Improved Bag for Carrying Textiles and Loading and Unloading a Washing and Drying Machine

Abstract

Top-opening bag (1) for carrying textiles, having a semi-rigid flap (2) cut out to be positioned along a lower part of a front opening (102) of a washing or drying machine (100), and provided with means (4) for holding the flap against the wall of the machine around the door opening so as to allow the textiles to be transferred between the bag and the drum of the machine, the flap (2) being further attached to a rear vertical wall (8) of the bag made of a sheet of semi-rigid material. The flap (2) and said rear vertical wall (8) are connected to one another by a rectangular strip (7) of a material that is more flexible than said semi-rigid material.

Description

The invention falls within the field of equipment for families or professionals in the field of personal services or textile processing. It concerns a bag-type receptacle for extracting laundry or other textiles from a front-opening washing or drying machine. Alternatively, the bag can be used to bring laundry or other textiles close to the machine and load its contents into the machine before starting it up. The receptacle according to the invention can be used with dry or wet textiles.

In a manner known per se, receptacles of the bag or tub type can include a system for attaching the receptacle to the machine, to allow the receptacle to be removably attached to the machine and thus free the hands of the user to facilitate the transfer of laundry out of or into the machine.

However, the operation of attaching or releasing the receptacle from the machine is not a simple one, since a fastening system must be engaged. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 9,850,622B1 proposes a basket with a rigid fastening element at the front opening, often in the form of a porthole, but this system is difficult to install and store after use. In addition, there are gaps between the receptacle and the front wall of the machine, so that when transferring laundry from the machine toward the receptacle, laundry can fall outside of the receptacle.

In document FR3065233A1, the inventors have proposed to fit a flap of a flexible bag to be pressed against the front face of the machine, this flap having been cut to follow the front opening. Very importantly, the flexible bag can, when not in use, be folded and stored without any difficulty and constraint, and for its use, it is very easy to put in place.

It has been proposed that the flap articulates with the rear vertical wall of the bag by means of an accordion fold which adapts the bag to the height of the opening relative to the ground on which the bag is positioned. The accordion fold is constituted in the material forming the various walls of the bag, in particular the vertical wall with respect to which the flap is hinged.

Nevertheless, the accordion-fold articulation proposed in this solution can be improved, as frequent use of such folding is awkward and leads to a poorly folded or even crumpled product with a potentially disappointing position when it is positioned on the machine, or when it is subsequently put away.

The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art.

To solve this problem, it is proposed to replace the continuity of a single accordion-folded material with a succession of two materials, one of which is softer than the other which constitutes the bulk of the material of the bag and interrupts it at the hinge.

Thus, a top-opening bag for carrying textiles is proposed, having a semi-rigid flap cut out to be positioned along a lower part of a circular porthole of a front-opening laundry washing or drying machine, and provided with means for holding the flap on the machine wall surrounding the porthole so as to allow the transfer of textiles between the bag and the drum of the machine, the flap further being attached to a rear vertical wall of the bag constituted of a sheet of semi-rigid material.

Remarkably, the flap and said rear vertical wall are connected to each other by a rectangular strip of a material softer than said semi-rigid material.

Optionally, the flexible material is a nylon fabric, while the semi-rigid material is a polypropylene web.

Optionally, said strip is a twill weave fabric creased parallel to the direction of articulation of the flap with respect to the rear vertical wall.

Optionally, the strip is sewn to the flap from the inside.

The main material of the bag, which is constituted of a sheet of semi-rigid material, is thus retained for the vertical walls, and a second, material that is more flexible is associated with it, which can be folded at will without leaving fold marks to adjust the height.

The material used for the walls is polypropylene in the form of sheets 160 g/m2 thick. Recycled polypropylene (PP5) is, for example, chosen.

The second material is a nylon fabric with a twill weave. The twill weave is positioned for lengthwise creasing of the nylon strip, arranged horizontally under the machine opening, parallel to the hinge, and allows easy, non-marking folding at any height without folds imposing a limited choice of folding heights. The nylon fabric is 1.5 mm thick, and each crease and stitch thickness is 3 mm. This nylon strip can measure 7 cm by 54 cm. Different values can easily be used, although these choices are particularly satisfactory in terms of practical result.

The invention will be better understood, and other aims, features, details and advantages thereof will become clearer in the explanatory description which follows, made with reference to the appended drawings given solely by way of example illustrating one embodiment of the invention and wherein:

FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of a laundry transfer receptacle according to the invention;

FIG. 2 represents a perspective view of the receptacle shown in FIG. 1, attached to the front loading/unloading opening wall of a washing machine.

FIG. 1 With reference to the figures, a bag 1 according to the invention for transferring laundry from or to a front loading or unloading opening laundry washing and/or drying machine 100 will now be described. The porthole 101 can be seen in FIG. 2.

The bag 1 is generally rectangular parallelepiped in shape. It is essentially made of 160 g/m² polypropylene sheets, constituted of semi-rigid walls. These sheets are double thickness, with hems on their edges.

The receptacle comprises a flap 2 intended to be pressed against the front wall 102 comprising the front opening 101 of the machine, just below this opening, and temporarily attached to the wall by means of three magnets 4, integrated into the flap 2 at different points thereof remote from one another and positioned toward the top of the flap once the latter has been positioned against the machine, so as to immobilize the entire surface of the flap in a vertical position. These magnets 4 have a thickness of 1.5 mm and are integrated into a material lining of the flap 1.

The flap 2 is attached to a rectangular upper edge 3 of the container part of the bag 1, three sides of which are free, and the last (one of the two long sides) constitutes a hinge for the flap 2. The flap 2 also comprises a free edge 5 in the shape of an arc of a circle, the shape of which matches that of the lower edge of the front opening 102 of the machine when the flap is attached, by the magnets 4, at the level of this lower edge. Given the existing shapes of front openings in laundry washing and/or drying machines, the free edge 5 may be semicircular with a radius defined in a standard way, but the exact shape may vary to suit different openings.

In this way, the transfer of laundry from the machine to the receptacle is facilitated, and the risk of laundry falling outside of the receptacle during this transfer is reduced.

In addition, once the receptacle has been detached from the machine, the flap 2 can be used to close the top opening of the bag to protect the laundry. The handles are then raised above the flap closing the bag.

The fastening means can include the magnets 4 as mentioned, but also suction cups, Velcro strips or a combination of these means. Their number is chosen according to the shape of the flap 2, and in the general case there are at least 2.

The flap 2 comprises a strip 7 of twill-weave nylon fabric. The twill weave is positioned for lengthwise creasing of the nylon strip, parallel to the upper edge 3, the length of which constitutes the hinge between the flap 2 and the wall, and allows easy, non-marking folding at any height without folds imposing a limited choice of folding heights. The thickness of the nylon fabric is 1.5 mm, and each crease and each stitch thickness is 3 mm.

FIG. 2 The length of the flap 2 can be modified so that the bag 1 can be adapted to the height separating the front opening 101 of the machine from the floor on which the case is positioned. Thus, such a receptacle the flap 2 of which is provided with a strip 7 can be adapted to any type of machine with a front opening 3, in other words, the bottom of the receptacle is able to rest on the floor while having its cut-out (the free edge 5) made in the flap 2 which hugs at least the lower edge of the front opening 102 when the flap 2 is attached to the front wall 102 of the machine.

This nylon strip can be 7 or 8 cm by 54 cm. As for the flap, beyond the nylon strip, it can be 6 cm at its narrowest (that is, at least 6 cm of polypropylene), and 15 cm at its highest, these values remaining examples. Thus, the strip separates the rear vertical wall 8 from the flap 2 by a maximum distance of 7 or 8 cm, which is of the order of magnitude of the minimum dimension of the flap, taken perpendicular to the rear vertical wall, which is 6 cm.

The container of the bag can be 57 cm by 35 cm high and 25 cm wide. The rear vertical wall is referenced 8.

The bag 1 may comprise two snaps in plastic positioned on the rigid or semi-rigid lateral plastic reinforcements, integrated into the lining, at the top of each of the two side walls.

To facilitate transport, the bag 1 may comprise two carrying handles 6, for example attached to two opposite walls of the receptacle, the rear wall and the front wall, which are the two larger walls of the bag 1. In addition, the bag may comprise at least one pocket (not shown-internal or external) intended to accommodate household products, such as detergent or stain remover, and/or hardware products, such as clothespins.

The carrying handles 6 are made of polypropylene like the walls of the bag, but other solutions can be used for the handles. They are attached to the two large sides of the rectangular parallelepiped container.

The nylon strip can be replaced by a strip of cotton, low-density polyethylene, hemp, hessian or linen.

The seam of the strip with the flap is done on the face of the flap which is on the inner side of the bag, which makes it easier to fold the flap to adapt the height when pressed against the machine.

Claims

1. A top-opening bag for carrying textiles, having a semi-rigid flap cut out to be positioned along a lower part of a front opening of a laundry washing or drying machine, and provided with means for holding the flap against the wall of the machine around the door opening so as to allow the transfer of textiles between the bag and the machine drum, the flap being further attached to a rear vertical wall of the bag made of a sheet of semi-rigid material, characterized in that the flap and said rear vertical wall are connected to one another by a rectangular strip of a material softer than said semi-rigid material.

2. The bag for carrying textiles according to claim 1, characterized in that the soft material is a nylon fabric, while the semi-rigid material is a polypropylene web.

3. The bag for carrying textiles according to claim 1, characterized in that said strip is a twill weave fabric creased parallel to the direction of articulation of the flap with respect to the rear vertical wall.

4. The bag for carrying textiles according to claim 1, characterized in that the seam of the strip with the flap is made from the inner face.

5. The bag for carrying textiles according to claim 1, characterized in that the strip separates the rear vertical wall from the flap by a maximum distance of the order of magnitude of the minimum dimension of the flap, taken perpendicular to the rear vertical wall.