Cup washer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12588797-B2
Application number	US-202418434004-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2024
Priority date	Dec 12, 2023
Publication date	Mar 31, 2026
Grant date	Mar 31, 2026

Abstract

Disclosed is a cup washer. The cup washer of the present disclosure includes an additive storage part and an additive supply part. The additive storage part is configured to store an additive in a storage space. The additive supply part is configured to supply the additive into the tub. The additive supply part includes an additive pump and a first additive supply pipe. The additive pump is located below the additive storage part. The first additive supply pipe connects the lower portion of the additive storage part to the inlet of the additive pump. The first additive supply pipe is configured to provide a first supply passage through which the additive of the additive storage part moves toward the inlet of the additive pump. The first additive supply pipe and the inlet are connected to each other at a predetermined angle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A cup washer configured to wash a cup by spraying water into a tub, the cup washer comprising:
an additive storage part configured to store an additive in a storage space; and an additive supply part configured to supply the additive into the tub, wherein the additive supply part comprises:
an additive pump disposed below the additive storage part;
a first additive supply pipe configured to connect a lower portion of the additive storage part to an inlet of the additive pump to provide a first supply passage through which the additive of the additive storage part moves toward the inlet of the additive pump; and
a second additive supply pipe connected to an outlet of the additive pump to provide a second supply passage through which the additive discharged from the outlet of the additive pump located under the inlet moves,
wherein the first additive supply pipe and the inlet are connected at a predetermined angle, wherein the first additive supply pipe and the second additive supply pipe are configured as a single supply pipe, and wherein the first supply passage and the second supply passage are partitioned by a pipe wall located between heights of the inlet and the outlet.

2 . The cup washer of claim 1 , wherein the additive supply part comprises a pump housing disposed lower than a bottom of the storage space and configured to accommodate the additive pump therein, and
wherein the first additive supply pipe is coupled to the additive storage part and the pump housing.

3 . The cup washer of claim 2 , wherein the additive storage part has an additive discharge hole provided in a lower thereof, the first additive supply pipe being vertically inserted into the additive discharge hole, and
wherein a pair of sealing members is interposed between an outer surface of the first additive supply pipe and an inner surface of the additive discharge hole, wherein the pair of sealing members are vertically spaced apart from each other within the additive discharge hole.

4 . The cup washer of claim 2 , wherein the additive discharged from the outlet of the additive pump located under the inlet moves to an outside of the pump housing, and
wherein the second additive supply pipe and the outlet are connected at a predetermined angle.

5 . The cup washer of claim 4 , wherein the additive pump comprises:
an additive tube comprising the inlet and the outlet; and a rotating roller configured to rotate by an additive motor to pressurize the additive tube, and wherein a power shaft configured to transmit torque of the additive motor to the rotating roller is provided between heights of the inlet and the outlet.

6 . The cup washer of claim 5 , wherein the additive tube has a shape bent between the inlet and the outlet.

7 . The cup washer of claim 5 , wherein the pump housing comprises:
a housing body comprising an intermediate partition through which the power shaft passes, wherein the intermediate partition is configured to partition a first accommodation space configured to accommodate the additive pump and a second accommodation space configured to accommodate the additive motor; a first housing cover configured to open and close the first accommodation space; and a second housing cover configured to open and close the second accommodation space.

8 . The cup washer of claim 7 , wherein the first housing cover and the second housing cover are coupled to a lower portion of the additive storage part from opposite sides with respect to the first additive supply pipe.

9 . The cup washer of claim 5 , wherein the additive pump comprises:
a magnetic force member configured to rotate by the additive motor; and a magnetic force sensor provided on one side of a rotation path of the magnetic force member to detect the rotation of the rotating roller, and wherein an input amount of the additive is controlled by a signal from the magnetic force sensor.

10 . The cup washer of claim 4 , wherein the second additive supply pipe is coupled to the pump housing.

11 . The cup washer of claim 1 , wherein the pipe wall is disposed at a height closer to the inlet than the outlet.

12 . The cup washer of claim 1 , wherein the first additive supply pipe and the inlet are connected to each other at an angle of 90 degrees, and
wherein the second additive supply pipe and the outlet are connected to each other at an angle of 90 degrees.

13 . The cup washer of claim 1 , wherein the additive supply part comprises an additive transfer pipe configured to connect the second additive supply pipe to the tub to supply the additive into the tub from below the outlet.

14 . The cup washer of claim 1 , wherein the additive supply part is configured to supply the additive into the tub through an additive inlet provided in a first region of an inner wall of the tub, and
wherein the cup washer further comprises a washing water supply part configured to supply water to the first region.

15 . The cup washer of claim 1 , wherein the additive storage part comprises:
a first additive storage part configured to store a first additive in a first storage space; and a second additive storage part configured to store a second additive in a second storage space, wherein the additive supply part comprises: a first additive supply part configured to supply the first additive to into the tub; and a second additive supply part configured to supply the second additive into the tub, and wherein the cup washer further comprises a controller configured to individually control the first additive supply part and the second additive supply part.

16 . The cup washer of claim 15 , wherein the first additive supply part is configured to supply the first additive into the tub through a first additive inlet provided in a first region of an inner wall of the tub, and
wherein the second additive supply part is configured to supply the second additive into the tub through a second additive inlet provided in the first region.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Minhyuk
• Lee Sung Hun
• Song Woongsup
• Jung Taeyong

Classifications

• A47L15/4418 Primary

  in the form of liquids (A47L15/4409, A47L15/4436, A47L15/4445 take precedence) · CPC title

• A47L15/44

  Devices for adding cleaning agents; {Devices for dispensing cleaning agents, rinsing aids or deodorants} · CPC title

• F04B43/1246

  the roller being placed at the outside of the tubular flexible member · CPC title

• F04B43/09

  Pumps having electric drive · CPC title

• A47L2501/07

  Consumable products, e.g. detergent, rinse aids or salt · CPC title