Foldable Drying Rack Locking Structure to Prevent Unintended Unfolding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Foldable clothes drying racks often experience unintended unfolding when moved, and existing solutions rely on external clamps for locking mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A foldable clothes drying rack design with a built-in locking arrangement that interlocks the lateral wings with the legs when both are in their folded positions, using pivotally coupled locking members to maintain the rack in a compact state without external means.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If external clamps are used to lock the lateral wings in the folded position, then the reliability of maintaining the folded state is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional external components
Solution Approach 1:
The locking function is merged with the existing lateral wings and legs structure. The lateral wings themselves are configured to interlock with the legs when folded, eliminating the need for separate external clamps while maintaining the reliability of the folded state
Solution Approach 2:
The drying rack structure serves its own locking function through the interlocking configuration of its components. The lateral wings and legs are designed to automatically engage with each other when folded, making the system self-locking without requiring external locking mechanisms
2Reliability
If external clamps are used for locking, then the reliability of preventing unintended unfolding is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to additional manual intervention required
Solution Approach 1:
The drying rack automatically locks itself through the interlocking configuration of lateral wings and legs when folded, and can be easily unlocked by simply unfolding the wings, eliminating the need for manual operation of separate clamps
3Device complexity
If the locking arrangement interlocks lateral wings with legs using built-in structure, then the device complexity is reduced by eliminating external means, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase to ensure proper interlocking
Solution Approach 1:
The structure is divided into distinct modular components (lateral wings, legs, frame) with standardized connection points. This segmentation allows for easier manufacturing and assembly while maintaining precise interlocking through defined geometric relationships between components
Solution Approach 2:
The lateral wings and legs are designed with asymmetric interlocking features that provide stable engagement in the folded position. The asymmetric geometry ensures proper alignment and locking without requiring high-precision manufacturing tolerances
Data Source
Figure 1a~2b
Figure 3a~3b
Figure 3c~4
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a clothes drying rack (1") comprising a frame (2), a first lateral wing (3a) pivotally coupled to the frame (2) and a second lateral wing (3b) pivotally coupled to the frame (2). Each of the first lateral wing (3a) and the second lateral wing (3b) are pivotable between a folded wing position and an unfolded wing position. The clothes drying rack (1") further comprises a first leg (5a) and a second leg (5b), both of which are pivotally coupled to the frame (2), and foldable between a folded leg position and an unfolded leg position. The clothes drying rack (1") comprises a locking arrangement (4) arranged to lock the legs (5a, 5b) with the lateral wings (3a, 3b) when the legs (5a, 5b) and the lateral wings (3a, 3b) are in their respective folded positions.