EP1078588A1 - Collapsible device forming support for clothes hung on coathangers - Google Patents

Abstract

The carrying stand for clothes has a cross bar attached to two uprights (2) each co operating with base frames (5) via lockable hinges (6). Each hinge has a support plate (7) on which the respective upright and legs are pivotally mounted. A plate (8) is fixed to the end of the upright and is locked by a releasable catch arm (9), which also holds one leg (5) in a set position.

Description

The invention relates to the field of design and production of devices used for hanging and displaying clothing.

More specifically, the present invention relates to a device forming a clothes rack arranged on hangers and capable of possibly be wrapped in covers.

Such foldable racks are commonly used in the trade of clothing in particular by the representatives responsible for the sale of these. Of a conventionally, these carriers have a crossbar, to which can to be hung the hangers supporting the clothes, fixed to two uprights vertical with feet.

It is known from the state of the art to design these carriers for clothes in foldable form allowing their transport in a reduced volume. Such a foldable nature is particularly appreciated for the representatives of trade which can easily transport these racks in the trunk of their car.

Conventionally, in order to allow folding of such carriers, it is known to provide them with means of articulation and blocking provided between the uprights and the feet. Such articulation and blocking means allow the device to adopt at least two positions, namely a position open operational whereby the uprights are upright and rest on the feet and a folding position according to which the uprights are folded essentially parallel against the feet.

In the vast majority of cases, each amount cooperates with two foot elements which, in the operational position, are locked in position triangulated. The foot elements of the two supports are generally connected between them two by two, so as to increase the rigidity of the device.

The bases of these foot elements are generally provided with casters facilitate the movement of the device when it is in position operational deployed.

It has been envisaged in the prior art to design the means of articulation and blocking of the uprights on the foot elements of different manners. Above all, such means of articulation and blocking must allow secure locking in the open operational position of the device.

To this end, it has been envisaged, in the state of the art, to provide a locking of the articulations of the uprights on the foot elements by latches.

However, such sleepers are not very easy to handle, which which involves difficulty placing the foldable device in position deployed, as well as a certain difficulty in folding it.

In addition, such sleepers are technical means relatively complex which increase the cost price of the foldable device.

It has also been envisaged, in the prior art, to allow the blocking of the articulation of the uprights on the foot elements thanks to sleeves can be double or single. Such sleeves are attached to the uprights and open in their lower part. They are generally tubular and intended to accommodate the also tubular tubes of the foot elements.

Although technically simpler to realize than systems with latches, such blocking means with double or single sleeve (s), are even more difficult to implement than these.

Another prior art called "Spanish bearing" consists in providing a small central lock activated by a pull tab to block the uprights on the foot elements in the deployed open position.

However, the use of such a door leads to mandatory security of the position adopted by the feet thanks to a compass. The use of such compass increases the cost price of these foldable devices.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a foldable device including articulation means for blocking the uprights on the foot elements do not have the drawbacks of the state of the art.

In particular, an objective of the present invention is to propose such a device which is technically easy to produce and economical to implement artwork.

Another object of the invention is to propose such a device which allows optimal security of the open operational positioning of the wearing.

Yet another object of the present invention is to describe such a foldable carrying device which is easy to open and easy to close.

These various objectives, as well as others which will appear subsequently, are achieved thanks to the invention which relates to a foldable device forming a clothes rack placed on hangers, said device having a transverse bar fixed to two uprights, each of said two uprights cooperating with at least a first foot element and a second foot element by means of articulation and locking means allowing said device to adopt at least two positions, namely an open operational position in which the uprights are in position vertical and rest on the foot elements locked in a triangulated position and a folding position in which the uprights are folded essentially parallel against said foot elements,
characterized in that said articulation and blocking means of each upright have at least one support plate on which are mounted in rotation said upright and at least one of said foot elements, a flat secured to the end of said upright articulated on said support plate, and pivoting cleat means able to cooperate with said flat to block it against said foot element mounted in rotation on said support plate in order to maintain said device in said open operational position, said cleat means can be manually actuated to release said flat and fold the uprights against the foot elements in said folding position.

We can consider providing a cleat not including a spring element. However, according to a preferred variant of the invention, the cleats have such a spring allowing the cleats to retract when deployed in position operational system and to return in cooperation with the flat, once the deployment of the device is complete. This spring will allow, when folding of the device by the user, to actuate the cleats so as to release the flats, the cleat then returning to the initial position as soon as the user has it released.

According to a particularly preferred variant, economically interesting to implement, the spring element is constituted by a bent elastic blade, such a bent elastic blade can advantageously be mounted astride an axis of rotation of cleat means.

Preferably, the spring element is provided with a stud.

The support plate may have different shapes. However, according to a preferred variant, this has a U-shaped cross section and constitutes a cache. Such a cover prevents the user from pinching the fingers at the joint between the upright and the foot elements.

Advantageously, this support plate has a surface against which the stud of the spring element abuts to serve as an element of return and against which also abuts said foot element cooperating with said flat.

According to another preferred variant of the invention, said amounts and said feet are made of metal tubes, the end of the element forming a foot abutting against said flat provided at the end of said amount being beveled. The cooperation of the flat with the beveled end of the foot element also makes it possible to avoid any untimely folding of the device by rotation of the foot element in question. This constitutes a additional advantage of the present invention over certain prior art devices for which such unwanted folding of feet sometimes occurs.

It will also be noted that according to an interesting variant, the plate support has rounded edges to minimize the risk of injury.

• la figure 1 représente une vue générale en perspective d'un dispositif pliable formant ouvrant pour vêtements selon la présente invention ;
• la figure 2 représente une vue éclatée des moyens d'articulation et de blocage des montants et des éléments de pied du dispositif représenté à la figure 1 ;
• la figure 3 représente ces moyens d'articulation et de blocage avec le dispositif en position opérationnelle déployée ;
• la figure 4 représente une vue en coupe de la plaque de support des moyens d'articulation et de blocage représentés aux figures 2 et 3.

The invention, as well as the various advantages which it presents, will now be more easily understood thanks to the description which follows of a nonlimiting embodiment of the latter, given with reference to the drawings in which:

• FIG. 1 represents a general perspective view of a foldable device forming an opening for clothes according to the present invention;
• 2 shows an exploded view of the means of articulation and blocking of the uprights and the foot elements of the device shown in Figure 1;
• FIG. 3 represents these means of articulation and blocking with the device in the deployed operational position;
• FIG. 4 represents a sectional view of the support plate of the articulation and blocking means shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

Referring to Figure 1, a foldable device forming bearing for clothes arranged on hangers is shown in perspective. This bearing, produced in the present embodiment in chromed steel tube, is consisting of a crossbar 1 attached to the end of two uprights 2.

This rack also has elements forming feet 4 and 5 with four castors 12.

In Figure 1, the bearing device is shown in position open deployed. In this position, the uprights 2 are maintained vertically by means of articulation and blocking means 6 designed to maintain on the one hand the elements forming feet 4 and 5 in a triangulated position and on the other hand the uprights 2 in vertical position.

The articulation and blocking means 6 are described in more detail below.

The rack can be folded by acting on these locking means 6, as it will be explained below, so as to fold the uprights 2 against the elements of feet 4 and 5 according to arrow A, and the elements of foot 4 against the elements 5 as indicated by arrow B.

As indicated in FIG. 2, the articulation and blocking means 6 of each of the uprights 2 on the leg elements 4 and 5, include a plate support 7. For the sake of clarity of description, only part of this support plate 7 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

One of the leg elements 4 is fixedly mounted on the support plate 7 while the other foot element 5 as well as the upright 2, are pivotally mounted on this one. For this purpose, the amount 2 is provided with a part 2a intended to be riveted to the support plate 7.

In accordance with the present invention, the means of articulation and locking 6 include a flat 8 projecting from the end of each upright 2 and cleat means 9 also mounted in rotation on the plate support 7 along an axis of rotation 10.

In FIG. 2, one can also see a spring element 9a provided with a stud 9b intended to be positioned inside the cleat 9 as indicated in FIG. 3 in which the spring 9a is arranged inside 9 and represented in dotted line in the form of a bent blade mounted on horseback on the axis of rotation 10 of this cleat 9. As also shown in FIG. 3, the stud 9b of this spring 9a is amputated against a part 7a, described below in more detail, of the support plate 7.

Referring to Figure 4 this support plate 7 has a section transverse horseshoe and consists of two planes 7c, 7b facing each other connecting by a curved plane 7a. It will be noted that, in FIGS. 2 and 3, for the for clarity of description, plan 7b has been removed. The design of such support plate protects the joint between the uprights and the foot elements and also to prevent the user from pinching his fingers in this one.

The operation of the means described above is as follows.

In the folding position, the uprights 2 are folded against the elements of feet 4 and 5 which are themselves folded against each other. When we want deploy the bearing device, we start by spreading the foot element 4 of the foot element 5, so as to position these elements in position triangulated. Then, the operator reassembles the rack 2 so as to bring the flats 8 provided at the end of each of the uprights 2 in contact with the part upper end of the foot element 5. During this movement of the uprights 2, the end of the flats 8 pushes the tabs 9 which observe a rotation according to arrow C, indicated in figure 3. Once the flats 8 in contact with the tubes 5, the tabs 9 return to the vertical position, and block the flats 8 against the ends of the foot element 5 now thus the uprights 2 in vertical position. This blocking is secured by the fact that it must act simultaneously on the two tabs 9 to allow the folding of the amounts 2.

When the user wants to fold the device, he just has to exercise simultaneously pressing the two tabs 9 so that they observe a rotation according to arrow C indicated in Figure 3, so that free the flats 8 and allow tilting of the uprights 2 for the fold against the foot elements 4 and 5. The foot element 5 being mounted pivoting, it can then be concomitantly folded over the foot element 4.

The embodiment thus described is not intended to reduce the scope of the invention. As a result, there may be many modifications without departing from the framework thereof. In particular, it should be noted that the cleat element may have a shape other than that proposed. Of even, the spring means used for the different positions may also be different.

Claims (9)

Foldable device forming a clothes rack placed on hangers, said device having a transverse bar (1) fixed to two uprights (2), each of said two uprights (2) cooperating with at least a first foot element (4) and a second foot element (5) by means of articulation and locking means (6) allowing said device to adopt at least two positions, namely an open operational position according to which the uprights (2) are in vertical position and rest on the foot elements (4,5) locked in a triangulated position and a folding position according to which the uprights (2) are folded essentially parallel against said foot elements (4,5),
characterized in that said articulation and blocking means (6) of each upright have at least one support plate (7) on which said upright (2) is mounted in rotation and at least one (5) of said elements foot, a flat (8) integral with the end of said upright (2) articulated on said support plate (7), and pivoting cleat means (9) able to cooperate with said flat (8) to block it against said foot element (5) rotatably mounted on said support plate (7) in order to maintain said device in said open operational position, said cleat means (9) being able to be actuated manually to release said flat (8) and fold the uprights (2) against the foot elements (4,5) in said folding position. Foldable device according to claim 1 characterized in that said cleat means (9) includes a spring element (9a). Foldable device according to claim 2 characterized in that said spring element (9a) consists of a bent elastic blade. Device according to claim 3 characterized in that said spring element (9a) is mounted astride an axis of rotation (10) of the cleat means (9). Foldable device according to any one of claims 2 to 4 characterized in that said spring element (9a) is provided with a stud (9b). Foldable device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 characterized in that said support plate (7a) has a section U-shaped and forms a cover. Foldable device according to claim 5 or 6 characterized in that that said support plate (7) has a surface (7a) against which said pin (9b) abuts and against which also abuts said element foot (5) cooperating with said flat (8). Foldable device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 characterized in that said uprights and said feet consist of tubes metal, the end of the foot element (5) abutting against said flat (8) provided at the end of said upright (2) being bevelled. Device according to any one of Claims 1 to 8 characterized in that said support plate (7) 14 has rounded edges.

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