Title: Reusable water softener system for clothes washer

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Claims: What is claimed is:

1. In a vertical axis clothes washer having a tub and agitator, a water softening system comprising:

a. a reusable, self-contained, water softener device including;

i. a housing removably placed around the agitator and arranged for movement therewith,

ii. a reservoir at the top of the housing for receiving water,

iii. a plurality of vertical channels radially disposed around the agitator in flow communication and extending from the reservoir to the bottom of the housing,

iv. a resin containing chamber within the housing, the top of said chamber having a water outlet and the bottom having a water inlet, and

v. a pump chamber located between the bottom of each channel and the resin containing chamber, said pump chamber having pump means to force the water upwardly through the resin and out the outlet, and

b. means to pump water from the tub into the reservoir of the water softener device.

2. The water softener system of claim 1 wherein the pump means in the pump chamber of the water softener device is a thin, vertical, flexible fin that provides pumping force responsive to oscillatory back and forth movement of the water softener device.

3. The water softener system of claim 2 wherein the flexible fin is attached to the bottom wall of the housing.

4. The water softener system of claim 1 wherein the water softener device has a channel located between each set of adjacent agitator vanes.

5. The water softener system of claim 1 wherein the housing of the water softener device is cylindrically shaped.

6. The water softener system of claim 1 wherein the resin containing chamber of the water softener device surrounds the vertical channels.

7. The water softener system of claim 1 wherein the water softener device has a resin retaining screen located between the resin in the chamber and the chamber water outlet.

8. In a vertical axis clothes washer having a tub, an agitator, a pump to draw liquid from the tub, and a conduit connected to the pump for selectively returning liquid to the tub, a water softening system utilizing a reusable, self-contained, water softener device comprising:

a. a housing removably placed around the agitator and arranged for movement therewith,

b. a reservoir at the top of the housing for receiving water selectively returned to the tub by the pump,

c. a plurality of vertical channels radially disposed around the agitator in flow communication and extending from the reservoir to the bottom of the housing,

d. a resin containing chamber within the housing, the top of said chamber having a water outlet and the bottom having a water inlet, and

e. a pump chamber located between the bottom of each channel and the resin containing chamber, said pump chamber having pumping means to force the water upwardly through the resin and out the outlet.

9. The water softener device of claim 8 wherein the pump means is a thin, vertical, flexible fin that provides pumping force responsive to oscillatory back and forth movement of the water softener device.

10. The water softener device of claim 9 wherein the flexible fin is attached to the bottom wall of the housing.

11. The water softener device of claim 8 wherein a channel is located between each set of adjacent agitator vanes.

12. The water softener device of claim 8 wherein the housing is cylindrically shaped.

13. The water softener device of claim 8 wherein the resin containing chamber surrounds the vertical channels.

14. The water softener device of claim 8 wherein a resin retaining screen is located between the resin in the chamber and the chamber water outlet.

Other info:

Inventors: Morey, Everett D. (Louisville, KY, US)
Dooley, Eddie W. (Jeffersonville, IN, US)

Application Number: 708278
Filing Date: 1976-07-23
Publication_date: 1977-12-13
Assignee: General Electric Company (Louisville, KY)
Primary Class(es): 68/13A 68/17A, 210/167, 210/282
Other Classes:
US Patent Ref:

1893797	Jan, 1933	Foster	134/96.
1948957	Feb, 1934	Covert	68/13.
2086606	Jul, 1937	Culligan	68/13.
2091002	Aug, 1937	Lewis	68/13.
2274500	Feb, 1942	Osuch	68/53.
2292814	Aug, 1942	Bariffi	68/13.
2380732	Jul, 1945	Dunham	68/13.
2522242	Sep, 1950	Wagner	68/13.
3053066	Sep, 1962	Dodd	68/17.
3363637	Jan, 1968	Rumbaugh et al.	134/109.
3937042	Feb, 1976	Loeb	68/13.

Other Refs:
Primary Examiner: Coe, Philip R.
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney: Weidner; Frederick P., Boos; Francis H.