Ironing Board Attachment

Abstract

An ironing board attachment intended for holding a starch can or the like consisting of a cylindrical basket open at the top end thereof and having a radially extending arm adapted to be slidingly received in a channel defining arm which is pivotally connected to a clamping member which in turn is removably secured to a peripheral edge of the ironing board, the basket being removable from the channel defining arm with the channel defining arm then pivoting out of its projecting position to a position within the confines of the ironing board permitting the ironing board to be collapsed and stored in the conventional manner.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to ironing boards and more particularly to an attachment for an ironing board to support a starch can or the like in a position spaced outwardly from the top surface of the ironing board so as not to occupy any of the ironing board surface while still remaining conveniently close at hand.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The job of hand ironing is among the most laborious tasks required of individuals and especially of housewives with there being devices available in the art attempting to minimize the labor and time involved in ironing by providing iron holders, article receptacles, and the like for the convenience of the individual doing the ironing. Such devices are designed to fit either on the ironing board or extend partially therefrom over the flat back end thereof, with such area of the ironing board only providing a minimal amount of space so that such end of the ironing board becomes quite crowded and hazardous to the user when all the devices used in the ironing process are stacked thereon, such as sprinkling bottles, starch bottles, ironing cloths and the like in addition to the hot iron such that the user is always in jeopardy of burning herself when reaching for any of such devices which may be standing next to the rested hot iron.

It has also been known in the prior art to provide receptacles adapted to be secured to the ironing board in an attempt to increase the top surface thereof available for storage of articles used in the ironing process, but such receptacles must normally be removed from the ironing board prior to the ironing board being collapsed for purposes of storage in the conventional manner. Further, such receptacles are normally designed to hold a multiplicity of items with it being required that the user search through the receptacle to obtain the desired item.

Thus, while the prior art recognizes the problem of the top surface of an ironing board providing only a minimal amount of space for both the iron and the accessories which are normally used during the ironing process, the art has failed to provide a satisfactory solution to the problem with all solutions to date either being of a complicated and expensive structure, being of an extensive large size, requiring demounting from the ironing board prior to storage of the ironing board, along with suffering many additional problems and difficulties in attempting to provide a satisfactory solution to the consumer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention recognizes such problems and provides a solution which remedies and overcomes the deficiencies and disadvantages of presently available attachmennt devices for an ironing board by providing a novel single purpose attachment device adapted to be secured at an end of the ironing board to maintain such single item rested therein close at hand to the user while still allowing complete use of the top surface of the ironing board.

Further, the present invention provides a novel ironing board attachment adapted to be secured to the pointed front end of the ironing board and which is readily pivoted out of position permitting the ironing board to be collapsed and stored in the conventional manner without having to remove the attachment therefrom.

It is a feature of the present invention to provide an attachment for an ironing board to facilitate the task of ironing by maintaining in a convenient location to the individual using the ironing board a device to accomodate a specific item, such as a starch can or the like, during the ironing process.

A further feature of the invention provides an attachment for an ironing board adapted to be mounted over the pointed end of the ironing board, this position being far separated from the normal rested position of the hot iron which is normally rested at the flat end of the ironing board, thus eliminating any hazard to the user as regards possible burns or the like from the hot iron when reaching for or replacing an item in the attachment holder.

Still a further feature of the present invention provides an attachment for an ironing board which is adapted to be pivotally folded between and inoperative position out of the way when the board is collapsed and stored, and pivotally swung therefrom into an operative position adapted to receive therein a holding device in the form of a basket or the like into which the starch can or the like may be temporarily stored during the ironing process for use during the same in a manner not interfering with the normal ironing operation.

The provision of an ironing board attachment, such as briefly outlined above, and possessing the stated advantages, constitutes the principal features of the present invention. The provision of an ironing board attachment which is relatively simple in its construction and which therefore may be readily manufactured at a low cost and by simple manufacturing methods; one which is rugged and durable and which therefore may be guaranteed by the manufacturer to withstand many years of usage; one which is aesthetically pleasing and refined in appearance; one which is universally adaptable to ironing boards of all sizes and configurations with a minimum of time and effort and with no special tools or installation expertise being required; and one which, otherwise, is well adapted to perform the services required of it, are further desirable features which have been borne in mind in the production and development of the present invention.

Other features and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like reference characters are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of an ironing board equipped with an attachment constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the attachment constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the attachment of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modified form of an attachment in accord with the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the attachment of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings in detail and in particular to FIGS. 1 to 3 inclusive, a preferred form of an ironing board attachment constructed in accordance with the invention is designated in its entirety by the reference numeral 10. The attachment 10 may be manufactured out of metal, wood, hard rubber, plastic, or any other suitable satisfactory material providing an aesthetically pleasing and refined appearance and having the structural characteristics required for proper operation.

The attachment 10 is shown mounted at the pointed end 11 of a conventional ironing board 12 equipped with conventional collapsible legs 13, the ironing board also including opposed side edges 14 and 15 along with a flat back end 16.

The attachment 10 is comprised of a cylindrical basket 21 having a radially extending arm 22 projecting outwardly therefrom and adapted to be slidingly received in an arm member 23 pivotally connected to a clamping support member 24.

The basket 21 is a cylindrical in shape and formed out of skeleton frame members including a pair of concentrically disposed longitudinally spaced apart top and bottom ring members 31 and 32 respectively which are interconnected by a plurality of longitudinally extending circumferally spaced rods 33, the bottom ring 32 including criss-crossing interconnected rods 34 forming a bottom surface for the basket 21. The handle 22 is of an elongated flat rectangular configuration having one end 41 connected to or formed integrally with the peripheral edge of top ring 31 with the handle projecting therefrom normal to the axis of the basket 21 to terminate at free end 42.

The arm 23 is of an elongated rectangular configuration having a top surface 51 with depending side edge surfaces 52 and 53 extending downwardly therefrom with each side edge surface terminating at the bottom thereof with an inwardly directed flange portion 54 and 55 respectively, the surfaces 51-55 defining therebetween an elongated rectangular shaped channel like compartment 56 of a width and thickness complementary to the width and thickness of the arm 22 and opening out of the end 57 of the arm 23 such that arm 22 is aligned with arm 23 with end 42 adjacent end 57, after which arm 22 is moved into the channel 56 in the direction as indicated by arrow 60 to engage the arm 22 in the channel 56 in a manner to support the arm and attached basket 21 on the arm 23. The opposite end 58 of arm 23 is pivotally attached at point 61 to a spacing bar 71 of clamping member 24 such that the arm 23 is pivotally rotatable about point 61 in opposite swinging directions such as indicated by arrow 62 in FIG. 3.

The clamping member 24 is comprised of a pair of opposed C-shaped clamps each designated generally by reference numeral 72 and each including a bottom member 73, a depending upwardly projecting side member 74, a depending top member portion 75 formed integrally with the spacer bar 71, each of the bottom members 73 having disposed centrally thereof a threaded aperture 76 which threadingly receives therein a threaded bolt member 77 having an enlarged head portion 78 designed for easy grasping between the fingers of a hand of an individual in a manner to rotate the associated bolt about its axis, and a flat circular member 79 disposed normal to the terminal inner end of the bolt 77 and pivotally attached centrally thereof for movement toward and away from the interior surface of top member 75.

In use and operation, attachment 10 is installed over ironing board pointed end 11 by unscrewing bolt 77 until terminal end portions 79 are substantially adjacent bottom members 73, after which the bracket member 24 is slipped over the pointed end of the ironing board until the interior innermost edge 74a of the sides 74 engage with the sides 14 and 15 of the ironing board, at which time the bolts 77 are turned by head portions 78 about their axis in a direction to urge the innermost end members 79 upwardly toward the interior surface of the top members 75 thus squeezing therebetween in a clamping manner the top of the ironing board to removably secure the clamping member 24 and the pivotally attached arm 23 to the ironing board. The arm 22 of the basket 21 is then inserted into the arm 23 with the basket extending outwardly of the ironing board and adapted to receive therein a starch can or the like, such as generally designated by reference numeral 65 in FIG. 1. The telescopic adjustment of the arm 22 relative to the arm 23 in the direction of arrow 60 permits a limited adjustment to the distance of projection of the basket 21 outwardly of the ironing board 12 in a manner to accomodate ironing boards of different widths and configurations so as to always permit the basket to extend outwardly off the end of the ironing board. When collapsing the board for storage purposes, the basket 21 and arm 22 are removed from the arm 23 with the arm 23 being swung in the direction of arrow 62 until received within the confines of the ironing board, after which the board may be stored in the conventional manner with the basket 21 being stored separately with the ironing accessory items, such as an iron, sprinkling bottle, and the like.

Further, it is to be understood that while in FIG. 1 the basket 21 is shown projecting over the apex of the pointed end 11 of the ironing board 12, it is possible to rotate the arm 23 in a direction to support the basket adjacent either side member 74 or slightly rearwardly thereof or in any position therebetween depending on the individual desires of the person doing the ironing. Thus the starch can 65 is retained close at hand while still allowing complete use of the ironing board 12.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings, there is illustrated a modified form of the invention wherein the basket 21 and arms 22 and 23 are identical to those as previously described in the disclosure of FIGS. 1-3 with the difference being the utilization of a single clamping member designated generally by the reference numeral 80 and including a bottom member 81, a side member 82 connected at one edge of the bottom member and projecting upwardly therefrom to terminate at an edge of a top member 83 extending parallel to the bottom member, the bottom member 81 provided with a threaded aperture 84 centrally thereof which threadedly receives therein a threaded elongated bolt member 85 having an enlarged head portion 86 and a pivotally mounted disc 87 at the terminal end thereof which are substantially identical to the enlarged head portion 78 and disc 79 as aforedescribed. The end 58 of arm 23 is pivoted about point 61 which is attached to top member 83 for rotation thereabout in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the top member.

In operation, the clamping member 80 is fit over the end 16 of the ironing board 12 with the bolt 85 operated in a manner to squeezingly engage the ironing board between the circular disc 87 and the interior surface of the top member 83 to removably secure the attachment to the ironing board, this modified attachment being generally designated by reference numeral 10'. The arm 23 is then pivoted in a manner to extend over the end 16 of the ironing board, with the arm 22 then being slidingly received in the arm 23 in the same manner as aforedescribed relative to the disclosure of FIGS. 1-3, it being noted that the basket 21 may be disposed in any location over the edge of the ironing board within the reach of the combined telescopic arms 22 and 23 as the arm 23 is pivoted about the point 61.

When collapsing the ironing board the basket 21 and attached arm 22 are removed and stored in a separate location with the normal ironing accessories, with the arm 23 pivoted about point 61 until within the confines of the ironing board 12, at which time the ironing board may be stored in the conventional manner without requiring that the attachment be removed therefrom.

Further, it is to be understood that while the embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5 is shown mounted at the end 16 of the ironing board, that the same may be mounted at any desired position whatsoever about the peripheral edges of the ironing board permitting for the storage of a starch can or the like in the basket in a close-at-hand convenient position while still allowing complete use of the ironing board without the starch can taking up any of the ironing board space.

It is to be understood that the form of this invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as preferred examples of the same, and that this invention is not to be limited to the exact arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings or described in this specification as various changes in the details of construction as to shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of the novel concepts thereof, or the scope of the sub-joined claims.

Claims

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. An ironing board attachment intended for holding a starch can and the like adjacent the top surface of an ironing board, comprising:

a hollow cylindrical basket open at the top end and closed at the bottom end and formed of skeleton frame members including top and bottom concentrically disposed longitudinally spaced apart ring members interconnected about their circumferal peripheral edges by longitudinally extending rods spaced circumferally thereabout and secured to the top and bottom rings respectively, the bottom ring including a plurality of criss-crossing rod like members disposed in the plane defined by the bottom ring and forming a skeleton type end frame platform for the basket;

an elongated thin rectangular tongue forming member having one end connected to the peripheral edge of the top ring of the basket with the opposite free end extending radially outwardly therefrom normal to the axis of the basket;

a clamping member adapted to be removably secured to the peripheral edges of the ironing board, the clamping member comprising a pair of generally C-shaped brackets spaced apart in confronting relationship and each including an inwardly directed bottom member, a side member connected to each bottom member at the outer edge thereof and extending upwardly therefrom, and an inwardly directed top member connected to each bottom member at the outer edge thereof and extending upwardly therefrom, and an inwardly directed top member connected to the associated side member and extending substantially parallel to the bottom member, a spacing bar formed integrally with the top member connecting the same and the associated brackets together, each bottom member having a threaded aperture disposed centrally thereof and extending therethrough, each aperture having associated therewith a threaded elongated bolt like member adapted to rotate about its axis and having an enlarged head portion permitting each grasping thereof between the fingers of an individual's hand, and also including an inner terminal end disposed intermediate the interior surfaces of the bottom member and associated top member, each terminal end including a circular flat disc disposed concentric with the bolt member and pivotally attached thereto about its axis for rotation relative thereto; and

an elongated arm member having an elongated rectangularly shaped channel extending longitudinally therethrough, one end of the arm being pivotally attached to the clamping member for pivotal movement of the arm thereabout in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the ironing board top surface when the attachment is positioned thereon, the channel opening out the opposite free arm end and adapted to slidingly receive therein in a telescopic manner the basket tongue member so as to support the basket adjacent a peripheral edge of the ironing board.

2. The ironing board attachment as set forth in claim 1 wherein the closed end of the elongated arm member is pivotally attached centrally of the spacing bar in a manner permitting pivotal rotation of the arm about the spacing bar in a plane subatantially parallel to the plane of the spacing bar, the arm including a flat top surface, opposed depending downwardly extending side edge surfaces, and a pair of flange members disposed parallel to the top surface and spaced downwardly therefrom with each flange member associated with a terminal edge of one of the side members, such members and surfaces defining therebetween an elongated channel of a general rectangular cross-section, the channel being of a width and length adapted to receive therein the basket tongue member in a sliding telescopic manner permitting adjustment of the distance between the pivot point of the arm member and the basket.

3. The ironing board attachment as set forth in claim 2 wherein the basket, basket tongue member, clamping member and elongated arm member are manufactured of metal providing an aesthetically pleasing and refined appearance to the attachment.