Water softener device for reducing water hardness having a resins exhaustion sensor and manufacturing method thereof

A device for reducing water hardness suitable for the use in a household washing machine comprising a container within which ionic exchange resins are housed, which provide for reducing the hardness degree of the water lapping them and means for generating the softening efficiency of said resins, whereinat least a first portion of resins is contained in a space delimited inside said container, said delimited space communicating with the water to be softened, and that there are provided means to detect a volume change of at least said first portion of resins, in order to know the operating status of said resins.

A device for reducing water hardness suitable for the use in a household washing machine comprising a container within which ionic exchange resins are housed, which provide for reducing the hardness degree of the water lapping them and means for regenerating the softening efficiency of said resins, wherein at least a first portion of resins is contained in a space delimited inside said container, said space being surrounded by a second portion of resins, said delimited space communicating with the surrounding portion of said container containing said second portion of resins, that said first portion of resins performs a substantial softening action of the water along with said second portion of resins, and that means are provided to detect a volume change of said first portion of resins, in order to know the operating status of said resins.

A method of controlling the degree of exhaustion of water softening resins in a household washing machine using regeneration resins, comprising detecting a volume change of the resins lapped by the water to be softened, in order to detect the exhaustion degree of the softening power of the resins and/or a lack of salt in the regeneration system of said resins and/or a fault of the water softening system.

A method of controlling the degree of exhaustion of water softening resins in a household washing machine using regeneration resins, comprising detecting a change of the position and/or configuration of a movable or elastic element delimiting at least partially a recess containing said resins, said change of position and/or configuration of said movable or elastic element being determined by a volume change of said resins, which indicates the degree of exhaustion of the softening power of said resins.

A method for detecting the exhaustion degree of the softening efficiency of resins in a washing machine using regeneration resins, comprising providing for the detection of a volume change of at least a portion of said resins through a change of the position of an element delimiting at least partially a recess containing said resins.