FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a device such as a clothes peg for clamping clothes and the like washable articles during washing, drying and/or sorting and relates more particularly, though not exclusively, to such a device which is in the form of a clip for holding a pair of such articles together during the laundering process .

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Anybody who has had to wash and/or dry and/or sort a load of washing containing multiple pairs of socks and/or the like washable articles such as gloves, stockings, and other hosiery items, will be familiar with the problem of finding the matching article which make up a pair. Usually the articles making up a pair become separated during washing and/or drying and sometimes one article mysteriously disappears or is temporarily misplaced so that it is not possible to make up a matching pair. Even when both articles of a pair are at hand it can be difficult to match up pairs as the articles for different family members may all be of the same colour and of similar sizes, for example, school uniform socks for children. Many solutions to this problem have been proposed in the past with varying degrees of success . One prior art solution involves the use of a laundry bag of suitable netting material within which socks and similar small articles of clothing are placed during the washing and drying process . Whilst this arrangement has the advantage of keeping all the articles together, it is still necessary to sort out individual pairs after washing and/or drying. Furthermore, because all the articles are generally held together in close proximity the articles are not subject to the same degree of cleaning action during agitation in a washing machine as the detergent and water is unable to pass through the articles in the bag as frequently or thoroughly

as through other items. For similar reasons, drying of the articles generally takes longer unless they are first removed from the bag.

In order to avoid the short-comings of the laundry bag various arrangements for pairing and holding a single pair of socks together during washing have been proposed.

Some prior art arrangements make use of flexible adhering patches of hook-and-loop fasteners, such as that sold under the trademark VELCRO, to hold the pair of socks together.

Examples of such prior art arrangements are described in US Patent Nos. 4,058,853 and 4,165,555 to Boxer et al and 5,321,855 to Ciuffo. One disadvantage of such arrangements is that they generally require a modification to the socks or articles themselves, typically at the point of manufacture.

Other prior art arrangements involve the use of a wash resistant loop having cooperating male and female fasteners provided at each end to enable the loop to be closed after a pair of socks are looped together by passing the loop through a port or hole provided in each sock for this purpose. Examples of this type of arrangement are described in US Patent Nos. 4,939,823 and 5,044,051 to Klein. Once again, a disadvantage of such arrangements is that they require a port or hole to be formed in each sock, either at the point of manufacture or subsequently by the user.

Still further prior art arrangements consist of various types of clips, pegs and holders for holding together a pair of washable articles such as socks during washing and drying. Examples of such devices are described in DE 4238523 to Kossack, DE 3939244 to Blum, DE 4326779 to Klein and DE 4025815 to Bengsch. Kossack describes a clamp consisting of two halves held together by a spring member of a suitably resilient material designed to exert a clamping pressure between the jaws of the clamp halves. One disadvantage of the device of Kossack is that it consists of three separate components which must be fabricated separately

and then assembled, increasing substantially the manufacturing costs.

Alternative prior art arrangements include the use of some form of permanent mark or identity tag to enable matching pairs of socks to be easily identified by visual examination. For example, identifying threads or labels may be sewn into each sock, or an indelible marking ink may be employed to identify pairs of socks. U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,660 to Smith describes the use of a pair of similar sock clamp assemblies bearing similar indicia which are permanently attached to each sock in a pair and which enable pairs in an intermingled pile to be more easily matched and sorted. A difficulty with such prior art arrangements is that they still require sorting of the socks prior to or subsequent to drying. A further disadvantage is that the clamp assemblies or other permanent mark is always attached to the sock and therefore must be made invisible by folding down the top edge of the sock or otherwise hidden from view.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION The present invention was developed with a view to providing a device for pairing socks and the like washable articles which does not require a modification to the articles themselves to be made in anyway and which is of simple and inexpensive construction. Although the invention will be described primarily in the form of a sock pairing device, it will be appreciated that the device may be used for other purposes such as, for example, a clothes peg, and therefore it will be referred to more generally as a clothes clamping device. According to the present invention there is provided a device for clamping clothes and like washable articles during washing, drying and sorting, the device comprising: a flexible elongate member having first and second jaws provided at each end respectively and connected by a bridging portion formed of resilient material, the device

also having an interconnecting means provided for operatively connecting said first and second jaws in pivoting relationship in an operational condition, said interconnecting means being in the form of a hinge provided by a bayonet type connection, said bayonet type connection comprising a male portion in the form of a barbed protrusion and a female portion in the form of a recess provided on said first and second jaws respectively, said bridging portion acting to bias said first and second jaws to a closed position in the operational condition, and wherein the jaws can be pivoted to an open position by applying manual pressure to the device so as to overcome the biasing force of said bridging portion.

Preferably said clamping device is of unitary construction, said first and second jaws, said bridging portion and said interconnecting means all being formed integral with the elongate member.

Advantageously each of said first and second jaws is provided with a grip surface for gripping a pair of socks or like washable articles when the jaws are in the closed position. Preferably each said grip surface terminates in a tooth adapted to engage when the jaws are in the closed position so that the teeth firmly grip the washable article in the closed position. Preferably each of said jaws is provided with an angled pivot surface formed adjacent the grip surface, a boundary between the pivot surface and the grip surface forming a fulcrum for the first and second jaws when the bridging portion is in an operational condition.

Advantageously said device further comprises a hook arranged to allow the device to be hung on a washing line with a pair of washable articles held in the jaws. Preferably said hook is formed in connection with the bridging portion. More preferably said bridging portion is formed with a cut-out section which forms said hook when the bridging portion is in an operational condition.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to facilitate a more comprehensive understanding of the nature of the invention a presently preferred embodiment of the clamping device will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a possible embodiment of the pairing device according to the invention shown in an operational condition; Figure 2 is a plan view of the device of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side view of the device of Figure 1 shown with jaws in a closed position;

Figure 4 is a side view of the device of Figure 1 shown with jaws in an open position; Figure 5 is a side view of the device of Figure 1 shown in a non-operational condition; and,

Figure 6 is a plan view of the device of Figure 1 shown in a non-operational condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A presently preferred embodiment of the device 10 for clamping clothes and the like washable articles during washing, drying, and sorting is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The clamping device 10 is designed as a sock pairing device and comprises a flexible elongate member having first and second jaws 12, 14 provided at each end respectively. The first and second jaws 12, 14 are connected by a bridging portion 16 formed of resilient material. The pairing device 10 also comprises an interconnecting means provided for operatively connecting the first and second jaws 12, 14 in pivoting relationship when the bridging portion 16 is bent into an operational condition as illustrated in Figures 1 to 5. Because of the resilient nature of the bridging portion 16, it acts to bias the first and second jaws 12, 14 to a closed position as illustrated most clearly in Figures 1 and 4. The first and second jaws 12, 14 can be pivoted to an open position as shown in Figure

5 by applying manual pressure to the device 10 in the direction of arrows A so as to overcome the biasing force of the bridging portion 16.

This embodiment of the pairing device 10 is advantageously of unitary construction, so that the first and second jaws 12, 14, the bridging portion 16 and the interconnecting means 18 are all formed integral to the elongate member. Typically each elongate member as shown in Figure 6 and 7 is manufactured from a suitable flexible, resilient plastics material using an injection moulding process. Because of the relatively small size of the device a multiple cavity mould would be employed. The device is manufactured from a plastics material which is capable of withstanding multiple washings in hot water and which is resistant to corrosion or break down due to chemicals contained in washing detergent. The plastics material must also be capable of withstanding multiple exposures to ultra violet radiation from sunlight during drying on a clothes line. The plastic material should also preferably maintain its resilience and not be damaged when exposed to the high temperatures encountered in a tumble dryer. Suitable plastics materials may include polypropylene and polyethylene and copolymers thereof.

Each of the first and second jaws 12, 14 is provided with a grip surface 20 for gripping a pair of socks or the like washable articles when the jaws are in the closed position. The grip surfaces 20 are designed to hold the socks or washable articles together securely so as to withstand the rigours of both washing and drying in automatic machines, and yet provides a non-aggressive grip that will not damage the socks or other washable articles. For this reason, each grip surface 20 preferably comprises a tooth 22 adapted to engage when the jaws 12, 14 are in the closed position. This arrangement allows the material of two socks to be firmly gripped between the first and second jaws 12, 14 of the device so that the pair are held together throughout the washing and drying process. At the same time, the area

of material held between the jaws is relatively small and the grip is sufficiently non-aggressive that the material held between the jaws is also able to dry.

Each of the first and second jaws 12, 14 is moulded with an angled pivot surface 24 formed adjacent the grip surface 20 so that a boundary between the pivot surface 24 and the grip surface 20 forms a fulcrum 25 for the first and second jaws when the bridging portion 16 is in an operational condition. Preferably the pivot surface is at an angle of between 110° to 180° to the grip surface 20. In the illustrated embodiments the pivot surfaces 24 are at an angle of approximately 150° to the respective grip surfaces 20 so that the pivot surfaces 24 form an angle of approximately 60° therebetween when the jaws are in the closed position as shown in Figure 4. Hence, when pressure is applied in the direction of arrows A as shown in Figure 5, the first and second jaws 12, 14 can each pivot through a maximum angle of approximately 30° before the pivot surfaces 24 engage.

Advantageously, each of the first and second jaws 12, 14 is formed with first and second side walls 26, which together with the grip surface 20 and pivot surface 24 form a triangular prism structure which is suitably rigid and sufficiently strong to prevent the jaws 12, 14 from bending in use. In the illustrated embodiment the interconnecting means 18 is in the form of a hinge provided by a bayonet- type connection at the fulcrum 25. The bayonet-type connection is formed by a male portion in the form of a barbed protrusion 28 and a female portion in the form of a recess 30 provided on the second and first jaws 14, 12 respectively. The protrusion 28 iε of T-shape and the recess 30 is also of T-shape having a wide section forming the cross bar of the T and a narrow section forming the stem of the T. The wide section of recess 30 is adapted to receive the barb of the protrusion 28 therethrough. The stem of the protrusion 28 is then received in the narrow section of recess 30 so that the barb of the protrusion 28 is retained

within the recess 30. The barbed protrusion 28 thus holds the first and second jaws 12, 14 together in pivoting relationship with the bridging portion 16 bent into a semi¬ circular shape in its operational condition. Preferably each of the first and second jaws 12, 14 is also provided with a second grip surface 32 provided in the region where a manual pressure is applied to the device using the fingers of one hand to overcome the biasing force of the bridging portion 16. This biasing force is provided by the natural memory of the plastics material from which the elongate member is manufactured.

Because the pairing device 10 is designed to hold a pair of socks or other washable articles together throughout the laundering process, the device is preferably also provided with a hook 36 arranged to allow the device 10 to be hung on a washing line with a pair of washable articles held in the jaws. In the illustrated embodiment the hook 36 is formed in connection with the bridging portion 16 which is of generally planar configuration. A cut-out section 38 is formed in the bridging portion 16, which forms the hook 36 when the bridging portion 16 is in an operational condition as can be seen most clearly in Figure 2. In use, the device 10 can be attached to a washing line by inserting the line into the cut-out section 38 so that it is retained under the hook 36.

The pairing device 10 allows a pair of socks or other like washable articles to be held together during washing, drying and sorting. The articles are locked together in pairs prior to washing using the pairing device 10 which is designed to stay on throughout the washing and drying process. The user may choose either to leave the device 10 on the articles until next worn or to remove the device 10 for folding of the articles. Advantageously the pairing device may be manufactured in various colours so that articles belonging to different family members may be more readily identified during sorting.

It will be apparent that the illustrated embodiment

of the clamping device has a number of significant advantages, including but not restricted to the following:

(i) it is simple and easy to use and therefore can be attached quickly to a pair of washable articles such as socks using only one hand;

(ii) it is sufficiently small and of low profile not to cause damage to washing machines, tumble dryers or clothes, and yet is not sufficiently small to be swallowed by small children; (iii) it has a smooth external profile and does not present any sharp edges which may cause damage to clothing or the hands of users;

(iv) it is designed for multiple uses being manufactured from durable plastics material capable of withstanding a wide range of temperature variations, and which is non-toxic and resistant to corrosion;

(v) the gripping force provided between the jaws is strong enough to clamp a pair of any type of socks or the like washable articles; (vi) the jaws provide a non-aggressive grip which allows the socks or other washable articles to dry completely without leaving any wet patches.

Numerous variations and modifications may suggest themselves to persons skilled in the relevant arts, in addition to those already described, without departing from the basic inventive concepts. For example, the pairing device is most preferably manufactured in the form of a single, elongate member of substantially uniform width throughout its length as in the illustrated embodiment. However, the elongate member may be of any desired shape. For example, the bridging portion may be of greater width than the first and second jaws or vice versa. Furthermore, it may not be essential to manufacture the elongate member in one piece. It may be formed of several pieces joined end to end. It will be understood that whilst the device is primarily designed for pairing socks and the like washable

articles it may also be used for other applications. For example, it may be used as a clothes peg if desired or a clip for holding together other articles. All such variations and modifications are to be considered within the scope of the present invention, the nature of which is to be determined from the foregoing description and the appended claims .