GB2259002A

GB2259002A - Covers for clothes hanging devices

Info

Publication number: GB2259002A
Application number: GB9218345A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Thomas Seward Holland
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-08-28
Filing date: 1992-08-28
Publication date: 1993-03-03
Anticipated expiration: 2012-08-28
Also published as: GB2259002B; GB9118414D0; GB9218345D0

Abstract

A cover for a rotary clothes dryer comprises a plurality of extension arms (12) fitted to respective arms (10) of the dryer, e.g. by clips (14), with a cover sheet (22) spread between the extension arms. A single size cover sheet (22) can then be used for a wide range of different size dryers. The invention is also applicable to static clothes dryers/airers to extend the limbs upwards so that a cover sheet can be fitted to the device for the purpose of shading/protection. <IMAGE>

Description

COVERS FOR CLOTHES HANGING DEVICES This invention relates generally to covers for clothes hanging devices. It is concerned both with covers for clothes drying devices where the cover is intended to keep off rain, and also with clothes drying/airing devices where the cover is intended primarily to shade the clothes from the sun and to prevent dirt, dust etc. from falling on the clothes.

Rotary clothes lines are well known and it is also well known to provide covers which are intended to fit over the rotary clothes line in order to protect the clothing from rain. One of the problems in providing covers for such rotary clothes lines is that the rotary clothes lines are not of a standard size or construction. They differ substantially both in terms of overall dimensions and also in terms of the shape and configuration of the projecting arms between which the lines run. Therefore, any cover for a rotary clothes line has to be custom made for the particular product and it has not heretofore been possible to provide a "universal" cover which will adapt or can be adapted to all the different designs.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cover for a rotary clothes drying device which is adaptable to a wide variety of designs of device. This has advantages both for the user, who then does not have to order a special cover to fit that particular product, and also to the manufacturer who does not have to manufacture a wide range of covers and/or stock covers of a wide variety of different sizes and types.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention this objet is achieved by a cover for a rotary clothes dryer, the cover comprising a plurality of extension means adapted to be fitted to arms of the dryer, means to locate each said extension means on an arm and to secure the extension means in said locations, and cover sheet means to be spread between the extension means.

The extension means can be fitted to the arms of the dryer at positions appropriate to take up the space between the ends of the arms and the periphery of the cover sheet means. A simple clip fastening may be used.

Other, static clothes dryers/airers are known. One such device comprises a pair of foldable legs in an X configuration with generally horizontal lines running in parallel between bars at the upper end of each limb of the device. Such static devices are used particularly in climates where there is a substantial amount of sunshine and it is then necessary to provide some means of shading the clothing in order to prevent bleaching and loss of colour, and also to prevent dust, dirt etc. from falling on the clothes.

Other foldable devices are also known having different configurations of limbs.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide means for a static clothes dryer/airer whereby a cover can be fitted to the device for the purpose of shading/protection.

In accordance with this aspect of the invention there is provided a cover for a static clothes dryer/airer, the cover comprising a pair of extension means adapted to be fitted to respective limbs of the dryer/airer to extend the limbs upwards, means to locate the extension means on the limbs and to secure the extension means in said locations, and cover sheet means to be spread between the extension means.

The T-shaped or other shape extension means may be fastened to the limbs of the device by suitable clips or other fastenings.

In order that these aspects of the invention may be more fully understood, two presently preferred embodiments in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings: Fig, 1 is a schematic partial view of the outer end of one arm of a rotary clothes dryer showing the cover and extension piece of the present invention fastened thereto; and Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the provision of a cover in accordance with the invention fitted to a folding clothes dryer/airer.

Referring first to Fig. 1, there is shown the outer end portion of one of the projecting arms 10 of a rotary clothes dryer which is otherwise not shown in the drawing. Conventionally, a clip is fitted to the outer end of this arm 10 and a cover can then be fitted to that clip. However, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided an extension piece 12 which is of rod-like or strut-like form and which is adapted to be fastened to the arm 10. The fastening is here shown as a clip 14, but any convenient form of fastening may be used. The clip 14 may be for example a plastics moulding having two oppositely facing pairs of semicircular recesses in which the arm 10 and the extension piece 12 are fitted. Some form of screw fastener may also be provided to tighten the fastening if the fastening is of an appropriate design.For stability, two fasteners 14 spaced along the arm 10 may be used. At the outer end of the extension piece 12 is fitted a clip 16, again preferably a plastics moulding, which can be tightened on to the end of the extension piece 12 by means of & -a screescrew 18. The clip 16 projects generally upwards and is provided adjacent to its upper end with a groove in which is seated a rod 20 which is at the periphery of a cover sheet 22 which is spread across the top of the rotary dryer. The rod 20 has its ends fitted into pockets provided at the margin of the cover sheet 22.

The cover sheet 22 is provided with a number of clips 16 and extension pieces 12 equal to the number of projecting arms 10 of the rotary dryer. Thus, by fitting the extension pieces 12 to the respective arms 10 at appropriate locations along the length of the projecting arms one can fit one size of cover sheet 22 to any size of dryer, within reasonable limits. The cover sheet 22 is therefore made "universal".

In an alternative embodiment, the extension pieces 12, instead of being mounted in parallel with the arms 10, can be fitted telescopically into the ends of the arms. A suitable latch mechanism or pin-andhole locating device can be used to retain the extension piece 12 at the desired position within the arm.

Although in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 the cover~ sheet 22 is coupled to the extension piece 12 by way of a clip 16 and a rod 20, one could alternatively affix the cover sheet more directly to the extension piece 12. For example, the cylindrical rods 20 could be replaced by suitably shaped locating members which would fit directly to the outer end part of each extension piece 12.

Fig. 2 shows an alternative form of clothes dryer/airer. Here the airer/dryer is a folding device having two limbs 30 and 32 constructed in an X-shaped configuration to fold about a central pivot point. At the bottom end of each limb 30, 32 is a bar 33 which rests on the ground and at the upper end of each limb is a further bar 34 which extends horizontally.

Between the upper bars 34 extend a plurality of lines 36 which are parallel to each other and on which clothing can be hung. In order to provide cover for the clothing, a pair of extension pieces 38 are provided, one associated with each limb 30, 32. Each of the extension pieces 38 is a T-shaped element having the leg of the T fastened to the respective limb 30, 32 and having the head 39 of the T above the upper end of the limbs 30,32 and parallel to the bars 34. The head 39 of each extension piece 38 is preferably at least as long as the bars 34. The extension pieces 38 are fastened to the limbs 30, 32 by respective fastening devices 40 which may be of any suitable form, e.g. such as the clips 14 used in Fig. 1. The extension pieces 38 can be designed to be fitted to the limbs 30, 32 in one specific position or may be made adjustable relative to the limbs to permit a variation in the level at which a cover sheet 42 is positioned above the lines 36. The cover sheet 42 is spread between the upper bars 39 of the extension. pieces 38. The cover sheet 42 may be sized to have a skirt portion 44 hanging down around the margin of the airer/dryer or may simply extend between the head bars 39 of the extension pieces 38.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A cover for a rotary clothes dryer, the cover comprising a plurality of extension means adapted to be fitted to arms of the dryer, means to locate each said extension means on an arm and to secure the extension means in said locations, and cover sheet means to be spread between the extension means.

2. A cover as claimed in claim 1, in which the extension means is fitted to each arm of the dryer.

3. A cover as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which each extension means comprises an elongate member locatable on or in the associated arm, and a link between the outer end of the elongate member and the cover sheet means.

4. A cover as claimed in claim 3, in which the link comprises a clip mounted adjacent to the outer end of the elongate member and which provides a seat for a portion of the cover sheet means.

5. A cover for a static clothes dryer/airer, the cover comprising a pair of extension means adapted to be fitted to respective limbs of the dryer/airer to extend the limbs upwards, means to locate the extension means on the limbs and to secure the extension means in said locations, and cover sheet means to be spread between the extension means.

6. A cover as claimed in claim 5, in which the extension means are adapted to be fitted to a pair of foldable legs of the dryer/airer, the legs being in an X configuration with clothes hanging lines extending generally horizontally therebetween.

7. A cover as claimed in claim 5 or 6, in which the extension means each comprise a T-shaped member.

8. A cover substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 1 or Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings.