Laundry drying rack

A laundry drying rack comprising:

• two collapsible legs, each leg having at least one pair of elongate leg members, each leg member having an opening formed laterally therein at a location about which the leg members rotate to collapse the legs;
• a plurality of connecting rods each having distal ends connected to different ones of the legs;
• an end connector having an end with resilient prongs and having an opposing, post end that extends into the opening in each of the leg members;
• a coupling having a distal end and an opposing proximal end engaging one of the distal ends of the connecting rods, the coupling having an internal ridge in communication with a recess into which the resilient prongs are inserted to engage the ridge.

A laundry drying rack comprising:

• two collapsible legs each having a pair of elongate leg members rotating about a common axis to collapse and expand the legs, each leg member having an opening formed laterally therein;
• a connecting rod having opposing distal ends each connected to a different one of the collapsible legs;
• a cylindrical connector having an open end, an opposing flanged end, and a post section disposed therebetween, the open end having a recess formed therein extending axially toward the flanged end, a distal end of the connecting rod being received in the recess, the flanged end having a flange that prevents passage of the connector through an opening in a leg member through which the connector is inserted, the post section having an external groove circumferentially formed therein, the post section being sized to place the groove on a side of the leg member through which the connector is inserted that is opposite the flanged end of the connector;
• and
• an elastic retaining ring sized and configured to receive the open end of the cylindrical connector therethrough and engage the groove to capture the elongate leg member through which the connector is inserted between the flange and the ring.

A kit for a laundry drying rack, comprising:

• two collapsible legs each having at least a pair of elongate leg members adapted to be joined to rotate about a common axis to collapse and expand the legs when the laundry rack is assembled, each leg member having an opening formed laterally therein;
• a plurality of connecting rods having opposing distal ends and sized so the opposing ends can connect to a different one of the collapsible legs when the laundry rack is assembled;
• a plurality of cylindrical connectors each having an open end, an opposing flanged end, and a post section disposed therebetween, the open end having a recess formed therein extending axially toward the flanged end, a distal end configured to receive a connecting rod in the recess when the laundry rack is assembled, the flanged end having a flange that prevents passage of the connector through an opening in a leg member through which the connector is inserted during use when the laundry rack is assembled, the post section having an external groove circumferentially formed therein, the post section being sized to place the groove on a side of the leg member through which the connector is inserted that is opposite the flanged end of the connector when the laundry rack is assembled, one of the cylindrical connectors and connecting members being adapted to be inserted through openings in the leg members to join the leg members so they rotate about the common axis to collapse and expand the legs when the laundry rack is assembled, each leg having correspondingly located cylindrical connectors;
• a plurality of elastic retaining rings sized and configured to receive the open end of the cylindrical connector therethrough and engage the groove to capture the elongate leg member through which the connector is inserted between the flange and the ring when the laundry rack is assembled;
• at least one pronged connector, each pronged connector having an end with resilient prongs and a post end, the post end being sized and configured to extend through an opening of an elongated member on each leg to fasten the pronged connector to each leg when the laundry rack is assembled;
• and
• at least two tubular couplings each having a distal end, an opposing proximal end, and an internal ridge forming an engaging surface therein, the proximal end of the at least two couplings being adapted to connect to opposing ends of one of the connecting rod when the laundry rack is assembled, the distal end being sized and configured to axially receive the prongs therein when the laundry rack is assembled, the internal ridge being configured and located to engage the resilient prongs and restrain removal of the prongs from the coupling when the laundry rack is assembled.

A method of assembling a laundry drying rack, comprising the steps of:

• providing-two collapsible legs each having at least a pair of elongate leg members joined to rotate about a common axis to collapse and expand the legs, providing each leg with at least one correspondingly located cylindrical connector at one of the common axis of rotation, whereby the connector comprising an open end, an opposing flanged end abutting a first side of the leg member through which the connector is inserted, the retaining member engaging the connector to prevent removal of the connector from the leg, the open end having a recess therein, and further providing each leg with pronged connectors, the pronged connectors each having an end with resilient prongs and an opposing post end, inserting each post end through an opening in at least one of the leg members to fasten the pronged connector to the leg member;
• providing at least one connecting rod with a tubular coupling on opposing end of the rod, each tubular coupling having a proximal end connected to one end of the rod and also having a distal end and an internal engaging surface, the distal end being sized and configured to axially receive the prongs therein, the internal engaging surface being sized and configured to engage the resilient prongs and restrain removal of the prongs from the coupling;
• inserting distal ends of a connecting rod into the recesses of corresponding connectors on both legs to connect the legs together;
• and
• inserting distal ends of the couplings on the at least one connecting rod over the corresponding prongs on opposing legs to engage the prongs with the internal recess of the engaged coupling to restrain the legs from moving away from each other along a longitudinal axis of the rod having the couplings.