CLOTHES DRYING APPARATUS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an apparatus to facilitate shielding and drying of clothes in the atmosphere, especially for use in apartment buildings.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Apartment owners are often faced with various problems when drying clothes. As the hanging and air drying of clothes on apartment balconies (or any other high density living arrangement) can be unsightly from outside, it is common for body corporate by-laws to include prohibitions on the visible hanging of clothes on balconies.

For example, the model by-laws of New South Wales and Queensland (c.f. Schedule 4 of Strata Schemes Management Regulation 2010 (NSW) and Schedule 4 of the Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997 (QLD)) prohibits the visible hanging of washing without the written prior approval of the owner's corporation or body corporate.

The main present alternative is the use of a heated/tumble clothes dryer inside the apartment, however those appliances are highly energy consuming, which is not only costly but also damaging to the environment. For example, Energy Australia in 2010 estimated that, in the state of NSW, the total cost of dryer usage to apartment dwellers was $7 million a year. This was also equivalent to the emission of 43,000 tonnes in annual green house gases. Where a clothes dryer is used three times a week, this can equate to 10% of a household electricity bill. Furthermore, many types of garments are not suited for tumble drying, as they are prone to shrinking or quickly wearing out.

Some apartment complexes provide shared outdoor clothes lines, however many users do not like to use these facilities due to the lack of privacy as well as potential problems of theft. Other users therefore prefer to hang their washing on portable racks indoors near open windows, however obviously the drying rate is limited due to lower flow of air across the clothes rack and less sun exposure. There are also the associated problems relating to limited space within the apartment, increased humidity within the apartment, and im practicality where drip drying is required.

With the population growth in many cities, there has also been an increase in high ^' density living arrangements, such as apartment complexes. Clothes-drying has therefore become more of a problem in recent times.

There appears to be no solution in the prior art. For instance, there are many hybrid clothes rack/drying type apparatuses (c.f AU2008235190, HU; AU2010101066, IRELAND; CN2918503, LIU; WO2006/067819, ITALTECNO CONSULTING SRL) which require a motor and power supply, and/or which rely on a heating feature, forced ventilation or the indirect exhaust air flow from air conditioning systems. Therefore, these arrangements do not entirely overcome the energy consumption issues. There are motorised rotary type clothes racks (c.f. JP3141998, YAMAZA I; AU20O3277465, LUO et al; WO03074777, BECKMANN; JP11169597, SUGA; US6185834, YANG) , however these seem to require a motorised arrangement which often requires an external power supply and do not completely avoid the need for energy consumption. Even in the case of solar panel powered arrangements, the increased complexity and reliance on a motor makes the contraption susceptible to breakdown and associated maintenance and repair. Furthermore, a system entirely based on solar power would not be effective, especially as apartment balconies are often specifically designed to provide shade from the sun, or do not face an appropriate direction for receiving sunlight. Furthermore, YAMAZAKI, BECKMANN and LUO do not appear to be adapted for use for a larger load of washing and do not incorporate the important shielding feature for the protection of privacy and aesthetic reasons. Understandably the requirement for this feature result in additional problems to be overcome, such as the apparatuses therein described do not appear to be sturdy enough to able to sustain the weight and number of a larger load of washing, and rotation when the device is shielded (which necessarily involves a limited air flow through the shielded chamber). Whilst YANG discloses a waterproof cover, that invention is primarily for the venting of humidity and preventing splashing as it operates on the basis of spin-drying. As such, the aforementioned invention does not overcome the essential problems of being able to function without an external energy supply. There are some disclosures of shielded clothes drying apparatuses (c.f. JP2001178994, TAKEUCHI) which may overcome problems of privacy, however none of the prior art discloses a means for rotating such, especially in the context of heavier washing loads. As mentioned above, clothes racks which are shielded visibly also limit the wind and airflow to on the rack and would require additional mechanical assistance for rotation. Rotation of a clothes rack is especially important in these circumstances, in order to dissipate humidity in the drying chamber, as well as to ensure even sun exposure so as to facilitate with the speed of natural air drying. This is especially the case in the context of apartment complexes where the balconies of most apartment dwellers only have sun exposure from one direction.

In many cases, the problem of clothes drying is also relevant to home owners, who do not like to air dry their clothes in the open for privacy and aesthetic reasons. For example, the Hills Hoist, is convenient and effective for drying, however when in use {and not in use) is considered to be unattractive and often does not match the decor of the rest of the home.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the invention to ameliorate some or all of the above disadvantages of the prior art by providing a novel and inventive clothes drying apparatus, or at least to provide the public with an alternative and useful choice.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION

In a first embodiment, the invention resides in a clothes drying apparatus comprising:

a vertical shaft being rotatably supported by a top support member and a bottom support member;

. the vertical shaft having drying means for hanging clothing and other items,

the top support member and bottom support member being connected to one or more vertical panels adapted to visibly screen the drying means and hanging items whilst allowing air flow and some sunlight to pass through the panels;

a rotor with a plurality of blades attached to the vertical shaft;

wherein in use the rotor harnesses wind energy to rotate the vertical shaft to facilitate in the drying of the items. Preferably, there can be an auxiliary solar powered motor arrangement with or without battery storage which can be removably attached to the top of the clothes drying apparatus such that, when in operation, the motor engages the vertical shaft to rotate it. Preferably, the rotor is connected to the vertical shaft via a gear arrangement.

Preferably, the drying means for hanging clothing or other items comprises a plurality of horizontal bars, each of the plurality of horizontal bars being adapted to be removably inserted into and held by equally spaced apertures on the vertical shaft.

More preferably, the apertures are in a staggered position along the length of the vertical shaft.

Preferably, the drying means comprises a plurality of rings, each of the plurality of rings having a central portion being adapted to be engaged with the vertical shaft.

*

More preferably, when the rings are engaged they are in a staggered position along the length of the vertical shaft.

Preferably, the clothes drying apparatus has lockable castor wheels attached to the base support member to facilitate portability.

Preferably, one or more of the panels can be removed and replaced by the user if required.

Preferably, one or more of the panels functions as a door or doors to enable a user to access the drying means.

Preferably, the door or doors can be a hinged swing door or a sliding door.

Preferably, the panels are made from mesh aluminium, a plurality of wood slats, from a suitable plastic, or a combination thereof.

Preferably one or more of the panels have a plurality of vents to facilitate air flow. More preferably, the vents have a raised edge on one substantially vertical side in order to assist with channelling airflow into the clothes drying apparatus. Preferably, the top and bottom support members are circular and the clothes drying apparatus is substantially cylindrical in configuration.

In a second embodiment, the invention resides in a clothes drying apparatus comprising:

a central vertical shaft supported between a top support member and a bottom support member,

one or more drying means for hanging clothing and/or other items, the one or more drying means being rotatably mounted about the vertical shaft,

the top support member and bottom support member being connected to one or more vertical panels adapted to visibly screen the drying means and hanging items whilst allowing air flow and some sunlight to pass through the panels,

a rotor with a plurality of blades being rotatably mounted about the vertical shaft wherein in use the rotor harnesses wind energy to rotate the one or more drying means.

Preferably, an auxiliary solar powered motor arrangement with or without battery storage is removably attached to the top support member such that, when in operation, the motor engages and rotates the one or more drying means.

Preferably in the second embodiment, the one or more drying means comprise a plurality of ring shaped members that surround and are attached to. a central sleeve portion, wherein the sleeve portion is sized and configured to be mounted onto the central vertical shaft.

Preferably in the second embodiment, the clothes drying apparatus has lockable castor wheels attached to the bottom member to facilitate portability. Preferably in the second embodiment, one or more of the panels can be removed and replaced by the user if required. More preferably, one or more of the panels functions as a door or doors to enable a user to access the drying means.

Preferably, the door or doors can be a hinged swing door or a sliding door.

Preferably, the panels are made from mesh aluminium, a plurality of wood slats, from a suitable plastic, or a combination thereof.

Preferably in the second embodiment, one or more of the panels have a plurality of vents to facilitate air flow.

More preferably, the vents have a raised edge on one substantially vertical side in order to assist with channelling airflow into the clothes drying apparatus. Preferably, the top and bottom support members are circular and the clothes drying apparatus is substantially cylindrical in configuration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order for the invention to be better understood reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, wherein;

Figure 1 shows a front view of a first preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 shows a top view of the first preferred embodiment of the rotor, vertical shaft, and top support members.

Figure 3 shows the vertical shaft and drying means arrangement/ which would be combined with the first preferred embodiment of the invention of Figure 1.

Figure 4 shows a panel of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Figure 5 shows a ring member drying means employed in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 6 shows an exploded view of the clothes drying apparatus of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 shows a perspective view of the clothes drying apparatus of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

Figure 8 shows a side view of the clothes drying apparatus of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring now to Figure 1 there is shown a front view of stationary component of a first embodiment of the invention 10. As can be seen, the invention can take the form of a substantially cylindrical shape. The central chamber of the clothes drying apparatus houses the rotating drying rack (not shown) which consists of a rotating vertical shaft with a number or plurality of horizontal bars upon which clothes may be hung. Further detail of the internal structure of the drying rack is indicated in Figure 3. There are a number of curved panels 12, 14 (side) and 16, 18 (rear) surrounding the drying chamber and affixed to a plurality of vertical struts 20 and 22 (and 26, 28, 30 in the rear marked as a dotted line) which connect the top support members 34 and 24 and bottom support member 32. It will be appreciated that in larger models of the apparatus that there may be a greater number of panels and vertical struts and in smaller models there may be fewer panels and vertical struts. In this embodiment, there are two top support members, including a top panel type support member 34 ('top panel') and a circular ring type support member 24, separated by a safety grill 52. The circular ring type support member consists of an outer ring defining the structure of the invention and an inner ring through which the vertical shaft is rotatably held, and a number of intersecting cross bars for rigidity, which in this embodiment is in a spoke type configuration. It is obvious that two support members is preferable so that the top panel type support member can shield the rotor arrangement whilst the top circular ring type support member can provide additional structural support. It should be noted, however ^' , that the invention need not be limited to the two top support member design. it is envisaged that in another embodiment the panels may provide support for the top and bottom support members themselves and may not require additional vertical struts. The panels and the panel-type top support member 34 are primarily made from a mesh material. In the interests of clarity, the mesh material is indicatively illustrated for the top panel-type support member 34. The W

mesh material may be made from anodised aluminium or any other similarly rigid material resistant to corrosion. In other embodiments, the panels may instead be made from an attractive arrangement of wood slats or a range of plastics. In fact, the panels may be made from any materials or be of any shape as long as they are able to substantially shield the contents of the chamber from sight whilst enabling some air to flow through and/or some sunlight to pass through the panels. It is therefore obvious that the user would be provided with a number of options of types of panels, as they contribute significantly to the aesthetic appearance of the invention and should ideally match the decor of the property. Moreover, it should be readily appreciated that the panels may in some embodiments be of a solid construction and thus not made from a mesh material, which may be beneficial to protect -the items housed with the apparatus from external elements such as rain and debris. In any event, it would therefore be advantageous for the panels to be easily^removed and replaced by a user or technician in case a user wishes to change the appearance of the invention, or even to facilitate in transport on or after purchase. In fact, a particularly creative user may wish to modify or design their own panels. Figure 4 depicts one embodiment of a side panel (see below).

The embodiment of Figure 1 also shows a door attached on hinges 36, 38 and 40 which allows the clothes drying apparatus to be opened for loading and unloading, with a latch or similar mechanism 42 to ensure the door remains closed which may be especially important around small children. There are also a number of wheels 44, 46, 48 (rear wheels not shown) attached to the bottom support member 32 which can be locked so that the apparatus may be easily moved from one position to another, for example depending on the sun and wind conditions at that time.

At the top of the apparatus, there can be seen the rotor 50 with blade attachments, which are adapted to receive wind energy and convert it into rotational energy (discussed further below). While not a requirement, for safety and aesthetic reasons, a grill 52 is shown.

Atop the top panel type support member 34, there is illustrated an additional solar panel powered battery and motor device 54 which may be an optional purchase for a user, and is adapted to removably connect onto connection point 56. This feature would be advantageous to assist with rotation in low wind, high sun conditions whilst not detracting from the primary aim of being independent from external power. The solar panel powered battery and motor device could also be charged in the sunlight and then attached to the clothes drying apparatus when light conditions are- low (such as overnight).

Referring now to Figure 2 there is shown a top view of invention, more specifically of the rotor with the top panel-type support member 34 the top circular ring type support member 24, with the rotor sandwiched between. As can be seen, the top panel is made from a rigid mesh material, such as anodised aluminium although it does not necessarily need to be limited to such material and may be of solid construction to provide shielding from the elements. In this embodiment, the top circular ring type support member 24 consists of a circular ring made from a rigid material and rigid support spokes 58, 60 etc to provide additional support to the clothes drying apparatus.

The rotor consists of four blades 62, 64, 66 and 68 which are connected to a central hub 70 which allows the rotor to rotate around the vertical axis. The hub 70 connects directly to the vertical shaft (not shown) to rotate it, and the drying means thereto. The blades may be vertical or, they may be angled in order to facilitate uni-direction rotation.

Referring now to Figure 3, there is shown a preferred embodiment of the rotor 74, vertical shaft 72 and means for hanging drying. As can been seen, clothes may be hung either directly or indirectly (through the use of coat hangers and the such) onto the plurality of horizontal bars, eg 76, 78, 80. These bars are designed to be inserted through a number of apertures eg 82 located on the vertical shaft and there may be a groove or indent on the bars (not shown) to ensure that the bars are held securely in place when inserted. The apertures are staggered in spiralling manner around the shaft 72 in order to ensure that hanging clothes do not overlap. Furthermore, it is believed that the helical arrangement of drying clothes may also to some extent utilise wind energy that may have been channelled in through the panel vents (c.f. Figure 4) and/or mesh to facilitate in the rotation of the rack. It would therefore be beneficial to ensure that the direction of the spiralling of apertures and the angle of the rotor blades be consistent to encourage rotation in the same direction.

The plurality of horizontal bars 76, 78, 80 etc are designed to be removable and able to be re- arranged at the pleasure and convenience of the user as it is foreseeable that a different arrangement of bars may be more suitable different types of washing. In this particular embodiment (although it is envisaged that this invention may available in a number of sizes to suit the varying needs of prospective users) 10 bars (not all shown) are provided and there are 20 insertion points (apertures) (not all shown) in which the user may elect to insert the bars. It is also envisaged that there may be different type of bars available as an additional purchase option for users. For example, there may be textured bars with many grooves to minimise the slipping of hangers and clothes which may hang onto the bars, or specialised bars and/or attachments for specific types of items. Removable bars provide the additional advantage of being easily removed for cleaning and maintenance.

In addition to the foregoing, it is envisaged that in one variation of this embodiment, one or more of the horizontal bars may in fact be provided attached to a ring member 90, as is shown in Figure 5. As can be seen, the ring member 90 is attached about the terminal ends of the horizontal bar 76 to which it is relates to such that the length of the horizontal bar defined substantially the diameter of the ring member. While it is not shown in Figure 5, it is preferable that the diameter of the ring member would be smaller than the diameter of the top and bottom panel members 34 and 32, respectively. In this manner, a gap is provided between the outer periphery of the ring member and the adjacent portion of the inner wall of the curved panels. As such, it will be appreciated that the diameter will less than 98% of that of the diameter of the top and bottom panel members, more preferably less than 95%, and even more preferably less than 90%. As can also be seen from Figure 5, a plurality of support members 91, 92 are provided, where one end of such is attached to the ring member 90 and the other end is attached to an upper portion of the vertical shaft 72. In this manner, rotation of the horizontal bar 76 is limited about its attachment with the vertical shaft 72. As will be appreciated, the provision of the ring member 90 significantly increases the line or hanging space of the apparatus of the present invention, which is advantageous when hanging larger items such as towels, sheets or the like. In particular, the gap provided between the outer periphery of the ring member and that of the inner wall of the panel members permits the hanging of items about substantially the entire circumference of the ring member 90.

Once again referring to Figure 3, 84 and 86 indicate the attachment points where the vertical strut would attach to the stationary bottom support member and top panel respectively (not shown). The vertical shaft would also be inserted through the inner ring of the circular type top support member 24. In this embodiment (internal components not shown), the vertical shaft attaches to the bottom support member via, in one embodiment, a sealed bearing arrangement 84 (internal components not shown). It is preferable that that this attachment point be substantially sealed to minimise corrosion and damage from water drips. There may also be a locking mechanism (not shown) to prevent the vertical shaft 72 from rotating, which may required, for example, when the user wishes to load or unload the items on windy days without the rack turning.

In this embodiment, the top of the vertical shaft is directly connected to the rotor 74, which ^' consists of a number of blades adapted to receive and harness wind to turn its hub (and therefore the attached vertical shaft) about the vertical axis. In another embodiment, the rotor arrangement could be attached indirectly to the vertical shaft by means of an adjustable stepped gear system, which would allow the optimisation of rotation in the case of low or high wind environments. As can be seen, at the top of the vertical shaft 72 there exists a connection means 86 shown in Figure 3 as being star shaped. As previously mentioned, one additional feature that can be offered to a prospective user is a removeable and portable solar powered battery and motor (not shown), which would be able to be attached to the top panel of the apparatus. The connection means 86 would therefore enable the device to connect to the vertical shaft and rotate such when powered. It is obvious that the connection means need not be limited to a star shape, and may be of any shape as long as it would be effective to achieve this function.

Referring now to Figure 4 there is shown one embodiment of a side panel. As previously described, the drying chamber of the preferred embodiment of Figure 1 is surrounded by a plurality of curved panels. Figure 4 is one example of such a curved panel. As can be seen, the panel 76 is affixed to the vertical support struts 78, 80 which connect and secure top and bottom support members (not shown). There are a number of apertures eg 82, 84 to facilitate the air flow through the panel 76, which is already made of an aluminium mesh or other similarly perforated material. There can also be raised sections on the vents (not shown) to enable the channelling of flowing air into those vents. As can also be seen, panel 76 may be connected to vertical struts 78, 80 with a small gap, which also facilitates air flow. In a second embodiment of the present invention and as shown in Figure 6, an alternative clothes drying apparatus to that previously described is provided. As is shown in Figure 6, which is an exploded view, the clothes drying apparatus of this embodiment, similar to that of the first embodiment, is shown to have a plurality of curved panels 101, 102 and 103, which in operation [i.e. in the closed position) surround the drying chamber of the clothes drying apparatus as is best shown in Figure 7. As will be appreciated, one or more of the panels would be configured to be opened similar to that of the first embodiment explained previously to permit access to the drying chamber, which can be assisted by a hinge means, a sliding rail means, or a combination thereof. Top and bottom support members 105 and 106, respectively, are provided. The top support member 105 is shown to shield the rotor arrangement 110, and the bottom support member 106 supports the clothes drying apparatus over a ground surface. It is also shown that the top support member has a side wall portion with a plurality of apertures formed therein, which are provided to permit constant airflow into and out of the drying chamber even when the plurality of curved panels 101, 102, 103 are in the closed position. It should be noted that the various features of the rotor arrangement 110 of this embodiment of the present invention include similar elements discussed above in relation to the first embodiment with reference to Figure 3. That said, it should be appreciated that as the central vertical shaft is statically mounted between the top and bottom support members in the present aspect, when in use, the rotor through wind energy imparts rotational movement to the one or more drying means that are rotatably mounted about the central vertical shaft, as will also be explained in further detail the following paragraph.

As is best shown in Figure 6, a central vertical shaft 112 and a plurality of peripheral vertical support 113 members are shown. While three peripheral support members 113 are displayed in the embodiment shown in Figure 6, it should be appreciated that any number of peripheral support members could be included so as to provide sufficient structural support to the clothes drying apparatus. While in the first embodiment of the present invention explained above with reference to Figures 1-5 the vertical shaft provided means to enable the direct mounting of a plurality of drying means thereto, the central vertical shaft 112 in the second embodiment primarily provides structural support to the complete apparatus. However, as is also shown in Figure 6, a plurality of drying means 120 are provided. Each of the drying means 120 have a central sleeve portion 122 which is sized and configured to be mounted onto the central vertical shaft 112 in a stacked configuration. While not shown, to facilitate drying of clothes hung on the drying means 120, each of drying means 120 are mounted about the central vertical shaft 112 such that they are capable of rotational movement about the shaft. In particular, it is envisaged that a bearing arrangement (not shown) could be adapted to permit this rotational movement.

As is shown in Figure 8, each of the plurality of drying means 120 comprise one or more ring members that surround and are attached to its central sleeve portion. It is envisaged that the topmost ring member of the drying means would have a larger diameter than that of the lower rings and so on, such that when items are hung on the upper ring members of the drying means such does not interfere with items hung lower down. While it is shown in the drawings that three drying means are provided, it should be appreciated that one or more drying means could be provided without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It should further be appreciated that while in this embodiment all of the drying means comprise rings, that a combination of rings or horizontal bars or indeed any other similar shaped drying means may be considered.

It will of course be realised that while the foregoing has been given by way of illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is herein set forth.

Moreover, in the specification the terms "comprising" and "containing" shall be understood to have a broad meaning similar to the term "including" and will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps. This definition also applies to variations on the terms "comprising" and "containing" such as "comprise", "comprises", "contain" and "contains".