GB2317378A

GB2317378A - Laundry ball

Info

Publication number: GB2317378A
Application number: GB9619900A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Shiow Jiuan Freida Leu
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-04-22
Filing date: 1996-09-24
Publication date: 1998-03-25
Also published as: GB9619900D0

Abstract

A laundry ball comprises two symmetrical semi-spherical halves 1, 2 a pair of annular plates 3, 4 and an inner porous shell 5 for containing a solid washing particulate. The porous shell 5 may be readily disposed within the two halves 1, 2 which are assembled and attached together by the annular plates 3, 4, using ultrasonic welding. The free ends of the halves are provided with connecting flanges which have a plurality of positioning holes 111, 211. One of the annular plates 3 is provided with a plurality of dowel pins 31 corresponding to the positioning holes of the connecting flanges 11, 21. The dowel pins 31 are received and retained within the positioning holes and welded to the other annular plate 4 by ultrasonic welding.

Description

LAUNDRY BALL The present invention relates to a laundry ball.

In the conventional washing process, a suitable quantity of cleaning agent, such as washing powder is added into a washing machine to clean the clothes or other fabrics in the machine (herein the term "clothes" will be used for simplicity). Nevertheless, excess amount of cleaning agent may cause a high percentage of residue remained in the waste water as well as in the clothes. Accordingly, not only will the fluorescent agent cause an irritation to the skin, but also will cause an eutrophication effect for example in rivers resulting from polluted water with abundant phosphor and nitrogen. In order to solve this problem, a high molecule solid cleaning particulate has been developed to substitute the conventional washing agent. According to experiments, when these high molecule cleaning agents are immersed in the water, they can be dissolved at a very slow rate but still provide acceptable washing effect.

It is the object of this invention to provide a laundry ball wherein for example a high molecule solid cleaning agent can be contained therein for washing.

A laundry ball made according to this invention in one aspect comprises two symmetrical semi-spherical halves, a pair of annular plates and an inner porous shell for containing a plurality of solid washing particulate therein. The porous shell may readily be disposed within those two halves and are attached together by those annular plates to construct a laundry ball e.g. by ultrasonic welding.

Preferably, a buffer e.g. an elastic member is provided at said annular plates to reduce the collision between the laundry ball and the washing machine.

Preferably, the cleaning agent is filled within the porous shell first. Consequently, the cleaning particulate will not scatter all around. The porous shell is protected by the semi-spherical halves, so that it will not be damaged during the washing process.

Preferably, the outer diameter of the porous shell is smaller than the inner diameter of the two semi-spherical halves. By this arrangement, the porous ball may readily roll within the space defined within those two semi-spherical halves. The cleaning agent may smoothly dissolve to clean the clothes.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of one laundry ball made according to this invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view showing an assembled laundry ball of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the porous shell of the ball of Figure 1 wherein the container is partially cut away to disclose the inside of the container; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing atop portion of the porous shell of the ball of Figure 1; and Figure 5 is a side view of an assembled washing ball of Figure 1 wherein the laundry ball is partially cut to disclose the inside of the laundry ball.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the laundry ball made according to this embodiment of the invention features a spherical vessel configuration wherein the solid cleaning particulate 6 can be filled. The laundry ball generally comprises two symmetrical semi-spherical halves 1, 2, a pair of annular plates 3, 4 and a porous shell 5 to be disposed between those two semi-spherical halves 1, 2. Detailed description to those elements will be made hereunder.

Each of said two semi-spherical halves 1, 2 is provided with a connecting flange 11, 21 at its open end. Said connecting flanges 11, 21 include a plurality of positioning holes 111, 211 spaced apart from each other. Additionally, the two semi-spherical halves 1, 2 further include a plurality of openings 12, 22 in their spherical wall to provide a passage to the outside.

When those two halves 1, 2 are assembled, a ball socket may therefore be constructed.

One of the two annular plates 3, 4 is provided with dowel pins 31 corresponding to the positioning holes 111, 211 of the connecting flanges 11, 21. When those two halves 1, 2 are assembled and the annular plate 3 is positioned with each of said dowel pins 31 is received within an aligned pair of the positioning holes 111, 211, then the second annular plate 4 can be fixed to said first annular plate 3 by ultrasonic welding to construct an I-beam connection therebetween, as shown in Figure 5. By this arrangement, a laundry ball may easily be assembled as shown in Figure 2. By the provision of said annular plates 3 and 4, the effect of collision between the laundry ball and the inner wall of the washing tub is advantageously mitigated.

The porous shell 5 is a spherical housing having a plurality of orifices 51 in its wall. The top of said porous shell 5 is provided with an opening 52 which can be covered with a lid 53. Said lid 53 is attached to said opening 52 by interference fit therebetween. By this arrangement, the lid 53 will not fall off from said opening 52, as shown in Figure 4. When the lid 53 is removed, the cleaning particulate 6 can be filled.

Accordingly, the cleaning particulate will not scatter around. The shell 5 is then placed within the halves 1, 2 which are then assembled together. Since this porous shell 5 is disposed and protected within said halves 1 and 2, said porous shell 5 may not readily be broken by the agitator of the washing machine.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the porous shell 5 is made from plastic material, while those two halves 1, 2 are preferably made from soft plastic or foam material, e.g. elastomeric material, to prevent the clothes being scratched or damaged. This soft material forms a buffer between the plates 3, 4, projecting outwardly from the edges of the plates.

When the laundry ball is circulated within the washing tub, the cleaning particulate may be dissolved by the water and a cleaning effect may readily be attained.

The outer diameter of the porous shell 5 can be advantageously smaller than the inner diameter of those two halves 1, 2. By this arrangement, the porous shell 5 may readily roll within said two halves 1, 2. In light of this, the cleaning agent may be continuously dissolved within the water despite the washing ball being enclosed by clothes in the washing machine.

While a particular embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A laundry ball for containing a washing substance to be dissolved, including two porous containers, one of which is disposed inside the other, wherein the inner container is for containing a washing substance.

2. A laundry ball according to claim 1, wherein the outer container has two separate halves which are joined together.

3. A laundry ball according to claim 2, wherein each of the two separate halves of the outer container have a flange at their open end at which the two separate halves are joined together.

4. A laundry ball according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the inner container is rotatable or rollable within the outer container.

5. A laundry ball according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein both containers are substantially spherical.

6. A laundry ball comprising: two symmetrical semi-circular halves defining a receiving space therein, each of said two semi-spherical halves being provided with a connecting flange at its free end, said connecting flanges further including a plurality of positioning holes spaced apart from each other, each of said halves being provided with a plurality of openings at the wall, so that when said halves are assembled, a ball type socket is constructed; a pair of annular plates being provided, one of said annular plates being disposed with a plurality of dowel pins corresponding to said positioning holes of said connecting flanges, when those two halves are assembled and said annular plates are positioned in such a manner that each of said dowel pins is received within one of those corresponding positioning holes, then the second annular plate can be fixed to said first annular plate to construct an I-beam connection therebetween; and a porous shell being provided to be disposed within said ball socket assembled by said two halves, said shell including a spherical housing for filling cleaning particulate and having a plurality of orifices at the wall.

7. A laundry ball as recited in claim 6, wherein the outer diameter of said porous shell is smaller than the inner diameter of said ball socket defined by said two halves, so that said porous shell can readily roll within said ball socket.

8. A laundry ball as recited in claim 6 or 7, wherein said porous shell is provided with an opening covered by a lid, so that the cleaning particulate can be filled via said opening.

9. A laundry ball substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying Figures 1 to 5.