I’m generally a strong proponent of repairing things instead of replacing them, especially when they’re the kind of thing that breaks almost immediately and costs a lot to replace. Case in point, these folding laundry baskets we got from Amazon. At our previous house we were SUPER strapped for space, so these were a lifesaver. But unfortunately they’re quite fragile: the plastic uprights that snap into place and give them rigidity, but loaded up with laundry, they tend to snap in half the wrong way, and then you’ve got a very limp laundry basket.
Unfortunately, they’re not the most repairable, but dealing with a minor cut is a whole lot better than spending $50 to replace one and get a second you don’t need.
The part that snapped in half is a U-beam with ribs for extra strength (though not that much). I drew up a simple sleeve in CAD that slips over each side of the break, and is actually quite a bit stronger than the original. Unfortunately these plastic parts are sewn in, so the only practical way to get at them is to cut open the fabric at the elbow to slip the plastic parts out. On the plus side, it’s not that noticeable in use, and it’s certainly better than a broken basket.
Interesting — we have several baskets this style and I know some of them have gone “limp.” I’ll have to see if it’s the same issue.
Have you considered publishing an STL to Printables or Thingiverse?
Interesting – I guess I’d thought it wouldn’t be applicable enough to bother, but I guess I was wrong! Published here: https://www.printables.com/model/1011928-folding-laundry-basket-strengthener