Basket wash

Abstract

A laundry appliance or washer for washing an associated laundry item includes a housing and an integrated agitator/basket assembly received in the housing. A drive assembly is operatively associated with the agitator and the basket for activating movement of the agitator and the basket in unison.

1 . An appliance for washing an associated article containing an associated laundry item, comprising:
 a housing;   a basket received in the housing;   an agitator that is predominantly rotationally coupled to the basket to form an integrated agitator/basket assembly; and,   a drive assembly operatively associated with the agitator/basket assembly for actuating movement of the agitator and the basket in unison.   
     
     
         2 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the basket includes a first wall including a plurality of drainage ports and a second wall without openings therethrough extending from a perimeter of the first wall. 
     
     
         3 . The appliance of  claim 2 , further including a vane wrapped around and extending outwardly from the agitator. 
     
     
         4 . The appliance of  claim 1 , further including a vane extending inwardly from an inner surface of the second wall. 
     
     
         5 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the drive assembly that selectively imparts an oscillatory movement of the agitator/basket assembly. 
     
     
         6 . The appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising a control operatively associated with the drive assembly for controlling at least one of direction, angular acceleration, angular speed, and duration of rotation of the agitator/basket assembly. 
     
     
         7 . A washer comprising:
 a housing including an integrated agitator/basket assembly having an interior cavity dimensioned to receive at least one associated laundry article therein, a bottom wall of the assembly having openings for selective draining of water from the cavity, and a sidewall extending from the bottom that has no openings therethrough;   a drive mechanism for oscillatory rotation of the basket in alternating directions; and,   a controller for selectively controlling associated water supply to the article containment space and controlling activation of the drive mechanism, the controller being operative to control at least one of direction, angular acceleration, angular speed, and duration of rotation of the basket.   
     
     
         8 . The washer of  claim 7 , wherein the sidewall is a continuous surface. 
     
     
         9 . The washer of  claim 8 , wherein the basket further includes an agitator extending from and integrally coupled to the bottom wall. 
     
     
         10 . The washer of  claim 9 , wherein the agitator extends upwardly and is generally coincident with a central axis of the agitator/basket assembly. 
     
     
         11 . The washer of  claim 7 , further including a first vane extending outwardly from at least a portion of the agitator. 
     
     
         12 . The washer of  claim 12 , further including a second vane extending inwardly from at least a portion of an inner surface of the sidewall. 
     
     
         13 . The washer of  claim 7 , wherein the drive mechanism rotates the agitator in unison with the basket. 
     
     
         14 . The washer of  claim 7 , further including a vane extending from at least a portion of an inner surface of the sidewall. 
     
     
         15 . A method of washing associated fabric-containing articles with a washer containing a basket housed in a housing, comprising:
 filling a basket with water;   oscillating the basket and an integrally coupled agitator in alternating directions for a first duration;   draining the water from the basket; and,   spinning the basket for a second duration to remove water from the basket.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further including refilling the basket with water;
 oscillating the agitator/basket assembly in alternating directions for a third duration;   draining the associated water from the basket; and,   spinning the basket for a fourth duration to remove water from the basket.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the agitator/basket assembly includes vanes extending into the cavity for moving laundry articles through the cavity during the oscillating step 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the draining of the associated water from the basket is achieved through a plurality of drainage ports formed through a bottom wall of the basket. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein a solid continuous sidewall of the basket includes at least one vane that selectively moves the water and laundry article in the basket.