Shower-type water softener

Abstract

To provide a shower-type water softener capable of preventing corrosion of a shower hose metal fitting caused by a regeneration liquid splashed thereto during a regeneration operation.SOLUTION: The shower-type water softener comprising a treatment unit filled with an ion exchange resin for softening water to be treated being supplied and a discharge port that discharges softened water having been subjected to a water-softening treatment in the treatment unit and can be connected to a shower hose, comprises a three-way valve 19 which is connected between the discharge port and the shower hose and can manually be switched to a first state of allowing softened water softened in the treatment unit to flow out of the discharge port into the shower hose or to a second state of allowing a regenerated liquid having flowed into the treatment unit for regenerating the ion exchange resin, to flow outside from the discharge port.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a shower-type water softener for softening hardness components contained in water to be treated. [Background technology]

[0002] The shower-type water softener is connected to a mixer tap installed in a bathroom, for example, and softens the water to be treated from the mixer tap in a treatment section filled with ion exchange resin.The treated soft water is supplied to a shower hose connected via an outlet joint to a water outlet section installed at the top of the treatment section, and is discharged through a shower head attached to the end of the shower hose (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The shower-type water softener uses an ion exchange resin to remove hardness components, such as calcium and magnesium ions, from raw water. When the ion exchange resin becomes saturated after replacing the hardness components, saltwater is supplied to regenerate its capacity. To regenerate the ion exchange resin, a flow meter measures the amount of water passing through a resin tube filled with the ion exchange resin. The ion exchange resin is regenerated when the integrated value of the water flow reaches a preset value. This flow regeneration method accurately determines the remaining capacity of the ion exchange resin and allows for regeneration using an appropriate amount of saltwater at the appropriate time. The sodium ions adsorbed on the ion exchange resin are exchanged with hardness components, such as calcium and magnesium ions, to produce soft water. When the ion exchange resin is exchanging the hardness components, it becomes saturated and unable to soften the water. Therefore, a regenerating solution (saltwater) must be supplied to regenerate the ion exchange resin. The regenerating solution is introduced through a regenerating solution inlet at the top of the treatment section and discharged to the outside through a drain outlet at the bottom of the treatment section.

[0004] In the above configuration, some of the regenerated liquid introduced through the regenerated liquid inlet flows from the outlet fitting into the shower hose, causing the regenerated liquid to splash onto the shower hose fittings connected to the outlet fitting, which can corrode the shower hose fittings, leaving room for improvement. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6688571 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a shower-type water softener that can prevent the regeneration liquid from splashing on the shower hose fittings during regeneration and causing corrosion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the shower-type water softener of the present invention comprises a treatment section filled with ion exchange resin for softening water that is supplied to the treatment section, and an outlet for discharging the softened water that has been softened in the treatment section and to which a shower hose can be connected, and is characterized by comprising a three-way valve connected between the outlet and the shower hose and manually switchable between a first state in which the softened water that has been softened in the treatment section is discharged from the outlet to the shower hose, and a second state in which the regenerated liquid that has been flowed into the treatment section to regenerate the ion exchange resin is discharged from the outlet to the outside.

[0008] According to the present invention, when softened water is to be discharged into the shower hose, the three-way valve is manually switched to the first position, and softened water that has been softened in the treatment section flows out of the outlet into the shower hose. Furthermore, when regenerating the ion exchange resin, the three-way valve is manually switched to the second position, and the regenerated liquid that has flowed into the treatment section is discharged to the outside through the outlet, so the regenerated liquid (salt water) does not flow into the shower hose. This prevents the regenerated liquid from splashing on the shower hose fittings during regeneration, causing corrosion.

[0009] Furthermore, in the shower type water softener of the present invention, the three-way valve may comprise a valve box, a rotatable valve element provided in the valve box, and two handles protruding from the valve box on both sides in the direction of the rotation axis of the valve element to rotate the valve element around the rotation axis.

[0010] As described above, by providing two handles protruding from the valve box on both sides in the direction of the rotation axis, even when the shower-type water softener is placed against the wall in the bathroom, the valve body can be easily rotated by operating the handle on the front side, which is farthest from the wall.

[0011] In the shower type water softener of the present invention, the three-way valve may be attached to the outlet so as to be rotatable about the axis of the outlet.

[0012] According to the above configuration, when soft water is used with the shower hose, the three-way valve rotates around the axis of the outlet in response to changes in the position of the shower hose, making it easy to use the shower hose.

[0013] In the shower type water softener of the present invention, the outlet may be provided at a lower end of the treatment section.

[0014] As described above, when the discharge port is provided at the lower end of the treatment section, the regenerated liquid is discharged at a low position, which makes it possible to prevent the regenerated liquid from splashing around.

[0015] Furthermore, in the shower type water softener of the present invention, the three-way valve may include a regenerated liquid discharge port for discharging the regenerated liquid from the discharge port, and the regenerated liquid discharge port may open downward.

[0016] As described above, if the regenerant liquid outlet faces downward, it is possible to more reliably prevent the regenerant liquid from splashing around.

[0017] Furthermore, in the shower type water softener of the present invention, the three-way valve may be configured so that the soft water outlet from which the soft water is discharged opens upward or sideways, and the regenerated liquid outlet from which the regenerated liquid is discharged opens downward.

[0018] As described above, if the soft water outlet from which the soft water is discharged faces upward or sideways, it is easy to connect a shower hose. Also, if the regenerated liquid outlet from which the regenerated liquid is discharged faces downward, it is possible to reliably prevent the regenerated liquid from splashing around.

[0019] In the shower type water softener of the present invention, the inlet for the water to be treated and the inlet for the regenerated liquid may be provided at an upper end of the treatment section.

[0020] As described above, if the inlet for the water to be treated is provided at the upper end of the treatment section, the water to be treated and the regenerated liquid can be easily distributed throughout the treatment section.

[0021] The shower type water softener of the present invention may further comprise a discharge outlet pipe section for forming the discharge outlet, and the valve box may comprise a connecting pipe section that is connected to the discharge outlet pipe section by fitting it internally or externally thereto, and when the discharge outlet pipe section and the connecting pipe section are connected, a through hole is formed in one of the pipe sections located on the outside, and a recess that communicates with the through hole of one of the pipe sections is formed in the other of the pipe sections located on the inside, and a locking member that is inserted through the through hole of one of the pipe sections and locks into the recess of the other pipe section to prevent the connecting pipe section from coming off the discharge outlet pipe section.

[0022] As described above, the three-way valve can be quickly installed by simply fitting the connecting pipe section provided on the valve box inside or outside the outlet pipe section, inserting the locking member through the through-hole of one of the outer pipe sections and locking it into the recess of the other pipe section to prevent it from coming off. Furthermore, when removing the three-way valve, the connecting pipe section can be quickly removed from the outlet pipe section by simply releasing the locking member from the two pipe sections. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] According to the present invention, a shower-type water softener can be provided that is equipped with a manually switchable three-way valve, thereby preventing the regeneration liquid from splashing on the shower hose fittings during regeneration and causing corrosion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shower-type water softener in which a shower head and a mixer tap are connected via a hose. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a side view of a shower-type water softener. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a shower-type water softener. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a front view of the three-way valve. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the three-way valve. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the three-way valve. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional front view of the three-way valve. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing the position of the valve body of the three-way valve when soft water is used. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing the position of the valve body of the three-way valve when saltwater is discharged. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which the three-way valve is removed from the shower-type water softener. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional plan view of a portion in which the three-way valve is attached to the shower-type water softener. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the three-way valve. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] The shower type water softener of the present invention is shown in Figure 1. This shower type water softener is configured to have a roughly oval shape in a plan view, and is configured to be compact and easy to carry.

[0026] As shown in Figure 1, shower-type water softener 1 is placed in a bathroom for use, and includes: a water supply port 4 (see Figure 2) to which one end of flexible hose 3, one end of which is connected to a mixer tap 2 provided in the bathroom, is connected at the other end; a treatment section 5 (see Figure 3) filled with ion exchange resin for softening water from water supply port 4 (water to be treated); and a connecting pipe section 8 (see Figure 2) that discharges the softened water treated in treatment section 5 and to which the other end of flexible shower hose 7, one end of which is connected to a shower head 6, can be connected.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 3, the shower-type water softener 1 includes a tank 9 that receives water supplied from a water supply port 4, a casing 10 that is slightly larger than the tank 9 and covers the top, outer periphery, and bottom of the tank 9, an ion exchange resin section 11 that is filled inside the tank 9 and softens the water in the tank 9, and a lid 12 that covers the upper end of the casing 10. The tank 9 and the ion exchange resin section 11 constitute the processing section 5. The ion exchange resin is made of granular cation exchange resin and has the function of removing hardness components such as calcium ions and magnesium ions contained in water.

[0028] The tank 9 includes a bottom wall 13 having a smooth curved surface (a curved surface that convex downward) that is located downward toward the center, a top wall 14 having a smooth curved surface (a curved surface that convex upward) that is located upward toward the center, and a cylindrical side wall 15 that connects the top wall 14 and the bottom wall 13.

[0029] An opening 14A serving as a water inlet is formed in the center of the top wall 14, and one end of a pipe 16 for supplying water is connected to the opening 14A. The pipe 16 includes a horizontal pipe section 16A extending radially outward, penetrating the casing 10, and protruding to the outside of the casing 10, and a vertical pipe section 16B extending downward from the protruding end of the horizontal pipe section 16A. Furthermore, an inlet 17 is formed radially outward from the center of the top wall 14, through which the opening of a container (not shown) containing a regenerating liquid (brine) for regenerating the ion exchange resin section 11 is inserted to inject the regenerating liquid (brine). By providing both the water inlet (opening 14A) and the regenerating liquid inlet 17 at the upper end of the treatment section 5 as described above, the water and the regenerating liquid can be easily distributed throughout the treatment section 5.

[0030] The bottom wall 13 is provided with a pipe 18 serving as a pipe section for forming an outlet 18A at one location in the circumferential direction thereof for discharging the softened water to the outside of the casing 10. The pipe 18 is composed of a horizontal pipe section that extends radially outward and penetrates the casing 10. A three-way valve 19 is connected to the protruding end of the pipe 18. By manually rotating a handle 27 or 28 (see FIG. 1) of the three-way valve 19, the three-way valve 19 can be switched between a first state (see FIG. 8) in which softened water flows from the outlet 18A into the shower hose 7, and a second state (see FIG. 9) in which the regenerating liquid (salt water) introduced to regenerate the ion exchange resin section 11 is discharged to the outside from the outlet 18A.

[0031] As shown in Figure 3, the ion exchange resin unit 11 includes a pair of filter units 11A and 11B installed above and below the tank 9 to form a storage space for cation exchange resin within the tank 9. These filter units 11A and 11B allow water to pass through but prevent the cation exchange resin from passing through. Therefore, water supplied through opening 14A passes through the upper filter unit 11A and is softened by the cation exchange resin filling the storage space. The softened water passes through the lower filter unit 11B and moves downward, and flows out of outlet 18A of pipe 18, through the connecting pipe 8 of three-way valve 19, and into the shower hose 7 (see Figure 1).

[0032] The casing 10 comprises a bottom portion 20 having an oval shape in a plan view for supporting the tank 9, a tapered portion 21 located radially inward from the outer peripheral edge of the bottom portion 20 toward the upper end, a bulging portion 22 that gradually bulges radially outward from the upper end of the tapered portion 21, a reduced diameter portion 23 formed so that its diameter becomes slightly smaller as it extends upward from the upper end of the bulging portion 22, and an upper end portion 24 that extends upward from the upper end of the reduced diameter portion 23.

[0033] The three-way valve 19 is made up of parts made of synthetic resin, and as shown in Figures 4 to 10, it comprises a valve box 25, a rotatable valve element 26 attached to the valve box 25, and two handles 27 and 28 protruding from the valve box 25 on both sides in the direction of the rotation axis of the valve element 26 to rotate the valve element 26 around the rotation axis.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 7, the valve box 25 is configured in a generally cylindrical shape with both ends in the rotational axis direction open. An opening 25A is formed in the upper end of the valve box 25 in the generally central portion in the rotational axis direction, and a vertical pipe section 29 for guiding the soft water discharged from this opening 25A upward is integrally formed at the upper end of the valve box 25. This vertical pipe section 29 is the connecting pipe section 8 (see FIG. 3). A male thread section 29N is formed on the outer surface of the vertical pipe section 29, and the shower hose 7 can be connected to the vertical pipe section 29 by threading a female thread section (not shown) formed on the inner surface of a fitting 7A (see FIG. 1) provided at the other end of the shower hose 7 into the male thread section 29N of the vertical pipe section 29. The opening 25A is a soft water outlet through which soft water is discharged to the outside, and this soft water outlet (opening 25A) opens upward, making it easy to connect the shower hose 7.

[0035] In addition, an opening 25B (see Figure 4) is formed on the front end surface of the valve box 25 for allowing soft water or regenerated liquid (salt water) to flow into the valve box 25, and a horizontal pipe section 30 (see Figures 4 and 5) for guiding the soft water or regenerated liquid (salt water) to this opening 25B is integrally formed with the valve box 25 so as to extend forward from the front end surface of the valve box 25.

[0036] Furthermore, an opening 25C (see FIG. 5) is formed at the lower end of the valve box 25 in approximately the center in the rotation axis direction, and this opening 25C is a regenerated liquid outlet that opens downward to discharge the regenerated liquid (brine) from the outlet 18A (see FIG. 3) to the outside. As described above, by providing the regenerated liquid outlet (opening 25C) at the lower end of the treatment unit 5, the regenerated liquid (brine) is discharged at a low position, which makes it possible to prevent the regenerated liquid from splashing around. Moreover, because the regenerated liquid outlet (opening 25C) opens downward, it is possible to more reliably prevent the regenerated liquid (brine) from splashing around.

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, the horizontal pipe section 30 has an outer diameter dimension that allows it to be fitted into the pipe 18 (to be inserted inside the pipe 18), and constitutes a connecting pipe section that is connected to the pipe 18 by fitting it into the pipe 18. A pair of slit-shaped through holes 18K, 18K that are long in the circumferential direction of the pipe 18 located on the outside are formed therein. When the horizontal pipe section 30 is fitted into the pipe 18 to connect them, slit-shaped recesses 30A that are long in the circumferential direction and communicate with the through holes 18K, 18K of the pipe 18 are formed over the entire circumferential area of ​​the horizontal pipe section 30 (the size of the width perpendicular to the circumferential direction is the same as the width of the through hole 18K of the pipe 18). A locking member 31 that can be inserted through the through holes 18K, 18K of the pipe 18 to lock and unlock with the recesses 30A of the horizontal pipe section 30. As described above, three-way valve 19 is configured to be rotatable about the axis of outlet 18A, and when soft water is used with shower hose 7, three-way valve 19 rotates about axis X of outlet 18A in response to changes in the position of shower hose 7, making it easy to use shower hose 7.

[0038] 10, the locking member 31 is configured in a generally C-shape that is long in the circumferential direction, and is configured so that the length in the circumferential direction of the through hole 18K of the piping 18 and the width in the radial direction perpendicular to the circumferential direction are the same, and includes a pair of locking portions 31A, 31B that extend radially inward so as to be inserted through the through hole 18K of the piping 18 and lock into the recess 30A (see FIG. 11) of the horizontal pipe section 30, and an arc-shaped connecting portion 31C that connects the pair of locking portions 31A, 31B. The radial width of the connecting portion 31C is smaller than the radial width of the pair of locking portions 31A, 31B, and a recess (not shown) into which the connecting portion 31C fits is formed between the through holes 18K, 18K that are adjacent in the circumferential direction.

[0039] Therefore, the three-way valve 19 can be quickly installed by simply fitting the horizontal pipe section 30, which is the connecting pipe section provided on the valve box 25, into the pipe section 18, which is the outlet pipe section, and inserting the locking member 31 through the through hole 18K of one of the outer pipe sections (pipe 18) and locking it into the recess 30A of the other pipe section (horizontal pipe section 30) to prevent it from coming off (see FIG. 11). Furthermore, when removing the three-way valve 19, simply use a tool such as a fingernail or a flathead screwdriver to unlock the locking member 31 from the two pipe sections, i.e., the pipe 18 and the horizontal pipe section 30, and then immediately pull the connecting pipe section (horizontal pipe section 30) out of the outlet pipe section (pipe 18), thereby quickly removing the three-way valve 19. The outer surface of the horizontal pipe section 30 is provided with a circumferential groove 30B formed around the entire circumference to lock an O-ring 32 (see FIG. 11) that seals with the pipe 18.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 7, the valve element 26 is inserted into the valve box 25 so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis, and is provided with a valve portion 26V in the center in the rotation axis direction that closes one of the two openings 25A and 25C. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 11, the valve element 26 is provided with two members 26A and 26B that can be separated in the rotation axis direction, and a screw 26C for connecting and fixing these members 26A and 26B. The valve portion 26V is provided with an O-ring 26H (see Fig. 7) for sealing and closing the opening 25A or 25C. Furthermore, an O-ring 26a (see Fig. 7) is provided at each of both ends of the valve element 26 in the rotation axis direction to seal the gap between the valve element 26 and the valve box 25.

[0041] As shown in Fig. 12, one handle 28 (the other handle 27 has the same configuration, so only the first handle 28 will be described) has the same number (three in Fig. 12) of slits 28S as engaging portions that engage with the multiple (three in Fig. 12) engaging portions 26T of the valve disc 26 to rotate the valve disc 26 about the rotation axis. The other handle 27 (the other handle 28 has the same configuration, so only the other handle 27 will be described) has a substantially circular outer plate portion 27A located on the outer side in the rotation axis direction, and a substantially cylindrical side plate portion 27B extending inward in the rotation axis direction from the outer peripheral edge of the outer plate portion 27A. The outer plate portion 27A has an extending plate portion 27C extending radially outward from one circumferential position, and a second side plate portion 27D extending inward in the rotation axis direction from the outer peripheral edge of the extending plate portion 27C and connected to the side plate portion 27B. An arrow 27E with a pointed tip is formed on the outer surface of the outer plate portion 27A and protrudes toward the extending plate portion 27C. The direction of this arrow 27E indicates the direction in which softened water or regenerated liquid (salt water) is discharged. Therefore, it is sufficient to simply rotate the handle 27 so that the arrow 27E aligns with the direction in which you want to discharge the softened water or regenerated liquid (salt water). Furthermore, by providing two handles 27, 28 protruding from the valve box 25 on both sides in the direction of the rotation axis, even when the shower-type water softener 1 is placed against the wall in the bathroom, the valve body 26 (see FIG. 12) can be easily rotated by operating the handle 28 on the front side, which is the side farthest from the wall K shown in FIG. 1.

[0042] 12, one of the handles 28 (the other handle 27 has the same configuration, so only the first handle 28 will be described) is formed with a restricting groove 28M for restricting the rotation angle. The restricting groove 28M is a groove formed at the inner end of the handle 28 in the rotation axis direction, over an angular range of approximately 180° in the circumferential direction. Therefore, by rotating the handle 28 in one direction along the rotation axis, one end face 28a of the restricting groove 28M abuts against a protrusion 25T provided on the end face of the valve box 25 in the rotation axis direction, thereby restricting further rotation of the handle 28. By rotating the handle 28 in the other direction along the rotation axis, the other end face (not shown) of the restricting groove 28M abuts against a protrusion 25T provided on the end face of the valve box 25 in the rotation axis direction, thereby restricting further rotation of the handle 28. By restricting the rotation angle of the handle 28 using the restricting groove 28M in this manner, the handle 28 can be quickly rotated between two rotation positions, enabling it to be quickly switched between a first state in which soft water flows into the shower hose 7 as shown in Figure 8 and a second state in which regenerated liquid (salt water) is discharged to the outside as shown in Figure 9.

[0043] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0044] In the above embodiment, the soft water outlet is opened upward, but it may be opened sideways.

[0045] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a rotary three-way valve is shown, but a slide three-way valve may also be used.

[0046] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, two handles 27 and 28 are provided, but it is also possible to provide only one handle.

[0047] In the above embodiment, the locking member inserted through the through-hole of one (outer) pipe section and locked into the recess of the other (inner) pipe section is configured as a C-shape, but it may be implemented by, for example, using a rod-shaped locking member, forming a circular through-hole in one (outer) pipe section through which the locking member is inserted, and forming an annular recess communicating with the through-hole in the other (inner) pipe section. Making the recess annular allows the three-way valve to be configured to be rotatable about the axis of the outlet relative to the one (outer) pipe section via the other (inner) pipe section, which is preferable. However, the recess may also be configured in a shape into which the locking end of the rod-shaped locking member fits so as to prevent the three-way valve from rotating about the axis of the outlet (for example, a circular recess if the cross-sectional shape of the locking member is circular, or a polygonal recess if the cross-sectional shape of the locking member is polygonal). [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1...shower type water softener, 2...mixer tap, 3...hose, 4...water supply port, 5...processing section, 6...shower head, 7...shower hose, 8...connecting pipe section, 9...tank, 10...casing, 11...ion exchange resin section, 11A, 11B...filter section, 12...lid section, 13...bottom wall, 14...top wall, 14A...opening, 14A ...Opening (water inlet), 15...Side wall, 16...Piping, 16A...Horizontal pipe part, 16B...Vertical pipe part, 17...Inlet, 18...Piping (pipe part for outlet), 18A...Outlet, 18K...Through hole, 19...Three-way valve, 20...Bottom, 21...Te Par part, 22...Bulging part, 23...Reduced diameter part, 24...Top end, 25...Valve box, 25A...Opening (soft water outlet), 25B...Opening, 25C...Opening (regeneration liquid outlet), 25T...Protrusion, 26...Valve body, 26a...O ring, 26A, 26 B...member, 26H...O-ring, 26T...locking part, 26V...valve part, 27,28...handle, 27A...outer plate part, 27B...side plate part, 27a...one end surface, 27C...extending plate part, 27D...second side plate part, 27E...arrow, 27S ...Slit, 28M...Regulation groove, 29...Vertical tube section, 29N...Male thread section, 30...Horizontal tube section, 30A...Concave section, 30B...Peripheral groove, 31...Locking member, 31A, 31B...Locking section, 31C...Connection section, 32...O ring, K...Wall, X...Axis center

Claims

1. A shower-type water softener comprising: a treatment section filled with ion exchange resin for softening water to be treated; and a discharge port for discharging the softened water softened in the treatment section and to which a shower hose can be connected. a three-way valve connected between the outlet and the shower hose, which can be manually switched between a first state in which the softened water softened in the treatment section is discharged from the outlet to the shower hose, and a second state in which the regenerated liquid that has been introduced into the treatment section to regenerate the ion exchange resin is discharged from the outlet to the outside; The three-way valve comprises a valve box, a rotatable valve element provided in the valve box, and two handles protruding from the valve box on both sides of the rotation axis direction of the valve element to rotate the valve element around a rotation axis, a valve box having a connecting pipe that is connected to the outlet pipe by fitting it internally or externally; when the outlet pipe and the connecting pipe are connected, a through hole is formed in one of the outer pipes, and a recess that communicates with the through hole of the one pipe is formed in the other of the inner pipes; and a locking member that is inserted through the through hole of the one pipe and locks into the recess of the other pipe, thereby preventing the connecting pipe from coming off the outlet pipe.

2. 2. The shower type water softener according to claim 1, wherein the three-way valve is attached to the outlet so as to be rotatable about an axis of the outlet.

3. 3. The shower type water softener according to claim 1, wherein the outlet is provided at a lower end of the treatment section.

4. 4. The shower-type water softener according to claim 3, wherein the three-way valve includes a regenerated liquid discharge port for discharging the regenerated liquid from the discharge port, and the regenerated liquid discharge port opens downward.

5. The shower type water softener according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the three-way valve has a soft water outlet through which soft water is discharged that opens upward or sideways, and a regenerated liquid outlet through which regenerated liquid is discharged that opens downward.

6. The shower type water softener according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the inlet for the water to be treated and the inlet for the regenerated liquid are provided at an upper end of the treatment section.

7. A shower-type water softener as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the handle comprises an outer plate portion located outside the direction of rotation axis, a side plate portion extending inward in the direction of rotation axis from the outer peripheral edge of the outer plate portion, an extending plate portion extending radially outward from one circumferential point on the outer plate portion, and a second side plate portion extending inward in the direction of rotation axis from the outer peripheral edge of the extending plate portion and connected to the side plate portion, and an arrow with a pointed tip pointing toward the extending plate portion is formed on the outer surface of the outer plate portion, and the handle is rotated to align the direction of the arrow with the direction in which the soft water or regenerated liquid is desired to be discharged.

Images