Washing machine appliance having a retractable agitation element
AssigneeHaier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
InventorsBrad Herschler, Eric Gerard Johnson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A washing machine appliance may include a tub, a basket, and a retractable agitation element. The basket may be rotatably positioned within the tub. The retractable agitation element may be positioned within the basket. The retractable agitation element may define a rotation axis. The retractable agitation element may include a lower shaft, an upper shaft, and a resilient fin. The upper shaft may be slidably mounted on lower shaft in telescoping cooperation to move axially along the rotation axis. The resilient fin may be movably attached to the lower shaft apart from the upper shaft.
Claims14
A washing machine appliance comprising:
- a tub;
- a basket rotatably positioned within the tub;
- and
- a retractable agitation element positioned within the basket, the retractable agitation element defining a rotation axis and comprising
- a lower shaft,
- an upper shaft slidably mounted on lower shaft in telescoping cooperation to move axially along the rotation axis, and
- a resilient fin attached to the lower shaft apart from the upper shaft,
- wherein the resilient fin extends from an upper tip to a lower tip disposed below the upper tip, and
- wherein the resilient fin is selectively compressed with the upper and lower shafts between a collapsed state and an expanded state, the collapsed state providing the upper and lower tips in closer proximity than the expanded state.
A washing machine appliance comprising:
- a tub;
- a basket rotatably positioned within the tub;
- an impeller base rotatably mounted within the basket;
- and
- a retractable agitation element removably fixed to the impeller base, the retractable agitation element defining a rotation axis and comprising
- a lower shaft,
- an upper shaft slidably mounted on lower shaft in telescoping cooperation to move axially along the rotation axis, and
- a resilient fin attached to the lower shaft apart from the upper shaft, the resilient fin being selectively compressed with the upper and lower shafts between a vertically collapsed state and a vertically expanded state.
A washing machine appliance comprising:
- a tub;
- a basket rotatably positioned within the tub;
- an impeller base rotatably mounted within the basket;
- and
- a retractable agitation element removably fixed to the impeller base, the retractable agitation element defining a rotation axis and comprising
- a lower shaft removably fixed to the impeller base,
- an upper shaft slidably mounted on lower shaft in telescoping cooperation to move axially along the rotation axis,
- an intermediate shaft mounted between the upper and lower shafts in telescoping cooperation, and
- a resilient fin slidably or pivotably attached to the lower shaft apart from the upper shaft, the resilient fin being selectively compressed with the upper, intermediate, and lower shafts between a vertically collapsed state and a vertically expanded state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.