This disclosure provides systems and methods to allow a user to utilize anti-theft hangers in desired locations.
Hotels, motels, cruise ships, recreational vehicles, and other lodgings are often designed to provide many of the amenities found at home. Among those include common convenience items such as toiletries, cups, glasses, irons and hangers which, in general, patrons are free to use as they wish. However, such items are commonly removed from hotel and motels rooms, either accidentally or on purpose. This has led to the emergence of so-called “anti-theft” hotel and motel products designed to reduce the loss of those items.
Among the anti-theft products commonly found in hotels and motels are anti-theft hangers. Hangers of this sort typically include a frame, such as the common “A-frame” hanger, or a curved bar designed to hold articles of clothing. The most common type of anti-theft hanger includes a straight bar extending from the frame which lacks the curved portion found on standard hangers. The bar typically terminates with a ball or cube structure that is designed to fit into an adapter that itself is secured onto a hanger bar, e.g., within a closet. In most cases, the adapter is configured such that it is not removable by the user, which removes the freedom of choice that a user would otherwise have to hang their clothes in a chosen location.
Many travelers realize the benefits of hanging their clothes in a desired location, such as in a bathroom, as this allows clothes to be steamed to remove wrinkles Common anti-theft measures substantially preclude the user from hanging clothes in a desired location, and requires the user to supply their own hangers for such purposes which can be inconvenient. Thus, an adapter that allows anti-theft hangers to be placed in desired locations can provide benefits to travelers.
In general, anti-theft hanger adapters are presented. For the purpose of this disclosure, an “anti-theft” hanger is generally one that includes measures for substantially preventing a person from hanging the hanger in a desired location such as a shower curtain rod, doorknob, towel rack, etc. Such measures can include, for example, the absence of a hanger hook, or sizing the hook with dimensions that substantially preclude a person from hanging the hanger on common objects, such as those described above. In one exemplary embodiment, an anti-theft hanger adapter is configured to adapt an anti-theft hanger so that it can be hung in a desired location.
In one exemplary embodiment, an adapter is provided. The adapter includes a main body conjoined with a support engagement member. The main body is configured to reversibly couple to a portion of an anti-theft hanger to provide the capability of hanging the anti-theft hanger in a desired location. In one embodiment, the support engagement member is a hook. In one embodiment, the support engagement member is rotatable relative to the main body.
In one embodiment, the main body includes a plurality of adjacent wall members configured to define a recess for reversibly receiving a terminal end portion of a ball-and-post member of the anti-theft hanger. In a related embodiment, the recess is substantially Y-shaped. In a related embodiment, a top portion of the Y-shaped recess is configured to receive the ball of the ball-and-post member, and a bottom portion of the Y-shaped recess is configured to receive the post of the ball-and-post member. In yet another related embodiment, the recess has a cross-sectional width slightly less than the cross-sectional width of the ball-and-post member to provide frictional engagement between the Y-shaped recess and the ball-and-post member. In a further related embodiment, the Y-shaped recess includes at least two tapered wall portions configured to confront the ball of the ball-and-post member when the anti-theft hanger is coupled with the main body.
In one embodiment, the main body includes a protrusive hook support member configured to provide the capability of hanging a miniature hook of an anti-theft hanger therefrom. In a related embodiment, the protrusive hook support member includes an arcuate platform protruding from a front face of the main body. In a related embodiment, the protrusive hook support member further includes a platform wall member substantially orthogonally adjacent to the arcuate platform for reducing the likelihood of unintentional disengagement between the protrusive hook support member and the anti-theft hanger.
In one embodiment, the main body is configured to couple to a plurality of different anti-theft hanger types. In a related embodiment, a first anti-theft hanger type is a ball-and-post hanger, and a second anti-theft hanger type is a miniature-hook hanger. In a related embodiment, the main body includes a Y-shaped recess for reversibly coupling to the ball-and-post-type anti-theft hanger subjacent to a protrusive hook support member configured for hanging a miniature-hook-type anti-theft hanger therefrom. In yet another related embodiment, the main body is configured to reversibly couple to another of the adapters in a tandem configuration.
In one exemplary embodiment, an adapter configured to provide the capability of hanging an anti-theft-type hanger in a desired location is provided. The adapter includes a main body conjoined with a support engagement member, and means for coupling a portion of the anti-theft hanger with the main body so as to provide the capability of hanging the adapter coupled with the anti-theft hanger in a desired location.
In one exemplary embodiment, an anti-theft clothes hanger adapter is provided. The adapter includes a hook member integral with a main body. The main body includes front and back sides with a main body thickness therebetween, a Y-shaped cavity disposed between the front and back sides configured to support a ball-and-post member of an anti-theft hanger in a hanging configuration, and a protruding hook support member configured to support a miniature hook member of a second type of anti-theft hanger therefrom.
In one embodiment, the protruding hook support member is an arcuate support member protruding from the front of the adapter.
In one embodiment, the adapter further includes a wall member orthogonally-oriented, and adjacently disposed to the protruding hook support for reducing the likelihood of disengaging the miniature hook member from the hook support member.
In one embodiment, the main body includes a hollow portion for receiving the protruding hook support member such that a plurality of the adapters can be reversibly coupled in a tandem configuration.
The systems, articles, and methods described herein provide certain distinct advantages. For example, travelers can utilize anti-theft hangers in ways that would otherwise be precluded due to the nature of many anti-theft designs, including the ability to hang garments in bathrooms for steaming purposes, among others.
Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of any described embodiment, suitable methods and materials are described below. In addition, the materials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting. In case of conflict with terms used in the art, the present specification, including definitions, will control.
The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description and claims.
The present embodiments are illustrated by way of the figures of the accompanying drawings, which may not necessarily be to scale, in which like references indicate similar elements, and in which:
In one exemplary aspect, a hanger adapter is provided. In various embodiments thereof, the hanger adapter includes a main body conjoined with a support engagement member such as a hook, which is configured to allow the hanger adapter to be hung on an object of choice, e.g., a shower curtain rod, door hook, etc. The main body includes at least one coupling mechanism, member, recess, or other structure configured to receive a hanging-support portion of at least one type of a so-called “anti-theft” hanger. For example, in one embodiment, the main body can be configured to receive a hanging-support portion of a first type of anti-theft hanger; in another embodiment, the main body can be configured to receive a hanging-support portion of a first type of anti-theft hanger, and additionally configured to receive a hanging-support portion of a second type of anti-theft hanger. In general, hanger adapters as disclosed herein can provide the capability of hanging clothes in a desired location which would otherwise be difficult or impossible due to the inherent nature and design of many anti-theft hangers.
Although not illustrated in
In this embodiment, the main body 105 is configured to receive a hanging-support portion of at least two anti-theft hanger types. Referring to the inset labeled “Prior Art” in FIG. 1, the first type of anti-theft hanger is a so-called ball-and-post hanger A, which includes a main hanger body A1 and a hanging-support member, ball-and-post member A2, extending therefrom, as illustrated. Referring in particular to
In this embodiment, the Y-shaped recess 120 is configured to allow insertion of a portion of the ball-and-post member A2 therein. For example, in this embodiment, the upper channel portion 130 is configured to receive the ball portion A3, and channel 125 is configured to receive the post portion A4. During use, e.g., when the ball-and-post member A2 is inserted into the Y-shaped recess 120, gravity urges the ball portion against the tapered portion juxtaposed between the channel portion 125 and the tapered upper channel portion 130 to reduce the likelihood of the hanger A disengaging from the adapter 100.
In one embodiment, the cross-sectional width of the face of channel 125 and the upper tapered channel portion 130 can be slightly less than the cross-sectional width of the ball-and-post member A2 of an anti-theft hanger, respectively, such that an urging force is required to insert the ball-and-post member A2 into the Y-shaped recess 120. In practice, a user can “snap” the ball-and-post member A2 into the Y-shaped recess 120, which can reduce the likelihood of accidental disengagement therebetween.
In another embodiment, the tapered upper channel portion 130 can include a substantially fitted recess (not illustrated in
Referring briefly to
In this embodiment, the Y-shaped recess provides for coupling a portion of an anti-theft hanger, e.g., a ball-and-post portion of an anti-theft hanger, with the main body so as to provide the capability of hanging the adapter coupled with the anti-theft hanger in a desired location.
Referring back to
In this embodiment, the main body 105 includes a hook support member 115 that protrudes from the main body front face 106. In this embodiment, the hook support member 115 includes an arcuate platform 116 extending substantially perpendicularly from the main body front face 106 as illustrated and is configured to receive the hook portion B2 of a hanger B in a hanging orientation as shown, e.g., in
In this embodiment, the hook member 110 can have a shape and size that is similar to standard hangers so that the adapter can be hung on a variety of objects, e.g., shower curtain rods, doorknobs, coat hooks, etc. It should be understood that the size and shape of the hook support member 115 can be chosen to accommodate any desired size of a hook portion B2 of anti-theft hanger B, or other types of anti-theft hangers. For example, hook support member 115 can also support anti-theft hangers which include a ring instead of a hook for hanging the hanger.
In this embodiment, the hook support member provides for coupling a portion of an anti-theft hanger, e.g., a miniature-hook portion of an anti-theft hanger, with the main body so as to provide the capability of hanging the adapter coupled with the anti-theft hanger in a desired location.
Referring now to
Referring now to
In general, adapters of the type described herein can be formed of any chosen material; however, certain types of plastic can be lightweight for travel while providing strength and durability for supporting the weight of hangers and clothing items. Adapters of the type described herein can be advantageously made from plastic to reduce the likelihood of commercial airline security concerns when placed in carry-on luggage. One exemplary plastic for such a purpose is formed from acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymers such as those sold under the LUSTRAN® ABS trade name. In general, the hook member 110 can be configured for hanging the adapter from a chosen type of support; for example, the semi-circumference Ch, radius Rh (
In general, an adapter of the type described herein can be formed by any desired manufacturing process including, e.g., plastic injection molding.
A number of illustrative embodiments have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the various embodiments presented herein. For example, in one embodiment, the main body 105 can include a plurality of hook support members. In such an embodiment, a first hook support member 115 can be disposed on the main body front face 106, e.g., as illustrated in
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2064316 | Jun 1981 | GB |
Entry |
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Flickr post (submitted herewith as NPL—Flickr.pdf) at https://www.flickr.com/photos/rbrome/3177558579/Post indicates picture taken on Jan. 7, 2009. |
Lifehacker post (submitted herewith as NPL—lifehacker.pdf) at http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2011/05/ask-lh-how-can-i-make-anti-theft-coat-hangers-more-useful/Post indicates publication on May 23, 2011. |