Multi-way valve, water softener, and method for controlling water softener
View Patent ↗A multi-way valve, a water softener, and a method for controlling the water softener. The multi-way valve is provided with a main valve and a secondary valve. When each of the main valve and the secondary valve is at a bypass valve position, a water inlet passage, a first main valve passage, a first secondary valve passage, a second secondary valve passage, a second main valve passage, and a water outlet passage of the multi-way valve are sequentially connected, thereby forming a bypass flow path in the multi-way valve.
1. A multi-way valve comprising:
a main valve, comprising:
a main valve body comprising a first inner chamber, wherein the main valve body is provided with main valve passages connected to the first inner chamber, the main valve passages comprising a water inlet passage, a water outlet passage, a first main valve passage, and a second main valve passage; and
a main valve core provided in the first inner chamber, wherein the main valve core moves in the first inner chamber to open or close passages between the main valve passages to realize a valve position switch of the main valve; and
a secondary valve, comprising:
a secondary valve body comprising a second inner chamber, wherein the secondary valve body is provided with secondary valve passages connected to the second inner chamber, the secondary valve passage comprising a first secondary valve passage connected to the first main valve passage and a second secondary valve passage connected to the second main valve passage; and
a secondary valve core provided in the second inner chamber, the secondary valve core moving in the second inner chamber to open or close passages between the secondary valve passages to realize a valve position switch of the secondary valve;
wherein each of the main valve and the secondary valve comprises a bypass valve position, when each of the main valve and the secondary valve is at the bypass valve position, the water inlet passage, the first main valve passage, the first secondary valve passage, the second secondary valve passage, the second main valve passage, and the water outlet passage are sequentially connected,
wherein the main valve comprises a first valve position, and the main valve passages comprise a third main valve passage and a fourth main valve passage, wherein when the main valve is at the first valve position, the water inlet passage is connected to the third main valve passage, and the water outlet passage is connected to the fourth main valve passage and the second main valve passage,
the main valve comprises a second valve position, and the main valve passages comprise a fifth main valve passage and a sixth main valve passage, wherein when the main valve is at the second valve position, the water inlet passage is connected to the fifth main valve passage, the water outlet passage is connected to the sixth main valve passage and the second main valve passage, and the first main valve passage is connected to the third main valve passage,
the main valve passages comprise a seventh main valve passage, wherein when the main valve is at the first valve position, the sixth main valve passage is connected to the seventh main valve passage.
2. The multi-way valve of claim 1 , wherein the main valve core comprises a first main valve core passage, wherein when the main valve is at the first valve position, the first main valve passage is connected to the fifth main valve passage through the first main valve core passage.
3. The multi-way valve of claim 1 , wherein the main valve core comprises a second main valve core passage, wherein when the main valve is at the second valve position, the fourth main valve passage is connected to the seventh main valve passage through the second main valve core passage.
4. The multi-way valve of claim 1 , wherein the secondary valve comprises a third valve position, the secondary valve passage comprises a third secondary valve passage and a fourth secondary valve passage, and the third secondary valve passage is connected to the seventh main valve passage; wherein when the secondary valve is at the third valve position, the third secondary valve passage is connected to the fourth secondary valve passage.
5. The multi-way valve of claim 4 , wherein the secondary valve comprises a fourth valve position, the secondary valve passage comprises a fifth secondary valve passage, a jet is provided in the secondary valve body, and a nozzle of the jet is connected to the third secondary valve passage; wherein when the secondary valve is at the fourth valve position, the first secondary valve passage is connected to the fifth secondary valve passage, and the fourth secondary valve passage is connected to an inlet of the jet.
6. The multi-way valve of claim 5 , wherein the secondary valve comprises a fifth valve position, wherein when the secondary valve is at the fifth valve position, the first secondary valve passage is connected to the fifth secondary valve passage, and the second secondary valve passage is connected to the third secondary valve passage.
7. The multi-way valve of claim 5 , wherein the secondary valve comprises a sixth valve position and the secondary valve core comprises a secondary valve core passage; wherein when the secondary valve is at the sixth valve position, the first secondary valve passage is connected to the second secondary valve passage, and the third secondary valve passage is connected to the fifth secondary valve passage through the secondary valve core passage.
8. The multi-way valve of claim 1 , wherein the secondary valve comprises a closing valve position, wherein when the secondary valve is at the closing valve position, the passages between the secondary valve passages are closed.
9. The multi-way valve of claim 1 , wherein the main valve further comprises a main valve driving device connected to the main valve body and configured to drive the main valve core to move in the first inner chamber; and the secondary valve further comprises a secondary valve driving device connected to the secondary valve and configured to drive the secondary valve core to move in the second inner chamber.
10. The multi-way valve of claim 1 , wherein each of the main valve body and the secondary valve body comprises grilles; each of the main valve passages and the secondary valve passage is between adjacent grilles, and each of the main valve core and the secondary valve core comprises water-passing grooves; a valve position switch of the main valve and the secondary valve is achieved through corresponding matching of the water-pass grooves and the grilles.
11. A water softener characterized by comprising a first resin tank, a second resin tank, a control unit, and a multi-way valve comprising a main valve and a secondary valve,
wherein the main valve comprising: a main valve body comprising a first inner chamber, wherein the main valve body is provided with main valve passages connected to the first inner chamber, the main valve passages comprising a water inlet passage, a water outlet passage, a first main valve passage, and a second main valve passage; and a main valve core provided in the first inner chamber, wherein the main valve core moves in the first inner chamber to open or close passages between the main valve passages to realize a valve position switch of the main valve;
wherein the secondary valve comprises: a secondary valve body comprising a second inner chamber, wherein the secondary valve body is provided with secondary valve passages connected to the second inner chamber, the secondary valve passage comprising a first secondary valve passage connected to the first main valve passage and a second secondary valve passage connected to the second main valve passage; and a secondary valve core provided in the second inner chamber, the secondary valve core moving in the second inner chamber to open or close passages between the secondary valve passages to realize a valve position switch of the secondary valve;
wherein each of the main valve and the secondary valve comprises a bypass valve position, when each of the main valve and the secondary valve is at the bypass valve position, the water inlet passage, the first main valve passage, the first secondary valve passage, the second secondary valve passage, the second main valve passage, and the water outlet passage are sequentially connected;
wherein a resin chamber of the first resin tank is connected to the third main valve passage of the multi-way valve, and a central pipe of the first resin tank is connected to the fourth main valve passage of the multi-way valve;
a resin chamber of the second resin tank is connected to the fifth main valve passage of the multi-way valve, and a central pipe of the second resin tank is connected to the sixth main valve passage of the multi-way valve; and
the control unit controls a valve position switch of the multi-way valve.
12. The water softener of claim 11 , comprising:
a flow quantity detection device provided on the multi-way valve and configured to detect cumulative flow quantity of soft water of the first resin tank and the second resin tank;
wherein the control unit receives a flow quantity signal of the flow quantity detection device, and controls the valve position switch of the multi-way valve according to the flow quantity signal to change working states of the first resin tank and/or the second resin tank.
13. The water softener of claim 11 , comprising:
a salt tank inside which the first resin tank, the second resin tank, and the multi-way valve are provided; and
a salt level detection device provided inside the salt tank and configured to detect a salt level in the salt tank;
wherein the control unit receives a salt level signal of the salt level detection device and issues an alarm when the salt level is lower than a threshold value.
14. The water softener of claim 11 , comprising: a water leakage alarm device connected to the control unit, wherein the water leakage alarm device transmits a water leakage signal to the control unit when the water leakage alarm device detects water leakage, and the control unit controls the multi-way valve to close.
15. The water softener of claim 11 , comprising: a water mixing device connected between the water inlet passage and the water outlet passage, the water mixing device being controlled by the control unit.
16. A method for controlling a water softener, wherein the water softener comprises a first resin tank, a second resin tank, a control unit, and a multi-way valve comprising a main valve and a secondary valve,
wherein the main valve comprising: a main valve body comprising a first inner chamber, wherein the main valve body is provided with main valve passages connected to the first inner chamber, the main valve passages comprising a water inlet passage, a water outlet passage, a first main valve passage, and a second main valve passage; and a main valve core provided in the first inner chamber, wherein the main valve core moves in the first inner chamber to open or close passages between the main valve passages to realize a valve position switch of the main valve;
wherein the secondary valve comprises: a secondary valve body comprising a second inner chamber, wherein the secondary valve body is provided with secondary valve passages connected to the second inner chamber, the secondary valve passage comprising a first secondary valve passage connected to the first main valve passage and a second secondary valve passage connected to the second main valve passage; and a secondary valve core provided in the second inner chamber, the secondary valve core moving in the second inner chamber to open or close passages between the secondary valve passages to realize a valve position switch of the secondary valve;
wherein each of the main valve and the secondary valve comprises a bypass valve position, when each of the main valve and the secondary valve is at the bypass valve position, the water inlet passage, the first main valve passage, the first secondary valve passage, the second secondary valve passage, the second main valve passage, and the water outlet passage are sequentially connected;
wherein a resin chamber of the first resin tank is connected to the third main valve passage of the multi-way valve, and a central pipe of the first resin tank is connected to the fourth main valve passage of the multi-way valve;
a resin chamber of the second resin tank is connected to the fifth main valve passage of the multi-way valve, and a central pipe of the second resin tank is connected to the sixth main valve passage of the multi-way valve; and
the control unit controls a valve position switch of the multi-way valve wherein the method comprises:
taking the first resin tank as a working tank and taking the second resin tank as a standby tank, or taking the first resin tank as the standby tank and taking the second resin tank as the working tank; and
comparing cumulative flow quantity of soft water of the working tank and a preset value, and when the cumulative flow quantity of soft water reaches the preset value, controlling the multi-way valve to switch the working tank and the standby tank.
17. The method for controlling the water softener of claim 16 , comprising: making the main valve and the secondary valve enter a bypass state through controlling the multi-way valve, and supplying water that has not been softened through the water softener.