GB2532803A

GB2532803A - Combined retractable clothes line and wall hook

Info

Publication number: GB2532803A
Application number: GB1421356.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Chimes Perry
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-05-21
Filing date: 2014-11-28
Publication date: 2016-06-01
Anticipated expiration: 2034-11-28
Also published as: GB2532803B; GB201409053D0; GB201421356D0

Abstract

A unit 10 includes a housing 11 and a spring-loaded reel 12 storing a line 13. The reel is rotatably-mounted in the housing to unreel and reel up the line. A clothes support bracket 14 includes an arm 14a projecting from the housing in the region of a housing inlet/outlet opening 18 for the line. The arm has a passage 20 extending therethrough from the housing to a free end of the arm. The line has a free end portion (13a, Figure 1) which in the reeled-up state of the line extends from the reel through the opening and the passage. A grip member 15 is fixed to a free end of the end of the line. The grip member functions as a stop to prevent reeling up of the end portion on the reel by the spring loading. The grip member also serves as a pull to enable a selectable length of the line to be withdrawn from the housing under rotation of the reel against the spring loading. The line may be locked relative to the housing to prevent increase/decrease in line length. The unit may be used with a retainer (21, Figure 5) for the grip member.

Description

COMBINED RETRACTABLE CLOTHES LINE AND WALL HOOK

The present invention relates to a combined retractable clothes line and wall hook unit, especially a unit intended for indoor use such as in a utility room or bathroom.

The inclusion of drying spaces within homes is increasingly necessary to assist with energy saving and creation of new and refurbished housing with reduced environmental impact. Such a space may be provided in a utility room or, particularly in the case of small homes such as flats which tend not to include utility rooms, in a bathroom. The drying space is then usually above a bath and/or a shower base so that any water dripping from drying laundry or other articles is safely contained.

In order to support articles to be dried in the drying space use is commonly made of a retractable clothes line, which can be extended when required and otherwise left retracted and concealed so as not to provide an unsightly obstruction. However, even in the retracted state the concealed clothes line can be relatively unattractive and often an obtrusive element in the aesthetics of a bathroom, particularly in the case of an integrated interior design.

* It is therefore the principal object of the present invention to provide an accessory, especially for a bathroom, which provides not only a retractable clothes line, but also a wall hook, and in which in terms of visual appreciation may be perceived as a conventionally provided utility item, namely a hook for clothes or the like, rather than a concealed clothes line. * *

* ** Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.

* * * According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a combined clothes line and wall hook unit, comprising a housing, a spring-loaded reel storing a line and mounted in the housing to be rotatable against the spring loading to unreel the line and by the spring loading to reel up the line, the housing having an opening for movement of the line into and out of the housing, a clothes support bracket comprising an arm projecting from the housing in the region of the opening and having a passage extending therethrough from the housing to a free end of the arm, the line having a free end portion * ** ** * * * * * ** which in the reeled-up state of the line extends from the reel through the opening and the passage, and a grip member fixed to a free end of the end portion of the line, the grip member functioning as a stop to prevent reeling up of the end portion on the reel by the spring loading and serving as a pull to enable a selectable length of the line to be withdrawn from the housing under rotation of the reel against the spring loading.

Such a combined retractable clothes line and wall hook unit integrates two accessories for a utility room, bathroom or other room where it may be desired to dry laundry, towels and linen and not only conceals the line in a housing, but also allows structuring of the unit so that it is normally perceived only as a wall hook. This allows scope for aesthetic design of the unit on the basis of the more visually prominent function of a wall hook and without the appearance, if the line is concealed, of a seemingly purposeless attachment to a wall. The capability of withdrawing a line from the housing via the passage by moving the grip member away from the arm is not self-evident to the casual viewer and to all intents and purposes the unit appears to be merely a wall hook, which in practice can also be covered for most of the time by, for example, a towel or a decorative item. The line is easily withdrawn by taking the grip member away from the arm, in which case the reel is rotated against its spring loading to dispense the line to a desired extent, and equally easily returned to the housing by guiding the grip member back to the arm, in which case the reel rotates under its spring loading to wind the line back up on the reel. * * * * * * * * * * ** ** * * * * * **

For preference, the unit comprises locking means to lock a withdrawn length of the line relative to the housing to prevent increase or decrease in the size of that length under rotation of the reel. Consequently, the locking means is effective to prevent the weight of articles of laundry or the like, which are to be dried and which are suspended from the withdrawn length of line, from extracting an additional length of line from the housing and causing the laden line to sag.

The locking means could be, for example, a ratchet and pawl mechanism such as commonly used in, for example, roller blinds and the like or any suitable form of manually applied lock. In one advantageous embodiment the locking means is provided by the arm itself, which is displaceable relative to the housing to produce misalignment of the opening and passage and thereby clamping of the line to prevent movement thereof through the opening and passage. The misaligned opening and passage have the consequence that the line is nipped at the point of transition between the opening and passage and thereby secured against movement either into or out of the housing. The line can be released by simply moving the arm in the opposite direction, the locking means thus being able to be brought into and taken out of operation by an easy and intuitive action and without the need for an additional locking mechanism. In that case it can be advantageous if the arm is carried by a slide element slidably mounted on the housing, which assists displacement of the arm and which, by virtue of the added weight, ensures that the arm can remain in a displaced position locking the line relative to the housing. It is, however, possible for the arm to be a fixed part of the housing, including formation integrally with or with a part of the housing, in which case a separate locking mechanism can be provided.

The grip member can be a bar intended to be substantially horizontal in a predetermined use setting of the unit, in which case the grip member can be easily gripped and pulled by a user by the fingers of one hand. Such a bar preferably co-operates with the arm to function as an extension of the bracket. The grip member is then effectively integrated with the arm so that together they form the bracket or part of the bracket and more effectively conceal the additional retractable clothes line function. The arm and bar can be designed in any appropriate way to jointly blend in with a decorative theme, whether modern, antique, art deco or any other period or style. The retractable clothes line can thus be constructed as a thematic accessory in, for example, a line of bathroom fittings.

flee The housing itself can have any desired geometric form compatible with accommodating the reel, but in an advantageous construction the housing comprises a front plate and a body part co-operable therewith to form an enclosure for the reel, the opening being provided in the plate. The body part preferably includes a detachable component to simplify assembly and facilitate mounting, especially through provision of wall fixing means at the body part and through invisible attachment of the plate to the body part so that wall fixings are concealed. In such a construction it is advantageous if the reel is rotatably mounted on the plate so as to form a subassembly with the plate. In that case the reel can be rotatably mounted on the plate by an axle projecting from the plate.

With respect to mounting, the unit preferably comprises means for mounting the housing alternatively on the surface of a wall or in a recess in the wall. The unit can thus be designed for both surface mounting and recessed mounting so as to accommodate different fitting preferences or capabilities for a given room construction. * **** * * * * * * * * * .. * * * **

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a unit in accordance with the first aspect of the invention in combination with a retainer for retaining the grip member when a length of the line has been withdrawn from the housing. The unit and the retainer can be supplied as a set so that the grip member, when the length of line is withdrawn from the housing, can be fixed at a suitable location without the need for the user to provide, or make use of an existing, fixing point. Accordingly, the retainer is preferably intended to be mounted on a surface at a distance from the housing and comprises retaining means for releasable retention of the grip member substantially at that distance from the housing. Such retaining means can comprise, for example, a retaining hook for hooking around part of the grip member, the hook having a slot for reception of a portion of the line connected with the grip member. The grip member, for example the bar, can thus be easily coupled to and uncoupled from the retainer such as by pushing down into and lifting up out of, respectively, the partial enclosure defined by the hook.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic sectional elevation of a combined retractable clothes line and wall hook unit embodying the invention, showing a clothes support bracket of the unit in a raised position permitting withdrawal and retraction of a clothes line from the unit; **** * **** * ** * * Fig. 2 * ** * Fig. 3 * * Fig. 4 * * * * * * ** * ** * * * * * ** is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing a lowered position of the bracket preventing extension/retraction of the line and also showing a withdrawn length of the line; is a schematic sectional plan view of the unit; is a schematic front view of the unit; Fig. 5 is a schematic side elevation of a retainer usable with the unit to fix a withdrawn length of the line, showing the free end of the withdrawn length depicted in Fig. 2 held by the hook; and Fig. 6 is a schematic front elevation of the retainer shown in Fig. 5.

Referring now to the drawings there is shown a combined retractable clothes line and wall hook unit 10 with the dual function of a retractable line for suspension of articles of laundry or other items to be dried or aired and a wall hook for hanging garments, towels or any other articles. As indicated in the introduction, the dual functionality of the unit is realised by a construction which conceals the retractable line function except when the line is in use and which can be designed in such a way as to be compatible with or at least unobtrusive in relation to the decor and fittings of a room, particularly a bathroom.

The unit 10 comprises, as principal components, a housing 11, a reel 12 accommodated in the housing, a clothes line 13 stored on the reel, a clothes support bracket 14 at the outside of the housing and a grip member 15 fixed to a free end of the line 13 and also outside the housing.

* The housing 11 can have any desired geometric form, here by way of example a generally parallellopipedonal shape. It can equally well be of cuboid, cylindrical or any other desired shape. In the illustrated embodiment the housing 11 comprises a metallic front plate 11a with a protruding collar 11b and a metallic body member 11c engaged in and releasably connected with the collar 11b. The body member 11c is provided, in a base side remote from the front plate, with screw holes to enable attachment of the housing to a surface. The surface can be that of a wall (surface mounting) or the base of a recess in a wall (flush or recessed mounting). In the latter case, the front plate 11a with collar 11b and the body member 11c are detachably interconnected by suitable means accessible from the front plate. It will be apparent that the housing can be of any suitable construction, that described being merely exemplifying. **** * * * * *

* * The front plate 11a carries an axle pin 16 extending perpendicularly thereto towards the base side of the body member 11c. The reel 12 is rotatably mounted on the axle pin 16 * ** *** * * ** and has the form of a deeply flanged spool, on which the line 13, for example, a filament of ** * * * * Nylon or other suitable material, is wound up in multiple layers. The reel 12 is spring-** ** loaded by a spiral spring 17 to be rotatable in one direction against the spring loading so as to unwind or pay out the line 13 and in the opposite rotational direction by the spring loading so as to wind up or draw in the line.

The front plate 11a has an inlet/outlet opening 18 to allow the line 13 to exit from and reenter the housing 11, the opening being surrounded by a guide throat with a radiused guide surface for guidance of the line on a curved path to avoid stress and abrasion. The line 13 is wound entirely around the reel apart from, in the fully wound-up state, a constantly free end portion 13a. This free end portion extends out of the housing 11 via the opening 18, as detailed further below.

The support bracket 14 comprises an arm 14a which extends in a direction away from the housing 11, in particular at an angle upwardly (considered in the intended mounting orientation of the housing) away from the outwardly disposed major face of the front plate 11a. The support bracket, in particular the arm, constitutes a wall hook which can be used for hanging garments, towels or any other article able to be safely supported by the arm.

The arm 14a is carried by a slide plate 14b, which forms a further part of the support bracket 14 and which is preferably formed integrally with the arm 14a. As can be seen in the drawings, the plate and arm are relatively wide in front and plan aspects of the unit and can be formed by bent, heavy-gauge sheet metal, but preferably by a casting or forging. The slide plate 14b is slidably mounted on the housing 11, in particularly on the front plate 11a, by headed screws 19 screwed into the slide plate and slidably engaged in vertically extending (in the mounting orientation of the unit) guide slots in the front plate. The heads of the screws prevent separation of the two plates. As a consequence, the support bracket 14 as a whole is slidable relative to the housing 11, namely in vertical direction in the stated orientation of the unit.

* The arm 14a is formed with an internal bore opening at a free end of the arm and at the * * end adjacent to the front plate 11c. The bore defines a guide passage 20 which, in plan * view of the unit, extends perpendicularly tc the front face of the front plate 11a and which * * receives and guides the end portion 13a of the line 13 after exit from the housing 11 via * * the opening 18. The positioning of the arm 14a and the bore therein is such that in the * ** ** * * ** upper end setting of the support bracket 14 with respect to its range (defined by the slots) ** * * * * of vertical displacement relative to the housing 11 the opening 18 and the passage 20 are **** substantially in alignment, as shown in Fig. 1. Downward displacement of the support bracket 14 relative to the housing 11 produces misalignment, as shown in Fig. 2, and in the setting shown in Fig. 2 the line 13 will be nipped between the bracket and housing, for the purpose explained further below.

The grip member 15 is fixed to a free end of the free end portion 13a of the line 13 and has the form of a bar, which extends substantially horizontally in the mounting orientation of the unit. The length of the bar is the same as the width of the arm 14a, that is to say the principal dimension of the arm perpendicular to its direction of extension from the housing 11, and effectively forms a head of the arm 14a and thus a visually integrated adjunct to the support bracket 14 or the wall hook component of the unit. The grip member 15 provides, as the name implies, a means of taking hold of the end of the line 13 to enable it to be withdrawn from the housing 11 under rotation of reel 12 against the spring loading. The grip member 15 thus makes it possible to securely pull the line against the return force supplied by the spring 17.

The entire external surface of the unit, thus housing 11, support bracket 14 and grip member 15, can be provided with a suitable finish, for example chrome, nickel or other metal plating, a brushed or machined surface finish, painting, lacquering or any other treatment compatible with other accessories for the room concerned or generally with the appearance of a high-quality product.

In use of the unit 10, after the housing 11 has been wall-mounted in suitable manner in an appropriate position in a room and with the support bracket 14 in its upper end setting (Fig. 1), the retractable clothes line facility of the unit can be deployed by grasping the grip member 15 and, through taking it away from the housing 11, withdrawing a selectable length of the line 13 under rotation of the reel 12 against its resilient bias. The withdrawn length will necessarily include the line end portion 13a. The grip member 15 can then be * fixed at a suitable fixing point spaced from the housing so that the selected length of line * * can serve in conventional manner for suspending clothes, towels or other articles to be * dried or aired. Once the grip member has been fixed and before any clothes or other * * * * articles are attached to the withdrawn line 14, which is kept under tension by the spring loading of the reel, the support bracket 14 can be lowered to the position shown in Fig. 2 to * ** *** * * ** provide the misalignment of opening 18 and passage 20 and thereby nip a section of the * ** * * line 13 between the housing and bracket. The line is thereby clamped to the bracket * ** and/or housing and effectively locked against movement into or out of the housing 11. Thus, the weight of subsequently attached clothes or the like cannot lead to unintended additional paying out of the line and sagging of the section in use for drying or airing purposes. The bracket 14 can remain in lowered position under its own weight, but preferably with the assistance of increased frictional engagement with the front plate 11a of the housing 11, such as by suitable surface structuring or contouring as schematically represented by the serrations shown at the interface of the bracket 14 and front plate 11a in Figs. 1 and 2. Application and release of the locking of the line 13 then requires user exertion of slightly increased force by comparison with substantially friction-free sliding of the support bracket 14.

Retraction of the line simply requires release of the grip member 15 from its fixing point and guidance back towards the housing 10 so as to allow the reel 12, rotated by the spring loading, to wind up the line 13 to the fullest extent possible, namely until the grip member 15 bears against the free end of the arm 14a and thus functions as a stop. In this state of the unit 10, it can be used at any time as a wall hook.

To assist fixing of the grip member 15 with a withdrawn length of line 13 the unit can be accompanied by a retainer 21 (Figs. 5 and 6), which is mountable on a wall -in particular at a suitable distance from the unit 10 -and which incorporates a retaining hook 22 for retention of the grip member 15 when separated from the arm 14a. The grip member 15 can be held securely by the return tang of the hook, as shown in Fig. 5. The hook is provided with a slot 23 to accept the section of line 13 directly connected with the grip member 15 when the latter is received in the hook. The grip member can be lifted out of the hook after unlocking of the line 13 by raising the support bracket 14 or possibly even through exerting enough force on the grip member to simply strain the withdrawn length of line 13 until the grip member can pass over the tang of the hook. ** * ****

* The retainer 21 can be finished in similar manner to the unit 10. * *

A combined retractable clothes line and wall hook unit embodying the present invention, * * * optionally in company with the described retainer, provides a dual-purpose accessory for a * * room such as a bathroom to allow utilisation of a drying space while also offering a wall * ** *** * * ** hook function when the retractable line is not in use. The clothes line function is not ** * * * * * immediately apparent, so that the unit does not appear to be a merely arbitrary fitting, and ** can be designed as a wall hook with a suitably decorative appearance compatible with the aesthetics of the room.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A combined clothes line and wall hook unit, comprising a housing, * 00414. * * *a spring-loaded reel storing a line and mounted in the housing to be rotatable against the spring loading to unreel the line and by the spring loading to reel up the line, the housing having an opening for movement of the line into and out of the housing, a clothes support bracket comprising an arm projecting from the housing in the region of the opening and having a passage extending therethrough from the housing to a free end of the arm, the line having a free end portion which in the reeled-up state of the line extends from the reel through the opening and the passage, and a grip member fixed to a free end of the end portion of the line, the grip member functioning as a stop to prevent reeling up of the end portion on the reel by the spring loading and serving as a pull to enable a selectable length of the line to be withdrawn from the housing under rotation of the reel against the spring loading.
2. A unit according to claim 1, comprising locking means to lock a withdrawn length of * the line relative to the housing to prevent increase or decrease in the size of that length * * * under rotation of the reel. * *

* OS
3. A unit according to claim 2, wherein the locking means is provided by the arm, the * * * arm being displaceable relative to the housing to produce misalignment of the opening and passage and thereby clamping of the line to prevent movement thereof through the opening and passage.

* OS ** *
4. A unit according to claim 3, wherein the arm is carried by a slide element slidably * * * mounted on the housing. * **
5. A unit according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the grip member is a bar intended to be substantially horizontal in a predetermined use setting of the unit.
6. A unit according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bar co-operates with the arm to function as an extension of the bracket.
7. A unit according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing comprises a front plate and a body part co-operable therewith to form an enclosure for the reel, the opening being provided in the plate.
8. A unit according to claim 7, wherein the reel is rotatably mounted on the plate.
9. A unit according to claim 8, wherein the reel is rotatably mounted on the plate by an axle projecting from the plate.
10. A unit according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the unit comprises means for mounting the housing alternatively on the surface of a wall or in a recess in the wall.41000
11. A unit according to any one of the preceding claims in combination with a retainer * for retaining the grip member when a length of the line has been withdrawn from the housing.4.0.00 *
12. A combination according to claim 11, wherein the retainer is intended to be mounted on a surface at a distance from the housing and comprises retaining means for releasable retention of the grip member substantially at that distance from the housing. * * * *SO
13. A combination according to claim 12, wherein the retaining means comprises a * * * retaining hook for hooking around part of the grip member, the hook having a slot for reception of a portion of the line connected with the grip member. * 00 ** * * * * * **