Patent ID: 8387308
Filing Date: 2013-03-05
Classification: A01C

Abstract:
1. A separately washable rice germination apparatus comprising: a germination container adapted to store rice to be germinated therein and receive circulating water; a water tank disposed below the germination container so as to supply the circulating water to the germination container; a bent water pipe disposed at the inside of the water tank so as to feed the circulating water to the germination container; and a power unit having an impeller disposed below the bent water pipe in the interior of the water tank so as to allow the circulating water to be supplied to the germination container therethrough and a motor disposed at the outside of the water tank and detachably coupled to the impeller by means of a magnet so as to provide power rotating the impeller, wherein the water tank comprises an upper water tank having a bent water pipe-coupling hole formed thereon to supply the circulating water to the germination container and a lower water tank adapted to store the circulating water therein and having an impeller-coupling part protruded upwardly from the center portion of the bottom surface thereof, wherein the bent water pipe is press-fitted an upper portion of the impeller-coupling part on which the impeller is seated and is extended from the bottom surface of the lower water tank to the bent water pipe-coupling hole of the upper water tank so as to supply the circulating water to the upper water tank, and wherein the power unit is configured in a magnetic levitation manner to provide a motor part having the motor disposed on the outside of the underside of the lower water tank so as to provide a rotary force and a magnetic force transmitter having a magnet rotatably connected to a rotary shaft of the motor, and the impeller disposed on the inside bottom surface of the lower water tank and connected to the magnetic force transmitter by means of a magnetic force through the bottom surface of the closed lower water tank so as to be rotated together with the magnetic force transmitter, wherein the magnetic force transmitter is spaced apart from the underside of the lower water tank, so as to prevent a direct contact with the lower water tank during the rotation thereof wherein the impeller comprises: wherein the impeller-coupling part comprises a supporting projection step formed on the bottom surface of the lower water tank so as to support the lower portion of the impeller magnet in such a manner as to allow the impeller magnet to be spaced apart by the predetermined distance from the bottom surface of the lower water tank, and a fixing shaft extended by a predetermined length from the top portion of the supporting projection step in such a manner as to fix the rotary shaft of the impeller thereon.