GB2513335A

GB2513335A - A laundry storage system

Info

Publication number: GB2513335A
Application number: GB1307306.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Helen Schnieders
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-04-23
Filing date: 2013-04-23
Publication date: 2014-10-29
Anticipated expiration: 2033-04-23
Also published as: GB201307306D0; GB2513335B

Abstract

A laundry storage system 1 comprising an outer casing 2 that defines an inner space. The outer casing has a front aperture 3 and a top aperture 4. The system further comprises a lid 6 covering the top aperture. The lid is movable between a closed position and an open position where the user can access the inner space. The system further comprises a roller shutter door 5 associated with the front aperture. The door is movable between a closed position and an open position where the front aperture is unblocked and a user can access the inner space. The door is connected to the outer casing or framework. The outer casing may be wall mounted via a plurality of fixing points or brackets. The front roller shutter door could be formed from a canvas material, similar to a roller blind. An optional embodiment is the use of ventilation holes on the outer casing.

Description

A laundry storage system

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a system for storing laundry. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system that allows laundry to be stored in a convenient location and manner, and then unloaded and transported easily for washing.

Background -

It usually takes several days for a typical user or group of users (e.g. a family) to accumulate enough dirty laundry to fill a washing machine and make it worthwhile putting a wash on. It can take longer to accumulate enough items of a particular type for a specialist wash -e.g. delicates or whites which are kept apart from the normal laundry for washing separately. During the time between washes, the dirty laundry is kept to one side foraccumulation This usually means placing the laundry in a laundry basket or similar container, and keeping the container to one side until enough laundry has accumulated. This can be inconvenient if space is at a premium, or it can be difficult to keep the container in a convenient out-of-the-way location.

Prior Art

Accordingly a number of patent applications have been filed in an attempt to resolve the problems outlined above or similar, including the following: W02008/1 54740 describes a laundry hamper having a shallow box-like container with an open front and a door slidably mounted on the front of the container to close the open front. The door has a height less than the height of the front of the container. The door is movable on the container between a lowered position where : the bottom of the door is adjacent the bottom of the container and the top of the door is spaced from the top of the container to provide a top inlet opening to the interior of the container, and a raised position where the top of the door is adjacent the top of :::: 30 the container and the bottom of the container is spaced from the bottom of the container to provide.a bottom outlet opening from the interior of the container. The outlet opening is closed when the inlet opening is open, and the inlet opening is closed when the outlet opening is open.

US2007/0200471 describes a clothes hamper cabinet configured as a fine piece of furniture to disguise its use to collect and store dirty clothes. The cabinet has a main body defining a storage chamber therein with a top opening at the upper section of the main body for receiving dirty clothes into the storagechamber and a front opening on the front wall for removing dirty clothes therefrom. A door substantially closes the front opening. The cabinet is preferably supplied with a top member or lid that substantially closes the top opening. A divider is provided to divide the storage chamber into subchambers to facilitate selective sorting of the clothes when being deposited in the cabinet. The back wall, bottom wall and divider can be provided with vent holes to facilitate air circulation through the storage chamber. One or more removable baskets can be utilized for ease of removing dirty clothes.

US200S/0023336 describes a hamper/sorter for storing and sorting laundry which loads from the front with one or more openings is described. The hamper/sorter is comprised of the main body and two moveable doors, one upper flexible door that slides vertically and a lower rigid door that can be stowed horizontally under the hamper/sorter. During operation the doors adjust the front openings to allow for small or large laundry items to be loaded and unloaded for storing or washing. The upper and lower door edges that meet together are formed at an angle opposite of each other so that the upper door overlaps the lower door. A stop plate is installed on the upper door to keep the doors in the normally closed position. One or more of these hamper/sorters can also be mounted together in a horizontal row to provide a sorting system. The size of the invention is about the size of a typical floor hamper and allows for more than one washer load of laundry to be stored.

In this specification where reference has been made to patent specifications, other external documents, or other sources of information, this is generally for the purpose of providing a context for discussing the features of the invention. Unless * specifically stated otherwise, reference to such external documents is not to be construed as an admission that such documents, or such sources of information in any jurisdiction are prior art, or form part of the common general knowledge in the a rt.

Obiect of the Invention It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a laundry storage system which goes some way towards solving the problems outlined above, or which at least provides the public with a useful choice.

Summary of the Invention

Accordingly, in a first aspect the invention provides a laundry storage system comprising: an outer casing or framework that defines and encloses an inner space, the outer casing or framework having a front opening or aperture, and a top opening or aperture; a lid associated with the top opening or aperture, the lid being movable between a closed position where the top opening or aperture is substantially or fully closed by the lid, and an open position where the top opening or aperture is unblocked and a user can access the inner space; and a door associated with the front opening or aperture, the door being movable between a closed position where the front opening or aperture is substantially or fully closed by the door, and an open position where the front opening or aperture is unblocked and a user can access the inner space; in which the door is connected to the outer casing or framework, and is a roller shutter door.

The door being a roller shutter door minimises the amount of space required to use and own the laundry storage system, and if the laundry storage system is advantageously and ideally mounted on a wall, this can be used to help unload the laundry storage system as it is more convenient to use than a door hinged on either the top, bottom or sides. The benefits include ability to open and shut the door so as to limit entrance of dust or extraneous items, without enlarging footprint or otherwise altering spatial requirements for the laundry storage system. The door may comprise a segmented or concertina door, and may displace by rolling, sliding or minimising, :.*. 25 without extending beyond or from the outer casing or framework.

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Advantageously by being wall mounted the laundry storage system further saves space in use and when not in use.

Preferably the roller shutter door opens downwards. Ahandle may be located : " 30 near or at the top of the door. This allows the door to be opened conveniently if the laundry storage system is on a shelf or attached to the wall.

Preferably the outer casing or framework has a flat rear surface. A plurality of fixing points may be associated with the flat rear surface to aid in attachment of the laundry storage system to a wall or similar. This allows the laundry storage system to be fixed to a flat vertical surface such as a wall for convenient storage.

The laundry storage system is preferably wall mounted in a manner to save space, thereby allowing a user ability to store laundry even in restricted spatial availability wherein the laundry storage system has dimensions that give a narrow depth from the wall once mounted.

Preferably the outer casing or framework forms a substantially unitary shell.

Preferably a plurality of ventilation holes are formed in the outer casing.

Preferably the lid is connected to the outer casing or framework. At least the front portion of the lid may be arranged to rotate inwards and downwards on opening.

Preferably the sides of the lid at or towards the rear of the lid are connected to the outer casing or framework by swivels.

Preferably the swivels are located towards the rear of the lid, and a weight is connected to the lid behind the swivels so that the lid is biased towards the closed position.

Preferably the laundry storage system further comprises an inner basket. The inner basket may be sized to fit spugly within the inner space and which can be moved into and out of the outer casing or framework through the front opening or aperture. Advantageously this further serves to save space by having an integrated transportable basket within the framework. The inner basket may be adapted to hold clothing or laundry. The inner basket may have an open top. The open top may be located substantially directly underneath the top opening or aperture when the inner basket is positioned within the inner space.

Preferably the door is composed of a canvas material.

* 25 Preferably the inner basket comprises a support frame that supports an open-topped flexible inner bag.

Preferably the support frame is freestanding. e*.

Preferably the support frame is formed from a pair of x-frames. The frames may be connected to one another by a plurality of substantially horizontal members :::. 30 between equivalent corners. . . Preferably there are four substantially horizontal members running between equivalent corners.

Preferably the flexible inner bag is formed from canvas, cotton or similar material.

Preferably the outer casing or framework has an inner shelf which is arranged in use to support the inner basket.

Preferably the outer casing or framework comprises two flat side walls. The inner shelf may comprise two elongate protrusions which run along the inside of the side walls towards the top of the outer casing. The two upper surfaces of the horizontal members may be arranged in use to rest such that one is supported on each shelf in use.

Preferably framework is formed from stainless steel tubing or similar.

Preferably the front opening or aperture partly overlaps the bottom of the outer shell or casing, so that when the door is pulled open, items within the outer shell or casing will fall through the opening.

Preferably the outer shell or casing has at least a portion formed from transparent material. The portion may extend from at or close to the bottom of the casing to at or close to the top of the casing.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realised that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

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This invention may also be said broadly to consist in the pads, elements and features referred to or indicated in the specification of the application, individually or *:** 30 collectively, and any orall combinations of any two or more said parts, elements or features, and where specific integers are mentioned herein which have known equivalents in the art to which this invention relates, such known equivalents are deemed to be incorporated herein as if individually set forth.

The invention consists in the foregoing and also envisages constructions of which the following gives examples only.

Brief Description of the Figures

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the laundry storage system of the present invention, having an outer casing or framework with a front opening closed by a door, and a top opening closed by a lid; Figure 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the laundry storage system of figure 1; Figure 3 shows a side view of the embodiment shown in figure 1; Figures 4 show rear and front views respectively of the embodiment shown in figure 1; Figures 5 show bottom and top views respectively of the embodiment shown in figure 1; Figure 6 shows a perspective view of an arrangement of two of embodiment shown in figure 1; and Figure 7 shows a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention, with two separate units of the laundry storage system located next to each other for mounting on a wall or similar.

Detailed Description

With reference to Figures Ito 6, the laundry storage system 1 comprises an outer casing or framework 2 that defines and encloses an inner space, the outer * * casing or framework 2 having a front opening or aperture 3, and a top opening or 25 aperture 4.

A front door 5 is associated with the front opening or aperture 3, the door 5 movable between a closed position where the front opening or aperture 3 is substantially or fully closed by the doors, and an open position where the front :r opening or aperture is unblocked and a user can access (he inner space inside the casing 2.

A lid 6 is associated with the top opening or aperture 4, the lid 6 movable between a closed position where the top opening or aperture is substantially or fully closed by the lid, and an open position where the top opening or aperture is unblocked and a user can access the inner space.

In the preferred embodiment, the front doorS is connected to the outer casing or framework and is a roller shutter door1 supported on each side of the door 5 by guide slots formed in the casing 2 and opened by sliding or scrolling downwards by way of a handle 7 at or towards the top of the door 5. It is preferred that the door is formed from cloth such as canvas or cotton, and can be coloured in a variety of different colours to suit a user's tastes.

The outer casing or framework 2 has a flat rear surface, a plurality of fixing points associated with the flat rear surface to aid in attachment of the laundry storage system to a wall or similar. In the preferred embodiment, the fixing points are holes that pass through the rear surface so that screws or similar can be screwed into a wall or similar support surface and the laundry storage system 1 can be hung from the wall via the screws at plural brackets 15.

It is preferred that the outer casing 2 is a substantially closed or unitary shell.

However, this could alternatively be formed as a framework or partial framework rather than a closed shell. If formed as a closed shell, it is preferred that a plurality of ventilation holes (not shown) are formed in the outer casing.

The lid 6 is connected to the outer casing or framework 2so that at least the front portion of the lid 6 can rotate inwards and downwards on opening. This allows a user to dump an armful or load of washing onto the lid 6 and for it to fall through the lid 6 into the central space. In the preferred embodiment, this is achieved by connecting the sides of the lid 6 at, or most preferably towards, the rear of the lid 6 to the casing 2 at the edges of the top aperture 4 by swivels 8. The swivels 6 are located towards the rear of the lid 6, and a weight 9 is connected to the lid 6 behind the swivels 8 so that the lid is biased towards the closed position. That is, the lid 6 will open when a force is applied to the top front of the lid, by swivelling or pivoting around the swivel points. The lid 6 will then swing closed once the force is removed, *s..

the weight 9 causing the lid to pivot back to the closed position.

In the preferred embodiment, the laundry storage system 1 has an inner basket 10, sized to fit snugly within the inner space and which can be moved into and out of the outer casing or framework 2 through the front opening or aperture 3. The inner basket 10 holds clothing or laundry and has an open top. The open top locates underneath the top opening or aperture 4 when the inner basket 10 is positioned within the inner space, so that items dropping through the top aperture 4 will land in the basket 10. In the preferred embodiment, the inner basket 10 comprises a support frame 11 that supports an open-topped flexible inner bag 12. The support frame is freestanding so that when full and removed from the outer casing or framework by a user, it can be placed on the floor or similar and will freestand or be capable of standing freely or without extra support. In the preferred embodiment, the support frame 11 is formed from a pair of x-frames, connected to one another by horizontal members 13 between equivalent corners. The flexible inner bag 12 is preferably formed from canvas, cotton or similar.

It is most preferred that the outer casing or framework 2 has an inner shelf 14 on which the support fame 11 of the inner basket 10 can rest and be supported. This is achieved as follows: The outer casing or framework 2 has two flat side walls. The inner shelf 14 comprises two elongate protrusions which run along the inside of the side walls towards the top of the outer casing, the two upper ones of the horizontal members 13 resting one on each shelf in use. It is most preferred that the framework is formed from stainless steel tubing or similar.

A second preferred embodiment of the laundry storage system is similar to the first, except that in this embodiment, the front opening or aperture partly overlaps the bottom of the outer shell or casing, so that when the door is pulled open, items within the outer shell or casing will fall through the opening. The door in this or the first embodiment is preferably a roller shutter. In the first embodiment the door is preferably formed from a cloth such as canvas or similar. However, in the second embodiment, although the door can be formed from a cloth such as canvas, it is preferred that the door is formed in a similar manner to a traditional roller door or roller shutter, with each interconnected section formed from a stiff material such as a hard plastic. In the second embodiment, at least a portion of the outer shell or casing is formed from a transparent material, for example a strip or narrow vertical window that extends from a point at or close to the bàttom of the casing to at or close to the top of the casing. This allows a user to easily see how full the laundry storage system *:" is without having to open it up. a a *

The term comprising" as used in this specification and indicative independent claims means "consisting at least in part or. When interpreting each statement in a...

this specification and indicative independent claims that include the term *" .t "comprising", features other than that or those prefaced by the term may also be present. Related terms such as "comprise" and "comprises" are to be interpreted in the same manner.

The invention has been described by way of examples only and it will be appreciated that variation may be made to the above-mentioned embodiments without departing from the scope of invention. te * * * * *

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Claims

Claims 1. A laundry storage system comprising: an outer casing or framework that defines and encloses an inner space, the outer caèing or framework having a front opening or aperture, and a top opening or aperture; a lid associated with the top opening or aperture, the lid being movable between a closed position where the top opening or aperture is substantially or fully closed by the lid, and an open position where the top opening or aperture is unblocked and a user can access the inner space; and a door associated with the front opening or aperture, the door being movable between a closed position where the frontopening or aperture is substantially or fully closed by the door, and an open position where the front opening or aperture is unblocked and a user can access the inner space; in which the door is connected to the outer casing or framework, and is a roller shutter door.
2. A laundry storage system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the roller shutter door is arranged in use to open in a downward direction, and in which a handle is at or near the top of the door.
3. A laundry storage system as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the outer casing or framework has a flat rear surface, and in which the system further comprises a plurality of fixing points associated with the flat rear surface to aid in attachment of the laundry storage system to a wall or similar.
4. A laundry storage system as claimed in any one of claims ito 3 wherein the * : outer casing or framework forms a substantially unitary shell.

*:" 25
5. A laundry storage system as claimed in claim 4 wherein a plurality of ventilation holes are formed in the outer casing.
6. A laundry storage system as claimed in any one of claims ito 5 wherein the lid is connected to the outer casing or framework, and in which at least the front portion of the lid is arranged in use to rotate inwards and downwards on opening.
7. A laundry storage system as claimed in claim 6 wherein the sides of the lid at or towards the rear of the lid are connected to the outer casing or framework by swivels.
8. A laundry storage system as claimed in claim 7 wherein the swivels are located towards the rear of the lid, and a weight is connected to the lid behind the swivels so that the lid is biased towards the closed position.
9. A laundry storage system as claimed in any one of claims ito 8 to wherein the laundry storage system further comprises an inner basket, and in which the inner basket is sized to fit snugly within the inner space and in which the inner basket is dimensioned to be moveable into and out of the outer casing or framework through the front opening or aperture, and in which the inner basket is adapted to hold clothing or laundry, and in which the inner basket comprises an open top, and in which the open top is arranged in use to be located substantially directly underneath the top opening or aperture when the inner basket is positioned within the inner space.
10. A laundry storage system as claimed in claim 9 wherein the door is composed of canvas material.
11. A laundry storage system as claimed in claim 9 or claim 10 wherein the inner basket comprises a support frame that supports an open-topped flexible inner bag.
12. A laundry storage system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the support frame is freestanding.
13. A laundry storage system as claimed in claim 11 or claim 12 wherein the support frame is formed from a pair of x-fran,es, connected to one another by a plurality of substantially horizontal members between equivalent corners.
14. A laundry storage system as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 13 wherein there are four substantially horizontal members running between equivalent corners. S. *S
15. A laundry storage system as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 14 wherein the * *5e** * 25 flexible inner bag is formed from canvas, cotton or similar material. S...
16. A laundry storage system as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 15 wherein the outer casing or framework has an inner shelf arranged in use to receive and support an inner basket. S...

:::: : .
17. A laundry storage system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the outer casing or * 30 framework has two flat side walls, and in which the inner shelf comprises two elongate protrusions which run along the inside of the side walls towards the top of the outer casing, and in which the two upper one of the horizontal members resting one on each shelf in use.
18. A laundry storage system as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 17 wherein the framework is formed from stainless steel tubing or similar.
19. A laundry storage system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein the front opening or aperture is arranged in use to partly overlap the bottom of the outer shell or casing, so that when the door is pulled open items within the outer shell or casing will fall through the opening.
20. A laundry storage system as claimed in claim 19 wherein the outer shell or casing has at least a portion formed from transparent material the portion extending from at or close to the bottom of the casing to at or close to the top of the casing.
21. A laundry storage system substantially as described herein and shown in figures 1 and 2.
22. A laundry storage system substantially as described herein and shown in figure 3.

23: A laundry storage system according to any of the preceding claims arranged with brackets enabling wall-mounting. *** . . -* * * * * * ** *** * **. ** S * * * **