Patent Application
20190014936
The present invention relates to garment hangers and hanger organization systems and more particularly, relates to a garment hanger that has no-slips strap slots and/or an anti-slip pant bar and to a hanger organization system that comprises different neck sized hangers for placement in an alternating manner resulting in a closet space savings.
A clothes (garment) hanger is a product that is generally in the shape of human shoulders designed to facilitate the hanging of a coat, jacket, sweater, shirt, blouse or dress in a manner that prevents wrinkles and can include a lower bar for the hanging of trousers or skirts. The above-mentioned hangers are the most common type of hangers; however, there are other types of hangers including hangers for intimate apparel, etc.
Hangers can be formed of any number of different materials with the most common materials being metal wire, wood, and plastic materials.
Hangers are typically hung along a hanger rod in a closet or the like. Each hanger is suspended from the rod by a hook structure that protrudes above the body of the hanger. Unfortunately, hangers traditionally come with standard hook lengths and therefore when hanging multiple clothes items along the hanger rod, the bulky nature of the clothes along the hanger body proximate the necks causes the hangers to be spaced apart from one another, thereby increasing the space needed to hang the clothes.
There is therefore a need for an improved non-slip hanger that is constructed to have an improved grip on straps (primary or secondary straps) of a dress to promote a secure coupling of the dress to the hanger even during movement and adjustment of the hanger and/or an improved grip on folded pants that rest on a lower hanger bar.
In addition, there is also a need for an improved hanger organization system that is configured to provide a significant closet space savings, thereby allowing more clothes to be hung within a given space.
A garment hanger includes a cross bar having a first end and an opposing second end. The cross bar is defined by a first end portion that terminates in the first end, a center portion, and a second end portion that terminates in the second end. Each of the first end portion and second end portion has a downwardly sloping top edge. The first end portion has a first no-slip slot formed therein so as to extend laterally within the first end portion and is open along the top edge thereof so as to form an entrance into the first no-slip slot. The second end portion has a second no-slip slot formed therein so as to extend laterally within the second end portion and is open along the top edge thereof so as to form an entrance into the second no-slip slot. A bottom surface of each of the first no-slip slot and the second no-slip slot comprises a ribbed surface. The hanger further includes a hook member attached to the center portion of the cross bar.
A garment hanger includes a cross bar having a first end and an opposing second end. The cross bar is defined by a first end portion that terminates in the first end, a center portion, and a second end portion that terminates in the second end. The cross bar further includes a pant bar that extends between the first end of the first end portion and the second end of the second end portion. The cross bar has a U shape or Y shape construction defined by a pair of spaced fingers with an open space there between. The upper edges of the spaced fingers provide contact areas for receiving and supporting a pair of pants. The garment hanger includes a hook member attached to the center portion of the cross bar.
A hanger organization system is provided and includes a first set of hangers and a second set of hangers. Each hanger of the first set of hangers includes a cross bar with a first hook member extending upwardly from a top edge of the cross bar. The first hook member has a first height as measured from a top edge of the hook member to the top edge of the cross bar. The second hook member has a second height as measured from a top edge of the hook member to the top edge of the cross bar, wherein the first height is greater than the second height. The first set of hangers and second set of hangers are arranged in alternating manner.
The cross bar 120 is an elongated structure and includes a first end 122 and an opposing second end 124. The cross bar 120 can be divided into a number of sections, including a central portion 130 and two end portions 140, 150 on opposite sides of the central portion 130. As shown, the central portion 130 has an increased height relative to the two end portions 140, 150. The central portion 130 is the portion from which the hook member 110 extends. The central portion 130 can have a hole that receives a bottom end of the hook member 110 for attaching the hook member 110 to the cross bar 120. The bottom end of the hook member 110 can have a ridges (threaded) surface and after heating the hook member 110, the hook member 110 is inserted into the smooth walled hole of the central portion 130 to securely attach the hook member 110 to the central portion 130.
In accordance with the present invention, each of the end portions 140, 150 is a continuously curved portion that terminates in the respective first end 122 or second end 124. As shown, each of the first end portion 140 and the second end portion 150 is defined by an upper edge 160 that has a downward slope (downward curvature) from the central portion 130 to the respective first end 122 or the second end 124. The upper edge 160 is preferably a smooth surface and the curvature thereof is selected so as to provide a profile that ensures that cloths that are hung will lay flat with no wrinkles or bunching. Each of the first end portion 140 and the second end portion 150 is also defined by a lower edge 170. Unlike the upper edge 160 which has continuous curvature, the lower edge 170 is formed in three distinct section each of which has different characteristics from the other sections. In particular, the lower edge 170 has a first section 172 that defines the bottom edge of the center portion 130 and extends radially outward therefrom. In the first section 172, the bottom edge has a first degree of curvature and continuously slopes downward to a second section 174. The second section 174 is an area in which the cross bar has increased width to accommodate a no-slip slot 200 as described herein. The bottom edge, in the second section 174, has a linear component. A third section 176 that extends from the second section 174 to one of the first end 122 or the second end 124. In the third section 176, the bottom edge has a second degree of curvature which is greater than the first degree of curvature and therefore, the third section 176 has a sharp downward curve. This shard downward curved section helps to prevent puckering at the shoulders of the garment fabric where the hanger terminates. It also helps to create a gradual/seamless drop off instead of a severe edge.
In accordance with the present invention, there are a pair of no-slip slots 200 with one no-slip slot 200 being formed in the first end portion 140 and the other no-slip slot 200 being formed in the second end portion 150. The no-slip slot 200 is a substantially linear slot that is formed in the second section 174 and is open along the upper edge 160. In other words, the entrance into the no-slip slot 200 is formed along the upper edge 160 and represents a lateral opening that is accessible only in a lateral direction.
In conventional hangers, each strap receiving slot is formed as a large break along an upper edge of the hanger body and therefore, when other types of garments like blouses or shirts and the like are hung on such hangers, the clothing naturally falls by gravity into these recessed portions, thereby causing creases and the like in the clothing. In contrast, the sloped nature of the upper edge 160 and the location of the entrance to the no-slip slot 200 prevents any clothing material from entering the no-slip slot 200 unless it is purposefully intended to be disposed within the no-slip slot 200, as is the case of straps of a dress or the like.
The no-slip slot 200 is thus formed as a generally horizontal slot that is defined by an upper surface 202 and an opposing lower surface 204. The space between the upper surface 202 and the lower surface 204 defines the space in which clothing is inserted (in a lateral direction as mentioned above) and retained. For example, in the case of a dress with straps, the left dress strap is inserted into one no-slip slot 200 and the right dress strap is inserted into the other no-slip slot 200. The no-slip slot 200 has a width and a height that are selected to accommodate a large range of straps. In one exemplary embodiment, the no-slip slot 200 has the following approximate dimensions: length 35 mm, width 5 mm, and height 2.6 mm.
As best shown in
The hook member 110 of the hanger 100 is of a first size in that hook member 110 has a straight lower portion 112 and a curved upper portion 114 as shown in
As shown,
The garment hanger 300 has the same hook construction as hanger 101 in that the garment hanger 300 includes the hook member 110 that is of the first size. Hook member 110 has the straight lower portion 112 and the curved upper portion 114. The straight lower portion 112 has the first length (first height). The length of the straight lower portion 112 is about 51 mm in one exemplary embodiment.
Garment hanger 350 includes the pants bar 310 which is described above. The shape of the bar 310 is discussed below with respect to
Each of the no-slip slots 200 is defined by an entrance that has a sloped shape with a bottom portion of the first entrance being disposed laterally outward from a top portion of the entrance. As shown in
As shown in
Applicant has discovered that the U or Y shape of the pants bar 310 holds the pants in place and provides a desired degree of resistance that results in the pants being gripped and maintained along the pants bar 310 even if the hanger is moved and manipulated, etc. By providing the first and second fingers 315, 317, the pants rest on two points of contact which provides the desired increased resistance and gripping force. This is unlike traditional pant bars that have a rounded surface and can include a velvet topping which unfortunately can be difficult to use in that pants tend to stick to such material and therefore, don't lay properly on the bar which can result in wrinkles, etc.
The pants bar 310 can be formed to have any number of different sizes. The height from the floor 321 to the bottom edge is about 10.2 mm, the thickness of each of the first finger 315 and the second finger 317 is about 0.6 or 0.7 mm. As shown in
As shown in
B+X=C
C+(H1−X)=T1
T1+C=T2
T2−B=H2.
Manufacturing tolerance is generally understood to be the permissible limit or limits of variation in: a physical dimension; a measured value or physical property of a material, manufactured object, system, or service; other measured values (such as temperature, humidity, etc.). In this case, the tolerance is with respect to the length of the hook.
Notably, the figures and examples above are not meant to limit the scope of the present invention to a single embodiment, as other embodiments are possible by way of interchange of some or all of the described or illustrated elements. Moreover, where certain elements of the present invention can be partially or fully implemented using known components, only those portions of such known components that are necessary for an understanding of the present invention are described, and detailed descriptions of other portions of such known components are omitted so as not to obscure the invention. In the present specification, an embodiment showing a singular component should not necessarily be limited to other embodiments including a plurality of the same component, and vice-versa, unless explicitly stated otherwise herein. Moreover, applicants do not intend for any term in the specification or claims to be ascribed an uncommon or special meaning unless explicitly set forth as such. Further, the present invention encompasses present and future known equivalents to the known components referred to herein by way of illustration.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the invention that others can, by applying knowledge within the skill of the relevant art(s) (including the contents of the documents cited and incorporated by reference herein), readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments, without undue experimentation, without departing from the general concept of the present invention. Such adaptations and modifications are therefore intended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments, based on the teaching and guidance presented herein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, such that the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is to be interpreted by the skilled artisan in light of the teachings and guidance presented herein, in combination with the knowledge of one skilled in the relevant art(s).
While various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example, and not limitation. It would be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s) that various changes in form and detail could be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.
