STANDWÄSCHETROCKNER

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a freestanding clothes dryer for laundry items with a drying field and a foldable frame for placement on a floor or other surface according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] The clothes drying racks of this type preferably have a drying area and support brackets hinged to two opposite sides of the drying area, allowing them to fold downwards. The drying area is formed by two transverse frame profiles and cross profiles that connect the end sections of the frame profiles to form a surrounding frame. Lines or rods run from one side to the opposite side within this frame, serving as supports for hanging laundry. At the junctions of the frame profiles and the cross profiles, a hinge is provided with a first hinge part to which the profiles are attached. The support brackets are hinged to the drying area via a second hinge part, allowing them to fold down and act as feet.

[0003] The folding support brackets are designed such that they can be folded around the cross profiles or frame profiles on two opposite sides of the drying area from a storage position, in which they lie parallel to the drying area below it, to an installation position, in which they can be folded downwards, usually by more than 90°, to form a stand. To limit the swivel angle of the support legs, stop elements are provided at least at one of the joints associated with the support brackets. These stop elements move with the movement of each support bracket and, when the installation position of the associated support bracket is reached, abut against a stop. Often, in addition to the drying area, these freestanding clothes dryers also have fold-out wings on one or both sides, which can be used to create additional drying options.

[0004] A freestanding clothes dryer of the type mentioned above, with a drying area that can be extended in length, is known from EP 4 039 866 A1. Further freestanding clothes dryers with joints for connecting the feet to the drying area are known from DE 103 16 797 B4, EP 2 913 432 A2, KR 2004 49 083 Y1 and EP 0 931 871 A1.

[0005] These well-known freestanding clothes dryers have proven their worth in practice, as they require little storage space when folded and offer a large drying area when unfolded. However, since a relatively high weight hangs on the drying rack after it is loaded with wet laundry, even slight elasticity in the joints leads to warping of the frame, giving the user the impression that the frame is unstable due to wobbling. Furthermore, the mechanical stability should be increased.

[0006] From DE 20 2021 100 420 U1, a freestanding clothes dryer is known which has a rectangular drying frame, horizontally oriented when unfolded, with longitudinal and transverse profiles, wherein U-shaped leg frames or individual legs are pivotally attached to the longitudinal struts via joints. The longitudinal profiles project beyond the joint and are connected at their free ends to the transverse profiles to form the surrounding drying frame. This design has the disadvantage that the joint and the connection of the longitudinal profiles to the transverse profiles are separate components, which increases the manufacturing and assembly effort.

[0007] DE 42 10 308 A1 and IT PD20 120 371 A1 each disclose a freestanding clothes dryer in which the frame of the drying area is formed by a continuous, closed profile, with the support brackets being pivotally connected to this frame via a bolted connection. The load-bearing parts of such freestanding clothes dryers are usually made entirely of metal profiles and have the disadvantage that the design possibilities are limited and the construction of the joint must remain comparatively simple, resulting in a lower perceived quality.

[0008] The object of the invention is therefore to create a freestanding clothes dryer whose frame has greater torsional rigidity and load-bearing capacity.

[0009] This problem is solved according to the invention by a freestanding clothes dryer according to claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

[0010] The new freestanding clothes dryer has been optimized with regard to the special design of the joint. While in known freestanding clothes dryers the stops for limiting the swivel angle of the support arms are implemented within the joint, which is usually made of plastic, the invention now uses stops that are positioned and designed with stop elements in such a way that they are not supported on a buttress in the joint itself, but rather directly or indirectly on or against the frame profile.

[0011] What's new is that the frame profile absorbs the forces of the impact. This can, of course, happen directly by resting the impact device on the frame profile in the appropriate position where the support legs are extended. However, sleeves, shell-like pieces, or other intermediate components can also be used, which, in addition to damping the impact when the impact position is reached, can also exhibit a certain degree of elasticity.

[0012] In conventional freestanding clothes dryers, the joint consists of a first joint part made of plastic, which has a pipe socket for insertion into the frame profile. The ends of the feet are, in turn, held in pipe sockets on the second joint part in many conventional freestanding clothes dryers. The cross profiles are usually made of plastic and have receptacles for hanging the laundry, such as lines or rods. The first joint part can be part of the cross profile or integrally or integrally connected to it. The frame profile, which is usually tubular, is typically made of steel, but can also be made of light metal, particularly aluminum. This design means that the joint transmits forces from the drying area to the feet exclusively via the plastic joint parts.

[0013] Since a certain amount of play is unavoidable in the joint's articulated mounting of the two joint components in a purely plastic joint, and since the wall thicknesses of the respective parts are always limited by injection molding and economic constraints, the known joint results in a relative mobility between the ends of the frame profile and the ends of the stand, which is perceived by the user as wobbling. Furthermore, the weight of the wet laundry also creates a lateral load on the connection, which can lead to faster failure due to damage to the joint.

[0014] The new design in the joint area allows the stops to rest on a significantly more deformation-resistant frame profile. This reduces the potential for elastic deformation, particularly in the area against which the lifting device rests in the erection position. The lifting device itself can still be made of plastic, allowing it to be solid and thus subject to only minimal deformation.

[0015] To further increase stability, as is already known from the prior art, each joint can be provided with a pair of upper and lower stop elements. In the new design, the upper stop element rests on the top surface of the frame profile, while the lower stop element presses against the underside of the frame profile from below. For this purpose, the stop elements are arranged opposite each other from the perspective of the joint's axis of rotation. To ensure sufficiently large contact surfaces, the joint and the frame profile are preferably designed such that the frame profile extends horizontally into the joint beyond the axis of rotation. In the setup position, the upper stop element then makes contact with the top surface of the frame profile in front of the axis of rotation, while the lower stop element abuts the frame profile from below behind the axis of rotation.

[0016] The frame profile is typically a round tube, although the applicability of the invention is not limited to this. In any case, it exhibits high buckling resistance, which is now utilized according to the invention to achieve sufficient stability within the joint and the stop elements. In a preferred embodiment, the joint has a connecting bolt concentric to the axis of rotation. This connecting bolt extends through the second joint part into the first joint part and is preferably made of a stable, wear-resistant material. This can be a steel bolt or a bolt made of plastic or a light metal. Particularly preferably, the connecting bolt also extends into the frame profile. This fixes the position of the frame profile, especially in the horizontal direction, relative to the axis of rotation.

[0017] If the frame profile, as in the case of round tubes, has a surface curved at right angles to its longitudinal extent, the lifting elements can be adapted to this surface shape to create surface pressure. Alternatively, the lifting elements can contact the frame profile not only from above or below, but also have lateral guide elements so that they also grip the frame profile laterally. Both designs have the advantage that the joint play is reduced and thus the perceived stability is increased. This increases the torsional rigidity of the joint. Furthermore, the first joint component, to which the frame profile and the cross profile are attached, has a sleeve-like receptacle for the end region of the frame profile. This results in stable guidance that also counteracts tilting movements of the joint relative to the frame profile.

[0018] The lifting elements can be arranged within the joint. In the preferred embodiment, the first joint part has channel- or groove-like guide channels or recesses bent concentrically to the axis of rotation, in which the lifting elements connected to the second joint part are movably and preferably guided back and forth. The ends of these channel- or groove-like guide channels or recesses constitute the stops.

[0019] Within the channel- or groove-like guide channels or recesses, additional locking devices may be provided that, for example, hold the stops in position in the upright or storage position. This prevents the feet from being moved out of the upright position when the clothes dryer is lifted, especially if the folding angle of the feet exceeds 90°. Conversely, the locking devices can prevent the folded clothes dryer from unintentionally unfolding.

[0020] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings.

[0021] The drawings show: Fig. 1 shows a freestanding clothes dryer in three dimensions, Fig. 2 shows the in Figure 1 The freestanding clothes dryer shown in a top view, Fig. 3, is shown in the Figures 1 and 2Fig. 4 shows a side view of the clothes dryer, Fig. 4 shows the area of ​​a joint in a three-dimensional, enlarged view as an exploded view, Fig. 5 shows a sectional view along section line II. Figure 2 Fig. 6 a sectional view along section line II-II, Fig. 7 a sectional view along section line III-III from Figure 3 and Fig. 8 a sectional view according to the section line IV-IV from Figure 3 .

[0022] In Figure 1Figure 1 shows a freestanding clothes dryer according to the invention. The clothes dryer has a central drying area with frame profiles 3 on both the front and back sides. The frame profiles 3 are connected via cross profiles 13 to form a circumferential frame. Support elements 5, in this case in the form of thin rods, extend within this frame. Items of laundry are clipped or hung to these support elements 5. The invention is generally applicable in conjunction with all forms of support elements 5. In the illustrated embodiment, foldable extensions, namely a first hinged wing 4 and a second hinged wing 6, are provided on both sides of the drying area.

[0023] The advantage of the joints 2 of the freestanding clothes dryer shown here is that these joints 2 serve both as the joint 2 for the support brackets 1 and for the folding wings 4, 6. At the same time, the stops can be implemented particularly easily via stop elements 10, 11 guided in stop element guides 8, 9, thanks to their design as injection-molded plastic parts within the joint 2. A further advantage is that the inner sections of the joints 2 are integrally formed within the cross profiles 13. The cross profiles 13 and the two inner, first joint parts provided on either side of each cross profile 13 are thus manufactured together as an injection-molded part. This not only reduces manufacturing costs but also simplifies the assembly of the freestanding clothes dryer.

[0024] The drying rack can be set up on the floor or any other surface using the support brackets 1. The cross profiles 13 and the frame profiles 3 are connected to each other at all corners of the drying rack via first hinges. These first hinges are in turn connected to second hinges, to which the ends of the support brackets 1 are attached. This allows the support brackets 1 to be folded inwards and upwards, so that the clothes dryer can be folded into a flat package. To do this, the first folding wing 4 and the second folding wing 6 are placed on top of the drying rack.

[0025] Figure 2 shows the freestanding clothes dryer Figure 1In a top view, the frame profiles 3 are designed as metallic round tubes, in particular as steel tubes. As with the prior art freestanding clothes dryer, the end regions of the round tubes of the frame profiles 3 are inserted into the plastic joints 2. Figure 3 shows the freestanding clothes dryer from the Figures 1 and 2 In a side view, it can be seen that the support brackets 1 are also inserted into the plastic components of the joint 2 with their upper ends. Extensions in the form of a first folding wing 4 on the left side and a second folding wing 6 on the right side are provided on both sides of the drying area.

[0026] In the illustrated embodiment, the folding panels 4, 6 consist of two opposing plastic arms between which support elements 5 for laundry items run. Here, these support elements 5 are designed as rods, so that no further connection between the plastic arms is necessary to synchronize the folding movement. If the support elements 5 are deformable lines, a profile running transversely, particularly at the ends of the arms, should be provided to connect the two arms of each folding panel 4, 6. The arms of the folding panels 4, 6 are designed in their lower region such that their ends can be connected to and interact with the hinge 2, allowing the arms of the folding panels 4, 6 to be pivotally mounted on the hinge 2, independently of the hinge 2's other function.

[0027] Figure 4Figure 1 shows an enlarged exploded view of the joint 2. The joint 2 has a left, first joint part, which is integrally connected to the cross profile 13. The cross profile 13 is a plastic profile with rib-like reinforcements that increase its bending stiffness in the vertical direction. The support elements 5 for the laundry items extend from the cross profile 13 to the opposite cross profile 13. To the right of the first joint part, the second joint part is shown, which in turn is connected to the upper end of the support bracket 1. For this purpose, this end is inserted into a receiving sleeve of the second joint part. In the illustrated embodiment, the support brackets 1 are also metal profiles, which, as shown in Figure 1, are... Figure 1 It can be seen that in the lower corner areas, plastic elements are joined together to form an essentially U-shaped bracket.

[0028] The arm of the second folding wing 6 is hinged to the second joint part. Joint 2 thus has a dual function: firstly, the articulated mounting of the support bracket 1 on the cross profile 13 via the first joint part, and secondly, the articulated mounting of the second folding wing 6 on joint 2. Both joint functions are independent of each other. The hinged parts of joint 2 are rotatable about an axis of rotation running along or concentric to the cross profile 13. They are connected to each other via a connecting bolt 7, about which the second joint part and the lower part of the arm of the second folding wing 6 are rotatable.

[0029] The Figures 5 to 8 The joint 2 is shown in detailed illustrations in various sectional views. Figure 5 However, it shows the section along section line II. Figure 2The frame profile 3 extends into the joint 2 and is penetrated by the connecting bolt 7. The upper and lower areas of the interior of the joint 2 serve as the upper lashing guide 8 and lower lashing guide 9, respectively. The lashing elements, namely the upper lashing element 10 and our lashing element 11, are guided movably back and forth within these curved, channel-like cavities.

[0030] The in the Figures 5 to 8 The position shown is the installation position of the freestanding clothes dryer. Due to the installation movement of the stand 1, the upper stop 10 is rotated counterclockwise within the upper stop guide 8 to the left, resting against the insertion sleeve, which is part of the joint 2 and into which the frame profile 3 is inserted. This causes the upper stop 10 to press directly against the wall of the insertion sleeve and thus indirectly against the tube of the frame profile 3.

[0031] In the lower section, the lower lifting element 11 is located in the lower lifting element guide 9, resting against the underside of the insertion sleeve. The lower lifting element 11 is also moved counterclockwise by the setup movement. Here, too, the force is transmitted directly to the end of the frame profile 3. Inwardly projecting thickenings are provided in the outer walls of the upper lifting element guide 8 and the lower lifting element guide 9. These thickenings serve as locking lugs 12, holding the lifting elements 10 and 11 in position against a locking resistance. Similarly, locking lugs 12 are provided that retain the lifting elements 10 and 11 in the storage position by locking them in place.

[0032] The new joint 2 is characterized by the fact that the frame profile 3 does not terminate in an insertion sleeve extending from the outer part of the joint 2 towards the frame profile 3, but rather that the insertion sleeve, and thus also the outer area of ​​the frame profile 3, extends through the joint 2 beyond the axis of rotation of the joint 2. Due to the fact that, in the illustrated embodiment, the upper stop 10 presses down on the frame profile 3 from above and the lower stop 11 from below, the joint 2 is securely held in the erection position.

[0033] The contact surface of the lifting elements 10, 11 can be curved to match the curvature of the round profile of the frame profile 3. Alternatively, the insertion sleeve can also be designed so that it is flat in the area of ​​the contact surface and thus also exerts surface pressure on the then flat lifting element 10, 11.

[0034] Figure 6shows a sectional view along section line II-II in Figure 2 Here, the insertion sleeve for the frame profile 3 is just cut, but visible from the side. The attachment of the support bracket 1 is visible in the lower area. The profile of the support bracket 1 tapers towards the joint 2 and is inserted from below into the similarly tapered insertion sleeve.

[0035] In the Figures 7 and 8 Sectional views along section lines III-III and IV-IV are from Figure 3 The illustrations show a side view of joint 2. In particular, from Figure 7 It can be seen that the connecting bolt 7 is driven through the pivot point of the folding wing 4 and the second joint part into the first joint part and there into the frame profile 3. The hinged parts thus rotate around the connecting bolt 7. At the same time, the metallic connecting bolt 7 ensures stability within the joint 2.

[0036] The connecting bolt 7 can be driven into the metallic frame profile 3. Figure 8 The figure shows a knurling or stepping of the outer contour of the connecting bolt 7, which serves as a trigger or retraction safety device. The right head area of ​​the connecting bolt 7 (see figure) Figure 7 The thickened head section 3 also acts as a safety device to prevent the mechanism from being pulled out. In conjunction with the retraction safety device formed by the knurling or stepping, the thickened head section 3 is able to hold the parts of the illustrated joint 2, which are rotatable relative to each other, together. This results in increased stability of the joint 2 and thus of the clothes dryer.

[0037] In the embodiment shown in the figures, the lifting elements 10, 11 are guided within the upper lifting element guide 8 and the lower lifting element guide 9 integrated into the joint 2, i.e., integrated into the joint 2. This essentially corresponds to the design according to the prior art of upright clothes dryers, whereby in the known upright clothes dryers the lifting element guides 8, 9 were arranged in the housing of the joint 2 and at a distance from the frame profile 3, which previously did not project into the joint 2. Since the joint 2 was not solid, this resulted in an elasticity that is now avoided by the new design of the joint 2.

[0038] Stability can be increased in a similar way if the lifting elements 10, 11 are arranged outside the joint 2. In this case, in the erection position, the upper lifting element 10 would abut the top surface of the frame profile 3 in front of the joint 2, while the lower lifting element 11 is positioned behind the axis of rotation and behind the joint 2, against the frame profile 3 from below, which then also projects laterally out of the joint 2. A locking mechanism could also be provided here, in which the lifting elements 10, 11 are guided along the outer contour of the joint 2 and locking projections are provided on this outer contour.

[0039] The folding wings 4, 6 can also have their movement limited by stops. This is not necessary in the folded position, as contact with the central drying field provides an effective travel limit. However, locking devices can be provided at this point to hold the folded folding wings 4, 6 in the storage position. In the unfolded position, the folding wings 4, 6 can rest against the cross profile 13 or the support bracket 1 to form a stop.

[0040] As an alternative to the travel limits formed by the components of the clothes dryer itself for the folding movement of the folding wings 4, 6, a similar guidance of stops in corresponding channel-like grooves analogous to the stop guides 8, 9 can also be provided here. For example, the folding wings 4, 6 can have stops that are guided outside the second hinge part, with the corresponding grooves in which the stops are movable back and forth also being located on the first hinge part and further outwards relative to the stop guides 8, 9. The lower area of ​​the folding wings 4, 6, can then be bell-shaped, with the exception of the area to be kept clear for the movement of the support brackets 1, and can encompass the first hinge part. Reference symbol list:

[0041] 1 Stand bracket 2 Hinge 3 Frame profile 4 First hinged sash 5 Support element 6 Second hinged sash 7 Connecting bolt 8 Upper stop guide 9 Lower stop guide 10 Upper stop 11 Lower stop 12 Locking lug 13 Cross profile

Claims

1. Freestanding clothes dryer comprising a central drying panel and two support frames (1) hinged to the drying panel, wherein • the drying panel comprises, on both the front and rear sides, frame profiles (3), cross-profiles (13) connecting the end sections of the frame profiles (3) to form a surrounding frame, and support means (5) extending within the frame from one side to the opposite side for hanging items of laundry, • a hinge (2) is provided in each of the connection areas between the frame profiles (3) and the cross-profiles (13), • one end section of each of the frame profiles (3) and one end section of each of the cross-profiles (13) are connected to one another in a rotationally fixed manner, • the foldable support brackets (1) are each hinged at one leg in one of the hinges (2) and are designed such that the support frames (1) can be folded on two opposite sides of the drying area around the cross-members (13) or the frame profiles (3) from a storage position into a raised position, and • abutment means (10 or 11) are provided at at least one of the hinges associated with the support frames (1), which are moved along with the movement of each support frame (1) and, upon reaching the raised position of the associated support frame (1), abut against an abutment limiting the folding movement, characterised in that the abutment is formed by a section of the frame profile (3) or by an intermediate element arranged on the frame profile (3), whereby the abutment means (10 or 11) bears directly or indirectly on the frame profile (3) via the intermediate element.

2. Freestanding clothes dryer according to claim 1, characterised in that the abutment is an upper abutment formed by the upper surface of the frame profile (3) or the upper surface of the intermediate element, wherein the intermediate element is in the form of a sleeve or shell fitted onto the frame profile (3), and abutment means (11) rest on the abutment from above in the set-up position.

3. Freestanding clothes dryer according to one of the two preceding claims, characterised in that the abutment is a lower abutment formed by the underside of the frame profile (3) or the underside of the intermediate element, wherein the intermediate element is designed in the form of a sleeve or shell fitted onto the frame profile (3), and abutment means (10) rest against the abutment from below in the installed position.

4. Freestanding clothes dryer according to one of the two preceding claims, characterised in that the hinge (2) comprises a first hinge part connected to the cross-section (13) and a second hinge part which is connected directly or indirectly to the stand frame (1) and is rotatably connected to the first hinge part about an axis of rotation, wherein the frame profile (3) is connected to the first hinge part and the abutment means (10, 11) are arranged on the second joint part.

5. Freestanding clothes dryer according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the frame profile (3) extends into the first hinge part of the hinge (2).

6. Freestanding clothes dryer according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the frame profile (3) extends beyond the axis of rotation of the hinge (2), in particular through the entire hinge.

7. Freestanding tumble dryer as per the preceding claim, characterised in that the hinge (2) comprises a connecting bolt (7) on which the first hinge part and the second hinge part are rotatably mounted, or about which the first hinge part and the second hinge part can rotate, the connecting bolt (7) extending into the frame profile (3).

8. Freestanding clothes dryer as per the preceding claim, characterised in that the connecting bolt (7) is detachably mounted in the frame profile (3), or in that the frame profile (3) and the connecting bolt (7) are permanently joined together.

9. Freestanding clothes dryer according to any one of claims 4 to 8, characterised in that the hinge (2) has, at the section connected to the frame profile (3) in a rotationally fixed manner, a channel- or groove-like upper guide (8) for the abutment means, in which the upper abutment means (10) connected to the stand frame (1) is moved back and forth during the swivelling movement of the stand frame (1) from the storage position to the operating position and from the operating position to the storage position, with the ends of the upper abutment guide (8) forming the abutment for the upper abutment means (10).

10. Freestanding clothes dryer according to any one of claims 4 to 9, characterised in that the hinge (2) has, at the portion connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the frame profile (3), a channel- or groove-like lower guide (9) for the abutment means, in which the lower abutment means (11) connected to the stand frame (1) is moved back and forth during the swivelling movement of the stand frame (1) from the storage position to the operating position and from the operating position to the storage position, with the ends of the lower abutment guide (9) forming the abutment for the lower abutment means (11).

11. Freestanding tumble dryer according to the preceding claim or according to claim 9, characterised in that the channel- or groove-like abutment guide (8 and / or 9) comprises retaining means in the form of a retaining lug projecting into the channel- or groove-like abutment guide (8 and / or 9) (12) or retaining lips, which can be elastically displaced by the retaining means (10 or 11) and which, when the retaining means (10 and / or 11) are in contact, are capable of holding the retaining means (10 and / or 11) in a locked position.

12. Freestanding clothes dryer according to any one of claims 4 to 11, characterised in that the cross-section (13) is a plastic profile, the end portion of which is designed such that it forms, as a single piece, the first hinge part of the hinge (2).

13. Freestanding clothes dryer according to any one of claims 4 to 12, characterised in that the frame profile (3) is formed by a hollow or solid tubular profile, made in particular from metal.

14. Freestanding clothes dryer according to any one of claims 4 to 13, characterised in that the freestanding clothes dryer comprises a first folding flap (4) and / or a second folding flap (6) for extending the drying area by folding out the folding flaps (4, 6), wherein the folding flaps (4, 6) are hinged to the first hinge part and the swivelling movement of the folding wings (4, 6) into an open position, remote from the drying area, is limited by abutments.

15. Freestanding clothes dryer as according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the abutments for the movement of the folding wings (4, 6) are formed by abutment members (10, 11) which are guided in abutment member guides (8, 9) in the first hinge part, which are formed by channel- or groove-like sections of the first hinge part and form the abutment for the opening movement of the hinged wings (4, 6), wherein the movement of the abutments for the movement of the hinged wings (4, 6) takes place along a circular path concentric with the axis of rotation of the hinge (2), which has a larger or smaller diameter relative to the circular path of movement of the upper abutment means (10) and the lower abutment means (11).