The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 08, 2001
Filed:
Jun. 22, 1999
John W. Euler, St. Joseph, MI (US);
Robert J. Pinkowski, Baroda, MI (US);
John Michael Hunnell, St. Joseph, MI (US);
Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, MI (US);
Abstract
An agitator for a clothes washer having radially extending vanes and a slide member between the vanes. Vanes extend from the barrel portion of the agitator toward the outer perimeter of the skirt. The vanes have a base toward the barrel and a tip toward the outer perimeter of the skirt. The vanes have a right and a left side with each side having multiple planar faces for maximizing tip deflection. The pivot point, or connection point, of the base to the agitator has been lowered by connecting it to the center ring area of the skirt. Thus, vane breakage is reduced without decreasing washability. Slide members having a downward slope extend from the agitator barrel to the skirt at a slope less steep than the center ring area, but more steep than the slope of the skirt. These members move clothes from the barrel outward toward the perimeter of the skirt.