Hanger accessory sleeve

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6808064
  • Patent Number
    6,808,064
  • Date Filed
    Tuesday, November 12, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, October 26, 2004
    20 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Fidei; David T.
    Agents
    • Homburg; Randal D.
Abstract
This invention is a clothing accessory sleeve for holding various travel clothing items and accessories adapted to be fitted securely upon a clothes hanger underneath clothing items hung on the clothes hanger, concealing the sleeve beneath the clothing. The sleeve has a multiplicity of closeable pockets to contain accessories and a plurality of horizontal slots to engage scarfs, neckwear, belts and sashes with at least one locking pocket for securing valuable items of jewelry, cash or, in the case of military or police uniforms, insignias and topical pins of rank or valor. An additional lower tubular pocket is also provided for the horizontal placement of longer items oriented in a horizontal carrying position.
Description




CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS




None




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of Invention




This invention is a clothing accessory sleeve for holding various travel clothing items and accessories adapted to be fitted securely upon a clothes hanger underneath clothing items hung on the clothes hanger, concealing the sleeve beneath the clothing. The sleeve has a multiplicity of closeable pockets to contain accessories and a plurality of horizontal slots to engage scarfs, neckwear, belts and sashes with at least one locking pocket for securing valuable items of jewelry, cash or, in the case of military or police uniforms, insignias and topical pins of rank or valor. An additional lower tubular pocket is also provided for the horizontal placement of longer items oriented in a horizontal carrying position.




2. Description of Prior Art




The following United States patents were discovered and are disclosed within this application for utility patent. All relate to hanger attaching devices.




In U.S. Pat. No. D 308,299 a decorative hanger cover is shown. A countour hanger cover is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,447 is shown having a rigid arcuate skirt over the wire hanger. A hanger cover is shown in U.S. Pat. No. D 327 582 to Mathews. A large storage container is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,328,469 to Banco.




Four accessory organizers are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. D 321,790, D 321,789 to Martorella and D 367,985 to Hale which are design patents showing organizers appearing to have puralities of pockets and U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,230 to Mattox, which is a jewelry holder and organizer attaching the device to the hanger by velcro hanger tabs, the device having pockets and hooks to hold jewelry including bracelets and necklaces for display. It does not appear that this device is recommended for travel, but display so that the owner can readily see what jewelry is available through clear pocket covers. For transport, the device is rolled or folded into a compact bundle for travel.




II. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




During travel, most often additional luggage or carrying cases are required to contain the additional accessories for clothing items placed and stored in garment bags or other luggage. This additional luggage or carrying cases can cause one to exceed the limit on carry-on or check in luggage. The additional luggage may also pose additional risk during baggage handling for intrusion into one's bags or theft of items contained in the bag which is more common that most people believe. In order to alleviate this problem, the current hanger accessory sleeve provides for a concealed accessory storage device hidden beneath clothing placed upon a clothes hanger.




The primary objective of the sleeve is to provide a concealed accessory storage device which is not readily viewed by persons handling ones baggage, either at transportation sites or at hotels and lodging locations.




A second objective of the sleeve is to reduce the amount of luggage required to transport items and protect those items beneath the clothing hung on the clothes hanger, protecting jewelry and other delicate items under the clothing securely contained with the sleeve.




A third objective of the sleeve is to provide for a multiplicity of storage pockets for small items of jewelry, undergarment, pins and insignias for uniforms or other clothing within at least one locked compartment, with other compartments and slots adapted to contain ties, scarfs, long slender items, socks, belts, braids, socks, hosiery and other clothing related travel accessories.




A fourth objective of the sleeve is to provide the sleeve to conform to a clothing hanger with an upper slot for the hook to be inserted through with the sleeve contouring to the slope of the hanger so that clothing items may be hung over the sleeve without disclosing the sleeve and without causing distortion to the clothing hung on the clothing hanger over the sleeve.











III. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




The following drawings are submitted with this utility patent application.





FIG. 1

is a front view or rear view of the sleeve on a clothes hanger.





FIG. 2

is a side view of the sleeve on a garment hanger.





FIG. 3

is a view of a locking means on the zipper of a compartment on the sleeve.





FIG. 4

is a front view of the sleeve containing the outlines of several items.











IV. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




A secured and concealed hanger accessory sleeve


10


, shown in

FIGS. 1-4

of the drawings, adapted to be placed over a clothes hanger


100


having a central hook


102


to contain and store uniform and clothing accessory items, jewelry, insignias for uniforms, medals, pins, belts, scarfs, ribbons and braid, comprises a front panel


20


having an outer surface


22


and an upper angular margin


24


, a rear panel


30


having an outer surface


32


and an upper angular margin


34


, the front panel


20


and rear panel


30


attached together along their respective upper angular margins


24


,


34


with a central slot


50


through which the central hook


102


may be inserted. On the outer surfaces


22


,


24


of the front panel


20


and rear panel


30


, as shown in

FIGS. 1

,


2


and


4


of the drawings, are a plurality of closeable pockets


60


and a plurality of horizontal slots


70


, with at least one of the closeable pockets


60


having a locking means


65


to deter access to said pocket


60


. In addition, at least one long horizontal compartment


80


is placed below the front panel


20


and rear panel


30


. The front panel


20


and rear panel


30


define an inner cavity


40


which is adapted to accept the clothes hanger


100


with the upper angular margins


24


,


34


attached together resting upon the clothes hanger


100


with the central hook


102


extending above the sleeve


10


, as shown in

FIGS. 1

,


2


and


4


of the drawings.




Most preferably, the front panel


20


and rear panel


30


have at least one large triangular pocket


60




a


to accept large scale items, including handkerchiefs, socks, hosiery and gloves. At least two smaller pockets


60




b


are also included on each front panel


20


and rear panel


30


to contain smaller to scale items and items of value, including jewelry watches, insignias, pins and ear rings, with the locking means


65


, shown in

FIG. 3

, being applied to at least one of these smaller pockets


60




b


. The horizontal slots


70


, shown in

FIG. 1

, may include a lower stiffening means


72


to provide for rigid support of the horizontal slots


70


and those items placed within the horizontal slots


70


.




The long horizontal compartment


80


preferably has a first end


82


which is closed and a second end


84


which is open, with the long horizontal compartment


80


freely dangling below the clothes hanger


100


upon which the sleeve


10


is placed. A reenforced collar


52


may also be included within the central slot


50


to provide strength to the central slot


50


around the central hook


102


of the clothes hanger


100


.




It is also contemplated that additional secondary pockets and compartments may be located within the inner cavity


40


providing additional storage and also additional non-visible storage. These additional pockets and compartments may also include a locking means to secure the items within said additional pockets and compartments.




In use, an intended objective of the sleeve


10


is to provide the sleeve


10


in a non-visible display on the clothes hanger


100


by placing articles of clothing on the clothes hanger


100


over the sleeve


10


, covering as much of the sleeve


10


as possible. Therefore, most preferably the sleeve


10


applied to the clothes hanger


100


will not appear outside the collar of a shirt or blouse. In addition, while the device is disclosed being fitted upon a wire clothes hanger


100


, the sleeve


10


may be provided in such size and shape to fit any clothing hanger regardless of shape, the shape intended to be that of a clothes hanger


100


without being fitted to any particular clothes hanger.




While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.



Claims
  • 1. A secured and concealed hanger accessory sleeve adapted to be placed upon a clothes hanger having a central hook, containing and storing uniform and clothing accessory items, jewelry, insignias for uniforms, medals, pins, belts, scarfs, ribbons and braid, comprising:a front panel having an outer surface and an upper angular margin; a rear panel having an outer surface and an upper angular margin, the front panel and rear panel attached together along their respective upper angular margins forming an inner cavity between the front panel and rear panel within which a clothes hanger is inserted; a central slot through which the central hook of the clothes hanger is inserted; a plurality of closeable pockets and a plurality of horizontal slots on the outer surfaces of the front panel and rear panel, with at least one of the closeable pockets having a locking means; and at least one long horizontal compartment placed below the front panel and rear panel.
  • 2. The hanger accessory sleeve, as disclosed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of closeable pockets on the front panel and rear panel further comprise;at least one large triangular pocket to accept larger scale items; at least two smaller pockets to contain smaller scale and items of value, with the locking means applied to at least one of these smaller pockets.
  • 3. The hanger accessory sleeve, as disclosed in claim 1, the horizontal slots further comprising a lower stiffening means to provide for rigid support of the horizontal slots and those items placed within the horizontal slots.
  • 4. The hanger accessory sleeve, as disclosed in claim 1, wherein the long horizontal compartment further comprises:a first end which is closed; and a second end which is open, with the horizontal compartment freely dangling below the clothes hanger upon which the sleeve is placed.
  • 5. The hanger accessory sleeve, as disclosed in claim 1, wherein the central slot includes a reenforced collar providing strength to the central slot surrounding the central hook of the clothes hanger.
  • 6. A secured and concealed hanger accessory sleeve adapted to be placed upon a clothes hanger having a central hook, containing and storing uniform and clothing accessory items, jewelry, insignias for uniforms, medals, pins; belts, scarfs, ribbons and braid, comprising:a front panel having an outer surface and an upper angular margin; a rear panel having an outer surface and an upper angular margin, the front panel and rear panel attached together along their respective upper angular margins forming an inner cavity between the front panel and rear panel within which a clothes hanger is inserted; a central slot having a reenforced collar through which the central hook of the clothes hanger is inserted; a plurality of closeable pockets and a plurality of horizontal slots on the outer surfaces of the front panel and rear panel, with at least one of the closeable pockets having a locking means and the each of the horizontal slots including lower stiffening means; and at least one long horizontal compartment having a first end which is closed, and a second end which is open, the horizontal compartment freely dangling below the clothes hanger upon which the sleeve is placed.
US Referenced Citations (18)
Number Name Date Kind
1564930 Boyes Dec 1925 A
2297860 Aranow Oct 1942 A
2679877 Leggett Jun 1954 A
2710638 Ford Jun 1955 A
3074452 Bridges Jan 1963 A
3834497 Furst Sep 1974 A
3967666 Farrar Jul 1976 A
4026447 Wnek May 1977 A
D308299 Houghtaling Jun 1990 S
4966287 Snyder Oct 1990 A
D321789 Martorella Nov 1991 S
D321790 Martorella Nov 1991 S
D327582 Mathews Jul 1992 S
5427230 Mattox Jun 1995 A
D367985 Hale Mar 1996 S
5509588 Kimball Apr 1996 A
6196396 Bennett Mar 2001 B1
6328469 Banco Dec 2001 B1