GB2394965A

GB2394965A - Collapsible iron board and legs

Info

Publication number: GB2394965A
Application number: GB0225698A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mark Stephen Buckle
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-11-04
Filing date: 2002-11-04
Publication date: 2004-05-12
Anticipated expiration: 2022-11-04
Also published as: GB2394965B; GB0225698D0

Abstract

The board 10 consists of three sections 13-15 with two hinges 16 to allow folding of the end sections 14 and 15 to overlay the central section 13. Collapsible support legs 11 are formed from two pivotally coupled legs 25 and 26. Each leg is telescopic with a separable foot element 27. One of the legs 25 is hinged at 33 to the underside of the central board section. The other leg 26 is releaseably anchored in a mounting 34 via pins 46. Each foot element 27 has a projecting tongue element 29 which snap-fits into a clamping element 37. The whole of the collapsible support leg arrangement is stowed adjacent to the underside of the central board section 13 and is within the platform area of it.

Description

A portable, collapsible ironing board This invention relates to a

portable, collapsible ironing board.

5 US-A-5,161,319 discloses a portable, collapsible ironing board which is formed of three board sections, namely a centre section between two end sections.

Each end section is hinged at one side to a respective one of two opposed edges of the centre section, whereby the ironing board is adapted to be collapsed into a square shape. There is a leg configuration in the centre of each 10 board section and one of the end sections also has two side leg configurations.

The three central leg configurations extend longitudinally in the same direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the ironing board so that they are in a line when the ironing board is erected. Each central leg configuration contributes to the standing ability of the ironing board when in operation. The side leg 15 configurations provide balanced standing and stability to the other legs and the board when in operation.

The board disclosed by US-A-5,161,319 is collapsed by folding the end section that has the two side leg configurations and one central leg configuration 20 against the centre section so that their upper surfaces are in face-to-face contact and then folding the other end section over the three leg configurations. Those

leg configurations prevent that other end section from being folded into face to face contact with the end section that carries the three leg configurations.

An object of this invention is to enable such a portable collapsible ironing 5 board to be folded into a more contact form for carrying or storage.

According to this invention there is provided a portable collapsible ironing board which includes a central board section between two end board sections, each end board section being hinged at one side to a respective one of two 10 opposed edges of the central board section so that, when extended, the three board sections form a substantially flat upper surface on which clothes can be ironed and so that one of the end board sections can be folded to bring its upper surface into face-to-face contact with the upper surface of the central board section and the other end board section can be folded into contact with 15 the underside of said one end board section, and a collapsible support leg arrangement for the ironing board, wherein the whole of the support leg arrangement is mounted on the underside of the central board section only and in its collapsed state is located substantially within the platform area of the central board section on the underside thereof.

Preferably the collapsible support leg arrangement has one leg hinged to the underside of the central board section adjacent one side thereof which extends between the two opposed edges to which the end board sections are hinged and another leg which is pivotably coupled to said one leg so as to be juxtaposed S thereto and so as to be capable of being swung about the axis of the pivot coupling which is substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the two legs, and a mounting which is mounted on the underside of the central board section at a location which is spaced from the location at which said one leg is hinged to the central board section and which is adjacent to the other side of the 10 central board section that extends between the two opposed edges of the central board section to which the end board sections are hinged, the mounting and an upper portion of said other leg having respective formations thereon whereby a protuberance on one of them is receivable within a cavity formed in the other of them when the leg arrangement is extended, the arrangement being such that 15 the two legs lie side-by-side adjacent to the underside of the central board section in the collapsed state of the collapsible support leg arrangement and the collapsible support leg arrangement is adapted to be extended when erecting the ironing board for use by pivoting said one leg away from the underside of the central board section about its hinge and allowing said other leg to swing 20 relative to said one leg about the pivot mounting into a position in which the protuberance is received within the cavity whereby to anchor said other leg to

the underside of the central board section with the two legs crossing one another at the pivot coupling.

Advantageously the location at which said one leg is hinged to the underside of 5 the central board section and the mounting are off-set from a lateral axis of the central board section, one on either side of that lateral axis. This gives stability to the ironing board when it is erected for use.

The drawings of US-A-5,161,319 show that the legs are short and stubby, the 10 length of each leg being only about half the length of the board section on which they are hingably mounted. If follows that this ironing board is designed to be stood on top of a table when in operation.

Conveniently, the legs of a portable, collapsible ironing board in which this 15 invention is embodied are telescopically extendable. This enables the ironing board to be extended so that it can be used when free standing on a floor.

There may be a separable foot element for each telescopically extendable leg.

The underside of the central board section may be provided with suitable releasable fastening means operable to retain the separable foot elements 20 adjacent the underside of the central board section and the collapsed legs when the portable collapsible ironing board is collapsed for carrying or storage. The

releasable fastening means may be a snap-fit clamping arrangement for each foot element.

Preferably the underside of said one end board section is recessed, the recess 5 being sized and shaped to receive said other end board section when the latter is folded into contact with the underside of said one end board section in the collapsed state of the ironing board. This optimises the compactness of the collapsed ironing board when it is folded into its compact form for carrying or storage. One form of portable, collapsible ironing board in which this invention is embodied is described now, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: 15 Figure 1 is a perspective view of the portable, collapsible ironing board erected for use; Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the collapsible support arrangement disassembled, collapsed and stowed on the underside of the central board 20 section of the ironing board shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating a first step of erection of the collapsed portable, collapsible ironing board shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 is view similar to Figure 3 showing a second step in the process of 5 raising the portable, collapsible ironing board from its collapsed state; Figure 5 is a diagrammatic illustration of the step shown in Figure 4; Figure 6 is view similar to Figures 3 and 4 illustrating the final steps of 10 erection of the collapsible support leg arrangement; Figure 7 is a scrap view of detail A of Figure 6 to a larger scale and assembled; 15 Figure 8A is a diagrammatic illustration of the step of unfolding the board sections; Figure 8B is a perspective scrap view illustrating unfolding of the first end board section; Figure 8C is a scrap view of a typical hinge by which each of the end board

sections is joined to the central board section; Figure 8D is a diagrammatic side view of the hinge arrangement shown in Figure 8C; and s Figure BE is a perspective view illustrating unfolding of the second end board section of the ironing board.

Figure 1 shows the portable, collapsible ironing board 10 erected for use free 10 standing on a floor like a conventional collapsible ironing board. The collapsible ironing board 10 has a collapsible ironing board portion which, when extended and supported by an extended, collapsible support leg arrangement 11 as shown in Figure 1, provides a flat upper surface 12 on which clothes can be ironed. The board portion of the ironing board 10 is in 15 three sections 13 to 15, namely a rectangular central board section 13 between two end board sections 14 and 15. Each end board section 14, 15 is hinged to the respective shorter side of the rectangular central board section 13. Any suitable hinge arrangement may be used.

20 Figures 8C and 8D show an example of a typical hinge arrangement 16 for hingedly joining each end board section 14, 15 to the respective edge of the

central board section 13. Magnetic catches (not shown) are provided between the edges of each end board section 14, 15 and the central board section 13 to which they are hingedly joined so as to hold the end board sections 14 and 15 in their extended positions relative to the central board section 13 as shown in 5 Figure 1. One, 14, of the end board sections is provided with the usual panel 18 of heat resistant material on which an iron can be stood when not being used. Also the end board section 14 is provided with a depending peripheral wall portion 19 (see Figure BE) which extends around its edge 21 that is hinged to the central board section 13 and its two sides 22 and 23 that extend 10 longitudinally from that edge 21 away from the central board section 13. The peripheral wall portion 19 surrounds a recess 24 in the underside of the end board section 14, that recess 24 being open at the edge of the end board section 14 that is spaced from the respective hinge 16.

15 The other end board section 15 is arcuate at its end remote from the panel 18 as is usual. It is sized so as to be receivable within the recess 24.

When the board 10 is to be collapsed for carrying or storage, the first mentioned end board section 14 is folded to bring its upper surface into face 20 to-face contact with the upper surface of the central board section 13 and the other end board section 15 is folded into contact with the underside of the end

board section 14 so as to bring its top surface into face-to-face contact with the underside of the end board section 14, the end board section 15 being received within the recess 24.

5 The collapsible support leg arrangement 11 has two legs 25 and 26 which are pivotably coupled in a scissors arrangement. Each leg 25, 26 is telescopic and has a separable foot element 27, 28 fitted to its lower end. Figure 2 shows that each foot element 27, 28 has a projecting tongue element 29, 31 which is adapted to be spigotted into a socket 32 (see Figure 6) which is formed by the 10 lower end of the respective leg 25, 26 when the collapsible support leg arrangement 11 is erected as shown in Figure 6. Figure 7 shows that a typical one of the projecting tongue elements 29, 31 is a snap-fit within the respective socket 32.

15 One, 25 of the legs 25 and 26 is hinged at 33 to the underside of the central board section 13 and the other leg 26 is releasably anchored in a mounting 34 which is mounted on the underside of the central board section 13. The location 33 of the hinge of the leg 25 and the mounting 34 are offset with respect to the lateral axis of the central board section 13, one on either side of 20 that lateral axis and are each adjacent to a respective one of the longer sides of the rectangular central board section 13, those longer sides extending generally

parallel to the longitudinal axis of the ironing board portion.

In collapsing the support leg arrangement 11, the two foot elements 27 and 28 are separated from the respective legs 25 and 26 which are then contracted 5 telescopically. The upper end 35 of the leg 26 is released from the mounting 34 and the leg 26 is swung relative to the leg 25 about their common pivot coupling 36 until the two legs 25 and 26 are juxtaposed whereupon they are swung together about the hinge at 33 until they lie side-by-side against the underside of the central board section 13 as shown in Figure 2. Each foot 10 element 27, 28 is then placed alongside a respective one of the legs 25 and 26 and its projecting tongue element 29, 31 is snap-fitted into a respective snap-ft clamping element 37, 38 which is mounted on the underside of the central board section 13.

15 Hence the whole of the collapsible support leg 11 arrangement, which is joined to the underside of the central board section 13 when the ironing board 10 is erected, is stowed adjacent to the underside of the central board section 11 and within the planform area of that central board section 11, as shown in Figure 2, when the ironing board 10 is collapsed for carrying or storage.

Figure 3 shows the mounting 34 is formed by two elements 39 and 41 which

depend from the underside of the central board section 13. The thickness of each of the elements 39, 41 is about the same as that of a depending peripheral wall portion 42 of the central board section 13. The element 39 has a substantially straight single ended slot 43 formed in it, the slot 43 extending 5 substantially parallel to the underside of the central board section 13. The element 41 has a dog-leg slot 44 formed in it, one leg portion of the dog leg slot 44 being substantially parallel to the straight single ended slot 43 and the other leg portion of the dog- leg slot 44 diverging from the underside of the central board section 13 to the mouth of the slot 44. The telescoped portions of 10 the contracted leg 26 lie between the two mounting elements 39 and 41 when the leg 26 is in its retracted position as shown in Figure 2. The other end of the contracted leg 26 has a pair of coaxial pivot pins 45 and 46 projecting one from either side of it.

IS In order to erect the collapsed ironing board 10, the leg 25 is raised pivotally about its hinge axis, relative to the underside of the central board section 13.

The other leg 26 which is coupled to the leg 25 by their mutual pivot coupling 36, follows the leg 25 as shown in Figure 3. Once raised, the leg 26 is swung relative to the leg 25 and the central board section 13 about the mutual pivot 20 coupling 36 and as shown in Figure 4 until the pair of coaxial pivot pins 45 and 46 approach the mounting 34. The pivot pins 45 and 46 are guided into the

respective slots 43 and 44. Engagement of the pivot pins 45 and 46 in the slots 43 and 44 secures the two legs 25 and 26 in their respective erected positions as shown in Figures 4 and 5 in which they cross one another. The telescopic leg portions 25 and 26 are then extended as shown in Figure 6. The foot 5 elements 27 and 28 are removed from the respective snap-fit clamping arrangements 37 and 38 in the underside of the central board section 13 and are fitted into the respective sockets 32 at the lower end of the legs 25 and 26.

Once the collapsible support leg arrangement 11 is extended as shown in 10 Figure 6, the apparatus is turned over and stood on its feet on a suitable surface such as a floor. The end board section 14 is unfolded and swung into its extended position as shown in Figures 8A, 8B, BE and 1. The magnetic catch arrangements engage to hold that end board section 14 in that position.

The other end board section 13 is then swung into position as shown in Figure 15 1 where it is also held by operation of respective magnetic catch arrangement.

The ironing board is then ready for use.

The board sections 13 to 15 of the ironing board portion shown in the drawings would be plastic mouldings. However the ironing board sections could be 20 formed of wood. The legs 25 and 26 could be formed of plastic mouldings or could be formed of aluminium extrusions.

A suitable cover could be provided for the collapsed ironing board apparatus 10. A carry case could be provided to receive the collapsed ironing board apparatus 10 within its cover. The carry case would be provide with a suitable handle.

Claims

1. A portable, collapsible ironing board including a central board section between two end board sections, each end board section being hinged at one 5 side to a respective one of two opposed edges of the central board section so that, when extended, the three board sections form a substantially flat upper surface on which clothes can be ironed and so that one of the end board sections can be folded to bring its upper surface into face-to-face contact with the upper surface of the central board section and the other end board section 10 can be folded into contact with the underside of said one end board section, and a collapsible support leg arrangement for the ironing board, wherein the whole of the support leg arrangement is mounted on the underside of the central board section only and in its collapsed state is located substantially within the platform area of the central board section on the underside thereof.

2. A portable, collapsible ironing board according to claim 1 wherein the collapsible support leg arrangement has one leg hinged to the underside of the central board section adjacent one side thereof which extends between the two opposed edges to which the end board sections are hinged and another leg 20 which is pivotably coupled to said one leg so as to be juxtaposed thereto and so as to be capable of being swung about the axis of the pivot coupling which

is substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the two legs, and a mounting which is mounted on the underside of the central board section at a location which is spaced from the location at which said one leg is hinged to the central board section and which is adjacent to the other side of the central board 5 section that extends between the two opposed edges of the central board section to which the end board sections are hinged, the mounting and an upper portion of said other leg having respective formations thereon whereby a protuberance on one of them is receivable within a cavity formed in the other of them when the leg arrangement is extended, the arrangement being such that 10 the two legs lie side-by-side adjacent to the underside of the central board section in the collapsed state of the collapsible support leg arrangement and the collapsible support leg arrangement is adapted to be extended when erecting the ironing board for use by pivoting said one leg away from the underside of the central board section about its hinge and allowing said other leg to swing 15 relative to said one leg about the pivot mounting into a position in which the protuberance is received within the cavity whereby to anchor said other leg to the underside of the central board section with the two legs crossing one another at the pivot coupling.

3. A portable, collapsible ironing board according to claim 2 wherein the

location at which said one leg is hinged to the underside of the central board section and the mounting are off-set from a lateral axis of the central board section, one on either side of the that lateral axis.

5

4. A portable, collapsible ironing board according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the legs are telescopically extendible.

5. A portable, collapsible ironing board according to claim 4, including a separable foot element for each telescopically extendible leg.

6. A portable, collapsible ironing board according to claim 5, wherein the underside of the central board section is provided with suitable releasable fastening means operable to retain the separable foot elements adjacent the underside of the central board section and the collapsed legs when the portable, 15 collapsible ironing board is collapsed.

7. A portable, collapsible ironing board substantially as described hereinbefore with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings