A combined belt and necktie rack, which provides an efficient structure for hanging and storing both belts and neckties simultaneously, is disclosed.
Many individuals possess numerous neckties and belts. This large quantity of neckties and belts may offer the individual a variety of styles and choices for different occasions and settings. An issue that often arises when possessing a large number of neckties and belts is related to storage and organization. In particular, for various reasons, belts and neckties are not suitable for being folded, rolled, or otherwise compacted for storage in a drawer. Further, storage in a drawer may not allow an individual to quickly and easily view each belt and necktie when deciding which combination will be worn.
To address this issue regarding the difficulty of storing belts and neckties in drawers, many individuals choose to hang their belts and neckties. For example, some individuals may choose to hang belts and/or neckties on clothes hangers or on pegs on the back of a closet door. Although hanging belts and neckties in this fashion may somewhat reduce the likelihood that these items will be damaged during storage, this practice is inefficient. In particular, only a small number of belts and neckties may be stored on each hanger and on each general purpose peg. Further, since these structures are not intended to hold belts and neckties, belts and neckties may be precariously held on these devices and may be prone to fall/slide off.
The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.
Most men need a belt rack and men who wear suits and neckties need a necktie rack. With the appropriate design, the two functions may be combined in the same rack. In building a necktie rack, the pegs of the rack may be positioned closely together (e.g., ½-inch apart) because the neckties are hung flat against each other. In building a belt rack in which the belts are hung on the pegs by their buckles, however, the belts are not hung flat against each other but are turned perpendicular from the neckties and hung width-by-width. Thus, the pegs must be positioned at least 1½-inches apart to accommodate the widths of belt buckles. So it is problematic to construct a combination belt-and-necktie rack that is efficient at hanging both belts and neckties, so long as the belts are hung by their buckles. Furthermore, this peg-through-buckle system will never accommodate all belts, in any case, because approximately 15% or more of belts on the market have a solid metal-plate buckle (i.e., no hole in the buckle).
To overcome the above problems, the combined belt and necktie rack described herein hangs belts via pegs through the normal holes in their leather strap rather than by the buckles. If the pegs are made from small-diameter, rigid stainless steel, the belts can effortlessly be slid onto the pegs through one of the holes in the strap. The steel easily supports the belts' weight, and if the pegs are long enough, they will accommodate neckties being draped over the pegs as well. In some embodiments, the end of each peg (e.g., the last ⅜-inch of the peg) may be bent horizontally at a right angle to the rest of the peg, for the belt to be hung. That way, the belts and the neckties are parallel to each other and lay flat against each other, rather than a space-consuming perpendicular arrangement.
It is contemplated that the frame piece, into which the pegs are mounted, be a light metal, such as aluminum. This results in a modern styling. However, if a more traditional appearance is desired, the frame piece may be made out of oak or some other hardwood. It is further contemplated that the steel pegs may project from both sides of the frame piece, thereby doubling the capacity of the rack. In this case, the rack would be mounted to the wall at one end of the frame piece with a swivel/pivot hinge bracket, allowing the rack to lay flat against the wall when not in use, but be swung out to access both sides during selection of a necktie or a belt. A one-sided version of the rack may also be made where the rack is mounted stationary against the wall with screws. In yet another embodiment, the rack may be installed on a track mounted inside a cabinet or closet, which allows the rack to slide in for storage but out for selection of a belt and/or a necktie.
In one embodiment, the pegs extend 1¼-inches from the frame piece to accommodate necktie widths and are spaced 1¼-inches apart to accommodate male fingers accessing a belt. In some embodiments, an upper and lower row of pegs may be installed 1-inch apart vertically with the pegs staggered in a saw-tooth pattern to double the capacity of the rack. Furthermore, the front section of the pegs (i.e., the last ⅜-inch section at the end of the pegs that is 90 degrees from the rest of the peg) may include a number of features, including 1) a slight upward slant or curve to prevent a belt hanging by its hole from accidentally sliding off; (2) a 90° corner between this front section and the rest of the peg may be sharp (i.e., not a gradual curve) to inhibit a hanging belt from sliding around the corner; and (3) the 90° corner may have a spherical knob to further prevent a hanging belt from sliding around the corner.
The above summary does not include an exhaustive list of all aspects of the present invention. It is contemplated that the invention includes all systems and methods that can be practiced from all suitable combinations of the various aspects summarized above, as well as those disclosed in the Detailed Description below and particularly pointed out in the claims filed with the application. Such combinations have particular advantages not specifically recited in the above summary.
The embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment of the invention in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and they mean at least one.
Several embodiments are described with reference to the appended drawings are now explained. While numerous details are set forth, it is understood that some embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these details. In other instances, well-known circuits, structures, and techniques have not been shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this description.
The frame piece 103 may be a rigid structure that is equipped to receive the set of pegs 101. In one embodiment, as shown in
The frame piece 103 may be formed of various materials, including plastic polymers (e.g., polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride), woods (e.g., oak, pine, mahogany, walnut, and teak), elemental metals (e.g., aluminum), metal alloys (e.g., steel), or some combination of these materials. In some embodiments, the frame piece 103 may be a solid structure (i.e., without hollow sections). This solid construction may be appropriate for lighter materials (e.g., woods) that provide a stable structure while still offering a manageable weight such that the rack 100 may be easily mounted. In other embodiments, the frame piece 103 may be at least partially hollow. For example, the frame piece 103 may be made of a hollow aluminum casing that provides a high specific strength (i.e., strength-to-weight ratio). The casing that defines this hollow, aluminum frame piece 103 may have a wall thickness between 1/16-⅛ inches. Accordingly, in this embodiment, the frame piece 103 may be made of denser materials, but may still maintain a manageable weight for mounting.
The frame piece 103 may be formed with various dimensions according to the requirements/needs of the user. For example, the frame piece 103 may be between 12.0-48.0 inches in length, between 2.0-3.0 inches in width, and between 0.5-3.0 inches in depth. The dimensions of the frame piece 103 may be based on 1) the number of pegs 101 desired by the user, which in turn may correspond to the number of belts and/or neckties owned by the user and/or 2) the space/structure in which the combined belt and necktie rack 100 will be installed. For example, the combined belt and necktie rack 100 may be installed in a closet having a width of 36.0 inches. In this situation, the frame piece 103 may be 36.0 inches in length. In other embodiments, the frame piece 103 may be slightly smaller than the provided installation space to accommodate for the one or more mounting blocks 105, which may be needed for installation, as will be described in greater detail below.
In one embodiment, the pegs 101 may be thin cylindrical structures that are coupled or otherwise attached along the length of the frame piece 103. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the pegs 101 may have a circular cross-sectional shape; however, in other embodiments, the pegs 101 may have a different cross-sectional shape (e.g., triangular or rectangular). The pegs 101 may be formed of various materials, including plastic polymers (e.g., polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride), woods (e.g., oak, pine, mahogany, walnut, and teak), elemental metals (e.g., aluminum), metal alloys (e.g., steel), or some combination of these materials. In some embodiments, the pegs 101 and the frame piece 103 are formed of different materials, while in other embodiments the pegs 101 and frame piece 103 are formed from the same material.
In one embodiment in which both the pegs 101 and the frame piece 103 are formed from metals, the pegs 101 may be soldered or welded to the frame piece 103 as shown in
In some embodiments, a locking bar 111 may secure the pegs 101 within the channels 109 and/or the vertical holes 107. The locking bar 111 may have a length and width equal to that of the top part of the frame piece 103 such that the locking bar 111 may cover the channels 109 and the vertical holes 107. In some embodiments, the locking bar 111 may form hemi-cylindrical grooves 115, which along with complimentary channels 109, securely hold the pegs 101. The grooves 115 may be equal in size to the channels 109 such that a combined set of groove 115 and channel 109 is shaped to completely fit around the circumference of the a cross-section of a peg 101. As shown in
Although
In one embodiment, the pegs 101 may be coupled to frame piece 103 during manufacture. In this embodiment, the pegs 101 may be spaced to accommodate the width of a standard belt, the width of a standard necktie, and/or to allow the fingers of an average sized human user to easily grab/select a necktie or belt. For instance, as shown in
The base section 201 may be used for coupling the peg 101 to the frame piece 103 and may be approximately ⅜ to ½ inches in length. In some embodiments, the pegs 101 may be coupled directly to the frame piece 103 using one or more fasteners (e.g., screws and bolts). For example, the base section 201 may be a straight structure that may be directly soldered, welded, or otherwise fastened to a front face 207A of the frame piece 103. In other embodiments, the pegs 101 may be indirectly coupled to the frame piece 103. For example, as shown in
As noted above, other techniques may be used for coupling the pegs 101 to the frame piece. For example, as shown in
As described above, the base section 201 may be used to couple pegs 101 to the frame piece 103 (either directly or indirectly). In contrast, the middle section 203 may be used to hold a necktie as will be described in greater detail below. In one embodiment, as noted above, the middle section 203 may be separated from the base section 201 by the bend 209A, which has an angle θ. In some embodiments, the middle section 203 is perpendicular to the base section 201. Accordingly, in these embodiments, θ may be equal to 90°. In other embodiments, the middle section 203 may form an upward slope in relation to the base section 201. This upward slope assists in preventing neckties held by the middle section 203 from sliding forward toward the front section 205 and consequently falling off the combined belt and necktie rack 100. In this embodiment, θ may be between 91° and 130° such that an upward slope is created between the base section 201 and the middle section 203. The bend 209A defined by the angle θ may be a sharp bend as shown in
In one embodiment, the front section 205 may be used to hold a belt as will be described in greater detail below. As noted above, the front section 205 may be separated from the middle section 203 by the bend 209B, which has an angle α. In some embodiments, the front section 205 is perpendicular to the middle section 203. Accordingly, in these embodiments, α may be equal to 90°. In some embodiments, the angle α may be sharp (i.e., forming a distinct point between the middle section 203 and the front section 205) as shown in
In one embodiment, the cross-sectional size and shape of the base section 201, the middle section 203, and the front section 205 may be identical. For example, each of the sections 201, 203, and 205 may be cylindrical structures (i.e., a circular cross-section) and between 2.0 millimeters and 4.5 millimeters in diameter. In this embodiment, the pegs 101 are sized to fit through the holes in a strap of a standard belt (i.e., a hole punched in the leather strap of a belt and designed to receive a prong of a corresponding buckle). In particular, a user may pass the front section 205 of a peg 101 through a hole 505 of a belt 503 as shown in
In embodiments in which the front section 205 forms a 90° angle with the middle section 203, a belt 503 and necktie 401 hanging on a front section 205 and a middle section 203 of a peg 101, respectively, may be parallel to each other as shown in
Although described as the middle section 203 holding neckties and the front section 205 holding belts, in some embodiments after passing through the front section 205, a belt may be pushed along the continuous peg 101 structure to the middle section 203. In these embodiments, which do not include the knobs 501, the belt may be pushed to rest against the base section 201 and/or the frame piece 103. In particular, although the belt remains on the middle section 203, the belt may be moved to be proximate to the base section 201 and/or the frame piece 103. By moving the belt to rest against the base section 201 and/or the frame piece 103, the belt may maintain some contact and support from the base section 201 and/or the frame piece 103. Further, by moving the belt to rest against the base section 201 and/or the frame piece 103, enough room may remain along the middle section 203 to accommodate a necktie.
Although described above as the cross-sectional size and shape of base section 201, the middle section 203, and the front section 205 being identical, in some embodiments, the sections 201, 203, and 205 may have differently shaped and/or sized cross-sections. For example, as previously described, the middle section 203 and/or the front section 205 may be sized to fit through a hole in a standard sized belt. In contrast, the base section 201 may not need to be sized to be similar to the middle section 203 and the front section 205 since the base section 201 is not designed to fit through a hole in the strap of a belt. In particular, the base section 201 may be a wider and/or flatter structure in comparison to the narrow, cylindrical shape of the middle section 203 and/or the front section 205. This wider and/or flatter structure may assist in providing a larger surface area for coupling the base section 201 to the frame piece 103.
In some embodiments, the front section 205 may be angled or curved upward relative to the highest point of the middle section 203. For example, the front section 205 may form a slope or curve upwards at an angle β relative to a horizontal plane at the highest vertical point of the middle section 203 as shown in
In one embodiment, the combined belt and necktie rack 100 may be coupled to a wall or another structural element using the one or more mounting blocks 105. In one embodiment, a mounting block 105 may be placed on either end of the frame piece 103 for fixing the combined belt and necktie rack 100 to a structure.
In other embodiments, a single mount block 105 may be used for pivotally coupling the combined belt and necktie rack 100 to a wall or structure. For example, a mounting block 105 may include a support plate 701 and a pivot arm 703 as shown in
In one embodiment, the pivot arm 703 may include a joint element 705A, which works in conjunction with a joint element 705B of the frame piece 103 and a pin 707, for allowing the frame piece 103 to pivot in relation to the mounting block 105. As shown, the joint elements 705A and 705B along with the pin 707 form a barrel hinge; however, in other embodiments, the combined belt and necktie rack 100 may include another type of joint, including a pivot hinge. By providing a pivoting connection, the mounting block 105 (in particular the pivot arm 703) allows the combined belt and necktie rack 100 to be stored away or adjusted for easier access. For example, in one embodiment, the rack 100 may rest against a wall of a closet; however, the rack 100 may be pivoted outwards into an opening of the closet to provide improved access for the user. Upon selecting a belt and/or necktie, the rack 100 may be pivoted back against the wall of the closet. Accordingly, by providing a pivoting connection, the rack 100 may be easily stored away while still allowing for easy access to belts and neckties.
Although described with a pivoting structure, in other embodiments, the mounting blocks 105 may provide a sliding track structure. In these embodiments, the mounting blocks 105 allow the frame piece 103 to be coupled to a wall of a cabinet or closet and slid parallel to the wall to provide access to belts and neckties held on the rack 100. In particular, the frame 103 may be slid into a closet for storage and out of a closet for selection of belts and neckties by a user.
In one embodiment, the combined belt and necktie rack 100 may include multiple rows of pegs 101. For example, as shown in
Although each of the pegs 101 on the rack 100 has been described jointly, in some embodiments, each peg 101 may be variably sized and arranged to accommodate for the various types, styles, and sizes of belts and neckties. The decision of the sizes and arrangement of pegs 101 may be made by users or by a manufacturer based on market data.
As described above, a combined belt and necktie rack 100 is described that provides an improved system for hanging and storing belts and neckties. In particular, by hanging belts on pegs 101 through holes in the straps of these belts, the rack 100 may efficiently accommodate a number of belts. Further, by providing elongated pegs 101, the rack 100 may simultaneously hold neckties along with belts in a fashion that allows for efficient storage and easy viewing and removal of belts and neckties. Accordingly, the combined belt and necktie rack 100 described herein provides a more efficient and improved system for hanging and storing belts and neckties by allowing belts and neckties to be hung parallel to each other.
While certain embodiments have been described and shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative of and not restrictive on the broad invention, and that the invention is not limited to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, since various other modifications may occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. The description is thus to be regarded as illustrative instead of limiting.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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