Laundry area organizer disposed between a clothes washer and dryer

• US 5,411,164 A
• Filed: 03/01/1993
• Issued: 05/02/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Laundry - Mate Inc.
• Original Assignee: Barbara J. Smith, Paul C. Smith
• Inventors: Smith, Paul C., Smith, Barbara J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pollard, Steven M.
• Application Number:
  US08/025,218
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 312/290, 220/334
• US Class Current: 312/290
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 77/02 General layout, e.g. relative arrangement of compartments, working surface or surfaces, supports for apparatus A47B77/08 takes precedence ; combinable furniture units A47B87/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 77/18 by special arrangements for accommodating removable containers
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 95/00 Laundry systems or arrangements of apparatus or machines; Mobile laundries D06F31/00 takes precedence

Abstract

The LAUNDRY AREA ORGANIZER includes a bin having a front, a back, a bottom, and first and second side walls, the first side wall of the bin being juxtaposed to and abutted with a side wall of one of the clothes washer and dryer and the second side wall of the bin being juxtaposed to and abutted with a side wall of the other of the clothes washer and dryer so that the bin is disposed between and laterally supported by the clothes washer and dryer. The LAUNDRY AREA ORGANIZER also includes a cover for the bin, the cover having a top surface, the cover being manipulable to an open position for providing access to the interior of the bin and, alternatively, to a closed position for precluding access to the interior of the bin, the top surface of the cover is at about the same height as the top surfaces of the clothes washer and dryer so that the top surfaces of the cover and the clothes washer and dryer lie approximately in a plane, to provide a continuous work surface.

Claims

1. A laundry area organizer for use with a clothes washer and dryer, each of the clothes washer and dryer having a top surface and side walls, the laundry area organizer configured to be located between the clothes washer and dryer, the laundry area organizer comprising:

a bin comprising a front, a back, a bottom, first and second side walls, and an open top, the first side wall of the bin being juxtaposed to and abutted with a side wall of one of the clothes washer and dryer and the second side wall of the bin being juxtaposed to and abutted with a side wall of the other of the clothes washer and dryer so that the bin is disposed between and laterally supported by the clothes washer and dryer, the front, back, and first and second side walls of the bin defining an interior chamber;

a cover for the bin open top, the cover having a top surface, the cover being manipulable to an open position for providing access to the interior of the bin and, alternatively, to a closed position for precluding access to the interior of the bin; and

a plurality of legs for the bin for vertically supporting the bin so that the top surface of the cover is at about the same height as the top surfaces of the clothes washer and dryer so that the top surfaces of the cover and the clothes washer and dryer lie approximately in a plane when the cover is in the closed position;

the height of the laundry area organizer being substantially greater than the width of the laundry area organizer for convenient location of the laundry area organizer between the clothes washer and dryer to allow the clothes washer and dryer to remain in close proximity so that the transfer of clothes from the washer to the dryer is not substantially impeded, the laundry area organizer having a high center of gravity when the laundry area organizer is filled with laundering agents, the laundry area organizer relying on abutting contact of the first and second side walls of the bin with the juxtaposed side walls of the clothes washer and dryer for lateral support to overcome the instability created by the high center of gravity and high ratio of height to width.

2. The laundry area organizer of claim 1 wherein the cover is removable from the bin.

3. The laundry area organizer of claim 1 wherein one of the legs is provided with an opening, further comprising:

a refuse container disposed in the opening in the one leg, the refuse container being manipulable between a closed position and an open position.

4. The laundry area organizer of claim 3 wherein the refuse container comprises first and second sides, a back, a bottom, and a front having vertical edges which extend outwardly from a junction of the front of the refuse container with the first and second sides of the refuse container and a pivot step disposed at a junction of the front of the refuse container and the bottom of the refuse container, and wherein the opening in the one leg has a pivot point at a bottom edge of the opening for pivotally contacting the pivot step of the refuse container when the refuse container is disposed in the opening in the one leg, the vertical edges of the front of the refuse container extending transversely of vertical edges of the opening in the front of the one leg so that the front of the refuse container does not pass through the opening in the one leg when the pivot step pivots on the pivot point as the refuse container is manipulated to the closed position.

5. The laundry area organizer of claim 1 wherein the back of the refuse container comprises a top portion and the opening in the one leg has a top edge, the top portion of the back of the refuse container extending vertically of the top edge of the one leg so that the back of the refuse container does not pass through the opening in the one leg when the pivot step pivots on the pivot point as the refuse container is manipulated to the open position.

6. The laundry area organizer of claim 3 wherein the refuse container comprises first and second sides, a back, and a bottom, further comprising:

a pair of bracket retainer ribs, the pair of bracket retainer ribs comprising a first bracket retainer slot integral with the first side of the refuse container on the interior of the refuse container and a second bracket retainer slot integral with the second side of the refuse container and opposite the first bracket retainer slot on the interior of the refuse container; and

a bracket for being selectively inserted into the pair of bracket retainer ribs, the bracket comprising a vertical portion and a horizontal portion extending away from the vertical portion toward the front of the refuse container; and

a holding means attached to the horizontal portion of the bracket for holding sheet material; and

wherein the front of the refuse container comprises a vertical slot through which the sheet material extends when the sheet material is retained by the holding means.

9. The laundry area organizer of claim 1 wherein the one of the legs is provided with an opening, further comprising:

a refuse container disposed in the opening in the one leg, the refuse container being manipulable between a closed position and an open position.

11. The laundry area organizer of claim 9 wherein the refuse container comprises first and second sides, a back, and a bottom, further comprising:

a pair of bracket retainer ribs, the pair of bracket retainer ribs comprising a first bracket retainer slot integral with the first side of the refuse container on the interior of the refuse container and a second bracket retainer slot integral with the second side of the refuse container and opposite the first bracket retainer slot on the interior of the refuse container; and

a bracket for being selectively inserted into the pair of bracket retainer ribs, the bracket comprising a vertical portion and a horizontal portion extending away from the vertical portion toward the front of the refuse container; and

a holding means attached to the horizontal portion of the bracket for holding sheet material; and

wherein the front of the refuse container comprises a vertical slot through which the sheet material extends when the sheet material is retained on the holding means.

13. The laundry area organizer of claim 1 wherein the cover has lateral edges and comprises:

a handle integral with the cover, the handle being positioned proximate the front of the bin to facilitate manipulation of the cover; and

structural ribs disposed proximate the lateral edges of the cover.

14. The laundry organizer of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one pair of divider panel slots, the pair of divider panel slots comprising a first divider panel slot integral with the first side wall of the bin on the interior of the bin and a second divider panel slot integral with the second side wall of the bin and opposite the first divider panel slot on the interior of the bin; and

a divider panel for being selectively inserted into the at least one pair of divider panel slots to divide the interior chamber of the bin into a plurality of compartments.

15. The laundry area organizer of claim 1 wherein the bin has lateral edges and the bin further comprises side channels disposed along the lateral edges of the bin.

17. The laundry area organizer of claim 11 wherein the one leg is attached to the bin so that a front surface of the one leg is approximately flush with the front of the bin.

20. The laundry area organizer of claim 1, further comprising:

a bracket attached to an interior surface of the one leg; and

a holding means attached to the bracket for holding sheet material; and

wherein the front of the one leg comprises a slot through which the sheet material extends when the sheet material is retained by the holding means.

7. A laundry area organizer for use with a clothes washer and dryer, each of the clothes washer and dryer having a top surface and side walls, the laundry area organizer configured to be located between the clothes washer and dryer, the laundry area organizer comprising:

a bin comprising a front, a back, a bottom, and first and second side walls, the first side wall of the bin being juxtaposed to and abutted with a side wall of one of the clothes washer and dryer and the second side wall of the bin being juxtaposed to and abutted with a side wall of the other of the clothes washer and dryer so that the bin is disposed between and laterally supported by the clothes washer and dryer, the front, back, and first and second side walls of the bin defining an interior chamber, the back of the bin comprising an upper back portion and a lower back portion integral with the upper back portion, the lower back portion being offset inwardly from a junction of the upper back portion with the lower back portion to a junction of the lower back portion with the bottom of the bin;

a cover for the bin, the cover having a top surface, the cover being manipulable to an open position for providing access to the interior of the bin and, alternatively, to a closed position for precluding access to the interior of the bin; and

a plurality of legs for the bin for vertically supporting the bin so that the top surface of the cover is at about the same height as the top surfaces of the clothes washer and dryer so that the top surfaces of the cover and the clothes washer and dryer lie approximately in a plane, a first leg being selectively attached to the bin so that a front surface of the first leg is approximately flush with the front of the bin a second leg being selectively attached to the bin so that the back surface of the second leg is offset toward the first leg due to the inward offset of the lower portion of the lower back portion of the back of the bin to accommodate connection of the clothes washer and dryer to utilities behind the bin.

8. The laundry area organizer of claim 7 wherein the first and second legs each comprise at least one locating rib and at least one locating boss and the bottom of the bin comprises at least one locating recess so that the at least one locating rib contacts one of the first and second side walls and the at least one locating boss interfits within the at least one locating recess when each of the first and second legs are attached to the bin.

10. The laundry area organizer of claim 7 wherein the bottom of the bin comprises a plurality of bolt holes and the first and second legs each comprise a plurality of bolt holes, further comprising a plurality of bolts inserted through aligned bolt holes in the bin and first and second legs and wing nuts secured to the inserted bolts to attach the first and second legs to the bin.

12. The laundry area organizer of claim 7, further comprising:

a bracket attached to an interior surface of the one leg; and

a holding means attached to the bracket for holding sheet material; and

wherein the front of the one leg comprises a slot through which the sheet material extends when the sheet material is retained on the holding means.

16. A laundry area organizer for use with a clothes washer and dryer, each of the clothes washer and dryer having a top surface and side walls, the laundry area organizer configured to be located between the clothes washer and dryer, the laundry area organizer comprising:

a bin comprising a front, a back, a bottom, first and second side walls, and an open top, the first side wall of the bin being juxtaposed to and abutted with a side wall of one of the clothes washer and dryer and the second side wall of the bin being juxtaposed to and abutted with a side wall of the other of the clothes washer and dryer so that the bin is disposed between and laterally supported by the clothes washer and dryer, the front, back, and first and second side walls of the bin defining an interior chamber;

a cover for the bin open top, the cover having a top surface, the cover being manipulable to an open position for providing access to the interior of the bin and, alternatively, to a closed position for precluding access to the interior of the bin;

a plurality of legs for the bin for vertically supporting the bin so that the top surface of the cover is at about the same height as the top surfaces of the clothes washer and dryer so that the top surfaces of the cover and the clothes washer and dryer lie approximately in a plane when the cover is in the closed position;

the height of the laundry area organizer being substantially greater than the width of the laundry area organizer for convenient location of the laundry area organizer between the clothes washer and dryer to allow the clothes washer and dryer to remain in close proximity so that the transfer of clothes from the washer to the dryer is not substantially impeded, the laundry area organizer having a high center of gravity when the laundry area organizer is filled with laundering agents, the laundry area organizer relying on abutting contact of the first and second side walls of the bin with the juxtaposed side walls of the clothes washer and dryer for lateral support to overcome the instability created by the high center of gravity and high ratio of height to width, one of the legs being provided with an opening;

a refuse container disposed in the opening in the one leg, the refuse container being manipulable between a closed position and an open position, the refuse container comprising first and second sides, a back, and a bottom;

a holding means selectively mounted in the interior of the refuse container for holding sheet material; and

wherein the front of the refuse container comprises a vertical slot through which the sheet material extends when the sheet material is retained by the holding means.

18. The laundry area organizer of claim 16 wherein the refuse container comprises first and second sides, a back, a bottom, and a front having vertical edges which extend outwardly from a junction of the front of the refuse container with the first and second sides of the refuse container and a pivot step disposed at a junction of the front of the refuse container and the bottom of the refuse container, and wherein the opening in the one leg has a pivot point at a bottom edge of the opening for pivotally contacting the pivot step of the refuse container when the refuse container is disposed in the opening in the one leg, the vertical edges of the front of the refuse container extending transversely of vertical edges of the opening in the front of the one leg so that the front of the refuse container does not pass through the opening in the one leg when the pivot step pivots on the pivot point as the refuse container is manipulated to the closed position.

19. The laundry area organizer of claim 18 wherein the back of the refuse container comprises a top portion and the opening in the one leg has a top edge, the top portion of the back of the refuse container extending vertically of the top edge of the one leg so that the back of the refuse container does not pass through the opening in the one leg when the pivot step pivots on the pivot point as the refuse container is manipulated to the open position.