Patent ID: 7563362

Claim:
An automatic regenerable cold/hot water softener apparatus comprising: a water softening tank including at least two softening water regions formed along the vertical direction of a length of said water softening tank so as to partition radially an inside of a cylindrical body, the water softening regions being filled with an ion exchange resin, said water softening tank having a valve region formed in an upper end thereof so as to join the water softening regions to each other, said water softening tank having a water outlet region formed in a lower end thereof so as to join the water softening regions; a regenerating tank filled with a regenerating substance, said regenerating tank having a regenerating tank stopper suitable for opening an inside thereof; a raw water supply pipe connected to said valve region so as to supply raw water to said valve region; a regenerating raw water pipe and a regenerating water pipe connected to an upper end and a lower end of the regenerating tank, respectively; a direct water pipe connected to said valve region and to said water outlet region; a temperature sensor means cooperative with said raw water supply pipe, said temperature sensor means for sensing temperature of the raw water; a flow meter means for finding the cumulative total of the supply amount of the raw water, said flow meter means cooperative with said raw water supply pipe; a switching valve means positioned in said valve region for supplying raw water to one of the water softening regions in a water softening mode, said switching valve means for inducing raw water into said regenerating raw water pipe and then supplying regenerating water collected from said regenerating water pipe to each of the water softening regions in a regeneration mode, said switching valve means for inducing raw water into said direct water pipe in a direct water mode, said switching valve means for shutting off said raw water supply pipe in an intermittent mode; a valve driving means cooperative with said switching valve means for controlling an operation of said switching valve means; and a controlling means for distributing the raw water into each of the water softening regions according to a temperature in the water softening mode based on a measured result of the temperature sensor means, said controlling means for controlling the valve driving means so as to change the intermittent mode into the regeneration mode based on the cumulative total of the flow meter means.