Hanging clothes drying rack

Abstract

 A hanging clothes drying rack comprising a supporting body (11) provided with means (14, 15) for fixing to a wall or to an upper edge of a railing, wall, sill or radiator; the supporting body (11) is provided with shaped through holes (22) that are arranged predominantly vertically when the clothes drying rack is in the configuration for use, and a rod-like element (23) for hanging clothes is inserted in each one of the holes and is provided with end expansions (24, 25) to prevent extraction by gravity or by pulling; the supporting body (11) and each one of the holes (22) is shaped so as to allow to lift the expansion (24) for preventing extraction by pulling to a stroke limit (27) with which there cooperates a supporting bracket (28) for the rod-like element (23) rotated so as to be arranged in a horizontal configuration.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a hanging clothes drying rack.

[0002] As it is known, a considerable variety of types of clothes drying rack is currently commercially available; one of these, known as the hanging type, is shaped so that it can be hung from the edge of a railing, wall, sill or radiator.

[0003] In some cases, hanging clothes drying racks are provided which can be fixed stably to a wall by means of screws or expansion plugs.

[0004] Among these, one type is constituted by two parallel telescopic arms provided with heads of wall fixing brackets, between the components of which the rod-like elements for hanging the washing are fixed.

[0005] Another type has two parallel accordion-like elements provided with heads of wall fixing brackets between which the rod-like elements for hanging the washing are fixed.

[0006] This clothes drying rack has substantially two configurations, i.e., a fully packed configuration for minimum space occupation and a fully extended configuration for use, and it is not possible to provide intermediate configurations thereof when it is not necessary to use all its loading capacity, since the distance between the rod-like elements for hanging the washing, when the accordion-like elements are only partially extended, is not sufficient to allow easy and handy loading operations.

[0007] Another type of clothes drying rack for wall or ceiling mounting is composed of two parallel arms provided with fixing bracket heads that support rollers between which rod-like elements for hanging the washing are arranged by means of cables.

[0008] The cables and the rollers allow to move the rod-like elements from a position between the arms to a lower position that allows to load the washing.

[0009] Although this type of clothes drying rack is designed to be arranged in upper regions, it has considerable overall dimensions that cannot be reduced.

[0010] There is also a wide range of clothes drying racks that can only be hung from radiators, railings and walls, each of which in general comprises a closed or open perimetric frame between peripheral regions of which there are rod-like elements on which the clothes are hung, said frame being associated in two mutually opposite regions with respective supporting arms whose ends are shaped so that they can be hung.

[0011] The aim of the present invention is to provide a hanging clothes drying rack that can be configured both for hanging and for wall fixing and can vary its loading capacity, and therefore its dimensions, as needed according to the actual requirements of use.

[0012] Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide a hanging clothes drying rack that is stable and sturdy once it is fixed.

[0013] Another object is to provide a clothes drying rack that is structurally simple and low in cost.

[0014] This aim and these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a clothes drying rack characterized in that it comprises a supporting body provided with means for fixing to a wall or to an upper edge of a railing, wall, sill or radiator, said supporting body being provided with shaped through holes that are arranged predominantly vertically when the clothes drying rack is in the configuration for use, a rod-like element for hanging clothes being inserted in each one of said holes, said rod-like element being provided with end expansions to prevent extraction by gravity or by pulling, said supporting body and each one of said holes being shaped so as to allow to lift said expansion for preventing extraction by pulling to a stroke limit with which there cooperates a supporting bracket for said rod-like element rotated so as to be arranged in a horizontal configuration.

[0015] Advantageously, a tray for humidification water is detachably fixed to said supporting body.

[0016] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a clothes drying rack according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a clothes drying rack according to the invention without the humidification water tray;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of a detail of the clothes drying rack of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a top view of a detail of one of the suspension arms;

Figures 5 and 6 are views of details of the back and front of the clothes drying rack;

Figures 7 to 9 are sectional views of the steps for transition between the inactive configuration and the active configuration of one of the rod-like elements of the clothes drying rack.

[0017] With reference to the figures, a clothes drying rack according to the invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 10 and comprises a supporting body 11 made of plastics, which in this embodiment is constituted by five hollow hemispheres 12 that are mutually monolithic and are arranged so that the rim 13 forms a common plane of contact that lies vertically when in use.

[0018] Through holes 14 for expansion plugs (not shown for the sake of simplicity) constitute means for fixing to a wall.

[0019] As an alternative, means for fixing to the upper edge of a railing, wall, sill or radiator are provided and are constituted by two arms 15 that extend upward from the outermost hemispheres 12 and are shaped like an inverted letter U.

[0020] Each arm 15 is composed of two portions 15a and 15b; said portions are inserted one inside the other at the region that is arranged horizontally during use.

[0021] The portion 15b inserted in the portion 15a has an elastic tab 16 that is parallel thereto and is arranged upward, and a lug 17 protrudes upward from said tab and is shaped at its longitudinal ends so as to have mutually opposite sets of teeth 18 that have a saw-tooth shape and engage respective sets of teeth 19 of a slotted through hole 20 provided longitudinally in the portion 15a.

[0022] By pressing on the lug 17 it is possible to flex the tab 16 and disengage the sets of teeth 18 from the sets of teeth 19 and vary the degree of insertion of the portion 15b in the portion 15a.

[0023] This allows to vary the width of the arms 15 in order to adapt to the edge 21 from which they must be hung.

[0024] Each hemisphere 12 of the body 11 has a contoured through hole 22, which when the clothes drying rack is in the configuration for use is arranged predominantly vertically; a rod-like element 23 for hanging the clothes is inserted therein and is provided with spherical end expansions, designated respectively by the reference numerals 24 and 25, the first of which, in order to prevent extraction by gravity, has a larger diameter than the second one, which is designed to prevent extraction by pulling.

[0025] The two expansions 24 and 25 can be applied to the rod-like element 23 for example by way of a threaded coupling that is not shown in the figures.

[0026] The supporting body 11 and each hole 22 are shaped so as to form a guide 26 for the expansion 25 in its upward motion provided by pulling the rod-like element 23.

[0027] The guide 26 is provided in each hemisphere 12, diverges from the hole 22, is inclined with respect to the vertical, extends upward from below and is closed in an upper region so as to provide a stroke limit 27.

[0028] The expansion 25, whose cross-section is larger than the hole 22 but smaller than the guide 26, which is conveniently provided with a longitudinal opening 30 of its wall for the passage of the rod-like element 23, is made to travel along the guide 26 when the element 23 is pulled upward.

[0029] Each hemisphere 12 forms a supporting bracket 28 for the rod-like element 23 that is rotated so as to be horizontal, with the expansion 25 at the stroke limit 27.

[0030] Advantageously, a tray 29 for humidification water is reversibly fixed to the supporting body 11.

[0031] The tray 27 matches the upper part of the body 11 with its bottom.

[0032] As regards operation, after fixing the clothes drying rack to the wall by means of screw anchors or by hanging it by way of the arms 15, it is possible to arrange the rod-like elements 23 in the vertical inactive configuration or in the horizontal active configuration according to requirements.

[0033] Transition from the inactive configuration to the active configuration is performed by pulling the rod-like element, whose expansion 25 is induced to slide in the guide 26 up to the stroke limit 27.

[0034] The subsequent rotation of the element 23 until it rests on the bracket 28 places it in the horizontal configuration for use.

[0035] In practice it has been found that the intended aim and objects of the present invention have been achieved.

[0036] The clothes drying rack can in fact be configured both for hanging, and for fixing to a wall and can vary as needed its loading capacity and therefore its dimensions according to the actual requirements of use.

[0037] Moreover, the clothes drying rack is stable and sturdy once hung.

[0038] Finally, the clothes drying rack is structurally simple and low in cost.

[0039] In practice, the materials employed, so long as they are compatible with the contingent use, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to requirements.

[0040] The disclosures in Italian Utility Model Application No. PD2003U000009 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.

[0041] Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

1. A clothes drying rack characterized in that it comprises a supporting body (11) provided with means (14, 15) for fixing to a wall or to an upper edge of a railing, wall, sill or radiator, said supporting body (11) being provided with shaped through holes (22) that are arranged predominantly vertically when the clothes drying rack is in the configuration for use, a rod-like element (23) for hanging clothes being inserted in each one of said holes, said rod-like element being provided with end expansions (24, 25) to prevent extraction by gravity or by pulling, said supporting body (11) and each one of said holes (22) being shaped so as to allow to lift said expansion (24) for preventing extraction by pulling to a stroke limit (27) with which there cooperates a supporting bracket (28) for said rod-like element (23) rotated so as to be arranged in a horizontal configuration.

2. The clothes drying rack according to claim 1, characterized in that a tray (29) for humidification water is detachably fixed to said supporting body (11).

3. The clothes drying rack according to claim 1, characterized in that said wall fixing means are constituted by through holes (14) for expansion plugs.

4. The clothes drying rack according to claim 1, characterized in that said means for fixing to the upper edge of a railing, wall, sill or radiator are constituted by two arms (15) that protrude upward from said body (11) and are shaped like an inverted letter U.

5. The clothes drying rack according to claim 4, characterized in that each one of said arms (15) is composed of two portions (15a, 15b) that are inserted one inside the other at a region that is arranged horizontally in the configuration for use, said inserted portion (15b) having, parallel thereto and in an upper region, an elastic tab (16) from which a lug (17) protrudes upward, said lug being shaped at its longitudinal edges so as to have mutually opposite sets of teeth (18) that engage respective sets of teeth (19) of a slotted through hole (20) that is arranged longitudinally in said outer portion (15a).

6. The clothes drying rack according to claim 1, characterized in that the expansion of said end expansions (24, 25) that is designed to prevent extraction by gravity is larger than the expansion for preventing extraction by pulling.

7. The clothes drying rack according to claim 1, characterized in that said supporting body (11) and each hole (22) for the corresponding rod-like element (23) are shaped so as to form a guide (26) for said expansion (25) for preventing extraction by pulling when it is lifted by pulling said rod-like element (23).

8. The clothes drying rack according to claim 7, characterized in that said guide (26) diverges from said hole (22), is inclined with respect to the vertical, extends upward from below and is closed in an upper region so as to provide a stroke limit (27).

9. The clothes drying rack according to claims 7 and 8, characterized in that the cross-section of said expansion (25) for preventing extraction by pulling is larger than said hole (22) but smaller than said guide (26), which has a longitudinal opening (30) of its wall for the passage of said rod-like element (23).

Drawing