Patent Application
20120138644
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office, patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates generally to garment drying. More particularly, the invention relates to a hanger for hang-drying garments and other items.
The long felt need for an inexpensive yet improved way to dry items that can only be hung from horizontal wire shelves is addressed with this invention. While people commonly use clotheslines outside, inside, where space is at a premium, people often resort to using their electric or natural gas clothes dryer. Electric and gas dryers can use a large amount of energy and fossil fuel, which can be expensive and harmful to the environment. Therefore, it is desirable to be able to hang dry items inside. If people do hang dry items inside, they often use the same technique used outside, pinning clothes directly to a line. This requires a large amount of line. In order to use less line, one may use garment hangers hung on the line. However, traditional hangers may not easily hold items that may only be hung from horizontal wire shelves such as, but not limited to, pants, skirts, socks, strapless tops, towels, pillowcases, microfiber cleaning cloths, rags, photographs, pasta, jerky, herbs, etc., and these hangers may not hold multiple items at once. Furthermore, when using garment hangers on a line, the hangers typically slide down the line and touch each other, which is not good for drying and can encourage mold or mildew to grow. To prevent the sliding of hangers down a line, one may hang the hangers on a rod rather than a line. However, if one has many items to dry, many hangers will be needed, and whether on a line or a rod, typical garment hangers rotate and touch each other because they make contact with the line or rod at a single point, the apex of the curve of the hanger head. The reality is most people do not hang dry many clothes inside. It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide means to more easily and more efficiently hang dry items that must be hung from a horizontal shelf therefore making it more appealing to hang dry more items indoors, saving money and helping the environment.
Typical wire garment hangers are made with a sloped top to mimic the shoulders of a human to hang upper body clothing designed to be worn by humans. The bottom horizontal shelf can be used to hang items that cannot be hung on the sloped top, such as, but not limited to, pants or skirts. Currently, some additional features to traditional wire garment hangers are known in the art. One such feature is a clip that generally prevents the hanger from falling from a line or rod when an item is removed from the hanger. Another feature known in the prior art is a hook or loop that may be used to hold multiple hangers together. These garment hangers can be used to dry items that require a horizontal shelf; however, this is not their purpose. When using traditional hangers or hangers with prior art improvements to hang dry items on the horizontal shelf, one experiences the problems described in the foregoing. For example, without limitation when hang-drying many items that need horizontal shelves of wire, many hangers are needed. In addition, the hangers slide down a tensioned clothesline to the lowest point, and twist uncontrollably rather than remaining perpendicular to the line from which they are hung. This sliding and twisting may cause items to be dried to touch each other, resulting in poor airflow around all items, slower drying and the increased possibility of mold and mildew growth. Furthermore, the feature that enables multiple hangers to be connected to each other does provide additional horizontal shelf space. However, when these hangers are joined together, the spacing is not good for drying most common items; the horizontal shelves are too close.
Other prior art devices for hanging items include hangers with a plurality of horizontal shelves and hangers with flip down shelves. However, these devices are not intended for drying items. Even if these devices are used for drying items, the vertical spacing of the horizontal shelves is not good for drying most items; the shelves are too close. Flip down shelves defeat the purpose of putting many hangers on a length of line or rod and may cause the hanger to tilt from the weight placed on the shelf. Also, these devices are complex, welded, or of multi-wire design. Furthermore, these devices comprise typical hanger heads for hanging on a line or a rod which slide down a tensioned clothesline or angled rod to the lowest point and may cause the hanger to twist and not stay perpendicular to the line or rod from which it is hung.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for improved techniques for drying items on horizontal shelves that is simple to make and use, can hold multiple items, reduces sliding and twisting of the hanger, and provides proper spacing of items for drying.
The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:
Unless otherwise indicated illustrations in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.
To achieve the forgoing and other objects and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, an apparatus and system for hanging items to dry is presented.
In one embodiment an apparatus includes means for hanging items to be dried, means for hanging additional items to be dried below the means for hanging items, means for joining the means for hanging items and the means for hanging additional items, and means for supporting the apparatus from an object, for mitigating sliding on the object and for generally stabilizing the apparatus perpendicular to a horizontal plane of the object. Another embodiment further includes means for restraining the items from sliding off ends of the means for hanging items.
In another embodiment an apparatus includes a top horizontal shelf operable for hanging items to be dried. A bottom horizontal shelf is operable for hanging additional items to be dried below the top horizontal shelf. Vertical sides join the top horizontal shelf and the bottom horizontal shelf. A hanger head is joined to a mid-point of the top horizontal shelf and is operable for supporting the apparatus from an object. The hanger head includes a generally curved shape with a vertical radius and an apex of the curved shape in line with the mid-point. The hanger head further includes a notch at the apex where an opening of the notch faces the mid-point. The notch is operable for mitigating sliding on the object and for generally stabilizing the apparatus perpendicular to a horizontal plane of the object. Another embodiment further includes restraints extending vertically above ends of the top horizontal shelf for restraining the items from sliding off the ends. In yet another embodiment the notch imparts two pressure points on the object. In still another embodiment, sides of the notch impart the two pressure points. In another embodiment, corners of the notch impart the two pressure points. In yet another embodiment the notch comprises a v-shape. In still another embodiment ends of the top horizontal shelf are above the mid-point for mitigating bending of the top horizontal shelf downward towards the ends due to weight of the items. In still another embodiment a length of the top horizontal shelf is shorter than a length of the bottom horizontal shelf. In another embodiment the apparatus is formed from a continuous piece of wire. In yet another embodiment ends of the wire are contained within the hanger head. In still another embodiment the apparatus is formed from plastic.
In another embodiment a system includes a plurality of apparatus, each including a top horizontal shelf operable for hanging items to be dried. Restraints extend vertically above ends of the top horizontal shelf for restraining the items from sliding off the ends. A bottom horizontal shelf is operable for hanging additional items to be dried below the top horizontal shelf. Vertical sides join the top horizontal shelf and the bottom horizontal shelf. A hanger head is joined to a mid-point of the top horizontal shelf and is operable for supporting the apparatus from a length of line or a rod. The hanger head includes a generally curved shape with a vertical radius and an apex of the curved shape in line with the mid-point. The hanger head further includes a v-shaped notch at the apex where an opening of the notch faces the mid-point. The notch applies two pressure points on the length of line or the rod for mitigating sliding on the length of line or the rod and for generally stabilizing the apparatus perpendicular to a horizontal plane of the length of line or the rod, where spacing between the apparatus can be maintained. In another embodiment each the plurality of apparatus is formed from a continuous piece of wire. In yet another embodiment each of the plurality of apparatus is formed from plastic.
Other features, advantages, and objects of the present invention will become more apparent and be more readily understood from the following detailed description, which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The present invention is best understood by reference to the detailed figures and description set forth herein.
Embodiments of the invention are discussed below with reference to the Figures. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect to these figures is for explanatory purposes as the invention extends beyond these limited embodiments. For example, it should be appreciated that those skilled in the art will, in light of the teachings of the present invention, recognize a multiplicity of alternate and suitable approaches, depending upon the needs of the particular application, to implement the functionality of any given detail described herein, beyond the particular implementation choices in the following embodiments described and shown. That is, there are numerous modifications and variations of the invention that are too numerous to be listed but that all fit within the scope of the invention. Also, singular words should be read as plural and vice versa and masculine as feminine and vice versa, where appropriate, and alternative embodiments do not necessarily imply that the two are mutually exclusive.
It is to be further understood that the present invention is not limited to the particular methodology, compounds, materials, manufacturing techniques, uses, and applications, described herein, as these may vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is used for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. It must be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include the plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, a reference to “an element” is a reference to one or more elements and includes equivalents thereof known to those skilled in the art. Similarly, for another example, a reference to “a step” or “a means” is a reference to one or more steps or means and may include sub-steps and subservient means. All conjunctions used are to be understood in the most inclusive sense possible. Thus, the word “or” should be understood as having the definition of a logical “or” rather than that of a logical “exclusive or” unless the context clearly necessitates otherwise. Structures described herein are to be understood also to refer to functional equivalents of such structures. Language that may be construed to express approximation should be so understood unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Preferred methods, techniques, devices, and materials are described, although any methods, techniques, devices, or materials similar or equivalent to those described herein may be used in the practice or testing of the present invention. Structures described herein are to be understood also to refer to functional equivalents of such structures. The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
From reading the present disclosure, other variations and modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art. Such variations and modifications may involve equivalent and other features which are already known in the art, and which may be used instead of or in addition to features already described herein.
Although Claims have been formulated in this application to particular combinations of features, it should be understood that the scope of the disclosure of the present invention also includes any novel feature or any novel combination of features disclosed herein either explicitly or implicitly or any generalization thereof, whether or not it relates to the same invention as presently claimed in any Claim and whether or not it mitigates any or all of the same technical problems as does the present invention.
Features which are described in the context of separate embodiments may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination. The Applicants hereby give notice that new Claims may be formulated to such features and/or combinations of such features during the prosecution of the present application or of any further application derived therefrom.
As is well known to those skilled in the art many careful considerations and compromises typically must be made when designing for the optimal manufacture of a commercial implementation any system, and in particular, the embodiments of the present invention. A commercial implementation in accordance with the spirit and teachings of the present invention may configured according to the needs of the particular application, whereby any aspect(s), feature(s), function(s), result(s), component(s), approach(es), or step(s) of the teachings related to any described embodiment of the present invention may be suitably omitted, included, adapted, mixed and matched, or improved and/or optimized by those skilled in the art, using their average skills and known techniques, to achieve the desired implementation that addresses the needs of the particular application.
It is to be understood that any exact measurements/dimensions or particular construction materials indicated herein are solely provided as examples of suitable configurations and are not intended to be limiting in any way. Depending on the needs of the particular application, those skilled in the art will readily recognize, in light of the following teachings, a multiplicity of suitable alternative implementation details.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention and at least one variation thereof provides a hanger that is specifically designed for hang-drying items that require a horizontal shelve. In many preferred embodiments, more space is available for drying items as compared to typical hangers and the spacing of shelves is appropriate for drying common items such as, but not limited to pants, skirts, towels, socks, etc. At least some preferred embodiments comprise a unique head design to increase placement stability of the hanger on a rod or line. Furthermore, many preferred embodiments are made using an inexpensive, one-piece wire design.
Referring to
In typical use of the present invention, more items can be dried in less closet space or along a shorter length of tensioned line or rod, because of the additional shelf and the increased linear and angular placement stability provided by uniquely shaped head 102. The present embodiment also achieves more even, faster drying when hangers are spaced closely because of the increased placement stability and angular stability, which provides proper airflow around all items and results in optimal drying conditions. The present embodiment provides shelf spacing that is useful for drying common items. Furthermore, the hanger is not too long when loaded with items for drying. Three shelves may be too long when loaded as the items on bottom shelf, which is the best place for long items such as bath or beach towels, pants, etc., would tend to drag on the ground when carrying hangers from one place to another (i.e. from laundry room to where they will be hung to dry). Also if hung from a line near the ceiling three shelves would make it harder to pass under the drying items, taking up too much space making it potentially harder to get around in one's residence or place of business. If hung in a closet the items on the bottom shelve could touch the ground, making them dirty and likely to mold or mildew. However, alternate embodiments may be implemented with more than two horizontal shelves.
Those skilled in the art, in light of the present teachings, will readily recognize that alternate embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in various different shapes. The embodiments described in the foregoing were directed to rectangular devices; however, alternate embodiments may be shaped differently, for example, without limitation, as shown by way of example in
Those skilled in the art, in light of the present teachings, will readily recognize that various different alternate embodiments of the present invention may be implemented. For example, without limitation, in one alternate embodiment the hanger may comprise additional shelves by utilizing welds, two pieces of wire, or plastic construction. In another alternate embodiment, the notched hanger head design may be used with a standard sloped top garment hanger bottom. In another alternate embodiment, the closure section, labeled 103 and 603, could be formed employing a weld or other commonly known means to join the ends of the wire instead of twisting the ends together. In yet another alternate embodiment, the hanger comprises two horizontal shelves without the notched head design. Other alternate embodiments may be constructed of various different materials such as, but not limited to, wood, metal tubing, rubber, etc.
Having fully described at least one embodiment of the present invention, other equivalent or alternative methods of providing a hanger device for hang-drying items on horizontal shelves according to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The invention has been described above by way of illustration, and the specific embodiments disclosed are not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed. For example, the particular implementation of the notch may vary depending upon the particular type of object on which the hanger is to be hung. The notches described in the foregoing were directed to “V” shaped, trapezoidal and curved implementations to be hung on objects with round cross sections; however, similar techniques are to provide notches of various different shapes to be hung on objects with various different cross sectional shapes such as, but not limited to, square rods, flat line, decorative hooks, etc. Some non-limiting examples of these different notch shapes include, without limitation, square notches, rectangular notches, “U” shaped notches, etc. Implementations of the present invention with notches of various different shapes are contemplated as within the scope of the present invention. The invention is thus to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the following claims.
Claim elements and steps herein may have been numbered and/or lettered solely as an aid in readability and understanding. Any such numbering and lettering in itself is not intended to and should not be taken to indicate the ordering of elements and/or steps in the claims.
