Abstract:
A container takes on the form of a laundry hamper or basket while static or stationary. Upon bringing front and back panels of the container into closer proximity for transport, such as by drawing together their respective handles, or drawing one of the handles towards the other, the container changes configuration, or shape, to that of a tote bag. Upon releasing at least one of the front and back panels of the container from being drawn towards the other, such as by releasing at least one of their respective handles, the container automatically reverts back to the form of a laundry hamper or basket. The use of substantially rigid front and back panels, coupled with side panels that have resilient upper regions, permit the side panels to take on a spout-like configuration when the container is in its tote bag configuration, and to return to a planar configuration when the container is in its laundry hamper or basket configuration.
Abstract:
A stackable garment hanger is configured to stack vertically, with successive hangers being positioned in an undulating, back-and-forth manner. At least a portion of each garment hanger nests within the outline of the next garment hanger in a vertical stack of identical garment hangers. The front and back garment hangers may be substantially mirror images of each other. The garment hanger includes at least one pair of binding slots extending therethrough and separated by a predetermined distance that coincides with the up-and-down, undulating offset distance between each adjacent, nested and stacked garment hanger. In this manner, a coaxial opening or continuous channel is formed through the alternating, successive alignment of an upper slot an adjacent lower slot, a further adjacent upper slot, and so forth.
Abstract:
Laundry hampers and sorters are disclosed that are front loading, in that they permit removal and replacement of individual laundry bags without requiring the bags to be raised significantly in order to remove the laundry bags from a supporting frame. Removable laundry bags are supported, at least in part, by support members, such as front vertical posts having cupped or saddle-shaped supports disposed atop the vertical posts. As a result, the requirement for a top front horizontal bar of the frame is eliminated, permitting the laundry bags to be removed and replaced in position using a substantially horizontal direction of movement. This, in turn, provides ergonomic benefit, as significantly less physical effort is required to both remove and replace the laundry bags.
Abstract:
A reconfigurable modular storage system has a reconfigurable support for storage units of the storage system. The reconfigurable support includes an end frame member attachable to the storage unit in two reverse orientations and releasably attachable base members. When the end frame member is attached to the storage unit in a first orientation and the base members are unattached, a portion of the end frame member serves as a raised end railing of the storage unit. When the end frame member is attached to the storage unit in a second orientation and the base members are attached, the base members serve as a load-bearing supports for the end frame member and for the storage unit. Multiple end frame members may be vertically stacked to create multiple vertically stacked storage units.
Abstract:
A garment hanger includes a stationary member having a first jaw and an articulating member having a second jaw for gripping a garment therebetween. The relative tension between the jaws is finely adjustable through the click-stop engagement of teeth associated with the articulating member and a locking member. The locking member is rotatably coupled to the stationary member, and includes a gear having a set of teeth that engage a corresponding set of teeth disposed on a surface of the articulating member.