Laundry Stand

Abstract

A laundry stand having a plurality of connectors, a plurality of elongated members, and plurality of cross-rods with end caps thereon. The connectors fit into bores defined on the elongated members and include a key aperture to receive the heads of the end caps such that the cross-rods are captured between opposing elongated members. A pair of the connectors include a slot in the middle thereof to receive end hooks positioned on the end of top rail members that permit the laundry stand to move to and from an opened and folded configurations.

1 . A laundry stand comprising:
 a plurality of pairs of elongated rail members, each pair of elongated rail members having top and bottom sides and aligned bores transverse to the top and bottom sides through which a connector is inserted to pivotally connect the pair of elongated rail members to form a plurality of scissor linkages, at least one end of each of the elongated rail members defining corresponding bores through which the connectors are inserted to join two scissor linkages to form a first end frame, and at least two scissor linkages being joinable to form a second end frame;   each of the connectors having a base portion with a hollow sleeve extending therefrom and sized to fit within the bores of the elongated members, the base portion having a pair of edge flanges extending outwardly from the base portion along sides of the hollow sleeve to engage the top and bottom sides of the elongated rail members when the connector is inserted into the bores of the elongated rail members, the connectors further including an key aperture diametrically opposing the hollow sleeve;   a plurality of cross-rods, each cross-rods including end caps, the end caps having a head portion sized to fit within the key aperture of the connectors, such that the cross-rods are captured between connectors defined by the first and second end frames, one of the cross-rods having attached thereon a pair of connectors, from the plurality of connectors, that further includes a centered stem separating the base portion into top and bottom base sections; and   a pair of top rail members, each having one end secured by a connector to one of the elongated rail members, and having another end secured to an end hook, the end hook having a notch defined thereon for hooking the end hook onto the centered stem defined on the pair of connectors, wherein the one cross-rod connected to the pair of connectors with the centered stem being positioned opposite the end of the top rail member that is secured to the said elongated rail member.   
     
     
         2 . The laundry stand of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a plurality of outer caps having a shaft extending from a head portion, the plurality of outer caps being positioned such that the shafts extend through the aligned bores on the elongated rail members and fit within the hollow sleeve of the connectors, wherein the head portion being positioned on an outer side of the elongated rail members.   
     
     
         3 . The laundry stand of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of cross-rods all have the same length. 
     
     
         4 . The laundry stand of  claim 3 , wherein the connectors inserted through bores defined on the top rail members having a smaller width base portion than the base portion on connectors used with the elongated rail members. 
     
     
         5 . The laundry stand of  claim 4 , wherein the first and second end frames include elongated rail members defined as foot rail members that include a slanted portion for resting on a surface when the laundry stand is in an opened extended configuration.