Sliding Grid Clothes Drying Rack for Stable Full-Length Hanging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional clothes drying racks have limited secondary grids that are not as functional as the main grid, restricting the size of items that can be hung, and are often complex, unstable, and costly to produce.
Innovation Solution
A clothes drying rack design featuring two longitudinal members with sliding grids that can combine to form a single central grid or separate for increased capacity, using quadrangular tubular frames and guiding elements made of molded plastic for stability and ease of assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional secondary grids are made half the length of the main grid to maintain stability, then the clothes drying rack can maintain stable equilibrium, but the secondary grids cannot accommodate large items like bedsheets and large towels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the secondary grids movable relative to the main grid through sliding mechanisms. The secondary grids can be extracted completely from the main grid structure, transforming from a fixed half-length configuration to a fully extendable configuration. This dynamic movement allows the secondary grids to achieve full length equal to the main grid when completely extracted, enabling them to accommodate large items like bedsheets and towels while maintaining stability through the guiding elements and locking mechanism.
2Stability of the object's composition
If stroke limit means of restraint are used to prevent complete extraction of grids, then the structure is constrained, but the rack becomes complex and costly to produce
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the self-service principle through the locking mechanism that automatically engages when the secondary grids are in the desired position. The grid frames have lateral portions with integrated locking elements that self-lock into corresponding slots on the longitudinal members, eliminating the need for separate complex restraint mechanisms. This self-locking feature provides structural constraint while keeping the assembly simple and cost-effective.
3Ease of operation
If tubular U-shaped elements with sliding cross-members are used, then the grids can slide, but the structure becomes not very sturdy and complex to assemble
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the sliding mechanism into distinct functional components: the longitudinal members with integrated guiding elements, the secondary grids with lateral portions, and the locking slots. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the longitudinal members provide structural strength while the guiding elements enable smooth sliding, and the locking slots provide secure positioning. The modular segmented design simplifies assembly compared to integrated U-shaped tubular elements.
Data Source
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AI summary
A clothes drying rack (10), of the type comprising two longitudinal members (11, 12) for supporting two mutually opposite grids (13, 14), which can slide with respect to each other between a first configuration of substantial overlap, so as to define a single central hanging grid (15), and a second configuration of complete extraction, both grids being completely available for hanging, supporting means (16) for the clothes drying rack (10) being associated with the longitudinal members. In this rack, each one of the two grids (13, 14) is defined by a quadrangular tubular frame (17, 18), which supports a plurality of rod-like or wire-like clothes hanging components, the lateral portions (19, 20, 21, 22) of the tubular frames (17, 18) being adapted to slide on corresponding guiding elements (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30) which are associated with the longitudinal members (11, 12).