This invention relates to a clothes airer and more particularly but not exclusively to heating means for use with a clothes airer for assisting in the drying and airing of clothes. The invention provides also a heating means in combination with a clothes airer frame.

It is well known to provide a clothes airer in the form of a rigid frame wherein at least some of the frame members comprise a heating element. Typically the frame comprises rigid hanging rails within which electrical heating elements are housed.

It is known also to provide an assembly of two or more frames thereby to enhance the drying capacity.

Particularly because many modern homes have limited storage capacity it is well known that if the clothes airer comprises two or more rigid frame members, those frame members should be pivotally connected together such that they may be folded to lie substantially aligned with one another when not in use and thereby reduce the required storage space.

An example of a well known clothes airer of the aforedescribed type is described in US 7723646B.

Despite the provision of rigid frame members that are pivotally connected to one another, said clothes airers are relatively bulky when stored and often are too tall to be readily accommodated in a small space, such as in a cupboard space beneath a stairway.

Furthermore the weight of an airer of an aforedescribed type typically renders it less well suited to movement between indoor and outdoor locations. The present invention seeks to provide an improved heated clothes airer in which the disadvantages of known heated clothes airers are mitigated or overcome and heating means for use with a clothes airer.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a heating means for a clothes airer of the type comprising a frame provided with a plurality of hanging rails for supporting laundry items, said heating means comprising an airer frame cover comprising at least a canopy section for extending over the top of a clothes airer and said canopy section providing support for an electrically powered heating panel which, in use, is suspended from the canopy section.

The canopy section preferably is of a type adapted for positioning over the top of a tiered type collapsible airer, for example an airer of the type the subject of our UK patent GB563107B.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a clothes airer comprising the combination of the heating means of the present invention and a clothes airer frame of the collapsible tiered type, said frame comprising a plurality of frame side members and hanging rails that extend between pairs of frame side members, the pairs of frame side members being pivotally secured relative to one another whereby the frame may adopt an erect configuration, in which hanging rails extend horizontally in a tiered configuration, and a collapsed configuration which is relatively flat compared to the erect configuration.

Preferably the electrically powered heating panel is flexible. The panel may comprise textile material. The panel may have heating elements embedded therein or secured thereto. Additionally or alternatively the heating panel may comprise a layer of electrically conductive material.

The heating panel may be of a rectangular shape. The heating panel may comprise two end regions. The heating panel may comprise a cable entry position or connection means such as a socket or plug at a first end region for the supply of electrical power to the heating panel . The panel may comprise switching means for control of an electrical power supply to the panel. The switching means may comprise one or more of an on-off switch, a timer device and a thermostat.

The heating panel may comprise a sensor responsive to movement of the panel or change of orientation of the panel relative to a vertical direction. The sensor may be adapted for disconnecting the heating element(s) or other electrically conductive material of the panel from an electrical power supply thereby to function as a safety precaution to interrupt the power supply and or provide an alarm signal in the event of the panel being displaced from a vertically suspended orientation. Additionally or alternatively the panel may comprises a sensor of a thermal cut-out type.

The heating panel may comprise attachment means for securing the heating panel to a cover canopy section. The attachment means may be spaced from said first end region. The attachment means may be of a type which is non releasably secure the heating panel to the canopy section. The canopy section and heating panel may be formed integral with one another. The attachment means may enable the heating panel to be selectively removed from the canopy section.

Attachment means of the heating panel may be provided at a second end region of the panel.

The attachment means of the heating panel may comprise a zip formation operable to engage with the zip formation of a canopy section. Thus the heating panel and canopy section may be selectively separable from one another and attachable to one another.

The heating panel may be formed wholly of flexible material or may comprise one or more flexible regions between relatively less flexible regions. Preferably any such relatively more flexible regions extend in a direction across the width of the heating panel, i.e. perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a direction extending between end regions of the panel. In use of the panel with a collapsible type clothes airer the less flexible regions preferably are arranged to extend in a direction parallel with the axes about which pairs of frame side members are pivotable relative to one another. The panel may comprise two layers of fabric secured together by lines of stitching that extend in a direction across the width of the panel thereby to provide a plurality of channels through which a wire heating element may extend to and fro in a snake like manner. Thus the successive channels may serve to hold the wire heating element in a correct position whilst not impeding flexibility.

The panel may be of sufficient flexibility to enable it to be rolled, folded or otherwise made compact for storage. The panel may comprise retention means for retaining the panel in a rolled condition. The retention means may comprise a strap for extending around a mat.

The retention means may be secured to the panel. The retention means may comprise a hook and loop fastener. Alternatively or additionally the canopy section may comprise retention means for retaining the panel in a rolled or other such compact condition.

The cover may comprise one or more side panels which extend around the airer frame thereby better to contain heated air in the vicinity of clothes or other items supported by the airer hanging rails. The side panel(s) may be supported by the cover canopy section. The clothes airer may be of the type provided with so-called flip-out sections on the frames of the uppermost tier and which, in the extended, flipped out position hold the cover suspended from direct contact with laundry items suspended from hanging rails.

The heating panel may be secured to a surface of the canopy which faces inwards towards a supporting airer frame. Instead of being releasably secured to the canopy section, the heating panel may be formed integrally with the canopy section or non releasably secured thereto. The canopy section may comprise two or more heating panels provided at regions of the canopy section that are spaced apart.

The clothes airer frame may be of a collapsible type and may be of the type described, for example, in the specifications of our UK patent GB 2367239C and GB 2563107B.

A clothes airer frame such as that described in GB2367239C may be employed to support a cover canopy section that has a footprint greater than that of the erected airer whereby a cover may be supported by the canopy section and be held away from direct contact with the hanging rails.

Although the canopy section of the heating means may comprise a layer of substantially rigid material, in an alternative construction the canopy may be formed from a flexible material, such as a layer of flexible material. The canopy may have corner location formations for engaging with upper corners of an airer frame thereby to hold relatively taught and to remain in place over the airier notwithstanding the weight of the attached airer panel.

Additionally or alternatively one or more rigid frame components may be provided to hold in shape a layer of flexible material of a canopy section. The frame may comprise one or more members that define the rectangular shape of the canopy section. Additionally or alternatively the canopy section may comprise at least one support member such as a rigid member which may, for example, be in the form of a metal tube or rod that extends across the canopy section in a direction perpendicular to the junction of the heating panel with the canopy. Alternatively the support member for the heating panel may be a flexible inextensible member that is held in position at spaced apart ends.

If the canopy section comprises a layer of flexible material held in shape at least in part by a support member, the heating panel may be attached to the support member or to the layer of flexible material. The present invention provides also a method of employing an electrically powered heating means of the invention for the airing of laundry items and wherein the method comprises employing the heating means in a manner as described herein.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings and images in which:-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a heating means in accordance with the present invention in situ on a clothes airer;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of part of a heating means in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3 is an external perspective view of part of the heating means of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of components of the heating means of Figure 2;

Figure 5 illustrates frame components for support of fabric material of the canopy section of the heating means;

Figure 6 is a detail of part of the canopy frame assembly;

Figure 7 is a view of the underside of the canopy section prior to attachment of a heating panel;

Figure 8 is a side view of the heating means of Figure 2 in situ on an airer prior to deployment of cover side panels and deployment of the heating panel; Figure 9 shows the heating panel of Figures 1 and 2 retained in a rolled condition, and

Figure 10 shows a clothes airer in combination with the support frame of a canopy section, other parts of the heating means being omitted for clarity.

In a first embodiment of the present invention (see Figure 1 ) a clothes airer heating means 10 comprises an electrically powered rectangular heating panel 1 1 which is suspended from a canopy section 12 and which is provided with a cable 13 connected to the panel 1 1 at a first, lower end region 14 thereof.

A second, upper end region 15 of the heating panel is supported by the canopy section.

The canopy section is shown in situ supported by the top of the frame of a three tier type collapsible clothes airer 16.

The canopy section is of a square shape having sides each of a length corresponding with the width of the airer, the width being the maximum spacing of two frame side members 17,18 that are spaced apart by hanging rails 20.

In common with the design of known collapsible three tier airers, said width of the airer is greater than the spacing of the two frame side members 18,19 provided at the same side of the airer at the top of the airer. Thus, in use, the canopy section can be positioned over the top of the airer with two edge regions 21 , 22 of the canopy section lying outwards of the top of the airer frame. Accordingly the edge regions 22 lie outwards of laundry items 23 suspended from outermost hanging rails 20 or from airer horizontally extending frame sections 26. The upper end region 15 of the heating panel may be non- releasably secured to an inwards, downward facing surface of the canopy section or may be releasably secured thereto. Preferably the heating panel is secured or is securable to the canopy section at a position parallel with and spaced midway between said two opposite edges 21 , 22 of the canopy section.

In a second embodiment of the invention (see Figure 2) for clarity only part of heating means 30 and an airer frame 16 is illustrated. In this embodiment a canopy section 31 and heating panel 32 are constructed substantially as described in respect of the first embodiment. However the canopy section 31 is of a type that is part of a clothes airer cover 33 comprising four adjacent side panels 34 which extend from respective edges of the canopy section, said side panels optionally being permanently secured to the canopy section or releasably secured thereto.

Figure 3 shows the heating means 30 of Figure 2 with complete side panels one of which is provided with two portions 35, 36 secured together by a zip 37 but separable for access to hanging rails of the clothes airer.

The canopy section of the heating means may be formed by a layer of rigid material but in the embodiments of Figures 1 and 2 it comprises a layer of flexible material which extends over a lightweight tubular support frame that defines a square shaped boundary of the canopy section.

The support frame may comprise two or more sections securable together to form a square shape or may comprise a single piece frame component that defines the square shape.

The support frame defining the boundary of the canopy section may be adapted to hold the flexible material sufficiently tightly whereby the weight of the heating panel attached to the fabric does not unduly cause the fabric to sag and interfere with the correct positioning of the heating panel and cover side panels. However in the embodiment of Figures 1 to 3 the canopy section comprises a fabric layer supported by a frame that comprises at least one auxiliary frame member that extends across the width of the canopy section.

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of components of a heating means 40 wherein a canopy section 41 supports cover side panels 42 and a heating panel 43.

The heating panel has an upper end region 44 which is secured to the downward facing surface of the canopy section at a position 45 midway between two side edges 46, 47 of the canopy section.

The canopy section comprises a layer of flexible fabric material 48 which is held in shape by a rectangular frame 49 of tubular aluminium. The frame 49 has secured thereto two support bars 50 that extend across the canopy section in a direction perpendicular to the position 45 at which the top end of the heating panel is secured or is securable to the fabric 48. Thus the support bars 50 assist in resisting undue deflection of the fabric material under the weight of the supported heating panel 43. The support bars preferably are rigid but alternatively there may be provided one or more support members of flexible and inextensible material held taught at spaced apart end positions.

For compactness of transportation prior to assembly the frame 49 (see Figure 5) may be formed from four sections 51 interconnected at a positions 52 midway along the length of each side.

As best seen in Figure 6, the support bars 50 may be secured at their ends to respective frame sections 51 by means of screws extending through the sections 51 into the ends of the support bars 50.

Referring to Figure 7, there is shown the downwards facing, underside surface of the canopy section 41 . This illustrates a zip formation 60 that in use cooperates with a zip formation 44 at the upper end of the heating panel 43 whereby the heating panel may be secured to the canopy section and, optionally, removed therefrom. From Figure 7 it will be seen that the support bars 50 extend across the canopy section to lie between the fabric 48 and the zip formation 60. Corner ties 61 secure the canopy section fabric to corners of the support frame 51 and the fabric is additionally provided with hook and loop type fastening straps 63 which may be employed to hold the side panels elevated in a compact position.

Figure 8 shows heating means of the present invention as supported by the top of a three tier airer with the cover side panels 42 in part positioned for storage and with the heating panel 43 in a rolled condition. Thus the heating means shown in Figure 8 may readily be removed for storage by lifting from the top of the clothes airer.

In Figure 8 the support bars 50 extend in a direction perpendicular to the length of the zip formation which attaches the heating panel to the canopy section of the cover and accordingly the support bars 50 extend across the width of the airer as viewed in Figure 8. In that orientation of the support bars they rest on the horizontally extending frame sections 65 of the upper tier of the airer as also shown in Figure 10 and are readily lifted from that position.

In Figure 9 the heating panel is shown in a rolled condition with the cable held captive within the rolled formation of the panel, with the zip formation 44 conveniently available for securing to the zip formation of the canopy section of the heating means, and with straps 66 retaining the heating panel temporarily in the rolled condition.

More generally the heating panel of the present invention may be used in conjunction with other types of airer frames including non-collapsible types of airer frame.

VM16CPDE3