Footwear cleaner assembly for a washing machine appliance

Abstract

A footwear cleaner assembly for a top-load washing appliance may include a plurality of article baskets spaced circumferentially around an agitation element within the wash basket. Each article basket of the plurality of article baskets may include an outer wall, an inner wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall. The inner walls of each article basket of the plurality of article baskets together may define a first compartment for washing a first article set therebetween. The outer wall, the inner wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall of each article basket of the plurality of article baskets may define a second wash compartment for washing a second article set. The second wash compartment is positioned outside of the first wash compartment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A footwear cleaner assembly for a top-load washing appliance, the top-load washing appliance comprising a wash tub positioned within a cabinet, a wash basket rotatably mounted within the wash tub and defining a wash chamber, and an agitation element for imparting an oscillatory motion to articles, the footwear cleaner assembly comprising: 
 a plurality of article baskets spaced circumferentially around the agitation element within the wash basket, each article basket of the plurality of article baskets comprising an outer wall, an inner wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall,    wherein the inner walls of each article basket of the plurality of article baskets together define a first compartment for washing a first article set therebetween,    wherein the outer wall, the inner wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall of each article basket of the plurality of article baskets define a second wash compartment for washing a second article set,    wherein the second wash compartment is positioned outside of the first wash compartment.    
     
     
         2 . The footwear cleaner assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the outer wall, the inner wall, the first side wall, or the second side wall of each article basket of the plurality of baskets defines a plurality of wash fluid holes therethrough. 
     
     
         3 . The footwear cleaner assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the first side wall, the second side wall, and the outer wall of each article basket of the plurality of article baskets define a notch, and wherein the notch corresponds to a bottom edge of the wash basket. 
     
     
         4 . The footwear cleaner assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of article baskets comprises four article baskets.  
     
     
         5 . The footwear cleaner assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of article baskets together comprise an outer ring and an inner ring,  
       wherein the outer ring comprises a top edge and a bottom edge, wherein the inner ring comprises a top edge and a bottom edge,  
       wherein the top edge of the outer ring is positioned axially above the top edge of the inner ring, and  
       wherein the bottom edge of the outer ring is positioned axially above the bottom edge of the inner ring.  
     
     
         6 . The footwear cleaner assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the footwear cleaner assembly further comprises: 
 a lid assembly attached to the top edge of the inner ring and the top edge of the outer ring,    wherein the lid assembly is selectively moveable to transition the footwear cleaner assembly between an open position and a closed position.   
     
     
         7 . The footwear cleaner assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the lid assembly is hingeably attached footwear cleaner assembly to transition the footwear cleaner assembly between the open position and the closed position. 
     
     
         8 . The footwear cleaner assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the footwear cleaner assembly further comprises a wire mesh attached to an inner surface of the footwear cleaner assembly.  
     
     
         9 . The footwear cleaner assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the wire mesh is directly attached to the inner surface of the inner wall of each article basket.  
     
     
         10 . A washing machine appliance comprising: 
 a wash tub positioned within a cabinet, the wash tub defining an axial direction, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction;   a wash basket rotatably mounted within the wash tub and defining a wash chamber configured for receiving a load of clothes;   an agitation element for imparting an oscillatory motion to articles, the agitation element extending along the axial direction and liquid in the wash basket; and    a footwear cleaner assembly positioned within the wash basket around the agitation element along the radial direction, the footwear cleaner assembly comprising: 
 an outer ring interfaced with the wash basket; and 
 an inner ring positioned inside the outer ring along the radial direction, 
 wherein the inner ring defines a first wash compartment positioned around the agitation element for washing a first article set, and 
 wherein the outer ring and the inner ring define a second wash compartment therebetween for washing a second article set, and  
 wherein the second wash compartment is positioned outside of the first wash compartment along the radial direction.  
   
     
     
         11 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the footwear cleaner assembly comprises a plurality of article baskets,  
       wherein the plurality of article baskets are positioned circumferentially around the agitation element,  
       wherein each article basket of the plurality of article baskets comprises an outer wall, an inner wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall,  
       wherein the outer wall, the inner wall, the first wall, and the second side wall of each article basket of the plurality of article baskets defines a wash sub-compartment of the second wash compartment.  
     
     
         12 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the outer wall of each article basket of the plurality of article baskets together define the outer ring, and wherein the inner wall of each article basket of the plurality of article baskets together define the inner ring. 
     
     
         13 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the outer wall, the inner wall, the first side wall, or the second side wall of each article basket of the plurality of baskets defines a plurality of wash fluid holes therethrough. 
     
     
         14 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the first side wall, the second side wall, and the outer wall of each article basket of the plurality of article baskets define a notch, and wherein the notch corresponds to a bottom edge of the wash basket. 
     
     
         15 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of article baskets comprises four article baskets.  
     
     
         16 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 10 , wherein outer ring comprises a top edge and a bottom edge, wherein the inner ring comprises a top edge and a bottom edge, wherein the top edge of the outer ring is positioned axially above the top edge of the inner ring, and wherein the bottom edge of the outer ring is positioned axially above the bottom edge of the inner ring.  
     
     
         17 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the footwear cleaner assembly further comprises a lid assembly attached to the top edge of the inner ring and the top edge of the outer ring, wherein the lid assembly is selectively moveable to transition the footwear cleaner assembly between an open position and a closed position.  
     
     
         18 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 17 , wherein the lid assembly is hingeably attached footwear cleaner assembly to transition the footwear cleaner assembly between the open position and the closed position.  
     
     
         19 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the footwear cleaner assembly further comprises a wire mesh attached to an inner surface of the footwear cleaner assembly.  
     
     
         20 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 19 , wherein the wire mesh is directly attached to the inner surface of the inner wall of each article basket.