US 5,492,237 AGranted

Expandable and retractable multiple article drying rack

OwnerKil J. Changinventor

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Abstract

A multiple article drying rack includes a base assembly and a plurality of upright posts, a central rod, and a plurality of fingers mounted on the base assembly. The base assembly includes pairs of end support members, a pair of middle support members, and rotary connectors defining substantially parallel rotational axes and pivotally coupling the end support members together, the end support members and middle support members together and the middle support members together so as to define the base assembly as at least a pair of parallelogram structures convertible between erected and collapsed conditions. The upright posts are mounted at lower ends on respective ones of the rotary connectors and extend upwardly therefrom along the rotational axes thereof so as to receive and hold articles, such as baby bottles, in inverted orientations over upper ends of the upright posts. The central rod has a hook on its upper end and is supported at its lower end on a central one of the rotary connectors with a plurality of pins mounted to the rod between its upper and lower ends. The fingers are mounted to the end and middle support members between and spaced from the upright posts mounted by the rotary connectors at opposite ends of the end and middle support members.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A multiple article drying rack, comprising:

(a) a base assembly formed by a plurality of elongated end support members each having first and second opposite ends, a plurality of elongated middle support members each having a pair of opposite ends, and a plurality of rotary connectors defining a plurality of substantially parallel rotational axes and pivotally coupling said end support members together, said end and middle support members together and said middle support members together so as to define said base assembly as at least a pair of parallelogram structures convertible between erected and collapsed conditions, each of said rotary connectors including
(i) a pair of annular hubs attached to adjacent ends of said respective end and middle support members such that one hub is disposed above the other hub,
(ii) a pivot pin extendable through central bores formed through said hubs, said pivot pin having a lower end portion with at least one longitudinal slot formed therein defining a latch element on said lower end portion of said pivot pin having a plurality of circumferentially spaced resilient prongs being expandable and contractable relative to one another between respective expanded and contracted outside diameter sizes correspondingly larger and smaller than an inside diameter of said central bores of said hubs so as to permit releasable securement of said pivot pin through said central bores of said hubs, and
(iii) an annular stop element defined about an upper end portion of said pivot pin for engaging an upper one of said hubs;
and
(b) a plurality of upright posts each being mounted at a lower end on one of said rotary connectors and extending upwardly therefrom along said rotational axis thereof so as to receive and hold an article over an upper end of said upright post.

3 more elements

A multiple article drying rack, comprising:

(a) a base assembly formed by a plurality of elongated end support members each having first and second opposite ends, a plurality of elongated middle support members each having a pair of opposite ends, and a plurality of rotary connectors defining a plurality of substantially parallel rotational axes and pivotally coupling said end support members together, said end and middle support members together and said middle support members together so as to define said base assembly as at least a pair of parallelogram structures convertible between erected and collapsed conditions;
(b) a plurality of upright posts each being mounted at a lower end on one of said rotary connectors and extending upwardly therefrom along said rotational axis thereof so as to receive and hold an article over an upper end of said upright post;
(c) a central rod having an upper end and a lower end supported on a central one of said rotary connectors pivotally connecting said middle portions of said middle support members;
and
(d) a plurality of pins mounted to said central rod in vertically spaced relationships to one another between said upper and lower ends of said central rod.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.