A laundry treating appliance having a rotatable basket that defines a treating chamber, a tub for mounting the rotatable basket, a drive assembly mounted to the tub for rotating the basket and a drive motor mounted to the tub for driving the drive assembly. The tub has a lower region comprising a central cavity and a second cavity. The drive assembly is nested in the central cavity and the drive motor is nested in the second cavity for reducing the vertical stack of tub and the motor.

A laundry treating appliance having a rotatable basket that defines a treating chamber, a tub for mounting the rotatable basket, a drive assembly mounted to the tub for rotating the basket and a drive motor mounted to the tub for driving the drive assembly. The tub has a lower region comprising a central cavity and a second cavity. The drive assembly is nested in the central cavity and the drive motor is nested in the second cavity for reducing the vertical stack of tub and the motor.

A washing machine appliance may include a tub, a basket, and a retractable agitation element. The basket may be rotatably positioned within the tub. The retractable agitation element may be positioned within the basket. The retractable agitation element may define a rotation axis. The retractable agitation element may include a lower shaft, an upper shaft, and a resilient fin. The upper shaft may be slidably mounted on lower shaft in telescoping cooperation to move axially along the rotation axis. The resilient fin may be movably attached to the lower shaft apart from the upper shaft.

A washing machine appliance may include a tub, a basket, and a retractable agitation element. The basket may be rotatably positioned within the tub. The retractable agitation element may be positioned within the basket. The retractable agitation element may define a rotation axis. The retractable agitation element may include a lower shaft, an upper shaft, and a resilient fin. The upper shaft may be slidably mounted on lower shaft in telescoping cooperation to move axially along the rotation axis. The resilient fin may be movably attached to the lower shaft apart from the upper shaft.

A vertical axis washing machine appliance includes a plurality of elongated projections disposed on a cylindrical side wall of a basket. Each elongated projection of the plurality of elongated projections has at least one hollow tube received within a respective hole of a plurality of holes of the cylindrical side wall. Each elongated projection of the plurality of elongated projections also has a wing that extends into an inner volume of the basket.

A vertical axis washing machine appliance includes a plurality of elongated projections disposed on a cylindrical side wall of a basket. Each elongated projection of the plurality of elongated projections has at least one hollow tube received within a respective hole of a plurality of holes of the cylindrical side wall. Each elongated projection of the plurality of elongated projections also has a wing that extends into an inner volume of the basket.

A single action agitation element for a washing machine appliance is provided. The agitation element includes a shaft, a first fin, and a second fin. The first fin and second fin each extend outwardly from the shaft and around the shaft. The first fin extends generally in a first fin plane defining an angle greater than zero with a reference plane of the shaft. By contrast, the second fin extends generally in a second fin plane defining an angle less than zero with the reference plane of the shaft. Such a configuration may more efficiently move clothes or other articles within a wash basket of the washing machine appliance downwardly along a vertical direction during certain washing machine operations.

A single action agitation element for a washing machine appliance is provided. The agitation element includes a shaft, a first fin, and a second fin. The first fin and second fin each extend outwardly from the shaft and around the shaft. The first fin extends generally in a first fin plane defining an angle greater than zero with a reference plane of the shaft. By contrast, the second fin extends generally in a second fin plane defining an angle less than zero with the reference plane of the shaft. Such a configuration may more efficiently move clothes or other articles within a wash basket of the washing machine appliance downwardly along a vertical direction during certain washing machine operations.

A laundry washing machine includes a variable length agitator that is configurable in multiple configurations that provide different lengths for the agitator along its axis of rotation, and that is further biased to at least one of the configurations to facilitate user reconfiguration of the agitator.

A laundry washing machine includes a variable length agitator that is configurable in multiple configurations that provide different lengths for the agitator along its axis of rotation, and that is further biased to at least one of the configurations to facilitate user reconfiguration of the agitator.