AU2013200379B2

AU2013200379B2 - A tiered clothes airer arrangement

Info

Publication number: AU2013200379B2
Application number: AU2013200379A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Benjamin Hill
Original assignee: Ames Australasia Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Ames Australasia Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2012-01-27
Filing date: 2013-01-24
Publication date: 2017-11-02
Anticipated expiration: 2033-01-24
Also published as: AU2013200379A1

Abstract

This invention relates to a clothes airer comprising a main frame, a support depending from a first side of the main frame and supporting the main frame with a lean to this side, and a space defined above the support and behind the main frame in which items on hangers can be hung on a line or cross 5 member associated with the main frame. 4z

Description

A TIERED CLOTHES AIRER ARRANGEMENT FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a clothes airer of the kind that can be folded into a substantially flat condition for storage.

PRIORITY

This patent application claims priority from: - Australian Provisional Patent Application No. 2012900207, titled “A TIERED CLOTHESLINE ARRANGEMENT", and filed on 27 January 2012

The entire content of this application is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

In the context of the present invention the term Tine’ is used in reference to any length of material suitable for use as clothesline, including, but not limited to, various types of cable and cord.

Generally, where a clothes airer of the above described kind provides a relatively large amount of line or rail length, it also consumes a large floor area.

It is against this background, and the problems and difficulties associated therewith, that the present invention has been developed.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a clothes airer comprising a main frame, the main frame having a pair of spaced apart uprights bridged by a top cross member, wherein the cross member bridges the uprights at a position at or toward an uppermost end thereof; a support depending from the main frame so as to extend in a direction to a first side of the main frame and supporting the main frame with a lean to this side; a plurality of cantilever clothesline frames depending from the main frame so as to be pivotably movable between positions extended and retracted with respect to the main frame, wherein the cantilever clothesline frames are configured to extend from the main frame in a direction opposite the support thereby leaving the top cross member exposed to permit hanging from the member, and wherein the plurality of cantilever clothesline frames depend from the main frame at positions both vertically and horizontally spaced; and a space defined above the support and to the side which the main frame leans, in which items on hangers can be hung from the top cross member.

In one form, the support is movable between positions extended and retracted relative to the main frame.

In one form, the support is pivotable with respect to the main frame.

In one form, the clothes airer comprises a plurality of spaced apart pivotable cantilever clothesline frames depending from the main frame.

In an alternative, the main frame directly supports a plurality of spaced apart lines or rails.

Also described herein is a clothes airer comprising a main frame supporting one or more hanging rails and/or lines, and a support for the main frame depending from a first side thereof which is adapted to maintain the main frame upright but askew of vertical.

Also described herein is a clothes airer comprising a main frame adapted to stand upright but askew of vertical, said main frame supporting one or more hanging rails and/or lines at positions both vertically and horizontally spaced. A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the invention is provided below along with accompanying figures that illustrate by way of example the principles of the invention. While the invention is described in connection with such embodiments, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to any embodiment. On the contrary, the scope of the invention is limited only by the appended claims and the invention encompasses numerous alternatives, modifications and equivalents. For the purpose of example, numerous specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention.

The present invention may be practiced according to the claims without some or all of these specific details. For the purpose of clarity, technical material that is known in the technical fields related to the invention has not been described in detail so that the present invention is not unnecessarily obscured.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of this disclosure it will now be described with respect to an exemplary embodiment which shall be described herein with the assistance of drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an erected clothes airer;

Figure 2 is a side view of the airer in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a rear view of the airer in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a top view of the airer in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the airer collapsed and folded down for storage;

Figure 6 is side view of a connector fitting from the airer in Figure 1; and

Figure 7 is a detail view of a latch and pivotal fitting from the airer in Figure 1.

In the following description, like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to Figures 1, 2 and 3, where there is illustrated a free standing clothes airer 1 comprising a main frame 2, a pivotable support 4 depending from a first side of the main frame 2 and adapted to maintain it upright but askew of vertical, with a lean to this side, and three vertically spaced apart pivotable cantilever clothesline frames 6, 8 and 10 depending from the second side of the main frame 2. The relevant frame of reference where use has been made of terms such as uppermost, lowermost, forward and rearward etc. herein is the airer 1 in its upright status, as illustrated in Figure 1.

Each of the support 4 and the cantilever clothesline frames 6, 8 and 10 are pivotally movable between positions extended and retracted with respect to the main frame 2.

The main frame 2 is comprised of a pair of generally u-shaped subframes 2a and 2b so joined as to form a generally rectangular main frame 2 comprising a pair of spaced apart uprights bridged by a pair of cross members 3a and 3b at opposing ends thereof. The lowermost cross member 3b is adapted to serve as a leg for the airer 1 and is equipped with foot portions 5 of for improved grip (see Figure 5).

The support 4 depends from a lowermost of the two generally u-shaped subframes 2b that make up the main frame 2. The support 4 is adapted to serve as a further leg for the airer 1 and is similarly equipped with foot portions 5 for improved grip.

The two u-shaped subframes 2a and 2b are adapted to be joined at a pair of connector fittings 20.

There is one of these connector fittings 20 disposed upon each of the upwardly directed free ends of the lowermost u-shaped subframe 2b. Each of these connector fittings 20 comprises an upwardly directed socket adapted to receive and removably retain one of the downwardly directed free ends of an uppermost u-shaped subframe 2a.

The support 4 is a generally u-shaped frame comprising a pair of struts bridged by a support cross member at lowermost ends thereof, each of which (i.e. the struts) is pivotally attached via a respective connector fitting 20 to the lowermost u-shaped subframe 2b.

The support 4 is pivoted from a retracted and stowed position in which it lies against the mainframe 2, to an extended and in-use position by being swung rearwardly away from the main frame 2. A latch mechanism 30 is employed to secure the support 4 in this in-use position and prevent any unwanted collapse of the airer 1.

An uppermost cantilever clothesline frame 6 is pivotally connected to the main frame 2 at or toward a top thereof. A lowermost cantilever clothesline frame 10 is pivotally connected to the main frame 2 below the connector fittings 20.

An intermediate cantilever clothesline frame 8 is pivotally connected to the main frame 2 above the connector fittings 20.

Each of the cantilever clothesline frames 6, 8 and 10 is a generally u-shaped frame comprising a pair of side rails and a cross rail which bridges the side rails, the side and cross rails together bounding a generally rectangular area, and each cantilever clothesline frame 6, 8 and 10 further supporting lengths of line 40 which extend back and forth across the frame between the side rails.

Referring now to Figure 7, the side rails of the cantilever clothesline frames are connected to the main frame by a pivotal fitting 50 comprising a collar 52 which accepts an end of the rail, and a pair of spaced apart connector portions 54 which extend from the collar 52 and on either side of an upright of the main frame 2 so that a pin 56 can be passed through each of the connector portions and the upright to effect the pivotal connection.

Each of the cantilever clothesline frames 6, 8 and 10 is pivoted from an extended and substantially horizontal in-use position to a retracted and stowed position in which the respective cantilever clothesline frame lies against the mainframe 2, by being swung upwardly.

When a cantilever clothesline frame 6, 8 or 10 is swung downwardly from its retracted position to its extended position the extent of its downward travel is limited so that the cantilever clothesline frame 6, 8 or 10 cannot travel past the horizontal.

The extent of downward travel is so limited by the end of the collar 52 in the pivotal fitting 50 coming to bear against the upright of the mainframe 2.

All of the illustrated frames are formed of mild steel tubing, but any other suitable material could be used.

To move the airer 1 into its closed position, in which it occupies less space, for example for storage, the uppermost cantilever clothesline frame 6 is pivoted up and over the main frame 2 until it comes to rest against the rear side of the main frame 2.

The intermediate and lowermost cantilever clothesline frames 8 and 10 pivot up until they come to rest against the front side of the main frame 2.

With the latch 30 released, the support 4 can be swung forward until this comes to rest against the rear side of the main frame 2.

The collapsed upper and lower u-shaped subframes 2a and 2b can be separated and laid one atop of the other as illustrated in Figure 5. Optionally, the upper and lower u-shaped subframes 2a and 2b could be pivotally connected so as to fold relative to one another.

The erected airer 1 is so supported by the support 4 that the uprights of the main frame 2 have a rearward inclination which results in the respective pivotal attachment points of each of the cantilever clothesline frames 6, 8 and 10 being both vertically and horizontally spaced apart. A result of this is that frame 10 projects further forward than frame 8, which in turn projects further forward than claim 6.

The extent of the rearward extension of the support 4 is such that this does not extend beyond the cross member 3a (hereinafter top rail 3a). A result of this is that the stability provided by the support 4 is maximised without compromising the ability to position the rear of the airer 1 against a wall. A salient advantage of the airer 1 is that a space is defined above the support 4, below top rail 3 a, and behind the cantilever clothesline frames 6, 8 and 10 which is of sufficient size that items on hangers, such as shirts, pants, skirts etc. can be hung from the top rail 3a without causing the airer to topple.

Throughout the specification and the claims that follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the words “comprise” and “include” and variations such as “comprising” and “including” will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers, but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement of any form of suggestion that such prior art forms part of the common general knowledge.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention is not restricted in its use to the particular application described. Neither is the present invention restricted in its preferred embodiment with regard to the particular elements and/or features described or depicted herein. It will be appreciated that various modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the invention. Therefore, the invention should be understood to include all such modifications in its scope.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A clothes airer comprising: a main frame, the main frame having a pair of spaced apart uprights bridged by a top cross member, wherein the cross member bridges the uprights at a position at or toward an uppermost end thereof; a support depending from the main frame so as to extend in a direction to a first side of the main frame and supporting the main frame with a lean to this side; a plurality of cantilever clothesline frames depending from the main frame so as to be pivotably movable between positions extended and retracted with respect to the main frame, wherein the cantilever clothesline frames are configured to extend from the main frame in a direction opposite the support thereby leaving the top cross member exposed to permit hanging from the member, and wherein the plurality of cantilever clothesline frames depend from the main frame at positions both vertically and horizontally spaced; and a space defined above the support and to the side which the main frame leans, in which items on hangers can be hung from the top cross member.
2. The clothes airer as in claim 1, wherein the support is movable between positions extended and retracted with respect to the main frame.
3. The clothes airer of either of claims 1 or 2, wherein the support is pivotable with respect to the main frame.
4. The clothes airer of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the space defined above the support, below the cross member, and behind the cantilever clothesline frame is of sufficient size that items on hangers can be hung from the cross member.