Integrated laundry center

Abstract

An integrated laundry center has an integrated cabinet assembly defining a plurality of discrete spaces. Each space can provide a separate module for performing a particular fabric care function. A washing machine is at least partly housed within a portion of the cabinet assembly defining a washer module. A clothes dryer is at least partly housed within a portion of the cabinet assembly defining a dryer module. A plurality of exterior decorative fascia panels are carried by the cabinet assembly and can be selected to coordinate with a decor of an individual's home. The integrated laundry center can also include any number of additional and optional modules providing virtually any desired fabric care function and equipment. The integrated laundry center can also incorporate an optional control system for controlling virtually any function of each of the integrated laundry center modules such as the washing machine functions and the clothes dryer functions. The integrated laundry center can be particularly designed to include only selected modules and to have the selected modules arranged and oriented as desired.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:  
     
         1 . An integrated laundry center comprising: 
 an integrated cabinet assembly defining a plurality of discrete spaces;    a washing machine at least partly housed within a portion of the cabinet assembly;    a clothes dryer at least partly housed within a portion of the cabinet assembly; and    a plurality of exterior decorative fascia panels carried by the cabinet assembly.    
     
     
         2 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 1 , wherein the cabinet assembly further comprises: 
 an integrated frame structure having a plurality of interconnected frame elements; and    a plurality of panels supported by the frame structure to define the plurality of discrete spaces, and wherein at least a portion of the panels comprise the exterior decorative fascia panels.    
     
     
         3 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 1 , wherein the washing machine is housed in a predetermined washer discrete space, and wherein the clothes dryer is housed in a predetermined dryer discrete space.  
     
     
         4 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 3 , wherein the washing machine is mounted on a slidable support and is slidable into and out of the washer discrete space.  
     
     
         5 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 3 , wherein the clothes dryer is mounted on a slidable support and is slidable into and out of the dryer discrete space.  
     
     
         6 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 3 , wherein the washing machine is securely mounted within the washer discrete space and has a wash basket that is accessible from an exterior of the cabinet assembly.  
     
     
         7 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 3 , wherein the clothes dryer is securely mounted within the dryer discrete space and has a dryer drum that is accessible from the exterior of the cabinet assembly.  
     
     
         8 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 1 , wherein the washing machine has a wash basket that rotates about a horizontal axis.  
     
     
         9 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 1 , wherein the washing machine has a wash basket that rotates about a vertical axis.  
     
     
         10 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 1 , wherein the decorative fascia panels are removable from the cabinet assembly and are replaceable on the cabinet assembly.  
     
     
         11 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 1 , wherein the decorative fascia panels are selectable from a variety of different fascia panels.  
     
     
         12 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 at least one clothes folding surface formed as a part of the cabinet assembly.    
     
     
         13 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a slidable shelf that is slidable into and out of a slidable shelf discrete space within the cabinet assembly.    
     
     
         14 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 at least two of the slidable shelves, wherein one of the shelves is useable as a clothes folding shelf and another of the shelves is disposed near the washing machine and the clothes dryer and is usable as a retractable support surface.    
     
     
         15 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 at least one supplemental drying discrete space having at least one clothes supporting device therein.    
     
     
         16 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 15 , wherein the clothes supporting device is a rod that extends across an upper end of the supplemental drying discrete space and is adapted to support a plurality of wet clothes carried on clothes hangers suspended from the rod, and wherein the supplemental drying discrete space is a hanging clothes discrete space large enough to hold hanging clothes such as shirts and pants.  
     
     
         17 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 an open front side of the supplemental drying discrete space; and    a cover panel that can be opened to providing access into the supplemental drying discrete space and can be closed to cover the open front side, wherein the cover panel is one of the decorative exterior fascia panels.    
     
     
         18 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 15 , wherein the supplemental drying discrete space further comprises: 
 an air inlet and an air outlet that each communicate with the supplemental drying discrete space and with an air moving device, and wherein the air inlet and air outlet permit air to circulate through the supplemental drying discrete space.    
     
     
         19 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 15 , wherein the clothes supporting device is a slidable rack that is slidable into and out of the supplemental drying discrete space and is adapted to support a plurality of wet clothes hanging from the rack.  
     
     
         20 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 19 , wherein the supplemental drying discrete space is a drying rack discrete space large enough to hold hanging clothes such as socks, underwear and stockings.  
     
     
         21 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 15 , wherein the clothes supporting device further comprises: 
 at least two shoe dryers housed in the supplemental drying discrete space, each shoe dryer adapted for supporting a shoe above a bottom surface of the supplemental drying discrete space.    
     
     
         22 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 21 , wherein each of the shoe dryers further comprises: 
 a stem supported on the bottom surface of the discrete space;    an upper stem end adapted to be received within and to support a shoe; and    an air flow outlet terminating near the upper stem end and communicating with an air moving device for delivering air into the shoe supported on the shoe dryer.    
     
     
         23 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 2   1 , wherein each of the shoe dryers further comprises: 
 a stem supported on the bottom surface of the discrete space;    an upper stem end adapted to be received within and to support a shoe; and    an air flow passage extending through the stem and terminating at an air outlet in the upper end, the air flow passage communicating with an air moving device.    
     
     
         24 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 15 , wherein the clothes supporting device further comprises: 
 at least one horizontal surface supported by the cabinet assembly within the supplemental drying discrete space, the horizontal surface having a plurality of perforations permitting air to pass through the horizontal surface.    
     
     
         25 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 24 , wherein the supplemental drying discrete space is a horizontal drying discrete space including a plurality of the horizontal surfaces stacked on top of and spaced from one another within the horizontal drying discrete space.  
     
     
         26 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 24 , wherein the clothes supporting device is at least one drawer and the at least one horizontal surface is a bottom surface of the drawer.  
     
     
         27 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 25 , further comprising: 
 a plurality of the drawers slidable into and out of the supplemental drying discrete space, each drawer having a bottom surface defined by a respective one of the horizontal surfaces, and each drawer communicating with an air moving device for circulating air through each horizontal surface and each drawer.    
     
     
         28 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 26 , wherein the at least one drawer further includes one of the decorative exterior front fascia panels covering a front surface of the drawer.  
     
     
         29 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a control system having a user interface operable by a user to control operation parameters of the washing machine and the clothes dryer.    
     
     
         30 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 29 , wherein the user interface includes a touch screen electronically coupled to the washing machine and the clothes dryer, and wherein the display screen provides operation parameter information for the washing machine and the clothes dryer that can be accessed and selected by the user.  
     
     
         31 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 at least one supplemental clothes dryer housed within a supplemental drying discrete space;    an air moving device that can deliver air to the supplemental drying discrete space; and    a control system having a user interface operable by a user to control operation parameters of the washing machine, the clothes dryer and the air moving device.    
     
     
         32 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an ironing discrete space housed within the cabinet assembly;    an ironing board stored within the ironing discrete space; and    an iron stored within the discrete space.    
     
     
         33 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 32 , wherein the ironing board is mounted within the ironing discrete space and is movable between a storage position within the ironing discrete space and an ironing position at least partly extended from the ironing discrete space.  
     
     
         34 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 32 , wherein the ironing discrete space includes a connection to a source of steam that can be coupled to the iron.  
     
     
         35 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a vacuum discrete space housed within the cabinet assembly; and    a vacuum cleaner stored within the vacuum discrete space.    
     
     
         36 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 35 , wherein the vacuum cleaner includes a vacuum pump built into the integrated laundry center and an elongate flexible hose connected to the vacuum pump within the vacuum discrete space that can be stored within the vacuum discrete space and extended from the vacuum discrete space.  
     
     
         37 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 at least one chemical storage discrete space adapted for storing chemical products and product containers used for fabric care.    
     
     
         38 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 37 , wherein the chemical storage discrete space further comprises: 
 a chemical dispensing system coupled to at least the washing machine and connectable to at least one of the product containers for delivering a chemical product from the product container to the washing machine.    
     
     
         39 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 38 , wherein the chemical product is liquid laundry detergent.  
     
     
         40 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 38 , wherein each product container is an original container for the product and an original cap of each original container has been removed and replaced with a system cap that is coupled to the chemical dispensing system.  
     
     
         41 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 38 , further including two of the product containers for each particular chemical product, wherein the chemical dispensing system is arranged and controlled to automatically switch from one of the containers to another when the one container is empty.  
     
     
         42 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 38 , wherein the chemical storage discrete space includes at least one drawer adapted to hold some of the product containers therein and capable of sliding into and out of the chemical storage discrete space.  
     
     
         43 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 38 , further comprising: 
 a control system having a user interface operable by a user to control operation parameters of the washing machine, the clothes dryer and the chemical dispensing system.    
     
     
         44 . A supplemental clothes drying system comprising: 
 a cabinet structure defining at least one discrete space therein;    at least one drawer slidable into and out of the discrete space, the drawer having a perforated bottom surface,    an air inlet and an air outlet communicating with the discrete space; and    an air moving device arranged to circulate air through the perforated bottom surface and the discrete space via the inlet and the outlet.    
     
     
         45 . The supplemental clothes drying system according to  claim 44 , fuirther comprising: 
 a plurality of the drawers arranged vertically relative to one another.    
     
     
         46 . An integrated laundry center comprising: 
 an integrated cabinet assembly defining a plurality of discrete spaces;    a washing machine at least partly housed within a washer discrete space of the cabinet assembly;    a clothes dryer at least partly housed within a dryer discrete space of the cabinet assembly; and    a supplemental clothes drying system associated with a supplemental drying discrete space and having a clothes supporting device disposed within the supplemental drying discrete space and an air moving device separate from the clothes dryer that can circulate air through the supplemental drying discrete space.    
     
     
         47 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 46 , wherein the clothes supporting device is a rod extending across a top end of the supplemental drying discrete space for supporting clothes carried on clothes hangers therefrom.  
     
     
         48 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 46 , wherein the clothes supporting device is a slidable rack slidable into and out of the supplemental drying discrete space for supporting clothes within the supplemental drying discrete space.  
     
     
         49 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 46 , wherein the clothes supporting device includes a plurality of drawers oriented vertically relative to one another wherein each drawer has a perforated horizontal bottom surface permitting air to circulate through the bottom surface.  
     
     
         50 . An integrated laundry center comprising: 
 an integrated cabinet assembly defining a plurality of discrete spaces;    a washing machine at least partly housed within a washer discrete space of the cabinet assembly;    a clothes dryer at least partly housed within a dryer discrete space of the cabinet assembly; and    a control system having a user interface operable by a user to control operation parameters of the washing machine, the clothes dryer and other functions of the integrated laundry center.    
     
     
         51 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 50 , further comprising: 
 a supplemental clothes drying system associated with a supplemental drying discrete space;    a clothes supporting device disposed within the supplemental drying discrete; space and    an air moving device separate from the clothes dryer that can circulate air through the supplemental drying discrete space, wherein operation parameters of the supplemental drying system are operable by the user utilizing the user interface.    
     
     
         52 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 50 , further comprising: 
 a water boiler for providing steam to at least one discrete space of the cabinet assembly wherein operation parameters of the boiler are operable by the user utilizing the user interface.    
     
     
         53 . The integrated laundry center according to  claim 50 , further comprising: 
 a vacuum cleaning system having a vacuum pump wherein operation parameters of the vacuum system are operable by the user utilizing the user interface.    
     
     
         54 . The integrated laundry system according to  claim 50 , further comprising: 
 a television carried by a portion of the cabinet assembly wherein operation parameters of the television are operable by the user utilizing the user interface.    
     
     
         55 . The integrated laundry system according to  claim 50 , further comprising: 
 an audio system carried by a portion of the cabinet assembly wherein operation parameters of the audio system are operable by the user utilizing the user interface.    
     
     
         56 . The integrated laundry system according to  claim 50 , further comprising: 
 a chemical dispensing system housed in one of the discrete spaces for dispensing chemicals to other of the discrete spaces wherein operation parameters of the chemical dispensing system are operable by a user utilizing the user interface.    
     
     
         57 . A method of designing an integrated laundry center, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a database containing information on at least a plurality of optional laundry center functional modules, optional module decorative features, and optional equipment;    accessing the database;    displaying the optional functional modules, decorative features, and equipment;    selecting desired ones of the functional modules, decorative features, and equipment; and    specifying a desired arrangement for the selected modules, decorative features, and equipment.    
     
     
         58 . The method according to  claim 57 , wherein the step of providing further comprises: 
 providing an electronic database.    
     
     
         59 . The method according to  claim 57 , wherein the step of accessing further comprises: 
 connecting to an Internet website of a laundry center provider and accessing the database using a computer.    
     
     
         60 . The method according to  claim 57 , wherein the step of displaying further comprises: 
 displaying the optional functional modules, decorative features, and equipment on a computer screen.    
     
     
         61 . The method according to  claim 57 , wherein the step of selecting further comprises: 
 interacting with a computer to select certain optional functional modules, decorative features, and equipment displayed on a computer screen.    
     
     
         62 . The method according to  claim 57 , wherein the step of specifying further comprises: 
 manipulating images representing the selected functional modules, decorative features, and equipment and displayed on a computer screen to rearrange the images according to a desired arrangement.    
     
     
         63 . The method according to  claim 57 , wherein the step of specifying further comprises: 
 entering data into a computer wherein the data represents at least room dimensions for a room into which the designed laundry center is to be installed.    
     
     
         64 . The method according to  claim 57 , further comprising: 
 submitting a designed laundry center including the selected and arranged functional modules, decorative features, and equipment to a professional laundry center designer by downloading the designed laundry center to an Internet website of the designer.    
     
     
         65 . The method according to  claim 57 , further comprising: 
 submitting a purchase order for a designed laundry center including the selected and arranged functional modules, decorative features, and equipment to a laundry center provider.