CH716720B1 - Method for setting a water hardness of process water. - Google Patents

Abstract

In a method for adjusting the water hardness of industrial water, raw water is mixed with softened water via a valve (200, 150) to obtain industrial water, the steps of determining an actual water hardness of the raw water; specifying a target water hardness of the process water, determining a target valve position based on the actual water hardness of the pipe water and the target water hardness of the process water, and directly setting the target valve position on the valve (200, 150) to achieve the target water hardness of the process water can be carried out. A valve top part comprised by the valve (200, 150) comprises a valve top part housing with an internal thread (251), with a spindle (210) with an external thread (211) being rotatably arranged in the internal thread (251) (251) and with the spindle (210 ) is connected to a valve body (220). A releasable latching device (212) is formed between the spindle (210) and the upper valve part housing, which can be latched in at least one valve position. The spindle (210) has a pointer (218) and the upper valve housing has at least one marking (271), with which a locking position of the spindle relative to the marking can be read using the pointer.

Description

technical field

The invention relates to a method for adjusting a water hardness of domestic water, raw water being mixed with softened water via a valve to obtain domestic water. The invention further relates to an upper valve part for carrying out the method, a water-carrying valve comprising the upper valve part and a connection fitting for a water softener comprising the valve and a water softener with this connection fitting.

State of the art

The water supply for commercial and private use is now mostly based on water from springs, groundwater and surface water such as lakes and rivers. Depending on where the water is sourced, the quality of the water differs in many parameters, such as the degree of hardness, the nitrate content but also impurities, etc. The degree of hardness is mainly determined by the content of calcium and magnesium ions in the water and is typically French Degree of hardness (°fH) specified. 1 °fH corresponds to 0.1 millimoles of calcium and magnesium ions per liter.

The end user of the process water typically prefers a degree of hardness which is neither too high nor too low. If the degree of hardness is too high, the fittings and the devices operated with the process water, such as coffee machines, kettles, pans, boilers, washing machines, dishwashers, etc. will calcify faster, which is typically associated with a shorter service life. The consumption of detergents and dishwashing detergents is also increasing. If the degree of hardness is too low, the water can become corrosive, which can damage metals, in particular water pipes and fittings, as well as metal parts of devices operated with the process water.

The problem is solved with water softeners. This means that completely softened water with a degree of hardness of 0 °fH can be achieved by softening raw water. The completely softened water is then blended with raw water in such a way that the desired degree of hardness is achieved.

Such a method is known from the prior art. The water softener is connected to a connection set, with the raw water being guided through the water softener on the one hand in order to obtain the softened water. On the other hand, raw water is fed to the completely softened water by means of the connection set via a bypass valve in order to set the desired degree of hardness. In the process, the bypass valve is closed in a first step. The bypass valve is then opened slightly, whereupon the hardness of the water is determined at a nearby water extraction point using a titration set. Based on the determined water hardness, the bypass valve is adjusted in order to then determine the hardness of the water again at the water extraction point. This process is repeated until the desired water hardness is reached.

The disadvantage of the known method for setting the water hardness is that, on the one hand, a specialist is required to carry out the measurement. Furthermore, the setting of the water hardness is very complex due to the iterative method.

Presentation of the invention

The object of the invention is to create a method for adjusting a water hardness, which belongs to the technical field mentioned at the outset, which can be carried out particularly easily and quickly.

The solution to the problem is defined by the features of claim 1. According to the invention, the following steps are carried out: a. determining an actual water hardness of the raw water; b. specifying a target water hardness of the process water; c. determining a target valve position based on the actual water hardness of the raw water and the target water hardness of the service water; i.e. setting the target valve position on the valve to achieve the target water hardness of the process water; where e. the target valve position is set directly as a function of the actual valve position. The term "raw water" is understood to mean the water in which the water hardness is to be reduced. It cannot be ruled out that the raw water has previously undergone treatment, in particular a reduction in water hardness, filtration, etc. Typically, however, the raw water is of the water quality that is present, for example, in municipal water reservoirs and water distribution networks up to the house connection.

The softened water is typically obtained directly from the raw water by a device for softening water, wherein the valve is preferably designed as a bypass valve between the raw water supply line and the service water discharge line of the water softener. On the other hand, a separate supply of softened water would also be conceivable, for example from possibly treated rainwater and the like. The term "softened water" should therefore not be interpreted to mean that this water was necessarily subject to a pre-treatment step. It should only be noted here that according to the invention the degree of hardness of the raw water is higher than the degree of hardness of the softened water, whereby only a degree of hardness between the degree of hardness of the raw water and the degree of hardness of the softened water can be set for the process water.

The process water is finally a blend of raw water and softened water.

According to the invention, it was recognized that the actual water hardness of the raw water is typically essentially constant within a relatively narrow range of water hardness. This means that the fluctuations in the water hardness of the raw water are usually insignificant. The determination of the actual water hardness of the raw water does not necessarily have to be done analytically, for example using a titration set or the like, but can be requested from the waterworks or viewed online or by telephone, for example from the municipality or the waterworks etc. The water hardness of the raw water can thus be determined centrally for an entire water distribution network. The determination of the actual water hardness of the raw water is thus easily possible even for an untrained person.

[0012] The target water hardness of the service water is generally between 5 and 15° fH, in particular around 8° fH. The aim is to strike a balance between the undesirable limescale deposits in hard water and the corrosive properties of soft water, which are also undesirable. This value can also be determined easily by a layman and without any technical know-how. In particular, the target water hardness is independent of external influences and can therefore be specified as a fixed value.

The target valve position is now determined on the basis of the actual water hardness of the raw water and the target water hardness of the process water. Various techniques are known to those skilled in the art. For example, a conversion formula can be provided into which the actual water hardness of the raw water and the target water hardness of the process water are entered in order to obtain the correct target valve position. For example, based on the difference between the actual water hardness and the target water hardness, an angle can be deduced by which a valve tap must be rotated.

The advantage of the invention lies in the fact that the user does not have to carry out any hardness determinations on the water, so that the method can also be carried out by a layman in a simple and efficient manner. Furthermore, with the method according to the invention, a target valve position can be determined directly in a simple manner, with which the target water hardness of the process water can be set in a single process. This eliminates the need for repeated valve adjustment steps, further keeping the water hardness adjustment process efficient. If necessary, the desired valve position can even be preset by the seller or supplier, knowing the place of use.

In a preferred embodiment, the method further includes the provision of softened water from raw water, in particular using a water softener. The raw water is preferably softened in such a way that a degree of hardness of 0 °fH is reached. Such water softeners are well known to those skilled in the art. In particular, an ion exchanger, complete desalination and other methods, for example by complex formation, etc., can be used.

In variants, the softened water can also be provided in other ways, in particular the raw water can be present, for example, as spring water and the softened water as surface water with a lower water hardness than the spring water. A degree of hardness of 0 °fH does not necessarily have to be aimed for during the softening process either.

The target valve position is set directly as a function of the actual valve position. For this purpose, the valve preferably includes a position indicator, which can be used to read the exact valve position--with a spindle valve, for example, to within 1/10 of a turn. The position of the valve is then adjusted based on the difference between the actual valve position and the target valve position and checked via the position indicator.

In variants, the valve can be completely closed in a first step, which takes a zero point. The valve can then be easily adjusted according to the target valve position based on the actual valve position - which is zeroed. This means that a position indicator can be dispensed with.

[0019] The selection of the target valve position is preferably selected from a large number of discrete target valve positions. This simplifies the method for determining the setpoint valve position. The valve particularly preferably has a position indicator which has a classification according to the discrete desired valve positions. This also further simplifies the setting of the setpoint valve position on the valve.

In variants, the large number of discrete target valve positions can also be dispensed with. In this case, for example, as described above, a target valve position can be calculated using a mathematical formula.

Preferably, the determination of the target valve position is determined in tabular form from the large number of discrete target valve positions. The reading out of the target valve position can be further simplified on the basis of the tabular representation. For example, the table can list the target water hardness in the column and the actual water hardness in the row. In this way, the target valve position can be read out from the table in a Cartesian manner where the line for the target water hardness meets the column for the actual water hardness.

As stated above, a mathematical formula can also be used to determine the desired valve position.

[0023] Reaching one of the discrete valve positions is preferably confirmed by haptic feedback. This further simplifies the setting of the setpoint valve position. In particular, after determining the actual valve position, the user can set the target valve position purely on the basis of the haptic feedback. This ensures that the target valve position is set correctly and quickly, even in less well-illuminated areas.

In variants, the haptic feedback can also be dispensed with. In this case, the target valve position would be set from the zero position (valve fully closed) or from the position indicator of the valve.

The desired valve position is preferably set by turning a spindle of the valve. The valve is therefore preferably a spindle valve. This has the advantage that a valve position can be set particularly precisely.

In variants, the target valve position can also be adjusted by turning a ball valve or the like. Other variants are known to those skilled in the art.

A valve top part comprises a valve top part housing with an internal thread, wherein a spindle with an external thread is rotatably arranged in the internal thread and the spindle is connected to a valve body. A releasable latching device is formed between the spindle and the upper valve part housing, which can be latched in at least one valve position. The detachable latching device ensures that when the spindle rotates, haptic feedback is triggered, with which the user can also monitor this haptically, especially when setting a target valve position. If, for example, a target valve position is determined which requires the valve to rotate by three revolutions, the user can also use the haptic feedback to determine blindly whether the latching process has taken place three times. If a position indicator is provided, the user can still check the target setting of the valve using the position indicator after the setting.

The spindle preferably comprises at least one longitudinal groove, particularly preferably between the valve body and the external thread, into which a spring-loaded latching lug connected to the upper valve part housing can engage.

In variants, the longitudinal groove can also be arranged opposite the valve body in the threaded area of the spindle or with respect to the threaded area. In the case of an arrangement in the threaded area, the upper valve part can be made more compact with respect to a longitudinal axis of the spindle. Furthermore, the at least one longitudinal groove can also be introduced on an inner side of the upper valve part housing, particularly preferably outside the area of the internal thread. In a further variant, the longitudinal groove can also be arranged in the area of the internal thread of the upper valve part housing. The spring-loaded detent would therefore be arranged on the spindle.

In a preferred embodiment, the spindle comprises at least 2 longitudinal grooves, in particular at least 4 longitudinal grooves, particularly preferably between 6 and 12 longitudinal grooves, particularly preferably 8 longitudinal grooves. A particularly fine adjustment of the valve, and thus of the setpoint valve position, can thus be achieved. Finally, the target degree of hardness of the service water can be set with particular precision. This design is particularly advantageous in the case of spindle valves, which can be moved between the closed position and full opening with just a few revolutions. In variants, a large number of grooves can also be dispensed with, in particular if a correspondingly large number of revolutions is necessary between the closed position and complete opening, so that a sufficiently precise adjustment of the desired degree of hardness can nevertheless be achieved. In particular, it is also conceivable for a ball valve or the like to be used instead of the spindle valve, provided that a sufficiently fine increment of the rotation between the closed position and the fully open position can be achieved.

The spindle includes a pointer and the upper valve part housing at least one marking, whereby a locking position of the spindle can be read using the pointer relative to the marking. This design is particularly advantageous when more than one locking position is provided. This allows the spindle position to be read quickly and easily, or at least the fine adjustment in the range of less than a complete spindle rotation.

The valve position can also be read from the overhang of the spindle above the valve bonnet housing (see below).

The markings and/or the pointer are preferably worked into the material of the upper valve part and are in particular designed as recesses, indentations and/or openings in the upper valve part. This achieves a particularly robust display of the valve position.

In variants, the marking and/or the pointer can also be designed as an imprint or the like. The disadvantage of this is that readability may be restricted at a later point in time due to wear and tear or contamination.

The upper valve part preferably comprises a cap for placing on the upper valve part housing, the markings being applied to the cap and the cap being rotationally fixed to the valve upper part housing in a plurality of rotational positions with respect to a longitudinal direction of the spindle. Meanwhile, the pointer is preferably formed face-on at the end of the spindle opposite the valve body. The relative position between the pointer and the markings on the cap indicate the fine adjustment of the valve position.

Because the cap can be fixed in a large number of rotational positions on the housing of the upper valve part, the position indicator can be installed and adjusted in a particularly simple manner. For this purpose, the spindle can be brought into a predefined position, in particular the fully closed position, whereupon the cap can be placed on the upper valve part housing in the corresponding rotational position, so that the correct position of the valve is displayed in this defined state. Furthermore, a reversible adjustment is achieved so that the position indicator of the valve can be adjusted again at any time.

[0037] The cap can be equipped with an internal toothing which fits onto a corresponding external toothing of the valve bonnet body. The toothing of the cap and the upper valve body do not necessarily have to be the same, but the number of teeth on one toothing is an integral multiple of the number of teeth on the other toothing. Thus, the upper valve part housing can comprise an external hexagon, while the internal teeth of the cap comprise n*6 teeth, where n>0 and is an integer. In this case, the internal toothing preferably has 12 or 24 teeth. It is clear to the person skilled in the art that the upper valve part housing can also have a different polygonal shape or a toothed outer shape, with the cap correspondingly having n times the number of polygon sides or teeth, with n>0 and being an integer.

In variants, the cap can also be fixed in the correct position with the upper valve part housing in some other way, in particular, for example, via a radial locking screw, by gluing, etc.

The valve position can preferably be latched to the latching device at regular angular intervals, in particular at angular intervals of 45°. A particularly precise setting of the setpoint valve position can thus be achieved. It is clear to the person skilled in the art that other subdivisions are also conceivable, in particular graduations of the form 360/n with n>1.

Preferably, the latching device comprises a spring pressure piece, oriented radially to the spindle, on the housing of the upper valve part and radially oriented recesses in the spindle, the spring pressure piece being able to be locked in the recesses. A commercially available locking element is selected with the spring pressure piece, so that the production costs can be kept low. The spring pressure piece preferably has an external thread which can be screwed into a radially oriented internal thread in the housing of the upper valve part towards the spindle. The latching can thus be adjusted so that the haptic feedback for the user can be optimized.

In variants, the spring pressure piece can be designed without an external thread, and the person skilled in the art is familiar with corresponding mounting options. The spring pressure piece can also be dispensed with. In this case, the latching lug for latching into the longitudinal groove can also be realized in some other way. A large number of further variants are also known to the person skilled in the art.

Preferably, in a first state of the upper valve part, a spindle region of the spindle at an end opposite the valve body protrudes at least partially beyond the valve upper part housing, with the spindle region in particular comprising markings on a lateral surface for quantifying an opening state of the valve. The spindle thus includes, on the one hand, a pointer at the front for fine adjustment for revolutions below a full revolution of the spindle and, on the side, in the casing area, markings with which integer revolutions can be measured. In this way, an upper valve part is created overall, in which a valve position can be determined analogously in the simplest manner using means that are particularly simple in terms of design.

The marking is preferably arranged on the outer surface of the spindle area in such a way that when the cap, which includes the markings for fine adjustment, is put on, a correct number of full revolutions of the spindle are displayed. If no cap is provided, the marking would be applied to the lateral surface in relation to the upper valve part housing.

The lateral surface of the spindle area preferably includes a number of markings, so that a number of complete revolutions can be displayed. In a preferred embodiment, the lateral surface includes more than 2, particularly preferably more than 3 such markings.

The quantification preferably includes a direct reproduction of a number of revolutions for closing the valve. In the case of a direct reproduction, the number of revolutions on the spindle or on the spindle area itself can be read. For this purpose, the spindle area can be provided with markings. In the case of indirect playback, the spindle interacts with a counter or the like, which counts the number of complete revolutions. Counters of this type are known to those skilled in the art. In the present case, the number of revolutions is preferably directly reproduced, in particular since no additional mechanical parts are required in this way.

[0046]Preferably, the number of revolutions is reproduced by circumferential notches, which have a spacing corresponding to a thread pitch of the external thread of the spindle. On the one hand, the formation of the notches achieves particularly good readability; notches can be detected both optically and haptically, for example by running a fingernail over them. Furthermore, the notches achieve a particularly robust reproduction of the number of revolutions, in particular compared to printed markings, a notch can typically still be identified easily even after a long period of use and a great deal of wear and tear.

In variants, the number of revolutions can also be marked in some other way, in particular by imprinting etc.

During operation of the upper valve part, in particular in a valve of a connection set of a water softener, the degree of hardness of the service water is set with the valve position. For this purpose, the valve acts as a bypass between the raw water and the softened water leaving the water softener. With average water consumption, the valve mixes the necessary amount of raw water with the softened water so that the desired water hardness can be guaranteed.

However, at certain times there is a much higher demand for water, for example in residential buildings. For example, in the morning, a lot of water is typically used for the morning toilet. During lunchtime and early evening, a lot of water is used for cooking, washing dishes, etc. In such periods of time, a lot of water is passed through the water softener. However, since the valve position remains constant, there is the problem that too little raw water is mixed with the softened water, which reduces the degree of hardness of the water.

In order to smooth out such overloads, the valve body is spring-loaded in a longitudinal direction of the spindle, towards the spindle. As soon as there is a great need for water - for example if several showers and toilets are used at the same time - the volume flow of the water increases, which means that increased pressure acts on the valve, in particular the valve body. Due to the increased pressure, the valve body can now be pressed away from the valve seat against the spring force, which means that the opening is enlarged. A larger quantity of raw water can thus be added to the softened water, with the result that the degree of hardness of the water can essentially be maintained. As soon as the water demand drops again and the water pressure at the valve decreases, the spring pushes the valve body back towards the valve seat, whereby the original valve position is resumed. This reduces the volume flow of the raw water to the softened water, which in turn means that the degree of hardness can be kept constant.

In a particular embodiment, the spindle includes an adjusting element with which the spring pressure can be adjusted. The spring pressure can thus be adjusted to a possible maximum volume flow of the process water. The adjusting element can be designed, for example, as an adjusting screw, with which the spring can be prestressed. Other possible embodiments are known to those skilled in the art.

In variants, the actuating element can be dispensed with. In this case, the spring can be designed to be exchangeable, for example, so that different springs with different spring constants can be used.

Preferably, the spindle comprises a blind hole in the spindle longitudinal direction, in which a compression spring, in particular a spiral compression spring, is accommodated, which interacts with the valve body. In particular, the spindle includes an axial bore in which the compression spring is accommodated. In this way, an upper valve part is created in a simple manner, in which the valve body is spring-loaded relative to the spindle. The spring is preferably designed to be exchangeable. The upper valve part can thus be used by adjusting the spring for differently dimensioned connection fittings for water softeners. For a connection set of a water softener, which is designed for a large water throughput, the spring can be made constant with a larger spring, so that the spring only gives way at higher pressure in order to enlarge the passage. This means that the upper valve part can be used for connection sets with different dimensions, simply by using the appropriate spring with the correct spring constant.

In variants, the valve body can also be held resiliently on the spindle in some other way. Other variants are known to those skilled in the art.

A water-carrying valve comprises such a valve upper part and a valve housing with a valve seat which can interact with the valve body.

The valve body of the upper valve part preferably has the shape of a truncated cone, the valve housing comprising a valve seat which comprises a cone corresponding to the truncated cone, the truncated cone in particular having a cone angle of less than 35°, preferably less than 20°, particularly preferably less than 15° having. The truncated cone preferably has a cone angle of more than 5°, preferably more than 10°, particularly preferably more than 13°. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the truncated cone has a cone angle of 14°. The cone is thus designed in such a way that when the valve is completely closed, an outer casing of the valve body is in surface contact with the inner wall of the cone in order to achieve the sealing effect in the closed state. Because the valve body has the shape of a truncated cone, a valve can be created which is particularly easy to regulate. The good adjustability is further enhanced by the relatively small cone angle. On the other hand, the cone angle should not be too small in order to avoid jamming in the valve seat.

In variants, the valve body can also be designed as a valve disk or the like.

The valve body preferably has a diameter in a range from 10 to 25 mm, in particular between 15 and 20 mm. In the case of a valve cone, the diameter is to be understood as the minimum diameter of the valve seat of the valve cone.

In variants, the valve body can also have a larger or smaller diameter.

A connection set for a water softener comprises a valve, in particular a valve with an inventive upper valve part, the valve being arranged in such a way that a bypass from a raw water supply line to a process water discharge line can be regulated.

The valve of the connection fitting preferably comprises a spring-loaded valve body (see above). The connection fitting can thus also cover overloads in the water supply during operation in such a way that the degree of hardness of the process water is kept essentially constant. For this purpose, at very high water consumption due to the water pressure, the valve body is pressed away from the valve seat against the spring force, which increases the passage in the bypass so that more raw water can be fed to the softened water. The spring-loaded valve body thus also transforms the valve into an overpressure valve. The valve thus has a dual function, namely regulation of the bypass for normal water requirements and the overpressure valve, which opens when there is an increased water requirement.

This design of the valve has the advantage that the regulation can be achieved with a large water consumption by the same component. In known connection fittings for water softeners, a separate pressure relief valve is provided, which is structurally more complex to implement, which means that the known connection fittings are more expensive to produce.

A water softener comprises a connection set as described above and an ion exchanger, with a water inlet of the ion exchanger being fluidically connected to the raw water supply line of the connection set and a water outlet of the ion exchanger being fluidically connected to the service water discharge line of the connection set.

The connection set preferably comprises a connection as the raw water inlet and a connection as the raw water outlet, the latter being fluidically connected to the raw water inlet of the water softener. An inlet valve is preferably provided between the raw water inlet and raw water outlet of the connection set, so that the raw water supply to the water softener can be interrupted.

The connection set preferably comprises a connection as the service water outlet and a connection as the inlet for the softened water, the latter being fluidically connected to the outlet of the water softener. An outlet valve is preferably provided between the process water outlet and the inlet of the softened water of the connection set, so that when the ion exchanger is dismantled, a backflow of the process water or the softened water can be prevented by closing the outlet valve.

The upper valve part according to the invention is preferably arranged in the connection set as a bypass between the raw water inlet and the service water outlet. The bypass branch and then the inlet valve to the ion exchanger are preferably arranged downstream after the raw water inlet. The bypass inlet after the outlet valve of the connection set is preferably arranged downstream.

In one variant, an upper valve part comprises a spindle for setting the valve position, the spindle being rotatably mounted in a spindle bearing for setting the valve position, the spindle protruding axially beyond the spindle bearing and the spindle having axially oriented markings on the spindle shaft, in particular circumferential ones Has rings on which a number of complete revolutions of the spindle can be read, and wherein the spindle bearing or the spindle further comprises radially oriented markings spaced at regular angular intervals and the spindle or the spindle bearing comprises a pointer, with which a partial revolution of the spindle can be read.

The markings do not necessarily have to be applied directly to the spindle or to the spindle bearing; it is sufficient if the markings are fixed relative to the spindle or to the spindle bearing. Markings on the spindle bearing can also be applied, for example, to a cap that is connected to the spindle bearing.

[0069] Further advantageous embodiments and combinations of features of the invention result from the following detailed description and the entirety of the patent claims.

Brief description of the drawings

The drawings used to explain the exemplary embodiment show: FIG. 1 a schematic oblique view of a connection set; 2 shows a schematic sectional illustration along the two spindle axes of the supply and return valves of the connection set, parallel to an assembly plane; 3 shows a schematic sectional illustration along the spindle axis of the upper part of the regulating valve, at right angles to an assembly plane; 4a shows a detailed view of the upper part of the regulating valve according to FIG. 3, with the upper part of the regulating valve being completely closed; 4b shows a detailed view of the upper part of the regulating valve according to FIG. 3, with the upper part of the regulating valve open; 5 shows a schematic sectional view of a valve top part of a regulating valve top part along the spindle axis and along the spring pressure pieces; FIG. 6 shows a schematic plan view of a valve upper part of a regulating valve upper part according to FIG. 5; and FIG. 7 shows a schematic oblique view of a valve top part according to FIG. 5.

In principle, the same parts are provided with the same reference symbols in the figures.

Ways to carry out the invention

1 shows a schematic oblique view of a connection fitting 1 for a water softener (not shown). The connection set 1 includes a fitting housing 100 with an inlet valve 300 to the water softener with a connection 111 for the water softener, and a return valve 400 with a connection 121 for the water softener. When the water softener is in operation, the raw water is fed into the water softener via the inlet valve 300 and the connection 111, where it is softened. The softened water returns via connection 121 and return valve 400. Between the raw water inlet and the service water outlet, a regulating valve upper part 200 is arranged as a bypass valve in such a way that the raw water can be mixed with the softened water.

The inlet valve 300 and the return valve 400 are each open when the water softener is in operation, so that raw water can enter the water softener via the connection 111, where it is softened and can be fed back into the fitting through the connection 121 as softened water. The inlet valve 300 and the return valve 400 are typically closed when, for example, the water softener is to be separated from the fitting for maintenance work.

When the control valve upper part 200 is closed, no raw water is added to the softened water, so that the service water is completely softened. The completely softened water has the disadvantage that it attacks metal more than non-softened water. By opening the upper part of the regulating valve 200, the softened water can be admixed with so much raw water that the desired degree of hardness is achieved. It should be noted that the degree of hardness is not too high, as this encourages limescale deposits.

Since the water consumption is not constant, a constant degree of hardness is not achieved by a constant addition of raw water to the softened water. During a very high water consumption, the degree of hardness decreases. This problem is solved by the regulating valve upper part 200 described below.

2 shows a schematic sectional view along the two spindle axes of the supply 300 and return valves 400 of the connection set 1, parallel to a mounting plane indicated by the mounting plate 160 (visible in FIG. 1). Figure 2 essentially shows the valve top part of the inlet valve 300 with the valve seat 110, as well as the valve top part of the return valve 400 and its valve seat 120. The regulating valve top part 200, seen upstream, connects an area in front of the inlet valve 300 with an area after the return valve 400. The inlet valve 300 and the return valve 400 are designed as spindle valves.

3 shows a schematic sectional view along the spindle axis of the control valve upper part 200, at right angles to a mounting plane 160. In this view, the inlet of the raw water 130 and the return of the service water 140 are clearly visible. In the transition area between the inlet 130 and the return 140 the regulating valve upper part 200 is arranged as a bypass valve, so that the raw water from the inlet 130 can be mixed directly with the softened water of the return 140 . The degree of hardness can thus be set by adjusting the upper part of the regulating valve 200 .

Figure 4a shows a detailed view of the upper part of the control valve 200 according to Figure 3, with the upper part of the control valve 200 completely closed.

The upper part of the regulating valve 200 comprises a spindle 210 which is rotatably mounted in a spindle bushing 250 . The spindle bushing 250 is in turn screwed into a bushing 260 . Finally, the bushing 260 is screwed into the fitting housing 100 .

The spindle 210 has a cross slot 217 on the end face opposite the valve body 220, with which the spindle 210 can be rotated with a suitable tool. In further variants, instead of the cross slot 217, an external hexagon, an external square, an internal square or an internal hexagon or the like is provided.

In the direction of the valve body 220, the end face of the spindle 210 is adjoined by circumferential grooves 219, which are provided as position indicators. When the control valve upper part 200 is opened by rotating the spindle 210 with a screwdriver, the spindle 210 moves out of the spindle bushing 250 so that the grooves 219 become visible from the outside. Each visible groove 219 corresponds to a rotation of the spindle by 360° or a complete revolution of the spindle 210.

The grooves 219 are followed by an external thread 211 which interacts with an internal thread 251 of the spindle bushing 250 . The spindle 210 can thus be moved relative to the valve seat 150 together with the valve body 220 . In order to achieve a compact design, the external thread 211 protrudes radially beyond the area having the grooves 219 . With the valve closed, the grooved area can thus be completely accommodated in the internally threaded area of the spindle bushing.

An area which has longitudinal grooves 212 adjoins the external thread 211 . The longitudinal grooves 212 are arranged axially on the outer surface of the spindle shaft. The longitudinal grooves 212 will be discussed in more detail below in connection with FIG. 4b.

[0084] The spindle 210 further comprises a spindle shaft, which is designed to support the spindle in the spindle bushing 250. The spindle 210 further includes a blind hole 214 in which the valve body 220 is accommodated so as to be axially displaceable against a spring force. The blind hole 214 opens into a widening 215. The blind hole 214 serves to accommodate a compression spring 240, in particular a spiral spring 240, while the valve body 220 is held in the widening 215 via a valve body shaft. A sleeve 216 is arranged in the widening 215 and forms an undercut in the widening 215 . The valve body shaft 230 includes a corresponding radial shoulder 232 at the end, which engages behind the sleeve 216 and thus forms an axial stop. The axial stop in the opposite direction is formed at the transition from widening 215 to blind hole 214, since blind hole 214 has a smaller diameter than widening 215. Valve body shaft 230 is thus guided axially in sleeve 216. The valve body shaft 230 also has a blind hole 231 itself, with the compression spring 240 being accommodated on one side in an upper widening, with the other end of the compression spring 240 being accommodated in the blind hole 214 of the spindle 210 . The sleeve 216 can be held in the widening 215 in a positive and/or non-positive manner. In the present case, it is locked in a form-fitting manner via an external peripheral shoulder of the sleeve 216 in an internal peripheral groove of the widening 215 .

The valve body 220 has an axial bore, via which the valve body 220 is held on the valve body shaft 230. This allows the valve body to be precisely aligned with the spindle. The valve body 220 essentially has the shape of a truncated cone and the valve seat 150 accordingly has the shape of an envelope of a cone. In the present case, the valve body has a cone angle of 14° and the maximum cone diameter according to the valve seat 150 is around 17 mm. It is clear to a person skilled in the art that the conical shape of the valve body 220 is selected to be somewhat larger, so that the entire lateral surface of the valve seat 150 can be contacted.

The spindle 210 is received in the internal thread 251 of the spindle bushing 250 via the external thread 211 . The spindle bushing 250 has a head part, in which the internal thread 251 for the spindle 210 is formed, and a foot part, on which an external thread 252 is formed for screwing into an internal thread of the bushing 260 described below. A lip seal 255 is arranged at the head end of the external thread 252 in such a way that a sealing effect between the bushing 260 and the spindle 210 can be achieved.

The bushing 260 has an internal thread 262 for receiving the external thread 252 of the spindle bushing 250 . The internal thread 262 ends in a radially circumferential flange, which serves as a stop for screwing in the spindle bushing 250 and as a stop for the bushing 260 in the bore of the fitting housing 100 . The bushing 260 also includes an external thread 261, via which the bushing is screwed into the bore of the fitting housing 100. A seal between fitting housing and bushing 260 is provided by an O-ring 263.

The control valve upper part 200 also includes a cap 270 which is slipped over the spindle bushing 250 in such a way that the end face of the spindle protrudes from an opening in the cap 270 in the middle. The cap 270 includes snap hooks 272, which engage behind the spindle bushing 250, and axial slots 273, which promote springing of the snap hooks. The cap 270 also has markings 271, which will be discussed in more detail below.

The upper part of the regulating valve 200 according to FIG. 4a is completely closed. This can be seen from the fact that the valve body 220 contacts the valve seat 150 on the one hand. Furthermore, the valve body shaft 230 is pressed upward against the spring force to such an extent that the valve body 220 strikes the spindle 210 proximally. The upper part of the regulating valve 200 is thus closed in such a way that the valve body 220 cannot be lifted out of the valve seat 150 even if the water pressure from the raw water side is increased.

In a second closed state (not shown), the valve body 220 is also seated in the valve seat 150, but in contrast to FIG. 4a, the valve body 220 does not strike the spindle 210 proximally. If the pressure from the raw water side is increased in this state, the valve body 220 can be lifted against the spring force up to the stop on the spindle 210, whereby raw water can flow to the softened water.

4b shows the control valve upper part 200 in an open position, the raw water pressure being too low so that the valve body 220 is not pressed upwards against the spring force.

[0092] The spring-loaded valve body 220 has the effect that, with increased water consumption, an increased passage of the upper part of the regulating valve 200 can be achieved automatically. In particular, the advantage lies in the fact that both cases (normal water consumption/increased water consumption) can be regulated with a single valve. The connection set 1 can thus be manufactured inexpensively and also easily maintained.

Depending on the area of application (single-family house, apartment building, industry, etc.), there is also the possibility that different volume flows can be regulated with a single upper valve part. For this purpose, only the spring strength or the spring constant of the spring can be selected accordingly, so that in an application in an apartment building, a compression spring 240 with a greater spring constant is used than in a single-family house.

In order to achieve an exact adjustment of the upper part 200 of the regulating valve, an absolute valve position can be read from the upper part 200 of the regulating valve. In the present embodiment, the valve position can be read with an accuracy of 1/8 turn. In order to make the setting of the upper part of the regulating valve 200 safe even in poor light conditions or when accessibility is less than ideal, haptic feedback is provided when the spindle is turned.

5 shows a schematic sectional view of an upper valve part of a control valve upper part 200 along the spindle axis and along the spring pressure pieces 254. The length of the longitudinal grooves 212 is greater than the travel of the spindle 210 during operation. In the present case, 8 parallel longitudinal grooves 212 are provided at regular angular intervals. In the present case, the spindle bushing 250 comprises two opposing radial bores 253, in which a spring pressure piece 254 is accommodated. The two spring pressure pieces 254 protrude radially into the interior and snap into two opposite longitudinal grooves 212 each. If the spindle is now rotated, the spring pressure pieces 254 are pressed back and engage again in the following longitudinal groove 212 .

FIG. 6 shows a schematic plan view of an upper valve part of a control valve upper part 200 according to FIG. 5. This figure essentially shows the cap 270 and the end face of the spindle 210 in the center. The face of the spindle 210 includes the cross slot 217 in the center and a pointer 218 in the edge area, which is designed as a small incision in the edge of the face of the spindle 210 .

The cap 270 has 8 round holes arranged in a circle as markings 271, the diameter of which increases continuously. This achieves a robust and easy-to-read scaling. The cap 270 is fixed relative to the spindle bushing. For this purpose, the spindle bushing 250 can have a polygonal outer contour or the like, while the cap 270 has a corresponding inner contour. The cap 270 is now mounted on the spindle bushing 250 in such a way that the pointer 218 points to the smallest marking 271 when the control valve upper part 200 is closed. The upper part of the control valve 200 can be closed before the cap 270 is fitted, so that the cap 270 can be placed on the spindle bushing 250 in the correct orientation.

Together with the grooves 219, a valve position can now be read out in the form of "number of grooves visible" plus "pointer position for marking" to a result of the number of revolutions with an accuracy of 1/8 revolution. Finally, FIG. 7 shows a schematic oblique view of the upper valve part according to FIG.

In the application, the connection set with the water softener is installed in a first step and connected to the pipes of the raw water inlet and the process water outlet. The water hardness of the raw water is then determined - this is typically known, so that a measurement can be dispensed with. The desired water hardness is also determined - for example a water hardness of fH° of 8.

[0100] Since the absolute valve position can be easily read for the present control valve upper part 200, a table for the desired value of the valve position of the control valve upper part can now be used. Such an example can be structured as follows: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 21/8 2 17/8 15/8 13/8 11/8 1 8 3 27/8 25/8 23/8 21/8 17/8 16/8 12 34/8 32/8 31/8 27/8 26/8 24/8 22/8

In the example marked in gray, the actual water hardness is 34 fH° and the target water hardness is 8 fH°. This results in a valve position of 2 5/8 turns Water hardness measurements, set the control valve so that the domestic water has the desired water hardness.

In summary, it can be stated that, according to the invention, a particularly easy-to-use regulating method for a connection set of a water softener and an associated upper part of the regulating valve is created. The position indicator is characterized by its particularly high level of robustness.

Claims (18)

1. A method for adjusting the water hardness of industrial water, with raw water being mixed with softened water via a valve (200, 150) to obtain industrial water, characterized by the following steps: a. determining an actual water hardness of the raw water; b. specifying a target water hardness of the process water; c. determining a target valve position based on the actual water hardness of the raw water and the target water hardness of the process water; i.e. setting the target valve position on the valve (200, 150) to achieve the target water hardness of the process water; whereby e. the target valve position is set directly as a function of the actual valve position. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the selection of the target valve position is selected from a large number of discrete target valve positions. 3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that the determination of the target valve position is determined in tabular form from the plurality of discrete target valve positions. 4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that reaching one of the discrete valve positions is confirmed by haptic feedback. 5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the target valve position by turning a spindle (210) of the valve (200, 150) is adjusted. 6. Upper valve part comprising a valve upper part housing with an internal thread, wherein a spindle (210) with an external thread (211) is rotatably arranged in the internal thread (251) and wherein the spindle (210) is connected to a valve body (220), characterized in that in that a releasable latching device (212, 254) is formed between the spindle (210) and the valve top part housing, which can be latched in at least one valve position, the spindle (210) having a pointer (218) and the valve top part housing having at least one marking (271). , whereby a locking position of the spindle (210) using the pointer (218) relative to the marking (271) can be read. 7. Valve bonnet according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises a cap (270) for fitting onto the valve bonnet housing, the markings (271) being applied to the cap (270) and the cap (270) being relative to a longitudinal direction of the spindle (210) can be fixed in a rotationally fixed manner in a large number of rotational positions on the upper valve part housing. 8. Upper valve part according to one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that the valve position can be latched with the latching device (212, 254) at regular angular intervals, in particular at angular intervals of 45°. 9. Upper valve part according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the latching device comprises a spring pressure piece (254) oriented radially to the spindle (210) on the valve upper part housing and radially oriented recesses (212) in the spindle (210), the spring pressure piece ( 254) can be locked in the recesses (212). 10. The upper valve part according to one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that in a first state of the upper valve part, a spindle area of the spindle (210) at an end opposite the valve body (220) protrudes at least partially beyond the valve upper part housing, with the spindle area in particular at one Lateral surface markings (219) for quantifying an opening state of the valve (200, 150). 11. Upper valve part according to claim 10, characterized in that the quantification comprises a direct representation of a number of revolutions for closing the valve (200, 150). 12. Upper valve part according to claim 11, characterized in that the number of revolutions is reproduced by circumferential notches (219) which have a spacing corresponding to a thread pitch of the external thread. 13. Upper valve part according to one of claims 6 to 12, characterized in that the valve body (220) is spring-loaded in a spindle longitudinal direction towards the spindle (210). 14. The upper valve part according to claim 13, characterized in that the spindle (210) comprises a blind hole (214) in the longitudinal direction of the spindle, in which a compression spring (240), in particular a spiral compression spring, is accommodated, which interacts with the valve body (220). . 15. Water-bearing valve (200, 150), comprising an upper valve part according to claim 6 and a valve housing (100) with a valve seat (150) which can interact with the valve body (220). 16. Water-bearing valve according to claim 15, characterized in that the valve body (220) has the shape of a truncated cone and wherein the valve seat (150) comprises a cone corresponding to the truncated cone, the truncated cone in particular having a cone angle of less than 35°, preferably less than 20° , particularly preferably less than 15°. 17. Connection set (1) for a water softener, comprising a valve (200, 150) according to claim 15, wherein the valve is arranged such that a bypass from a raw water supply line to a service water discharge line can be regulated. 18. Water softener with a connection set (1) according to claim 17 and an ion exchanger, wherein a water inlet of the ion exchanger is fluidically connected to the raw water supply line of the connection set and a water outlet of the ion exchanger is fluidly connected to the service water discharge line of the connection set.