The present invention relates to a rack construction of the kind defined in the preamble of Claim 1, and more particularly to a rack for airing clothes and similar articles.

U.S. Patent No. 3,003,645 teaches a rack which includes a telescopic arm that can be folded down against a vertical rack-supporting structure, and a telescopic supporting leg which is pivotally mounted on the outer end of the arm, wherein the arm is located between the supporting structure and the supporting leg when in its vertically down-folded position. The supporting leg includes two parts which can be moved longitudinally in relation to one another and which can be secured in selected relative positions. The arm also includes two parts which can be moved longitudinally in relation to one another.

SE Patent No. 162 215 teaches a rack construction which includes an arm that has two parts which can be moved longitu¬ dinally in relation to one another, the arm being carried by a wall-mounted attachment so as to be pivotal in the vertical plane and the horizontal plane, and also includes a supporting leg which is pivotally connected to the outer end of the arm for pivotal movement in the vertical plane, so that when the rack construction is in a collapsed stow-away state, the supporting leg and the arm will extend vertically and parallel with one another, with the supporting leg located between the arm and the wall and with the arm resting on the floor/ground or like underlying surface.

One object of the invention is to provide a rack construction that can be readily adjusted between a collapsed or stowed state and an extended or use state, despite having a support- ing leg whose length is adjustable, and also in the case when the length of the arm is adjustable, and which will allow at least the length of the arm to exceed the distance between the

wall-mounted attachment and the floor/underlying surface.

The object also includes providing such a rack construction with simple and robust means which will enable the arm and the supporting leg to be secured in their retracted positions when the rack has been collapsed to a stow-away state.

In this regard, the object also includes the provision of a securing or locking device which will have substantially no tendency to become released unintentionally when the rack is in its collapsed stow-away state.

With the intention of fulfilling these objects, it is proposed in accordance with the invention that a rack construction of the kind defined in the preamble of Claim 1 (US-A 3,003,645) also includes the features set forth in the characterizing clause of Claim 1.

Further features characteristic of the invention are set forth in the depending Claims, while advantages afforded by the invention will be apparent from the following description of an exemplifying embodiment of a novel rack construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side view of an inventive rack construction and shows the rack in its position of use;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the rack construction shown in Fig.

1, but shows the rack in a collapsed stow-away state; Fig. 3 is a view of the wall-mounted rack attachment from above;

Fig. 4 shows a lower part of the rack-supporting leg, seen from the left in Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line V-V through the lower part shown in Fig. 4.

The rack construction illustrated in Fig. 1 includes an arm

comprising inner and outer parts 1 and 2, a supporting leg comprising top and bottom parts 3 and 4, and an attachment means 5. The attachment means 5 includes a mounting plate 6 which is intended to be mounted on a wall of a building for instance, and includes a connection in the form of a shaft 7 which is vertical in the use position of the attachment means and on which there is journalled a connection part 8 which, in turn, carries a horizontal shaft or pin 9 on which one end of the arm part 2 is journalled.

The arm part 2 of the illustrated embodiment is a square tube in which the arm part 1, which is also a square tube, can be moved axially. That end of the arm part 1 which is distal from the attachment means 5 is pivotally mounted on a horizontal pivot pin 10 at the upper end of the top supporting leg part. The pivot pins 9 and 10 thus enable the arm 1, 2 and the supporting leg 3, 4 to swing in a vertical plane, while the shaft 7 on the attachment means enables the arm and the supporting leg to swing laterally in relation to the mounting plate 6, which is normally attached to an outer surface of an external wall of a building.

In the illustrated embodiment, the top supporting leg part 3 has a U-shaped profile with the web of the U facing to the left in Fig. 1 and with the internal distance between the legs of the U exceeding the external measurements of the square tube 2, so that the arm part 2 can be accommodated in the U- channel in the part 3. The supporting leg part 4 also has a U-shaped profile which is orientated in the same way as the U-shaped profile formed by the part 3, therewith enabling the part 3 to be accommodated in the part 4 and guided for axial movement therein. A screw projecting out from the web of the U-shaped profile 3 extends through a longitudinally extending slot 11 (Fig. 4) in the part 4 and coacts with a nut 12, therewith enabling the parts 3, 4 to be releasably locked together in selected positions relative to one another.

The bottom supporting-leg part 4 is provided with foot-like parts 13 which project out on both sides of the vertical plane extending perpendicularly through the pivot pins 9, 10, said foot-like parts coacting with an underlying surface so as to hold the supporting leg 3, 4 in the vertical plane when the rack structure is in its use position. The bottom end of the supporting-leg part 4 also carries a projection 14 which is intended to be received in a hole (not shown) located in the proximity of the pivot pin 9 on the downwardly facing side of the arm part 2 in Fig. 1.

Although not shown, there is also preferably provided in the arm part 1 a hole which will be in register with the hole located on the underside of the arm part 2 when the arm part 1 is fully inserted in the arm part 2.

The rack construction is adjusted from its use position shown in Fig. 1 to its collapsed position shown in Fig. 2 in the following way: The arm part 1 is moved into the arm part 2 and the nut 12 is loosened, whereupon the supporting-leg parts 3, 4 are telescoped together and swung up against the underside of the axially combined arm parts 1, 2, so that the projection 14 will be received in the hole on the underside of the arm part 2, and when applicable also in the hole provided on the arm part 1. The arm 1, 2 and the supporting leg 3, 4 are then swung down around the attachment 5 and allowed to hang generally vertically from the attachment pivot pin 9, where¬ with the engagement of the projection 14 in said hole or holes prevents the arm part 1 from sliding from the arm part 2, thereby also preventing the leg part 3 from sliding down out of the leg part 4.

If desired, the nut 12 may, of course, be screwed down tightly so as to lock the leg parts 3 and 4 together, for instance when the projection 14 only engages with the hole provided in the arm part 2.

The pivotal connection 10 between the arm 1, 2 and the supporting legs 3, 4 may be constructed advantageously so that the angle between the arm part 1 and the supporting leg part 3 can be varied between 0° up to roughly the angle shown in Fig. 1, thereby preventing the rack structure from collapsing from the position shown in Fig. 1 by virtue of said angle allowing an increase above the limit value, which may be 90°, for instance, or a somewhat larger angle up to 120°, for instance.

The arm parts 1 and 2 are also provided with means which will prevent the arm part 1 from being drawn longitudinally out of engagement with the arm part 2. The arm parts 1, 2 may also be provided with means which will make it difficult to move the arm parts l, 2 axially in relation to one another when the arm is subjected to load.

It will be understood that the invention is not restricted to the described and illustrated exemplifying embodiment thereof, and that the invention can be realized in any chosen manner within the scope of the inventive concept defined by the following Claims.