Laundry washing machine
First Claim
1. A laundry washing machine comprising an outer casing and, inside said outer casing, a control unit, a washing tub, a rotatable drum housed in axially rotatable manner inside the washing tub and structured for housing laundry to be washed, a detergent dispensing assembly which is structured for supplying detergent, softener or other washing agent into the washing tub, a fresh-water supply circuit which is structured for selectively channeling a flow of fresh water from a water mains towards the detergent dispensing assembly and/or the washing tub, and a water softening device which is arranged/located along the fresh-water supply circuit and is structured for reducing the hardness degree of the fresh water channeled to the detergent dispensing assembly and/or the washing tub;
- the fresh-water supply circuit comprising at least a first fresh-water supply line which is connected to the water mains and is structured for selectively conveying into the washing tub the detergent, softener or other washing agent of the detergent dispensing assembly; and
the water softening device in turn comprising a water-softening agent container which is arranged/located along said first fresh-water supply line and is filled with a water softening agent able to reduce the hardness degree of the fresh water flowing through the same water-softening agent container;
a regeneration-agent reservoir which is fluidically connected to the water-softening agent container and is structured to receive a consumable regeneration agent for performing a regeneration of the water softening function of the water softening agent stored into the water-softening agent container; and
a water supply circuit which is structured for channeling fresh water into the regeneration-agent reservoir so to at least partly dissolve the regeneration agents stored therein and form brine;
wherein the water softening device further comprises;
a passive one-way valve not controllable by the control unit, arranged along the first fresh-water supply line upstream of the water-softening agent container, and structured so as to allow the fresh water to only flow along the first fresh-water supply line, from the water mains to the water-softening agent container and not vice versa; and
an electrically-controlled valve assembly or flow diverter which is located along the first fresh-water supply line, downstream of the passive one-way valve and upstream of the water-softening agent container, and structured for selectively allowing or preventing the fresh water of the water mains to freely flow towards, respectively, the water-softening agent container and the water supply circuit of the water softening device;
wherein the detergent dispensing assembly comprises a number of washing-agent containers each of which is manually fillable with a given quantity of detergent, softener or other washing agent, and in that the first fresh-water supply line is structured for selectively channelling the fresh water from the water mains directly to a washing-agent container of the detergent dispensing assembly structured to contain the detergent or other washing agent to be used in a main-wash phase of a washing cycle;
wherein the fresh-water supply circuit comprises further independent fresh-water supply lines each of which is independently connected to the water mains and is structured for selectively and independently channeling fresh water from the water mains to a respective remaining washing-agent container of the detergent dispensing assembly.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Laundry machine has a detergent dispensing assembly, a fresh-water supply circuit for selectively channeling a fresh water flow towards the detergent dispensing assembly, and a water softening device including a softening container having softening agent along the fresh-water supply circuit. A regeneration-agent reservoir fluidically connected to the softening container receives a regeneration agent. A water supply circuit channels fresh water into the regeneration-agent reservoir. The softening device includes an automatic one-way valve on a first fresh-water supply line upstream of the softening container, allowing water to only flow along the first fresh-water supply line, from a water mains to the softener container. An electrically-controlled valve assembly/flow diverter, located along the first fresh-water supply line, downstream of the one-way valve and upstream of the softening container, selectively allows/prevents the water to freely flow towards, respectively, the softening container and the softening device water supply circuit.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A laundry washing machine comprising an outer casing and, inside said outer casing, a control unit, a washing tub, a rotatable drum housed in axially rotatable manner inside the washing tub and structured for housing laundry to be washed, a detergent dispensing assembly which is structured for supplying detergent, softener or other washing agent into the washing tub, a fresh-water supply circuit which is structured for selectively channeling a flow of fresh water from a water mains towards the detergent dispensing assembly and/or the washing tub, and a water softening device which is arranged/located along the fresh-water supply circuit and is structured for reducing the hardness degree of the fresh water channeled to the detergent dispensing assembly and/or the washing tub;
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the fresh-water supply circuit comprising at least a first fresh-water supply line which is connected to the water mains and is structured for selectively conveying into the washing tub the detergent, softener or other washing agent of the detergent dispensing assembly; and the water softening device in turn comprising a water-softening agent container which is arranged/located along said first fresh-water supply line and is filled with a water softening agent able to reduce the hardness degree of the fresh water flowing through the same water-softening agent container;
a regeneration-agent reservoir which is fluidically connected to the water-softening agent container and is structured to receive a consumable regeneration agent for performing a regeneration of the water softening function of the water softening agent stored into the water-softening agent container; and
a water supply circuit which is structured for channeling fresh water into the regeneration-agent reservoir so to at least partly dissolve the regeneration agents stored therein and form brine;wherein the water softening device further comprises;
a passive one-way valve not controllable by the control unit, arranged along the first fresh-water supply line upstream of the water-softening agent container, and structured so as to allow the fresh water to only flow along the first fresh-water supply line, from the water mains to the water-softening agent container and not vice versa; and
an electrically-controlled valve assembly or flow diverter which is located along the first fresh-water supply line, downstream of the passive one-way valve and upstream of the water-softening agent container, and structured for selectively allowing or preventing the fresh water of the water mains to freely flow towards, respectively, the water-softening agent container and the water supply circuit of the water softening device;wherein the detergent dispensing assembly comprises a number of washing-agent containers each of which is manually fillable with a given quantity of detergent, softener or other washing agent, and in that the first fresh-water supply line is structured for selectively channelling the fresh water from the water mains directly to a washing-agent container of the detergent dispensing assembly structured to contain the detergent or other washing agent to be used in a main-wash phase of a washing cycle; wherein the fresh-water supply circuit comprises further independent fresh-water supply lines each of which is independently connected to the water mains and is structured for selectively and independently channeling fresh water from the water mains to a respective remaining washing-agent container of the detergent dispensing assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification