EP1683905B1

EP1683905B1 - Laundry airer of reduced space requirement in its closed position

Info

Publication number: EP1683905B1
Application number: EP20050112191
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ivano Morandi
Original assignee: Metaltex Italia SpA
Current assignee: Metaltex Italia SpA
Priority date: 2005-01-24
Filing date: 2005-12-15
Publication date: 2008-03-05
Anticipated expiration: 2025-12-15
Also published as: EP1683905A1; ITMI20050015U1; DE602005005153T2; DE602005005153D1

Description

The present invention relates to a clothes airer in accordance with the precharacterising part of the main claim.
This type of clothes airer has to be transported, stored and sold partly assembled, i.e. with at least the shelves associated with the relative uprights mounted but with the clothes airer closed (as shown in Figures 8 and 9), because only in this manner can the purchaser view the characteristics and potentiality of the product.
These special conditions under which the clothes airer has to be presented for sale make it essential to solve those problems related to limiting the volume of the clothes airer when in its closed but partly assembled state. In this respect it is apparent to the expert of the art that a reduction of even a few centimetres or millimetres in the overall dimensions of this type of clothes airer when in its closed but partly mounted state is reflected in a considerable saving in storage and transport costs.
Further problems of known clothes airers are related to the fact that when undergoing transport to the point of sale, the shelves tend to unhook from the relative supports, and also to the need to use wheels of different type for the clothes airer support structures, and to the uncoupling of the shelves from the relative central coupling supports when the clothes airer is in its position of use.
A clothes airer according to the preamble of claim 1 is known for example from FR 2 198 020 A .
An object of the present invention is to overcome the aforesaid drawbacks and in particular to reduce to an absolute minimum the overall dimensions of the clothes airer when in its closed but partly mounted state, in order to reduce storage, distribution and transport costs.
These and further objects which will be apparent to an expert of the art are attained by a clothes airer in accordance with the characterising part of the accompanying claims.
The present invention will be more apparent from the accompanying drawings, which are provided by way of non-limiting example and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective schematic view thereof in its open or operating position,
Figures 2-7 are perspective schematic views of different components thereof,
Figure 8 is a front view thereof in its closed position with the clothes airer partly assembled ready for transport, storage or distribution.
Figure 9 is a view of Figure 8 seen from above.

With reference to said figures, a clothes airer according to the invention comprises two tubular structures 1, 2 of substantially rectangular shape and, for hinging said two structures together, means 3, 4 provided at the centre of the lower arms (5A, B) and upper arms (6A, B) of said structures, said structures and said means being shaped in such a manner as to enable one structure (1) to be housed completely within the other structure (2) when in their rest position (Figures 8, 9) such that the overall thickness (S') (Figure 9) of the clothes airer when in its closed position corresponds substantially to the thickness (S) (Figure 9) of only one of said structures. The structures 1, 2 are each formed from two pieces of C-shape, each comprising an upright 1A, 2A and two arms 1B, 2B substantially perpendicular to said upright. The hinge means 3, 4 comprise tubular elements 8, 9, 10 (Figures 6, 7) shaped to achieve a form fit with the ends of said arms and having a cross-section S' (Figure 9) substantially equal to or slightly greater than the cross-section S (Figure 9) of said arms. The hinge means 3, 4 comprise a total of only three components: a first tubular element 10 to be connected at its two ends to the end portions of the arms 1B of the inner C-shaped structures 1 and comprising centrally a first hinging member 11, second tubular elements 8 and third tubular elements 9, each to be connected at one of its ends to an end portion of an arm 2B of the outer C-shaped structures 2 and presenting at its other end a second hinging member 12 and a hinging counter-member 13 respectively. These counter-members 13 and members 11 and 12 are respectively a pin 13A, a through hole 12A and a seat 11A in which the end of said pin 13A is locked by snap-insertion. Preferably the components 8, 9, 10 of the hinge means 3, 4 are of tubular shape identical to that of the tubular structures 1 B, 2B and are entirely made of plastic material. It should be noted that in the illustrated embodiment the hinge means 3, 4 present tubular elements 8, 9, 10 in which to insert the ends of the arms 1B, 2B. In a variant, not shown but falling within the same inventive concept, the ends of the tubular elements 8, 9, 10 could be inserted into the tubular end portions of the arms 1B, 2B.
In a further variant, the uprights and arms of the C-shaped structures could be separate from each other and be connected together by connection elements of substantially triangular shape made of plastic material.
Means 14 for hinge-coupling shelves 25 on which to extend the clothes are removably connected to the uprights 1A, 2A, for example by snap connection by means of a pin which engages in a hole provided in the uprights. These coupling means 14 comprise a closed ring 15 on which to hook a hook-shaped part 16 of said shelves, this ring 15 being shaped and dimensioned such that the hook 16 cannot be unhooked when the clothes airer is closed (Figures 8, 9) and handled, i.e. when the shelves 25 are in a vertical position. For this purpose the hooks preferably comprise a substantially rectilinear bent portion 17 of length L1 greater than the opening L2 in the ring 15 of the coupling means 14 so that when in the vertical position, if the shelf is urged upwards the curved part of the hook strikes against an upper portion 15A of the ring and the rectilinear portion 17 of the hook is retained by a lower portion 15B of the ring. The ring 15 is preferably of upwardly elongate rectangular shape.
Lowerly, the clothes airer comprises removable feet 18 connected to the lower corners of the C- shaped structures 1 and 2 and presenting seats 19A, 19B for a pin 20A of a caster wheel 20; the seats 19B of the two feet mounted on those two C-shaped structures 1 which when the clothes airer is closed remain inside the other two C-shaped structures 2 are advantageously longer than the two seats 19A mounted on said other two C-shaped structures 2, to enable wheels having pins of equal length to be used for both feet.
These wheels advantageously have a thickness P (Figure 2) which is less than or equal to the thickness (R) of the tubular structures 1 and 2.
The clothes airer comprises means 21 removably connected to the uprights 1A and 2A, for example by snap-connection by means of a pin engaging in holes provided in the uprights, for supporting a preferably arched central portion 25A of the shelves 25 on which the clothes are extended when the clothes airer is in its operative position. These support means 21 comprise a hook-shaped portion 22 having a lower part 22A acting as a support for a corresponding central portion 25A of the shelf and, overlying said lower part, an upper part 22B dimensioned to overlie said portion 25A, in order to prevent accidental unhooking of the shelf when this is subjected to accidental forces urging it upwards, but to allow the shelf to be unhooked from said support means.
Figures 8 and 9 show a clothes airer in its closed position ready fr handling; as can be seen the shelves 25 are associated with the respective coupling means 14 whereas the other components 18, 21, 20 are housed in the top of the clothes airer and retained by plastic sheets, not shown. As can be seen from Figure 9, the volume of the clothes airer under these conditions is extremely small, the thickness S' of the clothes airer being substantially equal to the thickness S of the tubular structures 1 and 2. This is also aided by the fact that the wheels 20 have a thickness P substantially equal to the thickness R (Figure 2) of the tubes of the structures 1 and 2.

Claims

A clothes airer of reduced volume when in its closed position, comprising two tubular structures (1, 2) of substantially rectangular shape and means (3, 4) provided at the centre of the upper arms (5A, B) and lower arms (6A, B) of said structures, for hinging said two structures together, said structures and said means being shaped in such a manner as to enable one structure (1) to be housed completely within the other structure (2) when in their rest position such that the overall thickness (S') of the clothes airer when in its closed position corresponds substantially to the thickness (S) of only one of said structures, characterised in that said structures (1, 2) are each formed from two pieces of C-shape, each comprising an upright (1A, 2A) and two arms (1B, 28) substantially perpendicular to said upright, said hinge means (3, 4) comprising tubular elements (8, 9, 10) shaped to achieve a form fit with the ends of said arms and having a cross-section S' substantially equal to or slightly greater than the cross-section S of said arms.
A clothes airer as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the hinge means (3, 4) comprise a total of only three components: a first tubular element (10) to be connected at its two ends to the end portions of the arms (1B) of the inner C-shaped structures (1) and comprising centrally a first hinging member (11), second tubular elements (8) and third tubular elements (9), each to be connected at one of its ends to an end portion of an arm (2B) of the outer C-shaped structures (2) and presenting at its other end a second hinging member (12) and a hinging counter-member (13) respectively.
A clothes airer as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the hinging counter-members (13) and members (11, 12) are respectively a pin (13A), a through hole (12A) and a seat (11A) in which the end of said pin is locked by snap-insertion.
A clothes airer as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the components (8, 9, 10) of the hinge means (3, 4) are of tubular shape identical to that of the tubular structures (1, 2).
A clothes airer as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the hinge means (3, 4) are made entirely of plastic material.
A clothes airer as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the uprights and arms of the C-shaped structures are connected together by connection elements of substantially triangular shape made of plastic material.
A clothes airer as claimed in claim 1, comprising means (14) able to be removably connected to the uprights (1A, 2A) for hinge-coupling shelves (25) on which to extend the clothes, characterised in that the coupling means (14) comprise a closed ring (15) on which to hook a hook-shaped part (16) of said shelves (25), said ring (15) being shaped and dimensioned such that said hook (16) cannot be unhooked when the clothes airer is closed and handled, i.e. when the shelves are in a vertical position.
A clothes airer as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that the hooks (16) comprise a substantially rectilinear bent portion (17) of length (L1) greater than the opening (L2) in the ring (15) of the coupling means (14), so that when in the vertical position, if the shelf (25) is urged upwards the curved part of the hook strikes against an upper portion (15A) of the ring and the rectilinear portion (17) of the hook is retained by a lower portion (15B) of the ring.
A clothes airer as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that the ring (15) is of upwardly elongate rectangular shape.
A clothes airer as claimed in claim 1, characterised by lowerly comprising removable feet (18) connected to the lower corners of the C-shaped structures (1, 2) and presenting seats (19A, 19B) for a pin (20A) of a caster wheel (20), the seats (19B) of the two feet mounted on those two C-shaped structures (1) which when the clothes airer is closed remain inside the other two C-shaped structures (2) being longer than the two seats (19A) mounted on said other two C-shaped structures (2), to enable wheels having pins of equal length to be used for both feet.
A clothes airer as claimed in claim 1, comprising means (21 ) to be removably connected to the uprights (1A, 2A) to support a central portion (25A) of the shelves (25) on which the clothes are extended when the clothes airer is in its operative position, characterised in that the support means (21) comprise a hook-shaped portion (22) having a lower part (22A) acting as a support for a corresponding central portion (25A) of the shelf and, overlying said lower part, an upper part (22B) dimensioned to overlie said portion (25A), in order to prevent accidental unhooking of the shelf when this is subjected to accidental forces urging it upwards, but to allow the shelf to be unhooked from said support means.
A clothes airer as claimed in claim 1, comprising wheels (20) having a thickness (P) substantially equal to the thickness (R) of the tubes of the support structures (1 and 2).