Patent ID: 8573009

Claim:
A steam-augmented washing machine appliance, comprising: a casing; a vertical axis tub disposed within said casing, the tub including a rotatable perforated wash basket configured for receipt of articles to be washed; said wash basket comprising a side wall and an open top end through which clothes articles are loaded into said wash basket; a steam generator disposed within said casing and in communication with said tub to introduce steam into said wash basket; and a plurality of fluid vanes mounted to said wash basket so as to rotate with said wash basket, said fluid vanes circumferentially spaced around said side wall adjacent said top end of said wash basket, said fluid vanes having a radial aspect so as to extend radially from said side wall, each fluid vane of said fluid vanes shaped and oriented such that said fluid vanes urge steam within the tub to circulate in a forced vertically oriented steam flow path through said wash basket during rotation of said wash basket.