# US 2021/0344249 A1 · Electric motor assembly and hair dryer 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 2021/0344249 A1
- Document ID: US20210344249A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/130,837
- Filed: 2020-12-22
- Published: 2021-11-04
- Earliest claimed: 2020-04-29
- Assignees: LG Electronics Inc.
- Applicants: LG Electronics Inc.
- Inventors: Jaeho KIM; Sunghyun KIM; Kyungho HA
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210344249A1

## CPC

- H02K 5/1732: {radially supporting the rotary shaft at both ends of the rotor (H02K5/1737 takes precedence)}
- A45D 20/12: Details thereof or accessories therefor, e.g. nozzles, stands
- H02K 1/146: {consisting of a generally annular yoke with salient poles}
- H02K 1/185: {to outer stators}
- H02K 7/083: {radially supporting the rotary shaft at both ends of the rotor (H02K7/086, H02K7/09 take precedence)}
- H02K 7/14: Structural association with mechanical loads, e.g. with hand-held machine tools or fans (with fan or impeller for cooling the machine H02K9/06)
- H02K 11/30: Structural association with control circuits or drive circuits
- H02K 11/33: Drive circuits, e.g. power electronics (H02K11/38 takes precedence)
- H02K 21/14: with magnets rotating within the armatures
- H02K 21/16: having annular armature cores with salient poles (with homopolar co-operation H02K21/20)
- H02K 2211/03: Machines characterised by circuit boards, e.g. pcb
- H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53})
- A45D: HAIRDRESSING OR SHAVING EQUIPMENT (wigs, toupees or the like A41G3/00, A41G5/00; hairdressers' chairs A47C1/04; hair cutting appliances, razors B26B); EQUIPMENT FOR COSMETICS OR COSMETIC TREATMENTS, e.g. FOR MANICURING OR PEDICURING

## Abstract

An electric motor assembly includes an outer housing, an impeller rotatably disposed in the outer housing, an inner housing that is disposed in the outer housing and defines an air flow path at an outside of the inner housing, a stator disposed in the inner housing, a rotor disposed in the inner housing, the rotor comprising a rotating shaft coupled to the impeller, a first bearing that is disposed in the inner housing and supports a first side of the rotating shaft, a second bearing that disposed in the inner housing and supports a second side of the rotating shaft, and a bracket that is disposed at the second bearing and that is in contact with an end of the stator. The bracket is coupled to the inner housing in an axial direction of the inner housing.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electric motor assembly, comprising:
an outer housing;
an impeller rotatably disposed in the outer housing;
an inner housing that is disposed in the outer housing and defines an air flow path at an outside of the inner housing;
a stator disposed in the inner housing;
a rotor disposed in the inner housing, the rotor comprising a rotating shaft coupled to the impeller;
a first bearing that is disposed in the inner housing and supports a first side of the rotating shaft;
a second bearing that disposed in the inner housing and supports a second side of the rotating shaft, wherein the rotor is disposed between the first bearing and the second bearing; and
a bracket that is disposed at the second bearing and that is in contact with an end of the stator, the bracket being coupled to the inner housing in an axial direction of the inner housing.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The electric motor assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner housing comprises:
an inner housing body having a cylindrical shape; and
a plurality of legs that protrude from the inner housing body and are coupled to the bracket.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The electric motor assembly of claim 2, wherein the bracket comprises:
a bearing accommodation portion that receives the second bearing; and
a plurality of bridges that extend from the bearing accommodation portion toward the stator.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The electric motor assembly of claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of bridges comprises a leg contact portion that is in contact with one of the plurality of legs.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The electric motor assembly of claim 4, wherein the leg contact portion is recessed from an outer surface of one of the plurality of bridges in a thickness direction.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The electric motor assembly of claim 4, wherein the stator comprises:
a stator core, the stator core comprising a plurality of coupling protrusions that protrude from an outer surface of the stator core in a radial direction and extend in the axial direction; and
a stator coil that is wound around at least a portion of the stator core, and
wherein the inner housing defines a plurality of slits, each of the plurality of slits receiving one of the plurality of coupling protrusions.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The electric motor assembly of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of slits extends through one of the plurality of legs, and
wherein each of the plurality of bridges comprises an insertion protrusion that is inserted into one of the plurality of slits.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The electric motor assembly of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of bridges further comprises a side coupling portion coupled to a side surface of one of the plurality of legs.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The electric motor assembly of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of bridges further comprises an outer surface coupling portion coupled to an outer surface of one of the plurality of legs.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The electric motor assembly of claim 9, wherein the outer surface coupling portion is bent from the side coupling portion or the insertion protrusion.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The electric motor assembly of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of legs comprises a side portion that extends from an end of the inner housing, and
wherein a circumferential width of the side portion decreases in a direction away from the end of the inner housing.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The electric motor assembly of claim 11, wherein the circumferential width of the side portion is greater than a circumferential width of one of the plurality of bridges.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The electric motor assembly of claim 12, wherein the side portion has a curved shape or a linear shape that is inclined with respect to the axial direction.

### Claim 14 (depends on 6)

The electric motor assembly of claim 6, wherein the stator further comprises an insulator made of an insulation material and disposed between the stator core and the stator coil, and
wherein the insulator comprises an end turn insulation portion that protrudes toward the impeller relative to an end of the stator core and that is disposed at a position corresponding to an end turn portion of the stator coil.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The electric motor assembly of claim 14, further comprising a printed circuit board (PCB) disposed at one side of the bracket and electrically connected to the stator coil.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The electric motor assembly of claim 15, wherein the PCB comprises a plurality of connection pins that are electrically connected to the stator coil.

### Claim 17 (depends on 4)

The electric motor assembly of claim 4, wherein the plurality of bridges are bonded to the plurality of legs by an adhesive.

### Claim 18 (depends on 3)

The electric motor assembly of claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of bridges has an end contact portion that is in surface contact with the end of the stator.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The electric motor assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner housing has an upstream end located adjacent to the impeller, and a downstream end located away from the impeller, and
wherein the downstream end of the inner housing protrudes outward relative to an end of the outer housing in a flowing direction of air moved by the impeller.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

A hair dryer comprising the electric motor assembly according to claim 1, the hair dryer further comprising:
a hair dryer body that defines an air outlet port; and
a handle that is connected to the hair dryer body and accommodates the electric motor assembly, the handle defining an air inlet port configured to communicate with the air outlet port.