Agitator assembly for clothes washing machine

Abstract

An agitator assembly for a clothes washing machine is provided. The agitator assembly includes a base rotatably mounted on a lower portion of a rotary drum. The base includes an upper surface and a lower surface and is configured to rotate about a first rotational axis. A plurality of vanes is mounted on the upper surface of the base and is rotated together with the base about the first rotational axis. Each vane extends radially from the first rotational axis toward a periphery of the base. The impeller is configured to rotate along with rotation of the base about a second rotational axis which is radially offset from the first rotational axis. Rotation of the impeller imparts an upper flow through the base to the water contained in a water basket.

1 . An agitator assembly for a clothes washing machine, the washing machine including a water basket for containing water therein, a drum rotatably disposed in the water basket for holding laundry, and a drive mechanism for selectively rotating the drum and the agitator assembly, the agitator assembly comprising:
 a base rotatably mounted on a lower portion of the drum, the base including an upper surface and a lower surface, the base configured to rotate about a first rotational axis;   a plurality of vanes mounted on the upper surface of the base, each vane extending radially from the first rotational axis toward a periphery of the base, the plurality of vanes being rotated together with the base about the first rotational axis; and   an impeller mounted to the base and positioned at least partially below the upper surface of the base such that the impeller is prevented from contacting laundry held in the drum, the impeller configured to rotate along with rotation of the base about a second rotational axis which is radially offset from the first rotational axis, rotation of the impeller imparting an upward flow thru the base to the water contained in the water basket.   
     
     
         2 . The agitator assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the vanes divide the base into equally sized sections, and further including an impeller for each section of the base. 
     
     
         3 . The agitator assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the impeller includes a plate and a plurality of curved blades radially arranged on an upper surface of the plate, and the base includes an aperture dimensioned to rotatably receive therein the impeller, wherein when positioned in the aperture the plate is located below the upper surface of the base. 
     
     
         4 . The agitator assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the plate includes a peripheral wall spaced from the base such that the impeller rotates freely within the aperture. 
     
     
         5 . The agitator assembly of  claim 3 , further including a cap configured to cover the blades of the impeller, the cap preventing the blades from contacting laundry held in the drum, and a support member configured to engage the plate of the impeller, the support member being connected to the cap, the cap and support member being at least partially positioned in the base aperture and together are configured to mount the impeller to the base. 
     
     
         6 . The agitator assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the support member includes a peripheral wall, a lower portion of the peripheral wall including an inwardly extending flange for engaging the plate of the impeller, the flange acting as a bushing allowing for rotation of the impeller within the support member. 
     
     
         7 . The agitator assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the peripheral wall of the support member at least partially surrounds the impeller blades, the peripheral wall including a plurality of circumferentially spaced elongated openings, the plurality of openings allowing water to flow through the support member and toward the impeller blades. 
     
     
         8 . The agitator assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the base includes a ledge extending into the aperture, the cap including an annular base member adapted to engage the ledge and a plurality of tabs extending downwardly from the base member, the tabs configured to engage the support member. 
     
     
         9 . The agitator of  claim 8 , wherein the base member is convex and includes a plurality of slots which are radially arranged on the base member for jetting water upwardly in the drum. 
     
     
         10 . The agitator assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the cap is fixed relative to rotation of the impeller and moves together with the base. 
     
     
         11 . The agitator assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the cap is configured to rotate together with the impeller about the second rotational axis, the cap including a base member having a projection extending outwardly from the base member for agitating the laundry, the base member further including a plurality of openings for jetting water upwardly in the drum. 
     
     
         12 . The agitator assembly of  claim 1  in combination with the clothes washing machine, wherein the drive mechanism of the clothes washing machine includes a stationary annular gear provided on lower portion of the drum, the annular gear rotating with the rotary drum about the first rotational axis, and a pinion gear meshed with the annular gear and connected to the impeller, wherein rotation of the base relative to the drum causes the pinion gear to revolve about the second rotational axis and rotate along a perimeter of the annular gear, the revolution and rotation of the pinion gear being transmitted to the impeller making the impeller rotate in the drum. 
     
     
         13 . The agitator of  claim 1 , wherein the annular gear in integrally formed with the drum and the pinion gear is integrally formed with the impeller. 
     
     
         14 . An agitator assembly for a clothes washing machine, the washing machine including a water basket for containing water therein, a drum rotatably disposed in the water basket for holding laundry, and a drive mechanism for selectively rotating the drum and the agitator assembly, the agitator assembly comprising:
 a base rotatably mounted on a lower portion of the drum, the base including an upper surface and a lower surface, the base configured to rotate about a first rotational axis;   a plurality of vanes mounted on the upper surface of the base, each vane extending radially from the first rotational axis of the base, the plurality of vanes being rotated together with the base about the first rotational axis, the vanes dividing the base into separate sections;   a plurality of impellers mounted to the base, one impeller being provided for each section of the base, each impeller including a plate and a plurality of curved blades radially arranged on an upper surface of the plate, and the base includes a plurality of apertures, each aperture dimensioned to receive therein one of the impellers, wherein the plurality of impellers is configured to rotate along with rotation of the base about a second rotational axis, rotation of the impellers imparting an upward flow thru the base to the water contained in the water basket; and   a plurality of caps, each cap configured to cover the blades of one of the impellers, the caps preventing the impeller blades from contacting laundry held in the drum.   
     
     
         15 . The agitator assembly of  claim 14 , further including a support member connected to the cap, the support member configured to at least partially house the impeller, the support member including an inwardly extending flange for supporting the plate of the impeller, the flange acting as a bushing allowing for rotation of the impeller within the support member. 
     
     
         16 . The agitator assembly of  claim 14  in combination with the clothes washing machine, wherein the drive mechanism of the clothes washing machine includes an annular gear integrally formed on lower portion of the drum, and a pinion gear integrally formed on each impeller beneath the plate, the pinion gear being meshed with the annular gear, wherein rotation of the base relative to the drum about the first rotational axis causes each pinion gear to revolve about the second rotational axis and rotate along a perimeter of the annular gear which, in turn, rotates each impeller in the drum. 
     
     
         17 . The agitator assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the caps are configured to rotate together the impellers about the second rotational axis, each cap including an outwardly extending projection for agitating the laundry. 
     
     
         18 . A clothes washing machine comprising:
 a water basket for containing water therein;   a rotary drum disposed in the water basket for holding laundry;   an agitator assembly rotatably mounted at a lower portion of the drum; and   a drive mechanism for selectively rotating the drum and the agitator assembly,   wherein the agitator assembly includes an annular base having a plurality of vanes and a plurality of circumferentially spaced impellers rotatably disposed in apertures provided in the base, and further including a plurality of caps for covering the plurality of impellers, the caps preventing laundry from contacting the impellers, and further including a plurality of support members configured to at least partially house the impellers, the support members being connected to the caps,   wherein the drive mechanism includes a stationary annular gear secured to the lower portion of the drum and a plurality of pinion gears connected to the plurality of impellers, the pinion gears being meshed with the annular gear, rotation of the base relative to the drum about a first rotational axis causes each pinion gear to revolve about a second rotational axis and rotate along a perimeter of the annular gear which, in turn, rotates each impeller in the aperture of the base about a second rotational axis, rotation of the impellers imparting an upward flow thru the base to the water contained in the water basket.   
     
     
         19 . The clothes washing machine of  claim 18 , wherein the annular gear is integrally formed on a bottom wall of the drum and each pinion gear is integrally formed with one of the impellers. 
     
     
         20 . The clothes washing machine of  claim 18 , wherein each cap is configured as a directional guide for the upwardly flow of water in the drum.