Vertical Axis Washing Machine Appliance

Abstract

A vertical axis washing machine appliance includes a plurality of elongated projections disposed on a cylindrical side wall of a basket. Each elongated projection of the plurality of elongated projections has at least one hollow tube received within a respective hole of a plurality of holes of the cylindrical side wall. Each elongated projection of the plurality of elongated projections also has a wing that extends into an inner volume of the basket.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vertical axis washing machine appliance, comprising
 a tub;   a basket disposed within the tub such that the basket is rotatable about a substantially vertical axis within the tub, the basket defining an inner volume for receiving articles for washing, the basket having a bottom wall and a cylindrical side wall, the cylindrical side wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall, the cylindrical side wall defining a plurality of holes that extend through the basket in order to provide a fluid flow path between the inner volume of the basket and the tub; and   a plurality of elongated projections disposed on the cylindrical side wall of the basket, the elongated projections circumferentially spaced apart from one another on the cylindrical side wall of the basket, each elongated projection of the plurality of elongated projections having at least one hollow tube received within a respective hole of the plurality of holes of the cylindrical side wall, each elongated projection of the plurality of elongated projections having a wing extending into the inner volume of the basket.   
     
     
         2 . The vertical axis washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the elongated projections are snap fit to the cylindrical side wall with the hollow tubes received within the plurality of holes of the cylindrical side wall. 
     
     
         3 . The vertical axis washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , wherein each hollow tube of the elongated projections provides fluid communication from the inner volume of the basket to the tub through the respective hole of the plurality of holes of the cylindrical side wall. 
     
     
         4 . The vertical axis washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the wing of each of the elongated projections has at least two outer surfaces that are not parallel to each other. 
     
     
         5 . The vertical axis washing machine appliance of  claim 4 , wherein the wings have an ogee cross-section in a plane that is perpendicular to the substantially vertical axis. 
     
     
         6 . The vertical axis washing machine appliance of  claim 4 , wherein the wings have a polygonal cross-section in a plane that is perpendicular to the substantially vertical axis. 
     
     
         7 . The vertical axis washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the wings each define a plurality of vertically distributed ports. 
     
     
         8 . The vertical axis washing machine appliance of  claim 7 , wherein the vertically distributed ports of the wings are positioned radially inward relative to the cylindrical side wall. 
     
     
         9 . The vertical axis washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical side wall is continuous in at least one plane that is perpendicular to the substantially vertical axis. 
     
     
         10 . The vertical axis washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of elongated projections comprises at least twelve elongated projections. 
     
     
         11 . The vertical axis washing machine appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the at least twelve elongated projections are uniformly spaced apart from one another on the cylindrical side wall of the basket. 
     
     
         12 . The vertical axis washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical side wall is a metal cylindrical side wall and the elongated projections are plastic elongated projections. 
     
     
         13 . A vertical axis washing machine appliance, comprising
 a tub;   a basket disposed within the tub such that the basket is rotatable about a substantially vertical axis within the tub, the basket defining an inner volume for receiving articles for washing, the basket having a bottom wall and a cylindrical side wall, the cylindrical side wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall, the cylindrical side wall defining a plurality of holes that extend through the basket in order to provide a fluid flow path between the inner volume of the basket and the tub; and   a plurality of elongated projections disposed on the cylindrical side wall of the basket, the elongated projections circumferentially spaced apart from one another on the cylindrical side wall of the basket, each elongated projection of the plurality of elongated projections having at least one hollow tube received within a respective hole of the plurality of holes of the cylindrical side wall, each elongated projection of the plurality of elongated projections having a wing extending into the inner volume of the basket, the wing of each elongated projection has at least two outer surface portions that face the inner volume of the basket and that are not parallel to each other.   
     
     
         14 . The vertical axis washing machine appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the elongated projections are snap fit to the cylindrical side wall with the hollow tubes received within the plurality of holes of the cylindrical side wall. 
     
     
         15 . The vertical axis washing machine appliance of  claim 13 , wherein each hollow tube of the elongated projections provides fluid communication from the inner volume of the basket to the tub through the respective hole of the plurality of holes of the cylindrical side wall. 
     
     
         16 . The vertical axis washing machine appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the wings each define a plurality of vertically distributed ports. 
     
     
         17 . The vertical axis washing machine appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the vertically distributed ports of the wings are positioned radially inward of the cylindrical side wall. 
     
     
         18 . The vertical axis washing machine appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the cylindrical side wall is continuous in at least one plane that is perpendicular to the substantially vertical axis. 
     
     
         19 . The vertical axis washing machine appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of elongated projections comprises at least twelve elongated projections that are uniformly spaced from one another on the cylindrical side wall of the basket. 
     
     
         20 . The vertical axis washing machine appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the cylindrical side wall is a metal cylindrical side wall and the elongated projections are plastic elongated projections.