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Wall-mounted retractable clothesline assembly

a clothesline and wall mount technology, applied in the field of clotheslines, can solve the problems of unintegrated storage area for clips and the protruding housing well beyond the surface, and achieve the effect of preventing unwinding

Inactive Publication Date: 2010-03-25
SHERMAN ALAN
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]A take-up reel is rotatably mounted in the housing cavity externally of the storage compartment. Preferably, the take-up reel rotates in a plane generally parallel to the front surface of the housing. An elongate flexible line is at least partially wound about the take-up reel. The line is selectively moved between an extended position and a retracted position. In the retracted position, the line is substantially wound about the reel, and includes a portion that extends from the reel and through a back of the storage compartment and is fixed to an inner surface of the cover. The take-up reel includes a spring which causes the reel to rotate in a direction to wind the line about the reel. A stop is provided to prevent undesired unwinding of the clothesline from the reel after the clothesline has been extended a desired extent. In a preferred embodiment, the stop comprises a cleat positioned in the storage compartment. The cleat is sized and shaped to be encased by the cover when the cover closes the housing opening.
[0010]The clothing clips are stackable. When the clips are stacked together, the tongue of one clip extends through the opening of the body of an adjacent clip to be adjacent the tongue of such adjacent clip. Thus, the addition of one clip to a stack of clips increases the stack depth no more than the thickness of the material from which the clip is made, despite the clip having a front-to-back width that is substantially greater than the thickness of the material from which said clip is made.

Problems solved by technology

Although some prior art clotheslines provided retractable clotheslines that could be stored within a housing, such systems are typically bulky and their mounting hardware causes the housing to protrude well beyond the surface to which the housing is mounted.
Additionally, such systems do not provide an integrated storage area for clips, making it necessary to find a separate place to store clips.

Method used

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  • Wall-mounted retractable clothesline assembly
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  • Wall-mounted retractable clothesline assembly

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Embodiment Construction

[0022]The following detailed description illustrates the invention by way of example and not by way of limitation. The description clearly enables one skilled in the art to make and use the invention, describes several embodiments, adaptations, variations, alternatives, and uses of the invention, including what is presently believed to be the best mode of carrying out the invention. Additionally, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

[0023]Referring to FIG. 1, a retractable clothesline assembly or system 10 includes a housing 12 having a back plate 14 (FIG. ...

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PUM

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Abstract

A clothesline assembly is disclosed comprising a housing containing a take-up reel about which a clothesline is wound. The clothesline can be extended from and retracted into the housing. The assembly further includes a clip storage compartment through which the clothesline extends. Clothing clips are stored in the compartment and the line extends through the clips, such that when the clothesline is extended, the clips are already suspended from the clothesline.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]Not Applicable.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH[0002]Not Applicable.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]This invention relates primarily to clotheslines and, in particular, to retractable self-contained clothesline system which includes clips.[0004]Clotheslines and clothespins / clips are well-known and have been produced for many years in many configurations. Although some prior art clotheslines provided retractable clotheslines that could be stored within a housing, such systems are typically bulky and their mounting hardware causes the housing to protrude well beyond the surface to which the housing is mounted. Additionally, such systems do not provide an integrated storage area for clips, making it necessary to find a separate place to store clips.[0005]It is desirable to provide a clothesline system of a compact design that minimally extends from the wall to thereby maximize the length of line available from which to hang ...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): B65H75/34A44B21/00
CPCY10T24/51D06F53/045
Inventor SHERMAN, ALANKOENIG, NEIL ERWIN
Owner SHERMAN ALAN
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