Patent Abstract:
Drying devices facilitating air drying of assorted items without taking up significant floor space are disclosed. In an aspect, a drying device includes a frame mountable to a vertical surface such as a door, wall, or fence. The drying device includes a plurality of drying areas which may be moved between a stored position and a drying position. In the stored position, the drying device has a compact profile, thereby occupying very little space when not in use. In the drying position, the drying areas extend away from the frame and may support articles, such as clothing, as the articles dry.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/665,963, filed Jun. 29, 2012, and entitled “Improved Low-Profile Drying Rack,” the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure relates to devices for drying assorted items and more particularly to passive drying devices for assorted items. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art. 
     Laundering of clothing and other articles is a frequent, recurring chore in many households. Free standing drying racks are often used to dry clothing after it has been washed or where an item gets wet and an individual wishes to dry the item quickly, but without using an electric or gas dryer. Use of conventional, free-standing drying racks requires time consuming setup before drying can begin, involving the impairment of valuable floor space in the home while the rack is in use, and requiring another round of time consuming break down and storage after drying has been completed. This process then requires repeating the next time the laundry is washed. These shortcomings are exacerbated when considering that many people must do laundry in tight living quarters, such as dormitories, barracks, shared housing, small urban apartments, and the like. 
     Further, conventional, portable, free standing racks also present potential dangers to pets, children, and adults alike because the unsecured rack can easily be knocked over. Other drying racks are designed to be mounted on the wall. Some wall mounted drying racks tend to protrude a significant amount from the wall, creating a safety hazard. 
     Given the foregoing, what is needed are improved low-profile drying devices capable of being used and stored in tight living quarters. 
     SUMMARY 
     This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the subject matter. 
     This disclosure addresses the above-described needs by providing devices configured to facilitate the air drying of assorted items. Assorted items include, but are not limited to, laundry of all shapes, sizes, and types. 
     Aspects of the present disclosure provide a device configured to facilitate air drying assorted items, such as laundry, without taking up significant floor or wall space. Devices configured in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure are small, compact racks that can be secured to the front or back of a door or can be removably mounted to a wall and can be easily folded down for use. Products according to the present disclosure are ideal for laundry rooms or other small areas that may not have adequate floor or wall space for traditional drying racks. They may also eliminate the need to use an (electric) dryer, thereby saving energy and reducing utility bills. 
     In an aspect, a drying device is configured to conserve space both when in and out of use by being removably mounted on a standard interior door or wall. At least one hook is placed over the top of the interior door which supports the weight of the drying device and any objects placed on the drying device. A rigid frame is attached to the hooks and one or more drying arms are moveably attached to the rigid frame. When in use, at least one of the drying arms is placed in its drying position by rotating the arm into a position approximately perpendicular to the rigid frame. Objects to be air dried are placed on the extended drying arm to dry. When the device is not in use, it is configured to be left on the door, protruding mere inches. In some aspects where the device is not in use, the device is additionally or alternatively configured to be removed from the interior door and folded into a compact form for storage. Such a configuration eliminates the conventional cumbersome drying racks that utilize living areas and obstruct walkways. Some aspects do not require permanent mounting to install on a door. 
     Some aspects of the disclosed drying device are configured to dry the equivalent of 22 linear feet of laundry at one time. Other aspects are configured to dry higher volumes of laundry simultaneously. 
     Further features and advantages of the systems and apparatus disclosed herein, as well as the structure and operation of various aspects of the present disclosure, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying figures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the Detailed Description set forth below when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements. 
         FIG. 1  is an illustration of a three-quarters view of the front of an exemplary drying device wherein the device&#39;s drying arms are in the drying position, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a detailed illustration of the front of an exemplary drying arm locking mechanism, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is an illustration of a front view of an exemplary drying device wherein the device&#39;s drying arms are in the stored position, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is an illustration of a three-quarters view of the front of an exemplary drying device wherein the device&#39;s drying arms are in the stored position, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is an illustration of a perspective view of the back of an exemplary drying device wherein the device&#39;s drying arms are in the stored position, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is an illustration of a perspective view of an exemplary drying device wherein the device is folded for storage, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present disclosure is directed to devices configured to facilitate the air drying of assorted items. Assorted items include, but are not limited to, laundry of all shapes, sizes, and types. In some aspects, devices configured in accordance with the present disclosure are adapted to assist air-drying laundry of all shapes, sizes, and types. Specifically, aspects in accordance with the present disclosure are suitable for facilitating the drying of clothing, linens, and sheets of fabric. 
     In an aspect, a drying device comprises a frame and one or more drying arms. The drying device is configured to hang from two hooks attached to a frame top portion of the drying device. The drying device is deployed by placing hooks over the top of a vertical surface such as a door, fence, or wall. One or more drying arms are rotatably connected to frame and configured to rotate into a drying position which is perpendicular to frame and vertical surface. Miscellaneous objects are placed on the extended drying arm to dry. Drying is facilitated by spacing assorted items on the drying arms such that substantially all of the surface area of the assorted items is exposed to the surrounding air. 
     In some aspects when the drying device is not in use, it is configured to be left on the vertical surface, protruding a distance on the order of frame depth. Drying arms are rotated into storage position substantially in parallel with the drying device frame. In some aspects where the drying device is not in use, the device is additionally or alternatively configured to be removed from the interior door and folded into a compact form for storage. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an illustration  100  of a three-quarters view of the front of an exemplary drying device  101  wherein the device&#39;s drying arms are in the drying position, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, is shown. 
     Drying device  101  comprises a frame  104  and one or more drying arms  110  (shown as drying arms  110   a - d  in  FIG. 1 ). Frame  104  is a rigid support structure configured to orient drying device  101  on a vertical surface  102  such as a as a door, fence, or wall and support the weight of drying device  101  and assorted items placed thereon. Frame  104  is constructed of one or more sturdy materials such as plastic, metal, or wood. In some aspects, frame  104  material may be configured to be lightweight, enabling drying device  101  to be easily set up and removed each time it is used to dry assorted items. In an aspect, the material chosen for frame  104  is used throughout the rest of drying device  101 , facilitating ease of manufacture. 
     In an aspect, frame  104  comprises one or more cross members  106  (shown, for clarity, only as cross members  106   a - b  in  FIG. 1 ) and one or more vertical members  108  (shown as vertical members  108   a - b  in  FIG. 1 ). In an aspect, vertical member  108  defines the overall length of drying device  101 . The length of vertical member  108  is chosen such that drying device  101  may be mounted on a vertical surface  102 , such as an interior door. In an aspect, vertical member  108  is five feet, eight inches long; one foot shorter than the height of a standard interior door (six feet, eight inches). Two vertical members  108  are horizontally positioned two feet apart and rigidly connected by five cross members  106  spaced at equal intervals along the length of vertical members  108 . 
     In an aspect, cross members  106  are rigidly connected to vertical members  108  at end portions of cross member  106 . Rigid connection may be made by a fastener, adhesive, screw, dowel rod, or other connection means as will be appreciated to those having skill in the relevant art(s) after reading the description herein. The rigid connection may be permanent, as in the case of utilizing an adhesive. In other aspects, the rigid connection is removable, as in the case of utilizing a fastener or screw connection. 
     In an aspect, frame  104  is constructed of one-inch bars. These bars may be made of wood or some other suitable sturdy material. In another aspect, frame  104  further comprises a non-skid backing on portions of frame  104  configured to contact vertical surface  102 . Non-skid backing may be a rubber coating or cloth layer. The non-skid backing provides additional stability by inhibiting movement of frame  104  relative to vertical surface  102 . 
     In an aspect, the length of frame  104  is adjustable. Frame  104  is comprised of two vertical members  108 , horizontally positioned a distance less than an interior door apart and rigidly connected by five cross members  106  spaced at equal intervals along the length of vertical members  108 . Vertical members  108  comprise four sections of equal length which are removably and rigidly interconnected. One or more vertical member  108  sections may be removed in order to reduce the length of frame  104 . For example, removing one section from each vertical member  108  will reduce the length of frame  104  by one quarter. Reduction of the size of frame  104  allows drying device  101  to be used in more confined areas and facilitates its stability in confined areas. 
     Drying arm  110  comprises one or more drying areas  112  (shown, for clarity, only as drying area  112   b  in  FIG. 1 ) and one or more connectors  114  (shown, for clarity, only as connections  114   c - d  in  FIG. 1 ). Drying area  112  is configured to support assorted items during drying. In an aspect, drying area  112  has dimensions of approximately two feet by one and a half feet. Drying area  112  comprises three drying bars with a length of approximately two feet positioned in parallel with cross members  106  and two supports with length of approximately one and a half feet positioned in parallel with vertical member  108 . Each support is rotatably connected to frame  104  on one end portion by connector  114 . As will be appreciated by those skilled in the relevant art(s) after reading the description herein, connector  114  may be a bearing, an axle, pin or other suitable connection. 
     Supports are connected to one another via drying bars. The first drying bar is rigidly connected at each end portion to end portions of each support. The second drying bar is connected at each end portion to each support, approximately six inches away from the connection points of the first drying bar. The third drying bar is connected at each end portion to each support and positioned approximately six inches away from the connection points of the second drying bar and approximately twelve inches away from the first drying bar. Assorted items may be placed on drying area  112   b  of drying arm  110   b  in order to facilitate air drying. In some aspects, drying bars are round in order to prevent creasing the assorted items placed on the drying bars. In some aspects, drying device  101  may comprise multiple drying arms  110 . 
     In an aspect, drying area  112  has dimensions of approximately two feet by one and a half feet. Drying area  112  comprises two supports with length of approximately one and a half feet positioned in parallel with vertical member  108  and a lattice stretched between the two supports and configured to support small assorted items while they dry and to allow air to pass through the lattice. In an aspect, the lattice is comprised of a cloth, plastic, or metal mesh. In another aspect, the lattice is a framework of closely-spaced, interconnecting rods. 
     In some aspects, drying rack  110  is connected to frame  104  via connection  114 , and connection  114  is positioned directly above cross member  106 . Drying arm  110  may be placed in two positions: a stored position (depicted in  FIGS. 3 and 4 ) wherein drying arm  110  is parallel to frame  104 , and a drying position wherein drying arm  110  is perpendicular to frame  104 . In an aspect, drying arm  110  is supported while in the drying position by cross member  106  positioned directed below connection  114 . Cross member  106  is rigidly connected to vertical member  108  and positioned to protrude one inch from vertical member  108 . When drying arm  110  is in the drying position, drying arm  110  is in contact with the top portion of cross member  106 , which supports drying arm  110  and any items placed thereon. Drying arm  110  is held in the stored position by one or more retainers  116  (shown, for clarity, only as retainer  116   a  in  FIG. 1 ). Retainer  116  may be any device configured to removably hold drying arm  110  in a static, stored position. 
     Now referring to  FIG. 2 , a detailed illustration  200  of the front of an exemplary drying arm retainer  116 , in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, is shown. In an aspect, retainer  116  comprises a cylindrical, rigid pin  202  configured to be removably inserted in a first cylindrical hole  204  in vertical member  108   b  and pass through a second cylindrical hole  206  in a portion of drying arm  110  when drying arm  110  is in the drying position. The second cylindrical hole  206  is positioned such that it aligns with the first cylindrical hole  204  when drying arm  110  is in the stored position (i.e., parallel to frame  104 ). Such a position is the lock position of drying arm retainer  116 . When drying arm retainer  116  is not engaged with drying arm  110 , drying arm retainer  116  is in a release position. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , an illustration  300  of a front view and an illustration  400  of a three-quarters view of the front of an exemplary drying device  101  wherein its drying arms  110  are in the stored position, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, are shown. 
     Illustration  300  depicts drying arms  110  (shown as drying arms  110   a - d  in  FIGS. 3 and 4 ) in their stored position (i.e., parallel to frame  104 ). Illustration  300  depicts the low profile of drying device  101  when drying arms  110  are in their stored positions. Drying device  101  is mounted to vertical surface  102  via one or more hooks  302  (shown as hooks  302   a - b  in  FIG. 3 ) rigidly mounted to frame  104 . Each hook  302  is a device configured to hang drying device  101  and assorted items placed on drying device  101  from vertical surface  102 . In an aspect, hooks  302  comprise rigid portions of metal connected on one end portion to frame  104  and bent into a “U” or other shape suitable for hanging over the top portion of a door. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , an illustration  500  of a perspective view of the back of an exemplary drying device  101  wherein the device&#39;s drying arms  110  are in the stored position, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, is shown. 
     In some aspects, drying device  101  is configured to be removably mounted to a vertical surface  102  such as a door, fence, or wall. Mounting is facilitated by one or more brackets  502  (for clarity, shown only as brackets  502   a - b  in  FIG. 5 ). Bracket  502  is rigidly connected to drying device  101  on frame  104  and is configured to support the weight of the drying device  101  and any objects placed on the drying device  101  when placed on the vertical surface. In some aspects, brackets  502  support drying device  101  by removably attaching to a screw, nail, or other mounting member placed in the vertical surface  102 . In an aspect, hook  302  is removable, allowing drying device  101  to be mounted on a door or a wall, depending on configuration. 
     In some aspects, drying device  101  is configured to be removably connected to vertical surface  102  and stored when it is not in use. In an aspect, vertical member  108  comprises two rigid bars connected together via one or more hinges  504  (shown as hinges  504   a - b  in  FIG. 5 ). Vertical member  108  is configured such that frame  104  may be folded in half via hinges  504  when drying device  101  is not in use. As shown in illustration  600  of  FIG. 6 , drying device  101  occupies a volume with a similar width, half the height, and twice the thickness when it is not in use. 
     In other aspects, drying device  101  is configured to be separated into one or more portions for storage when not in use. In an aspect, drying arms  110  are rotatably connected to portions of frame  104 . Frame  104  is divided into sections corresponding with drying arms  110 . Each frame  104  section is removably connected to one or more frame sections via connection means such as locking pins and bolts. In other aspects, frame  104  sections are screwed together at end portions, enabling them to be rigidly connected and removably connected. 
     While various aspects of the present disclosure have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example and not limitation. It will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) that various changes in form and detail can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above described exemplary aspects. 
     In addition, it should be understood that the figures in the attachments, which highlight the structure, methodology, functionality and advantages of the present disclosure, are presented for example purposes only. The present disclosure is sufficiently flexible and configurable, such that it may be implemented in ways other than that shown in the accompanying figures. 
     Further, the purpose of the foregoing Abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the relevant art(s) who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of this technical disclosure. The Abstract is not intended to be limiting as to the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

Technology Classification (CPC): 3