WO2023088695A1

WO2023088695A1 - Dishcloth holder

Info

Publication number: WO2023088695A1
Application number: PCT/EP2022/080851
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christian P. Benzing
Original assignee: Benzing Christian P
Priority date: 2021-11-16
Filing date: 2022-11-04
Publication date: 2023-05-25
Also published as: DE202021106256U1

Abstract

The invention relates to a dishcloth holder (1) consisting of a holding rod (10) which is composed of or can be composed of a plurality of sub-rods that engage into one another in the longitudinal direction thereof so as to have an adjustable length and the two end regions of which are provided with support sections (31) that can be placed on opposing edges of a wash basin and comprise support surfaces (32), in particular flat support surfaces. The sub-rods comprise a central rod (2), in particular a single-piece central rod, and removable rod-shaped end pieces (3) which are coupled to or can be coupled to the two end sections of the central rod, in particular rod-shaped end pieces which are plugged onto or can be plugged onto the two end sections of the central rod, so as to have a manually adjustable length and which are provided with the support sections (31) on the outer facing end sections of the end pieces.

Description

dishcloth holder

The invention relates to a dishcloth holder consisting of a holding rod which is composed or can be assembled from several partial rods which engage in one another and are adjustable in length in their longitudinal direction and which is provided at both of its end regions with bearing sections which can be placed on opposite edges of a sink and which have, in particular, flat bearing surfaces.

A dishcloth holder of this type is specified in DE 20 2018 104 910 U1. This well-known dishcloth holder designed as a sink insert has at least one support rod with flat support sections at both of its end sections, the support rods being able to be formed from a plurality of length-adjustably intermeshing sub-rods in the longitudinal direction. The interlocking sections are z. B. formed as mutually complementary plug-in sections or threaded sections. The handrails can e.g. B. adapted by telescopic adjustment to the opening width of a sink and with their support sections on the opposite edge areas of the sink placed to take a wet dishcloth to drain or dry.

Other, more complex constructions of sink inserts suitable as dishcloth holders are e.g. B. in DE 10 2009 035 657 A1, DE 102014 115 328 A1, DE 10 2015 122 606 A1. DE 201 17 890 U1, DE 203 11 426 U1, KR 2015 014 1093 A, GB 187 902 A, US 797 135 A and JP S57 115356 U. All of these known sink inserts or dishcloth holders are relatively expensive to manufacture and handle.

The object of the present invention is to provide a dishcloth holder for arrangement over a sink which is user-friendly and easy to use.

This problem is solved by a dishcloth holder with the features of claim 1. In connection with the features of the preamble, the dishcloth holder is further designed in that the partial rods have a central rod, in particular a one-piece one, and on its two end sections manually coupled or attachable, in particular plugged or attachable, detachable, rod-shaped end pieces which are in their outwardly directed end portions are provided with the support portions.

The detachable, length-adjustable coupled, in particular attached, rod-shaped end pieces, together with the center rod, result in a simple structure of the dishcloth holder that is easy for the user to handle and that also meets high requirements for hygienic cleanability and z. B. simple and space-saving, especially after simply disassembling by pulling by hand, can be accommodated in a cutlery compartment of a dishwasher for cleaning and in a cutlery compartment of a drawer for storage. An advantageous structure for production with low material requirements and for handling results from the fact that the central rod consisting of at least one piece and/or the two end pieces is/are designed at least in sections as a hollow tube, in particular with a round cross section.

The construction and the handling are further favored by the fact that the two end pieces grip the end sections of the central rod, which extends over its entire length with a constant cross section, in a clamping manner. For example, the center rod can simply be a closed hollow profile, e.g. B. tube with a circular or oval or polygonal cross-section can be made by cutting a long profile tube in question and the two end pieces can simply be used as end caps z. B. manufactured as injection molded parts and attached or removed by the user in the application by hand. An adjustment to the width of the sink can be done simply by moving the clamping end pieces in the longitudinal direction on the center rod, after which the end pieces are held in their adjusted position on the center rod by the clamping force.

The measures that the two end pieces are of the same design and can be plugged alternately onto the center rod contribute to the simple manufacture and use.

For handling with a secure clamping effect and easy adjustment, it is also advantageously provided that the two end pieces are provided with at least three molded, longitudinally extending clamping ribs on the inside of the two end pieces when they are designed at least in sections as hollow tubes.

In investigations by the inventors, it has turned out that there are three clamping ribs, which in cross-section are at the corners of an imaginary equal are arranged in the form of a limb triangle, the apex angle (a) enclosed between the two limbs of equal length being less than 90°.

The functions of adjustability and clamping action are promoted in coordination with one another in that at least one of the clamping ribs is designed to taper radially inwards in its cross section.

For the adjustability and the clamping holding of the central rod and end pieces together, it is also advantageously provided that the clamping rib arranged at the apex of the apex angle (a) is stronger in the circumferential direction and in the radial direction than the two other clamping ribs.

A secure support of the dishcloth holder on the edge areas of a sink results from the fact that the support sections of the end pieces have a length of at least 1 cm, preferably between 1.5 cm and 3 cm or 4 cm, in the longitudinal direction. The plug-in section of the end pieces extending up to the support section (possibly with the interposition of a closing or boundary wall extending in cross section) is at least twice or three times as long as the support section.

It is also advantageous for production and use that the support section is formed by means of a recess in the end region of the respective end piece, the height of which measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the end piece is delimited by the axis-parallel support surface.

Insertion at the edge areas of a sink is also favored by the fact that the recess has a greater height perpendicularly to the support surface than the support section. A configuration that is advantageous for use also results from the fact that the end pieces minus their support sections, ie the plug-in sections of the end pieces, are at most half as long as the center rod.

Further advantages for construction and use are obtained in that the diameter of the central rod is between 0.5 cm and 3 cm, in particular between 1.2 cm and 2.5 cm.

Various advantageous design variants consist in the fact that the end pieces and/or the central rod are/are made of plastic or metal.

Insofar as the terms "above" and "below" and their modifications are used here, the geodetic terms or the reference to the direction of gravity are meant, unless another reference is indicated.

The invention is explained in more detail below using exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawings. Show it:

1 a side view of a dishcloth holder,

FIG. 2 shows a dishcloth holder according to FIG. 1 in a disassembled side view, rotated about its longitudinal axis compared to FIG. 1,

3 shows a perspective view of an end piece and a covering piece that can be attached to a support surface thereof, at an angle from the support section,

4 shows an end piece in a perspective view at an angle from its insertion opening, 5 shows a cross section of an end piece,

Fig. 6 is a side view of an end piece and

7 is an end view of an end piece.

1 shows a side view of a dishcloth holder 1 which is composed of a central rod 2 and two end pieces 3 . The end pieces 3 are provided at their end section turned outwards with a recess 30 which is open downwards and laterally and at the front (with regard to the state of use), over which a bearing section 31 with a bearing surface 32 located on the underside is formed. The center rod 2 with the two laterally attached end pieces 3 forms a support rod 10, which can be placed with the two support sections 31 on opposite edge regions of a sink in order to accommodate a dishcloth or the like.

2 shows the dishcloth holder 1 in the disassembled state, the two end pieces being positioned coaxially in the longitudinal direction or in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the straightly extending central rod 2 and rotated about their longitudinal axis in such a way that the bearing surface 32 is visible. In this arrangement, the two end pieces 3 can be pushed by hand to a greater or lesser extent on the central rod 2, which is preferably one-piece, whereby the overall length of the support rod 10 or the dishcloth holder 1 changes in the longitudinal direction and can be adapted to different sink widths, and the support rod 10 can be adjusted to the the two support sections 31 can be placed on their opposite edge regions. As can be seen from Fig. 1, the sleeve-shaped, cap-like end pieces 3 with their plug-in sections, which are integrally attached to the support sections 31, overlap the facing end sections of the center rod 2. In the circumferential direction, the end pieces 3 surround the relevant end sections of the center rod 2 fully. The inner circumference of the end pieces 3, optionally with retaining structures formed thereon, is adapted to the outer circumference of the center rod 2 in such a way that the end pieces 3 can be clamped and adjusted by hand onto the end sections of the center rod 2 or removed from them. The center rod 2 has z. B. a length between 10 cm and 30 cm, preferably between 12 cm and 25 cm, with a slightly longer or shorter center rod 2 is possible.

The center rod 2 and the end pieces 3 preferably have a round cross-section in their attachable section, with the center rod 2 preferably being designed as a closed hollow profile or tubular. However, other cross-sectional shapes such. B. oval or polygonal in question. In this case, the central rod 2 preferably has a constant cross-section over its entire length, i. H. also constant diameter, so that they z. B. can be cut to length from a longer profile strand or tube. The center rod 2 and the end pieces 3 are preferably made of plastic, with the cap-like end pieces 3 being manufactured, for example, as injection molded parts. The center rod 2 and the end pieces 3 have sufficient rigidity or rigidity, but the end pieces 3 in particular, and possibly also the center rod 2, are preferably designed to be somewhat elastic, so that when plugging in and clamping there is also a certain elasticity force as a clamping force for holding of the end pieces 3 on the central rod 2. Other materials are also conceivable, such as e.g. B. metal, for the center rod 2 and / or end pieces 3.

The further FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 show the formation of the cap-like end pieces 3 in more detail. The end pieces 3 also preferably have a constant, ie preferably round, circular cross-section over their entire attachable section or plug-in section up to the support section 31 and an end wall 33 present in the transition area. The plug-in section has z. B. a length between 5 cm and 15 cm, preferably between 6 cm and 12 cm; however End pieces 3 with a slightly longer or shorter plug-in section are also possible. In the peripheral area outside (when in use above) the recess 30, the peripheral wall of the end pieces 3 is continued in a straight line up to an end face wall 34 in the longitudinal direction, with the support section 31 z. B. extends over a length range of 1.5 cm to 3 cm beyond the end wall 33 of the plug-in section in the longitudinal direction. In the circumferential direction or in cross section, the support section 31 (on its lower side when in use) is delimited in the direction of a secant, resulting in a flat or planar support surface 32, which is closed off by a flat support wall area, with which the retaining rod 10 is connected to the support surface 32 of the support section 31 can be placed stably on the edge area surrounding the sink. In the direction perpendicular to the bearing surface 32 extending in the longitudinal direction (parallel to the longitudinal axis) and in the secant direction, the recess 30 has larger dimensions than the bearing section 31 from the bearing surface 32 to the apex of its outer side. The end wall 33 of the plug-in section and the end wall 34 of the support section 31 extend perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the support rod 10. The relatively large recess 30 in terms of height and length ensures that the dishcloth holder 10 is securely supported in the edge area of the sink, even if the transition of the edge area to the inside of the sink does not run over an exact edge but over a slightly larger radius of curvature.

The outside diameter of the center rod 2 is preferably in the range between 1.2 cm and 2.5 cm and the outside diameter of the end pieces 3 overlapping the center rod 2 is correspondingly greater by the wall thickness and optionally by the radial thickness of structures formed on the inside. This results in how z. B. from Figs. 3, 6 and 7 can be seen, through the recess 30, which extends in height over half the diameter of the end pieces 3, a correspondingly high holding shoulder of the dishcloth holder 10 at the edge of the pool. As shown in FIG. 3, a thin opening is formed in the end wall 33 (or alternatively in the end wall 34). Introduced, via which venting of the interior of the support rod 10 can be done when plugged together.

On the bearing surface 32, as shown in FIG. 3, a covering piece 4 z. B. by means of an adhesive surface 40 provided thereon, which is covered when not in use, can be applied in order to prevent the support rod 10 placed on the edges of the pool from slipping. The covering pieces 4 are correspondingly non-slip, e.g. B. made of rubber-like or soft plastic existing anti-slip material.

On the inside of the end pieces 3, which are hollow for plugging onto the center rod 2 and are open on their insertion side, clamping ribs 36, 37, 37' are formed in the area of the plug-in section, running longitudinally, parallel to the longitudinal axis and thus to the plug-in direction, which in cross section radially extend into the cavity 35 to preside The clamping ribs 36, 37, 37' are advantageously arranged in the area of the corners of an imaginary isosceles triangle (see Fig. 5), with the vertex angle a between the two identical legs being less than 90° (preferably in the range between 20° and 80°). °, in particular between 30° and 60°). This arrangement results, as has been found in investigations by the inventors, a good clamping force with easy adjustment in the longitudinal direction, with z. B. Deposits on the inside of the end pieces hardly affect the clamping effect or attachability and holding force (increasing or reducing friction), since only the inwardly protruding contact lines or (narrow) contact surfaces with the outer surface of the center rod 2 when attaching, removing or adjusting Interaction, while the larger inner surfaces lying in between have no effect on the sliding or frictional effect during plugging and on the holding force. The design of the clamping ribs is advantageously such that the clamping rib 36 arranged at the apex angle a is thicker in cross-section in the circumferential direction and in the radial direction than the two further clamping ribs 37, 37' arranged in the area of the two base angles. Preferably, only these three longitudinal clamping ribs 36, 37, 37' are present on the inside of the end pieces 3, but similarly more clamping ribs are also conceivable. Advantageously, the clamping ribs 36, 37, 37' are at least partially tapered in the radial direction and their cross section at their radially inward free ends is no wider than 4 mm, preferably no wider than 3 mm, 2 mm or 1 mm and their radial height is not more than 1 mm, 2 mm or 3 mm.

In an alternative embodiment, the center rod 2 from several, z. B. two part rods can be assembled detachably, the part rods are made of the same tube profile and are inserted into a sleeve-shaped coupling piece open on both sides, which z. B. is formed according to the plug-in section of the end pieces 3.

The dishcloth holder 1 presented here offers significant advantages in terms of structure and handling, since it is made from a few easy-to-manufacture individual parts, can be simply plugged together or adjusted in length to different sink widths and is also light, especially in a dishwasher, e.g. B. can be accommodated and cleaned in a cutlery container. It can also be stored in a cutlery compartment to save space.

Claims

Expectations

1. Dishcloth holder (1) consisting of a holding rod (10), which is composed or can be assembled from several partial rods that engage in one another and are length-adjustable in their longitudinal direction, and at both of its end regions with bearing sections (31) that can be placed on opposite edges of a sink and have, in particular, flat bearing surfaces (32), characterized in that the partial rods have a central rod (2), which is in particular constructed in one piece, and on its two end sections which are manually coupled or can be coupled in a length-adjustable manner, in particular plugged or pluggable, removable, rod-shaped end pieces (3) which in are provided with the support portions (31) at their end portions directed outwards.

2. Dishcloth holder according to claim 1, characterized in that the central rod (2) consisting of at least one piece and/or the two end pieces (3) is/are formed at least in sections as a hollow tube, in particular with a round cross-section.

3. Dish cloth holder according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the two end pieces (3) clamp around the end sections of the central rod (2) extending over its entire length with a constant cross section.

4. Dishcloth hater according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two end pieces (3) are of identical design and can be plugged alternately onto the central rod (2).

5. Dishcloth holder according to one of Claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the two end pieces (3) are provided on their inside with at least three longitudinally running clamping ribs (36, 37, 37') when they are designed at least in sections as hollow tubes.

6. Dishcloth holder according to claim 5, characterized in that there are three clamping ribs (36, 37, 37') which are arranged in cross-section at the corners of an imaginary isosceles triangle, the apex angle (a) enclosed by the two legs of equal length being smaller than 90°.

7. Dishcloth holder according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that at least one of the clamping ribs (36, 37, 37') tapers radially inwards in its cross section.

8. Dishcloth holder according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the clamping rib (36) arranged at the apex of the apex angle (a) is stronger in the circumferential direction and in the radial direction than the two other clamping ribs (37, 37').

9. Dishcloth holder according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support sections (31) of the end pieces (3) have a length of at least 1 cm, preferably between 1.5 cm and 3 cm or 4 cm, in the longitudinal direction.

10. Dishcloth holder according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support section (31) is formed by means of a recess (30) in the end region of the respective end piece (3), the height of which, measured perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the end piece (3), differs from the axis-parallel bearing surface (32) is limited.

11 . Dish cloth holder according to claim 10, characterized in that the recess (30) perpendicular to the support surface (32) has a greater height than the support section (31).

12. Dishcloth holder according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the end pieces (3) minus their support sections (31) are at most half as long as the central rod (2).

13. Dishcloth holder according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the diameter of the central rod (2) is between 0.5 cm and 3 cm, in particular between 1.2 cm and 2.5 cm. Dishcloth holder according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the end pieces (3) and/or the central rod (2) are/are made of plastic or metal.