MOUNTING STRUCTURE FOR RETAINING A MESH LAUNDRY BAG OPEN

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

U.S. provisional patent application No. 63/704,477 was filed Oct. 7, 2024 and from which the present application asserts priority. U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 17/990,199 filed Nov. 18, 2022, whose contents are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. US Patent Application No. U.S. Ser. No. 18/731,244 filed Jun. 1, 2024, whose contents are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO A “SEQUENCE LISTING,” A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC AND AN INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates generally to laundry accessories, and more particularly, to a laundry sorting and processing system and method.

2. Description of Information Known to the Inventor, Including References to Specific Documents Related to the Invention, and Specific Problems Involved in the State of Technology that the Invention is Drawn Toward

There is a need for a laundry sorting and processing system which is simple in design, easy to assemble, and enables a user to sort, process, and organize laundry.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure is directed to a laundry sorting and processing system that allows users to separate soiled and clean laundry according to one or more categories such as, but not limited to, the owner of the laundry, the type of laundry item, etc. The laundry sorting and processing system may include soiled laundry and clean laundry containers and a plurality of preferably washable, laundry bags which may be removably placed inside the soiled laundry containers to receive soiled laundry and thereafter be washed jointly with or separately from the soiled laundry. The containers may be, for instance, drawers of a dresser or other type of furniture or instead fitted into compartments of an upright stand.

While the laundry sorting and processing system could also be used in a laundry closet, laundry room, and/or utility space, this laundry sorting and processing system may be preferably targeted for use at a site of a user getting dressed. The site of a user getting dressed may most commonly be a bedroom or a closet attached to a bedroom. Further, based on many homes, apartments, and living spaces lacking the space or resources required for a dedicated laundry room, it is useful to incorporate the functions of such a dedicated space into existing furniture and existing spaces (such as closets) using the laundry sorting and processing system described herein.

In an illustrative implementation of the embodiments described herein, a laundry sorting and processing system which is simple in design and easy to assemble and enables a user to sort, process and organize laundry may include a main support frame. A plurality of dresser drawers or soiled laundry containers may be used. If the latter, they are supported by a main support frame. A plurality of clean laundry containers may be supported by the main support frame beneath the respective soiled laundry containers. A plurality of laundry bags may be nestable in the respective soiled laundry containers or drawers. Each laundry bag may be sized and configured to receive a load of soiled laundry.

The above and other preferred features, including various novel details of implementation and combination of events, will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying figures and pointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particular systems and methods described herein are shown by way of illustration only and not as limitations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying figures, which are included as part of the present specification, illustrate the presently preferred embodiments and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments given below serve to explain and teach the principles described herein.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an exterior of a conventional drawer having, in according with the invention, two L-shaped angle brackets secured to one of the two sidewalls of the drawer and, in accordance with the invention, of a mesh bag being retained by one of the L-shaped angle brackets prior to having the mesh bag retained by additional L-shaped angle brackets secured to the opposite sidewall.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of an interior of the drawer of FIG. 1 that shows the two L-shaped angle brackets secured to the interior facing side of the sidewall of the drawer with screws.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the L-shaped angle bracket of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the L-shaped angle bracket of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a left-side view of the L-shaped angle bracket of FIG. 3 and that is symmetric to the right-side view thereof.

FIG. 6 is an end view of the L-shaped angle bracket of FIG. 3 as viewed from the right of FIG. 3.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are isometric views showing the L-shaped angle bracket of FIG. 3 welded to wire containers that differ in construction from each other.

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of the L-shaped angle bracket of FIG. 3 equipped with means for plugging it into a container.

FIG. 10 is a side elevation view of the embodiment of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a top elevation view of the embodiment of FIG. 9.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings. While the present disclosure is subject to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. The present disclosure should not be understood to be limited to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the described embodiments or the application and uses of the described embodiments.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a drawer 10 that may be considered the same or analogous to the drawer shown in FIGS. 11, 12 and 14 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/990,199 and the drawer of FIGS. 4 and 5 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/731,244. In each case, the drawer retains a mesh laundry bag 20 open within the drawer by retaining the mouth 22 of the mesh laundry bag 20 to L-shaped angle brackets 30, which are secured to the sidewalls 12 of the drawer 10. The present invention in effect replaces the S-shaped flanges from those patent applications with L-shaped angle brackets 30 and does away with the need for apertures in the sidewall to accommodate placement therein of the S-shaped flanges.

One pair of the L-shaped angle brackets 30 (or flanges) is secured to one sidewall 12 of the drawer 10 and another pair of L-shaped angle brackets 30 are secured to the opposite sidewall 12 of the drawer 10. One L-shaped angle bracket 30 from each pair is located in close proximity to the front wall 14 of the drawer 10. The remaining pair of the L-shaped angle brackets 30 are secured to the respective sidewall 12 closer to the rear wall 16 of the drawer 10 at roughly one third the length of the sidewall 12 away from the rear wall 16. The drawer 10 is of conventional construction and assembly using conventional hardware to retain the two sidewalls 12 to the front wall 14 and to the rear wall 16. The securement of the angle brackets 30 to the drawer 10 may be via screws with nuts, plugs, welds, nails, rivets, etc. The purpose for the fastener is to supply a counterforce to the mesh liner or mesh laundry bag. In addition, it may be more common for manufacturing purposes to have voids in injection molded pieces into which would be fitted the fastener hardware. The plug versions may be made from injection molded plastics or die cast metal.

The mesh laundry bag 20 is fitted onto each of the L-shaped angle brackets 30 by positioning portions of the liner at the mouth 22 of the laundry bag 20 under the shorter leg 32 of the L-shape angle brackets 30. As to how far above the edge of the top edge of the drawer or container should the square tab extend to ensure retention of the mesh bag, the thickness of the mesh liner is a factor, but for many common residential and commercial intents and purposes: approximately ⅛″ or 3 mm clearance from the top of the drawer side to the bottom surface of the protrusion accommodates most users' dexterity. For example: if the user grips and locks any of the top 3 inches of the perimeter of the open mesh liner, or the top approximately 10 rows of mesh liner apertures, or approximately 1 finger's distance: approximately 10 diameters of mesh liner material may then be easily protruded and then tucked neatly, without undue force to either tuck, or untuck, from between the protrusion's bottom surface and the top of the drawer side.

As shown in FIGS. 4-7, each L-shaped angle bracket 30 has a shorter leg 32 and a longer leg 34 between which is a right-angle bend 36. The longer leg 34 has two formations 38 to facilitate securing the L-shaped angle brackets 30 to the sidewalls 12. Each formation 38 may be an aperture as shown that can accommodate a fastener 40 whose stem 42 Is inserted through the aperture and into the sidewall 12 and whose head 44 is too large to fit in the aperture. Alternatively, the formation may have a contour of a stem of a fastener and thus eliminate the need for the separate fastener 40. Preferably, the liner is sized to stretch slightly when positioned to wrap around the longer leg 34 of the L-shaped angle bracket 30 adjacent the right-angle bend 36 and under the shorter leg 32. The shorter leg 32 extends over an edge of a respective one of the sidewalls 12 so as to define a gap 50 between, The mouth 22 of the laundry bag is fitted into the gap 50 and may exert a force on the L-shaped angle bracket 30 or more commonly, a distal portion of a mesh liner's many apertures that once protruded by a tab, may exert a force on the underside of the ta. Such an exerted force is then effectively translated to an inward-facing force by the tab, effectively locking or preventing the mesh liner from collapsing.

The mouth 22 of the laundry bag 20 is wrapped around each of the L-shaped angle brackets 30, which are spaced apart from each other. The mouth is sized preferable to exert the force on the L-shaped angle brackets 30 as the laundry bag gets dirty laundry placed inside, which helps retain the mouth 22 in place against the L-shaped angle brackets 30. The mesh laundry bag 20 is removed by pulling the mouth 22 outward enough to clear the longer leg 34 as the mouth 22 is moved upward and away and, once clear, the mouth 22 is closed on itself such as with a pull string or elastomeric closure if provided.

While the edges may be rounded over or be an external fillet or be radiused, the top and bottom edge of the L-shaped angle bracket ideally have the smallest radius necessary to prevent unnecessary chafing (thus maximizing available grip). These radii may be accomplished by simply “tumbling” those edge. The fastener may be a conventional threaded screw having a threaded stem that tapers at one end and has a head at the other end in which is a recess shaped to accommodate insertion of a tip of a tool such as a screwdriver.

While the drawings show the longer leg of the L-shaped angle bracket attached to the inside facing surface of the drawer so that the shorter leg extends over the top edge of the sidewall of the drawer and continues outward slightly beyond the outer facing surface of the sidewall, the longer leg could be attached to the outside facing surface of the drawer instead with the shorter leg shortened by the width of the sidewall but still directed outward in the same orientation.

The present invention therefore includes a non-tined (squared tab) protrusion in manners including, but not limited to being:

• • 1. welded to a wire container such as a basket tray 50 (FIG. 7) or wire drawer 52 (FIG. 8).
  • 2. plugged into a container with plugs 60 (FIGS. 9-11). The opposite sidewalls of a conventional drawer may have openings that accommodate retention of the plugs 50.
  • 3. screwed into a container (the L-shaped bracket with fasteners such screws (FIG. 2). The opposite sidewalls of the drawer may have openings configured to accommodate retention of the stems of the screws such as a threaded opening where the stem of the screws are threaded in a complementary manner.

The longer legs of the L-shaped brackets may be secured either to the inside facing sides of the sidewalls or to the exterior facing sides of the sidewalls. If the former, the shorter legs of the L-shaped brackets extend over the top of the applicable sidewall preferably extending more than a thickness of that sidewall so that its edge is past the exterior facing side of that sidewall. If the latter, the shorter legs extend in a direction outward away from the sidewalls. Either way, the mouth of the mesh laundry bag will press against either the short leg, the bend or a portion of the longer leg adjacent the bend or any two or all three of those surfaces.

While the foregoing description and drawings represent the preferred embodiments of the present invention, various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.