Wall-mounted retractable clothesline assembly

Abstract

A clothesline assembly is disclosed comprising a housing containing a take-up reel about which a clothesline is wound. The clothesline can be extended from and retracted into the housing. The assembly further includes a clip storage compartment through which the clothesline extends. Clothing clips are stored in the compartment and the line extends through the clips, such that when the clothesline is extended, the clips are already suspended from the clothesline.

1 . A retractable clothesline apparatus comprising:
 a housing adapted to be mounted to a surface; the housing having front, top, bottom and end surfaces defining a cavity; said front surface defining an opening;   a storage compartment extending into said cavity from said housing front surface opening; said storage compartment having spaced apart side members extending inwardly from said front surface adjacent said front surface opening, a rear member extending between said side members, and an opening at a back of said storage compartment;   a cover sized and shaped to close said front surface opening;   a take-up reel rotatably mounted in said housing cavity externally of said storage compartment;   an elongate flexible line at least partially wound about said take-up reel; said line extending from said reel and through said opening; said line having an end fixed to an inner surface of said cover; and   a plurality of clips sized and shaped to be received in said storage compartment; said clips being adapted to removably receive garments; said clips including an opening through which said line extends.   
   
   
       2 . The retractable clothesline apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said housing further comprises a back plate; said housing top, bottom and end surfaces extending from said back plate; said back plate being adapted to be mounted to a surface. 
   
   
       3 . The retractable clothesline apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said take-up reel rotates in a plane generally parallel to said housing front surface. 
   
   
       4 . The retractable clothesline apparatus of  claim 1  wherein each of said clips comprises a body with an opening formed therein and a flexible tongue extending from an upper edge of said opening; said hole through which said line extends being formed in an upper part of said body above said opening; whereby garments are received between a plane of said body and a plane of said tongue. 
   
   
       5 . The retractable clothesline apparatus of  claim 4  wherein said tongue is generally S-shaped; said tongue having an upper convex portion which extends forwardly of a plane of said clip body, a lower concave portion having a rearmost point which is at least even with said plane of said clip body; and a free end which extends forwardly of said plane of said clip body. 
   
   
       6 . The retractable clothesline apparatus of  claim 5  wherein said clip tongue has a side-to-side width narrower than the side-to-side width of said clip opening; such that a gap is formed between said clip tongue and said clip body. 
   
   
       7 . The retractable clothesline apparatus of  claim 5  wherein said clips are stackable; wherein, when said clips are stacked together, the tongue of one clip extends through the opening of the body of an adjacent clip to be adjacent the tongue of such adjacent clip; whereby, the addition of each said clip to a stack of said clips increases the stack height no more than the thickness of the material from which said clip is made, despite the clip having a front-to-back width that is substantially greater than the thickness of the material from which said clip is made. 
   
   
       8 . The retractable clothesline apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said hole of said clip is shaped to allow said clip to rotate in a vertical plane between a position in which said clip is generally perpendicular to said line and a position in which said clip is generally parallel to said line. 
   
   
       9 . The retractable clothesline apparatus of  claim 8  wherein said hole of said clips through which said line extends has at least one edge which is elongate. 
   
   
       10 . The retractable clothesline apparatus of  claim 9  wherein said hole in said clip is triangular. 
   
   
       11 . The retractable clothesline apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a stop to prevent undesired unwinding of the clothesline from the reel after the clothesline has been extended a desired extent. 
   
   
       12 . The retractable clothesline apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the stop comprises a cleat, said cleat being proximate said storage compartment. 
   
   
       13 . The retractable clothesline apparatus of  claim 12  wherein said cleat is sized and shaped to be encased by said cover when said cover closes said housing opening. 
   
   
       14 . The retractable clothesline apparatus of  claim 1  wherein at least one of said housing surfaces define an area sufficiently large on which a promotional message, logo, and/or name can be printed. 
   
   
       15 . A clothing clip for hanging clothing from a clothesline, the clip comprising a substantially planar body having an upper portion and a lower portion; the upper portion being adapted to suspend the clip from a clothesline; the lower portion comprising an opening and including a flexible tongue extending from an upper edge of said opening; said tongue having an upper convex portion which extends forwardly of a plane of said clip body, a lower concave portion having a rearmost point which is at least even with said plane of said clip body; and a free end which extends forwardly of said plane of said clip body. 
   
   
       16 . The clothing clip of  claim 15  wherein said clip tongue has a side-to-side width narrower than the side-to-side width of said clip opening; such that a gap is formed between said clip tongue and said clip body. 
   
   
       17 . The clothing clip of  claim 16  wherein said clips are stackable; wherein, when said clips are stacked together, the tongue of one clip extends through the opening of an adjacent clip to be adjacent the tongue of such adjacent clip; whereby, the addition of each said clip to a stack of said clips increases the stack height no more than the thickness of the material from which said clip is made, despite the clip having a front-to-back width that is substantially greater than the thickness of the material from which said clip is made. 
   
   
       18 . The clothing clip of  claim 17  wherein each said clip includes a clothesline opening through which a clothesline passes to suspend said clip from a clothesline; wherein said clothesline opening is shaped to allow said clip to rotate in a vertical plane between a position in which said clip is generally perpendicular to said line and a position in which said clip is generally parallel to said line. 
   
   
       19 . The clothing clip of  claim 18  wherein said clothesline opening has at least one edge which is elongate. 
   
   
       20 . The clothing clip of  claim 19  wherein said hole in said clip is triangular.