Patent ID: 8429939

Claim:
A washing machine appliance, comprising: a casing; a tub disposed within said casing; a wash basket received within said tub and configured for receipt of articles to be washed; a diffuser plate that defines a continuous bottommost surface of said wash basket upon which articles to be washed are supported in said wash basket, said diffuser plate further comprising a plurality of passages defined therethrough; an impeller system operably configured within said tub below said diffuser plate, said impeller system including at least one rotationally driven impeller disposed below said diffuser plate at a location such that substantially all wash water is directed by said impeller system upwards through said passages in said diffuser plate during a wash cycle with sufficient energy to move and wash articles within said wash basket; and further comprising flow-directing structure disposed at a location between said diffuser plate and said impeller to block wash water from said impeller from passing through a defined group of said passages in said diffuser plate, said defined group of passages defining drains for the wash water from said wash basket.