Folding Clothes Airer Structure Without Telescopic Legs

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing clothes airers with telescopic legs are complex and result in a changing overall height as the frames move between open and closed positions, complicating the structure and assembly.

Innovation Solution

A clothes airer design featuring pivotally connected frames with one frame attached to a support member and the other frame connected to a slidably mounted fitting, eliminating the need for telescopic legs and allowing for a consistent overall length throughout positions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If telescopic legs are provided to support the connected pairs of frames, then the airer can be supported over a surface, but the structure becomes more complex and the overall height changes as the frames move between open and closed positions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesupport stabilityVSAvoidstructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the telescopic leg mechanism from the structure entirely. Instead of using telescopic legs that extend and retract, the invention employs fixed-length support members combined with a slidable fitting that moves along the support member. This extraction of the telescopic mechanism eliminates the complexity associated with telescopic joints while maintaining the support function through the sliding fitting arrangement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Rather than making the support member itself telescopic (which creates complexity), the invention inverts the approach by making the fitting slidable along a fixed support member. This reversal of which component moves - the fitting rather than the support member - achieves the same functional outcome of accommodating frame movement while keeping the support structure simple and of constant length.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Stability of the object's composition

If telescopic legs are provided to support the connected pairs of frames, then the airer can be supported over a surface, but the overall height of the structure changes as the pairs of connected frames move between open and closed positions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesupport stabilityVSAvoidoverall height consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The telescopic leg mechanism is completely removed from the design. The support function is achieved through fixed-length support members that maintain constant overall height, combined with a slidable fitting that absorbs the dimensional changes occurring in the frame assembly during opening and closing operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of allowing the support member length to change (telescopic action), the invention inverts the approach by keeping the support member length constant and allowing the fitting to slide along it. This ensures the overall height remains consistent while the fitting's movement along the support member accommodates the frame position changes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Ease of manufacture

If a slidably mounted fitting is used instead of telescopic legs, then the structure is simpler and easier to assemble, but the fitting must be mounted laterally on the support member rather than over the end

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassembly easeVSAvoidfitting installation

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The fitting is designed with a preliminary opening state that allows lateral mounting onto the support member before the frame assembly is completed. This preliminary open configuration enables workers to attach the fitting to the support member without requiring complex tools or techniques, and without needing to pass the fitting over the end of the support member. After mounting, the fitting transitions to its closed state to provide the sliding function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables a simpler, cost-effective, and easy-to-assemble clothes airer that can be folded without telescopic legs, maintaining a constant overall length and providing stable support for clothes.

Implementation Method 1

The fitting may be operable between an open state in which it may be mounted laterally on the support member and a closed state in which, when mounted on the support member, it may move longitudinally relative to the support member but not be displaced laterally from the support member

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Implementation Method 2

at least one pair of pivotally connected frames wherein one frame of the pair of connected frames is pivotally connected to the support member

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHinge: Hinge

Data Source

PatentUS8100274B2Clothes airer

Publication Date: 2012.01.24 VALE MILL (ROCHDALE) LTD

AI summary

A clothes airer with a number of pairs of pivotally connected pairs of frames 1. The pairs of frames are pivotally connected to each other at their free ends and to legs 5. One frame of each pair is pivotally connected to one or more legs 5 and the other is pivotally connected to one or more fittings 7 slidably mounted on respective legs 5.