Abstract:
A drying rack for placement over a baseboard heater provides convenient shelves for drying a variety of objects. The rack is provided with supports adapted to fit over and behind the baseboard heater.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to the field of drying racks for use in the home, specifically for portable placement over a baseboard heater. 
     Dealing with wet outdoor clothing in the home has long been a problem. Shelf-type racks, with latticework shelves for the free passage of air, hold articles of wet clothing and may also serve as convenient general-purpose shelves. Drying is accelerated when warm air is supplied to the rack, and a common source of such air is the home heating system. 
     Prior art shows an evolution of adaptations for dealing with contemporary types of home heating systems, but few anticipate today&#39;s baseboard heaters. U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,316 to Antal (1996) discloses a shaped wire rack which may be placed over a baseboard heater. U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,529 to Martinez et al. reveals a wire rack adapted to rest on the floor over, and to fit under the edges of, a floor register used in the era of stove-type heating. U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,078 to McCartney teaches a plenum with tubes adapted to hold gloves and the like, also to fit over a floor register. 
     None of these provide shelf space for general use during good weather. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     To provide an attractive and useful shelf unit for drying wet clothing articles, our invention uses latticework horizontal shelves held by upright supports adapted for portable placement over baseboard heating units. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 provides an overall view of the preferred embodiment of our drying rack. 
     FIG. 2 shows an end view of the preferred embodiment. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates an overall view of an alternate embodiment. 
     FIG. 4 gives a detailed view of an alternative extension. 
     REFERENCE NUMERALS USED IN DRAWINGS 
     11 shelf 
     12 support 
     13 floor 
     14 wall 
     15 baseboard heater 
     16 extension 
     17 protrusion 
     18 adjustable fastener 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Where a rack stands freely on an unobstructed floor, legs of equal length serve well for support, but where the rack must be placed against a wall over a wall-mounted baseboard heater, the supports must be modified. 
     FIG. 1 depicts an overall view of the preferred embodiment of our drying rack. Two horizontal shelves 11 are each attached at their edges to four upright supports 12 using conventional fasteners, dowels, adhesive cement or the like, and the drying rack is placed on the floor against a wall 14 and over a baseboard heater 15. 
     FIG. 2 views the preferred embodiment of the drying rack from one end, showing that two of the four supports 12 are resting on the floor 13 while the other two supports 12 are shortened to rest above the baseboard heater 15. Extensions 16 are attached by bolts, screws, adhesive cement or the like, to the shortened supports 12 and extend downward behind the baseboard heater 15, between it and the wall 14, to prevent the drying rack from moving away from the wall. 
     In the alternative embodiment shown at FIG. 3, one horizontal shelf 11 is shown attached to one of two upright supports 12 using conventional fasteners, dowels, adhesive cement or the like, and the drying rack is shown placed as in FIG. 1. In this embodiment, supports 12 are relieved in contour to clear the baseboard heater 15, and extensions 16 are attached by adjustable fasteners 18 such as bolts and wingnuts, or the like, to the edges of supports 12 nearest the wall 14. 
     It may be understood that heated air from the baseboard heater 15 will rise by convection, and because in the preferred embodiment the shelf or shelves 11 are open as with latticework, perforated metal, screening or the like, the air will pass freely upward through the shelves, drying any articles placed thereon. When not used for drying, these horizontal shelves may be alternatively used for such general purposes as holding books or plants. Indeed the drying rack will function, though much less effectively, even if the shelves are solid, because rising air will generally circulate around the articles on the shelves. 
     Since friction between the supports 12 and the floor 13 may vary greatly from one installation to another, extensions 16 are used in the preferred embodiment to prevent motion away from the wall 14 or to carry weight to the top of the baseboard heater 15, whose height may vary from one type or from one installation to another. To help in transferring weight to the top of a variety of baseboard heaters 15, extension 16 may be provided with a protrusion 17, best seen in FIG. 4, extending perpendicularly thereto which may be adjusted with extension 16 to rest on the baseboard heater 15. As shown in FIG. 4, protrusion 17 is an integral lanced portion of extension 16, but protrusion 17 could as well be a separate part such as a welded bracket, through-bolt, or the like. Where friction on the floor is adequate, extensions 16 may be omitted. 
     Though the above description is necessarily specific, many alternatives to materials and structure may be used to accomplish the same results. The scope of our invention should be determined by the appended claims rather than by the specific embodiments recited above.