Patent ID: 6227014
Filing Date: 2001-05-08
Classification: D06F

Abstract:
An agitator for an automatic washer for washing clothes, the agitator comprising:a skirt having a bottom and a substantially circular outer perimeter and a center ring, said center ring having a substantially circular inner and outer perimeter,a center barrel having a generally cylindrical outer surface, said center barrel extending upwardly from the center ring inner perimeter, said center barrel defining a center axis,at least two vanes provided on and extending radially from the center barrel and dividing said skirt and said cylindrical outer surface of said center barrel into at least two substantially equal sections wherein said at least two substantially equal sections of said cyclindrical outer surface has an arcuate length, said vanes further having a top edge, a bottom edge positioned above said skirt, a tip portion and a base portion, said tip portion being thinner than said base portion, wherein the base portion and the bottom edge meet to form a connection point a first vertical distance from the bottom of the skirt and said connection point is positioned a first radial distance from said center axis, anda slide member positioned within each of the at least two sections for moving clothes from near the center barrel toward the skirt outer perimeter, said slide member having a top edge intersecting said center barrel, said top edge of said slide member having an arcuate length at least one-fourth said arcuate length of said equal sections of said cylindrical outer surface, wherein said slide has a surface at the first vertical distance and the surface of the slide at the first vertical distance is a second radial distance from said center axis and further wherein the first radial distance is less than the second radial distance.