Liquid purification or separation – Processes – Ion exchange or selective sorption
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-03
2001-05-29
Drodge, Joseph W. (Department: 1723)
Liquid purification or separation
Processes
Ion exchange or selective sorption
C210S792000, C210S123000, C210S190000, C210S086000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06238567
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns a brine device, in particular a brine device for making brine for regenerating the active medium of water softening appliances or similar treatment appliances, such as for regenerating a cation exchange resin.
In particular, the invention concerns an improved brine device of the type which consists of a reservoir in which salt to be dissolved can be provided and onto which water can be supplied and from which brine can be extracted.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is known to provide water softening appliances which are coupled to such a brine device with a control unit, a control valve, which makes sure that water is periodically supplied to the reservoir and which also makes sure that, after this water has been turned into brine, due to the contact with the salt, this brine is drawn in from the salt tank so as to regenerate the above-mentioned active medium.
In conventional brine devices, the reservoir is practically entirely emptied with each regeneration, so that it often takes more than one hour before the water which is supplied to the reservoir at the end of the regeneration cycle has formed a saturated brine with the salt. Such brine devices are described among others in BE 578.211, U.S. Pat. No. 3,570,520 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,844,305. Hence, with such a brine device it is not possible to carry out successive regenerations.
In order to advance the transformation of water into saturated brine, it is already known to make the water circulate in the brine vessel by means of a circulation pump, for example as described in NL 7114100. Although the transformation process is advanced by this, it still takes a relatively long time to produce the brine.
Finally, another brine device is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,336,134 with a float-controlled valve, whereby the float cooperates with the valve via magnetically coupled parts The device described in this document is disadvantageous in that the construction is quite complex due to the use of the above-mentioned magnetic coupling and as a consequence is not very reliable. Moreover, this brine device does not allow for an easy setting of the brine reserves.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an improved brine device in relation to the known embodiments whereby one or several of the above-mentioned disadvantages are overcome.
To this end, the invention consists of a brine device, in particular for making brine for regenerating the active medium of one or several water softening appliances, consisting of a reservoir in which salt to be dissolved can be provided and into which water can be supplied and from which brine can be extracted, characterized in that this brine device is provided with a float mechanism and with sealing means working in conjunction with it via a mechanical coupling, such that the latter prevents the level in the reservoir from dropping underneath a certain mark as the brine is extracted, such that a stock buffer of saturated brine retains available.
Thus a certain amount of liquid, in particular brine, always remains in the brine device which functions as a buffer. Thanks to the presence of this buffer, there will always be a certain quantity of water which has had the time to be transformed into brine, so that a possible waiting time is excluded.
According to a preferred embodiment, the sealing means consist of a valve disc cooperating with an opening through which the brine can be discharged, and the float mechanism consists of a float on the one hand and the above-mentioned mechanical coupling on the other hand which forms a connection between the float and the valve disc which makes sure that the above-mentioned opening is sealed by means of the valve disc when the float drops under a certain level.
It should be noted that the sealing means preferably operate on the level of the suction point of the brine. Thus there is always a considerable pressure from the liquid in the buffer on the valve of the sealing means, so that a good sealing can be guaranteed when the valve is closed.
According to a preferred embodiment, the invention includes a brine device which is meant to cooperate with one or several water softening appliances, characterized in that the float mechanism and the valve are coupled such that a large stock buffer is created that with a maximum charge of the water softening appliances, the concentration of the brine always remains more than 60%. According to the most preferred embodiment, a stock buffer will be provided which makes sure that there is always enough entirely saturated or almost entirely saturated brine to carry out all regenerations.
Preferably, the brine device will also be provided with an overflow warning device cooperating with an intake for water. This overflow warning device preferably consists of a valve working in conjunction with the intake which is controlled by the same float mechanism which also controls the sealing means, whereby the float mechanism makes sure that the above-mentioned valve is closed when a certain level is exceeded. In this manner is required only one float is required, both for controlling the above-mentioned sealing means and for making the overflow warning device work.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2695626 (1954-11-01), Riche
patent: 2904062 (1959-09-01), Techler
patent: 2906285 (1959-09-01), Rosten et al.
patent: 3530876 (1970-09-01), Stoner
patent: 3570520 (1971-03-01), Sodi
patent: 3574559 (1971-04-01), Kryzer et al.
patent: 3844309 (1974-10-01), Tischler
patent: 4336134 (1982-06-01), Prior
patent: 5239285 (1993-08-01), Rak
Bacon & Thomas
Cecil Terry K
Drodge Joseph W.
Padema, Naamloze Vennootschap
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