Laundry Stand
A laundry stand having a plurality of connectors, a plurality of elongated members, and plurality of cross-rods with end caps thereon. The connectors fit into bores defined on the elongated members and include a key aperture to receive the heads of the end caps such that the cross-rods are captured between opposing elongated members. A pair of the connectors include a slot in the middle thereof to receive end hooks positioned on the end of top rail members that permit the laundry stand to move to and from an opened and folded configurations.
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The invention relates to the field of laundry stands. More specifically the invention relates to laundry stands that are collapsible for storage when not in use.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONCollapsible laundry stands have mainstream items and have been the subject of other prior patents. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,594,415 shows a plurality of cross bars attached to folding frames on either side of the cross bars. The cross bars are maintained within the folding frames by stamped metals sleeves having a slit therein. The sleeves also comprise an inwardly pressed knob that cooperates with a groove in the cross bar to maintain the cross bar 9 within the sleeve. The sleeve further comprises flanged ends which maintain the sleeve 12 within bores of the folding frames. The sleeve is inserted into each bore by compressing the sleeve to the point where one of the flanged ends can pass through the folding frames. However, at least one of the flanged ends must be formed after the sleeve has been inserted into the frames.
U.S. Reissued Pat. No. Re. 16,324 discloses a drying rack in which slats are attached to one another by sleeves. Each sleeve comprises a spring and is maintained within aligned bores of the slats by flanges. The spring prevents removal of a rod that has been inserted within the sleeve by cooperating with a groove of the rod. The sleeves are inserted into the bores of the slats by inserting the sleeve having only one flanged formed thereon and forming the second flange after the sleeve has been inserted through the bore. As with the '415 patent, at least one of the flanged ends must be formed after the sleeve has been inserted into the slats.
More recently, U.S. Pat. No. 6,394,292 discloses three basic arrangements for attaching cross rods to end frames of a laundry stand. An arrangement is shown utilizing a connector and fastener to attach elongated members (forming an end frame) wherein the connector comprises an end a locking protrusion that cooperates with a recess of the cross rods. A similar arrangement is also shown wherein the cross rod comprises the protuberance and the connector comprises a bore with a recess.
Even with the prior part patents and prior designs, improvements are warranted and required to provide for different designs and elements not shown, used, described, or implied in the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention comprises a laundry stand that includes, a plurality of pairs of elongated rail member, connectors, cross-bars, and end caps.
The plurality of pairs of elongated rail members have top and bottom sides and aligned bores that transverse to the top and bottom sides. The bores receive the connectors to pivotally connect the pair of elongated rail members to form a plurality of scissor linkages. At least one end of each of the elongated rail members define corresponding bores through which the connectors are inserted to join two scissor linkages to form a first end frame, and at least two scissor linkages being joinable to form a second end frame.
Each of the connectors have a base portion with a hollow sleeve extending therefrom and sized to fit within the bores of the elongated members. The base portions has a pair of edge flanges extending outwardly from the base portion along sides of the hollow sleeve to engage the top and bottom sides of the elongated rail members when the connector is inserted into the bores of the elongated rail members. In addition, the connectors further include an key aperture diametrically opposing the hollow sleeve.
The plurality of cross-rods include end caps. The end caps having a head portion sized to fit within the key aperture of the connectors, such that the cross-rods are captured between connectors defined by the first and second end frames. One of the cross-rods having attached thereon a pair of connectors, from the plurality of connectors, that further includes a centered stem separating the base portion into top and bottom base sections.
The elongated members further define a pair of top rail members, each having one end secured by a connector to one of the elongated rail members. And having another end secured to an end hook. The end hook having a notch defined thereon for hooking the end hook onto the centered stem defined on the pair of connectors, wherein the one cross-rod connected to the pair of connectors with the centered stem being positioned opposite the end of the top rail member that is secured to the elongated rail member.
In addition, the laundry stand may include a plurality of outer caps having a shaft extending from a head portion. The plurality of outer caps being positioned such that the shafts extend through the aligned bores on the elongated rail members and fit within the hollow sleeve of the connectors. In addition, one aspect of the laundry stand is that the plurality of cross-rods all have the same length. Another aspect includes having the connectors inserted through bores defined on the top rail members defined to have a smaller width base portion than the base portion on connectors used with the elongated rail members.
Another aspect includes the first and second end frames having elongated rail members defined as foot rail members that include a slanted portion for resting on a surface when the laundry stand is in an opened extended configuration.
Numerous advantages and features of the invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, and from the accompanying drawings.
A fuller understanding of the foregoing may be had by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
While the invention is susceptible to embodiments in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings and will be described herein, in detail, the preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood, however, that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the spirit or scope of the claims by the embodiments illustrated.
Referring to
Side rail members 108 include three outer rails 110 and three inner rails 112. In addition, one of the outer rails 110 may define bottom rail feet 114 used to support the laundry stand 100 when in its extended opened configuration. The bottom rail feet 114 can include angled bottom surface sections 116 that position into a substantially flat surface with the laundry stand 100 is in its extended opened configuration such that the bottom rail feet 114 stand firm on the ground or floor.
As further provided for in the present embodiment, the uppermost outer and inner rail members include ends 110a and 112a, respectively, that attached to a pair of top rail member 120. While ends 112a (on the upper inner rail member) are directly secured to a first end 122 of the top rail member 120, the other end 110a (on the upper outer rail member) is removably hooked about the opposing end 124 of the top rail member 120. As shown and described below, the removably hooked aspect of connecting the top rail member 120 about the end of the upper outer rail member is accomplished by securing an end hook 126 on the opposing end 124 of the top rail member 120 (shown in
The laundry stand 100 preferably comprises eleven identically lengthened cross-rods 106. The cross-rods 106 include ends that fit into end caps 130 (
While some prior art laundry stands use cross-rods with different lengths, the present invention uses identical cross-rods, but to accommodate different lengths between end frames the present invention uses different configured connectors. Looking closely at
The first connectors 140 (
The second connector 160 (
The third connector 180 (
Referring to
Referring now also to
Operating the laundry stand 100 simply requires the user to extend the laundry stand from a folded configuration (
By utilizing the above configuration, a collapsible drying rack can be economically provided to end users by providing it to them in a partially assembled configuration. In view of the above, it will be seen that several advantages of the present invention have been achieved and other advantageous results have been obtained. From the foregoing and as mentioned above, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concept of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific methods and apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred.
Claims
1. A laundry stand comprising:
- a plurality of pairs of elongated rail members, each pair of elongated rail members having top and bottom sides and aligned bores transverse to the top and bottom sides through which a connector is inserted to pivotally connect the pair of elongated rail members to form a plurality of scissor linkages, at least one end of each of the elongated rail members defining corresponding bores through which the connectors are inserted to join two scissor linkages to form a first end frame, and at least two scissor linkages being joinable to form a second end frame;
- each of the connectors having a base portion with a hollow sleeve extending therefrom and sized to fit within the bores of the elongated members, the base portion having a pair of edge flanges extending outwardly from the base portion along sides of the hollow sleeve to engage the top and bottom sides of the elongated rail members when the connector is inserted into the bores of the elongated rail members, the connectors further including an key aperture diametrically opposing the hollow sleeve;
- a plurality of cross-rods, each cross-rods including end caps, the end caps having a head portion sized to fit within the key aperture of the connectors, such that the cross-rods are captured between connectors defined by the first and second end frames, one of the cross-rods having attached thereon a pair of connectors, from the plurality of connectors, that further includes a centered stem separating the base portion into top and bottom base sections; and
- a pair of top rail members, each having one end secured by a connector to one of the elongated rail members, and having another end secured to an end hook, the end hook having a notch defined thereon for hooking the end hook onto the centered stem defined on the pair of connectors, wherein the one cross-rod connected to the pair of connectors with the centered stem being positioned opposite the end of the top rail member that is secured to the said elongated rail member.
2. The laundry stand of claim 1 further comprising:
- a plurality of outer caps having a shaft extending from a head portion, the plurality of outer caps being positioned such that the shafts extend through the aligned bores on the elongated rail members and fit within the hollow sleeve of the connectors, wherein the head portion being positioned on an outer side of the elongated rail members.
3. The laundry stand of claim 2, wherein the plurality of cross-rods all have the same length.
4. The laundry stand of claim 3, wherein the connectors inserted through bores defined on the top rail members having a smaller width base portion than the base portion on connectors used with the elongated rail members.
5. The laundry stand of claim 4, wherein the first and second end frames include elongated rail members defined as foot rail members that include a slanted portion for resting on a surface when the laundry stand is in an opened extended configuration.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 5, 2009
Publication Date: Dec 9, 2010
Applicant: HONEY-CAN-DO INTERNATIONAL LLC (Berkeley, IL)
Inventors: George McConnell Davison, III (Pittsburgh, PA), Peter Arthur Meier (Pittsburgh, PA), Jason Reed Rogge (Belle Vernon, PA), Colin Derek Curry (Pittsburgh, PA), Jonathon Bruce Lanham (Brackenridge, PA), Daniel Anthony Simbeck (Pittsburgh, PA)
Application Number: 12/478,944
International Classification: A47F 7/24 (20060101);