Patent Application
20210229141
Dust is the enemy and everyone hates the enemy but it is most hated in a clothes closet.
Clothes are hung on hangers which are then hung on the closet rod and unless precautions are taken, dust settles on them, particularly the horizontal surfaces of the clothes. Dust on the shoulders and on the collars of shirts and blouses are hated by all. Slacks draped over a hanger get dust lines at the fold. Even a filtering system fails to solve the problem. So unless one is willing to encapulate all their clothes in zippered bags or other inconvenient solutions they live with the dusty sleeves, shoulders, collars and the despised dust lines. Dust protectors presently available present their own set of problems. Limited capacity results in a need for many bags which themselves take up more room and give a closet a cluttered look. Often with zippers that are inconvenient or tailored for an individual garment that requires negotiating a hanger through a hole. The various products on the market protect closet clothes from dust accumulation but while protecting clothes they can be cumbersome, awkward, inconvenient, take up needed space, displeasing to the eye and give the closet a busy, disoriented appearance. All such products require either hangers hanging on hanger pole to support the embodiment or use the hanger pole itself for attachment. All the dust protectors presently available fully encapulate either the entire garment(s) or fully cover the top shoulder to shoulder portion of garments. Such encapulations not only require more space but also presents inconvenience when trying to remove or replace such an enclosed garment. The present invention, unlike all others, only covers the horizontal surfaces of garment and only that horizontal portion that protrude outward from the hanger rod while relying on the hanger rod shelf to protect the horizontal surfaces of garments that hang to the rear of the hanger rod and towards back of the closet. Using the shelf for such protection, means no additional protection barriers to encumber hanger reprieval or removal, thus allowing for easy retrieval and replacement of garments requiring only one hand to reach under the vinyl panel which extends only slightly vertically down a garment. This present invention does not use hanger hooks nor hanger rods for support but rather the overhead shelf which by doing so creates clearance of the rod pole and the accompanying ease to move about garments. The present invention is adaptive to any closet with no limitations as to width across the closet. The present invention gives a virtually limitless and continuous shield across a closet width of any size and it can be expanded or shortened to meet the needs of any closet as opposed to other embodiments that require multiple units.
In its basic concept, the present invention is an embodiment of a single plane, elongated, rectangular and continuous panel of preferably 12 to 20 mil clear vinyl that has been cut to width of the closet hanger rod, then preferably affixed to a closet surface that preferably being the closet rod shelf surface that is typically installed above the hanger rod in a closet or in absence of such a shelf may be affixed to the ceiling above or the wall to the back of a closet or other available surfaces excluding the closet rod itself. The present invention can be cut, lengthened and modified to fit the typical clothes closet width. Once installed in place, the vinyl panel is of such a height, typically 14 to 20 inches that it extends outward from the attachment surface, preferably hanger rod shelf, toward front of closet and drops down over the clothes at the outer edge of the hanger thus covering the horizontal portion of clothes on hangers. Typically the present invention when installed on the top front of the closet shelf avoids contact with hanger rod or hanger hooks given that its anchored point creates an angle that allows the vinyl panel circumvention of the hanger rod. This avoidance allows for the simple and easy removal and replacement of hangers and hangered clothes stored beneath the embodiment. The present invention once it reaches the furthest most outward point of the hangered clothes simply drops vertically downward for several inches to give some vertical coverage of the hangered clothes. Affixing the vinyl to the desired anchoring point can be done in several ways ie. either by a removable method or a semi-permanent method. The removable method requires the use of a hook and loop product. In this method a binding or webbing is affixed by weld or stitch the entire length of one of the two long sides of the embodiment giving the vinyl panel added strength and backing and then one part of the two part hook and loop system is sewn or welded onto the entire length of the vinyl panel. The other half of the hook and loop system (matching in length that of the vinyl panel) with its adhesive side is then pressed onto the anchoring surface which typically is the top front side of the overhead shelf. The hook and the loop are then pressed together and the vinyl panel is now anchored and ready to protect. Other anchoring alternatives may include but not limited to are the front edge and bottom surface of the hanger rod shelf, and or the closet back wall or the closet ceiling or other available surfaces excluding hanger rod. Another option to this removable version of the embodiment is by hemming the vinyl panel on one long side creating typically a ¾ to 1 inch hem. This hem if created by simply folding over the vinyl and “welding” it together. The result is a strong backing which allows for the hook and loop to be sewn directly onto the vinyl without use of a reinforcing webbing. In the permanent method of installing this invention the binding or webbing is sewn onto one of the long edges of the vinyl or alternatively the vinyl is folded over and welded to create a small hem and no hook and loop is attached. Two sided tape is applied to predetermined anchoring surfaces ie. wall, ceiling of shelf surface and then treated edge of vinyl is adhered to the tape.
The present invention would typically be of a height (14 to 20 inches) that when affixed it would reach beyond the outer edge of a typical hanger hanging on the closet rod and then have a vertical drop down the outer edge of hanging garment several inches to insure full horizontal coverage of the garment while protecting the start of the vertical surfaces. Special applications may call for greater heights of the invention. The side edges and the bottom edge of invention are left raw with no hemming or bindings so as to insure a clean, unobstructed visual continuance from vinyl panel to garment. This raw edge treatment would also allow for a continuous visual appearance when additional panels are added. Horizontal surfaces not directly covered by the present invention are back beneath the shelf and the shelf serves as a protective cover from the dust. If present invention is installed on the closet ceiling or the closet back wall then all horizontal clothing surfaces including those back of hanger rod are protected from the dust.
The present invention is easy to install and can be tailored to fit varying widths of closets. All that is required is measuring tape, a square if cutting required, utility knife or pair of scissors and a marking device. When using the semi-permanent method of installation (two sided tape as opposed to use of hook and loop), measure the width of the shelf (if no shelf then width of closet) then cut two sided tape to that width and lay it across the shelf or anchoring point. The vinyl is also cut to that size and then the treated side of vinyl (with hem or binding) or the hemmed and welded side is merely pressed onto the tape and vinyl curtain looped outward over hangers. When using the removable method, the procedure is the same only that the sticky loop/hook tape is laid on the shelf or anchoring point and the other half of the hook/loop is affixed to the vinyl panel and the two are then pressed together thus anchoring the panel to the shelf. The embodiment when installed in a closet creates a “cape”which is designed to protect the shoulder and collar area of garments that protrude outward from the closet hanger rod.
Typically the present invention would be placed on the outermost portion of the top of the shelf. Typically the binding or hem would not be seen from below.
The present invention, once installed, simply needs to drop down and over the front of the hangered clothes below. The invention covers the rod, the tops of the hangers and the horizontal surfaces of the clothes that protrude forward of the hanger rod.
An objective and advantage of the present invention is that it can protect large linear spans of a closet with a single embodiment. It can be extended to any width giving a continuous, uninterrupted, seamless and clean appearance while other methods of dust protection are limited in size and capacities.
Another objective and advantage of the present invention is that it requires little skill to install.
Another objective and advantage is that the present invention can be customized for various size and shapes of closets.
Another advantage and objective of this invention is that it does not relay on hangers nor hanger rods for support or installation.
Another objective and advantage of this invention is the ease in which it can be cleaned.
Another objective and advantage of this invention is not only that it protects the clothes beneath from dust but given the fact that hangers rest below the embodiment the hangers themselves do not get dusty.
Another advantage and objective is that the clothes can be easily seen and easily removed and replaced with no hanger obstruction with cover.
Another objective and advantage is that in a typical installation the embodiment uses the shelf found above the rod to help in limiting dust accumulation. By so doing, the embodiment only needs to be of such a size as to only cover front half of hanger while other protectors engulf the back side of the garments as well which requires more material and more consumption of the closet's volume space. Is also makes handling clothes more difficult.
Another advantage and objective of this embodiment is the lack of horizontal and vertical lines often present in other protectors given the use of seams, hems, bindings etc. This makes for a cleaner, simpler closet appearance.
Another advantage and objective is the continuous nature of the embodiment with no side walls allows for the sliding of clothes along the rod without impedance.
An objective and advantage of the present invention is that does not relay on hangers nor hanger rods for installation. This allows for clothes on hangers to be freely removed and replaced from the closet rod without impedance and usually requires only one hand.
An objective and advantage of this present invention is that it protects the horizontal surfaces of clothes in a closet from dust.
An objective and advantage of this invention is the ease by which the invention can be removed and replaced when there is a need to gain full access for quick removal of clothes.
An objective and advantage of this invention is its appearance. It is not obtrusive and blends visually into a closet to give a clean, organized appearance and virtually disappears.
An objective and advantage of this invention is its flexibility. It can easily be removed and then it is a simple quick thing to simply put it back. For some reason a person wishes not to have the embodiment in the closet, simply pull it apart and store until it is needed or wanted back in it original place. To replace simply press the two parts back together and the clothes are once again protected from dust.
The present invention once installed is ready to go to work. The vinyl panel should drop out and over the clothes hanging on the below hanger. The invention covers the rod, the tops of the hanger and over the horizontal surfaces of the clothes below. Anything hanging below the present invention is exposed vertically and thus not greatly exposed to falling dust. The lower edge of the invention, or that edge that would hang away from the shelf and extend outward over the hanger and garment is a raw edge having no hem or binding. The left to right edging that determines the width of the embodiment would also be raw. This raw edge would allow exposed edges of the embodiment to camouflage itself with the clothes as there would be no apparent horizontal line or vertical lines giving the closet a clean uncluttered appearance. The upper edge of the vinyl ie. that edge that will be affixed to the top, front or bottom of the rod shelf has adhered/sewn binding, webbing or other material that readily adheres to sticky double sided tape should one desire a semi-permanent application and when the removable application is desired, the sewn webbing or binding gives strength for the stitching holding the hook and loop tape.
The installing of this invention requires a tape measure, scissors and marking device. When using the more permanent method of Installing ie. a two-sided tape, one simply measures the width of the shelf, cuts the two sided tape and lay across the shelf. Now the plastic is measured and cut and the upper edge with its binding of the vinyl is simply pressed onto the two sided tape. When a hook and loop system is used, the procedure is the same only that the sticky loop or hook tape is laid on the shelf and then the plastic curtain with the affixed hook or loop is press onto the exposed hook or loop. The embodiment is laid out over the shelf, out over the hanger rod and over the hangers with garments.
The present invention provides a dust prevention embodiment for clothes being hangered and stored in a closet. It is a system that can be tailored and configured to fit most clothes closets and is a system designed to be easily and quickly installed and if preferred it is readily and easily removable for cleaning or for ease of bulk clothes removal or rearrangement.
