# US 10,767,777 B2 · Ejector of a water softener valve and water softener valve

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- Number: US 10,767,777 B2
- Document ID: US10767777B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/179,935
- Filed: 2018-11-03
- Published: 2019-03-07
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2018-04-28
- Applicants: Wuhu Midea Kitchen and Bath Appliances Mfg. Co., Ltd.; Midea Group Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Guohua Liu; Zhifeng He
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10767777B2

## CPC

- F16K 27/041: {cylindrical slide valves}
- B01F 25/31243: {Eductor or eductor-type venturi, i.e. the main flow being injected through the venturi with high speed in the form of a jet}
- B01J 49/85: Controlling or regulating devices therefor
- C02F 1/42: by ion-exchange (ion-exchange in general B01J)
- F16K 11/0787: {with both the supply and the discharge passages being on the same side of the closure members (F16K11/0785 takes precedence)}
- F16K 27/003: {Housing formed from a plurality of the same valve elements}
- C02F 5/00: Softening water; Preventing scale; Adding scale preventatives or scale removers to water, e.g. adding sequestering agents (softening using ion-exchange C02F1/42)
- C02F 2001/425: {using cation exchangers}
- C02F 2201/005: Valves
- C02F 2209/40: Liquid flow rate
- C02F 2303/16: Regeneration of sorbents, filters
- F16K: VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING {(devices for emptying and evacuating the excess liquid in valves or conduits F16L55/07)}
- B01F: MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING (mixing paints B44D3/06)
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes)

## Abstract

Disclosed is an ejector of a water softener valve, a water softener valve and a water softener. The ejector includes: an ejecting part, the ejecting part internally defines an ejecting hole, the ejecting hole is gradually tapered along an ejecting direction; a confluence part, the confluence part internally defines a confluence hole, an inlet of the confluence hole faces an outlet of the ejecting hole, an aperture of the inlet of the confluence hole is greater than an aperture of the outlet of the ejecting hole, a surface of the confluence part and a surface of the ejecting part facing the surface of the confluence part cooperatively form a saline solution suction opening; and a connecting part, fixedly connected with the ejecting part and the confluence part, the connecting part, the ejecting part, and the confluence part are integrated together.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An ejector of a water softener valve, comprising:
an ejecting part, the ejecting part internally defining an ejecting hole, wherein diameter of the ejecting hole gradually decreases along an ejecting direction;
a confluence part, the confluence part internally defining a confluence hole, an inlet of the confluence hole facing an outlet of the ejecting hole, the inlet of the confluence hole being greater than the outlet of the ejecting hole, a surface of the confluence part and a surface of the ejecting part facing the surface of the confluence part cooperatively forming a saline solution suction opening; and
a connecting part, fixedly connected with the ejecting part and the confluence part, the connecting part, the ejecting part, and the confluence part being integrated together;
wherein an inner surface of the confluence hole is defined with a plurality of guiding ribs protruding from the inner surface of the confluence hole and extending along the ejecting direction, each two adjacent guiding ribs cooperatively form a guiding groove, to form a plurality of guiding grooves parallel to each other in the inner surface of the confluence hole;
wherein the confluence hole comprises an enlarged section and a plane section, the enlarged section is gradually enlarged along the ejecting direction, the enlarged section is adjacent to the ejecting part, the plane section is connected with a far end of the enlarged section along the ejecting direction, and diameter of the plane section remains unchanged along the ejecting direction.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The ejector according to claim 1, wherein the guiding ribs are defined on the plane section.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The ejector according to claim 1, wherein,
the ejecting part comprises a first barrel and a first matching part, the ejecting hole is formed in the first barrel, the first matching part is defined at an end of the first barrel away from the confluence part, the first matching part is configured to sealing match with an ejecting passage of the water softener valve;
the confluence part comprises a second barrel and a second matching part, the confluence hole is formed in the second barrel, the second matching part is defined at an end of the second barrel away from the ejecting part, the second matching part is configured to sealing match with the ejecting passage of the water softener valve.

### Claim 4

A water softener valve, comprising:
a valve body, the valve body comprising a valve cavity, an ejecting passage, and a saline solution suction passage, wherein, the water softener valve further comprises an ejector, the ejector comprises:
an ejecting part, the ejecting part internally defines an ejecting hole, wherein diameter of the ejecting hole gradually decreases tapered along an ejecting direction;
a confluence part, the confluence part internally defines a confluence hole, an inlet of the confluence hole faces an outlet of the ejecting hole, an aperture of the inlet of the confluence hole is greater than an aperture of the outlet of the ejecting hole, a surface of the confluence part and a surface of the ejecting part facing the surface of the confluence part cooperatively form a saline solution suction opening; and
a connecting part, fixedly connected with the ejecting part and the confluence part, the connecting part, the ejecting part, and the confluence part are integrated together;
the ejector is received in the ejecting passage, the saline solution suction passage communicates with the saline solution suction opening of the ejector;
wherein an inner surface of the confluence hole is defined with a plurality of guiding ribs protruding from the inner surface of the confluence hole and extending along the ejecting direction, each two adjacent guiding ribs cooperatively form a guiding groove, to form a plurality of guiding grooves parallel to each other in the inner surface of the confluence hole;
wherein the confluence hole comprises an enlarged section and a plane section, the enlarged section is gradually enlarged along the ejecting direction, the enlarged section is adjacent to the ejecting part, the plane section is connected with a far end of the enlarged section along the ejecting direction, and diameter of the plane section remains unchanged along the ejecting direction.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The water softener valve according to claim 4, wherein the guiding ribs are defined on the plane section.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The water softener valve according to claim 4, wherein,
the ejecting part comprises a first barrel and a first matching part, the ejecting hole is formed in the first barrel, the first matching part is defined at an end of the first barrel away from the confluence part, the first matching part is configured to sealing match with an ejecting passage of the water softener valve;
the confluence part comprises a second barrel and a second matching part, the confluence hole is formed in the second barrel, the second matching part is defined at an end of the second barrel away from the ejecting part, the second matching part is configured to sealing match with the ejecting passage of the water softener valve.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The water softener valve according to claim 4, wherein,
the ejecting passage comprises a forward washing ejecting passage and a back washing ejecting passage, the valve body comprises a forward washing passage and a back washing passage, and there are two ejectors;
one of the ejectors is defined in the forward washing ejecting passage and the other defined in the back washing ejecting passage, a sucking saline solution suction passage communicates with a sucking saline solution suction openings of the two ejectors;
an outlet of the forward washing passage communicates with an inlet of the forward washing ejecting passage, an outlet of the back washing passage communicates with the back washing ejecting passage; and
the water softener valve further comprises a switch unit, the switch unit is configured to communicate with the forward washing passage and the forward washing ejecting passage, or configured to communicate with the back washing passage and the ejecting passage.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The water softener valve according to claim 4, wherein an inner surface of a saline solution suction passage defines an annular mounting groove, the mounting groove comprises a first side surface facing a water injection direction, a second side surface facing the first side surface, and a bottom surface located between the first side surface and the second side surface; and
the water softener valve further comprises an annular restrictor which is made of elastic material and located in the mounting groove, the middle portion of the restrictor forms a restricting hole, an aperture of the restricting hole is gradually decreased along the water injection direction; the restrictor is interference fit with the bottom surface, and the restrictor moves along the direction closing to the first side surface or the second side surface.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The water softener valve according to claim 8, wherein the restrictor comprises an annular body and an annular projecting ridge, the restricting hole is formed in the body, the projecting ridge is defined at an outer peripheral surface of the body, the projecting ridge is interference fit with the bottom surface; and/or
the valve body comprises a main body and a connecting head, the main body internally defines an inner passage, the connecting head internally defines an outer passage, one end of the connecting head is detachably connected with the main body, allowing the inner passage to communicate with the outer passage to form the saline solution suction passage, the other end of the connecting head protrudes from the main body to form an interface, the restrictor is located at the connecting portion of the connecting head and the main body.