Patent ID: 8746017

Claim:
A washing machine comprising: a cabinet, an outer tub mounted within said cabinet, said outer tub having an open frontal portion an inner basket mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis within said outer tub, a drive for rotating said inner basket during a wash cycle, said inner basket having a cylindrical side wall and an open frontal portion for receiving items to be laundered, said open frontal portion being spaced from the open frontal portion of the outer tub, said frontal portion of said inner basket including a front panel extending inwardly from the cylindrical side wall of the inner basket and an annular lip extending forwardly of said front panel for defining a front opening of the basket, said frontal portion of the outer tub having an annular guard extending radially inwardly in spaced relation about the annular lip of said frontal portion of said inner basket, said guard having an outer mounting portion fixed to said outer tub with a radial wall portion of said guard at a location rearwardly of a forward end of the annular lip of said frontal portion, said guard having an inner lip portion extending radially inwardly and axially rearwardly with respect to said radial wall portion of the guard and with respect to the frontal portion of said inner basket for defining a predetermined small axial gap measured parallel to the axis of said inner basket between the inner lip portion of the guard and a front side of the frontal portion of the inner basket for impeding the migration and movement of articles between the outer tub and inner basket.