Clothes drying apparatus

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to clothes drying apparatus, more particularly to a portable and collapsible clothes dryer which has particular, although not exclusive, application for use by travelers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Millions of people travel each year, many taking lengthy trips. They all require clean clothing, so they carry it with them. Clothing is bulky and relatively heavy. It is a particular and special burden on travelers who prefer to use only carry-on luggage as a way to avoid the delays and concerns of checked luggage.

As will be seen below, the apparatus of the present invention encompasses a clothes dryer kit especially suitable for transport in luggage, including carry-on luggage, and use throughout one's travels. A traveler has the option of washing and drying some clothing rather than carrying along extra clothing sets.

Wet clothing hung on a clothes line or hanger drys slowly, essentially only the outer surface of the clothing being directly exposed to ambient air.

There are many clothes drying devices known in the prior art but these have a number of deficiencies and do not readily lend themselves to luggage transport or to situations where relatively quick drying is required. Also, many known clothes drying constructions are relatively complex and expensive in addition to being relatively inefficient. The following prior art patent documents are believed to be representative of the current state of the prior art in this field: U.S. Pat. No. 6,922,911, issued Aug. 2, 2005, U.S. Pat. No. 3,477,155, issued Nov. 11, 1969, U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,088, issued Mar. 4, 1997, U.S. Pat. No. 3,486,669, issued Dec. 30, 1969, U.S. Pat. No. 3,464,604, issued Sep. 2, 1969, U.S. Pat. No. 2,929,538, issued Mar. 22, 1960, U.S. Pat. No. 2,777,618, issued Jan. 15, 1957, U.S. Pat. No. 2,539,895, issued Jan. 30, 1951, U.S. Pat. No. 2,060,395, issued Nov. 10, 1936, U.S. Pat. No. 3,750,917, issued Aug. 7, 1973, U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,271, issued Apr. 10, 1990, U.S. Pat. No. 5,394,621, issued Mar. 7, 1995, U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,590, issued Nov. 17, 1992, U.S. Pat. No. 2,117,656, issued May 17, 1938, U.S. Pat. No. 2,880,928, issued Apr. 7, 1959, U.S. Pat. No. 2,937,796, issued May 24, 1960, U.S. Pat. No. 5,950,882, issued Sep. 14, 1999, U.S. Pat. No. 3,675,338, issued Jul. 11, 1972, Japanese Publication No. JP2005323971, published Nov. 24, 2005, U.S. Pat. No. 2,902,192, issued Sep. 1, 1959, U.S. Pat. No. 4,613,066, issued Sep. 23, 1986, U.S. Pat. No. 2,108,308, issued Feb. 15, 1938, U.S. Pat. No. 2,958,447, issued Nov. 1, 1960, U.S. Pat. No. 3,645,425 issued Feb. 29, 1972 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,501,167, issued Mar. 21, 1950.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The apparatus of the present invention is compact and light-weight. Furthermore, it is sturdy, reusable and efficient. With the apparatus both the inner and outer surfaces of the article of clothing being dried are directly exposed to ambient air. Furthermore, the apparatus provides a channel for the air to circulate inside the wet clothing.

A faster and more reliable drying process as enabled by the apparatus of the present invention allows a traveler to wash some clothing in the evening and know that in all likelihood it will be dry and wearable in the morning, possibly even sooner.

The invention encompasses a portable collapsible clothes dryer kit including a first clothing article dryer unit for suspension from a coat hanger or other structural element and for facilitating drying of an article of clothing held by the first clothing article dryer unit. The first clothing article dryer unit includes first and second spacer members for spreading the article of clothing to expose the inner surface of an article of clothing to ambient air. The first clothing article dryer unit also includes a plurality of downwardly extending, spaced, elongated flexible elements.

Each of the spacer members includes a platform defining openings and a peripheral wall surrounding the platform.

The first and second spacer members depend from the plurality of spaced, elongated flexible elements and are spaced from one another when the first clothing article dryer unit is supported by a coat hanger or other structural element.

The first and second spacer members are selectively movable relative to one another and relative to the plurality of spaced, elongated flexible elements for placement into engagement with one another for compact storage when the first clothing article dryer unit is removed from the coat hanger or other structural element.

The portable collapsible clothes dryer kit also includes a second clothing article dryer unit for releasable connection to a coat hanger for support thereby to spread an article of clothing to expose the inner surface of the article of clothing to ambient air. The second clothing article dryer unit is selectively removable from the coat hanger for placement into engagement with at least one of the first and second spacer members and support thereby for compact storage.

Other features, advantages and objects of the present invention will become apparent with reference to the following description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the first clothing article dryer unit of the invention in uncollapsed condition;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the first clothing dryer unit in collapsed condition, suitable for transport and storage;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, perspective view illustrating portions of the first and second spacer members of the first clothing article dryer unit and a portion of an elongated flexible element cooperable therewith;

FIG. 4 is a greatly enlarged view in cross-section of the portion of the collapsed first clothing article dryer unit designated by arrows 4-4 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second clothing article dryer unit employed in the portable collapsible clothes dryer kit of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the second clothing article dryer unit being folded for transport and storage;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the second clothing article dryer unit completely folded;

FIG. 8 is a top, plan view of the second clothing article dryer unit in its unfolded condition as shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating the first clothing article dryer unit depending from a coat hanger and exposing the inner surface of an article of clothing on the hanger to ambient air;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating the second clothing article dryer unit supported by a coat hanger and utilized to spread an article of clothing on the hanger so that the inner surface thereof is exposed to ambient air;

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing the folded second clothing article dryer unit on a spacer member of the collapsed first clothing article dryer unit;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view illustrating an alternative embodiment of the first clothing article dryer unit wherein the elongated flexible element is in the form of a bendable flexible rod; and

FIG. 13 is an elevational view of a flexible bendable joint of the alternative embodiment of second clothing article dryer unit.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1-11 illustrate a preferred embodiment of this invention. The invention encompasses a portable collapsible dryer kit that has two clothing article dryer units or components. One is suitable, for example for T-shirts and other upper clothing and the other particularly suitable for shorts and other lower clothing. Both can be used with standard clothing hangers such as the flat or curved wood or plastic coat hangers or wire coat hangers. The two units can be employed separately or together.

The first clothing article dryer unit or component of the kit is designated by reference numeral 10. The unit 10 is for suspension from a coat hanger 12 (see FIG. 9) or it could be supported from any other suitable structural element.

First clothing article dryer unit 10 is for the purpose of facilitating drying of an article of clothing held thereby. For example, FIG. 9 shows the first clothing article dryer unit supporting and spreading a shirt 14 to form a top to bottom inner air channel therein and directly expose the inner surface of the shirt to ambient air.

Unit 10 includes an upper spacer member 16 and a lower spacer member 18. The spacer members are suitably formed of thin, light-weight material such as plastic. The disclosed spacer members are circular or ring shaped. Spacer member 16 has a platform 20 defining a plurality of holes to allow air to pass through the platform. Spacer member 16 includes a peripheral wall 22 surrounding the platform 20 and extending laterally upwardly therefrom.

Spacer member 18 includes a platform 24 defining four large openings. A peripheral wall 26 surrounds the platform 24 and extends laterally upwardly therefrom, as illustrated. The outer diameter of peripheral wall 22 is less than the diameter of peripheral wall 26. This allows the spacer members to nest when first clothing article dryer unit 10 is in collapsed condition as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4.

When in use, the first clothing article dryer unit is in the non-collapsed or extended position shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 9. The spacer members 16, 18 depend from a plurality of spaced, elongated flexible elements in the form of cords 30 which may be of any suitable material such as nylon. The cords 30 extend downwardly from an upper location wherein the cord ends are attached to a support hook 32. From the support hook the cords diverge and pass through the platform 20 at or near the outer periphery thereof. From spacer member 16 the cords extend downwardly to spacer member 18, terminating at or near the outer periphery of that lower spacer member.

Each cord 30 has affixed thereto at spaced locations thereon two pairs of protrusions 38, 40. These protrusions serve to support and maintain the first and second spacer members in spaced relationship at preselected locations along the cords 30.

Referring now to FIGS. 5-8, 10 and 11, another component of the portable collapsible clothes dryer kit, a second clothing article dryer unit 50, is shown. Unit 50 is particularly suitable for drying shorts and other lower clothing. The unit 50 is in the form of an elongated substantially flat panel having enlarged ends 52 and defining an elongated opening 54. The unit 50 is suitably formed of plastic and incorporates a hinge, for example a live hinge 56, which divides the unit 50 into two panel segments 58, 60. When not in use, the panel may be folded about hinge 56 as shown in FIG. 6 to produce the folded configuration shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 10 shows the panel on a coat hanger 12, the elongated opening 54 receiving the upper portion of the coat hanger and the portion of the coat hanger below the panel in engagement therewith and supporting the panel. FIG. 10 illustrates a pair of shorts 64 held by the unit 50, the unit spreading the shorts to expose the inner surface thereof to ambient air and at the same time creating an air channel from top to bottom of the shorts. When not in use and when the unit 10 is collapsed, the folded second clothing article dryer unit 50 may be placed into engagement with and supported by the platform 20 of spacer member 18 as shown in FIG. 11 to form a compact travel or storage kit configuration.

FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate another embodiment of the invention wherein the spaced, elongated flexible elements 64 are in the form of flexible rods, for example plastic rods, connected at their upper ends to a support hook (not shown in this Fig.) such as support hook 32. In the arrangement illustrated, the protrusions utilized to hold the spacer members are integrally molded on the flexible rod. The rods include accordion-type bendable joints 66 facilitating bending thereof.