Laundry Aide and Method for Sorting, Laundering,and Drying Matched Articles of Clothing

Abstract

A laundry aide and method dramatically reduce the effort and time required to locate and recouple a matched pair of washable items. The laundry aide includes a member and a set of porous compartments arranged about the member. Each compartment in the set of porous compartments has a closeable opening that is large enough to receive at least one item selected from the matched pair of washable items. Each compartment in the set of porous compartments has a first boundary that is shared with a first neighbor compartment and an opposed second boundary that is shared with a second neighbor compartment. Soiled items are placed in set of porous compartments. Matched items can be enclosed in a single porous compartment or in adjacent porous compartments. The enclosed items are laundered while in the laundry aide and easily removed and coupled thereafter.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A laundry aide, comprising:
 a central member; and   a set of porous compartments attached to the central member, the set of porous compartments having a closeable opening large enough to receive at least one washable item, the set of porous compartments having a first boundary that is shared with a first neighbor compartment and an opposed boundary that is shared with a second neighbor compartment of the laundry aide.   
     
     
         2 . The laundry aide of  claim 1 , wherein the central member is flexible and has a first dimension that is greater than a thickness of the at least one washable item. 
     
     
         3 . The laundry aide of  claim 1 , wherein the set of porous compartments are constructed of opposed panels formed with an interlaced structure of a synthetic thread. 
     
     
         4 . The laundry aide of  claim 3 , wherein the central member is formed from the synthetic thread. 
     
     
         5 . The laundry aide of  claim 1 , wherein the central member includes a plastic element that is semi-rigid. 
     
     
         6 . The laundry aide of  claim 1 , wherein a member of the set of porous compartments has an arcuate boundary that connects the first boundary to the second boundary. 
     
     
         7 . The laundry aide of  claim 6 , wherein the first boundary and the second boundary comprise a respective seam that fixes opposed panels along a shared edge that extends from the central member to the arcuate boundary. 
     
     
         8 . The laundry aide of  claim 7 , wherein the respective seam further fixes opposed panels along a respective shared edge of the first neighbor compartment along the shared edge that extends from the central member to the arcuate boundary. 
     
     
         9 . The laundry aide of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a mechanism coupled proximal to an external arcuate boundary.   
     
     
         10 . The laundry aide of  claim 9 , wherein the mechanism coupled proximal to the external arcuate boundary is selected from a group consisting of a loop, a tab with an opening, and a hook. 
     
     
         11 . The laundry aide of  claim 1 , wherein the closeable opening comprises a flap. 
     
     
         12 . The laundry aide of  claim 11 , wherein the flap is arranged with a fastener. 
     
     
         13 . The laundry aide of  claim 12 , wherein the fastener is a component of a hook and loop type fastener. 
     
     
         14 . The laundry aide of  claim 12 , wherein the fastener is a component selected from one of a button and a button hole. 
     
     
         15 . The laundry aide of  claim 12 , wherein the fastener is a component of a system including a male element and a female element. 
     
     
         16 . The laundry aide of  claim 1 , wherein the closeable opening is closed with a zipper. 
     
     
         17 . The laundry aide of  claim 1 , further comprising a label. 
     
     
         18 . A method for using a laundry aide, the method comprising:
 receiving through a closeable opening large enough to enable at least one washable item to enter one of a set of separate porous compartment of the laundry aide, the set of separate porous compartments including a respective first boundary that is shared with a first neighbor compartment and an opposed boundary that is shared with a second neighbor compartment, the first boundary and the opposed boundary connected to an arcuate boundary between the first boundary and the opposed boundary;   repeating the receiving for a remaining washable item;   securing the closeable opening of the separate porous compartments that have a washable item; and   washing the washable items contained in the laundry aide.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 drying the washable items contained in the laundry aide.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein each washable item is in a separate porous compartment during the washing and drying. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , where a matched pair of washable items are received in one of adjacent and separate porous compartments and opposed separate porous compartments in the laundry aide. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 opening the closeable opening of separate porous compartments that have washable items; and   removing the washable items from the laundry aide.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the washable items include matched pairs selected from a group consisting of hosiery, gloves, and mittens. 
     
     
         24 . A method making a laundry aide, the method comprising:
 providing a central member;   providing sets of corresponding panels having at least one arcuate boundary where one of the corresponding panels forms an opening large enough to receive at least one washable item;   forming compartments by attaching the corresponding panels along opposed boundaries of the corresponding panels;   attaching compartments radially about the central member such that adjacent compartments are attached to each other along a boundary that extends from the central member to the at least one arcuate boundary; and   attaching a mechanism proximal to an external arcuate boundary of the laundry aide.