Pump and dishwasher comprising the same
AssigneeLG Electronics Inc.
InventorsSangwoo Woo, Minseong Kim, Hyungman Park
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pump sends washing water and generates steam in order to wash the dishes or the cooking utensils, and a dishwasher including the same. The pump includes a housing, an impeller disposed inside the housing and configured to flow washing water, and a heater coupled to a lower side of the housing and configured to generate steam by heating the washing water in the housing. The housing includes a pump lower portion configured to receive the washing water based on rotation of the impeller, and a pump upper portion configured to discharge the washing water based on rotation of the impeller and to discharge the steam generated by the heater.
Claims20
A dishwasher comprising:
- a tub;
- a spray arm configured to spray washing water into the tub;
- a steam nozzle configured to discharge steam into the tub;
- a sump configured to store washing water;
- and
- a pump that is configured to supply washing water from the sump to the spray arm, that is configured to generate steam, and that is configured to supply steam to the steam nozzle,
- wherein the pump comprises:
- a housing that defines a pump lower portion that is connected to the sump, and a pump upper portion that is connected to the spray arm and to the steam nozzle,
- a partition wall that divides the housing into the pump lower portion and the pump upper portion,
- an impeller located inside the housing and configured to rotate relative to the housing, and
- a heater that is disposed at a lower side of the housing, that is configured to heat washing water in the housing, and that is configured to generate steam from washing water in the housing,
- wherein the pump upper portion comprises:
- an upper chamber that accommodates the impeller,
- a washing water outflow pipe connected to the housing and configured to discharge washing water from the housing, and
- a steam discharge pipe connected to the housing and configured to discharge steam from the housing,
- wherein the steam discharge pipe and the washing water outflow pipe are spaced apart from the partition wall and disposed upward relative to the partition wall, and
- wherein a vertical distance between the partition wall and a lowest connection point between the steam discharge pipe and the housing is greater than a vertical distance between the partition wall and a lowest connection point between the washing water outflow pipe and the housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.