A clothes line assembly

Abstract

A clothes line assembly (90) has a clothes line (91) mounted between spaced-apart support posts (3, 7). The clothes line (91) is wound about a drive mechanism (92) of a carriage (93) which is drivable along the clothes line (91) by means of a drive motor (94) mounted on the carriage (93). A number of hanger slide blocks (10) carrying clothes hangers (9) are mounted on the clothes line (91) and are movable along the clothes line (91) by the carriage (93) between a juxtaposed collapsed stored position within a shelter (2) on the support post (3) and a spaced-apart drying position along the clothes line (91) outside the shelter (2).

Description

[0001] “A Clothes Line Assembly”

[0002] Introduction

[0003] This invention relates to a clothes line assembly for drying clothes outdoors.

[0004] Background to the Invention

[0005] Various devices for protecting clothes hung outside to dry on a clothes line during rainy weather are known. One such clothes drying line apparatus is disclosed in US 1 ,386,199. The clothes drying apparatus has a line mounted between a shelter and a post spaced therefrom in the open. Pegs for supporting clothes are slidable along the line between a stored position within the shelter and a drying position outside the shelter. A washing line unit disclosed in EP 1186696 comprises a shed supporting a pair of spaced-apart telescopic rails between which clothes hanging lines are strung. The rails can be retracted and stored within the shed during rainy weather and pulled out into the open during dry weather for drying clothes suspended therefrom. Examples of various types of protective covers for deployment over clothes lines in rainy weather are disclosed in GB 2414659, GB 2348360 and US 8,161 ,990.

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved clothes line assembly with means for protecting clothes hung thereon from rain.

[0007] Summary of the Invention

[0008] According to the invention there is provided a clothes line assembly for drying clothes outdoors, including: a shelter; a clothes line for mounting between a first support within the shelter and an associated second support outside the shelter and remote therefrom to support the clothes line above the ground; and a plurality of clothes hangers mounted on the clothes line and movable on the clothes line between a stored position within the shelter and a deployed clothes drying position outside the shelter, the clothes line extending through a doorway in a sidewall of the shelter, a pair of doors mounted at the doorway and movable between a closed position closing the doorway and an open position, and a door actuating mechanism which is operable for movement of the doors between the closed position and the open position.

[0009] In one embodiment of the invention, a rain sensor is mounted on the shelter and the door actuating mechanism is operable in response to the rain sensor.

[0010] In another embodiment of the invention the hangers are slidably mounted on the clothes line.

[0011] In another embodiment of the invention hanger drive means is provided for moving the hangers between the stored position within the shelter and the deployed clothes drying position.

[0012] In another embodiment of the invention the drive means is operable in response to rain.

[0013] In another embodiment of the invention the rain sensor is operably connected to the hanger drive means to deploy the hangers in dry conditions and to deliver the hangers into the shelter in wet conditions.

[0014] In another embodiment of the invention hanger spacing means is provided to space the hangers apart on the clothes line when in the deployed position.

[0015] In another embodiment of the invention the hanger spacing means is a spacing line interconnecting adjacent hangers.

[0016] In another embodiment, the hanger drive means comprises a carriage mounted on the clothes line and movable along the clothes line, the carriage having a chassis upon which a pair of spaced-apart pulleys are rotatably mounted, the clothes line being drivably wound about the pulleys, and a drive motor drivably connected to the pulleys for rotation of the pulleys to move the carriage along the clothes line, the clothes hangers being interconnected by a spacing line connected between adjacent clothes hangers to position the hangers a preset distance spaced-apart on the clothes line when deployed.

[0017] In another embodiment, each pulley is attached to a drive gear rotatably mounted on the carriage, the drive gears being interconnected by an intermediate drive pinion for synchronous drive of the gears and their associated pulleys, and a reversible drive motor mounted on the carriage and drivably connected to the drive gears.

[0018] In another embodiment of the invention the shelter is a ventilated shelter. In another embodiment of the invention the shelter has spaced-apart ventilation openings to generate a draft through the shelter.

[0019] In another embodiment of the invention the ventilation openings are provided at a bottom and at a top of the shelter.

[0020] In another embodiment of the invention the shelter has a door in a side wall of the shelter for through-passage of the clothes line.

[0021] In another embodiment of the invention the door comprises a pair of door wings hingedly mounted on the side walls and having a seal along an inner free edge of each door.

[0022] In another embodiment of the invention the seal comprises a brush seal.

[0023] In another embodiment of the invention door drive means is provided for opening and closing the doors.

[0024] In another embodiment of the invention the door is provided at a front of the shelter and the clothes line is attached to a rear wall of the shelter. In another embodiment of the invention the shelter and the second support are mounted on support posts. Brief of the

[0025] The invention will be more clearly understood by the following description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0026] Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a clothes line assembly according to the invention;

[0027] Fig. 2 is a detail elevational view showing a hanger mounting arrangement for the clothes line assembly;

[0028] Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of a hanger slide block forming portion of the clothes line assembly;

[0029] Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the hanger slide block;

[0030] Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the hanger slide block;

[0031] Fig. 6 is a detail partially sectioned elevational view showing a drive means for the clothes line assembly;

[0032] Fig. 7 is an end elevational view of the drive means;

[0033] Fig. 8 is a schematic illustration of the drive means;

[0034] Fig. 9 is a detail, partially exploded, perspective view of a shelter forming portion of the clothes line assembly; Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view showing portion of the shelter;

[0035] Fig. 11 is a detail perspective view showing another portion of the shelter;

[0036] Fig. 12 is a detail perspective view showing an upper portion of the shelter;

[0037] Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing portion of a door operating mechanism at a top of the shelter;

[0038] Fig. 14 is a plan view of the door operating mechanism shown in Fig. 13;

[0039] Fig. 15 is a plan view of a top of the shelter showing the door operating mechanism;

[0040] Fig. 16 is a detail perspective view showing portion of the door operating mechanism;

[0041] Fig. 17 is a diagrammatic illustration of another clothes line assembly according to a second embodiment of the invention;

[0042] Fig. 18 is a detail front perspective view of a carriage forming portion of the clothes line assembly of Fig. 17;

[0043] Fig. 19 is another front perspective view of the carriage; and Fig. 20 is a rear perspective view of the carriage.

[0044] Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

[0045] Referring to the drawings, and initially to Fig. 1 to Fig. 16 thereof, there is illustrated a clothes line assembly according to the invention indicated generally by the reference numeral 1 . The clothes line assembly 1 comprises a shelter 2 mounted on an upright first support post 3. A clothes line 4 is mounted between a first support 5 within the shelter 2 and an associated second support 6 mounted outside the shelter 2 and remote therefrom on an upstanding second support post 7 to support the clothes line 4 at about 2.4 metres above the ground 8. A plurality of clothes hangers 9 are mounted on the clothes line 4 and are slidably movable on the clothes line 4 between a stored position within the shelter 2 and a deployed clothes drying position outside the shelter as shown in Fig. 1.

[0046] Referring in particular to Figs. 1 to 5, the hangers 9 are slidably mounted on the clothes line 4 by means of hanger slide blocks 10. Each hanger slide block 10 has an opening 11 extending through the slide block 10 adjacent a top of the slide block 10. This opening 11 is slidably engagable with the clothes line 4 which passes through the opening 11 . A hanger mounting through-hole 12 at a lower end of each hanger block 10 is engagable by a hook portion 14 of a hanger 9.

[0047] An endless drive cable 16 passes through an associated through-hole 17 in each hanger block 10 and around a drive pulley arrangement 18 at the shelter 2 and around guide pulleys 19, 20 and 21 at a top and bottom of the second support post 7 and at a bottom of the first support post 3 respectively. The drive cable 16 is fixedly attached to the outermost hanger block 10a. Operation of a drive motor 22 (Fig.6) operates the drive pulley arrangement 18 to move the drive cable 16 in direction A (Fig.1 ) to pull the hangers 9 outwardly from the shelter 2 for deployment along the clothes line 4, or in direction B (Fig.1 ) for pulling the hangers 9 back into the shelter 2.

[0048] The hanger blocks 10 are connected to each other by spacing lines 25 of a preset length, say 150 mm, so the hangers 9 are spaced-apart when fully deployed on the clothes line 4.

[0049] It will be noted that the drive cable 16 passes through the support posts 3, 7 which are hollow, around guide pulleys 20, 21 adjacent the bottom of each support post 3, 7 and through an underground conduit 28, buried in the ground 8 and extending between a lower end of each support post 3, 7 as shown in Fig. 1 .

[0050] The drive assembly 18 is shown in more detail in Figs. 6 to 8 and comprises four drivably interconnected pulleys 30 around which the drive cable 16 passes back and forth as best seen in Fig. 8. The drive motor 22 connects via a drive shaft 32 with the first drive pulley 30 and with a drive pinion 33 which transmits drive through follower pinions 34 connected to the other drive pulleys 30 so each drive pulley 30 rotates in the opposite direction to the adjacent drive pulley 30. Other methods of cable driving may alternatively be employed.

[0051] Referring in particular to Fig. 9, the shelter 2 is shown in more detail and essentially comprises a box-like housing with a rear wall 40 from which side walls 41 , 42 extend forwardly to an open front closed by a pair of door wings 43, 44. The door wings 43, 44 are hingedly mounted along a front edge of each side wall 41 , 42. A brush seal 45, 46 is mounted along a free edge of each door wing 43, 44.

[0052] A ceiling panel 48 extends forwardly from a top of the rear wall 40 and between top edges of the side walls 41 , 42. The shelter 2 has an open bottom 49. In-turned flanges 47 project inwardly along free edges of the rear wall 40 and side walls 41 , 42 of the shelter 2 to provide stiffening. Vent openings 50 are provided in the ceiling panel 48 at a central portion and in an outer eave portion 51 which projects outwardly at each side and front of the shelter 2. A roof 52, open at front and rear ends, sits on top of the ceiling panel 48 and also includes side vent openings 53.

[0053] It will be appreciated that the vent openings 50, 53 and the open bottom 49 of the shelter 2 allow ventilation of air through the shelter 2 when the hangers 9 are housed within the shelter 2 in the stored position and the door wings 43, 44 are closed.

[0054] Referring in particular to Figs. 10 to 16 a door actuating mechanism 70 is drivably connected to the door wings 43, 44 for moving the door wings 43, 44 between a closed position closing a front of the shelter 2 and an open position against an outer face of the side wall 41 , 42 on which the door wing 43, 44 is mounted.

[0055] Each door wing 43, 44 is hingedly mounted on the shelter 2 at its lower end by a lower hinge mechanism 71. The lower hinge mechanism 71 has a hinge bracket 72 which projects outwardly of the side wall 41 , 42 of the shelter 2. A hinge pin 73, formed by a bolt, pivotally engages through the hinge bracket 72 with a bushing 74 at a bottom outer corner of the door wing 43, 44.

[0056] At an upper end of the door wing 43, 44 a pivot pin 75 fixed to an upper outer corner of the door wing 43, 44 pivotally engages with a bushing 76 mounted on the eave portion 51 and projects upwardly therefrom. A pulley 77 is mounted at an upper end of the pivot pin 75. A drive cable 78 is wound about the pulley 77 and also about an associated drive pulley 79 which is rotatably mounted in a support frame 80 on top of the ceiling panel 48. This drive pulley 79 is drivably connected to a reversible drive motor 81 on the ceiling panel 48. Instead of the drive cable 78, V-belts could be used to open and close the doors 43, 44.

[0057] As can be seen in Fig. 15, one of the drive cables 78 is crossed over intermediate its ends so both door wings 43, 44 are moved in opposite directions by the drive pulley 79 to open and close together.

[0058] It will be noted that the drive cable 78 engages in a spiral groove in each pulley 77, 79. The drive cable 78 is wound three times about the pulley 77 to give it enough traction to pivot the door wings 43, 44, but allow the drive cable 78 to slip if someone or something gets tangled with the door wing 43, 44. The drive motor 81 will complete the opening / closing cycle and the drive cable 78 will be forced to revert back to its original position the next time the door wing 43, 44 moves. If the door wing 43, 44 gets jammed or held it will stay in that position until it opens and re-closes.

[0059] A rain sensor 60 (Fig. 6) is mounted on top of the shelter 2 and is connected to a controller 61 which is operably connected to the drive motor 22 for operation of the drive motor 22.

[0060] Referring in particular to Fig. 1 , the guide pulley 19 at a top of the support post 7 may be mounted on a carriage 65 which is vertically slidable within the support post 7 between a raised position adjacent a top of a support post 7 and a lowered position intermediate a top and a bottom of the support post 7 by means of a winch 66 to facilitate mounting and removal of clothes from the hangers 9.

[0061] It will be noted also that each support post 3, 7 is mounted securely in the ground 8, for example, in concrete mounting blocks 68.

[0062] In use, when the controller 61 is switched on the sensor 60 is operable to sense the weather, or more particularly whether or not it is raining. If it is not raining then the controller 61 operates the drive motor 22 to deploy the hangers 9 in the outward position as shown in Fig. 1 upon which clothes can be hung to dry. When rain starts, it is detected by the sensor 60 which sends an appropriate signal to the controller 61 which in turn operates the motor 22 pulling the outermost hanger block 10a along the clothes line 4 which in turn pushes the remaining hanger blocks 10 inwardly into the shelter 2 and then the door wings 43, 44 are closed to protect the clothes within the shelter 2 while it is raining. When the rain stops, this is sensed by the sensor 60 which again sends a signal to the controller 61 which in turn operates the drive motor 22 to deploy the hangers 9, the leading hanger block 10a being pulled along the clothes line 4 and by virtue of the spacing lines 25 between adjacent hanger blocks 10 pulling the remaining hanger blocks 10 out of the shelter 2 also at a desired space between the hanger blocks 10 corresponding to the length of the spacing lines 25.

[0063] Referring now to Fig. 17 to Fig. 20, there is shown another clothes line assembly according to a second embodiment of the invention, indicated generally by the reference numeral 90. Parts similar to those described previously are assigned the same reference numerals. In this case, a taut clothes line 91 is mounted between the support posts 3, 7. This clothes line 91 is wound about a drive mechanism 92 of a carriage 93 which is drivable along the clothes line 91 by means of a drive motor 94 mounted on the carriage 93. A number of hanger slide blocks 10 are mounted on the clothes line 91 and are movable along the clothes line 91 by the carriage 93 between a juxtaposed collapsed stored position within the shelter 2 and a spacedapart drying position along the clothes line 91 , as shown in Fig. 17.

[0064] The carriage 93 has a chassis comprising an upright front panel 96 and an upright rear panel 97 which are substantially parallel and spaced-apart by spacer rods 98 extending therebetween. A pair of pulleys 100, 101 are rotatably mounted on the rear panel 97. The clothes line 91 is drivably wound around these pulleys 100, 101 such that rotation of these pulleys 100, 101 drives the carriage 93 along the clothes line 91.

[0065] Each pulley 100, 101 has a drive gear 102, 103 attached thereto. An intermediate drive pinion 104 drivably engages and interconnects both drive gears 102, 103 for synchronous drive of the gears 102, 103 and their attached drive pulleys 100, 101 in the same direction. The drive motor 94 is reversible and is drivably connected to the drive gears 102, 103 for rotation of the drive gears 102, 103 and hence the pulleys 100, 101 to move the carriage 93 along the clothes line 91 .

[0066] The clothes hanger blocks 10 are interconnected by spacing lines 25 connected between adjacent clothes hanger blocks 10 to position the clothes hanger blocks 10 and hence the hangers 9, a preset distance apart on the clothes line 91 when deployed.

[0067] A push bar 110 at an inner end 112 of the carriage 93 has a vertical clothes line guide slot 114 which guides the clothes line 91 into engagement with the remote pulley 101 , the clothes line 91 feeding around the remote pulley 101 and then around the near pulley 100 and then extending out at an outer end 116 of the carriage 93.

[0068] When the carriage 93 retracts back into the shelter 2, the push bar 100 engages the outermost hanger block 10 and pushes all the hanger blocks 10, and hence hangers 9, together, along the clothes line 91 and into the shelter 2.

[0069] The construction and operation of the shelter 2, and the arrangement and operation of the rain sensor 60 and the associated controller 61 , which controls operation of the drive motor 94, are as previously described for regulating storage of the hangers 9 within the shelter 2 in rainy weather and external deployment in dry weather.

[0070] It will be appreciated that the invention provides a clothes line assembly which takes in or puts out clothes depending on whether or not it is raining. Thus, quicker and more efficient drying of the clothes can be achieved. While cable drives have been described herein, it will be appreciated that the drives used in the clothes line assembly of the invention may comprise cables, belts, including V-belts, rope, chains or the like.

[0071] The terms “comprise” and “include”, and any variations thereof required for grammatical reasons, are to be considered as interchangeable and accorded the widest possible interpretation. The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described which may be varied in both construction and detail within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1 . A clothes line assembly (1 , 90) for drying clothes outdoors, including: a shelter (2); a clothes line (4, 91) for mounting between a first support (5) within the shelter (2) and an associated second support (6) outside the shelter (2) and remote therefrom to support the clothes line (4, 91) above the ground (8); and a plurality of clothes hangers (9) mounted on the clothes line (4, 91) and movable on the clothes line (4, 91) between a stored position within the shelter (2) and a deployed clothes drying position outside the shelter (2), the clothes line (4, 91) extending through a doorway (43, 44) in a sidewall of the shelter (2), a pair of doors (43, 44) mounted at the doorway and movable between a closed position closing the doorway and an open position, and a door actuating mechanism (70) which is operable for movement of the doors (43, 44) between the closed position and the open position.

2. The clothes line assembly (1 , 90) as claimed in claim 1 , where a rain sensor (60) is mounted on the shelter (2) and the door actuating mechanism (70) is operable in response to the rain sensor (60).

3. The clothes line assembly (1 , 90) as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the hangers (9) are slidably mounted on the clothes line (4, 91).

4. The clothes line assembly (1 , 90) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein hanger drive means (22, 93) is provided for moving the hangers (9) between the stored position within the shelter (2) and the deployed clothes drying position.

5. The clothes line assembly (1 , 90) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the hanger drive means (22, 93) is operable in response to rain.

6. The clothes line assembly (1 , 90) as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the rain sensor (60) is operably connected to the hanger drive means (22, 93) to deploy the hangers (9) in dry conditions and to deliver the hangers (9) into the shelter (2) in wet conditions.

7. The clothes line assembly (1 , 90) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein hanger spacing means (25) is provided to space the hangers (9) apart on the clothes line (4, 91) when in the deployed position.

8. The clothes line assembly (1 , 90) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the hanger spacing means is a spacing line (25) interconnecting adjacent hangers (9).

9. The clothes line assembly (1 , 90) as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein the hanger drive means comprises a carriage (93) mounted on the clothes line (91) and movable along the clothes line (91), the carriage (93) having a chassis upon which a pair of spaced-apart pulleys (100, 101) are rotatably mounted, the clothes line (91) being drivably wound about the pulleys (100, 101), and a reversible drive motor (94) drivably connected to the pulleys (100, 101) for rotation of the pulleys (100, 101) to move the carriage (93) along the clothes line (91), the clothes hangers (9) being interconnected by a spacing line (25) connected between adjacent clothes hangers (9) to position the hangers (9) a preset distance spaced-apart on the clothes line (91) when deployed.

10. The clothes line assembly (90) as claimed in claim 9, wherein each pulley (100, 101) is attached to a drive gear (102, 103) rotatably mounted on the carriage (93), the drive gears (102, 103) being interconnected by an intermediate drive pinion (104) for synchronous drive of the drive gears (102, 103) and their associated pulleys (100, 101), the drive motor (94) mounted on the carriage (93) and drivably connected to the drive gears (102, 103).11 . The clothes line assembly (1 , 90) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the shelter (2) is a ventilated shelter.

12. The clothes line assembly (1 , 90) as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the shelter (2) has spaced-apart ventilation openings (49, 50, 53) to generate a draft through theshelter (2).

13. The clothes line assembly (1 , 90) as claimed in claim 12, wherein the ventilation openings (49, 50, 53) are provided at a bottom and at a top of the shelter (2).

14. The clothes line assembly (1 , 90) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the shelter (2) has a door (43, 44) in a side wall of the shelter (2) for through-passage of the clothes line (4, 91).

15. The clothes line assembly (1 , 90) as claimed in claim 14, wherein the door comprises a pair of door wings (43, 44) hingedly mounted on the side walls (41 , 42) and having a seal (45, 46) along an inner free edge of each door (43, 44).

16. The clothes line assembly (1 , 90) as claimed in claim 15, wherein the seal comprises a brush seal (45, 46).

17. The clothes line assembly (1 , 90) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the door is provided at a front of the shelter (2) and the clothes line (4, 91) is attached to a rear wall of the shelter (2).

18. The clothes line assembly (1 , 90) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the shelter (2) and the second support (6) are mounted on support posts (3, 7).

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