Laundry basket with hip hugging feature

Abstract

A laundry basket has a bottom panel with a perimeter. A contiguous side wall extends generally upward from the perimeter of the bottom panel and terminates at an upper end. A basket interior is defined above the bottom panel and bounded by the side wall. A curved wall section of the side wall is curved concavely inward toward the basket interior. The bottom panel and the contiguous side wall, including the curved wall section, are formed of a primary material. A cushion pad is positioned generally at the upper end of the curved wall section and is formed from a secondary material that is softer than the primary material of the curved wall portion.

1 . A laundry basket comprising: 
 a bottom panel having a perimeter;    a contiguous side wall extending generally upward from the perimeter of the bottom panel and terminating at an upper end;    a basket interior defined above the bottom panel and bounded by the side wall;    a curved wall section of the side wall that is curved concavely inward toward the basket interior, the bottom panel and contiguous side wall including the curved wall section being formed of a primary material; and    a cushion pad positioned generally at the upper end of the curved wall section, the cushion pad being formed from a secondary material that is softer than the primary material of the curved wall portion.    
   
   
       2 . A laundry basket according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a rim provided along and extending outward from the upper end of the side wall, the cushion pad being positioned on and covering outwardly facing surfaces of a rim section that positionally coincide with the curved wall section.    
   
   
       3 . A laundry basket according to  claim 1 , wherein the secondary material of the cushion pad has an exposed surface that has a higher coefficient of friction that the primary material of the basket.  
   
   
       4 . A laundry basket according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 at least one handle provided near the upper end of the side wall and positioned opposite the curved wall section.    
   
   
       5 . A laundry basket according to  claim 4 , further comprising: 
 a handle grip formed on the handle from a material that is softer than the primary material of the basket.    
   
   
       6 . A laundry basket according to  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 at least one handle provided on the rim of the side wall and positioned on the rim opposite the curved wall section; and    a handle grip formed covering a section of the rim that corresponds with the position of the handle, the handle grip being formed from a material that is softer than that primary material of the basket.    
   
   
       7 . A laundry basket according to  claim 1 , wherein the secondary material is thermoplastic elastomer.  
   
   
       8 . A laundry basket comprising: 
 a bottom panel having a perimeter;    a contiguous side wall extending generally upward from the perimeter of the bottom panel, the side wall terminating at an upper end;    a rim formed extending around and generally outwardly from the upper end of the side wall;    a basket interior defined above the bottom panel and bounded by the side wall;    a curved wall section of the side wall that is curved concavely inward toward the basket interior, the bottom panel and contiguous side wall including the curved wall section being formed of a primary material;    a recess formed in the rim and positioned to coincide with the curved wall section;    at least one handle provided on the side wall near the upper end and positioned opposite the curved wall section; and    a cushion pad positioned in the recess, the cushion pad being formed from a secondary material that is softer than the primary material of the curved wall portion.    
   
   
       9 . A laundry basket according to  claim 8 , wherein the side wall has a pair of opposed elongate side sections and a pair of opposed shorter end sections, wherein the curved wall section is one of the pair of side sections, and wherein the at least one handle is provided on the other of the pair of side sections.  
   
   
       10 . A laundry basket according to  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 a second inwardly curved wall section formed on one of the pair of end sections.    
   
   
       11 . A laundry basket according to  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 at least a second handle provided on the other of the pair of end sections.