BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Scuba diving is a popular recreational activity enjoyed by a large number of participants throughout the world. It is an activity that involves a significant quantity and variety of equipment and accessories. Diving equipment becomes wet in use, and also requires cleaning after use. Once wet, diving equipment often requires a substantial amount of time to dry, and particularly in the case of neoprene garments such as wet suits the required drying period may extend over a number of days.

Accordingly, a problem exists for scuba divers in finding sufficient and suitable space for drying wet garments and accessories. Garments may be dried outdoors, however this has the disadvantage of exposing the garments to the weather, including ultraviolet radiation from the sun which may lead to damage of diving equipment. Of course, exposure to rain will prevent the equipment from drying.

Alternatively diving equipment may be kept indoors while drying. The disadvantage in this case is that a suitable location must be found in which the equipment can dry without wetting or otherwise damaging interior furnishings or fixtures, including floors and floor coverings such as rugs or carpets. It is therefore common to use bathroom and laundry areas for drying garments, in particular shower recesses, baths and/or sinks or basins. However, this may lead to excessive clutter of these spaces and limits their usability for other purposes.

The problems of clutter and loss of space are particularly acute in temporary accommodation such as hotel and motel rooms in which the available space is usually limited.

Previous attempts to solve the problems of clutter and loss of space while drying diving equipment have included the provision of hangers specifically designed for suspending diving gear while drying. While hangers assist in

keeping equipment tidy while drying, it is necessary to provide a support from which to suspend the hanger, which restricts the locations in which such hangers can be used. Furthermore, when used outdoors, hangers do not provide protection from the elements for the articles suspended from them.

To overcome some of the disadvantages of simple hangers, specialised hanging frames for diving equipment have been developed. However, to date such hanging frames have been designed primarily for outdoor use, and in particular to assist in the washing of garments and accessories. These hanging frames therefore provide no protection from moisture dripping from the wet articles onto the ground below. Furthermore, hanging frames previously developed do not include any protection from the elements for articles suspended on them. In addition, the requirement for such frames to remain stable even when loaded with wet diving equipment has generally required that they utilise substantially bulky and heavy construction of the base section that supports the frame, which limits their portability and practicality for use in confined spaces.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a portable apparatus for drying and storage of apparel and accessories that mitigates one or more of the disadvantages in the prior art.

Any of the above discussion of documents, devices, acts or knowledge in this specification is included to explain the context of the invention. It should not be taken as an admission that any of the material formed part of the prior art base or the common general knowledge in the relevant art on or before the priority date of the invention or claims herein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One aspect of the present invention provides a portable apparatus for drying and/or storage of garments and/or accessories, the apparatus including a base for supporting a frame, the base including a cavity for receipt of ballast to stabilise the apparatus, the frame being mounted on the base and including projections suitable for supporting garments and/or accessories, wherein the base includes at least one opening for insertion of ballast into the cavity and a tray for collecting liquid, when in use, falling from wet garments and/or accessories that are suspended above the base.

In one preferred embodiment, the cavity is substantially watertight to allow water to be used as the ballast and the base includes a sufficiently dimensioned first opening to insert water as ballast into the cavity. In an alternative embodiment, the cavity is sufficiently sealed to allow particulate material, such as sand, to be used as the ballast and the base includes a sufficiently dimensioned first opening to insert particulate material as ballast.

In a most preferred embodiment, the first opening is salable. The base may also include a second salable opening which, when unsealed, allows the draining of ballast from the base.

Preferably, one or more wheels are included on the base. Also the frame for supporting garments and/or accessories may be collapsible to enable easy transport and storage of the apparatus when not in use. The projections may be fittings separable from the garments and/or accessory frame.

In a preferred embodiment, the liquid collecting tray is formed by a substantially planar upper surface in the base with raised edges surrounding said upper surface.

In another preferred embodiment, the mounting support for the garment and/or accessory frame is substantially centrally located on the base, and the liquid collecting tray is an annular concave depression in the upper surface of the base surrounding the central mounting support.

In yet another embodiment, the mounting supports for the garment and/or accessory frame may be located at substantially opposite ends of the base, and the frame extends across the base between the mounting supports.

Preferably, a lid correspondingly shaped with the base is provided such that the base and lid forms a case for transport or storage of the collapsible garment and/or accessory frame.

Projections from the garment and/or accessory frame may include any one or more of the following : - hanging knobs; - spikes with rounded ends; - accessory trays; - perforated accessory trays; - hooks ;

- hangers ; or - support rails.

A preferred embodiment of the invention includes a canopy for mounting above the garments and/or accessories. The canopy may be correspondingly shaped with the base thus forming a lid for transport and storage of the apparatus when not in use. The canopy may be formed of a flexible canopy frame covered with flexible material, the material and canopy frame preferably being attachable to the garment and/or accessory frame. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the canopy is collapsible for storage.

The liquid collecting tray may include perforations for drainage of liquids from wet items placed thereupon. The liquid collecting tray may include alternately raised and depressed regions, whereby an object placed upon the tray is held above any liquid collected in the depressed regions. Preferably the raised regions form a series of ridges.

In one preferred embodiment, hangers or hanging rails are attachable to the garment and/or accessory frame.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, without limiting the overall scope of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a drying and storage apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus of Figure 1 in disassembled and packed form; Figure 3 is a detailed perspective view of components of the apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a side view of the drying and storage apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 5 is an end view of the drying and storage apparatus of Figure 1; and Figure 6 is a perspective view of a drying and storage apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the portable drying and storage apparatus 100 when fully assembled. Many features of the embodiment are visible in more than one of the drawings, and like numerals are used to identify like elements in each figure.

The drying apparatus 100 includes a base 102 into which two shafts 104,105 are fitted. The shafts 104,105 provide support for a number of projections which are intended to be used for support by hanging or placement of diving garments and accessories for drying and storage. In the embodiment shown, these projections include rounded spikes 106, accessory trays 108, rounded hooks 110, and a horizontal support rail 112 from which further hanging rails eg. 114 are suspended. The shafts together with the projections thus constitute a garment and/or accessory frame able to provide support for diving garments or accessories. At the top of the shafts 104,105 is shown an optional ultraviolet protection canopy 118.

In one preferred embodiment, the base 102 is hollow and is preferably composed of a waterproof and strong but lightweight material such as a rigid plastic. When assembled, the shaft 104 is fitted into an opening 120 in the base unit and the shaft 105 into a recess 121. However, when the shaft is removed, the opening 120 provides access into the hollow interior of the base unit, that forms a cavity, which enables it to be filled with ballast material such as sand or water, to stabilise the apparatus and prevent it from tipping when used to support heavy wet garments. This is of even greater importance when the apparatus is used outdoors, as wind may catch the supported garments. The recess 121 may be replaced by an opening similar to 120 if desired. The ballast material may also be emptied from the base unit 102 via the opening 120 (and/or 121) when no longer required. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 1, a first opening 122 with a resealable closure 123, such as a plug, may be used in other embodiments of the invention to provide a means for supply and removal of ballast material. A resealable second opening, not shown, may be provided in a more convenient location as compared with the first opening to allow draining of the ballast from the base.

The shafts 104,105 are constructed of a suitably rigid material, and are preferably hollow in order to minimise the weight of the apparatus. The material from which the shafts 104,105 and other fittings are fabricated is also preferably resistant to rust and other forms of corrosion, especially when exposed to fresh or salt water. Suitable materials may include steel, aluminium tubing, or plastic.

The projections 106,108, 110,112, 114 may be integrally formed with either of the shafts 104,105, or they may be separate components that are permanently affixed to either of the shafts 104,105 such as by welding or other means appropriate to the material.

However, in the preferred embodiment shown in Figures 1,2 and 3, the projections are provided as separate components. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the shafts 104,105 are also composed of a number of separate parts that are either slotted or screwed together to affix the projections to the shaft (s). The garment and/or accessory frame may be collapsible. This enables the drying apparatus to be collapsed and disassembled for storage or transport when not in use, and improves portability.

In a preferred embodiment, the shafts 104,105 may be formed of sections 300. The section 300 has a cross section which forms one or more channels 304 along the length of the shaft. Connector pieces 302 may be used to join sections and may provide fixing means, eg holes 306 to which components such as the accessory tray 108 may be fixed. Alternatively, fixing means 308 which slidably engage said channel (s) may be provided and components thereby attached.

The spikes 106 feature a smooth rounded construction so as to enable items such as fins and neoprene boots to be suspended from them without risk of damage. The accessory trays 108 may include a perforated flat base which may have a surrounding lip to enable smaller accessories, such as gloves or torches, to be easily placed on the accessory tray. Water can drain through the perforations, and provision of a lip prevents any articles from rolling off the accessory tray.

The rounded hooks 110 include smooth, rounded surfaces with no sharp corners to prevent damage to any items that are suspended from them. Whilst suitable for hanging items such as masks, regulators or weight belts, they may be used for any article that can be suspended from a small hook of this type.

A number of hangers 114 may be suspended from the horizontal support rail 112, and two are shown in the preferred embodiment of Figure 1. The round shoulder of the hanger 114 is suitable for hanging garments such as wet suits and buoyancy control devices that are designed to be worn over the upper body including the shoulder portion within a garment. Other garments or accessories may be looped over the lower rail of the hanger.

An ultraviolet protection canopy 118 may be provided to shade some or all of the garments and/or accessories. The canopy 118 may conveniently be fitted to the top of either or both of the support shafts 104,105 directly or using one or more brackets 136 as shown in Figure 1. The canopy may be made from any suitable light weight ultraviolet retarding material such as shade cloth to provide protection from exposure to sunlight for the diving apparel and equipment suspended from the drying apparatus.

The canopy 118 may be rigid or may be formed from flexible materials such as shade cloth. In a preferred embodiment, a flexible material is stretched over a canopy frame. The canopy frame may be folded such that the canopy collapses to a smaller area for storage.

The canopy 118 may be replaced by suitable water sports equipment such as a surfboard, or alternatively, the canopy 118 may be used to shade a surfboard. Suitable attachments for stably positioning a surfboard above the shafts 104,105 may be mounted on the shafts 104,105 or the horizontal support rail 112.

It is a particular feature of the preferred embodiment that the base 102 is integrally formed with a liquid collecting tray to collect any water that falls from damp equipment supported by the frame. As clearly shown in Figure 2, the base 102 is moulded to form a concave depression 202 extending across the majority of the base. This concave depression thus provides a drip tray for the garments and accessories supported by the fittings above. Thus, when wet equipment is stored on the apparatus, drips are caught by the base, and the floor or ground beneath the drying apparatus is kept dry. In one embodiment the liquid collecting tray may be provided with alternating raised 260 and depressed 262 regions, to form ridges 260 upon which objects may be placed. Water collected from damp equipment will be held in the depressed surface areas, thereby enabling objects

placed on the ridges to dry. In another embodiment, raised 260 and depressed 262 regions are provided on a separate insert which rests inside the tray 202. In another embodiment, not shown, a drain and conduit may be provided to remove collected water from the liquid collecting tray.

In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus may be conveniently manufactured in components suitable to be packed into a suitcase or other carry case. However, in a most preferred embodiment the apparatus, when disassembled, may form its own carry case. The base, including a liquid collecting tray in its upper surface, may be used as a case into which the disassembled shafts 104,105 and projections 106, 108, 110,112, 114 are packed. The raised 260 and depressed 262 regions of the tray may be correspondingly shaped to receive each disassembled item. A correspondingly shaped lid as compared with the base may then be provided and secured to the base to form a case. The canopy 118 may be used as the lid. Further, a handle 130 and one or more wheels 132 may be provided on the base 102 to assist in more convenient transportation of the apparatus.

CONCLUSION It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited in scope to the described embodiment but rather the scope of the present invention is broader so as to encompass other forms of the apparatus.

For example, the apparatus may include further fittings to those described herein for the drying and storing of additional garments or accessories.

In alternative embodiments, the base may include a hollow central portion for ballast to provide stability, and a flat outer tray portion with an exterior lip for collection of dripping water. It will be understood that many further variations of the construction of the base are possible. Many further variations of construction of the garment and/or accessory frame are also possible and a preferred embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention having a single shaft is shown in Figure 6.

The apparatus may also include additional features such as a protective curtain suspended from the ultraviolet protective canopy extending around the apparatus in order to provide additional protection from the elements to equipment and apparel supported by the frame.