Equipment washer

Details Equipment washer Equipment washer

1999-08-18

2002-04-23

Stinson, Frankie L. (Department: 1746)

Textiles: fluid treating apparatus

Machines

Combined

C024S058000, C024S1320AA, C024S1320AA

Reexamination Certificate

active

06374644

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the field of devices for washing clothing or other flexible articles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Anyone who has played sports, or lived with a person who plays sports such as football or hockey or like sports requiring the wearing of protective armour such as helmets, boots, shoulder pads and the like, is aware that, although the manufacturer of the equipment likely allows for the washing of such equipment, such equipment is only infrequently washed by hand due to the bulky nature of the pieces of equipment and hard armour which make using a conventional residential washing machine or laundromat washing machine tedious, difficult and in some cases impossible. Further, in some instances sports apparel, such as ballerina's shoes, cannot be washed in conventional washing machines due to the nature of the apparel, for example, due to fragility of the material, or otherwise. Other flexible articles such as harnesses for lifting bed-ridden invalids often become soiled and require washing. Due to their construction washing of such harnesses has in the past been done by hand.
Certainly, in the prior art, conventional washing machines, for example of the variety which have a wash tub with a generally centrally disposed vertically upright washing agitator, restrict the number or size of articles of sports equipment that may be washed at one time. Consequently, numerous washing cycles are required to merely wash one complete outfit of sports equipment, and larger items may not fit into the washing machine at all. Further, it has been found that the movement of the agitator causes damage to the equipment.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device and in a preferred embodiment a cooperating bag, mesh container, or the like, so that flexible apparel or most if not all of a sports equipment outfit may be placed into an easily accessible washing cage or basket, wherein the cage or basket is selectively closable and, once closed, agitatable within a water fight enclosure such as a washing machine tub. Specifically, it is an object to hold the article to be washed fixed in the cage or basket, and to move the entire cage or basket relative to the enclosure to obtain the flushing of water in and around the articles.
In the prior art, Applicant is aware of various patents relating to the placement of cages or baskets within clothes dryers. In particular, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,091,548 and 4,109,397 which issued to Daily for a Door Mounted Stationary Drying Rack and a Rotatable, Non-Tumbling Drying Rack Respectively disclose how to place articles into conventional tumbling dryers so as to prevent articles placed into the dryer being, in the first instance rotated, and in the second instance tumbled. In the first instance Daily teaches a drying rack that maintains article stationary within an open lattice-work basket while the clothes dryer executes its tumble dry cycle. The basket is maintained stationary relative to the rotating drum of the dryer by being mounted to the dryer door. In the second instance, the basket is mounted to the drum of the dryer and provided with a cover which may be closed into the basket so as to apply pressure to articles in the basket so as to hold the articles stationary within the basket as the basket is rotated in tho dryer drum.
Applicant is also aware of U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,025 which issued to Jordon, Jr. for a Dryer Basket for Sneakers Insertable into a Clothes Dryer, As with the Daily '397 patent, Jordan, Jr. discloses the use of an open lattice-work basket mountable into the drum of a clothes dryer. A plurality of such baskets are mounted within the drum in radially spaced relation, removably secured within the drum adjacent to the drum tumbler vanes. The baskets are adapted for holding sneakers within the dryer drum, for tumbling of the sneakers without the noise that would otherwise be associated with the loose tumbling of sneakers in the dryer drum. Ballast is provided for placement into the baskets, the placement of the ballast serving to in maintain a balanced load within the dryer.
Applicant is further aware of U.S. Pat. No. 3,724,095 which issued to Laue et al for a Delicate Goods Tray which, similar to the Daily '548 patent teaches an open lattice container for holding articles stationary during turning of a dryer drum. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,617,743 which issued to Barnard for a Dryer Insert, Holder, Container and U.S. Pat. No. 5,276,979 which issued to Gordon, Sr. for a Shoe Drying Support Apparatus, both teach mounting an open lattice container into the drum of a dryer, the former for holding hosiery, tennis shoes and the like, and the latter two position canvas-type shoes and the like within the dryer drum. Both devices employ a telescoping rod to secure the container within the drum for rotation therewith.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,546,771 which issued to Bonar for a Combination Clothes and Dish Washer & Dryer discloses converting a clothes washer to a dish washer by removing the clothes washer agitator and installing a basket for holding dishes. A hot air dryer structure is mounted into the washer to dry the dishes when the clothes washer is used as a dish washer. In particular, an air dryer blower is provided for circulating hot air through the inside of the washing machine cabinet.
Summary of the Invention
In summary, the washing machine of the present invention includes a frame, a tub rigidly mounted to the frame, and at least one basket rotatably mounted inside the tub. The basket is an open-lattice sided container having a releasably closable lid. The basket is adapted for holding articles of apparel or other flexible articles substantially stationary relative to the basket as the basket is rotated relative to the tub. A water supply cooperates with the tub for washing and rinsing the articles held in the basket.
In one preferred embodiment, a mesh bag is provided for holding the articles. The mesh bag may be removably securable within the basket and may be compartmentalized for simultaneously holding various articles in spaced apart array. The mesh bag may include a main compartment of a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape mountable into the basket so as to lay the mesh bag flat.
The basket may be sized so as to fit therein the mesh bag folded in half and laid flat. A rigid, open-lattice spacer may be provided for placing sandwiched between folded-over halves of the mesh bags.
In a further aspect, the present invention may be described as washing and drying device for flexible articles. The device includes a watertight housing, a rotatable frame rotatably mounted within the housing for rotation of the frame about an axis of rotation, a plurality of water porous baskets mounted to the frame. Each basket has a releasably securable lid and means for securing the flexible articles in the basket so as to releasably hold the articles substantially stationary relative to the basket as the frame is rotated relative to the housing. A selectively controllable drive rotates the frame relative to the housing. A wash water supply and drain cooperate with the housing for, respectively, pressurized supply of wash water into contact with the baskets, and for draining the wash water. A forced air dryer may be mounted to the housing for drying the articles in the baskets as the baskets are rotated on the frame relative to the housing.
Advantageously, the forced air dryer has an inlet mounted to the housing at a first position on the housing, and an exhaust outlet mounted to the housing at a second position on the housing. A second position is radially spaced from the first position about the axis of rotation so that, when rotated about the axis of rotation in a first direction, a basket rotates a first distance from the inlet to the exhaust outlet. When rotated about the axis of rotation in a second direction opposite to the first direction about the axis of rotation, the basket rotates a second distance from the inlet to the exhaust outlet. When the first and second dista

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