Patent ID: 8001811

Claim:
A washing machine comprising: a tub; a water supply device to supply water to the tub; a detergent supply device to supply a detergent to the tub; and a water softening device to soften the water and increase the solubility of the detergent, the water softening device being disposed such that the water supplied from the water supply device is mixed with the detergent supplied from the detergent supply device, then the water mixed with the detergent is supplied to the water softening device, and then the softened water mixed with the detergent is supplied to the tub, wherein the water supply device includes a first water supply pipe connecting a water supply source and an inlet of the detergent supply device, and a second water supply pipe connecting the detergent supply device and the tub, and the water softening device is installed at the middle of the second water supply pipe, and whereby as only softened water passes into the tub, scale is prevented from accumulating where the softened water enters the tub.