The present disclosure relates to a pump motor having improved safety and a washing machine having the same.
In general, household appliances using water, such as washing machines, dishwashers, and the like, can discharge the used water to the outside of the household appliances through a pump motor.
As an example of the household appliances using water, a washing machine is an apparatus for removing foreign matters from laundry by the friction between washing water and the laundry, and may include a water drainage device for discharging the used washing water to the outside from the water tank for receiving the washing water. When the washing of the laundry is finished, the washing water contaminated during the washing process is discharged to the outside through the water drainage device. Discharge of the contaminated washing water may be achieved by driving a pump motor of the water drainage device.
Since such a pump motor is provided inside the household appliance using water, moisture may be introduced into the pump motor during the operation of the household appliance. In the case where moisture is introduced into a terminal part that supplies power to the pump motor, a plurality of terminals may be electrically connected to each other by moisture so that short-circuiting or tracking phenomenon may occur. Accordingly, there is the risk of fire.
It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a pump motor capable of blocking moisture that can flow into the pump motor in advance and a washing machine having the same.
In order to achieve the above-described object, an aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a pump motor which may include a case; a socket part disposed in a portion of the case and provided with a terminal part thereinside; and a cover part detachably coupled to the case and configured to open and close the socket part, wherein the socket part may include a moisture blocking member configured to block a gap between the case and the cover part.
In order to achieve the above-described object, another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a pump motor which may include a case; a terminal part including a first terminal and a second terminal; a socket part disposed in a portion of the case and provided with the terminal part thereinside; and a cover part detachably coupled to the case and configured to open and close the socket part, wherein the socket part may include a body part surrounding the terminal part; a moisture blocking member bent along an edge of the body part outward of the socket part and configured to block a gap between the case and the cover part; at least one barrier configured to partition between the first terminal and the second terminal; and a plurality of drain holes with the at least one barrier in between.
In order to achieve the above-described object, another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a washing machine which may include a main body provided with a water tub; and a pump motor configured to discharge washing water that is accommodated in the water tub, wherein the pump motor may include a case: a socket part disposed in a portion of the case and provided with a terminal part thereinside; and a cover part detachably coupled to the case and configured to open and close the socket part, and wherein the socket part may include a moisture blocking member configured to block a gap between the case and the cover part.
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described below will be described on the basis of embodiments best suited to understand the technical features of the present disclosure and the technical features of the present disclosure are not limited by the embodiments described. The present disclosure may be implemented as the embodiments described below.
The present disclosure is capable of various modifications within the scope of the present disclosure through the embodiments described below and such modifications will fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure. In regard to reference numerals indicated in the accompanying drawings in order to facilitate understanding of the embodiments to be described below, related components among components that perform the same operation in each embodiment are indicated by the same or extension numeral.
The washing machine 1 may include a main body 20 that forms an outer appearance thereof and is provided with an opening on the front surface thereof and a door 30 to open and close the opening. The main body 20 may include a water tub 21 for storing washing water and a rotary tub 22 that is rotatably disposed inside the water tub 21 and accommodates laundry.
A drainage device 40 for discharging the washing water stored in the water tub 21 to the outside may be provided below the water tub 21.
The drainage device 40 may include a pump 41 including a drainage filter 44, a first drainage pipe 42 connecting the water tub 21 and the pump 41, and a second drainage pipe 43 to discharge the washing water passed through the pump 41 to the outside of the washing machine 1. An impeller (not illustrated) of the pump motor 10 may be disposed inside the pump 41, and the washing water may be discharged to the outside of the washing machine 1 through the first and second drainage pipes 42 and 43 by rotation of the impeller.
Referring to
Referring to
The terminal part 120 may be supplied with power from a power source (not illustrated) provided in the washing machine 1. The terminal part 120 may include a pair of a first terminal 120a and a second terminal 120b protruding from the case toward the front (for example, a direction in which the cover part 200 is disposed) for connection with an electric wire (not illustrated). Thus, the pump motor 10 may be operated by receiving electricity from the power supply.
The first and second terminals 120a and 120b may be AC terminals or DC terminals. In addition, each of the first and second terminals 120a and 120b may have a rectangular plate-like structure or a cylindrical shape arranged long in the longitudinal direction. For convenience of explanation, the terminal part 120 in the embodiment of the present disclosure is described to provide with a pair of first and second terminals 120a and 120b, but the terminal part 120 is not limited thereto. The terminal part 120 may include three or more terminals.
The socket part 110 may include the terminal part 120 described above in the inside thereof and may surround the terminal part 120. In addition, the socket part 110 may include an opening 115 opened toward the front so that the terminal part 120 is connected to the electric wire.
Further, the pump motor 10 may include the cover part 200 that can prevent moisture from flowing into the socket part 110 having the terminal part 120 from the outside. The cover part 200 is configured to cover a portion of the case 100 including the socket part 110 and may include a rear cover 220 detachably coupled to the case 100 and a front cover 210, one end of which is pivotally coupled to the rear cover 220.
Referring to
The front cover 210 may be pivoted between a first position (see
Further, the socket part 110 may include a moisture blocking member 112 that blocks a gap between the case 100 and the cover part 200 to prevent the inflow of moisture, at least one barrier 113 capable of preventing movement of moisture between the first and second terminals 120a and 120b, and at least one drain hole 114 that discharges the moisture introduced into the socket part 110 to the outside.
Hereinafter, the structure of the socket part 110 having the terminal part 120 thereinside will be described in detail with reference to
Before the structure of the socket part 110 and its effect are explained, a path through which moisture flows into the pump motor 10 in the operation process of the washing machine 1 is as follows.
In the operation process of the washing machine 1, a large amount of washing water is used for washing laundry, so that periphery of the washing machine 1 may be generally distributed with high moisture. Since the washing machine 1 generates a lot of vibration in the operation process, the washing water or the moisture in the periphery of the washing machine 1 may flow into the pump motor 10. The moisture flowing into the pump motor 10 is condensed and flows down along the surface of the pump motor 10 due to the vibration of the washing machine 1 or gravity so that the moisture may flow into the socket part 110 through a gap between the case 100 and the cover part 200 around the socket part 110. As a result, a tracking phenomenon may occur between the first and second terminals 120a and 120b inside the socket part 110.
Referring to
As described above, the first and second terminals 120a and 120b may be disposed in the inside of the socket part 110 and an opening 115 opened toward the front may be provided to connect the first and second terminals 120a and 120b to the electric wire (or plug). In this case, the moisture flowing into the socket part 110 may be primarily blocked by the cover part 200 surrounding the socket part 110. Further, the moisture blocking member 112 may secondarily block the moisture flowing in through the gap between the cover part 200 and the case 100.
Hereinafter, the structure and function of the socket part 110 including the moisture blocking member 112 will be described in detail. The socket part 110 may include a body part 111 surrounding the first and second terminals 120a and 120b and the moisture blocking member 112 formed along an edge of the body part 111.
The body part 111 may have a shape in which a peripheral portion of the case 100 where the terminal part 120 is disposed protrudes toward the front and may have a shape corresponding to a plug or an outlet connected to the electric wire to be coupled. Accordingly, the body part 111 may be in the form of a wall surrounding the terminal part 120, and the terminal part 120 may be disposed inside the body part 111. Since the body part 111 surrounds the periphery of the terminal part 120, moisture that flows into the terminal part 120 directly from the upper, lower, left, and right sides of the terminal part 120 may be blocked.
The moisture blocking member 112 may protrude outward of the socket part 110 along the edge of the body part 111, and may be bent from the edge of the body part 111 toward the outside of the socket part 110. For example, the moisture blocking member 112 may be in the shape of a flange or rib formed along the edge of the body part 111 toward the outside of the socket part 110.
The moisture blocking member 112 may block the inflow path of moisture that can move to the inside of the socket part 110 along the outer surface of the body part 111. For example, even when the moisture distributed on the outer surface of the body part 111 moves toward the terminal part 120 along the outer surface of the body part 111, the moisture blocking member 112 protruding from the body part 111 may block the moisture which is intended to move toward the inside of the socket part 110 along the outer surface of the body part 111. In addition, the moisture moving along the outer surface of the body part 111 may be removed by flowing down to the lower side of the socket part 110 along the rear surface of the moisture blocking member 112.
Specifically, the moisture blocking member 112 may include an upper member 112a, a right member 112b, a lower member 112c, and a left member 112d, depending on the position disposed on the body part 111. The upper member 112a, the right member 112b, the lower member 112c, and the left member 112d may be integrally formed.
Since the moisture that can flow into the socket part 110 may move from the upper portion to the lower portion of the socket part 110 by gravity, a large amount of moisture may be distributed on the top surface 111a of the body part 111, on which the moisture is less likely to move by gravity, as compared with the bottom surface and opposite side surfaces. Even when the moisture moves toward the opening 115 of the socket part 110 along the top surface 111a of the body part 111, the movement path of the moisture may be blocked by the upper member 112a bent from the top surface 111a of the body part 111 and the moisture that is blocked from moving may fall down below the socket part 110 through the rear surface 112a″ of the upper member 112a, the rear surfaces of the right or left members 112b and 112d and the rear surface of the lower member 112c.
Further, referring to
In addition, the angle α between the upper member 112a of the moisture blocking member 112 and the top surface 111a of the body part 111 may be a right angle. By changing the angle α, the moisture that can be distributed on the upper member 112a may be easily moved to the lower side of the socket part 110. Also, the top surface 111a of the body part 111 may be inclined so that the inclination of the top surface 111a of the body part 111 decreases toward the rear where the case 100 is coupled from the front where the moisture blocking member 112 is connected. Thus, the moisture that can flow into the terminal part 120 through the body part 111 may be blocked by moving the moisture distributed on the top surface 111a of the body part 111 toward the outer surface of the case 100 which is opposite to the opening 115 of the socket part 110 along the inclined top surface 111a.
Further, the socket part 110 in this embodiment may include at least one barrier 113 to prevent the above-described tracking phenomenon.
The barrier 113 may be disposed between the first terminal 120a and the second terminal 120b. The barrier 113 may partition between the first terminal 120a and the second terminal 120b by isolating them. Therefore, even when moisture flows into the socket part 110 in which the first terminal 120a and the second terminal 120b are disposed, the barrier 113 may block the movement path of the moisture between the first terminal 120a and the second terminal 120b, thereby preventing the tracking.
Further, the barrier 113 may include a first barrier 113a and a second barrier 113b as illustrated in
Specifically, referring to
For example, even when the moisture introduced into the first space S1 in which the first terminal 120a is disposed is moved toward the second space S2 in which the second terminal 120b is disposed by vibration, the flow of the moisture may be primarily blocked by the first barrier 113a. Even if the moisture passes over the first barrier 113a, the second barrier 113b may shut off the inflow path secondarily. Alternatively, the barrier 113 may be composed of three or more.
Also, the socket part 110 in this embodiment may include at least one drain hole 114 to prevent the above-described tracking phenomenon.
The drain hole 114 may be formed in the lower portion of the socket part 110. The drain hole 114 may be formed in the lower portion of the body part 111 or may be formed between the body part 111 and the moisture blocking member 112. Specifically, the drain hole 114 may be formed in the lower surface of the body part 111 close to the lower member 112c of the moisture blocking member 112. Accordingly, the drain hole 114 may discharge moisture, which may be accumulated inside the socket part 110 provided with the terminal part 120, to the outside of the socket part 110.
The drain hole 114 may include a plurality of drain holes, and may be formed in opposite sides of the barrier 113 disposed inside the socket part 110, respectively. For example, as illustrated in
In addition, the inner lower portion of the socket part 110 including the drain hole 114 may include an inclined surface inclined toward the drain hole 114. Thus, even when moisture flows into the socket part 110, the inflowing moisture moves toward the drain hole 114 along the inclined surface, so that the moisture may be easily discharged through the drain hole 114. In addition, since the lower portion of the body part 111 on the first space S1 includes an inclined surface inclined toward the first drain hole 114a and the lower portion of the body part 111 on the second space S2 includes an inclined surface inclined toward the second drain hole 114b, the moisture introduced into the first and second spaces S1 and S2 may be easily discharged through the first and second drain holes 114a and 114b, respectively.
Hereinafter, the blocking of the inflow of moisture into the socket part 110 due to the opening and closing of the cover part 200 will be described with reference to
The cover part 200 may include the front cover 210 and the rear cover 220 as described above. The rear cover 220 may be detachably coupled to a portion of the case 100 including the socket part 110 and the front cover 210 may be connected to the rear cover 220 to be openable and closable.
The front cover 210 may include a front surface 212, a top surface 211 bent from the front surface 212, and a right surface 213 and a left surface 214 bent from the front surface 212. When the front cover 210 is closed, the inner space formed by the top surface 211, the front surface 212, the right surface 213, and the left surface 214 may accommodate the socket part 110. The top surface 211 of the front cover 210 may be rotatably connected to the rear cover 220, and the front cover 210 may be opened and closed by rotation.
As illustrated in
The front cover 210 may be rotated with respect to the rear cover 220 for opening and closing the front cover 210. To this end, the top surface 211 of the front cover 210 may be rotatably connected to the rear cover 220. In addition, one end 211a of the top surface 211 of the front cover 210 and one end 220a of the rear cover 220 to which the top surface 211 of the front cover 210 is connected may be spaced apart by a predetermined gap from each other in order to secure a space in which the top surface 211 of the front cover 210 can rotate, and a predetermined gap may be formed between the cover part 200 and the case 100 including the socket part 110.
As illustrated in
As described above, when the front cover 210 is closed, the moisture blocking member 112 may block the moisture that flows into the socket part 110 through the first gap G1 between the front cover 210 and the rear cover 220 and the gap between the cover part 200 and the case 100, thereby easily preventing the tracking phenomenon.
As illustrated in
When the front cover 210 is opened from a closed state, the moisture distributed on the outer surface of the front cover 210 may move to the lower side of the front cover 210 along the top surface 211 of the front cover 210 by gravity.
As illustrated in
Accordingly, even when the moisture moving downward along the top surface 211 of the front cover 210 flows into the second gap G2 formed between the one end 211a of the top surface 211 of the front cover 210 and the one end 220a of the rear cover 220, the inflowing moisture may be prevented from flowing into the socket part 110 through the gap between the cover part 200 and the case 100.
As described above, when the front cover 210 is opened, the moisture blocking member 112 may block the moisture from flowing into the socket part 110 through the second gap G2 between the front cover 210 and the rear cover 220 and the gap between the cover part 200 and the case 100, thereby easily preventing the tracking phenomenon.
As described above, the pump motor 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure and the washing machine 1 having the same may primarily block the moisture that flows into the socket part 110 provided with the terminal part 120 through the cover part 200 detachably coupled to the case 100 of the pump motor 10.
In addition, the moisture that flows into the socket part 110 may be secondarily blocked by shielding the gap formed between the front cover 210 and the rear cover 220 and the gap formed between the cover part 200 and the case 100 including the socket part 110 for opening and closing the front cover 210 constituting the cover part 200 through the moisture blocking member 112.
Further, even if moisture flows into the inside of the socket part 110 provided with the terminal part 120, the inflowing moisture may be easily discharged through the drain hole 114 provided in the lower portion of the socket part 110, and even if some moisture that has not been discharged remains inside the socket part 110, the barrier 113 provided with between the first terminal 120a and the second terminal 120b may block the movement of the moisture from the first terminal 120a to the second terminal 120b or from the second terminal 120b to the first terminal 120a. Accordingly, the tracking phenomenon, which may be caused by the inflow of the moisture into the first terminal 120a and the second terminal 120b, may be effectively prevented, and the fire due to the tracking may be prevented, so that the stability of the pump motor 10 and the washing machine 1 having the same may be increased.
In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the washing machine 1 provided with the pump motor 10 has been described as an example of household appliances. However, the pump motor 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be applied to various household appliances having a pump such as a dishwasher, a water purifier, or the like.
In the above description, although various embodiments of the present disclosure are described individually, the respective embodiment is not necessarily solely implemented, the configuration and operation of the respective embodiments may also be implemented in combination with at least one of other embodiments.
In the above description, although the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments and may be variously modified without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the modifications should not be understood separately from the technical spirit or scope of the present disclosure.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10-2015-0186745 | Dec 2015 | KR | national |
This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 17/663,356 filed May 13, 2022, which is a division of application Ser. No. No. 17/304,833, filed Jun. 25, 2021, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,332,875, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 16/780,675, filed Feb. 3, 2020, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,466,392, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 15/767,118, filed Apr. 9, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,550,505, which is the National Stage of International Application No. PCT/KR2016/015162, filed Dec. 23, 2016, which claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. KR 10-2015-0186745, filed Dec. 24, 2015, the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 17304833 | Jun 2021 | US |
Child | 17663356 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 17663356 | May 2022 | US |
Child | 18480895 | US | |
Parent | 16780675 | Feb 2020 | US |
Child | 17304833 | US | |
Parent | 15767118 | Apr 2018 | US |
Child | 16780675 | US |