# US 11,028,852 B2 · Drain pump

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- Number: US 11,028,852 B2
- Document ID: US11028852B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/277,172
- Filed: 2019-02-15
- Published: 2020-01-02
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2018-06-29
- Assignees: LG Electronics Inc.
- Applicants: LG Electronics Inc.
- Inventors: Sangyoung Cho; Changsub Kim; Changhyeon Song; Youngjin Oh; Seonjoong Lee
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11028852B2

## CPC

- F04D 13/0693: {Details or arrangements of the wiring}
- A47L 15/4225: {Arrangements or adaption of recirculation or discharge pumps}
- D06F 39/085: {Arrangements or adaptations of pumps}
- F04D 13/086: {the pump and drive motor are both submerged}
- F04D 29/086: {especially adapted for liquid pumps}
- F04D 29/426: {especially adapted for liquid pumps}
- H02K 5/225: {Terminal boxes or connection arrangements (specially adapted for submersible motors H02K5/132)}
- D06F 2103/48: of the motor driving the pump
- F04D: NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS (engine fuel-injection pumps F02M; ion pumps H01J41/12; electrodynamic pumps H02K44/02)
- A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08)
- D06F: LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
- H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53})

## Abstract

A drain pump includes an impeller, a rotor configured to rotate the impeller, a stator, a first housing that defines a rotor accommodating portion, a second housing that is coupled to the first housing and that defines together with the first housing a motor accommodating space that accommodates the stator, a connector that extends from the stator and that has a contact surface configured to connect to a power source and exposed to an outside of the motor accommodating space through at least one of the first housing or the second housing, and a connector cover portion that is located at at least one of the first housing or the second housing to cover the connector and that has at least one side surface opened to expose the contact surface of the connector to the outside of the motor accommodating space.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A drain pump, comprising:
an impeller;
a rotor comprising a rotary shaft coupled to the impeller, the rotor being configured to provide rotational force to the impeller;
a stator located at an outer circumferential surface of the rotor and configured to rotate the rotor;
a first housing that defines a rotor accommodating portion that accommodates the rotor, the rotor being configured to rotate in the rotor accommodating portion;
a second housing coupled to the first housing, the second housing, together with the first housing, defining a motor accommodating space that accommodates the stator;
a connector that extends from the stator, the connector comprising a contact surface configured to connect to a power source and exposed to an outside of the motor accommodating space through at least one of the first housing or the second housing; and
a connector cover portion that is located at at least one of the first housing or the second housing to cover the connector, the connector cover portion having at least one side surface opened to expose the contact surface of the connector to the outside of the motor accommodating space,
wherein the first housing has a first open surface that faces the second housing, and the second housing has a second open surface that faces the first housing,
wherein the connector cover portion protrudes from an edge surface of the first housing in a first axial direction away from the impeller, and
wherein the second housing is configured to, based on being coupled to the first housing, overlap the connector cover portion in a second axial direction toward the impeller.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The drain pump of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first housing or the second housing defines a connector mounting groove that receives the connector, and
wherein the connector cover portion extends from an outer circumferential surface of the connector mounting groove.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The drain pump of claim 2, wherein the connector cover portion defines a cover opening that exposes the contact surface of the connector that is inserted into the connector mounting groove, and
wherein the cover opening is defined at a surface of the connector cover portion opposite to the impeller.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The drain pump of claim 3, wherein the connector cover portion comprises a water blocking protrusion that extends from a circumference of the cover opening by a predetermined height.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The drain pump of claim 4, wherein the connector cover portion further comprises an outer circumferential surface that extends from a first side of the connector cover portion in a direction inclined with respect to a center of the first housing, the water blocking protrusion being located at the first side of the connector cover portion, and
wherein a radial distance from the center of the first housing to the outer circumferential surface of the connector cover portion decreases from the first side to a second side of the connector cover portion opposite to the first side.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The drain pump of claim 4, wherein the connector cover portion further comprises an outer circumferential surface that has a curved shape or an inclined shape and that extends in a circumferential direction from a first end of the connector cover portion to a second end opposite to the first end, and
wherein a radial distance from a center of the first housing to at least one of the first end or the second end is less than a radial distance from the center of the first housing to another portion of the connector cover portion.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The drain pump of claim 1, wherein an axial depth of the connector cover portion is greater than or equal to an axial length of the connector.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The drain pump of claim 1, wherein the second housing comprises:
a sidewall surface that extends in the second axial direction from an edge surface of the second housing; and
a sealing protrusion that protrudes from a portion of the sidewall surface toward an inner surface of the connector and that overlaps with the connector cover portion.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The drain pump of claim 8, wherein the sealing protrusion has an outer circumferential surface that is curved along a circumferential direction of the second housing.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The drain pump of claim 8, wherein the sealing protrusion has a flat outer circumferential surface corresponding to the inner surface of the connector.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The drain pump of claim 1, wherein the connector comprises first terminal portions located inside the motor accommodating space and second terminal portions located at the contact surface outside the motor accommodating space, and
wherein one of the first housing or the second housing does not include the connector cover portion, and
wherein the one of the first housing or the second housing includes a partitioning protrusion that partitions the first terminal portions.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The drain pump of claim 11, wherein the partitioning protrusion extends radially outward to a sidewall surface of the one of the first housing or the second housing that includes the partitioning protrusion.

### Claim 13

A drain pump, comprising:
an impeller;
a motor coupled to the impeller and configured to provide rotational force to the impeller;
a motor housing configured to accommodate the motor;
a connector having a first end electrically connected to the motor and a second end exposed to an outside of the motor housing, the connector comprising a contact surface configured to connect to an external power source and spaced apart from the impeller in an axial direction; and
a connector cover portion that is located at the motor housing and that covers the connector,
wherein the connector cover portion comprises:
a first axial side surface that defines a cover opening opened in a direction opposite to the impeller,
a second axial side surface opposite to the first axial side surface,
a first circumferential side surface and a second circumferential side surface that are spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction and that are each extend in the axial direction from the first axial side surface to the second axial side surface, and
a radial side surface that defines an outer surface of the connector cover portion and that connects the second axial side surface, the first circumferential side surface, and the second circumferential side surface,
wherein the motor housing comprises a plurality of housings that are coupled to each other, each of the plurality of housings defining an opening that faces an opening of another housing among the plurality of housings,
wherein a first housing among the plurality of housings comprises the connector cover portion,
wherein the connector cover portion protrudes in the axial direction from an end portion of the first housing to a position outward of or corresponding to an end portion of the connector,
wherein the connector cover portion further comprises an inner surface that defines a connector mounting groove that receives the connector,
wherein a second housing among the plurality of housings does not comprises the connector cover portion,
wherein the second housing is configured to, based on being coupled to the first housing, overlap the connector cover portion in the axial direction, and
wherein an outer circumferential surface of the second housing faces an inner surface of the connector based on the second housing being coupled to the first housing.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The drain pump of claim 13, wherein the outer circumferential surface of the second housing has a curved shape that extends in the circumferential direction.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The drain pump of claim 13, wherein the outer circumferential surface of the second housing has a flat shape.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The drain pump of claim 13, wherein at least one of the first circumferential side surface, the second circumferential side surface, or the radial side surface comprises a water blocking protrusion located at a position closer to the first axial side surface than to the second axial side surface.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The drain pump of claim 13, wherein a distance between a center of the motor housing and at least one of the first circumferential side surface, the second circumferential side surface, or the radial side surface decreases from the first axial side surface toward the second axial side surface.