Adjustable clothes hanger

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6722538
  • Patent Number
    6,722,538
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, October 16, 2002
    21 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, April 20, 2004
    20 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Calvert; John J.
    • Smith; James G
    Agents
    • Gugliotta; John D.
    • York, III; Olen L.
Abstract
An adjustable clothing hanger is a clothes hanger that is adjustable in size. Each side of the hanger has an adjustment mechanism, thus allowing for a variable width. The adjustment mechanism consists of a series of spring loaded pushbuttons (or snap fasteners) on a smaller diameter tube that engages a series of orifices or apertures on a larger diameter tube. It allows for the hanging of larger sized shirts, blouses, jackets, coats and the like without allowing the shoulder sections to sag. The adjustable clothing hanger also provides a swivel joint near the hook of the hanger where it joins the horizontal section. This joint allows the hanger to swivel in the closet and allows the hanger to be at any angle to the closet rod versus the perpendicular manner as required of conventional hangers.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The present invention relates generally to clothing hangers, and more specifically to an adjustable clothing hanger.




2. Description of the Related Art




Americans are blessed with being able to find virtually any type of clothing style in just about any size. Each person is almost assured of having clothing that fits their body size and shape perfectly. However, with the exception of small child hangers, everyone is forced to store their clothing on a single sized hanger that is approximately 18 inches wide. This is clearly a case where one size does not fit all. Those with larger sized shirts, blouses, jackets, and coats must deal with shoulder areas that sag when stored on a smaller hanger. This causes the clothes to look less than perfect when removed from the hanger and may even necessitate an extra ironing. This of course consumes extra time and ultimately may cause damage to the clothing due to additional ironing, washing, drying or dry cleaning. Accordingly, there exists a need for a means by which those with larger sized clothing can be afforded a means to hang such clothing in a closet without the disadvantages as described above.




A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention; however, the following references were considered related:




U. S. Pat. No. 6,220,489, issued in the name of Sato, describes a folding clothes hanger;




U. S. Pat. No. 6,206,255, issued in the name of Turner, describes a clothes hanger adapters;




U. S. Pat. No. 6,179,174, issued in the name of Kandl, describes an adjustable clothes hanger;




U. S. Pat. No. 6,164,504, issued in the name of Richard, describes a clothes hanger extender; which attaches to standard plastic hangers




U. S. Pat. No. 6,003,743, issued in the name of Deady, describes a multiple item adjustable clothes hanger for one or more clothing articles;




U. S. Pat. No. 5,711,464, issued in the name of Huang, describes a length adjustable clothes hanger with flexible arm;




U. S. Pat. No. 5,476,199, issued in the name of Halverson et al, describes a clothes hanger with adjustable, extendable clothing support arms;




U. S. Pat. No. 5,085,358, issued in the name of Lam, describes a clothes hanger adjustable in length; and




U. S. Pat. No. 923,786, issued in the name of Geraci, describes an adjustable coat hanger.




Consequently, there exists a need for new ideas and enhancements for existing products in the clothing hanger industry.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved adjustable clothing hanger.




It is a feature of the present invention to provide an improved adjustable clothing hanger adjustable to a variety of sizes for accommodating a variety of clothing sizes.




It is a further feature of the present invention to provide an improved adjustable clothing hanger securely impinged so as to prevent unnecessary lateral movement of the device.




It is a further feature of the present invention to provide an improved adjustable clothing hanger having a textured, no-slip surface, thereby preventing slippage of clothes.




Briefly described according to one embodiment of the present invention, an adjustable clothes hanger is a clothes hanger that is adjustable in size. Each side of the hanger has an adjustment mechanism, thus allowing for a variable width. The adjustment mechanism consists of a series of spring loaded pushbuttons (or snap fasteners) on a smaller diameter tube that engages a series of orifices or apertures on a larger diameter tube. It allows for the hanging of larger sized shirts, blouses, jackets, coats and the like without allowing the shoulder sections to sag. Such support eliminates unsightly wrinkles, hanger marks in the yoke of the garment, or the improper stretching of the fabric, and provides for better-looking clothes when they are removed from a closet. The invention also provides a swivel joint near the hook of the hanger where it joins the horizontal section. This joint allows the hanger to swivel in the closet and allows the hanger to be at any angle to the closet rod versus the perpendicular manner as required of conventional hangers. This feature is especially important when used in closets that are not very deep. The use of an adjustable clothes hanger allows those with larger clothing to hang such clothing in a closet, knowing it will be neat, wrinkle-free and presentable when removed.




The use of the present invention provides users with all of the materials and tools necessary to ensure that a user may easily use and maintain an adjustable clothing hanger.




An advantage of the present invention is that it is specifically adapted for personal use because of the light weight components and the use of inexpensive materials.




A further advantage of the present invention is that prevents hanger lines and creases in clothing that are caused by conventional clothing hangers.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which:





FIG. 1



a


is a perspective view of an adjustable clothing hanger;





FIG. 1



b


is a side view of the adjustable clothing hanger of

FIG. 1



a


;





FIG. 2

is an enlarged side view of the inset region of

FIG. 1



b


;





FIG. 3

is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the adjustable clothing hanger;





FIG. 4

is a perspective view of an upper conduit of the apparatus of

FIG. 3

;





FIG. 5

is a cross-sectional view of the component shown in

FIG. 4

, taken through line V—V;





FIG. 6

is a perspective view of a lower conduit of the apparatus of

FIG. 3

;





FIG. 7

is a cross-sectional view of the component shown in

FIG. 6

, taken through line VII—VII;





FIG. 8

is a side view and partial cross-section, wherein a portion of the upper conduit is pulled back so as to see the relationship between the upper conduit and the telescoping shaft, taken through the line VIII—VIII of

FIG. 3

;





FIG. 9

is a cross-sectional view of

FIG. 3

, taken through line IX—IX, wherein the diameter of the telescoping shaft is illustrated in relationship to the internal diameter of the upper conduit;





FIG. 10



a


is a cross-sectional view of

FIG. 3

, taken through line VIII—VIII, wherein a spring urged snap fastener is shown in a retracted stage;





FIG. 10



b


is a cross-sectional view of

FIG. 3

, taken through line VIII—VIII, wherein the spring urged snap fastener is penetrating a shaft orifice and an aperture; and





FIG. 10



c


is a cross-sectional view of

FIG. 3

, taken through line VIII—VIII, wherein the spring urged snap fastener has completely penetrated the shaft orifice and the aperture, thereby impinging movement of the upper conduit in relation to the shaft.











DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS




The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms of its preferred embodiment, herein depicted within the Figures.




1. Detailed Description of the Figures




Referring now to

FIG. 1



a


,

FIG. 1



b


and

FIG. 2

, an adjustable clothing hanger


10


, in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, is shown. The adjustable clothing hanger


10


comprises a yoke


12


, a first trap


14


, a second trap


16


and a beam


18


.




The yoke


12


includes a horizontal top surface


20


with a first pipe


22


depending from a first end of the top surface


20


, a second pipe


24


depending from a second end opposite to the first end, and a rotatable hook


108


depending from the center of the top surface


20


, thereby providing means for hanging the hanger from a closet rod. The first and second pipes


22


and


24


depend from the top surface


20


at an angle “a” that may vary from 1° to 30° below a horizontal plane indicated by the broken line “H—H”. The first pipe


22


telescopes into and out of a first upper cavity


30


of the first trap


14


, wherein the first pipe


22


has a smaller cross-sectional diameter than the inner cross-sectional diameter of the first trap


14


. Likewise, the second pipe


24


telescopes into and out of a second upper cavity


32


of the second trap


16


, wherein the second pipe


24


has a smaller cross-sectional diameter than the inner cross-sectional diameter of the second trap


16


. The first and second pipes


22


and


24


each house a spring-urged snap fastener


100


for securely maintaining the hanger at a determined width. The spring-urged snap fastener


100


comprises an impingement head


102


flanked by an impingement boss


104


. An outwardly biased spring


106


is affixed to the impingement boss


102


. The impingement head


102


penetrates through a lower orifice


26


in the first or second pipe


22


or


24


and then further penetrates through an aligned upper orifice


28


in the first or second trap


14


or


16


. Penetration of the impingement head


62


through the lower and upper orifices


26


and


28


securely hold the first or second pipe


22


or


24


in rigid relationship to the first or second trap


14


or


16


.




One end of the beam


18


inserts into a first lower cavity


34


of the first trap


14


and the opposing end of the beam


18


into a first lower cavity


36


of the second trap


16


. The length of the beam


18


is such that when the hanger


10


is extended to its widest width, the beam


18


will remain housed within the first trap


14


and the second trap


16


. The cross-sectional diameter of the shaft is smaller than the inner cross-sectional diameters of the lower cavity


34


of the first trap


14


or the lower cavity


36


of the second trap


16


, thereby allowing the beam


18


to telescope as envisioned. The first upper cavity


30


and the first lower cavity


34


are coupled together by a first connecting rod


33


. The second upper cavity


32


and the second lower cavity


36


are coupled together by a second connecting rod


35


.




Referring now to

FIG. 10



a


through

FIG. 10



c


, the spring-urged snap fastener


60


is illustrated and serves as an representative model for inclusion in either the preferred embodiment of

FIG. 1



a


,

FIG. 1



b


and

FIG. 2

or for the alternative embodiment depicted in FIG.


3


through FIG.


9


. The first or second pipe


22


or


24


is slidably telescoped within the first or second trap


14


or


16


, and the impingement head


62


is compressed within the first or second pipe


22


or


24


. When the lower orifice


26


aligns with the upper orifice


28


, the outwardly biased spring


66


urges the impingement head


62


outward and upward through the shaft orifice


58


and through the orifices


26


and


28


, thereby impinging any further lateral movement of the first or second pipe


22


or


24


. To accommodate desired lateral movement and adjustment of the hanger


10


, the impingement head


62


is forcibly pressed back into the orifices


26


and


28


, respectively, thereby allowing further lateral movement of the first or second pipe


22


or


24


.




Referring now to FIG.


3


through

FIG. 9

, an alternative embodiment of an adjustable clothing hanger


11


is shown. The adjustable clothing hanger


11


comprises a yoke


12


, wherein the yoke


12


includes a first trap


14


, a second trap


16


, a beam


18


and horizontal upper conduit


50


. The horizontal upper conduit


50


is opposite to the beam


18


. The beam


18


comprises a horizontal lower conduit


52


.




The first trap


14


includes a first arm


54


having a first elbow


58


at an end and a second elbow


66


at an opposing end. The first arm


54


includes a first elbow


58


. A first shaft


60


depends from the first elbow


58


and telescopes into and out of an end of the upper conduit


50


. The first arm


54


further includes a second elbow


62


positioned opposite to the first elbow


58


. A second shaft


64


depends from the second elbow


66


and telescopes into and out of an end of the lower conduit


52


. The second trap


16


includes a second arm


56


having a third elbow


68


at an end and a fourth elbow


72


at an opposing end. The second arm


56


includes a third elbow


68


. A third shaft


70


depends from the third elbow


68


and telescopes into and out of an end of the upper conduit


50


. The second arm


56


further includes a fourth elbow


72


positioned opposite to the third elbow


68


. A fourth shaft


74


depends from the fourth elbow


72


and telescopes into and out of an end of the lower conduit


52


.




Referring now to FIG.


4


through

FIG. 7

, the upper conduit


50


is a linearly elongated cylinder comprising a curvilinear outer wall


76


and a corresponding curvilinear inner wall


78


forming a hollow internal upper cavity


80


for receiving and housing the first and third shafts


60


and


70


. The outer and inner walls


76


and


78


contain a plurality of apertures


82


through which spring-urged snap fastener (discussed in greater detail below) inserts and thereby impinges the lateral movement of the first and third shafts


60


and


70


. The upper conduit


50


terminates at two opposing ends


84


and


86


through which the first and third shafts


60


and


70


telescope, respectively. The lower conduit


52


is a linearly elongated cylinder comprising a curvilinear outer wall


88


and a corresponding curvilinear inner wall


90


forming a hollow internal lower cavity


92


for receiving and housing the second and fourth shafts


64


and


74


. The lower conduit


52


terminates at two opposing ends


94


and


96


through which the second and fourth shafts


64


and


74


telescope, respectively.




Referring now to

FIG. 8

, the first and third shafts


60


and


70


are identical in structure and function, therefore a description of the first shaft


60


will serve as a representative description of the third shaft


70


. The first shaft


60


is a linearly elongated member projecting from the first elbow


58


, wherein the first shaft


60


is affixed to the first elbow


58


in a rigid manner. The first shaft


60


has a tubular construction (as seen in FIG.


7


). The first shaft


60


has a smaller cross-sectional diameter “d


1


” than the internal cross-sectional diameter “d


2


” of either the first elbow


58


or the upper conduit


50


, thereby allowing for the lateral telescoping movement necessary for the hanger


11


to expand or contract in size. Likewise, the third shaft


70


is a linearly elongated member projecting from the third elbow


68


, wherein the third shaft


70


is affixed to the third elbow


68


in a rigid manner. The third shaft


70


has a tubular construction. The third shaft


70


has a smaller cross-sectional diameter “d


1


” than the internal cross-sectional diameter “d


2


” of either the third elbow


68


or the upper conduit


50


, thereby allowing for the lateral telescoping movement necessary for the hanger


11


to expand or contract in size.




The first and third shafts


60


and


70


each further include a shaft orifice


98


that allows a spring-urged snap fastener


100


to penetrate through and into an aperture


102


, thereby securely impinging the first and third shafts


60


and


70


once a desired hanger


11


size has been determined. The spring-urged snap fastener


100


comprises an impingement head


102


flanked by an impingement boss


104


. An outwardly biased spring


106


is affixed to the impingement boss


102


. As best shown in

FIG. 10



a


through

FIG. 10



c


, the first or third shaft


60


or


70


is slidably telescoped within the upper conduit


50


, and the impingement head


102


is compressed within the shaft orifice


98


by the inner wall


78


of the upper conduit


50


. When an aperture


82


is aligned with a shaft orifice


98


, the outwardly biased spring


106


urges the impingement head


102


outward and upward through the shaft orifice


98


and through the aperture


82


, thereby impinging any further lateral movement of the first or third shaft


60


or


70


. To accommodate desired lateral movement and adjustment of the hanger


11


, the impingement head


102


is forcibly pressed back into the aperture


82


and the shaft orifice


98


, respectively, thereby allowing further lateral movement of the first or third shaft


60


or


70


.




The second and fourth shafts


64


and


74


are identical in structure and function, therefore a description of the second shaft


64


will serve as a representative description of the fourth shaft


74


. The second shaft


64


is a linearly elongated member projecting from the second elbow


62


, wherein the second shaft


64


is affixed to the second elbow


62


in a rigid manner. The second shaft


64


may have a tubular construction or a solid body construction. The second shaft


64


has a smaller cross-sectional diameter “d


1


” than the cross-sectional diameter “d


2


” of either the second elbow


62


or the lower conduit


52


, thereby allowing for the lateral telescoping movement necessary for the hanger


11


to expand or contract in size. Likewise, the fourth shaft


74


is a linearly elongated member projecting from the fourth elbow


72


, wherein the fourth shaft


74


is affixed to the fourth elbow


72


in a rigid manner. The fourth shaft


74


has a tubular construction or a solid body construction. The fourth shaft


74


has a smaller cross-sectional diameter “d


1


” than the internal cross-sectional diameter “d


2


” of either the fourth elbow


72


or the lower conduit


52


, thereby allowing for the lateral telescoping movement necessary for the hanger


11


to expand or contract in size. As the first and third shafts


60


and


70


are telescopically expanded or retracted, the second and fourth shafts


64


and


74


telescopically expand and retract in reaction to the telescopic movement. Thus, the first, second, third and fourth shafts


60


,


64


,


70


and


74


move in unison to a desired size chosen by a user. Further, the second and fourth shafts


64


and


74


are of sufficient length so as not to fall out of the lower conduit


52


when the hanger


11


is extended to its widest length.




Referring back to

FIG. 1

, a rotatable hook


108


is affixed to the upper conduit


50


and positioned between the medial apertures


82


′. The hook


108


is affixed to the upper conduit


50


by a spindle


110


, in which the hook


108


and spindle


110


are rotatable through 360° of motion.




The hanger


10


or


11


may be manufactured from a number of substances, including recyclable materials such as plastic, metal or wood. The hanger


10


or


11


is envisioned to be available in a variety of solid colors or multi-colors. The shaft


18


or the lower conduit


52


may also include a textured outer wall so as to better hold trousers, slacks, linens or other similar items that might be draped over the shaft


18


or lower conduit


52


.




In either embodiment, it is envisioned that two general types of hanger


10


will be available; a child size and an adult size. The dimensions of the child hanger will narrow to ten (10) inches and extend out to sixteen (16) inches. The dimensions of the adult hanger will narrow to sixteen (16) inches and extend out to twenty-six (26) inches.




It is envisioned that other styles and configurations of the present invention can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the present invention, and only one particular configuration shall be shown and described for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of the scope.




2. Operation of the Preferred Embodiment




The hanger


10


is adjustable to adopt a variety of sizes. To adjust the size of the hanger


10


, a user will press the protruding impingement head


102


back into and through the orifices


26


and


28


, thereby freeing the first or second pipe


22


or


24


to laterally telescope into or out of the first or second trap


14


or


16


and their respective upper cavities


30


or


32


. If desired, the remaining pipe


22


or


24


may be freed by pressing the remaining impingement head


102


back into and through the orifices


26


and


28


, thereby freeing the remaining first or second pipe


22


or


24


to laterally telescope into or out of the remaining first or second trap


14


or


16


. As the first or second pipe


22


or


24


is laterally telescoped, the shaft


18


telescopes in the same manner with the lower cavity


34


of the first trap


14


and the lower cavity


36


of the second trap


16


.




After determining the appropriate size for the hanger


10


, a user will place a clothing garment onto the hanger


10


. If the hanger


10


needs to be adjusted, the user can simply locate and press the impingement head(s)


102


thereby releasing the first or second pipe


22


or


24


for further telescopic movement. The user may then place the hanger


10


onto a closet rod by the hanger hook


108


.




The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto and their equivalents. Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims.



Claims
  • 1. An adjustable clothing hanger comprising:a yoke, having a horizontal top surface, a first pipe depending from an end of said top surface at an angle between 1° and 30° below a horizontal plane, and a second pipe depending from an opposing end of said top surface at an angle between 1° and 30° below said horizontal plane; a linearly elongated beam, said beam terminating at two opposing ends, said beam opposite to said yoke; a first trap wherein, said yoke physically communicating with an end of said first trap for telescopic movement therein and, said beam physically communicating with an opposing end of said first trap for telescopic movement therein; a second trap wherein, said yoke physically communication with an end of said second trap for telescopic movement therein and, said beam physically communicating with an opposing end of said second trap for telescopic movement therein; and a rotatable hook, depending from said yoke, thereby providing means for suspending said hanger from a closet rod.
  • 2. The adjustable clothing hanger of claim 1, wherein said first pipe and said second pipe each comprise a spring-urged snap fastener for securely maintaining said hanger at a determined lateral width.
  • 3. The adjustable clothing hanger of claim 2, wherein said first pipe and said second pipe each comprise a lower orifice, said lower orifice accommodating said spring-urged snap fastener.
  • 4. The adjustable clothing hanger of claim 3, wherein said first trap and said second trap each comprise a plurality of upper orifices, said plurality of upper orifices aligning with said lower orifices, thereby accommodating said spring-urged snap fastener.
  • 5. The adjustable clothing hanger of claim 4, wherein said spring-urged snap fastener comprises:an impingement head; an impingement boss affixed to a flank of said impingement head; an outwardly biased spring affixed to said impingement boss; said impingement head penetrates said lower orifice and said upper orifice, thereby securely maintaining a rigid relationship between said first pipe and said first trap and between said second pipe and said second trap.
  • 6. The adjustable clothing hanger of claim 5, wherein said first trap further comprises:a first upper cavity, receiving said first pipe; a first lower cavity opposite said first upper cavity, said first lower cavity receiving an end of said beam; a first connecting rod wherein, said first upper cavity affixed to an end of first connecting rod, said first lower cavity affixed to an opposite end of first connecting rod.
  • 7. The adjustable hanger of claim 6, wherein said second trap further comprises:a second upper cavity, receiving said second pipe; a second lower cavity opposite said second upper cavity, said second lower cavity receiving an end of said beam; a second connecting rod wherein, said second upper cavity affixed to an end of second connecting rod, said second lower cavity affixed to an opposite end of second connecting rod.
  • 8. The adjustable hanger of claim 1, wherein said beam has a length longer than a widest lateral width of said hanger, thereby allowing said beam to remain within said first trap and said second trap.
  • 9. The adjustable hanger of claim 1, wherein said yoke is a linearly elongated upper conduit terminating at two opposing ends and comprising:a curvilinear outer wall; a curvilinear inner wall housed within said outer wall; a hollow internal upper cavity formed by said outer wall and said inner wall, said hollow internal upper cavity receiving a first shaft of a first arm and a third shaft of a second arm; and a plurality of apertures, accommodating spring-urged snap fasteners.
  • 10. The adjustable clothing hanger of claim 9, wherein said beam is a lower conduit comprising:a curvilinear outer wall; a curvilinear inner wall housed within said outer wall; and a hollow internal lower cavity formed by said outer wall and said inner wall, said hollow internal lower cavity receiving a second shaft of a first arm and a fourth shaft of a second arm.
  • 11. The adjustable clothing hanger of claim 10, wherein said first trap comprises:a first arm; a first elbow, depending from an end of said first arm; a first shaft, depending from said first elbow, said first shaft telescopically communicating with an end of said hollow internal upper cavity; a second elbow, depending from an opposing end of said first arm; a second shaft, depending from said second elbow, said second shaft telescopically communicating with an opposing end of said hollow internal upper cavity.
  • 12. The adjustable clothing hanger of claim 11, where said second trap comprises:a second arm; a third elbow, depending from an end of said second arm; a third shaft, depending from said third elbow, said third shaft telescopically communicating with an end of said hollow internal upper cavity; a fourth elbow, depending from an opposing end of said second arm; a fourth shaft, depending from said fourth elbow, said fourth shaft telescopically communicating with an opposing end of said hollow internal upper cavity.
  • 13. The adjustable clothing hanger of claim 12, wherein said first shaft and said third shaft each comprise a shaft orifice, each said shaft orifice accommodating said spring-urged snap fastener.
  • 14. The adjustable clothing hanger of claim 13, wherein one of said shaft orifices aligns with one of said plurality of apertures, thereby accommodating said spring-urged snap fastener.
  • 15. The adjustable clothing hanger of claim 14, wherein said spring-urged snap fastener comprises:an impingement head; an impingement boss, affixed to a flank of said impingement head; an outwardly biased spring, affixed to said impingement boss; said impingement head penetrates said shaft orifice and said aperture, thereby securely maintaining a rigid relationship between said first shaft and said upper conduit and between said third shaft and said upper conduit.
  • 16. The adjustable clothing hanger of claim 15, wherein said second shaft and said fourth shaft each have a smaller cross-sectional diameter than an internal cross-sectional diameter of said lower conduit, thereby allowing lateral telescopic movement of said second shaft and said fourth shaft.
RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present invention was first described in Disclosure Document Registration No. 512,395 filed on May 30, 2002 under 35 U.S.C. §122 and 37 C.F.R. §1.14. There are no previously filed, nor currently any co-pending applications, anywhere in the world.

US Referenced Citations (13)
Number Name Date Kind
923786 Geraci Jun 1909 A
2491836 Simmet Dec 1949 A
5052599 Platti Oct 1991 A
5085358 Lam Feb 1992 A
5476199 Halverson et al. Dec 1995 A
5480075 Robinson Jan 1996 A
5711464 Huang Jan 1998 A
6003743 Deady Dec 1999 A
6164504 Richard Dec 2000 A
6179174 Kandl Jan 2001 B1
6206255 Turner Mar 2001 B1
6213672 Varga Apr 2001 B1
6220489 Sato Apr 2001 B1