KR200442324Y1 - Water Softner having regenerant tank with water temperature sensor and water level sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is a water softener having a water temperature sensor and a water level sensor having a regeneration tank equipped with a water temperature sensor and a water level sensor, which is characterized by providing a regeneration water with optimum regeneration efficiency by realizing the concentration of the regeneration water and adjusting the water level for the same. It is about.

The present invention provides a water softener having a soft water tank for converting raw water into soft water and a regeneration water tank for providing regeneration water for regeneration of the soft water tank, the water temperature sensor being provided inside the regeneration water tank and measuring the temperature of the inflowing water; And a water level sensor for measuring the level of the water in the regeneration tank to control the concentration of the regeneration water.

The present invention produces the following effects by mounting the water temperature sensor and the water level sensor in the regeneration container. First, make sure that the concentration of regeneration water reaches its optimum (6-10%). Secondly, it is possible to continuously maintain the optimum concentration of the regeneration water. Third, the regeneration water is prepared in advance to shorten the time taken for regeneration of the training tank.

Water softener, regeneration container, water temperature sensor, water level sensor

Description

Water softner having regenerant tank with water temperature sensor and water level sensor

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a conventional water softener;

Figure 2a is an exploded perspective view of the recycling container provided in the water softener according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention,

Figure 2b is a cross-sectional view of the case where the regeneration container is mounted on the water softener according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention,

3 is a table showing a time for contacting the regenerant 216 with water according to the measured temperature when the concentration of regenerated water is 8% according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 4a is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a water softener having a recycling container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention,

Figure 4b is a block diagram for explaining the operation control of the water softener having a regeneration container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

<Description of the code for the main part of the drawing>

100: conventional water softener 110: pretreatment filter

120: soft water container 130: post-processing filter

140: recycling tank 200: water softener of the present invention

210: recycling bin 212: recycling bin

214: regenerant container 216: regenerant

218: water level sensor 220: water temperature sensor

400 control unit 404 inlet valve

406: outlet valve

The present invention relates to a water softener having a regeneration tank equipped with a water temperature sensor and a water level sensor. More specifically, the water temperature sensor and the water level sensor is provided with a water temperature sensor and a water level sensor equipped with a water temperature sensor and a water level sensor, characterized by maintaining the concentration of the regeneration water and adjusting the water level for the same, thereby providing a regeneration water having an optimum regeneration efficiency. It is about water softener to do.

Water used for living can be generally divided into soft water and hard water. Tap water currently supplied to most households is hard water containing a large amount of calcium ions (Ca ^{2 +} ) and magnesium ions (Mg ^{2 +} ). In particular, tap water contains a large amount of heavy metal ions such as iron (Fe), copper (Cu), tin (Sn), zinc (Zn), and mercury (Hg) derived from old pipes. It acts as a cause of skin diseases such as disease.

Many households use water softners to convert such tap water into soft water. The softener converts hard water into soft water by replacing calcium ions (Ca ^{2 +} ) and magnesium ions (Mg ^{2 +} ) contained in tap water with sodium ions (Na ⁺ ). That is, the ion exchange resin having a water softener serves to replace the calcium ions contained in tap water (Ca ^{2 +)} and magnesium ions (Mg ^{2 +)} with sodium ions (Na ^+).

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a conventional water softener.

The conventional water softener 100 includes a pretreatment filter 110, a soft water tank 120, a post-treatment filter 130, and a regeneration tank 140. The pretreatment filter 110 performs a function of removing suspended substances or contaminants contained in the water (hereinafter referred to as 'raw water') supplied from the water supply port. Training barrel 120, including the ion exchange resin therein and performs a function for replacing a calcium ion contained in the raw water (Ca ^{2 +)} and magnesium ion (Mg ^{+ 2)} with a sodium ion (Na ^+). The post-treatment filter 130 performs a secondary treatment of the water (hereinafter referred to as 'soft water') passing through the soft water tank to add a special scent or anion treatment.

The raw water supplied from the water supply port by this configuration is first processed in the pretreatment filter 110, and then converted into soft water in the soft water tank 120, and secondly processed by the post-treatment filter 130 and discharged to the outlet.

On the other hand, the ion exchange resin (cation exchange resin) embedded in the soft water tank 120, after a predetermined time, removes calcium ions (Ca ^{2 +} ) and magnesium ions (Mg ^{2 +} ) contained in the ion exchange resin and It is necessary to restore the ion exchange capacity by replacing with sodium ions (Na ⁺ ) (in some cases potassium ions (K ⁺ )), which is commonly referred to as "regeneration". For the regeneration process, the water softener 100 includes a regeneration tank 140. The regeneration tank 140 stores a regenerant such as salt (NaCl), dissolves it in water, and supplies the soft water to the soft water tank 120. Sodium ions are replenished in the ion exchange resin in the barrel (120).

However, such a conventional water softener has not been able to maintain a constant concentration of regeneration water which affects regeneration efficiency. The reason for this is that the use of the regeneration agent depends on the temperature of the water supplied to the regeneration tank, which has not been properly reflected in the softener. In addition, it was not possible to determine whether the water supplied to the regeneration bottle is currently in contact with the regenerant. The regenerant reacts continuously as long as it comes into contact with water. This not only increased the concentration of the regeneration water, but also promoted the consumption of the regeneration agent, thereby exposing inefficient problems such as frequent replacement of the regeneration agent.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, to provide a water softener having a regeneration tank equipped with a water temperature sensor and a water level sensor characterized in that it is equipped with a water temperature sensor in the regeneration tank to measure the temperature of the water supplied. For that purpose.

In addition, the present invention is to provide a water softener having a regeneration tank equipped with a water temperature sensor and a water level sensor, characterized in that the water level sensor is additionally mounted to the regeneration tank to adjust the amount (height) of water contained therein. It is done.

The present invention has been made to achieve the above object, in the water softener having a soft water tank for converting the raw water into soft water and a regeneration water tank for providing the regeneration water for the regeneration of the soft water tank, provided in the interior of the regeneration tank And, the water temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the incoming water; And a water level sensor for measuring the level of the water in the regeneration tank to control the concentration of the regeneration water.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. First of all, in adding reference numerals to the components of each drawing, it should be noted that the same reference numerals are used as much as possible even if displayed on different drawings. In addition, in describing the present invention, when it is determined that the detailed description of the related known configuration or function may obscure the subject matter of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, the following will describe a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the technical idea of the present invention is not limited thereto, but may be variously modified and implemented by those skilled in the art.

Figure 2a is an exploded perspective view of the recycling container provided in the water softener according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. And, Figure 2b is a cross-sectional view of the case in which the regeneration cylinder is mounted on the water softener according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 2A and 2B, the regeneration tank 210 of the water softener 200 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a regeneration water storage tank 212, a regenerant storage container 214, a regenerant 216, and a water level. Sensor 218 and water temperature sensor 220. The regeneration container 210 is mounted on the top of the water softener case 230.

The regeneration water reservoir 212 serves to store water for regeneration or rinsing of the ion exchange resin contained in the soft water reservoir 120. The water refill port 232 is provided at a predetermined position inside the regeneration water reservoir 212 to supply water to the regeneration water reservoir 212 when necessary. In addition, an inlet valve (not shown) is provided at one side of the pipeline leading to the water refill port 232 to control the flow of water through opening and closing. On the other hand, an outlet valve (not shown) is provided at one side of the pipeline connected to the soft water tank 120 at the regeneration water supply port 234, and this valve is opened when necessary to induce supply of regeneration water to the soft water tank 120. do.

The regenerant storage container 214 is a case containing the regenerant 216 and is provided above the regeneration water storage container 212. A plurality of water inlet holes 236 are provided below the regenerant container 214, and the water introduced therethrough reacts with the regenerant 216 to generate regeneration water. However, in the practice of the present invention, the regenerant storage container 214 is attached to the inner surface or the outer surface of the regeneration water storage container 212, and if necessary, the regenerant (the regenerant storage container 214 is connected to the regenerant storage container 214 through the opening and closing opening on one side. It is also possible to supply 216.

When the regenerant storage container 214 is mounted on the top of the regeneration water storage container 212 in the present invention may be formed in the following structure. That is, the regenerant container 214 may be formed in a structure coupled to the case cover 238 provided on the water softener case 230. Specifically, the first coupling protrusion 240a and the second coupling protrusion 240b are installed at both upper ends of the regenerant storage container 214. In addition, slide grooves 242a and 242b into which the coupling protrusions 240a and 240b are inserted are installed at an upper bottom surface of the case cover 238. Then, in the present invention, the regenerant storage container 214 can be positioned above the regeneration water storage container 212 by the slide combination thereof. This coupling structure can easily mount and detach the regenerant container 214 from the case cover 238 can achieve a useful effect.

The regenerant 216 may be embodied as a lump shaped material in the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the regenerant 216 may be in the form of a goggle, powder or granules. When the regenerating agent 216 is formed of a lump-shaped material, it may be formed of a brick-type regenerating agent, as proposed in Korean Patent Application No. 2007-2397, "Recycler of a water softener and a water softener having the same". have.

Regeneration bin 210 according to the present invention is characterized by having a water level sensor 218 on one side of the inner surface, the water temperature sensor 220 on the other side. According to one embodiment shown in Figure 2a, one side of the regeneration water reservoir 212 is provided with a water level sensor mounting portion 244 is equipped with a water level sensor 218 for electronically checking the water level. In addition, the other side is provided with a water temperature sensor mounting portion 246 is similarly equipped with a water temperature sensor 220 for measuring the water temperature.

The water level sensor 218 is for measuring the height of the water contained in the regeneration water reservoir 212, and preferably includes a first stage sensor 222a, a second stage sensor 222b, and a three stage sensor 222c. . The first stage sensor 222a is for measuring the lowest water level, and the second stage sensor 222b is for measuring the water level for rinsing. The three-stage sensor 222c is for measuring the water level for regeneration. Accordingly, the height of the three-stage sensor 222c is sufficient to be in contact with the regenerant 216, and the height of the two-stage sensor 222b is used to rinse the water container 120 without the water coming into contact with the regenerant 216. It is sufficient to be able to secure the required quantity for the purpose.

The water temperature sensor 220 is for measuring the temperature of the water contained in the regeneration water reservoir 212, preferably located below the three-stage sensor (222c). In this case, the water temperature sensor 220 can accurately measure the water temperature through contact with water. In this case, the water temperature sensor 220 may be implemented as a contact sensor such as a platinum resistance temperature sensor, a thermistor, a thermocouple, a bimetal, or the like. However, in the practice of the present invention, the water temperature sensor 220 may be located above the three-stage sensor 222c. In this case, the water temperature sensor 220 may measure the water temperature through non-contact with water, and may be implemented as a non-contact sensor such as a radiation (radiation) thermometer, an advertising thermometer (optical thermometer), or the like.

On the other hand, in the embodiment of the present invention, the water level sensor 218 and the water temperature sensor 220 may be implemented integrally. For example, the sensor proposed in the Republic of Korea Utility Model Registration No. 402,808 "water level sensor combined water temperature sensor" can be applied to the present invention.

On the other hand, the regeneration bin 210 according to the present invention may further include a sensor for generating a reference signal that is the basis for generating an alarm signal to the user when the regenerant 216 is not present more than a predetermined amount.

Next, the functions of the water level sensor 218 and the water temperature sensor 220 according to the present invention will be described in detail. The water softener 200 of the present invention includes a control unit as a device for controlling the operation of all the components including the sensors 218 and 220. Such a control unit may be implemented including a conventional microprocessor.

① Function of the water level sensor 218

Normally, the regenerant 216 must be dissolved in water for regeneration. For this purpose, when the inlet valve is opened and water is replenished to the third stage, the water level reaches the regenerant 216 as described above. When the three-stage sensor 222c detects that water is replenished to the third stage, the controller closes the inlet valve. In this state, when a predetermined time elapses, the regenerant 216 is dissolved in water. Thereafter, the regeneration water generated by the interaction between the regenerant 216 and the water is supplied to the water softener 120 through the regeneration water supply port 234 provided at the bottom of the regeneration water reservoir 212. When the first stage sensor 222a detects that the water level falls below the first stage, the controller determines that supply of the regeneration water is completed and closes the outlet valve.

After the regeneration water supply is completed, a process of rinsing the inside of the soft water container 120 is required for normal soft water supply. To this end, the controller opens the inlet valve to replenish the water up to the second stage in the regeneration water reservoir 212. When the second stage sensor 222b detects this, the control unit closes the inlet valve and opens the outlet valve. Then, the water supplied to the regeneration water storage tank 212 is moved to the soft water tank 120 to rinse the soft water tank 120. After that, when the first stage sensor 222a detects that the water level falls below the first stage, the controller determines that the rinsing process is finished and closes the outlet valve.

On the other hand, when the water tank 120 is set to be automatically regenerated at a predetermined time period (for example, a midnight time zone when the water softener is not expected to be used, such as 3:00 am), the water is discharged by the three-stage water level by the three-stage sensor 222c. When the regenerant 216 is contacted with water and dissolved at a predetermined concentration, the regeneration agent 216b maintains the second stage water level before use after partially discharging the regenerated water by the second stage sensor 222b. Then, the regeneration water is supplied to the soft water tank 120 at a predetermined time to proceed with the regeneration process. Of course, in the case of such automatic regeneration, it is also possible to proceed with the regeneration process immediately after the regeneration number is generated.

② Function of water temperature sensor 220

In general, in order to maximize the regeneration efficiency of the soft water tank 120, it is preferable to maintain the dissolved concentration of calcium chloride (NaCl) in water, that is, the concentration of regenerated water at 6 to 10% (preferably 8%). To this end, the temperature of the water for generating regenerated water and the time for which the regenerant 216 is in contact with the water serve as main parameters.

In the present invention, when water is introduced into the regeneration water storage tank 212, the water temperature sensor 220 measures the water temperature. The water temperature measurement is preferably made at the same time when the three-stage sensor 222c detects that water is replenished to the third stage or for this reason, when the controller closes the inlet valve. The reason is to measure the time for the regeneration water to reach the optimum concentration described above. When the concentration of the regeneration water is 8%, a table showing the time for contacting the regenerant 216 with water according to the measurement temperature is shown in FIG. 3. The values of this table may be input and stored in the control unit at the time of manufacture of the water softener 200 or afterwards. In FIG. 3, as time increases with respect to the same temperature, it takes more time because the volume of the regenerant 216 initially inserted gradually decreases with use.

If a predetermined time elapses, that is, the controller determines that the concentration of the regeneration water is optimal, the controller sends a predetermined amount to the soft water tank 120 so that the regeneration water no longer comes into contact with the regeneration agent 216. In general, some time is required to generate the regeneration water. Therefore, the user may not be able to use soft water during this time. In the present invention, the control unit allows the control unit to flow a part of the regeneration water through the soft water tank 120 so that the regeneration water does not contact the regenerating agent 216. Then, dissolution of the regenerant 216 no longer occurs, so that the concentration of the regenerated water can also be optimally maintained. In order to realize the above, it is necessary to determine whether the regeneration water is in contact with the regenerant 216. In the present invention, for this purpose, the water level sensor 218 may further include a contact determination sensor slightly below the bottom of the regenerant container 214. However, in the practice of the present invention, such a contact determination sensor may be replaced by a two-stage sensor 222b.

On the other hand, in the present invention, in order to prevent waste in the above case, it is also possible to have a separate storage tank for regeneration water separately stored without flowing the regeneration water to the soft water tank 120. If the regeneration water storage tank is provided, it is possible to store and store the regeneration water flowing in the case described above, and then use the regeneration water for automatic regeneration later (for example, a reserved time zone such as a late night time zone).

Next, the operation of the water softener 200 provided with the regeneration tank 210 will be described. Figure 4a is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a water softener having a recycling container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. And, Figure 4b is a block diagram for explaining the operation control of the water softener having a regeneration container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the operation of the softening mode and the regeneration mode of the water softener 200 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B.

① Training mode

Initially, the control unit 400 maintains the state in which the water supply valve 402 is opened and the inlet valve 404 is closed. The raw water supplied from the water supply port is supplied to the soft water tank 120 through the pretreatment filter 110. Thereafter, the raw water is converted into soft water and provided to the post-treatment filter 130, which is secondarily filtered and discharged to the outside through the outlet. Preferably, a flow rate sensor may be provided at one side of the pipeline heading from the water supply valve 402 to the water softener 120 to check the amount of raw water supplied to the water softener 120. In addition, preferably, a check valve may be provided at one side of the conduit from the soft water container 120 to the post-treatment filter 130 to prevent the soft water from going backward without passing through the post-treatment filter 130.

On the other hand, a drain valve 408 is provided on the flow path line directed to the drain outlet port. The drain valve 408 prevents the soft water from being discharged to the drain outlet when using soft water. This drain valve 408 may be opened and closed as needed in the embodiment of the present invention.

② Play Mode

In this case, the controller 400 first closes the water supply valve 402 and opens the inlet valve 404. Then, water is supplied to the regeneration water reservoir 212 through the water refill port 232. The water level sensor 218 detects this when water is supplied up to three levels, and notifies the controller 400. Then, the control unit 400 closes the inlet valve 404. At the same time, the water temperature sensor 220 measures the temperature of the water introduced into the regeneration water reservoir 212. Thereafter, the controller 400 calculates a contact time between the regenerant 216 and water based on the value measured by the water temperature sensor 220. The controller 400 maintains the standby state for the calculated time.

When all the calculated time elapses, the controller 400 opens the outlet valve 406 to allow the regeneration water to flow into the soft water tank 120. Regeneration water introduced into the soft water tank 120 improves the ion exchange resin, after which the regeneration water is discharged to the outside through the drain outlet. Meanwhile, the water softener 200 of the present invention includes an outlet valve 406 between the soft water tank 120 and the drain outlet port and a check valve (not shown) between the regeneration water storage tank 212 and the soft water tank 120. It is also possible to operate.

When the water level sensor 218 detects that the water level of the regeneration water reservoir 212 falls below the first level, the controller 400 closes the outlet valve 406. Thereafter, the control unit 400 opens the inlet valve 404 to allow the water to accumulate in the regeneration water reservoir 212. The water level sensor 218 detects this when the water rises to the second level and notifies the control unit 400, and the control unit 400 closes the inlet valve 404. Thereafter, the controller 400 waits for a predetermined time until all of the ion exchange resins are improved. Thereafter, the controller 400 opens the outlet valve 406 to allow the water to rinse the soft water container 120.

On the other hand, when the regeneration mode is operated according to the regeneration needs of the ion exchange resin, it takes a lot of time in the process of dissolving the regenerant 216 in water. Thus, in the present invention, it is also possible to prepare the regeneration water in advance in the regeneration container 210 as in the automatic regeneration setting of the soft water container 120. This will be described below.

After the controller 400 opens the inlet valve 404, the process of calculating the contact time based on the value measured by the water temperature sensor 220 and maintaining the standby state during this time is performed in the process of "② regeneration mode". same. Thereafter, the controller 400 opens the outlet valve 406 and flows the regeneration water to the soft water tank 120. Then, when a detection signal is transmitted from the contact determination sensor (in the case of the automatic regeneration setting of the water container 120, the second stage sensor 222b performs this function), the control unit 400 closes the outlet valve 406. No more spillage of regeneration water. Then, the control unit 400 can use the regeneration water stored in the regeneration water storage container 212 without reflowing when necessary to regenerate the ion exchange resin.

The regeneration of the soft water container 120 may be performed by a user by manual operation at regular intervals. However, in the present invention, when the control unit 400 confirms that a predetermined amount or more of the raw water is treated as soft water through the flow sensor, the regeneration is automatically performed.

In addition, the water softener 200 of the present invention may have a display unit (not shown). In this case, the display unit displays various operation states of the water softener 200 or functions to notify the user of this.

The above description is merely illustrative of the technical idea of the present invention, and those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs may make various modifications, changes, and substitutions without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention. will be. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention and the accompanying drawings are not intended to limit the technical spirit of the present invention, but are intended to explain, and the scope of the technical idea of the present invention is not limited by the embodiments and the accompanying drawings. . The scope of protection of the present invention should be interpreted by the following claims, and all technical ideas within the scope equivalent thereto shall be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention.

As described above, the present invention generates the following effects by mounting the water temperature sensor and the water level sensor in the regeneration container.

First, make sure that the concentration of regeneration water reaches its optimum (6-10%).

Secondly, it is possible to continuously maintain the optimum concentration of the regeneration water.

Third, the regeneration water is prepared in advance to shorten the time taken for regeneration of the training tank.

Claims (6)

A water softener having a soft water tank for converting raw water into soft water and a regeneration water tank for providing regeneration water for regeneration of the soft water tank, A water temperature sensor provided inside the regeneration tank and measuring a temperature of water introduced; And Water level sensor for measuring the water level inside the regeneration container And a water temperature sensor and a water level sensor equipped with a regeneration tank equipped with a water level sensor. The method of claim 1, The water level sensor is composed of a three-stage sensor for measuring the lowest water level, the water level for rinsing the water container, and the water level for regeneration of the water container, respectively, based on the temperature value obtained from the water temperature sensor And a water temperature sensor and a regeneration tank equipped with a water level sensor, wherein the water level is adjusted to two levels after maintaining a predetermined time at three levels. The method of claim 2, The water temperature sensor and the water level sensor provided in the regeneration container is a water softener having a regeneration tank equipped with a water temperature sensor and a water level sensor, characterized in that the integral. The method of claim 2, An inlet valve provided at one side of a pipeline connecting the water supply port connected to an external lake and the regeneration tank to control the flow of water; An outlet valve provided at one side of a pipe connecting the soft water tank and the regeneration tank to control the flow of the regeneration water; And Control unit for controlling the operation of the water temperature sensor, the water level sensor, the inlet valve and the outlet valve Water softener comprising a regeneration tank equipped with a water temperature sensor and a water level sensor further comprises. The method of claim 4, wherein And the control unit calculates a time for contacting the regenerant with water. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The regeneration container further includes a contact judging sensor configured to determine whether the regeneration water contacts the regenerating agent under a bottom surface of the regenerating container containing the regenerating agent. Water softener with a recycling bin.

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