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US 6,394,292 B1Granted
Laundry stand
AssigneePro-Mart Industries, Inc.
InventorAzad Sabounjian
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A stand for supporting laundry includes a pair of oppositely disposed legs which are interconnected by one or more connecting rods. The legs are constructed of scissor linkages which allow the legs to be readily folded and unfolded, and cross members may be used to hold the legs in an open position. Advantageously, the laundry stand uses connectors which pivotably attach the scissor linkages and allow the connecting rods to connect the legs. In particular, the connectors have a first end configured to be fastened to the connecting rod and a second end configured to be inserted through an opening in one or both of the legs.
Claims29
A kit for constructing a stand to support laundry, comprising:
- a plurality of connectors, each of the connectors having a first end with a larger outside diameter than a second end, the second end having a recess along a longitudinal axis with the recess being sized to receive a shaft of a fastener;
- a plurality of pairs of elongated members, each pair of members having aligned holes through which the connectors can be inserted to pivotably connect the pair of members to form a plurality of scissor linkages, the ends of each pair of scissor linkages having corresponding holes through which the connectors can be inserted to join two scissor linkages, at least two scissor linkages being joinable to form a first leg, and at least two scissor linkages being joinable to form a second leg, the shaft of the fastener engaging the recess with the fastener having a head larger than the hole in order to prevent removal of the connector from the members;
- and
- a plurality of connecting rods configured to be fastened to one end of the connectors to interconnect the first leg and the second leg.
1 more element
A kit for constructing a stand to support laundry, comprising:
- a plurality of connectors, each of the connectors having a first end with a larger outside diameter than a second end;
- a plurality of pairs of elongated members, each pair of members having aligned holes through which the connectors can be inserted to pivotably connect the pair of members to form a plurality of scissor linkages, the ends of each pair of scissor linkages having corresponding holes through which the connectors can be inserted to join two scissor linkages, at least two scissor linkages being joinable to form a first leg, and at least two scissor linkages being joinable to form a second leg;
- a plurality of connecting rods configured to be fastened to one end of the connectors to interconnect the first leg and the second leg;
- and
- a plurality of inwardly extending ribs on an inner surface of an opening in the first end of the connectors sized relative to the rods to form an interference fit with an outside of an end of the rods.
2 more elements
A stand for supporting laundry, the stand having collapsible legs joined at their middle and at their ends, comprising:
- a collapsible first leg including a plurality of elongated members pivotably connected at a middle part and at least at some joined ends of the members of the first leg, the first leg having a first distal end and a second distal end;
- a collapsible second leg including a plurality of elongated members pivotably connected at a middle point and at least at some joined ends of the elongated members of the second leg, the second leg having a first distal end and a second distal end;
- connectors attached to the first leg, each of the connectors having a first end configured to be fastened to a connecting rod and a second end configured to be inserted through one or more openings in the first leg;
- connectors attached to the second leg, each of the connectors having a first end configured to be fastened to a connecting rod and a second end configured to be inserted through one or more openings in the second leg;
- one or more connecting rods having opposing ends fastened to the first end of the connectors in the first and second legs to interconnect the first leg and second leg;
- and
- wherein a plurality of the rods and connectors to be fastened together have correspondingly located projections and detents that cooperatively engage to fasten the rods and the connectors together.
4 more elements
A laundry stand, comprising:
- two or more pairs of elongated members, each pair of elongated members having an aligned central opening through which a connector can be inserted to pivotably connect the pair of members to form a scissor linkage, the ends of each scissor linkage having corresponding holes through which connectors can be inserted to join two scissor linkages, at least two scissor linkages being joinable to form a first leg, and at least two scissor linkages being joinable to form a second leg;
- a plurality of connecting rods;
- and
- fastening means for fastening the elongated members to form the first leg and the second leg, and connector means for fastening the connecting rods to the first leg and the second leg, and retaining means for preventing removal of the connector means from the first and second leg.
1 more element
A method of assembling a stand for supporting laundry, comprising:
- providing a plurality of elongated members and a plurality of connectors, each of the connectors having a first end with a larger outside diameter than a second end;
- pivotally connecting the elongated members with the connectors intermediate opposing ends of each member to form a plurality of scissor linkages;
- pivotally connecting a plurality of the ends of the elongated members to each other to form a first and second leg, having correspondingly configured shapes and correspondingly located connectors;
- providing one or more connecting rods, one of the connecting rods or the connectors having a protrusion and the other of the connecting rods or the connectors having a correspondingly located recess so the protrusion and recess engage to fasten the rods to the connectors;
- and
- fastening the connecting rods to the correspondingly located connectors to interconnect the first leg and the second leg.
3 more elements
A method of forming a laundry stand, comprising:
- providing a plurality of pairs of elongated members, the members having holes therein;
- providing a plurality of connectors, each of the connectors having a first end and a second end with an outwardly extending flange therebetween;
- pivotally connecting pairs of the elongated members by placing the connectors through the holes to form a plurality of scissor linkages;
- pivotally connecting a plurality of the ends of the scissor linkages to each other by placing the connectors through holes in the ends of the linkages to form a first leg and a second leg, the first leg and the second leg having corresponding sizes and corresponding connectors;
- providing a plurality of connecting rods;
- fastening the connecting rods to the correspondingly located connectors to interconnect the first leg and the second leg;
- and
- placing cooperative engaging members on ends of the rods and on the connectors so that when engaged, the members restrain the rods from being removed from the legs.
5 more elements
A kit for constructing a stand to support laundry, comprising:
- a plurality of connectors, each of the connectors having a first end with a larger outside diameter than a second end;
- a plurality of pairs of elongated members, each pair of members having aligned holes through which the connectors can be inserted to pivotably connect the pair of members to form a plurality of scissor linkages, the ends of each pair of scissor linkages having corresponding holes through which the connectors can be inserted to join two scissor linkages, at least two scissor linkages being joinable to form a first leg, and at least two scissor linkages being joinable to form a second leg;
- a plurality of connecting rods configured to be fastened to one end of the connectors to interconnect the first leg and the second leg;
- and
- a plurality of fasteners having a shaft configured to engage the second end of the connectors.
2 more elements
A kit for constructing a stand to support laundry, comprising:
- a plurality of connectors, each of the connectors having a first end with a larger outside diameter than a second end;
- a plurality of pairs of elongated members, each pair of members having aligned holes through which the connectors can be inserted to pivotably connect the pair of members to form a plurality of scissor linkages, the ends of each pair of scissor linkages having corresponding holes through which the connectors can be inserted to join two scissor linkages, at least two scissor linkages being joinable to form a first leg, and at least two scissor linkages being joinable to form a second leg;
- a plurality of connecting rods configured to be fastened to one end of the connectors to interconnect the first leg and the second leg;
- and
- a plurality of inwardly extending ribs on an inner surface of an opening in the first end of the connectors sized relative to the rods to form an interference fit with an outside of an end of the rods.
2 more elements
A kit for constructing a stand to support laundry, comprising:
- a plurality of connectors, each of the connectors having a first end with a larger outside diameter than a second end;
- a plurality of pairs of elongated members, each pair of members having aligned holes through which the connectors can be inserted to pivotably connect the pair of members to form a plurality of scissor linkages, the ends of each pair of scissor linkages having corresponding holes through which the connectors can be inserted to join two scissor linkages, at least two scissor linkages being joinable to form a first leg, and at least two scissor linkages being joinable to form a second leg;
- a plurality of connecting rods configured to be fastened to one end of the connectors to interconnect the first leg and the second leg;
- and
- wherein one of the connectors or the connecting rods has a protrusion and the other of the connectors or the connecting rods has a correspondingly located recess so the protrusion and recess engage to fasten the rods to the connectors.
2 more elements
A stand for supporting laundry, the stand having collapsible legs joined at their middle and at their ends, comprising:
- a collapsible first leg including a plurality of elongated members pivotably connected at a middle part and at least at some joined ends of the members of the first leg, the first leg having a first distal end and a second distal end;
- a collapsible second leg including a plurality of elongated members pivotably connected at a middle point and at least at some joined ends of the elongated members of the second leg, the second leg having a first distal end and a second distal end;
- connectors attached to the first leg, each of the connectors having a first end configured to be fastened to a connecting rod and a second end configured to be inserted through one or more openings in the first leg;
- connectors attached to the second leg, each of the connectors having a first end configured to be fastened to a connecting rod and a second end configured to be inserted through one or more openings in the second leg;
- one or more connecting rods having opposing ends fastened to the first end of the connectors in the first and second legs to interconnect the first leg and second leg;
- and
- a first projection configured and located to engage a recess in the connecting rod engaging the connector.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.