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EP-4739833-A1 - A CLOTHES LINE ASSEMBLY

EP4739833A1EP 4739833 A1EP4739833 A1EP 4739833A1EP-4739833-A1

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).

Inventors

  • TYMON, FINBAR

Assignees

  • Tymon, Finbar

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240701

Claims (18)

  1. 1 . 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 the shelter (2).
  13. 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. 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. 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. 16. The clothes line assembly (1 , 90) as claimed in claim 15, wherein the seal comprises a brush seal (45, 46).
  17. 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. 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).

Description

“A Clothes Line Assembly” Introduction This invention relates to a clothes line assembly for drying clothes outdoors. Background to the Invention 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. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved clothes line assembly with means for protecting clothes hung thereon from rain. Summary of the Invention 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. 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. In another embodiment of the invention the hangers are slidably mounted on the clothes line. 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. In another embodiment of the invention the drive means is operable in response to rain. 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. 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. In another embodiment of the invention the hanger spacing means is a spacing line interconnecting adjacent hangers. 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. 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. 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. In another embodiment of the invention the ventilation openings are provided at a bottom and at a top of the shelter. 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. 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. In another embodiment of the invention the seal comprises a brush seal. In another embodiment of the invention door drive means is provided for opening and closing the doors. 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 supp