Abstract: A clothes treating apparatus includes a cabinet defining an entrance, a drawer configured to be drawn out from the cabinet through the entrance, a tub provided in the drawer, a circular drum bottom provided in the tub, a cylindrical drum body fixed to the drum bottom, a drum positioned on an upper surface of the drum body, a driving part including a rotating shaft that rotates the drum and penetrates the tub so as to be coupled to the drum bottom, a hub that is fixed to the center-of-rotation of the drum bottom and protrudes towards a drum inlet, and a stirring part including an arm extending from the hub towards a circumferential surface of the drum body.

Abstract: A steam-augmented washing machine includes a casing, a tub disposed within the casing, and a basket configured for receipt of articles to be washed. A steam generator is disposed within the casing and is in communication with the tub to introduce steam into the wash basket. A plurality of fluid vanes are circumferentially spaced around the side wall adjacent the top end of the wash basket. The fluid vanes have a radial aspect so as to extend radially from side wall, wherein upon rotation of the wash basket within the tub, the fluid vanes generate a circulating vertically oriented steam flow path through the wash basket.

Abstract: A washing machine includes a washing tub whose peripheral wall is constituted by an upper peripheral wall section and a lower peripheral wall section which is located below the upper peripheral wall section and which is driven to rotate clockwise and counterclockwise. The washing tub receives water and laundry therein. In the case of a small load of laundry, the laundry is caused to flow, and to be washed due mainly to the flow or water caused by the rotation of the lower peripheral wall section. In the case of a large amount of the load of laundry, the laundry can be washed due to the synergetic action of the frictional forces. In such a washing machine, the inner surface of the upper peripheral wall section is made gradually smaller in diameter from its lower portion to its upper portion.