GB2057861A

GB2057861A - Device for use in the regeneration of ion exchanger in a dishwashing machine

Info

Publication number: GB2057861A
Application number: GB7935007A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1978-11-25
Filing date: 1979-10-09
Publication date: 1981-04-08
Also published as: GB2057861B; IT7923739A0; SE444503B; DE2851076C2; ES486631A1; IT1121297B; SE7907537L; DE2851076A1; FR2442037B1; CH647666A5; FR2442037A1

Abstract

A device for use in the regeneration of ion exchanger in a dishwater comprises a reservoir 1, which is supplied with water via inlet nozzle 6, channel 9, and orifice 10, an air-break 4 being provided in the supply line. Liquid may be discharged from the reservoir via orifice 11, channel 12, and outlet nozzle 7 to an ion exchange unit. Nozzle 8 may be connected to a salt container. Walls 14, 15 are provided in the reservoir at least partly defining outlet channels 16, 17, 18 leading to rotary valve 19 located adjacent grille 2 communicating with vent 3. In use, water is normally supplied via the reservoir to the ion exchange unit. To regenerate the ion exchanger, water in channel 18 is passed into the salt container, the resulting saline solution being supplied to the ion exchange unit. If more water is required for this purpose, the rotary valve is turned to discharge water first via channel 17, and then channel 16 into channel 13 for delivery to the salt container. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Process and device for regeneration of the ion exchanger of a dishwasher The invention concerns a process for regenerating the ion exchanger of a dishwasher whereby an airbreak with a receiving jet is incorporated into the fresh water inlet for the ion exchanger and whereby a container has been positioned in the upper part of the machine from which a quantity of water is dispensed by gravity into a salt container simultaneously salt solution displaced from the salt container is flushed through the Ion Exchanger.

A process of this kind is known through the German Patent file 25-01-269. This provides for an open receptacle in which the leaking water from the airbreak is collected. The collection takes place during the programme functions preceding regeneration in particular as long as softened water is being filled into the rinsing container and therefore the airbreak is in operation. The water quantity for regeneration is called for according to the programme in such a way that a solenoid valve positioned in the connector from the salt container to the ion exchanger is opened.

However, experience has shown that the quantity of leak water depends very much on the pressure in the water supply. If this pressure is very low the leak water may not be enough to fill the container and thus properly regenerate the ion exchanger. On the other hand if the pressure is particularly high there is so much leak water that the quantity of leak water running into the rinse container after filling the reservoir is no longer negligible. Together with the soft water in the rinsing container the leak water forms a blend which under certain conditions will no longer fulfill the requirements as far as hardness is concerned.

The quantity of leak water is also dependent upon the construction of the airbreak. There exist various improved designs which would give too little leak waterforthe present purpose.

It was therefore the purpose of the present invention to discover a process which enables the water quantity necessary for regeneration to be independent of the water supply pressure, to be independent of the air-break design and to be available quickly and in sufficient quantity.

This problem is overcome according to this invention, on the basis of a process described in detail at the beginning, in such a way that an enclosed throughput container with its own inlet, outlet and regeneration outlet has been incorporated within the fresh water inlet between the receiving jet and the ion exchanger for storage of the required water quantity. The water quantity is ducted out of this reservoir upon demand via the regenerating outlet into the salt container, the reservoir is ventilated through the inlet jet. Such a throughput reservoir unit is not filled with leak water but with the principal water stream which goes to the ion exchanger via the airbreak.Under the present practical conditions therefore the filling of the throughput container is accomplished in a short time after opening the water inlet whereupon the fresh water supply is being fed into the ion exchanger undiminished. The leak water can flow into the rinsing container. if it is feared that the softened water might be thinned down excessively under high mains pressure one could choose a design for the airbreak which gives very little leak water.

A particularly practical device for the execution of the process is characterised in such a way that the main outlet of the throughput container is positioned in its upper part and possibly a little lower than the inlet opening of the receiving jet of the airbreak so that this remains dry. The incoming water will press the air contained within the empty or part empty throughput reservoir, through the main outlet to the ion exchanger and through this into the rinsing container. If this simple way of ventilation of the reservoir during filling is undesireable for whatever reason, it is proposed that the reservoir incorporates in its upper part a floating breather valve. This floater is lifted when the water level of the reservoir is achieved and will thus seal the ventilation aperture.

When taking water out of the resin container additional air can enter through the floating breather valve.

As it is known that the hardness of the water in the public supply differs according to locality, with softer water a smaller quantity of salt solution is required to regenerate the ion exchanger which makes it desireable as far as the usage of salt is concerned that the quantity of water from the throughput container should be determinable according to the local water hardness. It is therefore proposed that the throughput reservoir contains several vertical outlet shafts of which selectively either one or several may be connected to the regenerating outlet through a rotating selector valve at the bottom. These shafts can be constructed in such a way that they may be called chambers whereby the chamber separating walls almost reach to the ceiling of the throughput reservoir.To achieve improved blending of the ever present residual water in the throughput reservoir it is however advantageous when the upper ends of the outlet shafts are at different heights. In so far one could imagine the outlet shafts as outlet pipes which protrude into the reservoir from the bottom at differing heights.

Two construction samples of the invention are being described in detail with the help of the sketches.

Fig 1 gives a front cross section Fig 2 gives a side section Fig 3 schematic front cross section of a different reservoir The throughput reservoir (1) shown in figures 1 and 2 forms a flat unit together with a grill (2) a breather shaft (3) and airbreak (4) which consists essentially of two injection moulded plastic parts fused together. This design of unit is positioned in The drawing(s) originally filed was/were informal and the print here reproduced is taken from a later filed formal copy.

the upper part of the dishwasher between the rinsing tub and the exterior wall of the washing machine. It is put into a ventilating aperture which exists in the side wall of the rinsing tub with a short connector (5) which contains the grill (2).

A multitude of separating walls which are horizontal to the sides of the design unit represent a channel or shaft system respectively, which contains reservoir (1) which ends at the bottom in connections (6, 7, 8) which are hose nozzles. Also the delivery and receiving jets of the airbreak (4) have been realised with the help of curved separating walls.

The freshwater inlet which is controlled by the DishwasherTimervia a solenoid valve is connected to nozzle (6). The arriving water is delivered through channel (9) to the hook formed delivery jet and along the hemispherical wall over the airbreak (4) to a corresponding receiving jet which opens directly at inlet (10) into the reservoir (1).

Through a main outlet (11) positioned in the upper right part the water again leaves the reservoir (1) it flows down through channel (12) and via nozzle (7) to the ion exchanger of the dishwasher. Finally a regeneration outlet (13) is connected to the salt container via nozzle (8).

It is of special importance to position main outlet (11) as shown in Figure 1 a little deeper than the aperture (10) of the receiving jet. This means that the aperture remains dry when the machine is inoperative, so that crusts or crystalline deposits cannot form which might impair operation of the airbreak.

Two separating walls (14) and (15) with their tops at differing heights divide the reservoir into three outlet shafts (16, 17, 18), the highest outlet shaft (18) goes directly into the regenerating outlet 13 at the bottom. With the help of rotating valve (19) the outlet shaft (17) or shafts (17) and (16) can be connected selectively to regeneration outlet (13). The rotating valve (19) is placed inside the connector (5) and partically replaces the grille (2). The selector plug of the rotating valve can be turned with a screwdriver from the inside of the rinsing tub (the slit for the screwdriver is indicated bytwo parallel broken lines).

The arrangement described functions as follows:- The interior of the rinsing tub connects through the aforementioned aperture in its sidewall via grille (2) and via breather shafts (3) within the housing of the dishwasher which is also open to the surronding airspace. In this way the rinsing Tub can be filled and emptied without danger. The steam vapour generated within the rinse tub can also evacuate through shaft (3).

When connector (6) receives fresh water from the main supply, this will go via the airbreak into the so far empty throughput reservoir (1). At this stage a closing valve in the connection from the salt container to the ion exchanger is closed, so that the regeneration outlet (13) also has to be considered as closed. Therefore first the air contained in reservoir (1) is being displaced through main outlet (11) via connector (7) and from there via the ion exchanger into the rinse tub. When finally the reservoir (1) is filled, any subsequent fresh water reaches the ion exchanger and passes from there as soft water into the rinsing tub. This path for the water can continue with interruptions according to the setting ofthe dishwasher programme for several rinsing operations.The leak water from airbreak (4) will go through breather shaft (3) and grille (2) into the rinsing tub.

When the closing valve between the-salt container and ion exchanger is opened for regeneration, the water contained in outlet shaft (18) will pass via connector (8) into the salt container, whereby air will enter through breathing shaft (3) through receiving jet and inlet (10). The other two outlet shafts (16) and (17) remain filled to the top of the highest level of separating wall (14). If the volume of dispensed water is required to be greater, the rotating valve according to Fig 1 is turned so far towards the left until the outlet shaft 17 in the middle is also connected to regeneration outlet 13.

With such a position of rotating valve 19, thus always both outlet shafts (17) and (18) are discharged and only the water in outlet shaft 16 remains at a level with the top of the lower separating wall. If the rotating valve (19) is turned still further to the left finally the entire reservoir(1) will be emptied each time.

The fresh water entering at inlet 10 causes strong turbulence in outlet shafts (16) and (17) and rinses these well so that even underthe position of the outlet valve (19) depicted in Fig 1 orforthe intermediate position it is ensured that the water in outlet shafts (16 + 17) does not remain therein for a long time. This avoids the formation of algae or undesireable deposits.

The construction sample according to Fig 3 uses a different type of airbreak (21) with inserted round jets. The throughput reservoir has been devided by two equally high separating walls (22 + 23) into three chambers which can also be selectively connected to the regeneration outlet. Water inlet is at the bottom of the left chamber. After that the water is ducted once again to the bottom in the middle chamber by means of a further separating wall (24) in order that the chambers shall always be well rinsed for the aforementioned purpose. Furthermore this throughput-reservoir containes a floating breather valve (25) at the top. When filling therefore the air herein does not have to be evacuated through the ion exchanger but it exhausts through the ventilation aperture and a ventilating channel 26 positioned thereafter. When the water level finally rises tq the top of the reservoir the floater is lifted and will securely close-the ventilating aperture.

Should nevertheless a little water escape this would not do any harm because the ventilation channel 26 leads into the breathing channel. So the water which might have escaped can trickle back via this into the rinsing tub.

1 -Throughput reservoir 2 -Tubconnectorgrille 3 breather shaft 4 -Airbreak 5 connector 6 - Freshwater connector nozzle 7 - ion exchanger connector nozzle 8 - salt container connector nozzle 9 - channel 10 -freshwater inlet jet 11 - main outlet 12 - channel 13 - regenerating outlet 14 - separating wall, high 15 - separating wall, low 16 - outlet shaft, left 17 - outlet shaft, middle 18 - outlet shaft, right 19 - rotating valve 20 - selector plug 21 - airbreak 22 - separating wall, left 23 - separating wall, right 24 - separating wall 25 -floating breather valve 26 -ventilation channel

Claims

1. Process for regeneration the Ion exchanger of a dishwasher whereby the fresh water inlet to the Ion exchanger contains an airbreak with a receiving jet and whereby a container is positioned in the upper part of the dish washer from which a water quantity is dispensed by gravity into a salt container and at the same time salt solution from the salt container is displaced into the Ion exchanger, characterised in such a way that between the fresh water supply inlets (6) and (9) a closed container (1 ) has been added positioned between the receiving jet and the ion exchanger. This closed container (1 ) acting as a water reservoir with an inlet (10) and main outlet (11) and a regeneration outlet (13).The water quantity being dispensed from this container upon request via the regenerating outlet into the salt container and which is ventilated through the receiving jet.

2. Device for execution of the process according to claim 1 characterised in such a way that the main outlet (11) of the container (1) is positioned in the upper part of the same.

3. Device according to claim 2 characterised in such a way that the reservoir throughput container has in its upper part a floating breather valve (23).

4. Device according to claim 2 characterised in such a way that the reservoir unit (1) contains several essentially vertical outlet shafts (16, 17, 18) of which selectively one or more can be connected to the regeneration outlet (13) at the lower end with the help of the selector valve (19). to

5. Device according to claim 4 characterised in such a way that the upper ends of the outlet shafts (16, 17, 18) are at different heights.