Laundry treating apparatus

Abstract

A laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a drum having a mounting slot and being configured to receive laundry and rotate about a predetermined rotation axis extending in a front-rear direction, and a lifter disposed on an inner circumferential surface of the drum and extending in the front-rear direction. The lifter includes a lifter frame installed on the inner circumferential surface of the drum, and a frame cover coupled to the lifter frame and protruding radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the drum. The lifter frame has a catching protrusion protruding from an inner surface of the lifter frame and having a shape that is symmetrical based on a center in a plan view.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A laundry treating apparatus comprising:
 a drum configured to rotate about a rotation axis that extends in a front-rear direction of the laundry treating apparatus, the drum defining an opening at a circumferential surface of the drum and comprising a catching tab that extends from a side of the opening; 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 lifter frame coupled to the inner circumferential surface of the drum, and 
 a frame cover that is coupled to the lifter frame and that protrudes radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the drum, 
   wherein the lifter frame comprises:
 a frame base that is coupled to the inner circumferential surface of the drum and that defines a seating groove that extends along a circumference of the frame base, 
 a frame upper plate spaced apart from the frame base in a direction toward an inside of the drum, 
 a frame sidewall that connects the frame upper plate and the frame base to each other, and 
 a catching protrusion that protrudes from an inner surface of the lifter frame and that is configured to contact the catching tab of the drum based on the lifter frame coupling to the inner circumferential surface of the drum, and 
   wherein the catching protrusion has a symmetrical shape with respect to one or more axes passing a center of the lifter frame.   
     
     
         2 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the catching protrusion defines a first concave portion and a second concave portion that are symmetrical to each other with respect to each of the one or more axes of the lifter frame. 
     
     
         3 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the catching protrusion is disposed at the center of the lifter frame. 
     
     
         4 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the frame cover comprises:
 a cover upper plate having an inner surface that faces the frame upper plate; and   a cover sidewall that extends from the cover upper plate toward the frame base, the cover sidewall having a lower end inserted into the seating groove and an upper end connected to the cover upper plate.   
     
     
         5 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the frame cover has a symmetrical shape with respect to the one or more axes passing the center of the lifter frame. 
     
     
         6 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the lifter frame further comprises an insertion protrusion comprising:
 a vertical portion that extends downward from a bottom surface of the frame base; and   a catching portion that is bent from a lower end of the vertical portion toward an inside of the frame base.   
     
     
         7 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the insertion protrusion comprises a plurality of insertion protrusions that are arranged symmetrically with respect to the one or more axes passing the center of the lifter frame. 
     
     
         8 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the drum further comprises:
 a first group of mounting slots defined in a first area of the drum; and   a second group of mounting slots defined in a second area of the drum spaced apart from the first area in a rearward direction of the drum, wherein at least a portion of the first group of mounting slots overlap with at least a portion of the second group of mounting slots in a circumferential direction of the drum,   wherein each of the plurality of insertion protrusions is configured to selectively insert into one of the first group of mounting slots or the second group of mounting slots,   wherein the drum defines a pair of openings in the inner circumferential surface of the drum that are spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction, and   wherein a distance between the pair of openings is equal to a distance between one of the first group of mounting slots and one of the second group of mounting slots.   
     
     
         9 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the frame cover comprises a planar portion that covers a region of the drum between the first area and the second area, the planar portion having a length corresponding to the distance between the one of the first group of mounting slots and the one of the second group of mounting slots. 
     
     
         10 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the frame cover comprises a coupling tab that protrudes from a lower end of the frame cover, and
 wherein the lifter frame comprises a tab binding port defined in the seating groove and configured to receive the coupling tab based on the lifter frame coupling to the frame cover.   
     
     
         11 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the seating groove defines a closed curve that extends along the circumference of the frame base, and
 wherein a horizontal projection of each of the plurality of insertion protrusions is positioned within in the closed curve.   
     
     
         12 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the lifter frame further comprises a fastening boss that protrudes from an inner surface of the lift frame toward the inner circumferential surface of the drum, and
 wherein the drum defines a fastening hole configured to receive a fastening member through the fastening boss to thereby couple the lifter to the drum.   
     
     
         13 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the fastening boss protrudes from an inner surface of the frame upper plate toward the inner circumferential surface of the drum. 
     
     
         14 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the lifter frame is made of synthetic resin, and the frame cover is made of metal. 
     
     
         15 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the lifter comprises:
 a plurality of front lifters arranged in a circumferential direction of the drum; and   a plurality of rear lifters arranged in the circumferential direction of the drum and disposed rearward relative to the plurality of front lifters.   
     
     
         16 . A laundry treating apparatus comprising:
 a tub configured to receive washing water;   a drum configured to receive laundry and configured to rotate in the tub 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,   wherein the lifter comprises:
 a lifter frame installed on the inner circumferential surface of the drum, and 
 a frame cover that is coupled to the lifter frame and that protrudes radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the drum, and 
   wherein the lifter frame comprises a catching protrusion that protrudes from an inner surface of the lifter frame and that has a symmetrical shape with respect to one or more axes passing through a center of the lifter frame.   
     
     
         17 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the catching protrusion defines a first concave portion and a second concave portion that are symmetrical to each other with respect to each of the one or more axes of the lifter frame. 
     
     
         18 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the drum comprises:
 a first group of mounting slots defined in a first area of the drum; and   a second group of mounting slots defined in a second area spaced apart from the first area in a rearward direction, wherein at least a portion of the first group of mounting slots overlap with at least a portion of the second group of mounting slots in a circumferential direction of the drum, and   wherein the frame cover comprises a planar portion that covers a region of the drum between the first area and the second area, the planar portion having a length corresponding to a distance between one of the first group of mounting slots and one of the second group of mounting slots.   
     
     
         19 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the lifter frame further comprises:
 an insertion protrusion comprising a vertical portion that extends downward from a bottom surface of the lifter frame and a catching portion that is bent from a lower end of the vertical portion toward an inside of the lifter frame,   wherein the lifter frame defines a seating groove that extends along a circumference of the lifter frame and that receives a lower end of the frame cover, and   wherein the seating groove defines a closed curve, and a horizontal projection of the insertion protrusion is positioned within in the closed curve.   
     
     
         20 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the lifter frame further comprises a fastening boss that protrudes from an upper inner surface of the lifter frame toward the inner circumferential surface of the drum, and
 wherein the drum defines a fastening hole configured to receive a fastening member through the fastening boss to thereby couple the lifter to the drum.