt particles in the salt tank before disassembly. This simplifies the maintenance operation process, shortens the maintenance time, and also reduces the potential losses caused by long-term downtime for maintenance, effectively reducing the maintenance cost of the equipment.

[0064] The technical solution of this utility model has been described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the protection scope of this utility model is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the principle of this utility model, those skilled in the art can make equivalent changes or substitutions to the relevant technical features, and the technical solutions after these changes or substitutions will all fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A brine tank for a water softener, characterized in that, The salt tank includes: The housing (1), the housing (1) including a top plate (11); and A salt suction valve (2) is provided without a salt well; the salt suction valve (2) includes a valve body (21) and a valve cover (22), the valve cover (22) being detachably mounted on the top plate (11); the first end of the valve body (21) is located inside the housing (1), and the second end of the valve body (21) passes through the top plate (11) and is connected to the valve cover (22).

2. The brine tank of the water softener according to claim 1, characterized in that, The valve cover (22) and the top plate (11) are snap-fitted together.

3. The brine tank of the water softener according to claim 2, characterized in that, The top plate (11) is provided with a through hole (111), and at least a portion of the edge of the through hole (111) extends outward to form a first snap-fit ​​portion; The valve cover (22) is formed with a second snap-fit ​​portion for snapping with the first snap-fit ​​portion.

4. The brine tank of the water softener according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first snap-fit ​​portion is an annular wall structure (112); and / or The second snap-fit ​​part is a buckle, which includes a hook (223), and the valve cover (22) has a disassembly auxiliary port (224) corresponding to the hook (223).

5. The brine tank of the water softener according to claim 1, characterized in that, The box (1) is also provided with a salt partition (12), the salt partition (12) is provided with a limiting groove (121), and the first end of the valve body (21) is provided in the limiting groove (121).

6. The brine tank of the water softener according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The top plate (11) is provided with a salt inlet (113), which is located on the box body (1) away from the valve cover (22).

7. The brine tank of the water softener according to claim 6, characterized in that, The salt tank also includes a resin tank (3), which is installed inside the tank body (1); A portion of the sidewall of the housing (1) is recessed inward to form a concave structure (13). The concave structure (13) and the valve cover (22) are located on the same side of the resin tank (3), and the salt inlet (113) is located on the other side of the resin tank (3).

8. The brine tank of the water softener according to claim 7, characterized in that, The salt tank also includes a control valve (4), which is at least partially installed in the recessed structure (13). The control valve (4) is connected to the resin tank (3) and the valve body (21) respectively through pipelines.

9. The brine tank of the water softener according to claim 6, characterized in that, The salt tank also includes a top cover (6), which is detachably installed on the top of the tank body (1); The upper cover (6) has an opening whose position corresponds to the salt filling port (113); The top cover (6) is provided with a movable salt-adding cover (61) to open or close the opening.

10. A water softener, characterized in that, The water softener includes the brine tank of the water softener as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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