Collapsible watertight assembly

Abstract

A collapsible watertight assembly comprises an impermeable flexible container (1) having an open end adapted to be sealed, a neck (7) closable by a screw cap (8), and a roll and lock seal (9) which provides a watertight seal on the open end. The assembly further comprises a reticulated inner container (11) adapted to fit inside the impermeable container (1). In use, a person puts garments in the inner container (11), places the inner container (11) inside the impermeable flexible container (1), fills the impermeable flexible container (1) with water and a cleaning substance, seals the sealing means (9) and applies an agitating motion to the assembly to enable the garments to be washed. The assembly can be used as a portable laundry assembly, as a self-contained assembly for bleaching, dyeing rinsing and drip-drying clothes or to carry water or to keep items dry in high-humidity or damp conditions.

Claims

1. A collapsible watertight assembly, comprising: an impermeable flexible container having an open end adapted to be sealed and a port closable by a cap; a sealing means to provide a watertight seal at the open end of the impermeable flexible container; and a mesh container adapted to fit inside the impermeable flexible container; said mesh container further being adapted to receive items to be washed, wherein, in use, the impermeable flexible container is supplied with water and a cleaning substance, the open end is sealed by the sealing means, and the port is closed by the cap to enable the assembly to be agitated by a user to thereby clean the items; wherein the impermeable flexible container has a reinforced base and a handle that is welded to the reinforced base.

2. The collapsible watertight assembly of claim 1, wherein the mesh container is further adapted to be held in place by the sealing means.

3. The collapsible watertight assembly of claim 1, wherein the mesh container has a base and a generally cylindrical wall, wherein the base and a bottom portion of the generally cylindrical wall are made from a more rigid material than a top portion of the generally cylindrical wall.

4. The collapsible watertight assembly of claim 1, wherein the impermeable flexible container has a textured inner surface.

5. The collapsible watertight assembly of claim 1, wherein the impermeable flexible container is made from synthetic plastic.

6. The collapsible watertight assembly of claim 5, wherein the mesh container is made from nylon mesh.

7. The collapsible watertight assembly of claim 5, wherein the synthetic plastic is selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, vinyl, polyethylene, or polypropylene.

8. The collapsible watertight assembly of claim 1, wherein the impermeable flexible container has a thickness of about 0.5 mm.

9. The collapsible watertight assembly of claim 1, wherein the cap has a diameter of about 4 cm.

10. The collapsible watertight assembly of claim 1, wherein the cap is attached to the assembly by means of a string or a plastic ring.

11. The collapsible watertight assembly of claim 1, wherein the collapsible watertight assembly is adapted to provide a portable shower, the collapsible watertight assembly further comprising a shower head adapted to be secured to said port on the impermeable flexible container in place of said cap.

12. A collapsible watertight assembly, comprising: an impermeable flexible container having an open end adapted to be sealed, a port closable by a cap, and a reinforced base which includes a handle; a sealing means to provide a watertight seal at the open end of the impermeable flexible container; and a mesh container adapted to fit inside the impermeable flexible container, wherein, in use, the mesh container receives items to be washed and is positioned inside the impermeable flexible container, the impermeable flexible container is supplied with water and a cleaning substance, with the open end sealed by the sealing means and the port closed by the cap, such that the assembly can be agitated by a user by grasping the handle to clean the items received in the mesh container within the impermeable flexible container.

Description

(1) The present invention will now be described with reference to an exemplary embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of this embodiment of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is an underside perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1; and

(4) FIG. 3 is an underside perspective view of a reticulated container used in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

(5) Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a substantially cylindrical collapsible water container 1 made of a synthetic plastic, such as vinyl. The container 1 has a clear portion 3 and a reinforced base 5 which will be described in detail with relation to FIG. 2 below. In this embodiment, the vinyl has a thickness of 0.5 mm which enables the container to be fold easily but in addition, provides sufficient thermal insulation so that a user may fill the bag with hot water. The clear portion comprises a threaded opening 7 configured to receive a cap 8 which allows a user to fill or empty the container. In this example, the neck and cap have a diameter of 4 cm which allows the container to be filled and emptied easily. A string (not shown) is used to attach the cap to the neck to prevent loss.

(6) At one end the container is open and has at a point remote from its open a band of plastics material 9 which forms a natural fold line and which assists the user to fold the bag over to form an efficient watertight seal 9; the band has an overhanging portion 9a, 9b on each side. Each overhanging portion ends in a side release buckle part or webbing clip part, 10 and 12. In this embodiment, the clips are 25 mm webbing clips. In addition, a 25 mm webbing D ring 14 is attached to each overhanging portion 9a, 9b at the end remote to that which is attached to the clip parts 10, 12. The assembly is sealed by “roll & seal” means. Thus, in use, a person would fold the bag over at the point marked by the band 9; fold over this first fold twice and then secure the seal by fastening the side clips 10, 12 to form an efficient watertight seal.

(7) A reticulated bag or container 11 is placed inside the water container 1 so that in use, garments may be placed inside it and, during agitation; the reticulated structure 11 applies a gentle force on the garments to clean them. In addition, the reticulations help the cleaning substance to foam. The internal bag 11 is approximately 5% smaller than the external container 1 to achieve an appropriate fit. The reticulations provide a mildly abrasive surface which contributes to removal of dirt from the garment fibres. This, in combination with the use of soapy water allows clothes to be washed efficiently.

(8) In use, a person would place garments in the internal reticulated bag 11, fill the water container 1 with water through the opening 7 or the open end, add soap or other cleaning material, fold the container 1 at the marked point, then fold over the first fold once or twice or more and finally fasten the side clips 10, 12.

(9) FIG. 2 shows the underside of the reinforced base 5 of the water container 1. The reinforced base is also made from vinyl but it has a reinforced light textured weave instead of a smooth finish as the clear portion 3. The underside of the reinforced base 5 comprises a handle 13 to allow a user to grip the assembly at the bottom. The assembly may also be held by the handle formed by the seal and the clips 10, 12 at the top so that it can be gripped with both hands and shaken, moved or otherwise agitated to allow the soapy water contained therein to penetrate the fabrics to remove dirt. The handle 13 is welded to the reinforced base 5. An additional ring of webbing material is welded over the ends of the handle so that the handle is secured firmly on the reinforced base 5.

(10) Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown the reticulated bag 11 used in this embodiment which is made of a synthetic plastic, such as nylon mesh. In this embodiment, the bag 11 is made from two types of nylon mesh and is substantially cylindrical so that it can be placed within the impermeable flexible container 1 and comprises a reticulated base and a cylindrical wall. The base and bottom part of the cylindrical wall are made of slightly more rigid material than that used for the top portion of the cylindrical wall (soft mesh) to allow the bag to stand when the assembly is in use. However, the more rigid mesh is flexible enough to be folded when the assembly is in the collapsed position. This rigid lower portion ensures the reticulated bag 11 does not collapse in use. A band of material secures the rigid portion of the cylindrical wall to the soft portion of the wall. Thus, a predetermined amount of interior space is guaranteed and, as a result, the garment fibres have sufficient exposure to soapy water.

(11) When a user has washed the garments for a suitable time, the cap can be unscrewed and the liquid contents of the container disposed of in a convenient way into a suitable outlet point. The reticulated bag 11 can be retained in the impermeable container to allow the garments to drip within the container to prevent untidiness. Alternatively, a user may take the reticulated bag 11 out of the flexible container 1 and allow the garments to drip in controlled fashion. Further, it will be appreciated that a user may have several reticulated bags which can be used for different purposes.

(12) In an alternative embodiment, not shown, the flexible container 1 has a textured inner surface which acts as a mild abrasive and increases water turbulence, therefore, it contributes to the cleaning of the garments.

(13) Although a vinyl external container 1 has been described, different plastics materials such as polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene or polypropylene, may also be used. Further, different thicknesses of material may also be used.

(14) In addition to the laundry use described above, the watertight container and or assembly may be used as a self-contained unit to bleach or dye clothes so that other surfaces are not decoloured or stained. Moreover, the watertight container and or assembly may be used to rinse garments such as swimming costumes worn in a chlorinated pool; to drip dry garments or to avoid wetting items inside the bag. Further, the container and or assembly may be used to separate wet, damp or dirty items from other items.

(15) The container and or assembly can also be used to carry water or to provide a water reservoir, which can be used, for example, as a camping shower. As the container comprises a threaded neck, a suitable threaded shower adaptor may also be provided. Additionally, the neck and cap may have a different diameter. Furthermore, the cap may be attached to the neck by a plastic O ring, string, wire or other suitable flexible attachment means.

(16) It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention may be provided in different sizes tailored to specific uses. For example, a 3I or a 5I assembly may be provided for hand-washing delicate items, such as lingerie, at home; while a 101 would be more appropriate for washing garments during a camping trip.