GB2292310A - Portable clothes airer - Google Patents

Abstract

The airer has two flat hinged frames 2, 3 with a mesh infill. Support feet 11, 13 and freely hinged legs 14, 17 allow the airer to be used horizontally as shown, or the feet 11, 13 may act as supports in the vertical position with the frames held folded together by latch and eye 16 with garments held between them. Carry handles 10 may be provided. <IMAGE>

Description

CLOTHES AIRIER AND DRYER TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to clothes airers and dryers and in particular, but not exclusively, domestic designs that do not have any self contained means of accelerating thc process of airing or drying clothes.

BACKGROUND It is common practice for clothes to be aired or dried on products that rely on ambient air as opposed to products that supply concentrated heat such as tumble dryers or the like. In using this type of natural dryer the cost of drying clothes is much less although the process take longer than other powered devices.

There have been, and still are, many different types of free standing products for the drying and airing of clothes but most take up a grcat deal of room and are not specific cnough in their design to easily handle smaller garments such as socks, underpants, babies clothes and bibs, for instancc.

To use such dryers with these types of smaller garments there needs to be employed pegs to removably locate the garments onto the framework of the said dryers to avoid them being blown off by the wind if used outdoors, or falling off if the said dryer is carried inside quickly due to rain, for example.

A further draw back to these types of dryers is they are often unnecessarily big for use in the house or to take camping for instance and are furthermore time consuming to use in that the garments take time to secure in position.

It is the aim of the present invention to provide a means whereby smaller garments may be aired and or dried in such a way that will allow the said means to be compactly stored when not in use, small enough to carry and open or stood by a heat source or in the open air whilst having the ability to support smaller garments without the need for pegs or other secondary clamping devices to hold the garments.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention proposes a garment airier or dryer comprising two or more substantially flat components connected by a hinging element in at least one plane such that said components may be folded together or opened up as required. Each component has an area which substantially comprises thin strips of material traversing from one side of the component to another in such a way that there are more hollow areas than solid thus allowing air to freely circulate.

In a further aspect to the invention the said components have feet in the vicinity of the hinged area and disposed such that when the components are open and in a substantially horizontal position they form a centre support and when the components are closed together the said feet form a stabilising facility such that the said components will stand vertically with no additional lateral support.

In a further aspect to the invention there are provided one or more folding support legs at either end of the components and so hinged to fold down to support the said components when they are in the open and substantially horizontal position.

In a further aspect to the invention there is provided one or more carrying handle on the components at the opposite ends to the said component hinging facility.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The following description and the accompanying drawings referred to therein are included by way of non-limiting example in order to illustrate how the invention may be put into practise. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of an airier and dryer standing in the closed and vertical position.

Figure 2 is an end view of an airier and dryer standing in the closed and vertical position.

Figures 3 is a side view of an airier and dryer in the open position and ready for use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows a side view of an airier and dryer 1 in which 2 and 3 are surrounding frames forming the periphery of each leaf 4 and 5 of the dryer 1.

Attached to all four sides of both frames 2 and 3 are a mesh 6 which spans the frames 2 and 3 on the inside face (not shown in this drawing, but shown in Figure 3 as 7 and 8 on leaves 4 and 5) such that when both leaves are closed, as shown in this drawing, the mesh 6 may be touching.

Hinges 9 and 10 may be attached to frames 2 and 3 for the purpose of allowing leaves 4 and 5 to fold out toward the horizontal position. On the opposite side of leaves 4 and 5 to the hinges 9 and 10 are attached to frames 2 and 3 handles 10 which are used for carrying dryer 1.

Located either side of leaves 4 and 5 on frames 2 and 3 may be stabilising and support feet 11 and 12 which are conveniently shaped to maintain dryer 1 in the upright position as depicted in this drawing.

At the top centre of leaves 4 and 5 and attached to frames 2 and 3 by means of a hinge(s) 15 (and 18 shown in figures 2 and 3) may be leg(s) 14 (and 17 shown in figures 2 and 3) which are so disposed to lay flat against leaves 4 and 5 when dryer 1 is in the vertical position and hinge away from leaves 4 and 5 when dryer 1 is in substantially the horizontal position.

Hooks and latch 16 are so positioned at either ends of leaves 4 and 5 on frames 2 and 3 to hold leaves 4 and 5 together when in the closed and vertical position.

Figure 2 shows an end view of dryer 1 clearly illustrating how legs 14 and 17 are flat against leaves 4 and 5 in the vertical position. Also it can be seen that hook and latches 16 are removably locked together and handles 10 are so positioned to enable dryer 1 to be carried.

Feet 11 and 13 are shown to be supporting the dryer 1 in the upright position and are approximately delta shaped such that a flat bottom is provided for at 19 and 20.

Figure 3 shows dryer 1 in substantially the horizontal position with legs 14 and 17 supporting leaves 4 and 5 at either end and points 21 and 22 of feet 11 and 13 supporting the leaves 4 and 5 at the centre.

In use the dryer 1 will be opened into the substantially horizontal position. Small garments then may be laid on the mesh 6 and the dryer 1 may then be left open for the garments to dry. Alternatively leaves 4 and 5 may be folded together such that the garments may be trapped between the mesh of leaves 4 and 5 and dryer 1 placed in the vertical position (as depicted in figures 1 and 2) next to a radiator or other such heat source.

Claims (11)

CLAIMS:

1. A drier or airer comprising two or more infilled, hinged frames with supports or legs to support or hold items of clothing or similar above ground level, permitting free air circulation.

2. A drier or airer as in claim 1, capable of holding small items of clothing or similar in position, when in the vertical folded position.

3. A drier or airer as in Claim 1 or Claim 2, the frames fitted with bar, rod or mesh infills.

4. A drier or airer as in Claims 1 to 3, arranged with legs or supports to hold the frame when open, at an angle to the ground?

5. A drier or airer as claimed in Claims 1 to 4, fitted with inner supports or legs arranged to both hold the frames off the ground when in the horizontal position, and to support the frames in a closed position when in the vertical position.

6. A drier or airer as claimed in any preceeding claim, fitted with hinged or folding legs on the top or outer edges to assist in holding the frames off the ground when in the open position.

7. A drier or airer as claimed in Claim 6, having the legs arranged so as to open to the support position and fold close under gravity.

8. A drier or airer as claimed in any preceeding claim, fitted with one or more locking devices to prevent the frames inadvertantly opening once in the closed position.

9. A drier or airer as claimed in any preceeding claim fitted with carry handles.

10. A drier or airer as claimed in any preceeding claim which is made from metal, plastics material or wood or from a combination of these materials.

11. A drier or airer substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1-3 of the accompanying drawing.