US 11,926,952 B2
Laundry treating apparatus
Dongcheol Kim, Seoul (KR); and Youngjong Kim, Seoul (KR)
Assigned to LG Electronics Inc., Seoul (KR)
Filed by LG Electronics Inc., Seoul (KR)
Filed on Aug. 13, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/402,152.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2020-0102584 (KR), filed on Aug. 14, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0049407 A1, Feb. 17, 2022
Int. Cl. D06F 37/40 (2006.01); D06F 13/02 (2006.01); D06F 17/10 (2006.01); D06F 37/12 (2006.01)
CPC D06F 37/40 (2013.01) [D06F 13/02 (2013.01); D06F 17/10 (2013.01); D06F 37/12 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A laundry treating apparatus comprising:
a tub configured to receive water;
a drum rotatably disposed inside the tub, the drum having an open surface configured to receive laundry therethrough and a bottom surface located at an opposite side of the open surface; and
a rotator rotatably disposed inside the drum, the rotator comprising:
a bottom portion disposed at the bottom surface of the drum,
a pillar that protrudes from the bottom portion toward the open surface of the drum,
a plurality of main protrusions that protrude from the bottom portion toward the open surface of the drum and extend radially away from the pillar, each of the plurality of main protrusions having an inner end connected to the pillar, and
a plurality of blades that protrude from an outer circumferential surface of the pillar and are spaced apart from one another in a circumferential direction of the pillar,
wherein each of the plurality of blades has (i) a first end that faces the bottom portion of the rotator and (ii) a second end that faces the open surface of the drum, each of the plurality of blades extending from the first end toward the second end in an extension direction that is inclined with respect to a longitudinal direction of the pillar,
wherein each of the plurality of blades has:
a first surface that defines an obtuse angle with respect to the outer circumferential surface of the pillar in a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the pillar, and
a second surface that is disposed at an opposite side of the first surface and defines an acute angle with respect to the outer circumferential surface of the pillar in the cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the pillar,
wherein the plurality of main protrusions are spaced apart from one another along a circumferential direction of the bottom portion, and
wherein the first end of each of the plurality of blades extends toward the inner end of one of the plurality of main protrusions and is spaced apart from the inner end in the longitudinal direction of the pillar to thereby define a passage region of water between the first end and the inner end.