Improvements in clothes dryers

Abstract

Improvements in clothes dryers A clothes dryer 1 comprises a plurality of main arms 3 between which cords 4 extend, the main arms have proximal ends at a support pole 2. Secondary arms 8 are hingedly attached to the underside of the main arms adjacent the proximal ends thereof. When the main arms are in an in-use configuration the secondary arms are foldable between a stored configuration wherein distal ends of the secondary arms are adjacent to their respective main arms, and an in-use configuration wherein distal ends of the secondary arms are more spaced from the main arms, the secondary arms are at an angle to the main arms, and a user may hang washing on the secondary arms.

Description

[0001] Improvements in clothes dryers

[0002] The present invention relates to clothes dryers.

[0003] Clothes dryers, or 'airers' are routinely used as a cost-effective way to dry clothing using ambient air temperature.

[0004] Clothes dryers often have a main pole having foldable arms extending therefrom and cords running between the arms. Such dryers may or may not be able to rotate and therefore 'rotary'.

[0005] The present invention seeks to improve upon the prior art.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a clothes dryer comprising: a plurality of main arms between which cords extend, the main arms having proximal ends at a support pole; secondary arms that are hingedly attached to the underside of the main arms adjacent the proximal ends thereof; wherein when the main arms are in an in-use configuration the secondary arms are foldable between: a stored configuration wherein distal ends of the secondary arms are adjacent to their respective main arms; and: an in-use configuration wherein distal ends of the secondary arms are more spaced from the main arms, the secondary arms are at an angle to the main arms, and a user may hang washing on the secondary arms.

[0007] The provision of secondary arms moveable from i) a stored configuration wherein they are adjacent to the main arms and not usable for hanging clothes; to ii) an in-use configuration wherein they are folded down such that they are angled to, and spaced from, the main arms and usable for hanging clothes provides a user with additional hanging space should it be required.

[0008] In some embodiments a plurality of main arms extend radially from a support pole. In some embodiments the main arms and secondary arms may be together folded such that they are substantially parallel or near parallel to the support pole.

[0009] In some embodiments the dryer comprises a set of three main arms, or comprises a set of four main arms.

[0010] In some embodiments the dryer comprises two sets of three main arms, or comprises two sets of four main arms.

[0011] In some embodiments the secondary arms are telescopic.

[0012] In some embodiments a secondary arm is retained in its stored configuration by means of at least one fastener.

[0013] In some embodiments the fastener employs a friction fit to retain the secondary arm in its stored configuration.

[0014] In some embodiments a fastener is located at a distal end of a secondary arm.

[0015] In some embodiments the main arms are angled upwardly when the dryer is in use.

[0016] In some embodiments when the dryer is in use the main arms are angled upwardly at between 15 and 35 degrees to the horizontal, or at between 20 and 30 degrees to the horizontal or at around 25 degrees to the horizontal.

[0017] In some embodiments the main arms are angled upwardly when the dryer is in use and in their in-use configuration the secondary arms fold down to be between 0 and 15 degrees to the horizontal, or to be between 0 and 10 degrees to the horizontal or to be around 5 degrees to the horizontal.

[0018] In some embodiments the main arms are angled upwardly when the dryer is in use and the secondary arms fold down to be substantially horizontal in their in-use configuration. In some embodiments the secondary arms are substantially parallel to the main arms when in their stored configuration.

[0019] In some embodiments the dryer comprises a plurality of support legs.

[0020] In some embodiments the dryer comprises a plurality of stakes to secure the support legs on a surface.

[0021] According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of drying clothes comprising the step of providing a clothes dryer made in accordance with any preceding statement of invention.

[0022] In order that the present invention may be more fully understood a specific embodiment will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, of which:

[0023] Figure 1 is a side view of a dryer made in accordance with the present invention with its arms in a collapsed configuration;

[0024] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the dryer of Figure 1;

[0025] Figure 3 is a side view of the dryer of Figure 1 in a first in-use configuration;

[0026] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the dryer of Figure 3;

[0027] Figure 5 is a side view of the dryer of Figure 1 in a second in-use configuration;

[0028] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the dryer of Figure 5;

[0029] Figure 7 is a side view of the dryer of Figure 1 in a third in-use configuration;

[0030] Figure 8 is a perspective view of the dryer of Figure 7;

[0031] Figure 9 is a perspective view of a main arm and a secondary arm of the dryer of Figures 1 to 8, with the secondary arm in an in-use configuration;

[0032] Figure 10 is a perspective view of an end of the secondary arm of Figure 9

[0033] Figure 11 is a perspective view of an end of the main arm of Figure 9; and

[0034] Figure 12 is a perspective view of the ends of a main arm and a secondary arm of the dryer of Figures 1 to 8, with the secondary arm in a stored configuration.

[0035] A clothes dryer 1 comprises a substantially central support pole 2 and eight main arms 3 that extend radially from support pole 2. Dryer 1 further comprises four radial support legs 6 extending from the base of support pole 2 in order that dryer 1 may be stood on a surface.

[0036] Support legs 6 comprise apertures (not shown) through which stakes 7 may be inserts so as to securely stake dryer 1 to the ground.

[0037] In other embodiments a dryer may not incorporate any support legs but may instead have a simple cylindrical support pole that is designed to be retained within a hole formed in the ground, such as is common with prior art rotary clothes dryers.

[0038] The eight main arms 3 are split into two sets of four main arms 3 such that dryer 1 has a lower set 3a of main arms 3 and an upper set 3b or main arms 3. Other than their position on support pole 3 the upper and lower sets 3a, 3b or main arms 3 are substantially identical.

[0039] In each set 3a, 3b or main arms, cords 4 are threaded through apertures 5 formed in main arms 3 so as to provide a support for a user to hang or peg clothes.

[0040] Each main arm 3 comprises a plurality of apertures, in the present embodiment 4 apertures, for cords to be threaded therethrough.

[0041] Each main arm 3 is hingedly attached to support pole 2 such that dryer 1 may be altered between a collapsed configuration as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 and in-use configurations as illustrated in Figures 3 to 8.

[0042] In its collapsed configuration main arms 3 are folded upwardly away from support legs 4 such that they are nearly parallel to support pole 2.

[0043] In a first in-use configuration as depicted in Figures 3 and 4 main arms 3 are folded down such that they extend radially from support pole 2 at an angle of roughly 25 degrees to the horizontal.

[0044] In the first in-use configuration a user may hang and peg clothes to cords 4 that extend between main arms 3. However, if a user requires more space for hanging clothes the user may deploy secondary arms 8 that are hingedly attached to the underside of main arm 3.

[0045] Each main arm 3 has a secondary arm 8 hingedly attached to its underside adjacent its proximal end (i.e. the end nearest support pole 2).

[0046] In their stored configuration, best illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, secondary arms 8 are substantially parallel to main arms 3 and are retained in this position by means of a friction fit fastener 9 illustrated in Figures 9 to 12.

[0047] Fastener 9 is formed of female part 9a located at the distal end of secondary arm 8 and male part 9b located adjacent the distal end of main arm 3 on the underside thereof.

[0048] Planar male part 9b is configured to be snugly housed within recess 10 formed in female part 9a such that aa friction fit is formed between female and male parts 9a, 9b thereby releasably retaining a secondary arm 8 in a stored position that is substantially parallel to main arm 3.

[0049] In other embodiments any suitable fastener may of course be used.

[0050] To deploy a secondary arm 8 a user simply applies force to secondary arm 8 so as to overcome the friction fit and fold secondary arm 8 downward to an in-use position as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6.

[0051] In this configuration the proximal end of the secondary arm 8 remains adjacent to the proximal end of the main arm 3 as the proximal end of secondary arm 8 is hingedly attached to main arm 3 adjacent the proximal end of main arm 3.

[0052] The distal end of secondary arm 8 is more spaced from main arm 3 as secondary arm 8 is angled to main arm 3 such that secondary arm 8 and main arm 3 define a triangular space within which a user may insert washing and hang it on secondary arm 8. If a user still requires more space for hanging clothes the user may telescopically extend one or more of secondary arms 8 as illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 showing the third in-use configuration of dryer 1.

[0053] Each of secondary arms 8 comprises a first arm portion 8a that telescopically extends from a second arm portion 8b.

[0054] In their telescopically extended configurations secondary arms 8 provide additional space for a user to hang clothes.

[0055] In this specification an apparatus / method / product "comprising" certain features is intended to be interpreted as meaning that it includes those features, but that it does not exclude the presence of other features.

[0056] Many variations are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

Claims:

1. A clothes dryer comprising: a plurality of main arms between which cords extend, the main arms having proximal ends at a support pole; secondary arms that are hingedly attached to the underside of the main arms adjacent the proximal ends thereof; wherein when the main arms are in an in-use configuration the secondary arms are foldable between: a stored configuration wherein distal ends of the secondary arms are adjacent to their respective main arms; and: an in-use configuration wherein distal ends of the secondary arms are more spaced from the main arms, the secondary arms are at an angle to the main arms, and a user may hang washing on the secondary arms.

2. The dryer of claim 1 wherein a plurality of main arms extend radially from a support pole.

3. The dryer of claim 1 or 2 wherein the main arms and secondary arms may be together folded such that they are substantially parallel or near parallel to the support pole.

4. The dryer of any preceding claim comprising a set of three main arms, or comprising a set of four main arms.

5. The dryer of any preceding claim comprising two sets of three main arms, or comprising two sets of four main arms.

6. The dryer of any preceding claim wherein the secondary arms are telescopic.

7. The dryer of any preceding claim wherein a secondary arm is retained in its stored configuration by means of at least one fastener.

8. The dryer of claim 7 wherein the fastener employs a friction fit to retain the secondary arm in its stored configuration.

9. The dryer of claim 7 or 8 wherein a fastener is located at a free end of a secondary arm.

10. The dryer of any preceding claim wherein the main arms are angled upwardly when the dryer is in use.

11. The dryer of any preceding claim wherein when the dryer is in use the main arms are angled upwardly at between 15 and 35 degrees to the horizontal, or at between 20 and 30 degrees to the horizontal or at around 25 degrees to the horizontal.

12. The dryer of any preceding claim wherein the main arms are angled upwardly when the dryer is in use and in their in-use configuration the secondary arms fold down to be between 0 and 15 degrees to the horizontal, or to be between 0 and 10 degrees to the horizontal or to be around 5 degrees to the horizontal.

13. The dryer of any of claims 1 to 12 wherein the main arms are angled upwardly when the dryer is in use and the secondary arms fold down to be substantially horizontal in their in-use configuration.

14. The dryer of any preceding claim wherein the secondary arms are substantially parallel to the main arms when in their stored configuration.

15. The dryer of any preceding claim wherein the dryer comprises a plurality of support legs.

16. The dryer of claim 15 comprising a plurality of stakes to secure the support legs on a surface.

17. A method of drying clothes comprising the step of providing a clothes dryer made in accordance with any preceding claim.

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