Multi-valve water treatment device

A multi-valve water treatment system comprising:

• a motor;
• a driven shaft drivingly coupled to the motor;
• a fluid housing having a plurality of fluid inlets positioned to discharge to a common fluid flow chamber, and a fluid outlet positioned to receive a single flow from the fluid flow chamber, each of the plurality of fluid inlets coupled to a source of a water treatment substance;
• a multi-valve assembly including a plurality of valves respectively fluidly connected to the plurality of fluid inlets, the driven shaft releasably engaged with the plurality of valves and configured to activate and deactivate each of the plurality of valves, wherein the multi-valve assembly is configured to form a mixed flow of fluid from at least two of the plurality of fluid inlets such that the common fluid flow chamber provides the mixed flow of fluid to the fluid outlet;
• wherein each of the plurality of valves includes a spring positioned between the driven shaft and the plurality of fluid inlets, the spring of each of the plurality of valves configured to produce a force when the valve is activated and produce a force when the valve is deactivated;
• and
• a controller operably connected to the motor and programmed to activate and deactivate the plurality of valves by rotation of the driven shaft.

A multi-valve water treatment system comprising:

• a housing;
• a motor;
• a driven shaft disposed within the housing and configured to be driven by the motor;
• and
• a multi-valve assembly including:
• a plurality of valve actuators disposed within the housing and around the driven shaft;
• a plurality of valve rods extending below the housing, each coupled to one of the plurality of valve actuators and having a spring biasing the plurality of valve rods away from the valve actuators against the housing;
• a plurality of chemical inlets at an end of the plurality of valve rods;
• and
• a diaphragm disposed between the plurality of valve rods and the plurality of chemical inlets and positioned to individually seal each of the plurality of chemical inlets, the diaphragm coupled to each of the plurality of valve rods such that movement of one of the plurality of valve rods causes resilient deformation of the diaphragm,
• the driven shaft defining a plurality of rotational positions including a first position in which a first one of the plurality of valve actuators is urged away from an adjacent first one of the plurality of chemical inlets by the driven shaft and against a bias of the spring, such that the diaphragm resiliently deforms to open a corresponding first one of the plurality of chemical inlets.

A multi-valve water treatment system comprising:

• a motor having an output shaft;
• a driven shaft fixed to the output shaft such that the driven shaft is driven by the motor when the motor is activated, the driven shaft having a plurality of spaced apart cams disposed at respective axial positions along the driven shaft;
• and
• a valve assembly including:
• a fluid flow housing having a fluid outlet and a plurality of fluid inlets,
• a plurality of valve actuators, and
• a diaphragm sealingly isolating the plurality of fluid inlets of the fluid flow housing from the plurality of valve actuators,
• wherein the plurality of valve actuators includes a first valve actuator and a second valve actuator,
• the first valve actuator having a first position wherein a first fluid inlet of the plurality of fluid inlets is in fluid communication with the fluid outlet and a second position wherein the first fluid inlet is sealed by the diaphragm, the first valve actuator being moved by a first cam of the plurality of spaced apart cams from the first position to the second position, and
• the second valve actuator having a third position wherein a second fluid inlet of the plurality of fluid inlets is in fluid communication with the fluid outlet and a fourth position wherein the second fluid inlet is sealed by the diaphragm, the second valve actuator being moved by a second cam of the plurality of spaced apart cams from the third position to the fourth position,
• wherein the diaphragm is coupled to first valve actuator when the first valve actuator is in the first position and the second valve actuator is in the fourth position and is coupled to the second valve actuator when the first valve actuator is in the second position and the second valve actuator is in the third position, and
• wherein the diaphragm includes first portion coupled to move with the first valve actuator, a second portion coupled with the second valve actuator, and a base portion extending between the first portion and the second portion, and wherein movement of the first valve actuator to the first position when the second valve actuator remains in the fourth position causes resilient deformation of the base portion of the diaphragm.

A multi-valve water treatment system comprising:

• a motor;
• a driven shaft drivingly coupled to the motor;
• a fluid housing having a plurality of fluid inlets positioned to discharge to a common fluid flow chamber, and a fluid outlet positioned to receive a single flow from the fluid flow chamber, each of the plurality of fluid inlets coupled to a source of a water treatment substance;
• a multi-valve assembly including a plurality of valves respectively fluidly connected to the plurality of fluid inlets, the driven shaft releasably engaged with the plurality of valves and configured to activate and deactivate each of the plurality of valves;
• a valve rod engaged with each one of the plurality of fluid inlets, wherein a flow area distance between each valve rod and respective plurality of inlets is proportional to a position of each valve rod over all operating positions of the valve rod;
• wherein each of the plurality of valves includes a spring positioned between the driven shaft and the plurality of fluid inlets, the spring of each of the plurality of valves configured to produce a force when the valve is activated and produce a force when the valve is deactivated;
• and
• a controller operably connected to the motor and programmed to activate and deactivate the plurality of valves by rotation of the driven shaft.

A multi-valve water treatment system comprising:

• a motor;
• a driven shaft drivingly coupled to the motor;
• a fluid housing having a plurality of fluid inlets positioned to discharge to a common fluid flow chamber, and a fluid outlet positioned to receive a single flow from the fluid flow chamber, the common fluid flow chamber including a floor and each of the respective plurality of fluid inlets includes a raised lip extending from the floor, each of the plurality of fluid inlets coupled to a source of a water treatment substance;
• a multi-valve assembly including a plurality of valves respectively fluidly connected to the plurality of fluid inlets, the driven shaft releasably engaged with the plurality of valves and configured to activate and deactivate each of the plurality of valves;
• wherein each of the plurality of valves includes a spring positioned between the driven shaft and the plurality of fluid inlets, the spring of each of the plurality of valves configured to produce a force when the valve is activated and produce a force when the valve is deactivated;
• and
• a controller operably connected to the motor and programmed to activate and deactivate the plurality of valves by rotation of the driven shaft.

A multi-valve water treatment system comprising:

• a motor;
• a driven shaft drivingly coupled to the motor;
• a fluid housing having a plurality of fluid inlets positioned to discharge to a common fluid flow chamber, and a fluid outlet positioned to receive a single flow from the fluid flow chamber, each of the plurality of fluid inlets coupled to a source of a water treatment substance;
• a multi-valve assembly including a plurality of valves respectively fluidly connected to the plurality of fluid inlets, the driven shaft releasably engaged with the plurality of valves and configured to activate and deactivate each of the plurality of valves;
• a housing, wherein the multi-valve assembly and the driven shaft are at least partially disposed within the housing;
• wherein each of the plurality of valves includes a spring positioned between the driven shaft and the plurality of fluid inlets, the spring of each of the plurality of valves configured to produce a force when the valve is activated and produce a force when the valve is deactivated;
• wherein each of the plurality of valves further includes a valve actuator engaged with the driven shaft and a valve rod engaged with one of the plurality of fluid inlets;
• wherein each valve actuator includes a concave groove and the housing includes correspondingly convex rails, the concave grooves and the convex rails configured to slidably engage with one another;
• and
• a controller operably connected to the motor and programmed to activate and deactivate the plurality of valves by rotation of the driven shaft.

A multi-valve water treatment system comprising:

• a motor;
• a driven shaft drivingly coupled to the motor;
• a fluid housing having a plurality of fluid inlets positioned to discharge to a common fluid flow chamber, and a fluid outlet positioned to receive a single flow from the fluid flow chamber, each of the plurality of fluid inlets coupled to a source of a water treatment substance;
• a multi-valve assembly including a plurality of valves respectively fluidly connected to the plurality of fluid inlets, the driven shaft releasably engaged with the plurality of valves and configured to activate and deactivate each of the plurality of valves;
• wherein each of the plurality of valves includes a spring positioned between the driven shaft and the plurality of fluid inlets, the spring of each of the plurality of valves configured to produce a force when the valve is activated and produce a force when the valve is deactivated;
• a controller operably connected to the motor and programmed to activate and deactivate the plurality of valves by rotation of the driven shaft;
• a locator plate coupled to the driven shaft and a detector positioned to detect rotation of the locator plate, the detector operably coupled to the controller;
• and
• wherein the detector comprises a photosensor.