DRYING ASSEMBLY

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a drying assembly for use by consumers to dry and air household articles. The invention further relates to a drying assembly for clothing, bedding and other like goods.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

There are many different types of interior and exterior products for use in airing and drying clothes and other articles. In today's energy conscious times using an electrically powered tumble dryer is not considered environmentally friendly and there has been increased demand for interior and exterior clothes lines. Also the use of tumble dryers can damage, shrink clothes and cause the deterioration of the fabrics and colours of items. Furthermore dryers create dust particles and condensation which leads to musty air and mould which is detrimental to a user's health pushing consumers to seek alternatives to tumble drying machines.

Exterior clothes lines are not always available for household use. The use of exterior clothes lines may be restricted by local ordinances or practices.

Alternatively, there simply may be no available outside space, as can occur when living in high rise accommodation such as flats, apartments and housing developments.

Indoor clothes lines and drying racks provide an alternative to exterior clothes lines and tumble dryers. Some retractable line systems typically have a large housing fastened to a wall and a support bar connected to the housing via multiple lines. The housing includes an automatic winding device for tensioning the lines. With such systems the support bar can be temporarily fixed to an opposing wall and further extension of the lines prevented so that articles of clothing can then be hung from the extended lines. These systems can offer between three to seven lines for hanging clothes and other articles.

Typically, the lines and support bar can be retracted into the housing so that the lines are out of the way when not in use. However, even when it is not in use there is still the inconvenience of a large housing mounted on a wall and a fastening point secured to an opposing wall. The housing can be obtrusive and quite unattractive in appearance, reducing consumer acceptance.

Other arrangements include mounted rack systems. One such system made from timber has a housing fixed to one wall having a horizontally extending rack fastened thereto. The extending rack has two arms comprising numerous cross linked pivotally connected support members arranged in a “XXX” pattern similar to a horizontally orientated scissor lift. The arms are linked together by horizontal connecting members perpendicular to the direction of extension and the horizontal connecting members are used as support for hanging articles of clothing from the rack.

Another drying system employs ceiling mounted rack, where timber or metal racks are fastened to a ceiling by a rope and pulley system. The rack is lowered for use and raised out of the way as required. The rack and rope and pulley system is visible and noticeable when the device is not in use, again limiting consumer acceptance of this system.

Another drying system employs portable folding laundry racks typically made from wire, plastic or wooden frames. These devices are not ordinarily capable of carrying a large number of clothes or bed linen but typically can be folded to a substantially flat arrangement for storage out of sight when not in use.

Another drying rack is marketed as “the invisible clothes line” and comprises one or two hinged racks fastened to a wall for hanging clothes. When not in use the racks are folded against the wall and there is a large metal cover which covers and hides the racks from view. The upper horizontal edge of the housing is fastened to the wall by hinges and the lower portion of the housing is lifted upward to allow access to the racks and the housing is supported by the extended racks. Strictly speaking, the invisible clothes line is visible, as it provides a large metal housing which is visible and protrudes from the wall. However, it may be disguised by fastening a painting or poster to the housing.

The invisible clothes line is limited in its carrying capacity by the size of the cover. Furthermore, the cover impacts on the movement of air around the articles hanging from the rack potentially reducing its effectiveness in airing and drying the articles. The limited size together with reduced effectiveness can extend the drying time and thus the period for which articles are on display.

Clothes lines, washing lines and drying rack products are generally bland and not appealing in their design or appearance and are at best out of place in a residential or commercial setting, having to be used and then put to the side out-of-sight to minimise disruption, hazards and to maintain the decor of the interior design or furnishings of a user's home. Furthermore, the majority of the existing drying products require parallel member/s and cross member/s to provide the design with structural integrity or they draw their structural strength from the surface they are installed upon.

More specifically, people with very limited drying space, cramped areas or confined living conditions, are limited in the environmentally friendly product options available to them and rely heavily on the current market offerings that are not aesthetically pleasing in design/function and that do not offer a product that would be considered a design feature in any setting or enable the product to blend and or be co-ordinated within the work area of commercial space or a domestic dwelling.

It is desirous to provide an assembly which does not significantly detract from the presentation of the room's décor and furnishing. It is desirous for it to enhance, blend with and provide a design feature within the room of the household in which it is fixed.

It is considered important that the assembly provide capacity for a full washing machine load and further provide sufficient drying area for large items such as bed linen and a means for increasing carrying capability, again without unduly affecting the overall appearance of the household.

Furthermore it is desirous that the assembly is designed such that it does not require the locality of a wall stud where the surface for installation is plaster board, allowing for installation anywhere in a home and providing autonomous functionality. The design of the mounting member and its associated profile disperses the load bearing evenly and thus will not damage or pull away from the wall in its weakest form being plaster board. Ideally the item would have low manufacturing costs and a relatively simple and minimalistic design.

It is desirous for the assembly to be modular such that increased drying capacity can be provided and allow for multiple installation locations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a drying assembly for mounting to a wall, the assembly comprising: (a) an elongate mounting member; (b) an elongate support member hingeably coupled to an upper end of the mounting member for disposition between a storage position in which the mounting member and the support member are aligned parallel and an open position in which the support member extends outwardly from the mounting member to provide a continuous length for supporting clothes; and (c) a brace that is operable to retain the members in the open position; and wherein the support member has a profile that defines a volume that conceals the brace and the mounting member in the storage position and that includes a reinforcing web enabling connections with the brace and the mounting member to be concealed.

The drying assembly of the present invention provides an efficient use of space as the storage configuration of the assembly is tall and slim and occupies a minimal amount of living area within a residential dwelling. However, when the drying assembly of the present invention is fully extended it provides for a continuous, elongate, uninterrupted drying length that is sufficiently long to accommodate large items such as clothes, towels, bed linen. In this manner, the bed linen can be accommodated without the need to fold the damp fabric over on to itself, thereby allowing the fabric surface area greater access to air currents and thereby reducing the drying time for items that usually require folding for indoor drying.

In one embodiment the elongate support member may be the only visible component when the drying assembly is disposed in the storage position. In this manner the drying assembly provides a minimalistic and aesthetically pleasing design without compromising the functionality of the drying assembly and further provides a design feature to a living space.

In one embodiment the mounting member and/or the support member may comprise an internal reinforcing web such that the member has a closed box-section and an open U-section. The support member may be extendable to provide increased drying space. More specifically, the support member may include a telescoping portion that is operable to extend the overall length of the support member. The internal web creates a double section within the mounting member and/or support member are thereby provides increased structural stiffness and increased torsional stiffness to the assembly without unduly increasing its weight. This internal section structure reduces and in most cases eliminates the need to for any cross-bracing or lateral support members to the assembly, whether in a storage position or fully extended. The mounting member and the support member may be of substantially the same length.

In some embodiments, the brace may be extendable and as such, the brace may be rigidly affixed to the support member and the mounting member. Furthermore, brace may be releasably locked in the fully extended position.

In some embodiments there may be provided at least one supplementary support member. The at least one supplementary support member may be extendable and may be rotatably mounted to the drying assembly and is configured to be stored within the mounting member. In other embodiments, the supplementary support member is a separate component that is connected to the mounting member to from part of the assembly

Some embodiments may provide a stabiliser to stabilise the at least one supplementary support member. The stabiliser may comprises a link for transferring load on the at least one supplementary support member to the support member or the mounting member, whereby to support the load on the or each supplementary support member.

In some embodiments the drying assembly may comprise a connector permanently affixed to the support member and configured to temporarily connect a first drying assembly to a second drying assembly. The connector may be rotatably affixed to and configured to be stored within the support member and rotates from within the support member to enable a connection with the support member of the second drying assembly.

The connector is intended to laterally support the drying assembly when the drying assembly is fully extended. The structural stiffness of the mounting member and clothes support member are intended to support a fully loaded drying assembly. However, the option of additional lateral support is envisaged in situations where young children may swing or hang from the assembly, or if mounted outdoors, the loaded assembly experiences high velocity winds.

In some embodiments the support member may comprises a plurality of apertures for supporting additional drying means. The drying assembly may also be configured to be mounted to a vertical substrate.

In some embodiment the drying assembly may have an overall shape according to any one of the following profiles: rectangular, square, circular, ovoid, star and triangular. The support member, when fabricated or extruded can be formed in a variety of external section geometries and is not intended to be confined to regular shapes and sections. The support member and the mounting member may be made from a material selected from the following group: plastic, timber, metals and a combination thereof.

It is envisaged that luxury materials can be employed for manufacture or used as surface coatings to achieve high quality surface finishes, such as the use of titanium, chrome, stainless steel, carbon fibre, powder coating, aluminium, and anodized and mirrored materials. It is also envisaged that the outer surface of the support member may be decorated, mottled, embossed, patterned, perforated, cut-out, and textured to provide a plethora of external visual effects. The purpose of the external decoration is not to hide the existence of the drying assembly but rather to hide its purpose. Through the use of colourful, decorative or mirrored members the closed assembly could give the appearance of an object of art or a designer furnishing fastened to the wall.

In some embodiments, the drying assembly may further comprising a source of illumination and the source of illumination may be a series of light emitting diodes or tubular fluorescent lamps or halogen bulbs.

In another embodiment, the support member of the drying assembly may comprise an elongate shroud, the shroud having a plurality of apertures therein.

In another embodiment the support member may include a heat source or may be configured to receive conditioned fluid from a source such that heat from the heat source or the conditioned fluid facilitates drying of items disposed on the support member. The support member may be linked to a source of air or heat, be it fan forced or hydronic heat to further enhance the drying capacity of the assembly. In such embodiments, it is envisaged that the support member and/or the mounting member may be employed as fluid ducts to channel and direct the conditioned fluid such as warm air, warm water, dried or dehumidified air to the articles to be dried upon the assembly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The invention will now be described with reference to select embodiments described in further detail below, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a drying assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. The drying assembly 1 is shown in a fully extended, open position;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the drying assembly of FIG. 1 in a storage position, effectively mounted to an upstanding substrate such as a wall (not shown in the Figure);

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of an end mounting of a supplemental support rail mounted to a support chord of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3A is a front perspective view of a central mounting fixture affixed to a mounting member of FIG. 1, illustrating a stabiliser retention mount;

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the drying assembly of FIG. 1 in a partially extended position;

FIG. 5 is a vertical section cut through a hinge of the drying assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a vertical section cut through a mounting fixture between a support member and a brace;

FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of a central mounting fixture affixed to a mounting member of the drying assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is an end view of the mounting member of FIG. 1, at the mounting fixture of a lower supplementary support member;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the mounting member of FIG. 1 taken through the Section A-A;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the drying assembly of FIG. 1, illustrating the nesting between the support member and the mounting member when the assembly is in the storage position;

FIG. 11 is an exploded view of the drying assembly of FIG. 1, illustrating the relative mounting locations of the components of the assembly, which are concealed during normal use and storage of the assembly;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the drying assembly of FIG. 12 taken through the Section B-B, illustrating the internal packaging of the assembly;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a connector for adjoining multiple drying assemblies according to the invention to one another;

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the connector of FIG. 13 connected to the support member of the drying assembly, oriented in a storage position;

FIG. 15 shows multiple drying assemblies cross-braced by multiple connectors in a parallel arrangement of three drying assemblies according to some embodiments of the invention;

FIGS. 16 to 18 illustrate alternative configurations of the support member packaged to incorporate the mounting member of the drying assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 19 is a front perspective view of a drying assembly according to FIG. 16, illustrating a support member that is formed from a mesh and further illustrating illumination means within the support member;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a drying assembly according to one embodiment of the invention, illustrating an extendable support member;

FIG. 21 is an enlarged view of the support member of FIG. 20, illustrating a telescopic end portion of the support member;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a connector for mounting supplemental support members to the mounting member; and

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a lower end piece from FIG. 3, dismounted from the drying assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The drying assembly will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which one, but not the only, embodiment of the invention is shown. The invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiment set forth herein.

An embodiment of a drying assembly 1 is shown in FIG. 1. The assembly 1 comprises an elongate mounting member, in the form of a bar 10, and an elongate support member, in the form of an arm 20, and a brace, in the form of a strut 30.

The arm 20 hingeably coupled to an upper end of the bar 10 for disposition between a storage position in which the bar 10 and the support member are aligned parallel, and an open position in which the support member extends outwardly from the bar 10 to provide a continuous length for supporting clothes; and a strut 30 that is operable to retain the members 10, 20 in the open position; and wherein the arm 20 has a profile that defines a volume that conceals the strut 30 and the bar 10 in the storage position and that includes a reinforcing web 25 enabling connections with the strut 30 and the bar 10 to be concealed.

FIG. 1 shows a drying assembly 1 in a fully extended position. It comprises an elongate bar 10 pivotally attached to an arm 20, wherein the two members are connected by a strut 30 and held at right angles to one another.

The strut 30 is located below the arm 20 to provide a continuous and uninterrupted arm 20 that is sufficiently large to accommodate clothes, towels, bed linen and other domestic fabric items that require drying or airing. In some embodiments the drying assembly 1 can provide approximately 1.8 m of uninterrupted arm 20, thereby enabling bed linen to be dried without the need for it to be folded, which can significantly increase drying time and thus the time for which drying fabric is left out and visible around the home. Being able to dry large items in this manner avoids the need to resort to energy consuming appliances such as tumble driers. Tumble driers also have a detrimental effect on many fabrics, reducing longevity of the fabric or garment, deteriorating elasticity and damaging colour intensity and visual appearance of the fabric.

In the fully extended position the arm 20 sits substantially perpendicular to the bar 10. A proximal end 21 of the arm 20 is pivotally attached to a proximal end 11 of the bar 10 at a hinge 15 (not visible in FIG. 1).

The dimensions of the arm 20 can vary widely and is selected with reference to the available space in the household and the drying areas required by the user. It is contemplated that the arm 20 will range in overall length between 1.0 to 2.0 metres as this can provide a significant area for supporting clothes and allow flexibility in the product range for consumer selection.

When the drying assembly 1 is not in use, the arm 20 is rotated about the hinge 15 and brought to rest substantially parallel to the bar 10 such that the bar 10 is completely concealed from view. This constitutes the storage position which can be seen in FIG. 2.

Throughout this specification the term “concealed” is used in reference to the drying assembly and in this context refers to the ability for the arm 20 to house and hide all of the remaining components of the drying assembly 1. This includes the concealment of all fittings and fixtures from the external surfaces of the drying assembly 1 when mounted to a substrate and configured in a storage position.

In the fully extended position shown in FIG. 1,there is provided an upper supplemental support member represented in FIG. 1 as upper rail 40, and a lower supplemental support member shown as lower rail 50. The rails 40, 50 are rotatably mounted to the bar 10 such that the arm 20 and rails 40, 50 are approximately equidistantly spaced along the bar 10.

When in the storage position of FIG. 2, the drying assembly 1 conceals all fixing points to the substrate or wall to which it is affixed. The drying assembly 1 further conceals all internal components such as the strut 30 and supplemental support members shown in FIG. 1 as an upper rail 40, and a lower rail 50. This gives the drying assembly 1 clean and uncluttered lines which add to its visual, minimalistic, aesthetic appeal. Functionally, this reduces the opportunity for people to get caught on or trip over the drying assembly 1 when stored away.

It is intended that the drying assembly 1 be wall mountable to either an internal or an external wall, within a user's house or apartment. When mounted within a user's home it is intended that the external surfaces of the drying assembly 1 be unencumbered and free from snagging elements or other external features that could cause damage and further that the external surfaces of the drying assembly 1 should be visually appealing.

The drying assembly 1 is engineered to be structurally stiff, strong and lightweight and is therefore not intended to necessitate fixing to, or near a wall stud. The effect of the engineering is to distribute the load borne by the arm 20 through the bar 10 such that the tendency for the bar 10 to pull away from the wall is reduced, if not eliminated. This allows the assembly 1 to be mounted to plaster board and other non-external walls within a dwelling. It further reduces the potentially for unsightly damage that can be incurred on mounting surfaces such as plaster damage and cracking, when excess weight is point loaded.

The design of the bar 10 has mounting points configured to disperse the load from the arm 20 and strut 30 evenly and thereby reduce the potential for damage to walls to which the assembly 1 is mounted.

The neat and compact design of the drying assembly 1 is unobtrusive and conceals the amount of drying area provided by the assembly 1. Furthermore, the stored assembly 1 can be made discrete or visually appealing to camouflage its purpose and provide a feature of the interior of a dwelling. Even in the fully extended position, shown in FIG. 1, the assembly 1 takes-up minimal floor area while providing usable drying area without the tripping hazard or inconvenience of alternative clothes drying apparatus.

The strut 30 is used in compression to support the weight of the arm 20 against the bar 10. The brace shown in FIG. 1 is permanently affixed to both bar 10, and arm 20 at an upper 32 and a lower 34 mounting point (these mounting points are illustrated in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8).

In some embodiments the strut 30 is permanently affixed to only one member, either the arm 20 or the bar 10, and can be manually fixed relative to the second mount point once the drying assembly 1 is fully extended. A hook and latch type assembly or clip-in type fixing or the like may be used to secure the strut 30 in position.

All components of the drying assembly 1 are engineered to have a contact-fit.

Specifically, the components are designed to have very tight tolerances to reduce play to the drying assembly 1. This provides for a more sturdy assembly 1 and reduces the structural propensity to vacillate when loaded.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the strut 30 is made from two separate components; an upper member 30a and a lower 30b member. These components 30a, 30b can slide apart from one another in a telescoping mechanism. In an alternative embodiment, the components 30a, 30b are pivotally mounted such that the two halves of the strut 30 can fold upon one another. In another embodiment, the components 30a and 30b may form part of a gas strut whereby telescoping operation of the components 30a, 30b is gas assisted to transfer the working loads of the system into bar 10 during use.

The strut 30 is configured to be strong enough to support the arm 20 when fully loaded with items to be dried. This assembly is engineered to support about 80 kg of wet/damp clothes on top of the weight of the drying assembly itself (which may vary between 1 to 4 kg for assemblies with an arm 20 with a length of 0.8 to 2 m).

The strut 30 in FIG. 1 comprises two telescoping members, an upper 30a and a lower 30b with an approximately square cross-section. The upper 30a is of a larger volume than the lower 30b, such that the lower 30b will slide into the upper 30a when the drying assembly 1 is moved into the storage position.

The strut 30 is attached at an upper mounting point 32 (FIG. 6) to the arm 20 and a lower mounting point 34 (FIGS. 7 and 8) on approximately midway along the length of the bar 10. The mounting points 32, 34 are fixed relative to the arm 20 and bar 10 and allow the strut 30 to pivot relative to both bar 10, and arm 20. At each mounting point 32, 34 there is a saddle 16b and 16 respectively. The saddle 16b, 16 allows the mounting points 32 and 34 to be fixed in all linear directions but allow rotation in a single degree of freedom.

FIG. 6 illustrates a longitudinal section view through the arm 20. The outer surface 24 of the arm 20 is visible from the outside of the drying assembly 1 and is the main visual surface 24 when the assembly 1 is in the storage position. The saddle 16b is mounted onto an internal wall 25 within the arm 20, which is only visible when looking directly into the arm 20. The internal wall 25 is located approximately half way through the section of the arm 20 and runs along the entire length of the arm 20, essentially subdividing the arm 20 internally into two cavities.

The first cavity 26 has a fully enclosed section and the second cavity 27 which has an open cross-section in a substantially u-shaped configuration. The first cavity 26 is sufficiently large to incorporate the fixings of the saddle 16b therein e.g. nuts, bolts, rivets, washers or the like. The internal cavity 26 thus gives the underside 20a of the arm 20 a clean uncluttered appearance as the fixings are hidden within. A further advantage is provided in that no fixings are required in the top surface 20b of the arm 20 which is a visible surface when the drying assembly 1 is in the storage position.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 6 utilises two countersunk M6 socket screws to attach the saddle 16b to the arm 20. A similar mounting configuration is used between the lower part 30b of the brace and the bar 10 and also between the upper 40 and lower rail 50 in their connection to the bar 10.

A detent 31 is provided to lock the two portions 30a, 30b of the strut 30 into position and to ensure that the strut 30 is securely in place to react the load of any weight place on the arm 20. The detent 31 is shown in FIG. 1 in the form of a small catch that automatically clicks into place as the two members of the strut 30 are slid apart, and which a user can disengage by releasing the catch when the drying assembly 1 is to be stored.

In some embodiments a telescoping strut 30 is preferred, as a gas strut must be sufficiently strong to support the weight of wet clothes to be dried, but cannot be so strong that the arm 20 is deployed rapidly from the storage position, as this could pose a safety risk to users around their home. A damper may be incorporated into a gas strut to control the closing and opening rate of the arm 20 without impacting the overall bearing weight of the strut 30.

Similarly a release mechanism or detent on the strut 30 is important as a gas strut with sufficient strength to hold 10 kg of washing on a cantilevered beam at distance of 0.8 to 2.0 m poses difficulty to some users in overcoming the strut 30 to place the drying assembly 1 into the storage position.

The upper and lower rails 40, 50 are telescopic and each comprises a first portion 44, 54 and a second portion 46, 56 wherein the first portion has a larger volume than the second portion. This enables the second portions 46, 56 to be stored within the first portions 44, 54 when the drying assembly 1 is in a stored position, as shown in FIG. 2.

The first 44, 54 and second portions 46, 56 of the rails 40, 50 each include have a detent 41 and 51 to hold the respective first and second portions at their fully extended positions, as shown in FIG. 1. The detent further serves to prevent the second portion of the supplemental support rail 46, 56 being completely removed from the first portion of the supplemental support rail 44, 54. The detent may be a hook and catch or a spring loaded mechanism or the like.

The upper rail 40 and lower rail 50 are stabilised and thereby supported at their respective distal ends 42, 52 by attachment to a chord 60. The chord 60 comprises an upper 60a and a lower portion 60b (as shown in FIG. 11). Chords 60a, 60b are identical for ease of manufacture, however, it is contemplated that different length chords could be employed for alternative embodiments of the invention. At each end of chords 60a, 60b, there is a mount in the form of a barrel-shaped member. The barrel-shaped members are rigidly attached to the opposing ends of each of chord 60a, 60b and are intended for use to retain the chords 60a, 60b upon the assembly 1. The barrel-shaped mounts can be made from metal, plastic or in their simplest form a knot within the chord 60a, 60b.

The upper chord 60a is attached to a portion of the arm 20 at a mounting point 61 located towards a distal end 22 of the arm 20. The attachment configuration of the distal end 42 to the lower end of chord 60a is shown in FIG. 3. Chord 60b is disposed between the end piece 42 of the upper rail 40 and the end piece 52 of the lower rail 50. Accordingly, the length of chord 60b is tailored for the dimensions of drying assembly 1.

Chord 60b is releasably mounted into the distal end 52 of the lower rail 50 in a similar arrangement to that shown in FIG. 3. The end piece 52 is configured as a single piece (as opposed to the two piece construction of end piece 42) and as such does not operate to tension two chords in two opposing directions as does end piece 42.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 11, the barrel-shaped mount is slotted into the distal ends 42, 52 of the rails 40, 50. It is envisaged that alternative mounting techniques can be employed, such as a snap-fit style attachment or a clip and hook arrangement or a keyhole or other slotted recess for receiving a mounting member.

The distal end 42 has larger dimensions than the remainder of the second portion of the upper rail 46. The distal end 42 is formed by inserting two symmetrical end pieces 42a, 42b opposing one another, into an open end of the second portion 46 of the upper rail 40. The shape of end pieces 42a, 42b when opposing each other provides a central cavity 64 for receiving the barrel-shaped mount (not shown in the Figures). Further provided by the two end pieces 42a, 42b is a central recessed channel 43 running across the entire length of the end piece 42 for receiving the chords 60a, 60b.

The end piece 42b is illustrated in FIG. 23, disconnected from the second portion 46 of the upper rail 40. The end piece 42b is provided with a mounting leg 48 which is configured to be inserted into the open distal end 42 of the upper rail 40. A second end piece 42a, identical to end piece 42b, is also inserted into the open distal end 42 of the upper rail 40, in an opposing orientation, so as to create the central recessed channel 43 running across the end pieces 42a, 42b. The mounting legs 48 are resilient, and terminate such that a distance between the two legs 48 is broader that the internal breadth of the upper rail 40 or lower rail 50. When loaded into the rail 40, 50 the two mounting legs 48 are pushed towards each other and thereby tension the end pieces 42a, 42b against each other to hold them within the rail 40, 50.

The end pieces 42a, 42b are made from a resilient material to allow the mounting legs 48 to flex and thereby apply load to the rail 40, 50 from within the section. The end pieces 42a, 42b can be made from metal or a plastic material, for example a glass filled Nylon.

The length of chords 60a, 60b is configured such that when a first barrel-shaped mounting is inserted into mount 61 on the arm 20, the opposing barrel-shaped mount will align with the end-piece 42 located at the distal end of the second portion 46 of the upper rail 40. The length of the lower chord 60b is similarly matched to fit neatly between the upper rail 40 and lower rail 50 when in their fully extended positions.

The barrel-shaped mountings are dimension to fit into the cavity 64 formed between the end pieces 42a, 42b that make-up the end piece 42. The same mounting is also employed for the connection of end piece 52 to the chord 60b. The barrel-shaped mounts are slotted in the cavity 64, one at a time. As one end of the chord 60a is attached to the arm 20, the weight of upper rail 40 being attached to the chord 60a will create tension in the chord 60a which will pull the barrel-shaped mount up into the end piece 42b allowing the chord 60a to lie alignment with channel 43, capturing the barrel-shaped mount within the end piece 42b. The end piece 42a functions in the same manner, but with an opposing orientation such that the barrel-shaped mount is inserted into cavity 64 wherein the tension in the lower chord 60b pulls the barrel-shaped mount downwards toward the lower rail 50, wherein the barrel-shaped mount is captured within the end piece 42a. The end piece 52 of the lower rail 50 provides the same functionality as the upper end piece 42b to provide a lower mounting to the lower end of chord 60b.

Upper chord 60a is releasably attached to the arm 20 at the mounting point 61, the location of which is indicated in FIG. 1. The mounting 61 is an aperture or keyhole, into which the barrel-shaped mount upon the chord 60a may be slotted and therein retained. The chords 60a, 60b are thus detachable from the arm 20 and rails 40, 50 when the drying assembly 1 is placed in the storage position.

In order to neatly package all components of the drying assembly 1 and to ensure that all components are conveniently stored together, a stabiliser retention mount, shown as a t-bar 67 in FIG. 3A is provided. The t-bar 67 is rigidly affixed to a connector 45 which can be inserted into an end portion 44 of the upper rail 40. The t-bar 67 can be integrally formed with the connector 45. The t-bar 67 is provided as a mounting for the chords 60a, 60b when disengaged from the arm 20 and rails 40, 50 and allows the chords 60a, 60b to remain in close proximity with the drying assembly 1 in the storage position. The chords 60a, 60b can remain attached to the t-bar 67 when not in use, as the upper rail 40 and lower rail 50 may be left in a storage position when the arm 20 is fully extended, depending on the drying needs of a user.

The connector 45 is shown in detail in FIG. 22. The connector 45 has the t-bar 67 positioned approximately half way along its length, between a first end 45a for affixing the connector to the rail 40, 50 or brace 30 and a second end 45b for affixing the connector 45 to a saddle 16/16b.

The first end 45a comprises two resilient mounting legs 47, which are configured to be marginally wider than the internal breadth of upper rail 40, lower rail 50, or brace 30. In this manner, the mounting legs 47 are pinched together when inserted into the open ends 42, 52 of the rails 40, 50 and this force is used to hold the connector 45 inside the open end 42, 52 of the rails 40, 50.

The second end 45b of the connector 45 provides an aperture 49 for connecting the connector 45 to the saddle 16. When the connector 45 is inserted into the bottom portion of the strut 30b of the strut 30, the aperture 49 is configured to receive a pin or bolt thereby creating the first pivot 19a. This pivot 19a allows the brace 30 to fold in and out from the bar 10. When the second end 45b of the connector 45 is inserted into the upper rail 40, the aperture 49 receives a pin or bolt to thereby create the second pivot 19b. This second pivot 19b allows the upper rail 40 to rotate in relation to the bar 10 about the fixed saddle 16.

The connector 45 is made from a resilient material to allow the mounting legs 47 to flex relative to the second end 45b of the connector 45. The connector 45 can be made from metal of a resilient material, such as plastic or a glass filled Nylon.

The chords 60a, 60b are made from a metal wire but could equally be made from a twisted cable, filament, woven fibre, plastic thread or the like.

In an alternative embodiment, the upper rail 40 and the lower rail 50 can be removably connected to the bar 10. It is envisaged that a mounting hook or bar would be integrally formed on the saddles 16, 16a allowing the proximal ends of the first portions 44, 54 of the rails 40, 50 to hook or clip thereon. The hook and clip arrangement could be located on either of the two parts to be joined together without loss of functionality. This would allow the upper and lower rail 40, 50 to be hooked into place once the assembly 1 is fully extended and mounted to the chord 60 in a similar manner as described above. Furthermore, as the rails 40, 50 would not need to be stored within the bar 10 in this embodiment, it is not a requirement that the rails 40, 50 are extensible or telescope in any way.

The cross-sectional shapes of the rails 40, 50 can be circular, square, rectangular, ovoid, and triangular. Furthermore the rails may be smooth or notched for receiving hangers or directly receiving articles of clothing to be hung thereupon. The exterior configuration of the rails 40, 50 is not limited to the above geometrical shapes and can effectively be extruded in a wide variety of cross-sectional geometries.

A connector 70 in the form of a hook 70 is shown located at the distal end 22 of arm 20 in FIG. 1. The hook 70 is housed within the arm 20 when not in use and can be rotated out of the arm 20 to sit perpendicularly to the arm 20 and thereby connect to additional drying assemblies 1 according to this invention. The hook 70 will be discussed in more detail in reference to FIGS. 13 to 15.

In order that all components of the drying assembly 1 may be stored within the arm 20, a number of rotatable joints and mounting have been accommodated. FIG. 4 shows a drying assembly 1 according to one embodiment of the invention partially extended.

In FIG. 4, the upper 40 and lower 50 supplemental support rails have been fully retracted i.e. the second portions 46, 56 have been drawn into the first portions 44, 54.

The upper rail 40 shares a mounting point 34 with the strut 30. The mount 34 is illustrated approximately half way along the length of bar 10 in FIG. 4 and shown in more detail in FIG. 7. A saddle 16 is rigidly mounted to the bar 10 and provides two pivotable mountings adjacent one another. The first pivot 19a attaches the bottom portion of the strut 30b to the saddle 16 and the second pivot 19b attaches the first portion 44 of the upper rail 40 to the saddle 16. The saddle 16 allows the upper rail 40 to be rotated from a storage position within the bar 10, and drawn anti-clockwise until it sits approximately perpendicular to the bar 10, at which time it can be attached to the chord 60 at the distal end 42.

The arm 20 and the bar 10 are connected to each other by the hinge 15 which rotates about the pivot 17. An internal section of the hinge 15 is shown in FIG. 5. The hinge 15 is rigidly affixed to the proximal end 21 of the arm 20 and the pivot 17 is mounted through two aligned apertures (not shown in FIG. 5) within the proximal end 11 of the bar 10. The hinge 15 is rigidly affixed to the arm 20 by two M6 countersunk socket screws; although a range of alternative fixings may be employed to hold the hinge 15 in position.

As with other connections upon the drying assembly 1 the hinge 15 is internally concealed within the respective sections of the arm 20 and the bar 10, such that the hinge 15 has no visible components or fittings from the exterior of the drying assembly 1.

The upper rail 40 is shown in FIG. 7 to have a rectangular cross-section, approximately half the cross-sectional area of the strut 30. This allows the upper rail 40 and lower rail 50 to lie side-by-side when stored within the bar 10. FIG. 7 shows the first portion 44 of the upper rail 40 connected to the saddle 16 via connector 45. The distal end 52 of the lower rail 50 is stored adjacent the first portion 44 of the upper rail 40 but does not extend within the bar 10 as far as the central saddle 16.

FIG. 8 is a view of the lower saddle 16a attached directly to the distal end 12 of the bar 10. Lower saddle 16a has only one pivotable mounting 18 connected to the first portion 54 of the lower rail 50 via connector 45. The lower rail 50 when drawn from the storage position is rotated clockwise about the pivot 18 on lower saddle 16a and is rotationally inhibited from swinging through more than about 90 degrees. This allows the lower rail 50 to sit substantially perpendicularly to the bar 10 and extend from the distal end 12 of the bar 10.

In FIG. 8 the width of the upper 40 and lower rail 50 is approximately half the width of the bar 10. FIG. 8 illustrates the manner in which the rails 40, 50 are offset to one side within the bar 10, although the first portions 44, 54 of the rails 40, 50 connect centrally to the pivots 19b, 18 of the saddles 16 and 16a, respectively.

The arm 20 and bar 10 may be formed from a wide range of materials. Suitable materials include metal, polymers and wood. If it is desired to illuminate the drying assembly 1, it is contemplated to use hard wearing, transparent or translucent polymers such as Perspex® , Poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). For a modern look it is preferred to use bright and colourful plastics.

The bar 10 configuration, load capacity and light weight design is well suited to be formed from aluminium and has a U shaped cross section and ranges from approximately 1 to 1.8 metres in length. It is contemplated that the bar 10 could be formed from polymers using an injection process of other polymer processing. When fabricated from aluminium the extrusion process offers efficient manufacturing options.

The use of other materials is also possible, such as steel, fibre glass, carbon fibre or graphite fibres and resin. Similar materials can be used for the arm 20. The two components are preferably made from the same material, colour and finish. It is however, contemplated that the bar 10 may be made from a different material to the arm 20 to assist in camouflaging the drying assembly 1 within a home, or even for accentuating aesthetic features.

The cross-sectional properties of the section are detailed in FIG. 9, which is a horizontal section through the bar 10 at line AA as shown in FIG. 1. The cross-section of the bar 10 has an overall width of about 24 mm and an overall depth of about 34 mm. An internal wall 13 runs the entire length of the bar 10, essentially dividing the internal volume of the member into two distinct cavities, a closed cavity 13a and an open cavity 13b.

The internal wall 13 is about 1.5 mm in thickness which is approximately the same gauge as the external walls of the bar 10. The region between the rear wall 10a and the internal wall 13 is divided into three uneven compartments by webs 18a and 18b. The webs 18a and 18b are about 1 mm in thickness, but may differ in thickness in other embodiments. The webs 18a, 18b extend from the rear wall 10a of the bar 10 toward the internal wall 13 and splay outwardly towards the side walls 10b, 10c of the bar 10 in the direction of the internal wall 13. Similarly to the internal wall 13, the webs 18a and 18b extend along the entire length of the member 10. Each web 18a, 18b is located such that the central cavity 13a is approximately double the cross-sectional area of cavities formed between the webs 18a, 18b and their respective adjacent side walls 10b, 10c.

The internal wall 13 and stiffening webs 18a, 18b provide a closed box section around cavity 13a at the rear of the bar 10. This box section gives the bar 10 increased stiffness in both bending and torsion making the drying assembly 1 stiffer and sturdier and less prone to twisting and wobbling under load. The same stiffening effect can be achieved with more material in the section or a stronger material. However, these alternative solutions also incur a cost and weight penalty and ultimately can provide a drying assembly 1 which is less stylish for internal home use and require a stronger supporting substrate for mounting.

The cross-section of the arm 20 has an overall width of about 30 mm to 35 mm and an overall depth of between 60 mm to 70 mm. The material thickness of the support members range from between 1 mm to 2 mm, although the material gauge is dependent on the strength of the material selected.

The cross-section of the arm 20 is also divided by an internal wall 25 (as shown in the cross-section of FIG. 5). The two cross-sections of the arm 20 and the bar 10 sit snugly together as illustrated in FIG. 10. Specifically, the open section 27 of the arm 20 is capable of fully receiving almost the entire cross-section of the bar 10, with sufficient clearance to incorporate the hinge pin that forms pivot 17.

The double walled sections of the arm 20 and/or the bar 10 assist in evenly dispersing the load within the drying assembly 1. Providing internal wall and web structures within the arm 20 and the bar 10 maximised the structural efficiency of both sections. This allows the sections to provide efficient and even load bearing capacity and good torsional strength for a minimal weight penalty. In the configurations shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 both the arm 20 and the bar 10 effectively have a reinforcing skeleton or backbone running the entirety of their length. This backbone provides an increased stiffness to their sections, over an equivalently sized open section, and further assists in evenly dispersing the working loads of the assembly 1 across the bar 10 and thus the substrate into which it is mounted.

A further feature (not shown in the Figures) is a series of apertures that run longitudinally along the length of the arm 20. These apertures perforate sidewall 20c and sidewall 20d of the arm 20 and are aligned such that coat hangers of other devices may be removably attached to the drying assembly 1 for additional drying space.

FIG. 11 illustrates an exploded view of all the components used in this embodiment of the drying assembly 1. The components are shown in approximately their correct respective locations relative to one another when in the fully extended position.

The packaging of assembly 1 is such the all component can be stored within the volume of the arm 20. In this manner the inner components and mechanical workings of assembly 1 can be concealed. The term concealed as used hereinafter is intended to define the complete obscuration of all components of the assembly 1 within the volume of the arm 20, such that when mounted vertically and in a storage position, only the arm 20 is visible.

The packaging of the drying assembly 1 is illustrated in FIG. 12 which is a section taken longitudinally down the centre of the drying assembly 1. Within the cross-section of the drying assembly 1 the relative positioning of the hinge 15 can be seen at a proximal end of the assembly 1. Furthermore the saddles, 16, 16a, 16b are shown with saddle 16b fixedly attached to the arm 20 and the remaining two saddles 16 and 16a fixedly attached to the bar 10.

The lower rail 50 is also illustrated in FIG. 12 attached to the saddle 16a. However, the upper rail 40 is not visible in the section illustrated in FIG. 12.

FIG. 12 further illustrates the hook 70 which is housed within the arm 20. The hook 70 is shown in detail in FIG. 13. The hook 70 includes a flat shank 75 having two prongs 72a, 72b at its free end and two prongs 73a and 73b at an attachment end. Prong 73a has an attachment means in the form of a pin 71 which when coupled with a spring 74 is used to mount the hook 70 onto the distal end 22 of arm 20.

The hook 70 is effectively spring-loaded (see FIG. 14) to the end of the arm 20 and can be released with minimal pressure, allowing the hook 70 to be pulled downwards and rotated by 90 degrees, allowing the free prongs 72a, 72b to be temporarily attached to a second drying assembly 1 according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 15 multiple drying assemblies 1 may be interconnected using the hook 70 from each parallel assembly thus connecting and stabilising a plurality of drying assemblies 1 in series, when in their fully extended positions. Although the drying assembly 1 does not require lateral support when fully loaded, the addition of hook 70 allows the assembly 1 to function in unison with additional modular drying assemblies 1.

When the assembly 1 is mounted indoors there is always the possibility of young children hanging or swinging from the drying assembly 1. Likewise, when the assembly 1 is mounted outdoors, there is always the possibility of heavy winds which will place a lateral force on the assembly 1. For stability and for child safety, the modular nature of the drying assembly 1 (i.e. when the assembly 1 is coupled with other like assemblies through the hook 70) provides additional lateral stability if and when required by the user.

This feature provides the user with an option for additional drying area by arranging multiple drying assemblies 1 in close proximity to one another. When the hooks 70 are rotated through 90 degrees they can be stowed within each arm 20 and the individual drying assemblies 1 can be selectively extended or stored. Multiple modular assemblies 1 can also provide an aesthetic aspect or visually appealing addition to a living space.

In some embodiments, the hook 70 can be removable from the arm 20 and can be stored when not required. A wide range of cross bracing members or connectors may be used with the assembly 1 as alternatives to the hook 70. The connector may comprise an elongate body having two or more regularly spaced fastening devices for attaching the connector to the extended and spaced apart arms 20 of consecutive drying assemblies 1. The fastening devices could be extending shafts for friction fitting into bores within the arm 20. Alternatively, the fastening devices could be releaseable clamps for clamping to a portion of the arm 20. The fastening devices may comprise elasticated loops which would fit around the distal ends 22 of the arms 20 or projections thereof. Elasticated loops can be attached to an elasticated body, which would provide an additional benefit, providing a greater tolerance to spacing errors between each drying assembly to be cross-linked.

The hook 70 is sized so that it can fit flush within the arm 20 when the drying assembly is closed or when the hook 70 is not required. The hook 70 may be made from a wide range of materials, with light weight rigid materials such as plastics or aluminium being favoured.

FIGS. 16 to 18 show possible cross-sections of alternative embodiments of the rails for the drying assembly 1 according to the invention. The details of the internal walls and stiffening ribs have not been shown in these Figures as they are merely illustrative of alternate embodiments. These embodiments are envisaged to function in the same manner as the embodiment described above, but has an arm 20 with a different appearance to the embodiment earlier described. The bar 10 is intended to be the same as earlier described.

An alternative forms of the arm 20 is shown in FIGS. 16 to 19 as arm 20′. Like features in these forms are denoted with like reference numerals. The arm 20′, as illustrated in FIG. 16, is a cylindrical column significantly larger in diameter than the width of the bar 10, the arm 20′ having an elongate slot profile therein capable of encasing the bar 10 fully or at least partially. When closed the arm 20′ wholly covers the bar 10 thereby giving the appearance of a cylindrical column mounted against a wall.

The drying assembly 1 of the invention can include means for illuminating the assembly 1. The light source may be incorporated within the bar 10, or located externally to the bar 10, such as within the wall member, and is transmitted through the arm 20. The illuminations can be arranged to be visible either when the drying assembly 1 is in the storage position or the extended position or both.

Possible illuminating means include light emitting diodes (LED's) as a light source or a series of LED's or tubular fluorescent lamps or halogen bulbs incorporated within and along the length of the arm 20. It is also envisaged that the arm 20 or bar 10 can be formed from a transparent plastic or glass material allowing light to travel from the LED's through various sections of the drying assembly 1. The arm 20 or the bar 10 could comprise a transparent polymer shaft wherein the resin forming the plastic shaft was set around the LED's.

Alternatively, the member could comprise an elongate shroud of an appropriate metal, such as steel or aluminium, the shroud having apertures therein, and the LED's being fastened within the shroud. The light source could be located at one end of the arm 20 and the transmitted light passed along and through a polymer shaft or a shroud.

The light source could be located within the bar 19, and operate when the assembly 1 is closed so that light passes through and out of the arm 20. The light source may be operable when the arm 20 is in a specific orientation such as when it is fully open or fully closed or both.

In another embodiment the support member may deliver a source of air or heat, be it fan forced or hydronic heat to further enhance the drying times of articles on the assembly 1.

FIG. 19 depicts a drying assembly 1 of the invention with the arm 20 having the cross section shown in FIG. 16. The hollow arm 20′ is a cylindrically shaped metal mesh. The arm 20′ includes the bar 10 which in the storage position, fits around the bar 10. The arm 20′ can include a fluorescent tube 18 as illustrated in FIG. 19 or other light sources located within the hollow section. It is further contemplated that the light sources can be used as a source of heat for assisting and accelerating the drying time when using the drying assembly 1 of this embodiment.

In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 16 to 19, perforated or expanded metal sheets can be used to manufacture the arm 20′ and bar 10. The sheets are formed into an appropriate shaped member, such as hollow cylindrical members, or rectangular or triangular prisms (as shown in FIGS. 16 to 18). A light source can then be inserted within the arm 20′ providing a decorative source of illumination and heat (see FIG. 19).

In another embodiment of the invention, the drying assembly 1 is provided with an extendable arm 20, as shown in FIGS. 20 and 21. In this embodiment the distal end 22 of the arm 20 has an end portion 28 that telescopes or slides out of, and into, the arm 20 (the sliding direction is represented by a double ended arrow, and is substantially parallel to the arm 20). The end portion 28 remains attached to the arm 20 by virtue of an extendable arm 23. The arm 20 is sealed with an end cap 29, which hides any fittings in arm 20 to preserve the uncluttered appearance of the drying assembly 1. The end cap 29 can also provide a decorative component.

The extendable arm 23 is substantially square in section, as illustrated in FIG. 21. However, extendable arm 23 is not restricted to a substantially square cross-section and is contemplated to be circular, ovoid, rectangular etc. In the drying assembly 1 of FIG. 21, the extendable arm 23 is dimensioned to be housed within the first cavity 26 of the arm 20. The tolerance between the arm 20 and the extendable arm 23 is preferably a close fit, so as not to allow the extendable arm 23 to rattle around inside the arm 20. This nesting of extendable arm 23 within arm 20 allows the internal wall 25 to function as a support or guide way for the extendable arm 23 to run along. By housing the extendable arm 23 within the arm 20 the clean uncluttered lines of the drying assembly 1 are maintained and the storage position continues to hide the mechanical arrangements therein.

The extendable arm 23 does not interfere with the saddle 16b, as the extendable arm 23 does not extend the full length of arm 20. A detent or stop (not illustrated in the drawings) can also be incorporated into the extendable arm 23, to prevent the extendable arm 23 from being fully drawn out of the arm 20.

Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word “comprise”, and variations such as “comprises” and “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

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

It should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein may be employed in practicing the invention. It is intended that the following claims define the scope of the invention and that structures within the scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered thereby.

DRYING ASSEMBLY

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