The present invention generally relates to an apparatus and methods for hanging garments, and particularly to a collapsible garment hanger.
Garment hangers or “hangers” can be used to hang garments from a rod, hook, handle, and/or the like. Typically, hangers include a hook and a pair of arms extending laterally from the base of the hook, such that a garment can hang from the arms. In such instances, the use of the hanger can be complicated by the necessary length of the arms. For example, when inserting the hanger into a garment one may place the first arm through the collar opening of the garment followed by the second arm. Often the neck of the garment is stretched over time due to insertion of the arms of the hanger through the collar opening. Fitting freshly laundered button up shirts, polo shirts, or any similar garments onto a rigid hanger in the conventional manner can be time consuming because one has to unbutton the shirt, place it on the hanger, and then re-button the shirt. Alternatively, one may choose to insert the hanger through the bottom opening of a garment (e.g., a shirt, dress, blouse, or the like) to avoid stretching the neck opening or unbuttoning. In this process, the hanger can become tangled in the body of the garment as one tries to bring the hook portion through the neck of the garment.
Thus, a need exists for a garment hanger that includes a rotatable joint between at least the first arm and the second arm, thereby allowing the arms to collapse.
An apparatus and methods for hanging a garment are described herein. In some embodiments, a collapsible garment hanger includes a first arm having a first end portion and a second end portion and a second arm having a first end portion and a second end portion. The first end portion of the first arm includes a hook configured to be disposed over a closet rod to support the collapsible garment hanger. The second arm is coupled to the first arm for rotational movement relative to the first arm between an expanded configuration and a collapsed configuration. The first end portion of the second arm is configured to selectively engage the closet rod and hold the hanger in the expanded configuration.
An apparatus and methods for hanging a garment are described herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus for hanging garments includes a first arm having a first end portion and a second end portion and a second arm having a first end portion and a second end portion. The first end portion of the first arm includes a hook configured to be disposed over a closet rod. The second arm is coupled to the first arm for rotational movement relative to the first arm between an expanded configuration and a collapsed configuration. The first end portion of the second arm is configured to selectively engage the closet rod and hold the hanger in the expanded configuration. The first end portion of the second arm can also include a hook configured to be disposed over the closet rod, the hook, the hanger, and/or the like and hold the hanger in the expanded configuration. The apparatus can further include, for example, a locking mechanism to lock the hanger in the expanded configuration. The first arm can include a first housing segment and a second housing segment, and the first and second housing segments can collectively define a slot for receiving the second arm.
In some embodiments, an apparatus for hanging garments includes a first arm having a first hook configured to be disposed over a closet rod and a second arm having a second hook configured to be disposed over a closet rod. The second arm is coupled to the first arm for rotational movement relative to the first arm between an expanded configuration and a collapsed configuration. The first hook and the second hook can be configured to hold the garment hanger in the expanded configuration without a separate locking mechanism. The apparatus can further include a locking mechanism to lock the garment hanger in the expanded configuration.
In some embodiments, an apparatus for hanging garments includes a support hook, a first arm coupled to the support hook, and a second arm coupled to the first arm for rotational movement relative to the first arm between an expanded configuration and a collapsed configuration. The first arm can be separate from or unitarily formed with the support hook. At least a portion of the second arm is configured to selectively engage a closet rod and hold the garment hanger in the expanded configuration without a separate locking mechanism. The second arm can further include a second support hook configured to hold the garment hanger in the expanded configuration. The apparatus can further include a locking mechanism to lock the garment hanger in the expanded configuration.
In some embodiments, an apparatus for hanging garments includes a first arm having a first hook configured to be disposed over a closet rod and a second arm having a second hook configured to be disposed over a closet rod. The second arm can include an aperture configured to receive a pivot pin included in the first arm. The second arm can be coupled to the first arm for rotational movement relative to the first arm between an expanded configuration and a collapsed configuration. The apparatus can further include a pivot mechanism independent of the first arm and can couple the second arm to the first for rotational movement relative to the first arm between an expanded configuration and a collapsed configuration.
It is noted that, as used in this written description and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, the term “an arm” is intended to mean a single arm or a combination of arms. Furthermore, the words “proximal” and “distal” refer to a direction closer to and away from, respectively, the center of rotation of the hanger (i.e., the pin).
The first end portion 121 of the first arm 120 includes a hook 122 configured to be disposed over, for example, a closet rod. The hook 122 can be any suitable shape, size, or configuration. For example, in some embodiments, the hook 122 can have a large radius of curvature such that the hook 122 can fit around a large diameter closet rod. In other embodiments, the hook 122 can have a small radius of curvature such that the hook 122 can fit around a relatively small diameter of a hook, for example, a hook found in a vehicle. Additionally, the first end portion 121 can include a ring 123. The ring 123 can be any suitable size, shape or configuration. In use, one can place a thumb or finger through the ring 123 for better control and grip of the hanger 100.
The second end portion 125 of the first arm 120 includes a boom 126 extending away from the first end portion 121. The boom 126 can be configured to extend away from the first end portion 121 in a downward fashion such that a distal end 128 of the second end portion 125 is below a proximal end 127 of the second end portion 125, as shown, for example, in
The first end portion 141 of the second arm 140 includes an extension 142 configured to selectively engage, for example, a closet rod. Similar to the hook 122 of the first arm 120, the extension 142 can be any suitable shape, size, or configuration. The extension 142 is configured to engage at least a portion of a closet rod to hold the hanger in an expanded configuration when the hook 122 is disposed over the closet rod. The extension 142 can include a finger support 144. The finger support 144 can be configured to help prevent one's fingers from sliding off the extension 142 while in use. The finger support 142 can be any suitable size, shape, or configuration. For example, as shown in
The second end portion 145 of the second arm 140 includes a boom 146 extending away from the first end portion 141. Similar to the boom 126 of the first arm 120, the boom 146 can extend away from the first end portion 141 in a downward path. In some embodiments, the boom 146 extends away from a proximal end 147 in a linear path and, at a distal end 148, the boom 146 curves downward with a given radius of curvature, similar to the boom 126. In other embodiments, the boom 146 extends away from the first end portion 141 in an arcuate and/or non-linear path. Furthermore, the boom 126 of the first arm 120 and the boom 146 of the second arm 140 are configured to follow a substantially mirrored path about a vertical plane A, as shown in
The hanger 100 is configured to collapse, fold, rotate, and/or otherwise move between the expanded configuration (
Referring now to
The inner surface 131 of the first housing segment and the inner surface 135 of the second housing segment 134 collectively define a slot 133. The second arm 140 is configured to be disposed within the slot 133 defined by the inner surface 131 of the first housing segment 130 and the inner surface 135 of the second housing segment 134. As described above, the second arm 140 is rotatably coupled to the pin 132 extending from the inner surface 131. More specifically, the second arm 140 includes an aperture 149 configured to receive at least a portion of the pin 132. In this manner, the hanger 100 is configured to collapse, rotate, and/or otherwise move between the first expanded configuration (
Referring now to
While the first arm 120 described in reference to
The pin 232 can be any suitable size, shape, or configuration. For example, in some embodiments, the pin 232 can include a ridge or protrusion along the outer edge. The ridge or protrusion can engage the second arm 240 when the pin 232 is inserted into the aperture 249. In this manner, the ridge or protrusion can act to couple the second arm 240 to the first arm 220 while allowing for rotational motion of the second arm 240 about the pin 232. In some embodiments, the pin 232 can be a separate component configured to be inserted through an aperture in the second arm 240.
The second portion 325 of the first arm 320 includes a boom 326 extending away from the first end portion 321. The boom 326 can be configured to extend away from the first end portion 321 in a downward fashion such that a distal end 328 of the second portion 325 is below a proximal end 327 of the second portion, as shown, for example, in
The first end portion 341 of the second arm 340 includes a second hook 343 configured to selectively engage, for example, a closet rod. Similar to the first hook 322 of the first arm 320, the second hook 343 can be any suitable shape, size, or configuration, and as such is configured to hold the hanger 100 in a first expanded configuration. The second end portion 345 of the second arm 340 includes a boom 346 extending away from the first end portion 341. Similar to the boom 326 of the first arm 320, the boom 346 can extend away from a proximal end 347 in a downward path toward a distal end 348. Furthermore, the boom 326 of the first arm 320 and the boom 346 of the second arm 340 are configured to follow a substantially similar path in opposite directions.
The collapsible hanger 300 is configured to collapse, fold, rotate, and/or otherwise move between a first configuration and a second configuration. More specifically, in the expanded configuration (
When the second hook 343 is no longer in contact with the closet rod, the weight of the garment, the weight of the second arm 340, and/or the user can cause the second arm 340 to rotate about the first arm 320. The second arm 340 can rotate through a range of positions shown, for example, in
The hanger 300 can rotate through the range of positions to a collapsed configuration, as shown, for example in
Referring now to
The outer surface 351 and the inner surface 331 can create a friction fit such as to resist the rotation of the second arm 340. For example, in some embodiments, the outer surface 351 of the second ring 350 is inserted into the aperture 329 defined by the inner surface 331 of the first ring 330 and can create a friction fit. In such embodiments, the friction between the outer surface 351 and the inner surface 331 can be large enough to resist the rotation of the second arm 320 under the force of its own weight (i.e., gravity). Similarly stated, the friction between the outer surface 351 and the inner surface 331 can be large enough that the hanger 300 will not collapse without additional force (e.g., a hanging garment and/or a user). Additionally, the second ring 350 includes an inner surface 352 with a set of notches 353 (
The coupling insert 334 can include an outer surface 337 having a pair of tabs 339 and defining a split portion 338, as shown in
Referring now to
The second arm 440 also includes a first end portion 441, a second end portion 425, and a portion of a locking mechanism 460. The first end portion 441 of the second arm 440 includes a second hook 443 configured to selectively engage, for example, a closet rod. Similar to the first hook 422 of the first arm 420, the second hook 443 can be any suitable shape, size, or configuration, and as such is configured to hold the hanger in a first expanded configuration.
The second portion 425 of the first arm 420 includes a boom 426 extending away from the first end portion 421. Similarly, the second end portion 445 of the second arm 440 includes a boom 446 extending away from the first end portion 441. The structure and functionality of the second portion 425 of the first arm 420 and the second portion 445 of the second arm 440 is substantially similar to the structure and function of the second portion 325 and the 345, respectively, and, therefore, is not described in detail herein.
The hanger 400 is configured to collapse, fold, rotate, and/or otherwise move from the expanded configuration (
With the second hook 443 no longer in contact with the closet rod, the weight of the garment and/or the weight of the second arm 440 can cause the second arm 440 to rotate about the first arm 420. The second arm 440 can rotate through a range of positions shown, for example, in
The hanger 400 can rotate through the range of positions to the second collapsed configuration, as shown, for example in
As described above with respect to
Referring now to
For example, a user can apply a force to the locking arm 462 in the direction of the first arm 420. The configuration of the relief cut 461 can allow the locking arm 462 to deform, such that the pin 464 disengages (i.e., moves away from) the securing protrusion 465. The pin 464 can travel in the channel 463, and, as gravity, the weight of a garment, a force applied by the user, and/or any other suitable force causes the second arm 440 to rotate (as described above), the pin 464 disengages the portion of the locking mechanism 460 included in the first arm 420. Alternatively, when returning to the first expanded configuration, the pin 464 can travel in the channel 463 in the direction of the first arm 420. The user can remove the force applied to the locking arm 462, in which case, the locking arm 462 returns to the undeformed configuration and can engage the securing protrusion 465, thereby locking the hanger 400 in the first expanded configuration.
The garment hanger described herein can be formed of any suitable material or using any suitable method. Furthermore, various components can be of similar or different materials. Similarly, various components of the hanger can be unitarily formed or be comprised of multiple parts. For example, with respect to
In some embodiments, the booms of the first arm and the second arm can include an indentation such as, for example, a recess, slot or notch. The indentations can be used, for example, to hang garments that include straps. The straps of the garment can engage the indentation and as such are less likely to slide off the hanger.
While various embodiments have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. Where schematics and/or embodiments described above indicate certain components arranged in certain orientations and/or positions, the arrangement of components may be modified. Similarly, where methods and/or events described above indicate certain events and/or procedures occurring in certain order, the ordering of certain events and/or procedures may be modified. While the embodiments have been particularly shown and described, it will be understood that various changes in form and details may be made.
This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/385,547, filed Sep. 22, 2010, entitled “Rotatable Garment Hanger for Easy Hang and Retrieval of Garments,” the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61385547 | Sep 2010 | US |