Patent ID: 8585378

Claim:
An improved electric pump comprising a stator, a rotor, an endshield, and a bearing, the rotor having a rotor shaft, the endshield being fixed to the stator and comprising a shaft opening, the shaft opening extending through the endshield, the rotor shaft extending through the shaft opening, the bearing being supported by the endshield, the bearing at least partially supporting the rotor shaft in a manner allowing the rotor shaft to revolve relative to the endshield, the improvement comprising: a spiral formation, the spiral formation constituting at least a portion of a fluid pump volute, the spiral formation and the endshield being monolithically formed together as a single part; a drainage passageway formed in the endshield, the drainage passageway extending downward from the shaft opening and being configured and adapted to channel liquid downward from the shaft opening via gravity; and a fluid reservoir formed by the endshield, the drainage passageway operatively connecting the shaft opening to the fluid reservoir, the fluid reservoir being exposed to and spaced from a surface of the stator.