Collapsible laundry rack

Abstract

A collapsible laundry rack is provided that can be formed from a pair of collapsible legs and a plurality of cross members extending between the legs. A connector is provided between the cross members and the legs to secure the cross members relative to the legs. The connector is configured to allow for sequential assembly and disassembly of the cross members relative to the legs in order to simply assembly and disassembly operations.

1 . A collapsible laundry rack convertible between an expanded position and a collapsed position, the rack comprising: 
 a pair of collapsible legs spaced a predetermined distance apart, each of the legs comprising a plurality of members configured in a scissor linkage arrangement;    a plurality of connector sockets attached to each of the pair of collapsible legs, the connector sockets on one of the pair of collapsible legs being aligned with the connector sockets on the other of the pair of collapsible legs; and    a plurality of cross members extending between the pair of collapsible legs, each of the cross members having a connector tab insertable into the aligned connector sockets on the collapsible legs while the legs are spaced the predetermined distance apart to selectively secure the cross members to the collapsible legs.    
     
     
         2 . A collapsible laundry rack in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the connector sockets each have a first opening facing the opposing connector socket on the other of the pair of legs and a second opening, the second opening being configured to receive the connector tab to position the cross member through the first opening of the socket to selectively secure the cross member relative to the collapsible leg.  
     
     
         3 . A collapsible laundry rack in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein the connector socket is generally U-shaped.  
     
     
         4 . A collapsible laundry rack in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein the connector sockets each have a pocket configured for receiving the connector tab, the pocket being defined by a pair of opposing end walls and at least one sidewall connecting the end walls, one of the end walls being secured adjacent one of the pair of collapsible legs, the other of the end walls being positioned to face the other of the pair of collapsible legs and having the first opening formed therein.  
     
     
         5 . A collapsible laundry rack in accordance with  claim 4 , wherein the first opening is sized larger than a cross section of the cross member to allow the cross member to pass therethrough and smaller than a cross section of the connector tab to prevent the connector tab from passing therethrough in order to retain the connector tab between the pair of opposing end walls.  
     
     
         6 . A collapsible laundry rack in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the sidewall defines the second opening, the second opening being sized to allow for the connector tab to be inserted therethrough and positioned between the opposing end walls.  
     
     
         7 . A collapsible laundry rack in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of members configured in a scissor linkage arrangement of the legs further comprises at least a pair of members pivotably connected between ends thereof by a pin, the pin securing the one of the end walls of at least one of the connector sockets adjacent the one of the pair of collapsible legs relative to the pair of members.  
     
     
         8 . A collapsible laundry rack in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 at least one linkage forming at least part of each of the legs, each of the linkages having a pair of members being pivotably connected between their ends to convert the laundry rack between a expanded position and a collapsed position;    one of the cross members extending between ends of one of the members of each of the linkages of the legs;    a support arm having first and second ends, the first end being pivotably attached to an end of one of the members of at least one of the linkages, the member having the support arm attached being different than the member having the cross member, the support arm being pivotable between a configuration allowing the linkages to shift to the collapsed position and a configuration maintaining the linkage in the expanded position by engagement of the second end of the support arm and the cross member to maintain a predetermined spacing between the pair of members forming the linkages of the legs; and    a clasp pivotably connected to the second end of the support arm, the clasp being pivotable between a locking position securing the support arm to the cross member when the support arm is in the configuration securing the pair of collapsible legs in the expanded configuration.    
     
     
         9 . A collapsible laundry rack in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the cross members can be selectively inserted and removed from between the pair of legs without disengaging another of the cross members maintaining the predetermined distance between the pair of legs.  
     
     
         10 . A collapsible laundry rack convertible between an expanded position and a collapsed position, the rack comprising: 
 a pair of collapsible legs, each of the legs comprising a plurality of members configured in a scissor linkage arrangement;    a plurality of connector sockets attached to each of the pair of collapsible legs, each connector socket having a first opening facing the opposing connector socket on the other of the pair of legs and a second opening, and the connector sockets on one of the pair of collapsible legs being aligned with the connector sockets on the other of the pair of collapsible legs; and    a plurality of cross members extending between the pair of collapsible legs, each of the cross members having a pair of connector tabs at opposite ends thereof, each of the connector tabs being insertable into the aligned connector sockets on the collapsible legs through the second openings of the sockets to position the cross member through the first openings of the sockets to selectively secure the cross members to the collapsible legs.    
     
     
         11 . A collapsible laundry rack in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the cross members has the connection tabs selectively removable and insertable from the connection sockets between the pair of legs without disengaging the connection tabs of another of the cross members from the connection sockets between the pair of legs.  
     
     
         12 . A collapsible laundry rack in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein the connector sockets each have a pocket configured for receiving the connector tab, the pocket being defined by a pair of opposing end walls and at least one sidewall connecting the first and second walls, one of the end walls being secured adjacent one of the pair of collapsible legs, the other of the end walls being positioned to face the other of the pair of collapsible legs and having the first opening formed therein.  
     
     
         13 . A collapsible laundry rack in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein the first opening is sized larger than a cross section of the cross member to allow the cross member to pass therethrough and smaller than a cross section of the connector tab to prevent the connector tab from passing therethrough in order to retain the connector tab between the pair of opposing end walls.  
     
     
         14 . A collapsible laundry rack in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein the sidewall defines the second opening, the second opening being sized to allow for the connector tab to be inserted therethrough and positioned between the opposing end walls.  
     
     
         15 . A collapsible laundry rack in accordance with  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 at least one linkage forming at least part of each of the legs, each of the linkages having a pair of members being pivotably connected between their ends to convert the laundry rack between a expanded position and a collapsed position;    one of the cross members extending between ends of one of the members of each of the linkages of the legs;    a support arm having first and second ends, the first end being pivotably attached to an end of one of the members of at least one of the linkages, the member having the support arm attached being different than the member having the cross member, the support arm being pivotable between a configuration allowing the linkages to shift to the collapsed position and a configuration maintaining the linkage in the expanded position by engagement of the second end of the support arm and the cross member to maintain a predetermined spacing between the pair of members forming the linkages of the legs; and    a clasp pivotably connected to the second end of the support arm, the clasp being pivotable between a locking position securing the support arm to the cross member when the support arm is in the configuration securing the pair of collapsible legs in the expanded configuration.    
     
     
         16 . A collapsible laundry rack convertible between an expanded position and a collapsed position, the rack comprising: 
 a pair of collapsible legs, each of the legs comprising a plurality of members configured in a scissor linkage arrangement, each of the pair of legs having first and second upper members having upper ends spaced a distance apart;    a plurality of cross members extending between the pair of collapsible legs, and one of the cross members extending between the upper ends of the first upper members;    a support arm pivotably attached at one end to the upper end of one of the second upper members, the support arm being pivotable between a configuration allowing the pair of collapsible legs to shift to the collapsed position and a configuration maintaining the pair of collapsible legs in the expanded position; and    a clasp pivotably connected to an end of the support arm opposite the end pivotably connected to the second upper member, the clasp being pivotable between a locking position at least partially around the one of the cross members when the support arm is in the configuration securing the pair of collapsible legs in the expanded configuration to secure the support arm relative to the one of the cross members.    
     
     
         17 . A collapsible laundry rack in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein the end of the support arm having the clasp pivotably attached has a notch formed therein for at least partially receiving the one of the cross members extending between the upper ends of the first upper members.  
     
     
         18 . A collapsible laundry rack in accordance with  claim 17 , wherein the notch is generally U-shaped and is inclined at an angle.  
     
     
         19 . A collapsible laundry rack in accordance with  claim 18 , wherein the clasp is generally C-shaped and is configured to retain the one of the cross members in the notch when in the locking position.  
     
     
         20 . A method of assembling a collapsible laundry rack from a set of components, the components comprising a pair of collapsible legs each having a plurality of members configured in a scissor linkage arrangement, a plurality of connector sockets attached to each of the pair of collapsible legs, the connector sockets on one of the pair of collapsible legs being aligned with the connector sockets on the other of the pair of collapsible legs, a plurality of cross members, and a connector tab positioned on each of the ends of the cross members removably insertable into the aligned connector sockets on the collapsible legs to selectively secure the cross members to the collapsible legs, the method comprising: 
 spacing the pair of collapsible legs a predetermined distance apart by inserting the tabs of a first one of the plurality of cross members into a pair of aligned connector sockets attached to the pair of collapsible legs; and    inserting the tabs of at least a second one of the plurality of cross members into a pair of aligned connector sockets attached to the pair of collapsible legs while the collapsible legs are spaced the predetermined distance apart.