Patent Abstract:
A drying rack for shoes for use in a clothes dryer is disclosed. The rack has two pieces, a bracket for holding the shoes and a strip for supporting the bracket inside the dryer compartment. Shoes are supported against the dryer door. The strip fastens to the bracket and slips between the door and frame of the dryer when the dryer door is closed. A block on the strip abuts the door and frame of the dryer and prevents the rack from falling off of the door.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This Application claims priority on prior filed U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/049,063, filed Sep. 11, 2014 and incorporates the same by reference herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to the field of household appliances and more particularly relates to a rack for use in domestic or industrial clothes dryers. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Shoes get wet. Drying them traditionally takes time as the complex structure of today&#39;s shoes presents various layers and permeability issues for proper air flow. One way to accelerate the drying of shoes, in particular but not exclusively athletic shoes, is to put them in a dryer. However, when doing so, the shoes are jostled about the interior drum of the machine, often causing damage to the shoes or machine and also risking the shoes contacting and opening the door of the dryer, disrupting the drying cycle. To this end, many different approaches have been developed to contain shoes within the confines of a dryer drum without the jostling of free falling shoes. One common method was to secure individual shoes on a holder that was secured within the drum, usually by magnetic attraction. Other ways included racks and bags secured to the drum or door of the dryer, all used to securely hold shoes to avoid the jostling of the shoes freefalling gin the dryer. However, the utilization of each method thus far is time intensive, non-universal and complex—the assembly must be secured in some way to the dryer and must be done in a manner that does not hinder the rotation of the dryer drum. A simpler and more easily actuated system is needed to efficiently dry shoes in a dryer. 
         [0004]    The present invention is a rack that suspends on a strip and holds a pair of shoes, like athletic shoes, against the door of a dryer during a drying cycle. As the shoes are suspended, air is more efficiently allowed to flow around the shoes and they are not subject to the jostling of being free in a dryer drum. The rack is secured by placing a securement block located upon the strip on the outside of the dryer door while the strip passes around the door, between the gasket and dryer, and suspends the rack while the block is nestled against the door crack. 
         [0005]    The present invention represents a departure from the prior art in that the drying of the present invention allows for easy installation and removal of the rack while simultaneously allowing free airflow about shoes suspended in the dryer compartment, without the jostling of shoes that accompanies free fall of the same in the dryer. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]    In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of drying racks, this invention provides a suspended drying rack for shoes. As such, the present invention&#39;s general purpose is to provide a new and improved drying rack that is easily installed and removed from a dryer while also promoting free airflow about shoes being dried. 
         [0007]    To accomplish these objectives, the drying rack may comprise a bracket and a strip. The bracket may be a split structure with two branches that hold one shoe each. The strip may connect adjustably to the rack portion and then slip between the door and frame of the dryer. A stabilizing block on the end of the strip then is positioned exterior of the door proximate the crack between the frame and dryer door. Between the weight of the shoes and the stabilizing block, the rack and associated shoes are suspended against the dryer door throughout a drying cycle. The adjustable strip may also be fixedly connected to the bracket and the stabilizing block may be adjustably connected to the strip, thereby affording the same adjustability as previously described with an alternate structure. 
         [0008]    The more important features of the invention have thus been outlined in order that the more detailed description that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may better be appreciated. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter and will form the subject matter of the claims that follow. 
         [0009]    Many objects of this invention will appear from the following description and appended claims, reference being made to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views. 
         [0010]    Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
         [0011]    As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a rack according to the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a rear elevation of the rack of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a perspective of a bracket used in the rack of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a front elevation of the bracket of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a top plan view of the bracket of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a bottom plan view of the bracket of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a side elevation of the bracket of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is a rear elevation of the bracket of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  is a sectional view of the bracket of  FIG. 4 , taken along line A-A. 
           [0021]      FIG. 10  is a front elevation of the strip utilized in the rack of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 11  is a side elevation of the strip of  FIG. 10 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 12  is a top plan view of the strip of  FIG. 10 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 13  is a close-up view of the strip of  FIG. 10 , taken in circle B. 
           [0025]      FIG. 14  is a perspective view of an alternate rack also embodying the present invention 
           [0026]      FIG. 15  is a close-up view of the stabilizing block used in the rack of  FIG. 14 . 
           [0027]      FIG. 16  is a front elevation of the bracket used with the rack of  FIG. 14 . 
           [0028]      FIG. 17  is a top plan view of the bracket of  FIG. 16 . 
           [0029]      FIG. 18  is a schematic view of an embodiment of the present invention, installed in a dryer. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0030]    With reference now to the drawings, the most preferred embodiments of the drying rack is herein described. It should be noted that the articles “a,” “an,” and “the,” as used in this specification, include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. 
         [0031]    With reference to  FIG. 18 , the rack  100  has two components: a bracket  110  and a strip  120 . The bracket  110  is the portion which holds the shoes while strip  120  secures the rack  100  to the dryer  200 . 
         [0032]    One embodiment of a bracket  10 , in  FIGS. 1-9 , is a trident-shaped construction with two lateral prongs  12  and a central support prong  14 . Lateral prongs  12  extend outward from base  13 , preferably with some element of a curve to them, and each supports one shoe when the rack  100  is in use. The support prong  14  extends vertically between the lateral prongs  12  and is generally trough-shaped. Two bulbous nubs  18  extend into support prong  14 . Base  13  presents a transverse slot  16  directly in line with support prong  14 . 
         [0033]    One embodiment of a strap  20 , as is shown in  FIGS. 10-13 , has a thin, elongated tongue  22  with a thick block  26 . Block  26  ideally has some form of handle, like ring  28 , for ease of manipulation. Tongue  22  features a plurality of keyed slots  24 , each with a wide head  23  and a narrow neck  25 . Between the head  23  and neck  25  is a throat  27 . In use, as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , strap  20  is inserted into support arm  14  and threaded through the slot  16 . Keyed slots  24  are positioned over nubs  18  and nubs  18  are positioned therein. The head  23  of the keyed slots  24  fit over the bulbous head of each nub  18 . The bracket  10  is then pulled downward so that throats  27  of the keyed slots  24  abut the bulbous nubs  18  and, with some force, allow passage of the nubs  18  into the neck portions of the keyed slots  24 . In so doing, the bulbous nubs  18  are held in place against jostling that may occur while the dryer is running. 
         [0034]    Another embodiment of the rack is shown in  FIGS. 14-17 . The bracket  30  of this embodiment is identical to the first except that it features a cross-piece  38  in the central support prong  34  in place of nubs ( FIGS. 16 ,  1   7 ). Strap  40  is secured about this cross-piece  38  ( FIG. 14 ). Support block  46  may then be adjustable upon the strap  40  to provide length adjustability to fit different dryer models. Any block structure which will allow for a releasably secure hold may be used, such as the depicted buckle in  FIG. 15 . 
         [0035]    In use then, as shown in  FIG. 18 , rack  100  is positioned so that it will reside generally and centrally against the dryer door  210  and a pair of shoes is positioned on the two lateral prongs of the bracket  110 . The strap  120  is threaded around the door of the dryer  200  such that the block  126  is abutting the door  210  of the dryer and its frame  220 . For the first disclosed embodiment, once the dryer door  210  is shut, block  126  co-operates with the shoes to maintain a tension between the bracket  110  and strap  120  and keep the two pieces assembled. With the second disclosed embodiment, the strap  120  is held in position while the block  126  is tightened against the dryer  200   
         [0036]    Construction of the rack may be of any suitably heat resistant material Metals and other materials may be used; however, heat resistant polymers are preferred. Polymers may, of course be blended with stabilizers and other additives to obtain optimum performance. In the first disclosed embodiment, the use of the same polymer for both the bracket  10  and strip  20  is sensible for simplicity, but it is not necessary and may be abandoned for cost-effectiveness and material performance. An ideal polymer for use in both the bracket  10  and strip  20  would be heat resistant up to 300° F. and still maintain resiliency and durability while resisting deformation, though heat resistance to only 250° F. would suffice for most modern, non-malfunctioning, dryers. The bracket would need to hold the weight of at least one pair of wet shoes while in the dryer environment. Such a polymer would also need to resist wear, cracking and degradation. Ideal polymers for this embodiment would include, but not be limited to: Hydrolytic stabilized polyamide 6,6; Polybutylene Terephthalate; Polyphthal Amide; and silicone elastomers. If different materials are chosen, as is in the second disclosed embodiment, the materials list of options greatly expands. The strap  40  may be made of any flexible and heat resistant material, such as a polymer or a fabric, while the bracket  30  may be made of any of the above disclosed polymers or more rigid ones, like ABS plastic, as the ductility of the strap need not be considered in material choice. 
         [0037]    The bracket  10 ,  30  may be constructed in any means known in the art to increase durability while reducing weight. As can be seen in  FIG. 8 , structural ribs are provided. Likewise, a brace  19  may also be added to the bracket  10 , as is shown in  FIG. 9 . With proper material selection, the bracket  10  may be made thinner than is depicted in the figures, even to the point of being almost flat. 
         [0038]    Dimensions for one example of a bracket and strap for use with the invention is described herein. It should be noted that these dimensions are merely an example of one manner to manufacture a bracket according to the present invention. Other dimensions are possible and will be dependent upon desired look, size and material of construction. A bracket may have a length of approximately 6 inches and a maximum width of 4.5 inches, with a base of about 2 inches width and 0.75 inches in length. Thickness of the bracket would range from 0.375 to 0.625 inches, with the central prong being tapered from the minimum to maximum thickness. Lateral prongs would branch off of the base in a slightly curved fashion, having an R of about 12.0 inches. The strap may be about 12 to 18 inches long with a thickness and width determined by the material f construction. 
         [0039]    Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, numerous modifications and variations can be made and still the result will come within the scope of the invention. No limitation with respect to the specific embodiments disclosed herein is intended or should be inferred.

Technology Classification (CPC): 3