Patent ID: 9458563
Filing Date: 2016-10-04
CPC Classification: D06F

Claim Text:
1. A washing machine for washing launderable items comprising: a cabinet; a front opening outer tub mounted within said cabinet for receiving wash water during a washing operation; a front opening inner basket mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis within said outer tub; a drive for selectively rotating said inner basket in opposite: rotary directions during a washing operation; a plurality of elongated baffles mounted within said basket for engaging and agitating the items within the basket during a washing operation, said elongated baffles each having a length from a front to a rear of each baffle; said baffles each having a base at a bottom portion thereof, the base mounted on an inner side wall of the basket, said baffles each having a single solid uninterrupted agitating rib integral with and extending outwardly from the base at the bottom portion of each baffle and terminating at a peripheral edge at a top portion of each baffle; said solid rib of each baffle having side surfaces for directly contacting and agitating wash water and launderable items within the basket as an incident to rotation of the basket, at least a portion of the side surfaces being parallel side surfaces; said parallel side surfaces extend along the elongated baffle for at least one-half the length of the elongated baffle and extend from the bottom portion to the top portion for a distance of at least one-half the height from the base to the peripheral edge; said solid agitating rib of each baffle having a nonlinear configuration along its length defining at least one water lifting and directing cavity on each side of said baffle; and said at least one cavity on one side of said baffle being effective for lifting and directing wash water as an incident to rotation of the basket in one rotary direction and said at least one cavity on an opposite side of said baffle being effective for lifting and directing water as an incident to rotation of the basket in an opposite rotary direction, wherein the peripheral edge of each solid rib defines a first sinusoidal curved line and each solid rib has a bottom adjacent the base that defines a second sinusoidal line of greater amplitude than the sinusoidal line defined by the peripheral edge.