Impeller for laundry appliance that incorporates a filtering cap for separating particulate matter from wash fluid within the appliance

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.