Laundry treating apparatus

Abstract

A laundry treating apparatus includes: a drum, a first lifter disposed on an inner circumferential surface of the drum, and a second lifter that is disposed on the inner circumferential surface of the drum at a position rearward of the first lifter. Each of the first lifter and the second lifter includes at least one insertion protrusion. The drum defines: a first group of one or more mounting slots in a first area of the drum; and a second group of one or more mounting slots in a second area of the drum. The second area is disposed rearward relative to the first area and overlaps with at least a portion of the first area of the drum, and the at least one insertion protrusion is configured to selectively insert into the one or more mounting slots in the first group or the second group.

Claims

1. A laundry treating apparatus comprising: a drum configured to receive laundry and to rotate about a rotation axis that extends in a front-rear direction of the laundry treating apparatus; and a front lifter and a rear lifter that are arranged one an inner circumferential surface of the drum along the front-rear direction, wherein each of the front lifter and the rear lifter comprises at least one insertion protrusion, wherein the drum has a first group of mounting slots in a first region of the drum and a second group of mounting slots in a second region of the drum, the first group of mounting slots and the second group of mounting slots being configured to receive either the front lifter or the rear lifter, wherein the first region and the second region are defined at the inner circumferential surface of the drum in a row in the front-rear direction, and the second region is shifted rearward from the first region such that the first region and the second region partially overlap along the front-rear direction, and wherein the at least one insertion protrusion is configured to selectively insert into the first group of mounting slots or the second group of mounting slots.

2. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the first group comprises two or more first mounting slots that are spaced apart from one another by a first interval and that are arranged along a first row that extends in the front-rear direction; and the second group comprises two or more second mounting slots that are arranged along the first row, each of the two or more second mounting slots being defined at a position rearward relative to one of the two or more first mounting slots by a second interval that is less than the first interval.

3. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 2, wherein: the first group further comprises two or more third mounting slots that are spaced apart from one another by the first interval and that are arranged along a second row parallel to the first row; and the second group comprises two or more fourth mounting slots that are arranged along the second row, each of the two or more fourth mounting slots being defined at a position rearward from one of the two or more third mounting slots by the second interval.

4. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 2, wherein: the front lifter comprises a fastening boss that is spaced apart from a front end of the front lifter by a distance greater than the second interval; and the drum defines: a first fastening hole configured to be coupled to the fastening boss based on the at least one insertion protrusion being inserted into one of the two or more first mounting slots, and a second fastening hole spaced apart rearward from the first fastening hole and configured to be coupled to the fastening boss based on the at least one insertion protrusion being inserted into one of the two or more second mounting slots.

5. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the front lifter is configured to: based on the at least one insertion protrusion being inserted into the first group of mounting slots, cover the second group of mounting slots; and based on the at least one insertion protrusion being inserted into the second group of mounting slots, cover the first group of mounting slots.

6. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 5, wherein the front lifter is configured to, based on the at least one insertion protrusion being inserted into the first group of mounting slots or the second group of mounting slots, cover all mounting slots in the first group and the second group, and wherein a front end of the front lifter is positioned forward relative to a frontmost mounting slot in the first group, and a rear end of the front lifter is positioned rearward relative to a rearmost mounting slot in the second group.

7. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1, wherein a distance from a front end of the drum to a front end of the front lifter is, in a state in which the at least one insertion protrusion is inserted into the second group of mounting slots, less than a distance from the front end of the drum to a front end of the first group of mounting slots.

8. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1, wherein a distance from a front end of the drum to a rear end of the front lifter is, in a state in which the at least one insertion protrusion is inserted into the first group of mounting slots, greater than a distance from the front end of the drum to a rear end of the second group of mounting slots.

9. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the front lifter has a fastening boss; the drum defines: a first fastening hole configured to be coupled to the fastening boss based on the at least one insertion protrusion being inserted into the first group of mounting slots, and a second fastening hole spaced rearward apart from the first fastening hole and configured to be coupled to the fastening boss based on the at least one insertion protrusion being inserted into the second group of mounting slots; and a distance between a front end of the front lifter and the fastening boss is greater than a distance between the first fastening hole and the second fastening hole.

10. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one insertion protrusion comprises: a vertical portion that extends in a radial direction of the drum and that is configured to pass through one of a first mounting slot in the first group of mounting slots or a second mounting slot in the second group of mounting slots; and a catching portion that is bent from the vertical portion and that has a greater width than the vertical portion, and wherein each of the first mounting slot and the second mounting slot comprises: an insertion section configured to receive the catching portion, and a binding section that extends forward or rearward from the insertion section, a width of the binding section being less than a width of the catching portion in a circumferential direction of the drum.

11. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the front lifter comprises a catching protrusion; the drum defines a pair of opening portions spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction; and the drum comprises a pair of catching tabs that respectively extend from sides of the pair of opening portions and that are configured to selectively contact the catching protrusion based on the at least one insertion protrusion being inserted into a first mounting slot in the first group of mounting slots or a second mounting slot in the second group of mounting slots.

12. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the front lifter comprises a fastening boss; and the drum defines a pair of fastening holes configured to be coupled to the fastening boss by a fastening member based on the at least one insertion protrusion being inserted into a first mounting slot in the first group of mounting slots or a second mounting slot in the second group of mounting slots.

13. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 12, wherein the drum further comprises a third mounting slot configured to receive the at least one insertion protrusion of the rear lifter.

14. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 13, wherein the third mounting slot is disposed at a position offset from the first mounting slot and the second mounting slot in a circumferential direction of the drum.

15. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 14, wherein the third mounting slot is disposed rearward relative to the first mounting slot and the second mounting slot.

16. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the front lifter comprises: a lifter frame that comprises the at least one insertion protrusion; and a frame cover that covers the lifter frame and that is configured to contact the laundry received in the drum.

17. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 16, wherein the lifter frame is made of synthetic resin, and the drum and the frame cover are made of metal.

18. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first region and the second region are defined at a front portion of the inner circumferential surface of the drum.

19. A laundry treating apparatus comprising: a drum configured to receive laundry and to rotate about a rotation axis that extends in a front-rear direction of the laundry treating apparatus; and a lifter disposed on an inner circumferential surface of the drum and configured to rotate about the rotation axis based on rotation of the drum, the lifter comprising at least one insertion protrusion, wherein the drum has: a first group of mounting slots in a first region of the drum, and a second group of mounting slots in a second region of the drum, wherein a front end of the second region is disposed rearward relative to a rear end of the first region, wherein the first region and the second region are defined at the inner circumferential surface of the drum in the row in the front-rear direction, and the second region is shifted rearward from the first region such that the first region and the second region partially overlap along the front-rear direction, and wherein the at least one insertion protrusion is configured to be selectively inserted into the first group of mounting slots or the second group of mounting slots.

20. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 19, wherein mounting slots in the first group are spaced apart from one another by a first interval in the front-rear direction, and wherein each of the one or more mounting slots in the second group is disposed at a position rearward relative to one of the one or more mounting slots in the first group by a second interval less than the first interval.

21. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 20, wherein the lifter is configured to, based on the at least one insertion protrusion being inserted the mounting slots in the first group or the second group, cover all mounting slots in the first group and the second group, and wherein a front end of the lifter is positioned forward relative to a frontmost mounting slot in the first group, and a rear end of the lifter is positioned rearward relative to a rearmost mounting slot in the second group.

22. A laundry treating apparatus comprising: a drum configured to receive laundry and to rotate about a rotation axis that extends in a front-rear direction of the laundry treating apparatus; and a lifter disposed on an inner circumferential surface of the drum and configured to rotate about the rotation axis based on rotation of the drum, the lifter comprising a first pair of insertion protrusions spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval and arranged along a first row extending in the front-rear direction, wherein the drum defines: a first pair of mounting slots arranged at positions corresponding to the first pair of insertion protrusions and configured to receive the first pair of insertion protrusions, and a second pair of mounting slots arranged along the first row and spaced apart from each other by the predetermined interval, wherein at least one of the second pair of mounting slots is defined between the first pair of mounting slots along the first row, and wherein the first pair of insertion protrusions are configured to selectively insert into the first pair of mounting slots or into the second pair of mounting slots.

23. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 22, wherein the lifter further comprises a second pair of insertion protrusions that are spaced apart from each other by the predetermined interval and that are arranged along a second row parallel to the first row, wherein the drum further defines: a third pair of mounting slots arranged at positions corresponding to the second pair of insertion protrusions and configured to receive the second pair of insertion protrusions, and a fourth pair of mounting slots arranged along the second row and spaced apart from each other by the predetermined interval, and wherein one of the fourth pair of mounting slots is disposed between the third pair of mounting slots.

24. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first row and the second row extend in parallel to the front-rear direction and are spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction of the drum.

25. A laundry treating apparatus comprising: a drum configured to receive laundry and to rotate about a rotation axis that extends in a front-rear direction of the laundry treating apparatus; and a lifter disposed on an inner circumferential surface of the drum, and wherein the lifter comprising a front lifter disposed in a front portion of the inner circumferential surface and a rear lifter disposed in a rear portion of the inner circumferential surface, wherein each of the front lifter and rear lifter includes a plurality of insertion protrusions, wherein the drum has: front slots defined at the front portion of the inner circumference surface and configured to receive the plurality of insertion protrusions of the front lifter, a number of the front slots being greater than a number of the plurality of insertion protrusions of the front lifter, and rear slot defined at the rear portion of the inner circumference surface and configured to receive the plurality of insertion protrusions of the rear lifter, a number of the rear slots being greater than a number of the plurality of insertion protrusions of the rear lifter, wherein the plurality of insertion protrusions of the front lifter are configured to be selectively inserted into a part of the front slots to thereby mount the front lifter in a plurality of locations in the front portion along the front-rear direction, and wherein the plurality of insertion protrusions of the rear lifter are configured to be selectively inserted into a part of the rear slots such to thereby mount the rear lifter in a plurality of locations in the rear portion along the front-rear direction.

26. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 25, wherein the front and rear slots define: a first group of slots in a first region of the drum; and a second group of slots in a second region of the drum, wherein a number of the slots in each of the first group and the second group is equal to a number of the plurality of insertion protrusions of each of the front and rear lifters, wherein a front end of the second region is disposed rearward relative to a front end of the first region and forward relative to a rear end of the first region along the front-rear direction, and wherein the plurality of insertion protrusions of the front and rear lifters are configured to insert into the slots in one of the first group or the second group.

27. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 26, wherein the first group of slots includes a first slot and a second slot arranged in the inner circumference surface in the front-rear direction, wherein the second group of slots includes a first slot and a second slot arranged in the inner circumference surface in the front-rear direction, and wherein the first slot of the second group is disposed forward relative to the second slot of the first group.

28. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 27, wherein a distance between the front and rear lifters defined in a state in which the plurality of insertion protrusions of the front lifter are inserted into the first group of slots is greater than a distance between the front and rear lifters defined in a state in which the plurality of insertion protrusions of the front lifter are inserted into the second group of slots.

29. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 27, wherein a distance between the front and rear lifters defined in a state in which the plurality of insertion protrusions of the rear lifter are inserted into the first group is less than a distance between the front and rear lifters defined in a state in which the plurality of insertion protrusions of the rear lifter are inserted into the second group of slots.

30. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 27, wherein each of the front and rear lifters is configured to cover all of the slots in the first group or the second group based on the insertion protrusions of each of the front and rear lifters being inserted into one of the first group or the second group.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description of the following aspects in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

(2) FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a laundry treating apparatus.

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a lifter illustrated in FIG. 1.

(4) FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the lifter illustrated in FIG. 2.

(5) FIG. 4 is a plan projection view showing the lifter illustrated in FIG. 2.

(6) FIG. 5A is a view illustrating an example of a raw material cut to manufacture a large-capacity drum, and FIG. 5B is a view illustrating an example of a raw material cut to manufacture a small-capacity drum.

(7) FIG. 6A is an enlarged view showing a part of the drum corresponding to part A of in FIG. 5A, and FIG. 6B is an enlarged view showing a part of the drum corresponding to part B in FIG. 5A.

(8) FIG. 7A is an enlarged view showing part B of the drum in FIG. 5A, and FIG. 7B is an enlarged view showing part C in FIG. 5B.

(9) FIG. 8 is a top plan view showing an example of a lifter frame, and

(10) FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view of the lifter frame.

(11) FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line A-A illustrated in FIG. 2.

(12) FIG. 11 is a front view showing the lifter frame, and

(13) FIG. 12 is a side view of the lifter frame.

(14) FIG. 13 is a top plan view showing an example of a frame cover,

(15) FIG. 14 is a front view of the frame cover, and

(16) FIG. 15 is a side view of the frame cover.

(17) FIG. 16 is a view illustrating an example of a pair of front and rear lifters illustrated in FIG. 1.

(18) FIG. 17 is a view illustrating the lifters illustrated in FIG. 16 when viewed from a front side.

(19) FIG. 18A is a view illustrating an example in which the drum illustrated in FIG. 1 is deployed, and FIG. 18B is a view illustrating an example of a developed view of the drum having the lifters.

(20) FIG. 19 is a view illustrating an example of a change in height of a first fabric caused by the rear lifter in accordance with a rotation angle of the drum, and a view illustrating an example of a change in height of a second fabric caused by the front lifter that constitutes a set together with the rear lifter.

(21) FIGS. 20A and 20B are views illustrating examples of an inner circumferential surface of a drum having mounting slots. FIG. 20A illustrates an example of a small-capacity drum, and FIG. 20B illustrates an example of a large-capacity drum.

(22) FIG. 21 illustrates another example of a lifter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(23) Advantages and features of the present disclosure and methods for achieving them will become apparent from the exemplary implementations described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the exemplary implementations disclosed herein but may be implemented in various different forms. The exemplary implementations are provided to make the description of the present disclosure thorough and to fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. It is to be noted that the scope of the present disclosure is defined only by the claims.

(24) Hereinafter, a washing machine will be described as an example of a laundry treating apparatus, but the laundry treating apparatus is not limited to the washing machine. The laundry treating apparatus is an apparatus for treating laundry (or an object to be dried) such as clothes inputted into a drum 51 and may be a dryer or a washing-drying machine.

(25) Referring to FIG. 1, a laundry treating apparatus may include a casing 13 configured to define an exterior, a water storage tub 31 disposed in the casing 13 and configured to store washing water, a washing tub 50 rotatably installed in the water storage tub 31 and configured to receive inserted laundry, and a motor 25 configured to rotate the washing tub 50. A damper 16 configured to absorb vibration of the water storage tub 31 may be provided in the casing 13.

(26) A drum 51 may be rotated about a rotation axis O extending in a front-rear direction, and the drum 51 may constitute the washing tub 50. The rotation axis is approximately horizontal. However, the term “horizontal” does not mean “geometrically horizontal” in a strict sense. In a case in which an inclination is closer to a horizontal axis than a vertical axis even though the inclination is formed at a certain angle with respect to the horizontal axis as illustrated in FIG. 1, it will be said that the drum 51 or the washing tub 50 is rotated about the horizontal axis.

(27) A laundry insertion port is formed in a front surface of the casing 13, and a door 21 configured to open or close the laundry insertion port may be rotatably provided on the casing 13. A tubular gasket 22 is provided such that the laundry insertion port and an inlet of the water storage tub 31 communicate with each other. The gasket 22 is made of a soft material (for example, rubber). A front end of the gasket 22 may be connected to a circumference of the laundry insertion port of the casing 13, and a rear end of the gasket 22 may be connected to a circumference of the inlet of the water storage tub 31.

(28) A water supply valve 33, a water supply pipe 34, and a water supply hose 37 may be installed in the casing 13. When the water supply valve 33 is opened and the washing water is supplied, the washing water that has passed through the water supply pipe 34 may be mixed with detergent in a dispenser 35 that stores the detergent, and then the washing water may be supplied to the water storage tub 31 through the water supply hose 37.

(29) An input port of a pump 24 is connected to the water storage tub 31 through the drain hose 17, and a discharge port of the pump 24 is connected to drain pipes 19. The water discharged from the water storage tub 31 through the drain hose 17 is pumped by the pump 24, flows through the drain pipes 19, and then is discharged to the outside of the laundry treating apparatus.

(30) The washing tub 50 may include the drum 51, a front cover 52 coupled to a front end of the drum 51, and a rear cover 53 coupled to a rear end of the drum 51. The drum 51 may be formed in the form of a tubular (or cylindrical) body made by rolling up a metal plate (for example, made of stainless steel) having a plurality of through-holes 51h (see FIGS. 5A and 5B) and then joining both ends of the metal plate. The water stored in the water storage tub 31 may be introduced into the washing tub 50 through the through-holes 51h. A plurality of embossed portions 51a (see FIGS. 5A and 5B), which are convexly formed by plastic processing, may be formed on an inner circumferential surface of the drum 51, and the through-holes 51h may be formed between the embossed portions 51a.

(31) An opening portion may be formed in the front cover 52 so that laundry may be inserted into the drum 51. The inlet of the water storage tub 31 communicates with the opening portion. The front cover 52 may be made of the same type of material as the drum 51.

(32) The rear cover 53 closes an opened rear side of the drum 51, and a spider 26 connected to a driving shaft 25a of the motor 25 may be coupled to a rear surface of the rear cover 53. The spider 26 is configured to transmit rotational force of the driving shaft 25a to the washing tub 50, and the driving shaft 25a of the motor 25 may be coupled to a center of the spider 26.

(33) A plurality of lifters 61a, 61b, 62a, 62b, 63a, and 63b are provided in the drum 51. When the drum 51 is rotated, the laundry is lifted up by the lifters 61a, 61b, 62a, 62b, 63a, and 63b.

(34) The plurality of lifters 61a, 61b, 62a, 62b, 63a, and 63b include first and second lifters disposed in the front-rear direction of the drum 51. Hereinafter, an example in which the first lifters are front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a and the second lifters are rear lifters 61b, 62b, and 63b spaced apart from the front lifters in the rearward direction will be described. However, the first lifter may be the rear lifter and the second lifter may be the front lifter depending on the implementation.

(35) Referring to FIGS. 1, 18A, and 18B, the plurality of front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a, together with the plurality of rear lifters 61b, 62b, and 63b, define sets (or pairs), respectively. Three sets of lifters 61 (61a and 61b), 62 (62a and 62b), and 63 (63a and 63b) may be disposed at equal angles about the rotation axis O, but the present disclosure is not necessarily limited thereto. For example, four sets of lifters may be disposed at an interval of 90 degrees or five sets of lifters may be disposed at an interval of 72 degrees about the rotation axis O.

(36) Hereinafter, an example in which the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a and the rear lifters 61b, 62b, and 63b have the same structure will be described, but the present disclosure is not necessarily limited thereto.

(37) Referring to FIGS. 2 to 4, each of the lifters 61a, 61b, 62a, 62b, 63a, and 63b includes a lifter frame 620 fixed to the drum 51, and a frame cover 640 configured to cover the lifter frame 620. The frame cover 640 protrudes radially inward (toward the inside of the drum 51) from the inner circumferential surface of the drum 51 and comes into contact with the laundry. The frame cover 640 is fixed to the drum 51 by the lifter frame 620 instead of being fixed directly to the drum 51.

(38) The lifter frame 620 may be made of synthetic resin. The lifter frame 620 may be formed by injection molding, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

(39) A lifter made of metal is not only excellent in strength, but also luxurious and hygienic. In order to couple the lifter directly to a drum made of metal, it is necessary to weld the lifter to a raw material cut out in a shape of the deployed drum, roll up the raw material in a cylindrical shape, and then weld together the ends of the raw material where they meet each other. However, raw material that was flat becomes curved during the process of rolling up the raw material, and as a result, there is a concern that stress may be applied to the welded portions between the lifter and the drum and cause the welded portions to separate.

(40) In order to address this concern, the present disclosure proposes a configuration in which a frame cover 640 made of metal is fixed to the drum 51 by a lifter frame 620 made of synthetic resin.

(41) In some examples, referring to FIG. 3 and FIGS. 8 to 12, the whole of an outer surface 620a (see FIG. 8) of the lifter frame 620 has a convex shape, and an inner surface 620b (see FIG. 9) of the lifter frame 620 has a concave shape. Specifically, the lifter frame 620 may include a frame base 621, a frame upper plate 623, and a frame sidewall 622.

(42) The frame base 621 is fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the drum 51. The frame base 621 may have a ring shape (or a closed shape formed by a single line) opened at a central portion thereof. For example, the frame base 621 may define an opening at the center portion, and the opening may be surrounded by a periphery or boundary of the frame base 621.

(43) The frame upper plate 623 is spaced apart from the frame base 621 in the direction toward the inside of the drum 51 and connected to the frame base 621 by the frame sidewall 622. The frame sidewall 622 may be formed in the form of a tubular (or cylindrical) body, such that a lower end of the frame sidewall 622 is connected to the frame base 621, and an upper end of the frame sidewall 622 is connected to the frame upper plate 623.

(44) The frame sidewall 622 is shaped such that a contour of a cross section thereof gradually decreases upward from the lower end connected to the frame base 621 (or in the radial direction of the drum 51) (or gradually decreases in a direction away from the inner circumferential surface of the drum 51), and the contour of the cross section is smallest at a portion that meets the frame upper plate 623.

(45) One or more water flow inlet holes may be formed in the drum 51 so as to allow the washing water stored in the water storage tub 31 to be introduced to the inside of the frame cover 640. Any opening portion formed in a region covered by the frame cover 640 may be a water flow inlet hole. For example, some of the through-holes 51h, which are positioned inside the frame cover 640, may be water flow inlet holes. Furthermore, mounting slots 511a and 511b, fastening holes 513a and 513b, and opening portions 512a and 512b, which will be described below, may be water flow inlet holes.

(46) Referring to FIG. 3, one or more water flow through-holes 624 and 624a may be formed in the lifter frame 620. Any opening may be a water flow through-hole 624 as long as the opening is formed in the lifter frame 620 and allows the inside and the outside of the lifter frame 620 to communicate with each other.

(47) The water flow through-hole 624 may be formed in the frame sidewall 622 and/or the frame upper plate 623. The washing water stored in the concave space of the lifter frame 620 may be discharged through the water flow through-hole 624.

(48) One or more water flow discharge holes 646h may be formed in the frame cover 640 to discharge the washing water in the lifters 61a, 61b, 62a, 62b, 63a, and 63b into the drum 51. The washing water in the concave space inside the lifter frame 620 may pass through the water flow through-hole 624, and then may be discharged into the drum 51 through the water flow discharge hole 646h.

(49) An outer surface 640a of the frame cover 640, which is exposed to the inside of the drum 51 and comes into contact with the laundry, has a convex shape, and an inner surface of the frame cover 640 has a concave shape that corresponds to the convex outer surface 620a of the lifter frame 620. The frame cover 640 may be made of metal, for example, stainless steel, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The frame cover 640 may be formed by plastically processing (for example, pressing) a metal plate having a predetermined thickness.

(50) The frame cover 640 may include a cover sidewall 645 extending upward from a lower end adjoining the frame base 621, and a cover upper plate 646 configured to cover an upper side of the cover sidewall 645. The cover upper plate 646 is approximately parallel to the frame upper plate 623. The plurality of water flow discharge holes 646h may be defined in the cover upper plate 646.

(51) In some examples, the water flow discharge holes 646h may be defined in an upper surface (e.g., the cover upper plate 646) of the frame cover 640, and may not be defined in the lateral side surface (e.g., the outer surface 640a) of the frame cover 640.

(52) In some implementations, the frame cover 640 may include one or more side protrusions (e.g., the washing protrusions 603 and 604) that protrude from the outer surface 640a of the frame cover 640 to an outside of the frame cover 640. The side protrusions may extend along and surround a circumference of the frame cover 640.

(53) The cover sidewall 645 is shaped such that a contour of a cross section thereof gradually decreases upward from the lower end (or in the radial direction of the drum 51) (or gradually decreases in the direction away from the inner circumferential surface of the drum 51), and the contour of the cross section is smallest at a portion that meets the cover upper plate 646.

(54) In some implementations, the lifter frame 620 may include spacers 625 that protrude from the frame upper plate 623 and are in contact with the frame cover 640, thereby allowing the frame cover 640 to be spaced apart from the frame upper plate 623.

(55) For example, the spacer 625 may protrude from the outer surface 620a of the lifter frame 620 and adjoins the inner surface of the frame cover 640. Because the spacer 625 supports the inner surface of the frame cover 640 in the state in which the frame upper plate 623 is spaced apart from the frame cover 640, the state in which the frame cover 640 is spaced apart from the frame upper plate 623 may be maintained even when the frame cover 640 is pressed toward the lifter frame 620 by external force.

(56) In some examples, the spacer 625 may have a cross-shaped rib structure. Specifically, the spacer 625 may include a vertical rib 625a extending on the frame upper plate 623 in a longitudinal direction of the lifter frame 620 (or the front-rear direction), and a horizontal rib 625b extending while crossing the vertical rib 625a. The vertical rib 625a and the horizontal rib 625b may be orthogonal to each other.

(57) Referring to FIG. 10, the inner surface of the cover upper plate 646 may be spaced apart from the outer surface of the frame upper plate 623. That is, a predetermined separation space (or a gap g1) may be formed between the inner surface of the cover upper plate 646 and the outer surface of the frame upper plate 623, and the separation space g1 may serve as a flow path that guides the washing water to the water flow discharge hole 646h.

(58) A separation space g2 may also be formed between the frame sidewall 622 and the cover sidewall 645. A seating groove 621r (see FIGS. 8 and 9) to be described below is formed in the frame base 621 and disposed at a position toward the outside of the frame base 621 spaced apart from the frame sidewall 622 at a predetermined distance. Therefore, the lower end of the cover sidewall 645 positioned in the seating groove 621r is spaced apart from the frame sidewall 622. Because the lower end of the frame cover 640 is spaced apart from the frame sidewall 622 by the seating groove 621r and the cover upper plate 646 is spaced apart from the frame upper plate 623 by the spacer 625, two points of the frame cover 640, which are the lower end of the frame cover 640 and the portion of the frame cover 640 supported by the spacer 625, are forcibly spaced apart from the lifter frame 620, and as a result, the state in which the cover sidewall 645 positioned between the two points is spaced apart from the lifter frame 620 is maintained.

(59) The washing water introduced into each of the lifters 61a, 61b, 62a, 62b, 63a, and 63b is introduced into the separation spaces g1 and g2, and water flows formed in the separation spaces g1 and g2 during the rotation of the washing tub 50 clean the outer surface of the lifter frame 620 and the inner surface of the frame cover 640. Foreign substances produced during the cleaning process may be discharged through the water flow discharge hole 646h formed in the frame cover 640 or through the water inlet hole formed in the drum 51. The flow paths are formed between the lifter frame 620 and the frame cover 640 by the separation spaces g1 and g2, and as a result, this configuration may be advantageous in maintaining the lifters 61a, 62a, 63a, 61b, 62b, and 63b in a clean state.

(60) In some implementations, the frame cover 640 may include domes 641, 642, 643, and 644 formed at the positions corresponding to the spacers 625. That is, the spacers 625 may be disposed below the domes 641, 642, 643, and 644. In the case in which the plurality of spacers 625 are formed in the exemplary embodiment, the plurality of domes 641, 642, 643, and 644 may be formed at the positions corresponding to the plurality of spacers 625, respectively.

(61) The domes 641, 642, 643, and 644 may be formed on the cover upper plate 646. An inner surface of each of the domes 641, 642, 643, and 644, which faces the spacer 625, may be concavely formed, and an outer surface of each of the domes 641, 642, 643, and 644 may be convexly formed. The concave inner surface of each of the domes 641, 642, 643, and 644 may contact the spacer 625.

(62) The domes 641, 642, 643, and 644 are convexly formed by pressing the cover upper plate 646, which is made of metal. The plurality of domes 641, 642, 643, and 644 may be disposed in the longitudinal direction of the cover upper plate 646 (or the longitudinal direction of the lifters 61a, 61b, 62a, 62b, 63a, and 63b). The one or more water flow discharge holes 646h may be formed between the adjacent domes 641, 642, 643, and 644.

(63) The domes 641, 642, 643, and 644 may include two or more domes of which the depth of the concave portion of the inner surfaces thereof is different from each other. In more detail, the domes 641, 642, 643, and 644 may include large domes 641 and 642, each of which have a concave portion of a first depth, and small domes 643 and 644, each of which have a concave portion of a second depth smaller than the first depth. The height of the spacers corresponding to the large domes 641 and 642 may be greater than the height of the spacers corresponding to the small domes 643 and 644.

(64) The domes 641, 642, 643, and 644 may include the two or more domes having different sizes. Each of the domes 641, 642, 643, and 644 may have a circular shape, but the present disclosure is not necessarily limited thereto. Here, the ‘size’ may be determined based on the shape when the concave portion of the inner surface of each of the domes 641, 642, 643, and 644 are viewed from above, and for example, the ‘size’ may be defined as a diameter of the concave portion. However, since the difference between the inner diameter and the outer diameter of each of the domes 641, 642, 643, and 644 is merely due to the thickness of the material, the size may be defined based on the outer diameter of each of the domes 641, 642, 643, and 644.

(65) The size of the spacer 625 may also vary depending on the size of each of the domes 641, 642, 643, and 644. That is, in the case in which there are the large domes 641 and 642 and the small domes 643 and 644 as illustrated in FIG. 13, the spacer 625 corresponding to the large domes 641 and 642 may be larger than the spacer 625 corresponding to the small domes 643 and 644.

(66) The two small domes 643 and 644 may be positioned between the pair of large domes 641 and 642, and the water flow discharge holes 646h may be formed between the domes 641, 642, 643, and 644. The plurality of water flow discharge holes 646h may be arranged in a direction crossing the lifters 61a, 61b, 62a, 62b, 63a, and 63b (or a direction orthogonal to the length of each of the lifters 61a, 61b, 62a, 62b, 63a, and 63b).

(67) In some implementations, the plurality of upper plate protrusions such as domes 641, 642, 643, and 644 may be configured to, based on the laundry covering a space defined between the adjacent upper plate protrusions, separate the laundry from a portion of the cover upper plate 646 to thereby allow discharge the washing water through the one or more water flow discharge holes 646h.

(68) In some implementations, a distance between the adjacent upper plate protrusions may be less than a width of each of the adjacent upper plate protrusions to facilitate the discharge of washing water. For example, a distance between edges of the domes 641 and 643 facing each other may be less than a diameter of each of the domes 641 and 643.

(69) In some implementations, the upper plate protrusions 641-645 may be parts of the cover upper plate 646 and integrally formed with the frame cover 640. For example, the upper plate protrusions 641-645 may be formed by the pressing process of the frame cover 640. Thus, each of the upper plate protrusions 641-645 may be a fixed part of the cover upper plate 646, and may not move or rotate relative to the cover upper plate 646.

(70) The water stored in the water storage tub 31 is introduced into the lifters 61a, 61b, 62a, 62b, 63a, and 63b through the opening portion. The lifter frame 620 is a structure having one or more of the water flow through-holes 624, and the water introduced into the lifters 61a, 61b, 62a, 62b, 63a, and 63b may reach the water flow discharge holes 646h through the water flow through-holes 624.

(71) The washing water introduced into the lifters 61a, 61b, 62a, 62b, 63a, and 63b is raised by the rotation of the washing tub 50 in the state in which the washing water is in the lifters 61a, 61b, 62a, 62b, 63a, and 63b, and the washing water is discharged (or sprayed) through the water flow discharge holes 646h in this process.

(72) Referring to FIGS. 2, 3, 10, and 13 to 15, The frame cover 640 may include one or more washing protrusions 603 and 604 having a ring shape or one or more washing rings protruding from the outer surface of the cover sidewall 645. The plurality of washing protrusions 603 and 604 may be disposed in parallel with one another. In the exemplary implementation, two washing protrusions 603 and 604 are provided, but the present disclosure is not necessarily limited thereto. In the case in which the frame cover 640 is made of metal, the washing protrusions 603 and 604 may be formed by pressing.

(73) Each of the washing protrusions 603 and 604 has a shape corresponding (or similar) to the contour of the cover sidewall 645, and the washing protrusion may protrude to a predetermined height from the cover sidewall 645. Since the contour of the cover sidewall 645 decreases upward, among the washing protrusions 603 and 604, the washing protrusion that is positioned at an upper side is smaller than the other washing protrusion.

(74) A frictional force applied between the laundry and the washing protrusions 603 and 604 generates an effect of rubbing the laundry, thereby improving washing power. In addition, because the washing protrusions 603 and 604 assist in the operation of lifting up the laundry, physical force (for example, force for lifting up or striking the laundry) of a level as in the related art may be applied to the laundry even when the height of each of the lifters 61a, 61b, 62a, 62b, 63a, and 63b is decreased to be smaller than that in the related art.

(75) The frame cover 640 may be coupled to the lifter frame 620. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, one or more coupling tabs 648 may be formed at the lower end of the frame cover 640. As illustrated in FIG. 14, the coupling tabs 648 may be formed at a left side 645L or a right side 645R at the lower end when the frame cover 640 is viewed from the front side. The left side 645L and the right side 645R may be straight sections extending in the front-rear direction.

(76) Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, tab binding ports 621h, through which the coupling tabs 648 pass from above, may be formed in the lifter frame 620. The tab binding ports 621h may be formed at positions corresponding to the coupling tabs 648, respectively. A coupling tab 648 passes through the tab binding port 621h, and the passing portion of the coupling tab 648 is bent and caught by a rim of the tab binding port 621h (or a bottom surface of the frame base 621), such that the lifter frame 620 and the frame cover 640 may be coupled to each other.

(77) In some examples, the seating groove 621r, which corresponds to the lower end of the frame cover 640, may be formed in the frame base 621 of the lifter frame 620. The lower end of the frame cover 640 may be inserted and seated in the seating groove 621r. In this case, the tab binding port 621h may be formed in the seating groove 621r.

(78) Hereinafter, a structure in which the lifter frame 620 and the drum 51 are coupled to each other will be described.

(79) Referring to FIGS. 8, 9, 11, and 12, one or more insertion protrusions 627 may be formed on each of the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a and/or the rear lifters 61b, 62b, and 63b. Further, referring to FIGS. 5A to 7B, the drum 51 may have mounting slots 511a1 in a first group G1 and mounting slots 511a2 in a second group G2. Each of the groups G1 and G2 may include the one or more mounting slots 511a1(1) to 511a1(4). Here, the ‘group’ is a set of mounting slots and may include one or a plurality of mounting slots.

(80) The mounting slots 511a1 in the first group G1 and the mounting slots 511a2 in the second group G2 may include a number of the mounting slots 511a1(1) to 511a1(4) and 511a2(1) to 511a2(4) that corresponds to the number of the one or more insertion protrusions 627. That is, in the case in which the mounting slots in the first group G1 and the second group G2 are used to install the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a, the number of mounting slots 511a1 in the first group G1 and the number of mounting slots 511a2 in the second group G2 may correspond to the number of insertion protrusions 627 provided on each of the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a.

(81) Likewise, depending on the implementation, in the case in which the mounting slots in the first group G1 and the second group G2 are used to install the rear lifters 61b, 62b, and 63b, the number of mounting slots 511a1 in the first group G1 and the number of mounting slots 511a2 in the second group G2 may correspond to the number of insertion protrusions 627 provided on each of the rear lifters 61b, 62b, and 63b.

(82) The one or more insertion protrusions 627 formed on each of the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a or the rear lifters 61b, 62b, and 63b may be selectively fastened to the mounting slots 511a2 in the first group G1 or the second group G2. The position at which the lifter is installed may be determined depending on whether the one or more insertion protrusions 627 formed on each of the lifters 61a, 62a, 63a, 61b, 62b, and 63b are inserted into the mounting slots that constitute any one of the first group G1 or the second group G2.

(83) Hereinafter, the example in which the mounting slots 511a, which constitute the first group G1 and the second group G2, are used to install the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a will be described, but the mounting slots may be formed in the same manner in order to install the rear lifters 61b, 62b, and 63b.

(84) The mounting slots 511a2 in the second group G2 are formed in a region shifted rearward within a range in which the mounting slots 511a2 in the second group G2 partially overlap the mounting slots 511a1 in the first group G1. In FIGS. 6A and 6B, a first region M1 indicates a region in which the mounting slots 511a1 in the first group G1 are formed, and a second region M2 indicates a region in which the mounting slots 511a2 in the second group G2 are formed. Hereinafter, as illustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the mounting slots 511a2 in the second group G2 are disposed rearward from the mounting slots 511a1 in the first group G1.

(85) In some implementations, the first group G1 of one or more mounting slots may be defined in a first area of the drum, and the second group G2 of one or more mounting slots in a second area of the drum, where the second area is disposed rearward relative to the first area and overlaps with at least a portion of the first area of the drum.

(86) For example, the first area may be the first region M1 that defines six mounting slots: a pair of front mounting slots in the first group G1; a pair of front mounting slots in the second group G2 disposed rearward relative to the pair of front mounting slots in the first group G1; and a pair of rear mounting slots in the first group G1. The second area may be the second region M2 that defines six mounting slots: the pair of front mounting slots in the second group G2; the pair of rear mounting slots in the first group G1 disposed rearward relative to the pair of front mounting slots in the second group G2; and a pair of rear mounting slots in the second group G2.

(87) The pair of front mounting slots in the second group G2 may be disposed between the pair of front mounting slots in the first group G1 and the pair of rear mounting slots in the first group G1. The first area and the second area may overlap each other in the axial direction of the drum 51. The pair of front mounting slots in the second group G2 and the pair of rear mounting slots in the first group G1 may be disposed in the overlapped area of the first and second areas.

(88) Referring to FIGS. 5A to 7B, the mounting slots 511a2 in the second group G2 are spaced apart from the mounting slots 511a1 in the first group G1 in the rearward direction at a predetermined distance D. Therefore, when the insertion protrusions 627 are installed in the mounting slots 511a1 in the first group G1, each of the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a is positioned further forward by a distance D in comparison with a case in which the insertion protrusions 627 are installed in the mounting slots 511a2 in the second group G2. As illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the metal plate of the large-capacity drum 51 further extends forward by a distance E in comparison with a case in which the drum is the small-capacity drum. In the case of the large-capacity drum (FIG. 5A), the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a are installed by using the mounting slots 511a1 in the first group G1, such that the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a may be installed relatively further forward in comparison with the case in which the drum is the small-capacity drum (FIG. 5B). Therefore, the laundry positioned in the region corresponding to the distance E may easily come into contact with the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a while the drum 51 rotates.

(89) The mounting slots 511a in the respective groups G1 and G2 may be disposed in rows in the front-rear direction. Particularly, the mounting slots 511a in each of the groups G1 and G2 are disposed in two rows. Further, when the entire configuration is viewed without distinguishing the groups, the mounting slots 511a may be arranged along common reference lines extending in the front-rear direction. In some examples, the mounting slots are disposed on two straight lines parallel to each other.

(90) In more detail, the mounting slots 511a1 in the first group G1 may include two or more first mounting slots 511a1(1) and 511a1(2) arranged at a first interval T in a first row P1 extending in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, the mounting slots 511a1 in the first group G1 may further include two or more first mounting slots 511a1(3) and 511a1(4) arranged at the first interval T in a second row P2 parallel to the first row P1.

(91) The mounting slots 511a2 in the second group G2 may include two or more second mounting slots 511a2(1) and 511a2(2) arranged in the first row P1 at positions shifted, by a second interval D smaller than the first interval T, rearward from the mounting slots 511a1 in the first group G1.

(92) Furthermore, the mounting slots 511a2 in the second group G2 may further include two or more second mounting slots 511a2(3) and 511a2(4) arranged in the second row P2 at positions shifted, by the interval T, rearward from the mounting slots 511a1 in the first group G1.

(93) Hereinafter, the mounting slots 511a1 and 511a2, which can be used to install the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a, are defined as being in a front lifter installation group, and the mounting slots 511b (see FIG. 6A), which can be used to install the rear lifters 61b, 62b, and 63b, are defined as being in a rear lifter installation group.

(94) The plurality of front or rear lifters 61a, 62a, 63a, 61b, 62b, and 63b may be disposed in a circumferential direction of the drum 51, such that the plurality of front lifter installation groups may be disposed in the circumferential direction, and likewise, the plurality of rear lifter installation groups may also be disposed in the circumferential direction.

(95) Hereinafter, the mounting slot belonging to the front lifter installation group is referred to as the front mounting slot 511a, and the mounting slot belonging to the rear lifter installation group is referred to as the rear mounting slot 511b.

(96) Referring to FIGS. 8 to 12, the insertion protrusion 627 may protrude from the frame base 621. The insertion protrusion 627 may include a vertical portion 627a (see FIG. 11) protruding downward from the bottom surface of the frame base 621, and a catching portion 627b bent in the horizontal direction from the vertical portion 627a. The catching portion 627b may protrude toward the inside of the ring-shaped frame base 621 when viewed from above.

(97) As illustrated in FIG. 11, the insertion protrusions 627 may be formed at left and right sides of the frame base 621, respectively, when the lifter frame 620 is viewed from the front side. Two or more insertion protrusions 627 may be formed along one side of the frame base 621 (or in the front-rear direction).

(98) Specifically, the insertion protrusion 627(L) formed at the left side of the frame base 621 may include the catching portion 627b which is bent rightward. In some examples, the insertion protrusion 627(R) formed at the right side of the frame base 621 may include the catching portion 627b which is bent leftward.

(99) Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, each of the mounting slots 511a and 511b may be shaped to have a length L1 in the approximately front-rear direction of the drum 51. Each of the mounting slots 511 and 511b may include an insertion section S1 having a predetermined width W1, and a binding section S2 extending rearward or forward from the insertion section S1 and having a smaller width (W2<W1) than the insertion section S1. In the exemplary implementation, the binding section S2 extends rearward from a rear end of the insertion section S1, but the present disclosure is not necessarily limited thereto. In some examples, the binding section S2 may extend forward from a front end of the insertion section S1.

(100) In some implementations, as illustrated in FIGS. 20A and 20B, to be described below, the binding section S2 of the front mounting slot 511a may extend forward from the front end of the insertion section S1, and the binding section S2 of the rear mounting slot 511b may extend rearward from the rear end of the insertion section S1.

(101) In some examples, referring to FIGS. 5A to 7B, when installing the lifter frame 620 in the drum 51, the insertion protrusion 627 of the lifter frame 620 passes through the insertion section S1, and the lifter frame 620 is pushed rearward, such that the vertical portion 627a is moved forward along the binding section S2, and thus the catching portion 627b is positioned below the binding section S2. In this case, since the bottom surface of the frame base 621 is in close contact with the inner circumferential surface of the drum 51, and a width W3 (see FIG. 11) of the catching portion 627b is larger than the width W2 of the binding section S2, the catching portion 627b cannot pass through the binding section S2 from the lower side to the upper side.

(102) Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, a catching protrusion 626 may be formed on at least one of the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a or the rear lifters 61b, 62b, and 63b. The catching protrusion 626 may protrude downward from the concave inner surface 620b of the lifter frame 620.

(103) Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, the opening portions 512a and 512b, into which the catching protrusions 626 are inserted, may be formed in the drum 51. The pair of opening portions 512a1 and 512a2 for installing the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a may be spaced apart from one another by an interval D in the front-rear direction.

(104) The catching protrusion 626 is selectively inserted into any one of the pair of opening portions 512a1 and 512a2 depending on whether the insertion protrusions 627 are inserted into the mounting slots 511a1 in the first group G1 or the mounting slot 511a2 in the second group G2.

(105) In some examples, catching tabs 514a and 514b, which are each configured to come into contact with (or are caught by) the lower end of the catching protrusion 626, may be formed on rims of the opening portions 512a and 512b. For instance, the catching tabs 514a and 514b may come into contact with the lateral surfaces of the catching protrusions 626, thereby restricting lateral movements of the catching protrusions 626.

(106) In some examples, the positions of the catching tabs 514a and 514b may be determined based on the relative positions of the mounting slots 511a and 511b with respect to the insertion section S1 of the binding section S2. That is, as illustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6B, when the binding section S2 is positioned rearward from the insertion section S1, the catching tabs 514a and 514b are positioned in a first concave portion 626a at the front side of the catching protrusions 626. The catching tabs 514a and 514b may extend rearward from the front end of the opening portion 512 to restrict the movement of the catching protrusions 626 when the catching protrusion 626 is about to move forward (that is, the insertion protrusion 627 is about to move from the binding section S2 to the insertion section S1).

(107) In some implementations, like the mounting slot 511a illustrated in FIGS. 20A and 20B, when the binding section S2 is positioned forward from the insertion section S1, the catching tabs 514a and 514b are positioned in a second concave portion 626b at the rear side of the catching protrusions 626. The catching tabs 514a and 514b may extend forward from the rear end of the opening portion 512 to restrict the movements of the catching protrusions 626 when the catching protrusion 626 is about to move rearward (that is, the insertion protrusion 627 is about to move from the binding section S2 to the insertion section S1).

(108) The catching tabs 514a and 514b may be bent at a predetermined angle to the outside of the drum 51 based on the portion connected to the rims of the opening portions 512a and 512b. The lateral surfaces of the catching protrusions 626 may come into contact with the catching tabs 514a and 514b even in the state in which the catching protrusions 626 are not inserted into the opening portions 512a and 512b.

(109) When the lifter frame 620 is about to move (that is, about to move in a direction opposite to a direction in which the lifter frame 620 is installed) such that the vertical portion 627a moves from the binding section S2 to the insertion section S1, the movement is restricted as the catching tabs 514a and 514b interfere with the lower ends of the catching protrusions 626.

(110) Referring to FIG. 9, at the lower end of the catching protrusion 626, the first concave portion 626a may be formed at a side facing the catching tabs 514a and 514b. In the state in which the lifter frame 620 has been completely installed, the catching tabs 514a and 514b may be positioned in the first concave portion 626a.

(111) At the lower end of the catching protrusion 626, the second concave portion 626b may be further formed at a side opposite to the first concave portion 626a. When the lifter frame 620 is installed in a state in which the front and rear sides of the lifter frame 620 are changed, the catching tabs 514a and 514b may be positioned in the second concave portion 626b.

(112) Referring to FIG. 9, fastening bosses 628 may be formed on at least one of the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a or the rear lifters 61b, 62b, and 63b. The fastening boss 628 may protrude downward from the inner surface 620b of the lifter frame 620. The fastening boss 628 may extend from the frame upper plate 623. Two or more fastening bosses 628 may be provided to be spaced apart from one another in the front-rear direction.

(113) Referring to FIGS. 5A to 6B, fastening holes 513a and 513b may be formed in the drum 51. The fastening holes 513a and 513b may include a first fastening hole 513a1 formed at a position corresponding to the fastening boss 528 when the insertion protrusion 627 of the lifter frame 620 is installed in the mounting slot 511a1 in the first group G1, and a first fastening hole 513a1 formed at a position corresponding to the fastening boss 528 when the insertion protrusion 627 of the lifter frame 620 is installed in the mounting slot 511a2 in the second group G2. The pair of first fastening holes 513a1(1) and 513a1(2) are provided to correspond to the pair of fastening bosses 528, and the second fastening holes 513a2 including a pair of second fastening holes 513a2(1) and 513a2(2) may be provided.

(114) Referring to FIGS. 7A and 7B, the fastening boss 628 may be selectively fastened to the first fastening hole 513a1 or the second fastening hole 513a2 by a predetermined fastening member (hereinafter, for exemplary purposes, a screw 98) based on whether the insertion protrusion 627 is inserted into the mounting slot 511a1 in the first group G1 or the mounting slot 511a2 in the second group G2.

(115) In the state in which the insertion protrusion 627 is inserted into the mounting slot 511a and the lifter frame 620 is temporarily assembled, the screw 98 passes through the fastening hole 513a from the outside of the drum 51 and is then fastened to the fastening boss 628, such that the lifter frame 620 may be completely installed.

(116) In some examples, as described above, as illustrated in FIG. 7A or FIG. 7B, the installation position of the lifter frame 620 may vary depending on whether the insertion protrusion 627 is inserted into the mounting slot 511a1 or the mounting slot 511a2. In any case, the mounting slots 511a1 and 511a2, the opening portions 512a1 and 512a2, and the fastening holes 513a1 and 513a2 are hidden by the frame cover 640 in the state in which the lifter is completely installed. That is, the mounting slots 511a1 and 511a2, the opening portions 512a1 and 512a2, and the fastening holes 513a1 and 513a2 are positioned inside the frame cover 640, and thus are not exposed to the inside of the drum 51.

(117) In other words, in the state in which the at least one insertion protrusion 627 provided on each of the lifters 61a, 62a, 63a, 61b, 62b, and 63b is fastened to the mounting slot (for example, 511a1) in any one group (for example, G1) among the mounting slots 511a in the first group G1 and the second group G2, the mounting slot (for example, 511a2) in the other group (for example, G2) may be hidden inside the drum 51 by the lifter.

(118) In more detail, in the state in which the at least one insertion protrusion 627 provided on each of the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a is inserted into the mounting slot in any one group (for example, G1) of the first group G1 and the second group G2, the front end (FE) (see FIG. 4) of each of the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a may be positioned forward from the mounting slots 511a1(1) to 511a1(4) and 511a2(1) to 511a2(4) belonging to the first group G1 and the second group G2. Here, the front end FE may be the front end of the frame cover 640.

(119) In addition, the rear end of each of the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a may be positioned rearward from any of the mounting slots 511a1(1) to 511a1(4) and 511a2(1) to 511a2(4) belonging to the first group G1 and the second group G2.

(120) Depending on the point of view, in the state in which the at least one insertion protrusion 627 is inserted into one of the mounting slots 511a2(1) to 511a2(4) in the second group G2 (see (a) of FIG. 20), a distance D1 from the front end of the drum 51 to the front end FE (see FIG. 4) of each of the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a may be shorter than a distance D2 from the front end of the drum 51 to the front end of each of the mounting slots 511a1(1) to 511a1(4) in the first group G1 (that is, the front end of the mounting slot positioned at the foremost side among the mounting slots in the first group) (D1<D2).

(121) In addition, in the state in which the at least one insertion protrusion 627 is inserted into one of the mounting slots 511a1(1) to 511a1(4) in the first group G1 (see (b) of FIG. 20), a distance D3 from the front end of the drum 51 to the rear end of each of the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a may be longer than a distance D4 from the front end of the drum 51 to the rear end of the mounting slot in the second group G2 (that is, the rear end of the mounting slot positioned at the rearmost side among the mounting slots in the second group) (D3>D4). Since all of the mounting slots 511a1(1) to 511a1(4) and 511a2(1) to 511a2(4) used to install the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a are positioned between the front ends and the rear ends of the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a, the mounting slots may be hidden by being covered by the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a.

(122) In some examples, a distance D5 (see FIG. 9) from the front end FE of each of the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a to the fastening boss 628 may be longer than the interval D (see FIGS. 6A and 6B) (D5>D). In this case, even in the state in which the fastening boss 628 is coupled to the second fastening hole 513a2 (see FIGS. 7A and 7B) (in the exemplary implementation, the state in which the fastening member 98 passes through the second fastening hole 513a2 and is fastened to the fastening boss 628), the front end FE of each of the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a is positioned forward from the first fastening hole 513a1 (see FIGS. 7A and 7B), such that the first fastening hole 513a1 is still hidden by each of the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a.

(123) Manufacturers of laundry treating apparatuses sometimes produce various types of products having drums having different capacities. For example, a metal plate having the mounting slots 511a and 511b, the opening portions 512a and 512b, the fastening holes 513a and 513b, and the like may be cut out, based on a predetermined standard, into the raw material for drum 51′ or drum 51″ (see FIGS. 5A and 5B). The metal plate cut out in this manner may be rolled up, and the ends of the raw material may be joined together so as to manufacture the drum 51. In this case, the metal plate may be cut to a predetermined length based on the standard of the drum. In order to manufacture two drums having different lengths, it may be necessary to differently adjust the interval between the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a and the rear lifters 61b, 62b, and 63b in accordance with the length of the drum.

(124) For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the interval between the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a and the rear lifters 61b, 62b, and 63b when the length of the drum 51′ is long (see FIG. 5A) needs to be greater than the interval between the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a and the rear lifters 61b, 62b, and 63b when the length of the drum 51″ is short (FIG. 5B), so that the laundry may be uniformly lifted up by the front and rear lifters 61b, 62b, and 63b even in the case of the large-capacity drum 51.

(125) In some examples, extra mounting slots 511a are further formed in the drum 51 in order to adjust the installation position of at least one of the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a or the rear lifters 61b, 62b, and 63b in the front-rear direction when the length of the drum is changed.

(126) In some implementations, the extra mounting slots 511a are provided to adjust the installation positions of the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a, but the present disclosure is not necessarily limited thereto. Depending on exemplary implementations, the extra mounting slots 511b may be provided to adjust the installation positions of the rear lifters 61b, 62b, and 63b. In some examples, the extra mounting slots 511a may be referred to as additional mounting slots.

(127) The extra mounting slots 511a may be defined in the lifter frame 620 such that the extra mounting slots 511a correspond in number to the mounting slots 511a (hereinafter, referred to as ‘installation slots’) into which the insertion protrusions 627 are inserted, and the extra mounting slots 511a may be formed at points spaced apart from the respective installation slots at a predetermined distance D in the frontward or rearward direction. The installation position of the lifter frame 620 may be changed by the distance D by separating the insertion protrusion 627 from the mounting slot (for example, 511a1) and then inserting the insertion protrusion 627 into the extra mounting slot (for example, 511a2).

(128) In some examples, in the exemplary implementation, the extra opening portions 512a are provided to adjust the installation positions of the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a, but the present disclosure is not necessarily limited thereto. Depending on the implementation, the extra opening portions 512b may also be provided to adjust the installation positions of the rear lifters 61b, 62b, and 63b.

(129) In some examples, in the exemplary implementation, the extra fastening holes 513a are provided to adjust the installation positions of the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Depending on the implementation, the extra fastening holes 513b may also be provided to adjust the installation positions of the rear lifters 61b, 62b, and 63b.

(130) FIG. 20 illustrates another example of the present disclosure. In order to install the lifter frame 620 by the front mounting slot 511a, the lifter frame 620 needs to be pushed forward after the insertion protrusion 627 is inserted into the insertion section S1. In order to install the lifter frame 620 by the rear mounting slot 511b, the lifter frame 620 needs to be pushed rearward after the insertion protrusion 627 is inserted into the insertion section S1.

(131) In some examples, in order to separate the lifter frame 620 from the drum 51, the lifter frame 620 is pushed forward or rearward to move the catching portion 627b of the insertion protrusion 627 from the binding section S2 and align the catching portion 627b with the insertion section S1, and the lifter frame 620 is lifted up, such that the catching portion 627b passes through the insertion section S1, and the lifter frame 620 may be separated from the drum 51.

(132) FIG. 16 is a view illustrating an example of a pair of front and rear lifters illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 17 is a view illustrating the lifters illustrated in FIG. 16 when viewed from the front side. FIG. 18A illustrates an example in which the drum illustrated in FIG. 1 is deployed, and FIG. 18B illustrates a developed view of the drum showing the arrangement of the lifters according to another example of the present disclosure. FIG. 19 is a view (a) illustrating a change in height of a first fabric caused by the rear lifter in accordance with a rotation angle of the drum and a view (b) illustrating a change in height of a second fabric caused by the front lifter that constitutes a set together with the rear lifter. Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to FIGS. 16 to 19.

(133) Each of the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a is disposed on the inner circumferential surface of the drum 51 and extending in the front-rear direction. The plurality of front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a are disposed based on the rotation axis O at equal angles.

(134) The rear lifters 61b, 62b, and 63b are disposed on the inner circumferential surface of the drum 51 and positioned rearward from the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a. Like the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a, the rear lifters 61b, 62b, and 63b are disposed based on the rotation axis O at equal angles.

(135) The rear lifters 61b, 62b, and 63b are disposed to form a predetermined phase angle with the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a with respect to the rotation axis O. Here, the ‘phase angle’ is made by defining, as a rotation angle of the drum 51, a point in time at which the lifters 61a, 62a, 63a, 61b, 62b, and 63c reach a point on the circumference. Assuming that the drum 51 is rotated clockwise CW in the exemplary implementation, the rear lifters 61b, 62b, and 63b reach the same height prior to the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a by a degree corresponding to the phase angle Δθ.

(136) As illustrated in FIGS. 16 and 17, assuming that each of the lifters 61a, 62a, 63a, 61b, 62b, and 63b has a length C1 extending in the front-rear direction and a width C2 defined in the left-right direction (or a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction), a circumferential distance (C3=Δθr, see FIG. 19) corresponding to the phase angle is larger than 0 and equal to or smaller than two times the width C2 in the circumferential direction of each of the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a.

(137) Referring to FIGS. 18A and 18B, a no-lifter region SE, in which there is no front lifter or rear lifter, is formed between any one pair of front/rear lifters (for example, 61a and 61b) and another pair of front/rear lifters (for example, 62a and 62b) on the inner circumferential surface of the drum 51. The no-lifter region SE may extend from the front end to the rear end of the drum 51.

(138) Specifically, the no-lifter region SE passes between the two adjacent sets of lifters from the front end of the drum 51 and extends to the rear end of the drum 51. Specifically, the no-lifter region SE extends straight from the front end of the drum 51 to the rear end of the drum while passing between the two adjacent front lifters (for example, 61a and 62a) among the plurality of front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a and between the two rear lifters 61b and 62b that each form the phase angle Δθ with each of the two adjacent front lifters 61a and 62a.

(139) Since the no-lifter region SE extends straight from the front end to the rear end of the drum 51, the laundry may be uniformly distributed to the front and rear regions of the drum 51 in the no-lifter region SE.

(140) Typically, the washing machine detects eccentricity of the drum 51 before performing a spin-drying process, and when the detected eccentricity is within a reference value, the drum is accelerated such that the rotational speed of the drum 51 reaches a predetermined spin-drying speed (or spin-drying RPM). Otherwise, a fabric distribution is performed to change the position of fabrics in the drum 51. The fabric distribution is repeated if the detected eccentricity does not reach the reference value. When the number of times the fabric distribution is repeated reaches a predetermined number of times, it is determined that the fabric distribution has failed, and the spin-drying is stopped.

(141) In the washing machine, a first fabric positioned at the rear side of the drum 51 (that is, the fabric to be lifted up by the rear lifters 61b, 62b, and 63b) and a second fabric positioned at the front side of the drum 51 (that is, the fabric to be lifted up by the front lifters) flow with a time difference (or a phase difference) by the phase angle Δθ formed by the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a and the rear lifters 61b, 62b, and 63b, and as a result, the fabric distribution may be more smoothly performed.

(142) More specifically, referring to FIG. 19, when the drum 51 is rotated clockwise CW in a state in which the rear lifters 61b, 62b, and 63b are positioned at a lowest point (θ=0) of the drum 51, the first fabric begins to be lifted up first by the rear lifters 61b, 62b, and 63b, and then the second fabric begins to be lifted up by the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a after the time corresponding to the phase angle Δθ has passed.

(143) Assuming that the fabrics roll (θ<π/2) and that a position P at which the fabric lifted up by the lifters 61a, 62a, 63a, 61b, 62b, and 63b falls is a position Pd, the first fabric lifted up by the rear lifters 61b, 62b, and 63b reaches the position (or height) Pd and falls first, and then the second fabric lifted up by the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a reaches the position Pd and falls.

(144) The first fabric and the second fabric move with a time difference without forming lumps, and thus may be evenly distributed. As a result, it is possible to reduce the number of times the fabric distribution is repeated, reduce the instances of failure to enter the spin-drying stage, and reduce the overall washing time including the spin-drying time.

(145) In addition, since the fabrics flow with a phase difference when the fabrics roll or tumble, friction or collision between the fabrics caused by the relative movement occurs more frequently, such that contamination may be more effectively removed by the washing operation (that is, washing power is improved).

(146) In some examples, FIGS. 20A and 20B are views illustrating a modified example in which the lifters are disposed, in which FIG. 20A illustrates a small-capacity drum, and FIG. 20B illustrates a large-capacity drum. Referring to FIGS. 20A and 20B, one set of front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a and rear lifters 61b, 62b, and 63b may be disposed in a row in the front-rear direction. That is, the front lifters 61a, 62a, and 63a and the rear lifters 61b, 62b, and 63b, which constitute one set, may be arranged on the same line without being spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction.

(147) FIG. 21 is a view illustrating another example of a lifter. The example illustrated in FIG. 21 includes a lifter 64 including a lifter frame 620′ and a frame cover 640′ slightly different in shape from those in the above-mentioned exemplary implementations, but similar in detailed configuration to those in the above-mentioned exemplary implementations. Therefore, constituent elements identical to the constituent elements according to the above-described exemplary implementations will be assigned the same reference numerals, and a specific description thereof will be omitted.

(148) While the disclosure has been explained in relation to its implementations, it is to be understood that various modifications thereof will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the specification. Therefore, it is to be understood that the disclosure disclosed herein is intended to cover such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.