Impeller for laundry appliance that incorporates a filtering cap for separating particulate matter from wash fluid within the appliance
A washing appliance includes a drum that is rotationally operable within the tub about a vertical rotational axis. An impeller is positioned within a lower portion of the drum and is rotationally operable about the vertical rotational axis. The impeller includes a plurality of external vanes and a plurality of channel ribs that cooperate to promote a toroidal flow of wash fluid within the drum. A filtering cap is disposed on a top portion of the impeller and has a plurality of inlets that direct the toroidal flow of the wash fluid into a filtering chamber positioned within the filtering cap. The toroidal flow of the wash fluid continues through the filtering chamber and beneath an underside of the impeller, wherein the filtering chamber separates particulate matter from the toroidal flow of the wash fluid.
1 . A washing appliance comprising:
a tub that is positioned within an outer cabinet;
a drum that is rotationally operable within the tub about a vertical rotational axis; and
an impeller that is positioned within a lower portion of the drum and is rotationally operable relative to the drum about the vertical rotational axis, the impeller comprising:
a plurality of external vanes;
a plurality of structural ribs disposed on an underside of the impeller, wherein the plurality of external vanes and the plurality of structural ribs cooperate to promote a toroidal flow of wash fluid within the drum; and
a filtering cap disposed on a top portion of the impeller, the filtering cap having a cap portion that includes a plurality of inlets that direct the toroidal flow of the wash fluid into a filtering chamber that is positioned within the filtering cap, the toroidal flow of the wash fluid continuing through the filtering chamber and beneath the underside of the impeller, the filtering chamber configured to separate particulate matter from the toroidal flow of the wash fluid, wherein the filtering cap includes a particulate filter attached to the cap portion, the particulate filter having laterally-oriented apertures that are oriented generally perpendicular to the plurality of inlets.
2 . The washing appliance of claim 1 , wherein the filtering chamber is in communication with flow apertures that extend through the impeller and beneath the plurality of external vanes, respectively.
3 . The washing appliance of claim 2 , wherein the underside of the impeller beneath the plurality of external vanes defines respective flow paths that extend from the flow apertures and to an outer edge of the impeller, the flow paths at least partially defining the toroidal flow of the wash fluid during operation of the impeller during a wash cycle.
4 . The washing appliance of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of external vanes define a plurality of flow outlets that provide flow communication between the respective flow paths and a processing space of the drum above the impeller.
5 . The washing appliance of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of structural ribs are aligned with the flow paths and the plurality of external vanes that define the flow paths.
6 . The washing appliance of claim 2 , wherein the top of the impeller includes a receiver that receives the filtering cap, the filtering cap being selectively removable from the receiver.
7 . The washing appliance of claim 6 , wherein at least the receiver and the particulate filter cooperate to define the filtering chamber.
8 . The washing appliance of claim 6 , wherein the receiver includes a filter screen that extends over the flow apertures of the receiver to separate the particulate matter from the toroidal flow of the wash fluid.
9 . The washing appliance of claim 6 , wherein the filtering cap is selectively removable from the receiver to provide selective access to the filtering chamber.
10 . The washing appliance of claim 6 , wherein the impeller includes a plurality of lowered portions that are positioned in an alternating configuration between the plurality of external vanes, the lowered portions assisting in producing the toroidal flow.
11 . The washing appliance of claim 6 , wherein the particulate filter is attached to the filtering cap and the filtering cap is attached to the receiver.
12 . The washing appliance of claim 6 , wherein the filtering cap is attached to the receiver through a twist-lock mechanism.
13 . The washing appliance of claim 12 , wherein the particulate filter is attached to the filtering cap by one of a snapping engagement and a twist-lock engagement.
14 . The washing appliance of claim 6 , wherein the flow apertures are defined by the receiver of the impeller.
15 . The washing appliance of claim 2 , wherein a portion of the laterally-oriented apertures are aligned with the flow apertures of the impeller.
16 . The washing appliance of claim 2 , wherein the particulate filter includes a filter screen that extends across the laterally-oriented apertures.
17 . The washing appliance of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of inlets of the filtering cap includes at least one of slots and perforations that are defined within the cap portion of the filtering cap.
18 . The washing appliance of claim 1 , wherein the cap portion and the particulate filter are selectively separable from one another.
19 . The washing appliance of claim 18 , wherein the particulate filter includes a filtering screen that captures the particulate matter.
20 . The washing appliance of claim 1 , wherein the impeller and the filtering cap are positioned relative to the lower portion of the drum to submerge a top surface of the filtering cap in the wash fluid during performance of any wash cycle.