Small, portable, hand-operated washing machine with an improved container top.

Abstract

A hand-operated, small washing machine with an improved lid is disclosed. The lid has a seal-creating (and seal-breaking) mechanism as part of a locking handle. When the locking handle is in a locked position, a seal-creating bulb portion of the locking handle is pressed against a seal plate center, thereby driving air out from the barrel of the washing machine.

That which is claimed: 
     
         1 . A small, portable, hand-operated washing machine, with a drum and a lid portion where the lid portion fits over an opening in the drum portion of the small, portable, hand-operated washing machine, where the lid portion comprises: a locking handle, a lid, a seal plate, and a seal, where,
 the drum comprises a circular drum side portion, and additionally comprising a drum top, where the drum top is perpendicular to the drum side portion, and where the drum side portion is connected to the drum top by a drum bevel, where the drum bevel is approximately 45 degrees off the drum side portion and the drum top, and additionally comprising a drum neck, where the drum neck is a cylindrical member with a top end, called a drum lip, and a bottom end, where the bottom end is attached to the drum top, and additionally comprising two or more drum tabs, where the two or more drum tabs extend laterally from the drum lip, and where the drum side portions and the drum lip define a drum opening, with a drum opening diameter,   and where the seal comprises a seal edge, a seal top and a central seal opening, where the seal rests upon the drum lip and the drum tabs, and where the seal has a seal diameter, and where the seal diameter is larger than the drum diameter by approximately ¼″, and where the seal opening is approximately ½″ less than the drum diameter,   and where the seal plate comprises a seal plate edge, a seal plate top, two or more ridges, and a seal plate center, where the seal plate has a seal plate diameter, and where the seal plate diameter is approximately equal to the seal diameter,   and where the lid comprises a round lid side with an lid inner surface and a lid outer surface, where the lid inner surface additionally comprises two or more lid tabs, which mate with the two or more drum tabs to secure the lid to the drum, a lid bevel, a lid top, a locking handle cavity, two locking handle receptors, and a lock handle snap, where the lid outer surface is cylindrical, the lid top is flat, 90 degrees perpendicular to the lid outer surface, and the lid top is connected to the lid side by a lid bevel, where the lid bevel is approximately 45 degrees off the lid side and approximately 45 degrees off the lid top, and where the locking handle cavity is roughly rectangular an inner end, which is located at a center of the lid top, and an outer end, which is located at the lid bevel, where the inner end is deeper than the outer end, and where the inner end additionally comprises two locking handle receptors and a snap,   and where the locking handle comprises a roughly rectangular body with a proximate end, defined as that intended to be situated in the center of the lid top, and a distal end, defined as that intended to be situated near the lid bevel, and where the proximate end additionally comprises a locking handle tip, a seal-creating bulb, and two locking handle projectors, where the two locking handle projectors mate with the two lock handle receptors, and the proximate end additionally comprises a locking handle clip, which mates with the snap such that when the locking handle is pressed down, the locking handle clip is removably retained by the locking handle snap,   where, then the locking handle is pushed in a downward position, a quantity of air from the barrel is forced out, and as the seal-creating bulb is rotated against the seal plate center, a vacuum is created, thereby forcing the seal and seal plate in between the lid and the drum, and creating a watertight seal between the top and the barrel.   
     
     
         2 . A small, portable, hand-operated washing machine, with a drum and a lid portion where the lid portion fits over an opening in the drum portion of the small, portable, hand-operated washing machine, where the lid portion comprises: the locking handle, the lid, the seal plate, and the seal, where,
 the drum comprises the circular drum side portion, and additionally comprising the drum top, where the drum top is perpendicular to the drum side portion, and additionally comprising two or more drum tabs, where the two or more drum tabs extend laterally from the drum lip, and where the drum side portions and the drum lip define the drum opening, with the drum opening diameter,   and where the seal comprises the seal edge, the seal top and the central seal opening, where the seal rests upon the drum lip and the drum tabs,   and where the seal plate comprises the seal plate edge, the seal plate top, and the seal plate center, where the seal plate has the seal plate diameter, and where the seal plate diameter is approximately equal to the seal diameter,   and where the lid comprises the round lid side with an lid inner surface and the lid outer surface, where the lid inner surface additionally comprises two or more lid tabs, which mate with the two or more drum tabs to secure the lid to the drum, the lid bevel, the lid top, the locking handle cavity and the locking handle,   where, then the locking handle is pushed in the downward position, the quantity of air from the barrel is forced out, and as the seal-creating bulb is rotated against the seal plate center, the vacuum is created, thereby forcing the seal and seal plate in between the lid and the drum, and creating the watertight seal between the top and the barrel.   
     
     
         3 . The small, portable, hand-operated washing machine of  claim 2 , where the drum side portion is connected to the drum top by the drum bevel, where the drum bevel is approximately 45 degrees off the drum side portion and the drum top, and additionally comprising the drum neck, where the drum neck is the cylindrical member with the top end, called the drum lip, and the bottom end, where the bottom end is attached to the drum top. 
     
     
         4 . The small, portable, hand-operated washing machine of  claim 3 , where the seal has the seal diameter, and where the seal diameter is larger than the drum diameter by approximately ¼″, and where the seal opening is approximately ½″ less than the drum diameter. 
     
     
         5 . The small, portable, hand-operated washing machine of  claim 4 , where the seal plate additionally comprises two or more ridges. 
     
     
         6 . The small, portable, hand-operated washing machine of  claim 5 , where the lid additionally comprises two locking handle receptors, and the lock handle snap, where the lid outer surface is cylindrical, the lid top is flat, 90 degrees perpendicular to the lid outer surface, and the lid top is connected to the lid side by a lid bevel, where the lid bevel is approximately 45 degrees off the lid side and approximately 45 degrees off the lid top, and where the locking handle cavity is roughly rectangular an inner end, which is located at a center of the lid top, and an outer end, which is located at the lid bevel, where the inner end is deeper than the outer end, and where the inner end additionally comprises two locking handle receptors and the snap. 
     
     
         7 . The small, portable hand-operated washing machine of  claim 2 ,where the locking handle comprises the roughly rectangular body with the proximate end, defined as that intended to be situated in the center of the lid top, and the distal end, defined as that intended to be situated near the lid bevel, and where the proximate end additionally comprises the locking handle tip, the seal-creating bulb, and two locking handle projectors, where the two locking handle projectors mate with the two lock handle receptors, and the proximate end additionally comprises the locking handle clip, which mates with the snap such that when the locking handle is pressed down, the locking handle clip is removably retained by the locking handle snap. 
     
     
         8 . The small, portable hand-operated washing machine of  claim 7  where the seal plate additionally comprises two or more ridges. 
     
     
         9 . The small, portable hand-operated washing machine of  claim 7  where the seal has a seal diameter, and where the seal diameter is larger than the drum diameter by approximately ¼″, and where the seal opening is approximately ½″ less than the drum diameter. 
     
     
         10 . The small, portable hand-operated washing machine of  claim 7  where the lid additionally comprises two locking handle receptors, and the lock handle snap, where the lid outer surface is cylindrical, the lid top is flat, 90 degrees perpendicular to the lid outer surface, and the lid top is connected to the lid side by a lid bevel, where the lid bevel is approximately 45 degrees off the lid side and approximately 45 degrees off the lid top, and where the locking handle cavity is roughly rectangular an inner end, which is located at the center of the lid top, and an outer end, which is located at the lid bevel, where the inner end is deeper than the outer end, and where the inner end additionally comprises two locking handle receptors and the snap. 
     
     
         11 . The small, portable hand-operated washing machine of  claim 7  where the drum side portion is connected to the drum top by the drum bevel, where the drum bevel is approximately 45 degrees off the drum side portion and the drum top, and additionally comprising the drum neck, where the drum neck is the cylindrical member with the top end, called the drum lip, and the bottom end, where the bottom end is attached to the drum top. 
     
     
         12 . A lid device for a small, portable, hand-operated washing machine, where the lid device fits over an opening in the drum of the small, portable, hand-operated washing machine, where the lid device comprises: the locking handle, the lid, the seal plate, the seal, where, then the locking handle is pushed in a downward position, the quantity of air from the barrel is forced out, and as the seal-creating bulb is rotated against the seal plate center, a vacuum is created, thereby forcing the seal and seal plate in between the lid and the drum, and creating the watertight seal between the top and the barrel. 
     
     
         13 . The lid of  claim 12 , where the seal comprises the seal edge, the seal top and the central seal opening, where the seal rests upon the drum lip and the drum tabs, and where the seal has the seal diameter, and where the seal diameter is larger than the drum diameter. 
     
     
         14 . The lid of  claim 13 , where the seal diameter is larger than the drum diameter by approximately ¼″, and where the seal opening is approximately ½″ less than the drum diameter, 
     
     
         15 . The lid of  claim 14 , where the seal plate comprises the seal plate edge, the seal plate top, two or more ridges, and the seal plate center, where the seal plate has a seal plate diameter, and where the seal plate diameter is approximately equal to the seal diameter. 
     
     
         16 . The lid of  claim 15 , where the lid comprises the round lid side with an lid inner surface and the lid outer surface, where the lid inner surface additionally comprises two or more lid tabs, which mate with the two or more drum tabs to secure the lid to the drum, the lid bevel, the lid top, the locking handle cavity, two locking handle receptors, and the lock handle snap, 
     
     
         17 . The lid of  claim 16 , where the lid outer surface is cylindrical, the lid top is flat, 90 degrees perpendicular to the lid outer surface, and the lid top is connected to the lid side by a lid bevel, where the lid bevel is approximately 45 degrees off the lid side and approximately 45 degrees off the lid top, and where the locking handle cavity is roughly rectangular an inner end, which is located at a center of the lid top, and an outer end, which is located at the lid bevel, where the inner end is deeper than the outer end, and where the inner end additionally comprises two locking handle receptors and the snap. 
     
     
         18 . The lid of  claim 17 , where the locking handle comprises the roughly rectangular body with the proximate end, defined as that intended to be situated in the center of the lid top, and a distal end, defined as that intended to be situated near the lid bevel, and where the proximate end additionally comprises the locking handle tip, the seal-creating bulb, and two locking handle projectors, where the two locking handle projectors mate with the two lock handle receptors, and the proximate end additionally comprises a locking handle clip, which mates with the snap such that when the locking handle is pressed down, the locking handle clip is removably retained by the locking handle snap. 
     
     
         19 . The lid of  claim 12 , where the lid outer surface is cylindrical, the lid top is flat, 90 degrees perpendicular to the lid outer surface, and the lid top is connected to the lid side by a lid bevel, where the lid bevel is approximately 45 degrees off the lid side and approximately 45 degrees off the lid top, and where the locking handle cavity is roughly rectangular an inner end, which is located at the center of the lid top, and the outer end, which is located at the lid bevel, where the inner end is deeper than the outer end, and where the inner end additionally comprises two locking handle receptors and the snap, and where the locking handle comprises the roughly rectangular body with the a proximate end, defined as that intended to be situated in the center of the lid top, and the distal end, defined as that intended to be situated near the lid bevel, and where the proximate end additionally comprises the locking handle tip, the seal-creating bulb, and two locking handle projectors, where the two locking handle projectors mate with the two lock handle receptors, and the proximate end additionally comprises a locking handle clip, which mates with the snap such that when the locking handle is pressed down, the locking handle clip is removably retained by the locking handle snap. 
     
     
         20 . The lid of  claim 19 , where the seal plate comprises the seal plate edge, the seal plate top, two or more ridges, and the seal plate center, where the seal plate has a seal plate diameter, and where the seal plate diameter is approximately equal to the seal diameter, where the lid comprises the round lid side with an lid inner surface and the lid outer surface, where the lid inner surface additionally comprises two or more lid tabs, which mate with the two or more drum tabs to secure the lid to the drum, the lid bevel, the lid top, the locking handle cavity, two locking handle receptors, and the lock handle snap.