Water softener and cleaning machine using the same

Abstract

The utility model relates to a kind of softener and cleaning machine using the softener, and softener includes shell and control valve, resin cavity and salt cavity are inside the shell, first water inlet channel that is fluidly communicated with the bottom of salt cavity is opened in shell, second water inlet channel that is fluidly communicated with the bottom of resin cavity, salt water channel that is connected resin cavity and salt cavity, and water injection channel for water to enter shell, first water outlet that is connected water injection channel and first water inlet channel and second water outlet that is connected water injection channel and second water inlet channel are opened in shell, first water outlet and second water outlet alternatively open, the top of shell is equipped with the water outlet that is connected with resin cavity, is communicated with its inside on resin cavity, the through-hole can be connected with second water inlet channel and salt water channel, and still movably equipped with the paddle on shell, the through-hole can alternatively be blocked with salt water channel or the through-hole is blocked with second water inlet channel by paddle, prevent salt water and hard water mutual mix.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of cleaning machines for cleaning tableware and / or fruits and vegetables, and specifically to a water softener and a cleaning machine using the water softener. Background Technology

[0002] Most washing machines on the market are equipped with a water softener, which softens the incoming tap water and reduces its hardness. In daily water use, insoluble precipitates (such as limescale) easily form. In washing machine applications, high water hardness can cause limescale buildup on the heating element, severely hindering heat conduction and causing perforating corrosion, leading to damage to the heating element. Furthermore, it leaves the washing machine surface and the washed dishes unclean, affecting the washing quality. Therefore, water softeners in washing machines typically have a resin chamber and a brine chamber. Their working principle is to use the groups in the ion exchange resin to soften hardness components in the water, such as calcium carbonate (Ca). 2+ Mg 2+ Plasma displacement is used to remove hard water, thereby softening it and reducing scale buildup inside the cleaning machine, effectively extending its lifespan. During this process, when all the exchange ions on the resin are converted to calcium and magnesium, the resin's conversion efficiency is saturated, and its conversion capacity will cease to exist. At this point, the resin needs to be regenerated by replacing the calcium and magnesium ions with sodium ions. In this regeneration process, brine flows through the resin chamber and reacts with the resin, allowing sodium ions to replace the calcium and magnesium ions, thus restoring the resin's water-softening ability.

[0003] For example, the Chinese utility model patent disclosed in patent application number CN202220258800.3 (publication number CN217659727U) entitled "A water softener and a cleaning machine using the water softener" has a resin chamber and a salt chamber inside the shell. The shell is provided with a first water inlet channel that is fluidly connected to the bottom of the salt chamber, a second water inlet channel that is fluidly connected to the bottom of the resin chamber, a brine channel that connects the resin chamber and the salt chamber, and a water injection channel that supplies water into the shell. The shell is provided with a first water outlet that connects the water injection channel and the first water inlet channel, and a second water outlet that connects the water injection channel and the second water inlet channel.

[0004] This type of water softener has the following structural problems:

[0005] During the regeneration process of a water softener, brine from the brine chamber enters the resin chamber, displacing calcium and magnesium ions to regenerate the resin. However, existing water softeners have a problem where some brine enters the hard water flow area, specifically the second inlet channel, affecting subsequent hard water softening operations.

[0006] In addition, during the softening process, because there is a distance between the outlet of the brine channel and the resin chamber, some of the hard water will flow into the space between the outlet of the brine channel and the resin chamber when it flows into the resin chamber, thus contaminating the brine and affecting the subsequent regeneration of the resin chamber. Utility Model Content

[0007] The first technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a water softener that can prevent the mixing of salt water and hard water, in light of the current state of the technology.

[0008] The second technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a cleaning machine that applies the above-mentioned water softener, in view of the current state of the prior art.

[0009] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to solve the first technical problem mentioned above is as follows: a water softener, including a shell and a control valve, the shell having a resin chamber and a salt chamber inside, the shell having a first water inlet channel fluidly communicating with the bottom of the salt chamber, a second water inlet channel fluidly communicating with the bottom of the resin chamber, a brine channel communicating with the resin chamber and the salt chamber, and a water injection channel for supplying water into the shell, the shell having a first water outlet communicating with the water injection channel and the first water inlet channel, and a second water outlet communicating with the water injection channel and the second water inlet channel, the first water outlet and the second water outlet being selectively opened, and the top of the shell having a drain outlet communicating with the resin chamber;

[0010] The feature is that the resin cavity is provided with a through hole that communicates with its interior, and the through hole can communicate with the second water inlet channel and the brine channel. The housing is also provided with a movable lever, which can selectively block the through hole from the brine channel or from the second water inlet channel.

[0011] The paddle can have multiple modes of movement, such as sliding, but this requires a large space within the housing for its movement, resulting in a less compact structure. Preferably, the housing has a flow channel corresponding to and communicating with the through-hole on the outer side of the resin cavity. The brine channel and the second water inlet channel are located on opposite sides of the flow channel. The two opposite sidewalls of the through-hole are close to the second water inlet channel and the brine channel, respectively. A vertically extending pin is provided on the wall of the flow channel opposite the through-hole. One end of the paddle is rotatably mounted on the pin, and the other end can selectively abut against one of the two opposite sidewalls of the through-hole. The paddle's rotational movement area is only a small fan shape, resulting in a compact structure and minimal space occupation.

[0012] The paddle can be driven to rotate by a drive mechanism such as a motor, but this structure is complex and costly. Therefore, preferably, regardless of which side wall of the through hole it abuts against, the paddle is located on the flow path of hard water flowing out of the second water inlet channel and on the flow path of brine flowing out of the brine channel. When hard water flows out of the second water inlet channel, it pushes the paddle to rotate until it abuts against the side wall of the through hole near the brine channel. Similarly, when brine flows out of the brine channel, it pushes the paddle to rotate until it abuts against the side wall of the through hole near the second water inlet channel. Thus, the paddle rotates under the drive of water flow, without the need for a dedicated drive mechanism, resulting in a simple structure.

[0013] Preferably, a disinfection device is provided at the drain outlet to disinfect the water, preventing tap water from directly entering the inner tank to clean residual bacteria in the tableware, and the disinfection device is located here to disinfect the water entering the inner tank in a comprehensive manner.

[0014] The disinfection element can have various structural forms; preferably, the disinfection element is an ultraviolet lamp.

[0015] In order to allow the first and second water inlets to be opened selectively, the water softener also includes a control valve, which includes a drive element and a plug driven by the drive element. The plug can selectively close the first or second water inlet, thereby allowing water from the water injection channel to flow into the first or second water inlet channel.

[0016] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to solve the second technical problem mentioned above is: a cleaning machine, characterized in that it includes an inner tank and the aforementioned water softener, the shell is installed on the inner tank, and the drain outlet is connected to the washing chamber of the inner tank.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of this utility model are as follows: By setting a lever, when softening hard water, the lever blocks the through hole and the brine channel, so that hard water cannot flow into the brine channel. When softening and regenerating the resin chamber, the lever blocks the through hole and the second water inlet channel, so that brine cannot flow into the second water inlet channel, thereby preventing brine and hard water from mixing and affecting the subsequent softening or regeneration process. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a water softener according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A sectional view;

[0020] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure without the upper shell;

[0021] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure after removing the lower shell (the lever blocks the salt water channel and through hole);

[0022] Figure 5 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure after removing the lower shell (the lever blocks the second water inlet channel and through hole);

[0023] Figure 6 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the lower shell structure. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The technical solution of this utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this utility model without creative effort are within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0025] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more, and the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "top," "bottom," "front," "rear," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the direction or positional relationship shown in the 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.

[0026] In the description of this utility model patent, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "linked" 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 adhesive 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 patent based on the specific circumstances.

[0027] like Figures 1-6 As shown, the washing machine of this preferred embodiment includes a water softener and an inner tank. The inner tank can hold tableware or fruits and vegetables to be washed. The water softener includes a housing 1 and a control valve 2. The housing 1 is installed on the inner tank. The installation of the housing 1 and the inner tank can adopt an existing structure.

[0028] The shell 1 has a resin chamber 11 and a salt chamber 12 inside. The top of the shell 1 is provided with a drain outlet 13 that communicates with the resin chamber 11 and the drain outlet 13 is connected to the washing chamber of the inner tank. The shell 1 is provided with a first water inlet channel 14 that communicates with the bottom of the salt chamber 12, a second water inlet channel 15 that communicates with the bottom of the resin chamber 11, a brine channel 16 that communicates with the resin chamber 11 and the salt chamber 12, and a water injection channel 17 that supplies water into the shell 1. The shell 1 is provided with a first water outlet 18 that communicates with the water injection channel 17 and the first water inlet channel 14, and a second water outlet 19 that communicates with the water injection channel 17 and the second water inlet channel 15. The first water outlet 18 and the second water outlet 19 can be opened selectively.

[0029] In this embodiment, the control valve includes a drive element 21 and a plug 22 driven by the drive element 21. The plug 22 can selectively close the first water inlet 18 or the second water inlet 19, so that the water in the water injection channel 17 flows into the first water inlet channel 14 or the second water inlet channel 15. The drive element can be a motor.

[0030] The above are existing technologies, and will not be elaborated further here.

[0031] During the regeneration process of the water softener, the brine in the brine chamber 12 passes through the resin chamber 11, where calcium and magnesium ions are replaced, thus regenerating the water. However, in existing water softeners, some brine may enter the hard water flow area. Figure 4 The water will enter the second water inlet channel 15 (the rectangular area in the middle), which will affect the next softening operation of hard water.

[0032] In addition, during the softening process, because there is a distance between the outlet of the brine channel 16 and the resin chamber 11 (circular area 4 in the figure), when the hard water flows to the resin chamber 11, some of it will flow between the outlet of the brine channel 16 and the resin chamber 11, thereby contaminating the brine and affecting the subsequent regeneration of the resin chamber 11.

[0033] To solve the above problems, this embodiment provides a through hole 10 on the resin cavity 11 that communicates with its interior. The through hole 10 can communicate with the second water inlet channel 15 and the brine channel 16. The housing 1 is also movably provided with a lever 3, which can selectively block the through hole 10 from the brine channel 16 or from the second water inlet channel 15.

[0034] In the housing 1, a flow channel 101 corresponding to and communicating with the through hole 10 is provided on the outside of the resin cavity 11. The brine channel 16 and the second water inlet channel 15 are respectively located on both sides of the flow channel 101. The two opposite side walls of the through hole 10 are close to the second water inlet channel 15 and the brine channel 16 respectively. A vertically extending pin 31 is provided on the wall surface of the flow channel 101 facing the through hole 10. One end of the paddle 3 is rotatably mounted on the pin 31, and the other end can be selectively abutted against the two opposite side walls of the through hole 10.

[0035] Regardless of which sidewall of the through hole 10 it abuts against, the lever 3 is always positioned on the flow path of hard water flowing out of the second water inlet channel 15 and on the flow path of brine flowing out of the brine channel 16. When hard water flows out of the second water inlet channel 15, it pushes the lever 3 to rotate until the lever 3 abuts against the sidewall of the through hole 10 near the brine channel 16. Similarly, when brine flows out of the brine channel 16, it pushes the lever 3 to rotate until the lever 3 abuts against the sidewall of the through hole 10 near the second water inlet channel 15. Thus, the lever 3 rotates under the drive of water flow, requiring no special drive mechanism, resulting in a simple structure.

[0036] As can be seen from the above, when softening hard water, the paddle 3 blocks the through hole 10 from the brine channel 16, so that hard water cannot flow into the brine channel 16. When softening and regenerating the resin chamber 11, the paddle 3 blocks the through hole 10 from the second water inlet channel 15, so that brine cannot flow into the second water inlet channel 15, thereby preventing brine and hard water from mixing and affecting the subsequent softening or regeneration process.

[0037] In addition, a disinfection element 4 is provided at the drain outlet 13 to disinfect the water, preventing tap water from directly entering the inner tank to clean residual bacteria on tableware. The disinfection element 4 is located here to disinfect the water entering the inner tank. In this embodiment, the disinfection element 4 is an ultraviolet lamp.

[0038] In this embodiment, the housing 1 includes an upper shell 1a, a middle shell 1b, and a lower shell 1c arranged and connected from top to bottom, so as to facilitate the arrangement of water supply channels, resin chamber 11, and salt chamber 12.

[0039] In one embodiment, the smart appliance equipped with the water softener has a smart voice control module. The smart voice control module includes a controller, a voice receiving module, and a voice parsing module. The voice receiving module receives user commands, and the voice parsing module parses the commands. Based on the parsed commands, the controller controls the cleaning machine to perform corresponding operations, thereby realizing intelligent control of the cleaning machine and improving the user experience of using the smart appliance.

Claims

1. A water softener, comprising a housing (1) and a control valve (2), wherein the housing (1) has a resin chamber (11) and a brine chamber (12) inside, and the housing (1) is provided with a first water inlet channel (14) fluidly communicating with the bottom of the brine chamber (12), a second water inlet channel (15) fluidly communicating with the bottom of the resin chamber (11), a brine channel (16) communicating with the resin chamber (11) and the brine chamber (12), and a water injection channel (17) for supplying water into the housing (1), and the housing (1) is provided with a first water outlet (18) communicating with the water injection channel (17) and the first water inlet channel (14) and a second water outlet (19) communicating with the water injection channel (17) and the second water inlet channel (15), wherein the first water outlet (18) and the second water outlet (19) are selectively opened, and the top of the housing (1) is provided with a drain outlet (13) communicating with the resin chamber (11); Its features are, The resin cavity (11) is provided with a through hole (10) that communicates with its interior. The through hole (10) can communicate with the second water inlet channel (15) and the brine channel (16). The housing (1) is also provided with a lever (3). The lever (3) can selectively block the through hole (10) from the brine channel (16) or block the through hole (10) from the second water inlet channel (15).

2. The water softener according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing (1) has a flow channel (101) connected to the through hole (10) on the outside of the resin cavity (11). The brine channel (16) and the second water inlet channel (15) are located on both sides of the flow channel (101). The two opposite side walls of the through hole (10) are close to the second water inlet channel (15) and the brine channel (16) respectively. A vertically extending pin (31) is provided on the wall of the flow channel (101) facing the through hole (10). One end of the paddle (3) can be rotatably mounted on the pin (31), and the other end can be selectively abutted against the two opposite side walls of the through hole (10).

3. The water softener according to claim 2, characterized in that: Regardless of which side wall the paddle (3) abuts against, the paddle (3) is located on the flow path of hard water flowing out of the second water inlet channel (15) and on the flow path of brine flowing out of the brine channel (16).

4. The water softener according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: A disinfection component (4) is provided at the drain outlet (13).

5. The water softener according to claim 4, characterized in that: The disinfection component (4) is an ultraviolet lamp.

6. The water softener according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: It also includes a control valve (2), which includes a drive (21) and a plug (22) driven by the drive (21). The plug (22) can selectively close the first water outlet (18) or the second water outlet (19), thereby allowing water from the water injection channel (17) to flow into the first water inlet channel (14) or the second water inlet channel (15).

7. A cleaning machine, characterized in that, The device includes an inner tank and a water softener as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the housing (1) is mounted on the inner tank and the drain outlet (13) is connected to the washing chamber of the inner tank.

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