Device for catching pieces of clothes falling behind a washing machine or dryer

• US 5,518,309 A
• Filed: 08/20/1993
• Issued: 05/21/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jacinthe St-Pierre
• Original Assignee: Jacinthe St-Pierre
• Inventors: St-Pierre, Jacinthe
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US08/109,440
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 312/140.4, 312/228, 312/228.1, 312/248, 297/182
• US Class Current: 312/140.4
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/12 Casings; Tubs

Abstract

The device catches pieces of clothes susceptible to fall behind a domestic appliance, such as a washing machine and a dryer. The domestic appliance comprises an upper backguard and a rear face spaced apart from a wall standing behind the appliance. A basket-like clothes catching member is mounted behind the backguard substantially over the spacing between the rear face of the domestic appliance and the wall behind this appliance, whereby pieces of clothes susceptible to fall behind the appliance are caught by this basket-like member. The latter member is advantageously pivotally mounted on the backguard so that it can be pivoted to help to recover the caught pieces of clothes.

Claims

1. A combination of a generally upright wall and domestic appliance, the combination comprising:

the domestic appliance having an upper portion and a rear face facing and spaced apart from the generally upright wall;

an object catching member for catching objects susceptible fall between the rear face of the domestic appliance and the generally upright wall; and

means for mounting said object catching member behind the upper appliance portion whereby said object catching member extends outwardly in a generally horizontal position from the rear face of the domestic appliance to form a receptacle or support surface and extends substantially over a spacing between the rear face of the domestic appliance and the generally upright wall whereby objects falling between the generally upright wall and the rear face of the domestic appliance are caught by said object catching member.

2. The combination of claim 1, in which said mounting means comprises means for attaching said object catching member to the upper appliance portion.

3. The combination of claim 1, in which said mounting means comprises means for pivotally mounting said object catching member on the upper appliance portion, whereby said object catching member can be pivoted about the upper appliance portion in order to help to recover the caught objects.

4. The combination of claim 1, in which said mounting means comprises means for pivotally mounting said object catching member on the rear face of the upper appliance portion, whereby said object catching member can be pivoted about the domestic appliance in order to help to recover the caught objects.

5. The combination of claim 1, wherein, the upper appliance portion comprising two opposite side faces, said mounting means comprises means for pivotally mounting said object catching member on the opposite side faces of the upper appliance portion, whereby said object catching member can be pivoted about the upper appliance portion in order to help to recover the caught objects.

6. A combination of a generally upright wall and a domestic appliance such as a washing machine and a dryer, the combination comprising:

the domestic appliance having an upper portion and a rear face facing and spaced apart from the generally upright wall;

a clothes catching member for catching clothes susceptible to fall between the rear face of the domestic appliance and the generally upright wall; and

means for mounting said clothes catching member behind the upper appliance portion whereby said object catching member extends outwardly in a generally horizontal position from the rear face of the domestic appliance to form a receptacle or support surface and extends substantially over a spacing between the rear face of the domestic appliance and the generally upright wall whereby clothes falling between the generally upright wall and the rear face of the domestic appliance are caught by said clothes catching member.

7. A combination as recited in claim 6, wherein said mounting means comprises means for attaching the clothes catching member to the upper appliance portion.

8. A combination as recited in claim 6, wherein said mounting means comprises means for pivotally mounting said clothes catching member on the upper appliance portion, whereby said clothes catching member can be pivoted about the upper appliance portion in order to help to recover the pieces of clothes caught by said clothes catching member.

9. A combination as recited in claim 6, wherein said mounting means comprises means for pivotally mounting said clothes catching member on the rear face of the upper appliance portion, whereby said clothes catching member can be pivoted about the domestic appliance in order to help to recover the pieces of clothes caught by said clothes catching member.

10. A combination as recited in claim 6, wherein, the upper appliance portion comprising two opposite side faces, said mounting means comprises means for pivotally mounting said clothes catching member on the opposite side faces of the upper appliance portion, whereby said clothes catching member can be pivoted about the upper appliance portion in order to help to recover the pieces of clothes caught by said clothes catching member.