Laundry treatment apparatus

Abstract

A laundry treatment apparatus includes a tub configured to store water therein, a drum body rotatably provided in the tub to store laundry to be washed, a drum inlet through which the laundry is introduced into the drum body, an agitating body extending from a bottom surface of the drum body toward the drum inlet, and configured to be rotatable in the drum body, a chamber formed in the agitating body, an outlet configured to communicate with the chamber by penetrating the agitating body, a wash-water-flow forming portion provided in the agitating body, and configured to form a water flow in the drum body, and a discharge-water-flow forming portion provided in the chamber, and configured to form a water flow in the chamber.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A laundry treatment apparatus comprising:
 a tub configured to receive water;   a drum body rotatably disposed in the tub and configured to receive laundry, the drum body defining a drum inlet configured to introduce the laundry therethrough; and   an agitating body that extends upward from a bottom surface of the drum body toward the drum inlet and is configured to rotate in the drum body, the agitating body defining a chamber therein and an outlet in fluid communication with the chamber,   wherein the agitating body comprises:
 a wash-water-flow forming portion configured to generate a water flow in the drum body, and 
 a discharge-water-flow forming portion disposed in the chamber and configured to generate a water flow in the chamber. 
   
     
     
         2 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein an inner surface of the agitating body defines the chamber, and
 wherein the discharge-water-flow forming portion comprises a plate that extends from the inner surface of the agitating body toward a center of rotation of the agitating body.   
     
     
         3 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the outlet comprises a plurality of through-holes, and
 wherein the discharge-water-flow forming portion comprises a plurality of plates, each of the plurality of plates being located between one of the plurality of through-holes and another of the plurality of through-holes.   
     
     
         4 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the discharge-water-flow forming portion comprises a plurality of protrusions or a plurality of plates, and
 wherein the plurality of protrusions or the plurality of plates are arranged about a center of rotation of the agitating body and extend from the center of rotation of the agitating body toward an inner surface of the agitating body defining the chamber.   
     
     
         5 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the outlet comprises a first through-hole, a second through-hole, and a third through-hole that are spaced apart from one another by 120° about a center of rotation of the agitating body, and
 wherein the discharge-water-flow forming portion comprises a first water-flow forming portion that protrudes from an inner surface of the agitating body toward a center of rotation of the agitating body, the inner surface defining the chamber. 
 
     
     
         6 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the discharge-water-flow forming portion further comprises a second water-flow forming portion that protrudes from a central region of the agitating body toward the inner surface of the agitating body, the central region including the center of rotation of the agitating body. 
     
     
         7 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the first water-flow forming portion comprises:
 a first plate that protrudes from the inner surface of the agitating body toward the center of rotation of the agitating body, the first plate being disposed between the first through-hole and the second through-hole;   a second plate disposed between the second through-hole and the third through-hole; and   a third plate disposed between the third through-hole and the first through-hole.   
     
     
         8 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the second water-flow forming portion comprises a plurality of protrusions or a plurality of plates, and
 wherein the plurality of protrusions or the plurality of plates are arranged about the center of rotation of the agitating body and extend from the central region of the agitating body toward the inner surface of the agitating body.   
     
     
         9 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an inclined surface disposed at a bottom portion of the chamber and configured to guide water in the chamber toward the outlet.   
     
     
         10 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the agitating body comprises:
 a first body that is located at the bottom surface of the drum body, the first body having a disc shape; and   a second body having a bar shape that extends from a central region of the first body including a center of rotation of the agitating body toward the drum inlet, the second body defining the chamber and the outlet.   
     
     
         11 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the wash-water-flow forming portion is disposed at at least one of the first body or the second body. 
     
     
         12 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the wash-water-flow forming portion comprises a first blade that protrudes from the first body toward the drum inlet, the first blade radially extending from the central region of the first body toward an edge of the first body. 
     
     
         13 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the wash-water-flow forming portion further comprises a second blade that protrudes from an outer circumferential surface of the second body toward an inner circumferential surface of the drum body, the second blade extending in a longitudinal direction of the second body. 
     
     
         14 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the second blade is fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the second body and has a spiral shape along the longitudinal direction of the second body. 
     
     
         15 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the second blade is configured to:
 based on the first body rotating in one of a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction, generate an upward flow of water moving upward from the bottom surface of the drum body toward the drum inlet; and   based on the first body rotating in the other of the clockwise direction or the counterclockwise direction, generate a downward flow of water moving downward from the drum inlet toward the bottom surface of the drum body.   
     
     
         16 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the wash-water-flow forming portion comprises a blade that protrudes from an outer circumferential surface of the second body toward an inner circumferential surface of the drum body, the blade having a spiral shape extending along a longitudinal direction of the second body. 
     
     
         17 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the agitating body further defines a body through-hole that passes through a top portion of the second body and that is in fluid communication with the chamber, and
 wherein the laundry treatment apparatus further comprises:
 a cap that is located at the top portion of the second body and that covers the body through-hole and the chamber; and 
 a sealing portion disposed at at least one of the cap or the top portion of the second body, the sealing portion being configured to restrict air from being discharged from the chamber through the body through-hole. 
   
     
     
         18 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein the sealing portion is disposed between a top surface of the second body and a bottom surface of the cap. 
     
     
         19 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the chamber extends through the agitating body, and
 wherein the outlet comprises a plurality of through-holes that are defined at a bottom portion of the chamber and arranged about a center of rotation of the agitating body.   
     
     
         20 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the outlet is configured to discharge water or foreign substances in the chamber to the drum body.