Clothespin that enables visual determination of dryness

Abstract

A clothespin includes a pair of arms, each arm having a clamping region and a grip region, wherein both arms have a through-hole at the clamping region, respectively, and an object to be clamped is held by clamping surfaces of the clamping regions; and a color-developing member inserted into each of through-hole, respectively, each the color-developing member including a support base formed of a porous substance, a color-developing layer having a reversible chemical indicator that is a substance capable of reversibly changing color between a hydrated state and an anhydrous state and a transparent or translucent protective layer, wherein a surface of the support base is exposed from the clamping surface of the arm.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of invention

[0001] This invention has been made by the members of MIMURA Seminar, College of Law, Nihon, Univ, as a team. The present invention relates to a clothespin, and more particularly to a clothespin that allows visual recognition of the drying state of laundry by changing the color of a specific portion depending on the moisture content.2. Description of the Related Art

[0002] Conventional clothespins are used to hold clothing or fabrics while drying. Generally, when clothing is being dried using such conventional clothespins, it is difficult to determine whether the clothing is dried or not until it is touched. For example, when clothing is being dried outdoors, the degree of dryness of the clothing cannot be determined from indoors, so it has been necessary to go outside and touch the clothing to decide whether it can be taken in, which is inconvenient. As general technologies, although humidity sensors and the like exist, they are intended to measure the ambient humidity, and it is not suitable to measure the degree of dryness of clothing; moreover, they are not suitable for daily household use due to their cost and structural complexity. Therefore, there has been a demand for a technology that, rather than measuring ambient air, can easily and inexpensively detect the presence or absence of moisture in a specific object, rather than in the outside air, and that can be integrated with laundry products.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide a clothespin that solves the above-described problems. To achieve this object, the clothespin of the present invention includes a pair of arms, each arm having a clamping region and a grip region, wherein both arms have a through-hole at the clamping region, respectively, and an object to be clamped is held by clamping surfaces of the clamping regions; and a color-developing member inserted into each of through-hole, respectively, each the color-developing member including a support base formed of a porous substance, a color-developing layer having a reversible chemical indicator that is a substance capable of reversibly changing color between a hydrated state and an anhydrous state and a transparent or translucent protective layer, wherein a surface of the support base is exposed from the clamping surface of the arm.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004] The invention will be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0005] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the clothespin, according to the present invention;

[0006] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a step of installing a color-developing member in a through-hole, according to the present invention;

[0007] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the color-developing member set in the through-hole of the clamping portion, according to the present invention; and

[0008] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A′ of the color-developing portion, according to the present invention.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0009] The preferred embodiment of this invention as to a clothespin is explained together with drawings as follows. In each drawing, the same reference numbers designate the same or similar components through all embodiments.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 1, the clothespin 10 of the present invention includes arm 12 having a first arm 12A and a second arm 12B and a connecting spring 14 connecting them. The connecting spring 14 constantly biases the arm 12 in a closing direction. The arm 12 has a clamping region 100 for clamping laundry on a front-end side, and a grip region 200 for opening and closing the clothespin 10 at a rear end side.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 2, the clamping region 100 is provided with a through-hole 5, and a color-developing member 18 is inserted into the through-hole 5. The clothespin 10 has the same structure as a conventional clothespin except for the color-developing member 18 and has the same operability as conventional products. Therefore, the description of the basic operation and function as a general clothespin is omitted. An important structure of the present invention is the color-developing member 18 installed in the through-hole 5 provided in the first arm of the clamping region 100 of the clothespin 10. The color-developing member 18 is fixed to an inner peripheral surface of the through-hole 5 with an adhesive and is held so as not to be removed even by external force during use.

[0012] The color-developing member 18 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4 as follows. The color-developing member 18 may be formed only on the first arm 12A as shown in FIG. 1 but may also be provided on the second arm 12B. In this case, the additional color-developing member provided on the second arm 12B is formed at a position opposing the color-developing member 18 on the first arm 12A.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a step of installing the color-developing member 18 in the through-hole 5. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the color-developing member 18 is formed in a three-layer structure including a support base 23 formed of a porous substance 23a, a color-developing layer 22, and a protective layer 20. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, when the clothespin 10 is used after the color-developing member 18 is inserted into the through-hole 5, the support base 23 made of the porous substance comes into direct contact with clothing. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A′ shown in FIG. 3.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 4, the support base 23 as a first layer of the color-developing member 18 is formed of a flexible thin film material such as non-woven fabric or nylon. Accordingly, the support base 23 has many holes 23a. The support base 23 is formed inside the first arm 12A, that is, to face the second arm 12B. Therefore, the support base 23 comes into direct contact with the laundry when the clothespin 10 is used. During use, moisture released from the laundry can efficiently reach the color-developing layer 22, which is a second layer of the color-developing member 18, through the holes 23a.

[0015] The color-developing layer 22 contains a reversible chemical indicator and is the layer whose color changes according to the amount of moisture absorbed. The color-developing layer 22 is formed directly on the support base 23. The protective layer 20, which is a third layer, is formed of a transparent or translucent material so that the color-change in the color-developing layer 22 can be visually confirmed from the outside. In addition, the protective layer 20 is formed of a material that blocks moisture from the outside and prevents moisture in the air from reaching the color-developing layer 22. The protective layer 20 is formed directly on the color-developing layer 22 and can be fixed by adhesion. The protective layer 20 is configured to be exposed to the air.

[0016] The color-developing layer 22 is formed by mixing a reversible chemical indicator (a substance capable of reversibly changing color between a water-containing state and an anhydrous state) into a resin, and in this embodiment, cobalt (II) chloride (CoCl2) is used. By the action of this cobalt chloride, the color-developing layer 22 is visually blue in a dry state but reversibly changes color to reddish-purple or pink depending on the amount of moisture in a wet state where moisture is absorbed.

[0017] The clothespin 10 utilizing this characteristic realizes the following operations. First, the wet laundry is clamped at the clamping region 100 of the clothespin 10 of the present invention and hung on a clothesline. Next, moisture from the wet laundry reaches the color-developing layer 22 through the holes 23a in the support base 23 of the color-developing member 18. Thereafter, the color-developing layer 22, which was blue when dry (before the start of use), reversibly changes to reddish-purple or pink due to the absorption of moisture. After being left as it is for a certain period and drying progresses, the moisture in the cobalt chloride evaporates, and the color of the color-developing layer 22 returns to blue.

[0018] A user can visually recognize the color change of the color-developing member 18 via the transparent protective layer 20, and by confirming that the color of the color-developing member 18 has returned to blue, the user can recognize the dry or wet state of the laundry without directly touching it. The clothespin 10 can prolong the color-developing function by storing it in a dry place after use.

[0019] According to the clothespin 10, the dry or wet state can be recognized at a glance from indoors, without directly touching the laundry, by the color-change of the color-developing member. Furthermore, even when the laundry gets wet again due to sudden rain or the like, it can be determined immediately. In addition, the present invention can be applied not only to laundry purposes but also to moisture management of medical gauze, moisture detection of a dishcloth at a cooking site, and the like. In addition, although an example in which the color-developing member 18 is also provided on the second arm is shown above, the dry state of thick laundry can be confirmed from both sides, and further, since the opposing surfaces of the clamping region 100 are made of the same material, there is an effect that the laundry is less likely to slip and can be clamped more stably.

[0020] While this invention has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments, this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Thus, shapes, size and physical relationship of each component are roughly illustrated so the scope of this invention should not be construed to be limited to them. Further, to clarify the components of this invention, hatching is partially omitted in the cross-sectional views. Moreover, the numerical description in the embodiment described above is one of the preferred examples in the preferred embodiment so that the scope of this invention should not be construed to limit them.

[0021] Various other modifications of the illustrated embodiment will be apparent to those skilled in the art in reference to this description. As a modification, a cobalt chloride-based indicator may be mixed into a resin, which is the main material of arm 12, to form an integrally molded color-developing arm. In addition, a plurality of small color-developing members may be inserted in the clamping region 100 of the first arm 12A. In this case, dry and wet changes can be monitored over a wide range. In the present embodiment described above, although cobalt chloride is used, a reversible chemical indicator other than cobalt chloride can also be used for the color-developing layer 22. Further, in the case of a clothespin having a U-shaped clamping portion, the color-developing member 18 can be provided along an inside of the U-shaped clamping portion.

[0022] Therefore, the appended claims are intended to cover any such modifications or embodiments as fall within the true scope of this invention.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0009]The preferred embodiment of this invention as to a clothespin is explained together with drawings as follows. In each drawing, the same reference numbers designate the same or similar components through all embodiments.

[0010]As shown in FIG. 1, the clothespin 10 of the present invention includes arm 12 having a first arm 12A and a second arm 12B and a connecting spring 14 connecting them. The connecting spring 14 constantly biases the arm 12 in a closing direction. The arm 12 has a clamping region 100 for clamping laundry on a front-end side, and a grip region 200 for opening and closing the clothespin 10 at a rear end side.

[0011]As shown in FIG. 2, the clamping region 100 is provided with a through-hole 5, and a color-developing member 18 is inserted into the through-hole 5. The clothespin 10 has the same structure as a conventional clothespin except for the color-developing member 18 and has the same operability as conventional products. Therefore, the description of the bas...

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of invention

[0001] This invention has been made by the members of MIMURA Seminar, College of Law, Nihon, Univ, as a team. The present invention relates to a clothespin, and more particularly to a clothespin that allows visual recognition of the drying state of laundry by changing the color of a specific portion depending on the moisture content.2. Description of the Related Art

[0002] Conventional clothespins are used to hold clothing or fabrics while drying. Generally, when clothing is being dried using such conventional clothespins, it is difficult to determine whether the clothing is dried or not until it is touched. For example, when clothing is being dried outdoors, the degree of dryness of the clothing cannot be determined from indoors, so it has been necessary to go outside and touch the clothing to decide whether it can be taken in, which is inconvenient. As general technologies, although humidity sensors and the like exist, they are intended to measure the ambient humidity, and it is not suitable to measure the degree of dryness of clothing; moreover, they are not suitable for daily household use due to their cost and structural complexity. Therefore, there has been a demand for a technology that, rather than measuring ambient air, can easily and inexpensively detect the presence or absence of moisture in a specific object, rather than in the outside air, and that can be integrated with laundry products.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide a clothespin that solves the above-described problems. To achieve this object, the clothespin of the present invention includes a pair of arms, each arm having a clamping region and a grip region, wherein both arms have a through-hole at the clamping region, respectively, and an object to be clamped is held by clamping surfaces of the clamping regions; and a color-developing member inserted into each of through-hole, respectively, each the color-developing member including a support base formed of a porous substance, a color-developing layer having a reversible chemical indicator that is a substance capable of reversibly changing color between a hydrated state and an anhydrous state and a transparent or translucent protective layer, wherein a surface of the support base is exposed from the clamping surface of the arm.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004] The invention will be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0005] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the clothespin, according to the present invention;

[0006] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a step of installing a color-developing member in a through-hole, according to the present invention;

[0007] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the color-developing member set in the through-hole of the clamping portion, according to the present invention; and

[0008] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A′ of the color-developing portion, according to the present invention.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0009] The preferred embodiment of this invention as to a clothespin is explained together with drawings as follows. In each drawing, the same reference numbers designate the same or similar components through all embodiments.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 1, the clothespin 10 of the present invention includes arm 12 having a first arm 12A and a second arm 12B and a connecting spring 14 connecting them. The connecting spring 14 constantly biases the arm 12 in a closing direction. The arm 12 has a clamping region 100 for clamping laundry on a front-end side, and a grip region 200 for opening and closing the clothespin 10 at a rear end side.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 2, the clamping region 100 is provided with a through-hole 5, and a color-developing member 18 is inserted into the through-hole 5. The clothespin 10 has the same structure as a conventional clothespin except for the color-developing member 18 and has the same operability as conventional products. Therefore, the description of the basic operation and function as a general clothespin is omitted. An important structure of the present invention is the color-developing member 18 installed in the through-hole 5 provided in the first arm of the clamping region 100 of the clothespin 10. The color-developing member 18 is fixed to an inner peripheral surface of the through-hole 5 with an adhesive and is held so as not to be removed even by external force during use.

[0012] The color-developing member 18 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4 as follows. The color-developing member 18 may be formed only on the first arm 12A as shown in FIG. 1 but may also be provided on the second arm 12B. In this case, the additional color-developing member provided on the second arm 12B is formed at a position opposing the color-developing member 18 on the first arm 12A.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a step of installing the color-developing member 18 in the through-hole 5. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the color-developing member 18 is formed in a three-layer structure including a support base 23 formed of a porous substance 23a, a color-developing layer 22, and a protective layer 20. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, when the clothespin 10 is used after the color-developing member 18 is inserted into the through-hole 5, the support base 23 made of the porous substance comes into direct contact with clothing. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A′ shown in FIG. 3.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 4, the support base 23 as a first layer of the color-developing member 18 is formed of a flexible thin film material such as non-woven fabric or nylon. Accordingly, the support base 23 has many holes 23a. The support base 23 is formed inside the first arm 12A, that is, to face the second arm 12B. Therefore, the support base 23 comes into direct contact with the laundry when the clothespin 10 is used. During use, moisture released from the laundry can efficiently reach the color-developing layer 22, which is a second layer of the color-developing member 18, through the holes 23a.

[0015] The color-developing layer 22 contains a reversible chemical indicator and is the layer whose color changes according to the amount of moisture absorbed. The color-developing layer 22 is formed directly on the support base 23. The protective layer 20, which is a third layer, is formed of a transparent or translucent material so that the color-change in the color-developing layer 22 can be visually confirmed from the outside. In addition, the protective layer 20 is formed of a material that blocks moisture from the outside and prevents moisture in the air from reaching the color-developing layer 22. The protective layer 20 is formed directly on the color-developing layer 22 and can be fixed by adhesion. The protective layer 20 is configured to be exposed to the air.

[0016] The color-developing layer 22 is formed by mixing a reversible chemical indicator (a substance capable of reversibly changing color between a water-containing state and an anhydrous state) into a resin, and in this embodiment, cobalt (II) chloride (CoCl2) is used. By the action of this cobalt chloride, the color-developing layer 22 is visually blue in a dry state but reversibly changes color to reddish-purple or pink depending on the amount of moisture in a wet state where moisture is absorbed.

[0017] The clothespin 10 utilizing this characteristic realizes the following operations. First, the wet laundry is clamped at the clamping region 100 of the clothespin 10 of the present invention and hung on a clothesline. Next, moisture from the wet laundry reaches the color-developing layer 22 through the holes 23a in the support base 23 of the color-developing member 18. Thereafter, the color-developing layer 22, which was blue when dry (before the start of use), reversibly changes to reddish-purple or pink due to the absorption of moisture. After being left as it is for a certain period and drying progresses, the moisture in the cobalt chloride evaporates, and the color of the color-developing layer 22 returns to blue.

[0018] A user can visually recognize the color change of the color-developing member 18 via the transparent protective layer 20, and by confirming that the color of the color-developing member 18 has returned to blue, the user can recognize the dry or wet state of the laundry without directly touching it. The clothespin 10 can prolong the color-developing function by storing it in a dry place after use.

[0019] According to the clothespin 10, the dry or wet state can be recognized at a glance from indoors, without directly touching the laundry, by the color-change of the color-developing member. Furthermore, even when the laundry gets wet again due to sudden rain or the like, it can be determined immediately. In addition, the present invention can be applied not only to laundry purposes but also to moisture management of medical gauze, moisture detection of a dishcloth at a cooking site, and the like. In addition, although an example in which the color-developing member 18 is also provided on the second arm is shown above, the dry state of thick laundry can be confirmed from both sides, and further, since the opposing surfaces of the clamping region 100 are made of the same material, there is an effect that the laundry is less likely to slip and can be clamped more stably.

[0020] While this invention has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments, this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Thus, shapes, size and physical relationship of each component are roughly illustrated so the scope of this invention should not be construed to be limited to them. Further, to clarify the components of this invention, hatching is partially omitted in the cross-sectional views. Moreover, the numerical description in the embodiment described above is one of the preferred examples in the preferred embodiment so that the scope of this invention should not be construed to limit them.

[0021] Various other modifications of the illustrated embodiment will be apparent to those skilled in the art in reference to this description. As a modification, a cobalt chloride-based indicator may be mixed into a resin, which is the main material of arm 12, to form an integrally molded color-developing arm. In addition, a plurality of small color-developing members may be inserted in the clamping region 100 of the first arm 12A. In this case, dry and wet changes can be monitored over a wide range. In the present embodiment described above, although cobalt chloride is used, a reversible chemical indicator other than cobalt chloride can also be used for the color-developing layer 22. Further, in the case of a clothespin having a U-shaped clamping portion, the color-developing member 18 can be provided along an inside of the U-shaped clamping portion.

[0022] Therefore, the appended claims are intended to cover any such modifications or embodiments as fall within the true scope of this invention.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0009]The preferred embodiment of this invention as to a clothespin is explained together with drawings as follows. In each drawing, the same reference numbers designate the same or similar components through all embodiments.

[0010]As shown in FIG. 1, the clothespin 10 of the present invention includes arm 12 having a first arm 12A and a second arm 12B and a connecting spring 14 connecting them. The connecting spring 14 constantly biases the arm 12 in a closing direction. The arm 12 has a clamping region 100 for clamping laundry on a front-end side, and a grip region 200 for opening and closing the clothespin 10 at a rear end side.

[0011]As shown in FIG. 2, the clamping region 100 is provided with a through-hole 5, and a color-developing member 18 is inserted into the through-hole 5. The clothespin 10 has the same structure as a conventional clothespin except for the color-developing member 18 and has the same operability as conventional products. Therefore, the description of the bas...

Claims

1. A clothespin, comprising:a pair of arms, each arm having a clamping region and a grip region, wherein both arms have a through-hole at the clamping region, respectively, and an object to be clamped is held by clamping surfaces of the clamping regions; anda color-developing member inserted into each of through-hole, respectively, each the color-developing member including a support base formed of a porous substance, a color-developing layer having a reversible chemical indicator that is a substance capable of reversibly changing color between a hydrated state and an anhydrous state and a transparent or translucent protective layer,wherein a surface of the support base is exposed from the clamping surface of the arm.

2. A clothespin according to claim 1, wherein the color-developing layer is made of resin, the resin containing cobalt chloride as the reversible chemical indicator, wherein the color-developing layer is blue when clothing is dry and is being changed to reddish-purple or pink from blue when wet.

3. A clothespin according to claim 1, wherein the color of the color-developing layer returns to blue upon drying of the color-developing layer.

4. A clothespin according to claim 2, wherein the color of the color-developing layer returns to blue upon drying of the color-developing layer.

5. A clothespin, comprising:a pair of arms, each arm having a clamping region and a grip region, wherein both of the arms have a through-hole at the clamping region, respectively, and an object to be clamped is held by clamping surfaces of the clamping regions; anda color-developing member inserted into each of the through-holes, respectively, each color-developing member including a support base formed of a porous substance, a color-developing layer having a reversible chemical indicator that is a substance capable of reversibly changing color between a hydrated state and an anhydrous state and a transparent or translucent protective layer,wherein a surface of the support base is exposed from the clamping surface of the arm.

6. A clothespin according to claim 5, wherein the color-developing layer in each color-developing member is made of resin, the resin containing cobalt chloride as the reversible chemical indicator, wherein the color-developing layer in each color-developing member is blue when clothing is dry and is being changed to reddish-purple or pink from blue when wet.

7. A clothespin according to claim 5, wherein the color of the color-developing layer in each color-developing member returns to blue upon drying of the color-developing layer in each color-developing member.

8. A clothespin according to claim 6, wherein the color of the color-developing layer in each color-developing member returns to blue upon drying of the color-developing layer in each color-developing member.

Images