Foldable Drying Rack Wing Lock for Stable Folded Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Foldable clothes drying racks often experience lateral wings unfolding during handling, leading to inconvenience when storing or transporting them.
Innovation Solution
A clothes drying rack design featuring cross legs and a lateral wing retaining member that provides a snap-lock functionality to keep the lateral wings locked in the folded position, preventing unintended unfolding during handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the lateral wings are made foldable to minimize storage size, then the storage compactness is improved, but the lateral wings may unfold during handling causing inconvenience
Solution Approach 1:
The retaining member is designed to proactively prevent the lateral wing from unfolding during handling by creating a mechanical interference condition. The groove geometry and retention force are engineered to counteract the unfolding tendency before it occurs, allowing the drying rack to be transported and handled in the folded state without the lateral wings accidentally opening.
2Reliability
If a retaining member with groove is added to lock the lateral wing, then the folded state stability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The retaining member is integrated with either the frame or the lateral wing structure, merging the locking function into an existing structural element. This integration approach adds the retention capability while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity, as the retaining member shares space and structural support with the components it is attached to.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove-shaped retaining member automatically engages with the lateral wing through its geometric configuration, creating a self-locking mechanism. The interference fit and snap-lock functionality are achieved through the groove geometry itself, without requiring additional actuating mechanisms, springs, or complex locking systems, thereby maintaining simplicity while ensuring reliable retention.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a clothes drying rack (1) comprising a frame (3), a first lateral wing (7) pivotally coupled to the frame (3), which first lateral wing (7) is pivotable between an unfolded wing position, and a folded wing position, relative to the frame (3), cross legs (5) pivotally coupled to the frame (3), and a first lateral wing retaining member (9) fixedly mounted to the clothes drying rack (1), which first lateral wing retaining member (9) is arranged to releasably lock only the first lateral wing (7), in the folded wing position of the first lateral wing (7), to the frame (3).