US3784020A

US3784020A - Telescoping clothes dryer structure

Info

Publication number: US3784020A
Application number: US00225954A
Authority: US
Inventors: W Steiner
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-02-12
Filing date: 1972-02-14
Publication date: 1974-01-08
Anticipated expiration: 1991-01-08
Also published as: AU3897572A; DK138811B; NL170445B; FR2125365A1; AT315116B; IT947419B; GB1361722A; FR2125365B1; NL7201660A; ES177438U; DE2206265C2; DE2206265A1; ES177438Y; DK138811C; CA952861A; NL170445C

Abstract

A plurality of interengaging sliding, hollow elements of essentially rectangular cross-sectional area are so arranged that the hollow profiles have guide surfaces formed on the outside and the inside, the profiles being additionally formed with interengaging projections and recesses at the horizontal sides of the rectangular profiled elements, so that the weight of clothes being hung on the dryer is accepted by the guide surfaces, and the guide surfaces do not distort. Preferably a pair of parallel arms are provided with rods interengaging the arms, secured to stubs attached to the telescoping interengaging elements, the stubs sliding in open notches formed in adjacent telescoping elements, to form a rigid assembly, which can support the weight of laundry hung thereon, without deformation.

Description

United States Patent 1 Steiner 1 Jan. 8, 1974 TELESCOPING CLOTHES DRYER STRUCTURE [76] Inventor: Walter Steiner, Oberseeverstrasse [30] Foreign Application Priority Data [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,103,997 7/1914 Nelson 211/87 3,451,506 6/1969 Neal 182/195 1,567,447 12/1925 McCracken 182/195 X 1,491,059 4/1924 Otten 1,264,864 4/1918 Roth 211/94.5 UX

Primary ExaminerRoy D. Frazier Assistant Examiner-Richard L. Stroup A ttorne y: Frishauf [5 7] ABSTRACT A plurality of interengaging sliding, hollow elements of essentially rectangular cross-sectional area are so arranged that the hollow profiles have guide surfaces formed on the outside and the inside, the profiles being additionally formed with inter-engaging projections and recesses at the horizontal sides of the rectangular profiled elements, so that the weight of clothes being hung on the dryer is accepted by the guide surfaces, and the guide surfaces do not distort. Preferably a pair of parallel arms are provided with rods interengaging the arms, secured to stubs attached to the telescoping interengaging elements, the stubs sliding in open notches formed in adjacent telescoping elements, to form a rigid assembly, which can support the weight of laundry hung thereon, without deformation.

10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 3,552,594 l/197l Lewis et al.... 220/8 3,481,428 12/1969 Merrit et al 182/46 PATENTEBJAN 8l974 3.784.020

sum 20? 2 1 TELESCOPING CLOTHES DRYER STRUCTURE The present invention relates to a telescoping clothes dryer, and particularly to a clothes dryer which can be expanded and extended so that it will have a good clothes-drying capacity but being easily collapsed to a small size for storage when not needed.

Clothes dryers, on which clothes to be dried are to be hung, having telescopic arms, have previously been proposed. For ease of use, the clothes dryers should be so constructed that the telescoping elements easily slide with respect to each other, yet are sufficiently guided and restrained from movement so that, when wet clothes are hung thereon (which are comparatively heavy) the arms and the portions thereof will not be bent out of shape, or deflect substantially from their given shape. This requirement of stiffness, even when extended, is difficult to meet and known arrangements, for example using cylindrical, tubular elements after some time in operation will become loose, so that the individual parts will have some play with respect to each other. If such clothes dryer arms are interconnected by rope or other clothes lines, the arms, due to their play, will deflect towards each other causing excessive slack between the lines and thus poor hanging capability of the clothes, which will tend to slide to the bottom-most point of the clothes line.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a telescoping, easily-storable clothes hanger which can be extended or pushed together, and which retains its form even after extended use.

SUBJECT MATTER OF THE PRESENT INVENTION Briefly, theseveral slide elements of telescopic arms are formed in rectangular, hollow profile shape. The surfaces which are subject to load bearing, that-is, the top and bottom horizontally oriented surfaces have additional guide surfaces associated therewith which cooperate with matching guide surfaces on adjacent telescopic elements. These additional guide surfaces can be formed on interengaging projections and grooves, for example extending horizontally or in dovetail form, or-otherwise shaped.

In accordance with the preferred form of the invention, a pair of telescopic arms are provided, the arms themselves being interconnected by rigid rods secured to stubs located on corresponding telescoping sliders of the two arms.

By using not only the horizontal guide surfaces provided by square profiles alone, but by additionally providing further guide surfaces, the reliability of guidance of telescoping elements is greatly enhanced, and the loading of the individual guide surfaces is decreased, so that they will wear less, and the tendency to deform, and thus result in play between the elements, is decreased.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment, the additional guide surfaces are parallel to the horizontal guiding surfaces formed by the square profiled elements, interengaging with horizontal guide surfaces on an adjacent element, to provide for guiding of interengaging elements not only-at the top and bottom of the square profiles, but also intermediate the height thereof.

The rods or poles interengaging the elements of adjacent arms simultaneously can provide for lateral guidance of the sliding elements of the telescoping arms. Each one of the telescopic elements, or any predetermined number, may have one or more stubs to receive the rods on which clothes are to be hung. If only a telescopic arm is provided, clothes can be hung on it. The stubs holding the rods connecting a pair of arms are preferably so located that they can be received in a slot of the preceding slider, the corresponding sliders of the two telescopic arms being securely connected to the rods to form a rigid unit. The rigid interconnection of two corresponding sliders with the interconnecting clothes holding rods practically avoids stress on the lateral guide surfaces formed by the square profile.

To prevent extension of the telescopic arms beyond the limits of any telescopic element, spring catches are provided which, when the telescopic arms are extended, engage a notch or catch of the preceding element of the telescopic arms. Thus, the distance of extension of each individual telescopic element is limited in length to prevent the elements from being pulled'out from each other.

The invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top view of the telescope enclosed dryer, showing a pair of arms which are extended;

'FIG. 2 is a section along lines ll II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a telescopic element with a subsequent element therein;

FIG. 4 is a section along lines IV IV of FIG. 3, and rotated with respect to'FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view through the terminal slider of the dryer of FIG. 1.

The dryer has a pair of telescoping arms 1, 2, which are interconnected by cross rods 31. If only a single arm, such as arm 1 is provided, the cross rods need not be supplied and clothes can be hung on this single telescoping arm. Arm 1 is formed of a number of slider elements 3 9; arm 2 has the same number of sliders l0 16. The number of sliders for each telescoping arm can be selected in accordance with design requirements at random.

At the sides facing each other, the sliders have retaining or bearing stubs 17 30 located thereon, the stubs 17 30 accepting the cross rod 31 and being generally cylindrical (see FIG. 4.). Each two corresponding sliders, such as

slider

3 and 10;.4 and 11; 5 and 12; etc., together with the interconnecting cross rod 31 form a fixed unit. Interconnecting corresponding sliders by a fixed and essentially rigidrod greatly increases the stability of the entire assembly. Additionally, as wet clothes are hung on the rod 31, sliders 3 16 will be locked together.

The sliders are formed with side notches 32 38 so that the sliders 3 16 can be telescoped together (see FIG. 3, 4). As best seen in FIG. 4, those sliders which have to accept a subsequent slider are formed as a hollow, rectangular profile. The slits 32 38, as best seen in FIG. 3 with slit 35, are located at inner side wall of the slider receiving the one carrying the stub, so that the stubs 1'8 23, can be received within the notches or grooves 32 38. Telescopic arm 2 has its slides likewise formed with slots or grooves to receive the stubs 25 30.

The terminal sliders 9 16 need not be hollow since no further slider has to be accepted therein.

Those slider elements which are to receive a subsequent slider element and guide the subsequent element,

that is, sliders 3 8 (arm 1) and 10 (arm 2) have a specially arranged profile both at their exterior as well as at theirinterior surfaces, the profile being specifically selected with respect tothe use to which the telescoping arm is to be put. As best seen in FIG. 4, the profile 5 has a pair of outer

horizontal guide surfaces

40, 41 and a pair of inner

horizontal guide surfaces

42, 43.

Guide surfaces

40, 41 accept the load transferred thereto due to the laundry hung on the dryer. it is an essential feature that these

guide surfaces

40, 41 and 42, 43 have additional guide portions associated therewith. The outer guide surface 40 has associated with it further guide

portions

44, 45; the outer guide surface 41 has associated with it further guide

portions

46, 47. The inner guide surface 42 has associated therewith the

further guide portions

48, 49; and the inner guide surface 43 has associated therewith the

further guide portions

50, 51. Thus, the outer guide surfacesand the associated further guide portions cooperate with the inner guide surfaces and the associated further guide portions of the preceding slider element; the inner guide surfaces andthe associated further guide portionscooperate with the outer guide surfaces and the associated further guide portions of the subsequent slider element.

The additional guide portions provide a type of interlock, in the form of interengaging teeth, and the comparatively great number of the guide portions, and their extent, results in small unitary loading thereof, thus resulting in ease of telescoping sliding with very low wear, and practically no deformation even on the load.

The further guide portions 48 51 overlie projection 52 55 which simultaneously form locally limited guide portions for the lateral guidance of the subsequent slider, received within a preceding slider. Ifa pair of telescoping arms are interconnected by essentially rigid rods 31, the lateral forces of a pair of sliders are comparatively low, due to this fixed interconnection, so that it is not necessary to provide guidance over an entire vertical side of the arm.

FIG. 4'has been drawn specifically to clearly show the guide surfaces. The inner horizontal and vertical guide portions are chain dotted, the outer guide portions are chain double dotted.

Anelastic, springy catch is provided to prevent removal of one element from within another, as the telescoping arm is extended. The catch 54 is engaged by a shoulder (55) at the end of a groove (56), the catch (54) of a subsequent slider engaging preceding shoulder (55). Catch 54 is resilient and springy springiness is obtained by a pair of slits (57,58).

The end slider 9 is shown in cross-section in FIG. 5.

Since slider 9 does not have to accept a subsequent slider, it need not be hollow, and the slider is formed only with the outer guide surfaces which, therefore, are correspondingly double chain-dotted. Slider 9, too, has an elastic catch 54, the elasticity being obtained by groove 59.

The first stub 17 in which a cross-rod 31 is located is placed below slot 32 of slider 3, since, otherwise, it would be too close to the end portion 61 of the first element. The end portions 61 are laterally extended so that they can be inserted in holders for attachment, for example, to a wall (not shown). Such attachment, for example, by engaging trapeze-shaped inserts are well known and need not be described indetail. Locating the

stubs

17, 24 on

sliders

3 and 10, of offset with re- 4 spect to the end of the slot 32 provides sufficient space at the end stub to hold laundry even over the very first connecting rod 31. 7

It is not necessary that each slider be provided with stubs and rods if the telescoping arms, themselves, are long enough, more than one rod can be placed thereon, for example offset as stub 17 on slider 3 so that the various cross rods 31 will not be too close together.

Various changes and modifications may be made within the inventive concept.

1 claim:

l. Telescoping clothes dryer structure comprising two essentially identical facing telescoping arms l, 2), each arm including a plurality of interengaging sliding hollow elements (3-8, 10-15) having inner and outer sides, respective elements decreasing in size to telescope into each other;

a plurality of clothes supporting rods (31 each rod connecting the inner sides of respective elements of the facing arms and securing said elements together into a rigid unit;

and slots (32-38) formed at the inner sides of the elements and extending longitudinally of the elements so that the extending rods interconnecting the elements will be accepted in the slots when the elements are slidably telescoped into each other.

2. Dryer structure according to claim 1 including a bearing stub (17-30) attached to the sides of at least some of the. sliding elements (3-9; 10-16) of the arms (1,2); the rods being secured in the stubs;

the slots (32-38) formed in the sides of adjacent elements being of sufficient size to accept the stubs when the arms are in telescoped condition.

3. Dryer structure according to claim 1, wherein the elements have two transverse profiles which are essentially. a rectangle having shorter and longer sides with inside and outside surfaces, guide surfaces (40, 41; 42, 43) formed at the shorter sides of the profile and projections (52, 53, 54, S5) and grooves (44, 45, 46, 47) formed at one or more sides of the elements, the inside and outside surfaces of adjacent elements being in engagement and the projections and grooves being in interlocking engagement to provide load bearing surfaces for'the telescoping elements upon extension of the arm.

4. Dryer structure according to claim 3, wherein the projections and grooves are located at longer sides of the elements. I

5. Dryer structure according to claim 4 wherein further guide surfaces are formed at the projections and grooves, said further guide surfaces being essentially parallel to the guide surfaces formed at the shorter sides of the rectangle.

6. Dryer structure according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the telescoping elements are formed with an elastically springy catch (54), and a groove having a shoulder (55) located in the preceding next large slider, the catch engaging against the shoulder of the preceding slider to prevent removal of the next subsequent slider from within the telescoping arm.

7. Telescoping clothes dryer structure wherein a pair of essentially identical telescoping arms and cross connecting rods (31) are provided, the rods spacing the arms from each other, each of said telescoping arms comprising a plurality of interengaging sliding, hollow elements (38; 10-15) the respective elements decreasing in size to telescope into each other, the elements each having a transverse profile which is essentially a rectangle having shorter and longer sides and having guide surfaces (40, 41; 46, 47) formed at the shorter sides of the rectangle, some of said elements of one of said arms being rigidly interconnected by a rod into a unit with the respective element of the other of said arms, the longer sides of the rectangle forming inner and outer sides, one or more of, said sides being formed with slots extending longitudinally of the arms and of sufficient width to permit the rods to be received therein.

8. Dryer structure according to claim 1 including a bearing stub (17-30) attached to the inner sides of at least some of the slider elements (3-9; -16) of the arms, the slots (32-38) being formed in the inner sides of adjacent elements being of sufficient size to accept the stubs when the arms are in telescoped conditions, the rods being secured in the stubs.

9. Dryer structure according to claim 7, wherein projections and grooves are located at one or more sides of the elements.

10. Dryer structure according to claim 9, wherein the projections and grooves are located at the longer sides to provide laterally limiting guide portions for lateral guidance of an inner telescoping element with respect to its preceding outer telescoping element.

Claims

1. Telescoping clothes dryer structure comprising two essentially identical facing telescoping arms (1, 2), each arm including a plurality of interengaging sliding hollow elements (3-8, 1015) having inner and outer sides, respective elements decreasing in size to telescope into each other; a plurality of clothes supporting rods (31), each rod connecting the inner sides of respective elements of the facing arms and securing said elements together into a rigid unit; and slots (32-38) formed at the inner sides of the elements and extending longitudinally of the elements so that the extending rods interconnecting the elements will be accepted in the slots when the elements are slidably telescoped into each other.

2. Dryer structure according to claim 1 including a bearing stub (17-30) attached to the sides of at least some of the sliding elements (3-9; 10-16) of the arms (1,2); the rods being secured in the stubs; the slots (32-38) formed in the sides of adjacent elements being of sufficient size to accept the stubs when the arms are in telescoped condition.

3. Dryer structure according to claim 1, wherein the elements have two transverse profiles which are essentially a rectangle having shorter and longer sides with inside and outside surfaces, guide surfaces (40, 41; 42, 43) formed at the shorter sides of the profile and projections (52, 53, 54, 55) and grooves (44, 45, 46, 47) formed at one or more sides of the elements, the inside and outside surfaces of adjacent elements being in engagement and the projections and grooves being in interlocking engagement to provide load bearing surfaces for the telescoping elements upon extension of the arm.

4. Dryer structure according to claim 3, wherein the projections and grooves are located at longer sides of the elements.

7. Telescoping clothes dryer structure wherein a pair of essentially identical telescoping arms and cross connecting rods (31) are provided, the rods spacing the arms from each other, each of said telescoping arms comprising a plurality of interengaging sliding, hollow elements (3-8; 10-15) the respective elements decreasing in size to telescope into each other, the elements each having a transverse profile which is essentially a rectangle having shorter and longer sides and having guide surfaces (40, 41; 46, 47) formed at the shorter sides of the rectangle, some of said elements of one of said arms being rigidly interconnected by a rod into a unit with the respective element of the other of said arms, the longer sides of the rectangle forming inner and outer sides, one or more of, said sides being formed with slots extending longitudinally of the arms and of sufficient width to permit the rods to be received therein.

8. Dryer structure according to claim 1 including a bearing stub (17-30) attached to the inner sides of at least some of the slider elements (3-9; 10-16) of the arms, the slots (32-38) being formed in the inner sides of adjacent elements being of sufficient size to accept the stubs when the arms are in telescoped condItions, the rods being secured in the stubs.