Patent ID: 7234603

Claim:
A swing-arm rack that is reversibly convertible between a folded configuration and a deployed configuration, the swing-arm rack comprising: a) an elongate swing-arm having i) an upper terminus delimiting an upper end of the swing-arm, ii) a lower terminus delimiting a lower end of the swing-arm, iii) an inward surface facing a vertical support, iv) an outward surface facing away from the vertical support, and v) an aperture through the swing-arm from the inward surface to the outward surface; b) an upper hinge means for pivotally connecting the upper terminus of the swing-arm to the vertical support; c) a drop-arm having i) a fixed terminus delimiting a fixed end of the drop-arm, and ii) a free terminus delimiting a free end of the drop-arm; d) a lower hinge means for pivotally connecting the fixed terminus of the drop-arm to the swing-arm inward surface; e) a keeper; f) a flexible restraint having a first end and a second end, the first end of the flexible restraint being connected to the free end of the drop-arm, and the second end of the flexible restraint passing through the aperture from the inward surface of the swing-arm to the outward surface of the swing-arm and secured by the keeper against the outward surface of the swing-arm when the swing-arm rack is in the deployed configuration; and g) at least one lateral projection for holding hanging articles, the lateral projection extending laterally from the swing-arm, whereby when the swing-arm rack is in the deployed configuration, the flexible restraint holds the drop-arm with the free end of the drop-arm abutting the vertical support, thereby locking the lower end of the swing-arm away from the vertical support and transmitting to the vertical support the gravitational force acting upon the swing-arm and the hanging articles supported thereby; and whereby conversion from the deployed configuration to the folded configuration is achieved by using the flexible restraint to urge the free end of the drop-arm upwards into a substantially vertical orientation such that the drop-arm is positioned between the inward surface of the swing-arm and the vertical support and the free end of the drop-arm is juxtaposed against the upper end of the swing-arm, and the swing-arm hangs in a substantially vertical orientation supported by the upper hinge.