To hang articles of clothing after treatment in a laundry apparatus, a hanging system may be provided in close proximity to a laundry apparatus. A hanging mechanism may be purchased after market separately from the laundry apparatus or may be an integrated component of the laundry apparatus. Some integrated hanging systems may be retractable into the laundry apparatus when not in use for aesthetics and to not take up workspace and not be visible when not in use.
In one embodiment of the invention, a laundry apparatus comprises a housing having an exterior and defining a recess opening to the exterior, and a hanging assembly slidably disposed in the recess for movement between a stored position in which the hanging assembly is disposed at least partially in the recess and a use position in which the hanging assembly is disposed at least partially exteriorly of the recess, with the hanging assembly comprising: a first portion coupled to the housing; a second portion pivotally coupled to the first portion for movement about a first axis when the hanging assembly is in the use position; and a third portion pivotally coupled to the second portion for movement about a second axis that is spaced from the first axis when the hanging element is in the use position.
In the Drawings:
The present invention relates generally to a clothes hanging solution integrated with a laundry apparatus. More specifically, the invention is related to a hanging assembly integrated with a laundry apparatus which may be moveable between a stored position when not in use and in a use position when in use for hanging articles of clothing.
Examples of the laundry apparatus 100 include, but are not limited to, a washing machine, including top-loading, front-loading, vertical axis, and horizontal axis washing machines, a dryer, such as a tumble dryer, including top-loading dryers and front-loading dryers, a combination washing machine and dryer, a tumbling refreshing machine, an extractor, a combination washer and dryer, and a non-aqueous washing apparatus. Other examples of laundry apparatus 100 include laundry modules or laundry accessories that provide other and/or additional laundry care functionality. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/322,742, filed on Dec. 30, 2005, gives several examples of laundry modules and is hereby incorporated by reference.
The laundry apparatus 100 may have a recess 120 in which the hanging assembly 101 is selectively received. As illustrated, the recess 120 may be accessible through the front housing surface 102. The hanging assembly 101 is shown in a stored position in
As illustrated, the first portion 130 may include a slide 139, illustrated in the form of a tube, with an end plate 124 closing one end of the slide 139, and a hinge portion 132 coupled to the other end of the slide 139 by an inset fitting 138 and clamp fitting holding the inset fitting 138 to the slide portion 139. The end plate 124 may be attached to the slide portion 139 by way of interlocking features in both parts. There are holes (not shown) in the slide portion 139 into which protruded portions on the clamped fitting 137 fit to hold the assembly of the slide portion 139, the inset fitting 138, and the clamped fitting 137 together.
The first hinge 132 couples the first portion 130 and the second portion 140 of the hanging assembly 101. The first hinge 132 may include a first extension 136 that is attached to the clamped fitting 137. The first extension 136 may be attached to the clamped fitting 137 by slotted mated fittings on both pieces that fit together and hold the pieces in place. Alternatively, the clamped fitting 137 may be attached to the first extension 136 by welding the two pieces. The first extension 136 may be rotatably attached to a second extension 133 of the first hinge 132 by a pivot 134, such as double-ended screw, and a spring 135 surrounding the pivot 134.
As illustrated, the second portion 140 may include a telescopic extension having multiple telescopically connected elements, such as at least one distal element and one proximal element that may slide relative to each other to adjust the length of the extension. As illustrated, the second portion 140 includes a proximal first non-extendable element 142 coupled with a distal second extendable element 144 via an intermediate element 145. The first non-extendable element 142 may telescopically receive the second extendable element 144 and the intermediate element 145. The second extension 133 of the first hinge 132 may be attached to the first non-extendable element 142 to couple the second portion 140 to the first portion 130. As with the attachment of the first extension 136 to the clamped fitting 137 of the first portion 130, the attachment of the second extension 133 to the first non-extendable element 142 may be by slotted fittings or by welding of the two pieces.
The intermediate element 145 may be at least partially slidably received within the first non-extendable element 142, and may selectively be locked in a retracted or extended position by a mechanical lock 143 partially disposed within a mechanical clamp holder 141. The mechanical lock 143 includes a protrusion arm 154 attached to a spring arm 156 which biases the protrusion arm 154 against the inside of the first non-extendable element 142. A protrusion 158 may be provided on the protrusion arm 154. The mechanical clamp holder 141 may be attached to one end of the intermediate element 145 and includes a groove 160 for receiving the protrusion 158. The intermediate element 145 may have a through-hole 162 for allowing the protrusion 158 to pass through a side of intermediate element 145 when the mechanical lock 143 is mounted by the mechanical clamp holder 141. The first non-extendable element 142 also includes a through-hole 164 for allowing the protrusion 158 to pass through a side of the first non-extendable element 142. The through-hole 158 is formed in a location such that the intermediate element 145 and second extendable element 144 are extended with respect to the first non-extendable element 142 when the protrusion 158 is aligned with the through-hole 164. The mechanical lock 143 provides a means of locking the second extendable element 144 in an extended position when the hanging assembly 101 is in use to prevent an inadvertent retraction of the second extendable element 144 into the first non-extendable element 142. To disengage the mechanical lock 143, the protrusion is pushed into the through-hole 158 against the biasing force of the spring arm 156 and the second extendable element 144 and intermediate element 145 are slid into the first non-extendable element 142.
A clamp holder 146 may be attached to the intermediate element 145 on the end opposite the mechanical clamp holder 141. The clamp holder 146 holds a first portion of a clamp 147 and a second portion of a clamp 148 around a stem 166 of the second extendable element 144 to hold the second extendable element 144 to the first non-extendable element 142.
As illustrated, the third portion 150 may be an arm that may include a hanger 153 for supporting hanging articles and may have one or more notches or grooves 155 for supporting hanging items in spaced relation to each other. The grooves 155 may prevent hangers and articles from sliding off of the third portion 150. Alternatively, the third portion 150 may have a roughened finish or be covered with a material that aids in preventing slide-off. In another embodiment, the terminal or free end of the hanger 153 may include a raised feature to prevent slide-off. In such a configuration, the raised feature may be of a size to not prevent the third portion 150 and the second extendable element 144 of the second portion 140 from sliding into the first non-extendable element 142 of the second portion 140.
The hanger 153 may be attached to one end of the second extendable element 144 of the second portion 140 by a second hinge 152. A screw 151 pivotally couples the second hinge 152 to the second extendable element 144. The second hinge 152 allows rotation of the third portion 150 relative to the second portion 140. The second hinge 152 also has means to lock into place so that the third portion 150 does not rotate relative to the second portion 140 unintentionally. The locking means may include interlocking grooves 168 within the second hinge 152 which can be disengaged by pushing the third portion 150 and the second extendable element 144 of the second portion 140 together. Alternatively, the third portion 150 may hold in place relative to the second portion 140 of the hanging assembly 101 by frictional means. An end of the hanger 153 may form a finger pull 170 that a user may grasp and pull to effect at least a portion of the movement of the hanging assembly 101 from the stored position to the use position.
Although one embodiment of the hanging assembly 101 has been shown and described, it is readily apparent that variation from the embodiment shown is possible. There are a number of alternate structures for implementing an extendable second portion 140 of the hanging assembly 101, for example, by telescopically extending cylinders. In such a structure, there is a plurality of cylinders within cylinders, where each cylinder is frictionally coupled to the cylinder immediately inside and outside of it. In another embodiment, the third portion 150 may include more than one hanger 153, or the hanger 153 may extend in more than one direction from the second extendable element 144 of the second portion 140. In another embodiment, the third portion 150 may be attached to the second extendable element 144 somewhere other than the end of the second extendable element 144 of the second portion 140.
Returning to
As illustrated, the hanger 153 is shown to be approximately the same length as the second extendable element 144 of the second portion. However, the hanger 153 may be shorter or longer than the second extendable element 144. A longer length of the hanger 153 may be desirable since it would allow more space for hanging articles.
While the invention has been specifically described in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not of limitation. Reasonable variation and modification are possible within the scope of the forgoing disclosure and drawings without departing from the spirit of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20120000086 A1 | Jan 2012 | US |