Clothes mover for an automatic washer
A washing machine for treating laundry comprising a basket rotatable about a first rotational axis, having a peripheral side wall extending upwardly from a bottom wall to at least partially define a treating chamber; a clothes mover proximate the bottom wall, having a base with a centrally located hub concentric with a second rotational axis about which the clothes mover reciprocally rotates; and at least one vane having an elongated body extending away from the hub and projecting upwardly from the clothes mover to terminate in a tip.
1. A washing machine for treating laundry according to at least one automatic cycle of operation, comprising:
a basket having a bottom wall and a peripheral side wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall to at least partially define a treating chamber with an open top, with the basket rotatable about a first rotational axis;
a clothes mover located within the treating chamber, proximate the bottom wall, and having a base with a centrally located hub concentric with a second rotational axis about which the clothes mover reciprocally rotates;
a plurality of non-flexible vanes having an upper surface and extending upwardly from the base and extending away from the hub toward the peripheral side wall a first distance;
a plurality of flexible vanes having an elongated body extending away from the hub a distance less than the first distance and projecting upwardly from the upper surface to terminate in a tip, with the elongated body having a first end proximate the hub and a second end, opposite the first end; wherein the flexible vanes flex about a flex axis that is not parallel to either of the first and second rotational axes.
2. The washing machine of claim 1 wherein the flex axis is generally parallel to a body axis of the elongated body.
3. The washing machine of claim 1 wherein the flexible vanes comprise a body portion that terminates in a tip portion forming the tip and at least the tip portion flexes.
4. The washing machine of claim 1 wherein the elongated body has a length less than 50% of the length of a radial line extending from the second rotational axis to the peripheral wall.
5. The washing machine of claim 4 wherein the first end abuts the hub.
6. The washing machine of claim 1 wherein the elongated body is located on the upper surfaces such that the second end does not reside beyond a halfway point between the second rotational axis and the peripheral wall.
7. The washing machine of claim 6 wherein the first end abuts the hub.
8. The washing machine of claim 6 further comprising a second plurality of flexible vanes, each having at least a portion extending beyond the halfway point.
9. The washing machine of claim 8 wherein the second plurality of flexible vanes all lie beyond the halfway point.
10. The washing machine of claim 9 wherein the clothes mover comprises a base having a plurality of openings.
11. The washing machine of claim 1 wherein at least some of the flexible vanes flex in a direction to impart an upward force on laundry in contact with the vanes.
12. The washing machine of claim 11 wherein the flexible vanes are configured to flex in a direction opposite the direction of rotation of the clothes mover to impart the upward force.
13. The washing machine of claim 1 wherein the first and second rotational axes are coaxial.