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US 10,718,081 B2Granted
Drain pump for laundry treating apparatus
AssigneeLG Electronics Inc.
InventorsHoon Choi, Donggi Shin, Gunho Lee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drain pump for a laundry treating apparatus includes a housing, an impeller, a motor, a circulation outlet, and a drain outlet. The circulation outlet and the drain outlet are defined on an outer circumferential surface of the housing, enable communication of the washing water with the housing, and protrude outward in directions tangential to the outer circumferential surface. The housing includes a rib that protrudes from an inner circumferential surface of the housing, that is located between the circulation outlet and the drain outlet, and that is configured to guide the washing water to the circulation outlet or to the drain outlet based on a direction of rotation of the impeller.
Claims20
A drain pump for a laundry treating apparatus, the drain pump comprising:
- a housing that has a cylindrical shape and that is configured to receive washing water;
- an impeller located within the housing;
- a motor configured to generate driving force to rotate the impeller;
- a circulation outlet that is defined on an outer circumferential surface of the housing and that enables communication of the washing water with the housing, the circulation outlet protruding outward in a first direction tangential to the outer circumferential surface;
- and
- a drain outlet that is defined on the outer circumferential surface and that enables communication of the washing water with the housing, the drain outlet being spaced apart from the circulation outlet and protruding outward in a second direction tangential to the outer circumferential surface,
- wherein the housing includes a rib that protrudes from an inner circumferential surface of the housing, the rib being located between the circulation outlet and the drain outlet and configured to guide the washing water to the circulation outlet or to the drain outlet based on a direction of rotation of the impeller,
- wherein the housing further includes a washing water flowing portion located at the inner circumferential surface of the housing and configured to guide flow of the washing water based on rotation of the impeller,
- wherein the washing water flowing portion defines:
- a first groove that is recessed from the inner circumferential surface of the housing, that is connected to the circulation outlet, and that is configured to guide the washing water to the circulation outlet, and
- a second groove that is recessed from the inner circumferential surface of the housing, that is connected to the drain outlet, and that is configured to guide the washing water to the drain outlet,
- wherein the first groove is recessed from the inner circumferential surface to a first position, and the second groove is recessed from the inner circumferential surface to a second position that is closer to the inner circumferential surface than the first position, and
- wherein the rib has a thickness that decreases along a direction from the first groove to the second groove, and the thickness of the rib at a first end protruding from the first groove is greater than the thickness of the rib at a second end protruding from the second groove.
10 more elements
A laundry treating apparatus comprising:
- a tub configured to accommodate laundry and washing water;
- a drain pump configured to receive washing water from the tub and configured to circulate the received washing water to the tub or to discharge the received washing water to an outside, the drain pump including:
- a housing that has a cylindrical shape and that is configured to receive washing water;
- an impeller located within the housing;
- a motor configured to generate driving force to rotate the impeller;
- a circulation outlet that is defined on an outer circumferential surface of the housing and that enables communication of the washing water with the housing, the circulation outlet protruding outward in a first direction tangential to the outer circumferential surface;
- and
- a drain outlet that is defined on the outer circumferential surface and that enables communication of the washing water with the housing, the drain outlet being spaced apart from the circulation outlet and protruding outward in a second direction tangential to the outer circumferential surface,
- wherein the housing includes a rib that protrudes from an inner circumferential surface of the housing, the rib being located between the circulation outlet and the drain outlet and configured to guide the washing water to the circulation outlet or to the drain outlet based on a direction of rotation of the impeller,
- wherein the housing further includes a washing water flowing portion located at the inner circumferential surface of the housing and configured to guide flow of the washing water based on rotation of the impeller,
- wherein the washing water flowing portion defines:
- a first groove that is recessed from the inner circumferential surface of the housing, that is connected to the circulation outlet, and that is configured to guide the washing water to the circulation outlet, and
- a second groove that is recessed from the inner circumferential surface of the housing, that is connected to the drain outlet, and that is configured to guide the washing water to the drain outlet,
- wherein the first groove is recessed from the inner circumferential surface to a first position, and the second groove is recessed from the inner circumferential surface to a second position that is closer to the inner circumferential surface than the first position, and
- wherein the rib has a thickness that decreases along a direction from the first groove to the second groove, and the thickness of the rib at a first end protruding from the first groove is greater than the thickness of the rib at a second end protruding from the second groove.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.