JP2885062B2 - Salt water tank level and salt replenishment timing detector - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a salt water tank for regeneration of a water softening device for softening hard water, and more particularly to a detecting device for detecting a salt water amount and a salt replenishing time in the salt water tank. is there.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As is well known, in a water softening device which alternately performs softening of hard water and regeneration of an ion exchange resin, a cycle from the previous regeneration to the current regeneration is determined, and the amount of water passing therethrough is determined. The salt water required for the regeneration of the ion exchange resin is stored in the salt water tank by estimating the hardness (hardness), and during the regeneration, the stored salt water is sucked by the action of the control valve to regenerate the ion exchange resin. I was

[0003] However, the control of the amount of salt water required for regeneration of the ion-exchange resin is conventionally performed by a ball tap or a pressure sensor provided in the salt water tank. When commonly used for water softeners having different capacities, there is a problem that the suction amount cannot be changed. In addition, the control by the pressure sensor can be detected and controlled as a continuous amount, so that the problem of the control by the ball tap can be solved.In this case, however, the water level is detected only, not the absolute amount. The control water level must be reset each time the outer diameter of the control system changes, and therefore the load on the software of the control system increases.

On the other hand, for detecting the salt water concentration of the salt water in the salt water tank, a method of detecting the concentration by electric conductivity using an electrode type sensor has conventionally been adopted. In the detection method based on the electric conductivity, since the detection cannot be performed unless the salt water concentration in the salt water tank becomes considerably low (3 to 5%), an alarm may be issued after the salt in the salt water tank runs out. Has become.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION As described above, the present invention relates to a ball tap and a pressure sensor for controlling a required amount of salt water in a salt water tank, and an electrode type electric conductivity measurement for measuring the salt water concentration of the salt water. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a salt water tank water level and salt replenishment timing detecting device which is controlled by providing a load cell on a lower surface of the salt water tank.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and is directed to a salt water tank which is connected to a resin cylinder filled with an ion exchange resin via a control valve and a salt water line. A load cell for detecting the amount of salt water (water level) required at the time of regeneration of the ion exchange resin and a salt replenishment time is provided on the lower surface of the salt water tank, and the load cell and the control device are connected via a line; The control valve and the control valve are connected via a line.

[0007]

According to the above arrangement, the salt water is supplied from the salt water tank to the resin cylinder in order to regenerate the ion exchange resin, and then the control valve is operated to supply the raw water into the salt water tank.
The load cell provided on the lower surface of the salt water tank receives pressure from the supply of raw water, converts the pressure electrically, and when the pressure reaches a preset value, the raw water in the salt water tank reaches a predetermined amount and stops supplying. On the other hand, the salt water in the salt water tank, the total weight of the salt water tank after supplying a predetermined amount of water into the resin cylinder to regenerate the ion exchange resin is detected by the load cell,
If the total weight is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value, a salt replenishment instruction is output.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of each device of the water softening apparatus. Reference numeral 1 in the figure denotes an ion exchange resin, which is filled in a resin tube 2. A control valve 3 is fastened to the upper end of the resin cylinder 2 so that raw water flows in from one end of the control valve 3 and becomes soft water from the other end to be sent out of the system. Reference numeral 4 in the figure denotes a salt water tank for storing salt water 5 used for ion exchange resin regeneration. The salt water tank 4 and the resin tube 2 are connected to each other by a salt water line 6 via the control valve 3. Further, the control valve 3 is connected to a discharge line 7 for discharging waste water during regeneration of the ion exchange resin. A net 8 is provided in the salt water tank 4, and the salt 9 is stored on the net 8. The salt 9 is dissolved in raw water supplied via the salt water line 6 after the regeneration of the ion exchange resin and has a specified concentration. Produces brine.

In the detecting device according to the present invention, a plurality of load cells 10 and a fulcrum member 11 are provided on the lower surface of the salt water tank 4 to detect the total weight of the salt water tank 4, salt water, salt, and the like.
In comparison with the numerical value at each preset time,
Salt water amount (water level) required at the time of regeneration of the ion exchange resin 1
And tell when to replenish salt. That is, the load cell 10 electrically converts the total weight pressure of the salt water tank 4, salt water, salt and the like and outputs the analog signal as an analog signal.
Report to 3. The control device 13 is configured to control the control valve 3 via the line 14 based on the notified signal. In the figure, reference numeral 15 denotes an electrode type sensor for detecting the concentration of salt water, which is connected to the control device 13 via a line 16. Further, the control device 13 is provided with a salt water supply indicator 17 and a salt replenishment alarm 18 which indicate that salt water of a predetermined concentration is stored in the required amount of salt water tank 4.

Next, the operation will be described. When softening the raw water, the raw water flows in from one end of the control valve 3, is softened by the action of the ion exchange resin 1 filled in the resin tube 2, and is sent out as soft water from the other end of the control valve 3 to the outside of the system. When the ion exchange resin is regenerated after softening a predetermined amount of water, the control valve 3 stops supplying the raw water and sucks the salt water 5 in the salt water tank 4 through the salt water line 6 by a signal from the control device 13. ,
The ion-exchange resin 1 is regenerated and the waste water is discharged from the drain line 7 to the outside of the system. When the required amount of salt water is sucked and the regeneration is completed, the control valve 3 acts to supply raw water into the salt water tank 4 through the salt water line 6, but when the amount of salt water reaches a predetermined amount, the load cell 10 acts via the control device 13 through the control device 13. The control valve 3 is closed to stop supplying the raw water. When the salt in the tank 4 is dissolved in the supplied raw water and reaches a predetermined salt water concentration, the control device 13 displays the salt water supply on the salt water supply indicator 17 by the operation of the electrode type sensor 15. Also, when to replenish the salt in the tank 4,
The total weight of the salt water tank 4 after supplying a predetermined amount of salt water to the resin cylinder 2 is measured, and when the total weight does not reach a preset total weight, a controller is controlled by a signal from the load cell 10. 13 displays the salt shortage on the salt replenishment warning device 18 and notifies the salt replenishment.

[0011]

The present invention is configured as described above, and has the following effects. That is, since the water level in the tank and the salt replenishment time are detected by the action of the load cell provided on the lower surface of the salt water tank, the salt water tank of the water softening device having a different capacity than the conventional water level control using a ball tap can be used in common. be able to. On the other hand, since the setting of the salt replenishment time is performed by detecting the total weight of the salt water tank, a salt replenishment instruction can be issued more reliably than in the conventional salt water concentration determination using an electrode type sensor. In addition, since the detection by the load cell can be detected as a continuous amount, the load on the setting and the control means (software) at each time can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an arrangement of each device of a water softening apparatus embodying the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ion exchange resin 2 Resin cylinder 3 Control valve 4 Salt water tank 6 Salt water line 10 Load cell 12 lines 13 Controller 14 lines

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code FI G01N 9/26 G01N 9/26 A

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A resin cylinder 2 filled with an ion exchange resin 1.
The ion-exchange resin 1 in the salt water tank 4 communicated with the control valve 3 and the salt water line 6
A load cell 10 for detecting the amount of salt water required at the time of regeneration and the salt replenishment time is provided on the lower surface of the salt water tank 4, and the load cell 10 and the control device 13 are connected via a line 12. Line 1 with valve 3
4. A device for detecting a water level and a salt replenishment timing of a salt water tank, wherein the device is connected via a fourth connection.