Water softener valve

• US 6,293,298 B1
• Filed: 02/26/1999
• Issued: 09/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Flowmatic Systems Inc. (Watts Water Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: iNetWater, LLC
• Inventors: Cornell, Boyd, Brane, Earl
• Primary Examiner(s): Walton, George L.
• Application Number:
  US09/258,482
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 731/98, 738/617.7, 738/617.8, 738/617.9, 738/619.1, 738/619.2, 137/244, 137/486, 137/487.5, 137/599.11, 137/599.13, 137/599.15, 137/625.48, 137/625.49, 137/625.5, 210/87, 210/88, 210/89, 210/91, 210/140, 210/424, 210/425, 210/190, 210/278, 210/426, 210/427
• US Class Current: 137/244
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 49/85 Controlling or regulating devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/42 by ion-exchange ion-exchange in general B01J
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/065 with linearly sliding closure members
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/1225 with a plurality of pistons
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 37/005 for measuring fluid parameters F16K37/0033 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/115 with magnetic or electromagnetic coupling to the indicating device
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/005 Valves valves in general F16K
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0146 the in-line sensing element being a piston or float without flexible member or spring
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/018 using rotary sensing element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/4336 Cleaning member reciprocates in passage
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7759 Responsive to change in rate of fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7761 Electrically actuated valve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86726 Valve with bypass connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86895 Plural disk or plug
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87354 Including flowmeter
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8737 Water treatment feature

Abstract

A water softener valve for controlling water flow to and from a water softener is disclosed that includes a cylindrical shaft extending from said inner surface of a piston chamber that fits into a pressure relief port when the piston is in the service position. The shaft clears the pressure relief port of any debris and closes the pressure relief port during the service cycle. The water softener valve also has a flow meter with at least two helically expanding vanes. A magnet on of the vanes trips a sensor as the turbine rotates, thereby providing means for calculating the flow of water through the valve. The valve also has a flow control button located at an inlet of the valve rather than at the drain, preventing the obstruction of the water flow by regeneration sediment of the tank at the drain. The valve also contains an internal piston port for permitting the free flow of water through the valve during a change in softener cycles.

Claims

1. A water softener valve for controlling water flow to and from a water softener, comprising:

a water inlet for water to be conditioned to enter the valve;

a water outlet for conditioned water to exit the valve;

a drain port for water to exit the valve;

first and second tank ports;

a chamber for receiving water, said chamber having an inner surface;

a piston movable within said chamber between a service position and a backwash position, said piston permitting flow of water from the water inlet to the first tank port and from the second tank port to the water outlet when in said service position, said piston permitting flow of water from said water inlet to the second tank port and from the first tank port to the drain port when said piston is in the backwash position, said piston having a pressure relief port permitting flow of water from said chamber into the drain port as said piston moves from said backwash position to said service position; and

a flow meter positioned to measure flow through the water outlet which occurs when the piston is in the service position, said flow meter having a turbine, said turbine having at least two opposing vanes, a magnet carried by said turbine, and a sensor for counting a number of times said magnet passes said sensor, rate of water flow through said flow meter being directly proportional to the number of times said magnet passes said sensor, said sensor creating an electrical impulse in the presence of said magnet, said flow meter further comprising an axle supporting said turbine, said axle having a first end disposed within a first bushing and a second end disposed within a second bushing, said first end being substantially conical in shape, said first end having a first point, a first conical base, and a first toroidal bearing at said first conical base, said second end having a second conical base, and a second toroidal bearing at said second conical base, wherein the first and second toroidal bearings are located within the first and second bushings respectively and form single point contact at tangents of the first and second toroidal bearings to reduce friction when radial loads are applied to the flow meter, wherein said first and second points are free to contact thrust surfaces within said first and second bushings respectively and form single point contact therebetween to reduce friction when axial loads are applied to the flow meter, and wherein said axle is free to axially move within said first and second bushings.

2. The water softener valve of claim 1, further comprising a diaphragm fitted around a portion of said piston between said piston and said chamber.

3. The water softener valve of claim 1, further comprising a first piston seal positioned around a central portion of said piston, first and second piston seats, said first piston seal being movable between said first piston seat in said service position and said second piston seat in said backwash position, and said piston having a central passage and a piston port communicating the central passage with an exterior surface of the piston, said piston port being opened as said first piston seal moves from said first piston seat in said service position to said second piston seat in said backwash position so that fluid can flow into said central passage through said piston port and past said first piston seat through said central passage, and said piston port being closed as said first piston seal moves from said second piston seat in said backwash position to said first piston seat in said service position so that fluid is prevented from entering the central passage through said piston port and thereby prevented from flowing past said first piston seat through said central passage.

4. The water softener valve of claim 3, wherein said piston port is an opening in said piston having a shape substantially similar to said first piston seal and located in said piston where said first piston seal contacts said first piston seat, said opening being covered by said first piston seal when said first piston seal contacts said first piston seat in said service position, said opening being uncovered to allow a flow of water through said piston port to said drain port as said piston seal is moved to said second piston seat in said backwash position.

5. The water softener valve of claim 4, further comprising a second piston seal positioned around a distal portion of said piston, and third and fourth piston seats, said second piston seal being movable between said third piston seat in said service position and said fourth piston seat in said backwash position.

6. The water softener valve of claim 1, wherein said two opposing vanes each expand helically from a first end portion of the turbine and having a first thickness to a second end portion of said turbine and having a second thickness, and wherein said second thickness is greater than said first thickness.

8. The water softener valve of claim 1, further comprising a backwash flow control button located at an inlet opening of said water softener valve, said backwash flow control button regulating flow of influent water before passing through said water softener to backwash water softener media and exiting a drain port of the water softener.

9. The water softener valve of claim 1, further comprising a first solenoid valve, said first solenoid valve allowing water to flow into said chamber when open, water being forced out of said chamber by said piston when said solenoid valve is closed, a second solenoid valve, said second solenoid valve directing flow of water to and from an associated water softener tank, said second solenoid valve being closed during surface operation of said water softener and open during backwash of said associated water softener tank, and a third solenoid valve for switching between the water inlet when closed and a source of brine solution when open.

11. The water softener valve of claim 1, further comprising a fixed cylindrical shaft extending from said inner surface of said chamber, said shaft fitting into said pressure relief port when said piston is in said service position to clear said pressure relief port of any debris, said shaft controlling water flow through the relief port upon movement of the piston between the service and backwash positions.

12. The water softener valve of claim 6, wherein said second end portion of at least one of said opposing vanes has an opening therein and said magnet is located within said opening.

7. A water softener valve for controlling water flow to and from a water softener, comprising:

a water inlet for water to be conditioned to enter the valve;

a water outlet for conditioned water to exit the valve;

a drain port for water to exit the valve;

first and second tank ports;

a chamber for receiving water, said chamber having an inner surface;

a piston movable within said chamber between a service position and a backwash position, said piston permitting flow of water from the water inlet to the first tank port and from the second tank port to the water outlet when in said service position, said piston permitting flow of water from said water inlet to the second tank port and from the first tank port to the drain port when said piston is in the backwash position, said piston having a pressure relief port permitting flow of water from said chamber into the drain port as said piston moves from said backwash position to said service position;

a fixed cylindrical shaft extending from said inner surface of said chamber, said shaft fitting into said pressure relief port when said piston is in said service position to clear said pressure relief port of any debris, said shaft controlling water flow through the relief port upon movement of the piston between the service and backwash positions;

a diaphragm fitted around a portion of said piston between said piston and said chamber;

a first piston seal positioned around a central portion of said piston;

first and second piston seats, said first piston seal being movable between said first piston seat in said service position and said second piston seat in said backwash position;

said piston having a piston port, said piston port being opened as said first piston seal moves from said first piston seat in said service position to said second piston seat in said backwash position, said piston port being closed as said first piston seal moves from said second piston seat in said backwash position to said first piston seat in said service position, wherein said piston port is an opening in said piston having a shape substantially similar to said first piston seal and located in said piston where said first piston seal contacts said first piston seat, said opening being covered by said first piston seal when said first piston seal contacts said first piston seat in said service position, said opening being uncovered to allow a flow of water through said piston port to said drain as said piston seal is moved to said second piston seat in said backwash position;

a second piston seal positioned around a distal portion of said piston;

third and fourth piston seats, said second piston seal being movable between said third piston seat in said service position and said fourth piston seat in said backwash position; and

a flow meter positioned to measure flow through the water outlet which occurs when the piston is in the service position, said flow meter having a turbine, said turbine having two opposing vanes expanding helically to an expanded end portion of said turbine, a magnet disposed within one of said two opposing vanes, and a sensor for counting a number of times said magnet passes said sensor, rate of water flow through said flow meter being directly proportional to the number of times said magnet passes said sensor, said sensor creating an electrical impulse in the presence of said magnet, said flow meter further comprising an axle supporting said turbine, said axle having a first end disposed within a first bushing and a second end disposed within a second bushing, said first end being substantially conical in shape, said first end having a first point, a first conical base, and a first toroidal bearing at said first conical base, said second end having a second conical base, and a second toroidal bearing at said second conical base, wherein the first and second toroidal bearings are located within the first and second bushings respectively and form single point contact at tangents of the first and second toroidal bearings to reduce friction when radial loads are applied to the flow meter, wherein said first and second points are free to contact thrust surfaces within said first and second bushings respectively and form single point contact therebetween to reduce friction when axial loads are applied to the flow meter, and wherein said axle is free to axially move within said first and second bushings.

10. A water softener valve for controlling flow to and from a water softener, comprising:

a water inlet for water to be conditioned to enter the valve;

a water outlet for conditioned water to exit the valve;

a drain port for water to exit the valve;

first and second tank ports;

a chamber for receiving water, said chamber having an inner surface;

a piston movable within said chamber between a service position and a backwash position, said piston permitting flow of water from the water inlet to the first tank port and from the second tank port to the water outlet when in said service position, said piston permitting flow of water from said water inlet to the second tank port and from the first tank port to the drain port when said piston is in the backwash position, said piston having a pressure relief port permitting a flow of water from said chamber into the drain port as said piston moves from said backwash position to said service position;

a first piston seal positioned around a central portion of said piston;

first and second piston seats, said first piston seal being movable between said first piston seat in said service position and said second piston seat in said back wash position;

said piston having a central passage and a piston port communicating the central passage with an exterior surface of the piston, said piston port being opened as said first piston seal moves from said first piston seat in said service position to said second piston seat in said backwash position so that fluid can flow into said central passage through said piston port and past said first piston seat through said central passage, and said piston port being closed as said first piston seal moves from said second piston seat in said backwash position to said first piston seat in said service position so that fluid is prevented from entering the central passage through said piston port and thereby prevented from flowing past said first piston seat through said central passage; and

a fixed cylindrical shaft extending from said inner surface of said chamber, said shaft fitting into said pressure relief port when said piston is in said service position to clear said pressure relief port of any debris, said shaft controlling water flow through the relief port upon movement of the piston between the service and backwash positions.

13. A water softener valve for controlling water flow to and from a water softener, comprising:

a water inlet for water to be conditioned to enter the valve;

a water outlet for conditioned water to exit the valve;

a drain port for water to exit the valve;

first and second tank ports;

a chamber for receiving water, said chamber having an inner surface;

a piston movable within said chamber between a service position and a backwash position, said piston permitting flow of water from the water inlet to the first tank port and from the second tank port to the water outlet when in said service position, said piston permitting flow of water from said water inlet to the second tank port and from the first tank port to the drain port when said piston is in the backwash position, said piston having a pressure relief port permitting flow of water from said chamber into a drain port as said piston moves from said backwash position to said service position; and

a flow meter positioned to measure flow through the water outlet which occurs when the piston is in the service position, said flow meter having a turbine comprising at least two opposing vanes, a magnet carried by said turbine, and a sensor for counting a number of times said magnet passes said sensor, rate of water flow through said flow meter being directly proportional to the number of times said magnet passes said sensor, said sensor creating an electrical impulse in the presence of said magnet, wherein said at least two opposing vanes each expand helically from a first end portion of said turbine and having a first thickness to a second end portion of said turbine and having a second thickness, and wherein said second thickness is greater than said first thickness.

14. The water softener valve of claim 13, wherein said second end portion of at least one of said opposing vanes carries said magnet entirely within the second thickness.

15. The water softener valve of claim 13, wherein said second end portion of at least one of said opposing vanes has an opening therein and said magnet is located within said opening.