Textiles: fluid treating apparatus – Machines – Combined
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-20
2001-07-03
Stinson, Frankie L. (Department: 1743)
Textiles: fluid treating apparatus
Machines
Combined
C068S208000, C210S460000, C134S111000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06253585
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of washing machine lint filters in general and in particular to a lint filter having a unique clean out feature.
2. Description of Related Art
As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,970,880; 4,906,367; 3,960,733; and 3,959,138, the prior art is replete with myriad and diverse lint filter constructions having flexible netting walls.
While all of the aforementioned prior art constructions are more than adequate for the basic purpose and function for which they have been specifically designed, they are uniformly deficient with respect to their failure to provide a simple, efficient, and practical lint filter construction that provides a unique clean out feature designed so that the lint filter does not have to be removed from the drain outlet and wherein the user is provided with direct access to the heaviest concentration of accumulated lint. As anyone who has used the prior art lint filter constructions is all too well aware, the biggest disadvantage to these devices are the numerous steps that are employed in removing the lint filter from the drain outlet, removing the accumulated lint from within the lint filter and the re-installation of the lint filter on the drain outlet.
As a consequence of the foregoing situation, there has existed a longstanding need for a new and improved lint filter construction that has a built-in clean out feature that does not require the lint filter to be removed from the washing machine drain outlet once the lint filter is installed; and, the provision of such a construction is the stated objective of the present invention.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly stated, the lint filter construction that forms the basis of the present invention comprises in general a filter body unit; a filter attachment unit for securing the filter body unit to a washing machine drain outlet and, a filter clean out unit for providing direct access to the accumulated lint that becomes trapped within the filter body unit.
As will be explained in greater detail further on in the specification, the filter attachment unit includes a releasable coupling member for attaching the upper end of the filter body unit to the drain outlet of a washing machine.
In addition, the filter body unit comprises a contoured sieve-like body member fabricated from flexible plastic netting; wherein, the lint filter body member has an enlarged lint trapping capacity to minimize the frequency of having to clean out the accumulated lint from the interior of the filter body unit.
Futhermore, the filter clean out unit comprises a plastic deformable tongue and groove arrangement commonly employed on plastic storage bags; wherein, the tongue and groove arrangement is disposed on the bottom of the filter body member where the greatest accumulation of trapped lint will be concentrated.
REFERENCES:
patent: 150525 (1874-05-01), Carpenter
patent: 243446 (1881-06-01), Haggerty
patent: 3385085 (1968-05-01), Engel
patent: 3762565 (1973-10-01), Okuniewski et al.
patent: 3804258 (1974-04-01), Okuniewski et al.
patent: 3959138 (1976-05-01), Nichols
patent: 4566970 (1986-01-01), Piai et al.
patent: 4970880 (1990-11-01), Luger
patent: 5372718 (1994-12-01), Zebian
Henderson & Strum LLP
Stinson Frankie L.
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