Washing machine having water softener

Abstract

A washing machine having a water softener, which converts hard water to soft water using hot water instead of salt water, thereby having low production costs and high efficiency and providing convenience to users. The washing machine includes the water softener for softening water supplied to the washing machine using a hard water component absorbent material, and a heater for heating the water supplied to the washing machine through the water softener, wherein the heated water is re-supplied to the water softener so as to regenerate the hard water component absorbent material of the water softener.

1 . A washing machine comprising: 
 a water softener to soften water supplied to the washing machine using a hard water component absorbent material; and    a heater to heat the water supplied to the washing machine through the water softener, wherein the heated water is re-supplied to the water softener so as to regenerate the hard water component absorbent material in the water softener.    
   
   
       2 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein a washing or a rinsing operation is performed by receiving only cold water supplied from an outside.  
   
   
       3 . The washing machine of  claim 2 , further comprising a cold water supply pipe wherein the water softener is installed at a portion of the cold water supply pipe to supply the cold water to the washing machine.  
   
   
       4 . The washing machine of  claim 3 , further comprising a prefilter is installed in the cold water supply pipe to filter out foreign substances contained in the cold water.  
   
   
       5 . The washing machine of  claim 4 , further comprising a first and a second flow control valve, the first and the second flow control valves are installed at respective ends of the water softener, wherein the first flow control valve selectively opens and closes such that one of a supply of the cold water to the water softener or a discharge of hot water from the water softener to an outside is conducted, and the second flow control valves selectively opens and closes such that one of the supply of softened cold water from the water softener to the washing machine or the supply of the hot water from washing machine to the water softener is conducted.  
   
   
       6 . The washing machine of  claim 5 , wherein when the first flow control valve is in a state in which the cold water is supplied to the water softener, the second control valve is in a state in which the cold water is supplied from the water softener to the washing machine, and when the second flow control valve is in a state in which the hot water discharged from the washing machine is supplied to the water softener, the first flow control valve is in a state in which the hot water supplied to the water softener is discharged to the outside.  
   
   
       7 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising a tub to store the supplied water, wherein the heater heats the water stored in the tub so that the heated water is used to regenerate the hard water component absorbent material.  
   
   
       8 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 7 , further comprising a first sensor unit to detect an amount of the water stored in the tub, wherein it is determined whether the amount of the water necessary to regenerate the hard water component absorbent material is stored in the tub using the detected results of the first sensor unit.  
   
   
       9 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 7 , further comprising: 
 a drain pipe to discharge the water in the tub to the outside; and a flow control valve to supply the water discharged through the drain pipe to one of the water softener or the outside of the washing machine, wherein the heated water discharged from the tub is supplied to the water softener by controlling the flow control valve when the hard water component absorbent material is regenerated.    
   
   
       10 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 9 , further comprising a bypass pipe installed between the drain pipe and the tub to re-supply the water discharged through the drain pipe to the tub, wherein the re-supply of the water through the bypass pipe is controlled by the flow control valve, and a part of the water discharged from the tub is bypassed to the inside of the tub so that the amount of the water supplied to the water softener is adjusted.  
   
   
       11 . The washing machine of  claim 1 , further comprising a second sensor unit to detect a quality of the water supplied to the water softener, such as an amount, a temperature, a hardness, an electric conductivity, an a pH value of the water, wherein the second sensor unit is located inside of the water softener.  
   
   
       12 . A washing machine comprising a water softener to soften water supplied to the washing machine using a hard water component absorbent material, wherein hot water supplied from an outside of the washing machine to the washing machine is supplied to the water softener when the hard water component absorbent material of the water softener is regenerated.  
   
   
       13 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 12 , further comprising a sensor to detect the amount of the water supplied to the water softener, wherein it is determined whether an amount of the water necessary to regenerate the hard water component absorbent material is supplied to the water softener using the detected results of the sensor.  
   
   
       14 . The washing machine of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 a hot water supply pipe to supply the hot water to the washing machine; and    a prefilter to filter out foreign substances contained in the hot water, is installed in the hot water supply pipe.    
   
   
       15 . The washing machine of  claim 14 , further comprising a regenerated water supply pipe installed between the hot water supply pipe and the water softener to thereby allow a part or all of the hot water supplied through the hot water supply pipe to be supplied to the water softener.