GB2378712A

GB2378712A - Travel washing machine

Info

Publication number: GB2378712A
Application number: GB0113404A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Chris Wattam
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-06-02
Filing date: 2001-06-02
Publication date: 2003-02-19
Anticipated expiration: 2021-06-02
Also published as: GB0113404D0; GB2378712B

Abstract

A device for washing clothes comprises a main chamber (1) for receiving clothes (2) and washing solution. The main chamber is in fluid communication with at least one further chamber (3), made from a flexible watertight material. A lid (5) seals the vessel. Repeated compression and expansion of the main chamber urges the solution respectively into and out of the further chamber, thereby moving the solution through the clothes and washing the clothes. A drain nozzle (7) in the base (6) of the chamber (1) allows washing solution to exit the vessel. The clothes are rinsed by replacing the washing solution with clear water.

Description

'vel Washing Device This invention relates to a travel-washing device.

The invention is of a small-scale manually powered washing device aimed primarily at the travel market on account of its portable, lightweight, collapsible nature. The device requires no external housing or vessel other than itself The present invention consists of a waterproof flexible chamber for the purpose of containing dirty laundry and washing solution, having one or more separate chambers to allow water-flow within the system.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figurel shows the general assembly of the washing device.

Consisting (1) Main chamber made from waterproof flexible material (3 & 4) Secondary chambers also of waterproof, flexible material.

(5) Lid (6) Base unit (7) Drain nozzle Figure2 shows a cross-sectional view of the device through line AA.

Figure3 shows a schematic view of the device during the washing process Clothes and washing solution are placed in the vessel. The user then compresses and extends the vessel causing a fluid interchange between the main chamber (1) and the secondary chambers (3 & 4). This is shown in Fig 3. When the main chamber is compressed the fluid is moved from the main chamber (1), through the clothes (2) and into the secondary chambers (3 & 4). This is shown in Fig3a. When the bag is extended the fluid is brought from the secondary chambers (3 & 4), through the clothes (2) and into the main chamber (1) as shown in Fig3b. The cycle is repeated creating a water flow through the clothes and thus washing them.

The clothes are rinsed in a similar manner, replacing the washing solution with clear water.

Claims

Cf. AIMS I A device for washing clothes comprises a main chamber for receiving doilies and washing solution, The main chamber being in fluid communication with at least one further chamber and being made of flexible watertight material, whereby repeated compression and expansion of the main chamber urges the solution respectively into and out of the further chamber thereby moving the solution through the clothes and washing the clothes.
2. A device according to claim 1 wherein there are two said further chambers.
3. A device according io claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the at least one further chamber is carried by the main chamber-
4. A device according to claim 3 wherein the at least one further chamber is disposed on an outer surface of the main chamber-
5. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the main chamber is of generally cylindrical shape.
6-A device according to claim 5, wherein The at least one further chamber is disposed on a curved outer surface of the generally cylindrical main chamber.
7. A device according TO claim 5 or claim 6 wherein the main chamber is compressed and expanded axially.
8. A device according to claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the at least one further chamber is formed by a sheet of flexible material overlying the outer cylindrical surface of the main chamber.

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9. A device according to claim 8, wherein the cylindrical main chamber includes an upper end and a lower end, the at least one further chamber extending from said upper end towards said lower end and extending circumferentially only partially around the main chamber-
10 A device according TO claim 9 where the at least one further chamber has a circumferential extent that is greater towards the upper end of the main chamber and lesser towards said lower end.
11 A device according to claim 10, wherein the cylindrical surface of the main chamber includes a hole providing communication for said solution between the main chamber and the at least one further chamber.
12. A device according to claim l l, wherein the hole is a1 the lower end of the main chamber.
13-A device according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein said at least one chamber is one of two such chambers arranged on diametrically opposite sides of the cylindrical main chamber.
14. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the device includes a salable dram hole at the lower end of the main chamber for draining the solution.
15. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the device includes a salable hole at the upper end of the main chamber for insertion and removal of the clothes.
16. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the device is manually operated.
17. A device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference 10 the

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accompanying drawings
18 A method of washing clothes comprises the steps of inserting clothes together with a washing solution inio a flexible watertight main chamber, manually compressing the main chamber such that the solution passes into a further chamber carried by the main chamber, expanding the main chamber such that the flow of solution reverses and passes back into the main chamber from the further chamber, and repeating the above steps until the solution has passed through the clothes enough to wash the clothes.
19. A method according to claim 18 including the further steps of draining the solution from the main chamber, re-filling the chamber with water and repeating the compression and expansion steps to rinse the clothes.

20 A method using a device substantially hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.