Patent ID: 7617552

Claim:
An expandable frame for lifting bed covers comprising: a first upright; a second upright; an upper cross bar; a lower cross bar oriented substantially parallel with respect to the upper cross bar; a first connector having a first opening and a second opening, the first opening receiving an upper end of the first upright, the second opening receiving a first end of the upper cross bar; a second connector having a first opening and a second opening, the first opening of the second connector receiving an upper end of the second upright, the second opening of the second connector receiving a second end of the upper cross bar; a first leg; a second leg; a third connector having a first opening, a second opening, a third opening and a fourth opening, the first opening of the third connector receiving a lower end of the first upright, the second opening of the third connector receiving a first end of the lower cross bar, and the third opening of the third connector receiving an attached end of the first leg such that a free end of the first leg extends outwardly from the third connector; a fourth connector having a first opening, a second opening, a third opening and a fourth opening, the first opening of the fourth connector receiving a lower end of the second upright, the second opening of the fourth connector receiving a second end of the lower cross bar, and the third opening of the fourth connector receiving an attached end of the second leg such that a free end of the second leg extends outwardly from the fourth connector; the first upright being movable with respect to the third connector and the second upright being movable with respect to the fourth connector such that, in a contracted position, the upper cross bar is spaced from the lower cross bar at a first distance and, in an expanded position, the upper cross bar is positioned farther than the first distance from the lower cross bar to lift bed covers draped over the upper cross bar away from the lower cross bar; and a locking mechanism operative to selectively lock the expandable frame in the expanded position; wherein: each of the first upright, second upright, upper cross bar, lower cross bar, first foot and second foot is elongate and hollow; and in the contracted position: the first upright extends through the third connector via the first and fourth openings of the third connector, with the first upright being substantially longer than a corresponding length of the third connector through which the first upright extends; and the second upright extends through the fourth connector via the first and fourth openings of the fourth connector, with the second upright being substantially longer than a corresponding length of the fourth connector through which the second upright extends.