Patent Application
20220010481
Not Applicable.
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The present invention relates to the field of laundry containers. More specifically, the present invention—laundry skin—relates to a method and device for covering the external surfaces of laundry baskets, laundry hampers, laundry hamper lids, and other ordinary laundry receptacles and the attaching of other elements to the covering (skin) with or without a fastener. The present disclosure describes the laundry basket/hamper skin/cover and methods of making the item. The laundry skin can transform a laundry basket/hamper/receptacle into a tool that can be used for a variety of purposes including but not limited to decorative, educational, and advertising purposes.
Despite the ubiquity of laundry baskets/hampers/receptacles in households around the world, laundry baskets/receptacles are generally considered to be a tool to simply hold dirty/clean clothes, until the clothes need to be laundered/folded. Therefore, a wide range of individuals have sought to make laundry baskets more aesthetically pleasing and functional. An example is the patent application for a Covered Laundry Basket device (Pub. No.: US2016/0115646 A1; Apr. 28, 2016; Reynolds, Cheryl (Pawtucket, R.I.)), which describes a laundry basket apparatus that “covers a top opening of a laundry basket while transporting laundry.” Yet, no known entities have described a way to provide a removable laundry basket/receptacle covering that can be used as a tool of self-expression, decoration, education, advertising, and the like.
Current plastic laundry baskets/hampers/receptacles have no external covering, and other non-plastic laundry baskets/hampers/receptacles typically have permanent internal covers, which cannot be removed for cleaning or replacement without damaging the laundry basket/hamper/receptacle. Non-plastic laundry hampers sold commercially have permanent fabric covers that adhere to the internal wall(s) of the product. As they currently exist, the space on plastic laundry baskets and fabric covered hampers are heavily underutilized and leave very limited room for self-expression among other purposes, other than a mere laundry container. The present laundry basket cover/skin invention aims to remedy this problem by using a removable external cover, as well as attachments to solve this problem.
The present invention is a laundry skin, intended to cover the external surfaces of a laundry basket/hamper/receptacle with/without attached or attachable material that can be temporarily or permanently appended, during or after the manufacturing process, to any part of the device. The attachments can extend or suspend from the body of the apparatus or other attachments and attachment methods include, but are not limited to, Velcro, snaps, buttons, elastic, thread, adhesives, and compression. The laundry basket skin device can be made from stretchable-permeable, stretchable-semi-permeable, or stretchable-non-permeable material, including but not limited to organic and/or synthetic-, plant-, and plastic-based material, Attachments can be made from stretchable or non-stretchable material that is permeable, semi-permeable, or non-permeable material, including but not limited to organic and/or synthetic-, plant-, and plastic-based material. The operation of the present invention includes the temporary attachment of the device to the exterior of laundry baskets, hampers, and receptacles, for purposes including but not limited to self-expression/decoration, advertising, education, and entertainment.
With reference now to the drawings,
The skin is designed to cover the outer surface of the wall of the receptacle through elastic properties that develop a form fitting structure. The form-fitting structure is obtained through the manufacturing process where each laundry skin is measured and manufactured to fit a range of patented and un-patented laundry baskets and other laundry receptacles. The challenging manufacturing process requires more than average skills, including design and development to ensure utility for existing laundry baskets/hampers/receptacles while ensuring form and function for attachments, designs, and additional layers. The skin can be adapted for temporary or permanent adherence. The additional layer can be adapted for educational, decorative, or advertising purposes. For example, the laundry skin device could be used for a variety of uses including but not limited to teaching/exploring STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) concepts, displaying graphical/text-based information about movies/events/products/services, or expressing oneself by decorating a laundry receptacle in a way that reflects an individual's personal likes/preferences.
In preferred embodiments, the additional layer may be selected from the group consisting of figures, shapes, letters, patches, electronic displays, graphical user interfaces, and nonelectronic displays. In other preferred embodiments, the structure for attachment of at least one additional layer can consist of adhering to said skin, extending from said skin, suspending from said skin, wired connection to said skin, and wireless connection to said skin. In other preferred embodiments, the structure for attachment of at least one additional layer can consist Velcro, snaps, buttons, elastic, thread, adhesives, and compression. The skin of the present invention is manufactured from permeable or non-permeable material, which can be preferably selected from the group consisting of fabric, plant, and plastic derived materials. The structure for adhering the skin to the base receptacle is preferably selected from the group consisting of elastic materials, non-elastic materials, fastening devices, strings, and rope, though any method or structure known to those skilled in the art may be used.
The laundry skin device of the present invention provides the utility of
The device of the present invention may be accomplished by any method known in the art. This can include any method of attaching, combining, joining, and or adhering material to develop the overall shape, size, and aesthetic of the device and aesthetic of the material preparation. It can also include the printing, dying, coloring, and cutting of material for the body of the device and attachments.
While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects, and therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invent
