# US 11,078,618 B2 · Washing agent pump and laundry treating apparatus having the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,078,618 B2 - Document ID: US11078618B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/252,011 - Filed: 2019-01-18 - Published: 2019-05-23 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2016-01-05 - Assignees: LG Electronics Inc. - Applicants: LG Electronics Inc. - Inventors: Sungwoon Jung; Hunjun Jang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11078618B2 ## CPC - D06F 39/022: {in a liquid state (D06F39/024 takes precedence)} - D06F 23/02: and rotating or oscillating about a horizontal axis - D06F 33/37: of metering of detergents or additives - D06F 37/22: in machines with a receptacle rotating or oscillating about a horizontal axis - D06F 39/04: Heating arrangements - F04B 13/02: of two or more fluids at the same time - F04B 49/02: Stopping, starting, unloading or idling control - F04B 49/106: {Responsive to pumped volume} - D06F 34/14: Arrangements for detecting or measuring specific parameters - D06F 39/028: {Arrangements for selectively supplying water to detergent compartments} - D06F 39/085: {Arrangements or adaptations of pumps} - D06F 39/10: Filtering arrangements - D06F 39/14: Doors or covers; Securing means therefor - D06F 2103/18: Washing liquid level - F04B 17/03: driven by electric motors - F04B 19/22: of reciprocating-piston type - F04B 2205/09: Flow through the pump - D06F: LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES - F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F) ## Abstract Provided is a washing agent pump and a laundry treating apparatus having the same. The laundry treating apparatus may include a cabinet, a tub provided within the cabinet, a rotary tub provided within the tub in a rotatable manner, and a washing agent supply unit. The washing agent supply unit may include a storage container to store a liquid washing agent including a liquid detergent or a liquid softener, the storage container being slidably provided in the cabinet, a washing agent supply passage having one side connected to the storage container and another side connected to the tub, and a washing agent delivery device provided in the washing agent supply passage to deliver the liquid washing agent to the tub. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A washing agent pump, comprising: a passage body having a passage for a liquid washing agent including a liquid detergent or a liquid softener and a pressurized space, and provided with an intake valve that opens and closes an inlet port of the pressurized space and a discharge valve that opens and closes an outlet port of the pressurized space; a cylinder disposed at one side of the passage body to communicate with the pressurized space; a piston disposed within the cylinder in a reciprocating manner; a piston operating unit that operates the piston to reciprocate; and a residual quantity detecting unit detecting a low level of the liquid washing agent, and provided with an air pocket cavity and electrodes to contact the liquid washing agent in the passage, wherein the air pocket cavity is defined by an air pocket forming portion and an air pocket cover coupled to an upper end of the air pocket forming portion, the air pocket forming portion having a lower end in communication with the passage of the passage body and the upper end protruding upwardly from the passage body in an open state, wherein the electrodes are provided at the air pocket cover and downwardly extend into the air pocket forming portion to contact the liquid washing agent, wherein the air pocket cavity is configured to communicate with the passage of the passage body at a lower portion thereof and upwardly protrude from the passage to accommodate air in a compressed state therein, so as to prevent bubble generated due to a flow of the liquid washing agent with air from upwardly moving toward the electrodes, wherein the lower portion of the air pocket cavity is disposed below lower ends of the electrodes, wherein the air pocket forming portion has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, wherein the air pocket forming portion is provided with coupling portions to which coupling members inserted through the air pocket cover are coupled. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The washing agent pump of claim 1, wherein the residual quantity detecting unit is disposed at a downstream side of the pressurized space along a flow direction of the liquid washing agent. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The washing agent pump of claim 2, wherein the passage body includes an introduction portion through which the liquid washing agent is introduced and a discharge portion through which the liquid washing agent is discharged, wherein the introduction portion and the discharge portion are spaced apart from each other in the flow direction of the liquid washing agent, and the discharge portion is located below the introduction portion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The washing agent pump of claim 3, wherein an upper end of the discharge portion is disposed at a height same as a bottom end of the introduction portion or lower than the bottom end of the introduction portion. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The washing agent pump of claim 1, wherein the passage body is provided with an introduction space disposed at an upstream side of the pressurized space, the introduction space storing the liquid washing agent introduced into the passage body, wherein the residual quantity detecting unit is disposed at the upstream side of the pressurized space along the flow direction of the liquid washing agent and is in communication with the introduction space, and wherein a volume of the air pocket cavity is greater than a volume of the introduction space. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The washing agent pump of claim 5, wherein the volume of the air pocket cavity is at least twice the volume of the introduction space such that, when the liquid washing agent and air temporarily occupy the air pocket cavity while the washing agent pump is in operation to pump the washing agent through the passage, air is positioned above the liquid washing agent in the air pocket cavity. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The washing agent pump of claim 1, wherein the intake valve is disposed within the pressurized space and the discharge valve is disposed outside the pressurized space, and wherein the washing agent pump further includes an intake valve spring and a discharge valve spring to restore the intake valve and the discharge valve to respective initial positions. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The washing agent pump of claim 1, wherein the coupling portions are disposed at both sides of the air pocket forming portion in a diagonal direction.