A laundry washing machine includes a variable length agitator that is configurable in multiple configurations that provide different lengths for the agitator along its axis of rotation, and that is further biased to at least one of the configurations to facilitate user reconfiguration of the agitator.

A compact washing machine capable of improving detergency or reducing a washing time is provided. A drum 30 may be rotatably installed in a tub 20 installed in the inside of a housing 10 in the state in which an opening 12 is toward an opening of the drum 30. A pulsator 40 having a protrusion 45 extending in a radial direction may be rotatably installed on a bottom of the drum 30. During washing operation, a controller 60 may control a driving device 50 to rotate the pulsator 40 and the drum 30 in opposite directions.

A compact washing machine capable of improving detergency or reducing a washing time is provided. A drum 30 may be rotatably installed in a tub 20 installed in the inside of a housing 10 in the state in which an opening 12 is toward an opening of the drum 30. A pulsator 40 having a protrusion 45 extending in a radial direction may be rotatably installed on a bottom of the drum 30. During washing operation, a controller 60 may control a driving device 50 to rotate the pulsator 40 and the drum 30 in opposite directions.

A laundry mover for a laundry treating appliance may include a protrusion located on an upper side of the laundry mover and forming an open-bottom cavity. The protrusion may have at least one opening fluidly communicating the cavity with a portion of the treating chamber above the protrusion. A diverter may be located on a lower side of the laundry mover such that rotation of the laundry mover brings the diverter into contact with liquid in a portion of the treating chamber underneath the laundry mover, and the diverter directs the liquid through the cavity to expel the liquid through the at least one opening.

A laundry mover for a laundry treating appliance may include a protrusion located on an upper side of the laundry mover and forming an open-bottom cavity. The protrusion may have at least one opening fluidly communicating the cavity with a portion of the treating chamber above the protrusion. A diverter may be located on a lower side of the laundry mover such that rotation of the laundry mover brings the diverter into contact with liquid in a portion of the treating chamber underneath the laundry mover, and the diverter directs the liquid through the cavity to expel the liquid through the at least one opening.

A laundry treating apparatus includes a cabinet, a tub, a drum, a rotator including a bottom portion positioned on a bottom surface of the drum, a pillar protruding from the bottom portion toward an open surface of the drum, and blades spaced apart from one another along a circumferential direction of the pillar and inclined with respect to a longitudinal direction of the pillar, a water supply, a sprayer, a drainage, and a controller for controlling rotation of the drum and the rotator and operation of the water supply and the drainage. During a rinsing operation, the drum and the rotator rotate in a same direction while water is continuously sprayed through the sprayer and the drainage is closed.

A laundry treating apparatus includes a tub, a drum rotatably disposed inside the tub, a rotator that is rotatably disposed on a bottom surface of the drum and includes a pillar extending inside the drum and a plurality of blades spaced apart from each other along a circumferential direction of the pillar and inclined with respect to a longitudinal direction of the pillar, a motor for driving the drum and the rotator, and a controller that controls operation of the motor. A method for controlling the apparatus includes sensing an amount of clothes in the drum, sensing a washing load of the clothes including a moisture content from water supplied into the tub, and sensing a cloth material of the clothes. When the washing load corresponds to a normal washing load in the first cloth material sensing operation, a first washing process is performed according to the washing load.

A method for controlling a laundry treating apparatus includes a dry cloth sensing operation of sensing an amount of clothes put into a drum, a wet cloth sensing operation of sensing a washing load based on a moisture content of the clothes by supplying water into a tub, and a cloth material sensing operation of sensing a cloth material of the clothes put into the drum based on a rpm gap and a motor-constrained state where rotation of a motor is restricted. The rpm gap is a difference between a target rpm of a rotator in the drum and an actual rpm of the rotator.

A laundry treating apparatus includes a cabinet, a tub, a drum, a water supply, a drain, a rotator rotatably disposed on a bottom surface of the drum, and a controller that controls rotation of the rotator. The rotator includes a bottom portion positioned on the bottom surface, a pillar protruding from the bottom portion toward an open surface, and a blade including a plurality of blades disposed to be spaced apart from each other along a circumferential direction of the pillar. The blade extends from the bottom portion toward the open surface in an inclined direction with respect to a longitudinal direction of the pillar. The rotator performs a first rotation for generating an ascending water flow and a second rotation for generating a descending water flow. The controller controls the rotator to alternately repeat the first rotation and the second rotation.

Disposed is a laundry treating apparatus having a rotator. The rotator includes a bottom portion positioned on a bottom surface of a drum, a pillar protruding from the bottom portion toward an open surface of the drum, wherein the pillar is formed in a hollow shape, a blade protruding from an outer circumferential surface of the pillar, wherein the blade extends from one end thereof facing toward the bottom surface to the other end thereof facing toward the open surface, and a cap coupled to an end of the pillar to close an interior of the pillar, and the blade is disposed such that the other end thereof is spaced apart from the cap. Accordingly, it is possible to minimize deformation of the pillar in manufacturing the rotator.