Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6488240
-
Patent Number
6,488,240
-
Date Filed
Wednesday, February 6, 200222 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, December 3, 200221 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 248 75
- 248 79
- 248 80
- 248 81
- 248 89
- 248 90
- 248 91
- 248 92
- 248 93
- 137 35516
- 137 35526
- D08 356
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A hose hanger apparatus includes a hose supporting body and a hose retainer. The hose supporting body has mounting structure to enable the hose supporting body to be mounted to a wall in an operative position in which a hose supporting surface faces generally upwardly and extends outwardly from the wall. The hose retainer is movable between retaining and releasing positions. In its retaining position, the hose retainer extends upwardly adjacent the hose supporting surface in spaced relation from the wall to inhibit the upper portion of the coiled hose from moving off the hose supporting surface without first raising the hose to a height sufficient to vertically clear the hose retainer. In its releasing position, the hose can be removed from or mounted onto the hose supporting surface without the need for first raising the hose to a height sufficient to vertically clear the hose retainer.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention is generally related to lawn and garden equipment and more particularly related to apparatuses for storing garden hoses.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Hoses are frequently used for lawn care, gardening, and similar activities, but can be difficult and inconvenient to use. Each time a homeowner uses a hose, for example, he or she typically takes the hose out of storage, connects it to a faucet, and pulls the free end of the hose to the location where water is needed. When the homeowner is finished using the hose, the hose is frequently wound into a coil and carried to a basement or garage for storage. Hoses are long, heavy and cumbersome to handle. Coiled hoses in particular are difficult to lift and move because each loop of a coiled hose must be captured before the hose is moved to reduce the chance the hose will become uncoiled or tangled while being lifted or moved.
It is often easier to handle a hose if it is hung during storage as opposed to laying the coiled hose on a flat surface. It is convenient to hang a hose on a wall-mounted fixture and such fixtures are know in the art. These fixtures make using a hose easier because they can be easily mounted on a wall of a house or garage and are in fact often mounted next to the faucet. Although these fixtures provide a way to hang a hose in a convenient location, they do not simplify the problem of handling the coiled hose.
An example of a wall-mounted fixture is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 408,270. In the '270 patent the fixture includes a body having a horizontally extending support surface and a vertically extending wall structure that extends upwardly from the horizontal support surface. When the fixture of the '270 patent is mounted on a wall of a building, the horizontal support surface extends outwardly from the building wall and the vertically extending wall structure is spaced from the building wall. A coiled hose is supported on the horizontal support surface between the building wall and the vertical wall structure of the fixture of the '270 patent. The vertically extending wall structure keeps the coiled hose from sliding off of the horizontal support surface during storage, but it also complicates the problem of coiling the hose around the fixture for storage and removing the hose from the fixture for use. For example, to remove a coiled hose from the fixture, the hose must be lifted off the support surface and over the vertically extending wall structure of the fixture.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a hose hanger apparatus for supporting a length of hose arranged in a coil adjacent a generally vertical support surface, such as a building wall or a fence. The apparatus includes a hose supporting body and a. hose retainer. The hose supporting body has a hose supporting surface and mounting structure constructed and arranged to enable the hose supporting body to be mounted to the generally vertical support surface in an operative position in which the hose supporting surface faces generally upwardly and extends generally outwardly away from the generally vertical support surface. The hose supporting body is constructed and arranged to enable the hose to be supported thereon when the hose supporting body is mounted in its operative position with the length of hose being arranged in a coil and the hose supporting surface supporting an upper portion of the coil. The hose retainer is movable between (a) a hose retaining position wherein, when the hose supporting body is in its operative position with the hose being arranged in a coil and supported thereon, the hose retainer extends upwardly adjacent the hose supporting surface and in spaced apart relation from the generally vertical support surface to inhibit the upper portion of the coil supported on the hose supporting surface from moving in a direction away from the generally vertical support surface off the hose supporting surface without first raising the hose to a height sufficient to vertically clear the hose retainer, and (b) a hose releasing position wherein, when the hose supporting body is in its operative position with the hose being arranged in a coil and supported thereon, the hose retainer is moved out of the hose retaining position to enable the hose to be removed from the hose supporting surface without the need for first raising the hose to a height sufficient to vertically clear the hose retainer and to enable the hose to be mounted onto the hose supporting body with the hose being arranged in a coil and the hose supporting surface supporting an upper portion of the coil without the need for first raising the unsupported hose to a height sufficient to vertically clear the hose retainer.
The hose hanger apparatus may optionally include a pair of side walls that extend downwardly away from the hose supporting surface and define an interior storage compartment suitable for storing articles to be used with the hose and a storage front panel movable between open and closed positions for controlling access to the interior storage compartment to facilitate storage and retrieval of the articles.
Other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a hose hanger apparatus constructed according to the principles of the present invention;
FIG. 2
is a view similar to
FIG. 1
except showing hose retainer of the hose hanger apparatus in its hose releasing position;
FIG. 3
is a view similar to
FIG. 1
except showing a storage bin of the hose hanger apparatus in its open position;
FIG. 4
is a front elevational view of the hose hanger apparatus with the storage bin thereof removed and not shown;
FIG. 5
is a perspective view showing a hose supporting body of the hose hanger apparatus in isolation;
FIG. 6
is a cross sectional view taken through the line
6
—
6
as indicated in
FIG. 5
;
FIG. 7
is a perspective view showing the hose retainer of the hose hanger apparatus in isolation, and
FIG. 8
is a perspective view showing a storage bin of the hose hanger apparatus in isolation.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
An example of a hose hanger apparatus
10
constructed according to the principles of the present invention is shown in
FIGS. 1-3
. The hose hanger apparatus
10
includes a hose supporting body
12
, a hose retainer
14
and a storage bin
16
. The hose hanger apparatus
10
can be used to store a hose and to store and transport articles.
The general operation of the hose hanger apparatus
10
to store a hose can be understood from
FIGS. 1 and 2
. The hose hanger apparatus
10
may be mounted in an operative position on a vertical support surface or wall
18
(shown in
FIG. 1
only) to support a length of coiled hose adjacent the generally vertical support surface
18
. The wall
18
may represent an exterior wall of a house or a garage, a fence or other appropriate structure. The hose supporting body
12
includes a horizontal support surface
22
and mounting structure
48
. The mounting structure
48
is constructed and arranged to enable the hose supporting body
12
to be mounted to the generally vertical support surface
18
in its operative position with the horizontal support surface
22
facing generally upwardly and extending generally outwardly away from the generally vertical support surface
18
. The hose supporting body
12
is constructed and arranged to enable the hose to be supported thereon when the hose supporting body
12
is mounted in its operative position with the length of hose arranged in a coil and the hose supporting surface
22
supporting an upper portion of the coil.
The hose retainer
14
is movable between a hose retaining position (see
FIG. 1
, for example) and a hose releasing position (see
FIG. 2
, for example). When the hose supporting body
12
is mounted in an operative position on the wall
18
and the hose retainer
14
is in its hose retaining position, the hose retainer
14
extends upwardly adjacent a hose supporting surface
22
(best seen in
FIG. 1
) on the hose supporting body
12
and in spaced apart relation from the generally vertical support surface
18
.
When a hose is arranged in a coil and supported on the hose supporting surface
22
while the hose retainer
14
is in its hose retaining position, the hose retainer
14
inhibits the upper portion of the coil supported on the hose supporting surface
22
from moving in a direction away from the generally vertical support surface
18
off the hose supporting surface
22
without first raising the hose to a height sufficient to vertically clear the hose retainer
14
. When the hose supporting body
12
is mounted in its operative position and the hose retainer
14
is moved into its hose releasing position, the hose retainer
14
is positioned to enable the hose to be removed from the hose supporting surface
22
without the need for first raising the hose to a height sufficient to vertically clear the hose retainer
14
. Specifically, the hose can be removed from the hose supporting surface
22
by sliding the hose generally horizontally in a direction away from the wall
18
. Also, the user can simply walk away from the apparatus
10
with the free end of the hose in hand. The hose will easily pay out from the apparatus
10
and the user does not need to be concerned with the hose retainer
14
interfering with the pay out of the hose. This also enables the hose to be mounted onto the hose supporting body
12
(with the hose arranged in a coil and the hose supporting surface
22
supporting an upper portion of the coil) without the need to first raise the unsupported hose to a height sufficient to vertically clear the hose retainer
14
.
The general operation of the hose hanger apparatus
10
to store articles can be understood from
FIGS. 1 and 3
. The hose supporting body
12
includes a pair of side walls
24
,
26
that extend downwardly away from the hose supporting surface
22
and define an interior storage compartment
28
suitable for storing articles (not shown, but may include a hose nozzle, a sponge, and so on) to be used with the hose. A front panel
30
is movable between an open position (see
FIG. 3
, for example) and a closed position (see
FIG. 1
, for example) to control access to the interior storage compartment
28
to facilitate storage and retrieval of the hose related articles. The example hose hanger apparatus
10
includes a storage bin
16
which is stored in the storage compartment
28
and which may used to hold articles.
The storage bin
16
defines a storage space
32
that is generally bounded by four peripheral walls
34
,
36
,
38
,
40
. The peripheral wall
34
defines the front panel
30
. The storage bin
16
is movably mounted between the side walls
24
,
26
for movement between an open position (see
FIG. 3
, for example) and a closed position (see
FIG. 1
, for example). When the storage bin
16
is in its open position, the front panel
30
is in its open position and the storage space
32
is accessible so that articles can be moved in and out of the storage space
32
. When the storage bin
16
is in its closed position, the front panel
30
is in its closed position and the storage bin
16
is disposed between the side walls
24
,
26
.
The storage bin
16
is removably mounted to the hose supporting body
12
to allow the storage bin
16
to be removed from the hose supporting body
12
and carried. The storage bin
16
is constructed and arranged to be supported in a free standing manner in an upright position on a support surface (see
FIG. 8
, for example), as will be discussed below.
The hose supporting body
12
, the hose retainer
14
and the storage bin
16
of the example hose hanger apparatus
10
are each constructed of a molded plastic material of suitable strength, although any appropriate material, such as a stamped or cast metal material, for example, can be used for their construction.
The structural details of the construction of the hose supporting body
12
can be best understood from
FIGS. 4-6
. The hose supporting body
12
is a one-piece integral plastic structure that is shaped to form an upper wall
42
, the side walls
24
,
26
, and a back wall
44
. An elongated portion
46
of the hose supporting body
12
extends between the side walls
24
,
26
. The back wall
44
includes mounting structure in the form of a plurality of openings
48
(see
FIG. 4
) to enable the hose supporting body
12
to be mounted in an operative position to the wall
18
using a plurality of headed fasteners such as nails or screws.
A pair of elongated slots
50
(only one is visible in the figures) are formed on opposite sides of the hose supporting body
12
. The slots
50
are operable (as explained below) to guide the hose retainer
14
for movement between its hose releasing position and its hose retaining position. A pair of pivot pins
52
are integrally formed on the side walls
24
,
26
. The pins
52
are operable to support the storage bin
16
for movement between open and closed positions.
The structural detail of the hose retainer
14
can be best appreciated from FIG.
7
. The hose retainer
14
is generally U-shaped and includes a central portion
54
and a pair of arms
56
extending integrally downwardly from the central portion
54
. The central portion
54
includes a handle
58
and a pair of tabs
60
. A pivot pin
62
(see
FIG. 7
) is formed on the end of each arm
56
.
The hose retainer
14
is pivotally connected to the hose supporting body
12
for pivotal movement between the hose retaining and hose releasing positions by inserting each pivot pin
62
on the hose retainer
14
into a respective elongated slot
50
on the hose supporting body
12
. The hose retainer
14
remains connected with the hose supporting body
12
when it is in its hose retaining and the hose releasing positions and when it is moving between these two positions.
The connection between the pins
62
and the elongated slot
50
forms a shifting pivotal connection. Each slot
50
includes a relatively narrow lower portion
64
and an essentially circular upper portion
66
. Each pin
62
includes a notch
68
on the side thereof (best seen in FIG.
7
). When a pin
62
is in the narrow lower portion
64
of an elongated slot
50
, the wall portions
70
surrounding the slot
50
are disposed within the notch
68
. When the wall portions
70
are in the notch
68
, the pins
62
can slide vertically within the slot
50
(so that the hose retainer
14
can move essentially vertically with respect to the hose supporting body
12
), but the engagement of the walls
70
with the notch
68
prevents pivotal movement of the hose retainer
14
with respect to the hose supporting body
12
. When each pin
62
is within the circular upper portion
66
, however, the hose retainer
14
is able to pivot with respect to the hose supporting body
12
. A lip
71
on the slot
50
prevents the inverted hose retainer
14
from sliding down the narrow portion
64
of the slot
50
. Thus, the lip
71
assures that the hose retainer
14
only enters the portion
64
of the slot for vertical sliding movement with respect to the hose supporting body when the hose retainer is oriented such that the arms thereof extend downwardly.
The hose retainer
14
and the hose supporting body
12
have cooperating locking structure for releasably locking the hose retainer
14
in its hose retaining position. The cooperating locking structure is disengageable to release the hose retainer for movement to its hose releasing position.
The cooperating locking structure is provided by one or more tabs
60
carried on the hose retainer
14
and a tab receiving space or opening
72
on the hose supporting body
12
for each tab
60
. When the hose retainer
14
is in its hose retaining position, each pin
62
is at the bottom of the narrow lower portion
64
of the associated elongated slot
50
and each tab
60
is in its respective tab receiving space
72
. The engagement of tabs
60
with the tab receiving spaces
72
prevents the hose retainer
14
from pivoting with its hose retaining position toward its hose releasing position until the tabs
60
are disengaged from the tab receiving spaces
72
.
Thus, to move the hose retainer
14
from its hose retaining position to its hose releasing position, the hose retainer
14
is moved generally upwardly in a shifting manner to an intermediate position (not shown) to disengage the cooperating locking structure
60
,
72
. Then, the hose retainer
14
is pivoted downwardly to its hose releasing position. The intermediate position is reached when the hose retainer
14
is pulled upwardly far enough to position the pins
62
in the circular upper portions
66
of the slots
50
, and before any pivotal movement of the hose retainer
14
with respect to the hose supporting body
12
has commenced. To move the hose retainer
14
from its hose releasing position to its hose retaining position, the hose retainer
14
is pivoted upwardly to its intermediate position and then the hose retainer is shifted downwardly to its hose retaining position. As the hose retainer
14
slides downwardly, the tabs
60
re-enter their respective tab receiving spaces
72
to re-engage the cooperating locking structure
60
,
72
.
Each tab
60
extends generally downwardly from the hose retainer
14
when the hose supporting body
12
is in its operative position and the hose retainer
14
is in either its hose retaining position or its intermediate position. Each tab receiving space
72
faces generally upwardly when the hose supporting body
12
is in its operative position. The tabs
60
are engaged with the spaces
72
by moving the hose retainer
14
from its intermediate position to its hose retaining position. The tabs
60
are disengageable from the spaces by moving the hose retainer
14
from its hose retaining position back to its intermediate position.
Any suitable construction may be used for the cooperating locking structure to secure the hose retainer
14
in its hose retaining position in place of tabs
60
and spaces
72
. For example, a snap-fit lock, a detent system, or latches could be used. Further, any suitable construction may be used to connect the hose retainer
14
for movement between the hose releasing and hose retaining positions. For example, a linkage could be used in place of the shifting pivotal connection.
The structural detail of the storage bin
16
is best appreciated from FIG.
8
. The storage bin
16
includes a pair of arcuate recesses
74
formed on opposite sides thereof. The storage bin
16
is pivotally mounted between the side walls
24
,
26
of the hose supporting body
12
for pivotal movement between its open and closed positions by placing each arcuate recess
74
in overlying relation to a respective pivot pin
52
formed on the hose supporting body
12
. The storage bin
16
and the hose supporting body
12
have cooperating locking structure operable to releasably lock the storage bin
16
in its closed position. The cooperating locking structure is disengageable to release the storage bin
16
for movement to its open position. The cooperating locking structure is provided in the form of a resilient hook structure
76
(see, for example,
FIG. 5
) integrally formed on the hose supporting body
12
(see, for example,
FIG. 5
) and of a forward tab
78
integrally formed on the storage bin
16
(see, for example, FIG.
8
).
The front panel
30
of the storage bin
16
includes a handle
80
to facilitate opening and closing the storage bin
16
. This handle
80
optionally facilitates carrying the storage bin
16
when the storage bin is removed from the hose supporting body
12
. When the storage bin
16
is in its closed position, the tab
78
on the storage bin
16
engages a locking surface
82
on the hook structure
76
which holds the storage bin in its closed position. It can also be appreciated that when there are articles stored in the storage bin
16
, the weight of the articles tends to keep the storage bin
16
in its closed position as well.
To move the storage bin
16
to its open position, the operator pulls the storage bin
16
in its opening direction using the handle
80
. The hook structure
76
flexes to disengage the tab
78
from the locking surface
82
. The storage bin
16
pivots forwardly until a rearward tab
84
integrally formed on the storage bin
16
contacts the locking surface
82
to prevent further pivotal movement of the storage bin
16
.
The cooperating locking structure
76
,
82
is disengageable from the storage bin
16
to allow removal of the storage bin
16
from the storage compartment
28
of the hose supporting body
12
. Specifically, the hook structure
76
includes a manually engageable flange
86
to allow the operator to manually move the hook structure
76
out of engagement with the rear tab
84
of storage bin
16
to release the storage bin from the hose supporting body
12
. To release the storage bin
16
, the user moves the flange
86
to move the hook structure
76
out of engagement with the rear tab
84
which allows the storage bin
16
to pivot further in its opening direction with respect to the hose supporting body
12
. The user then lifts the storage bin
16
off of the pivot pins
52
. The storage bin
16
can then be carried away from the hose supporting body
12
for use as a separate container. The storage bin
16
is reinstalled in the hose supporting body
12
in essentially the reverse manner. That is, the recesses
74
on the storage bin
16
are placed on the pins
52
and the storage bin
16
is pivoted in its closing direction with respect to the hose supporting body
12
. The hook structure
76
includes an angled front surface
87
(best seen in
FIG. 6
) that allows the movement of the rear tab
84
moving in the closing direction to move the hook structure
76
in its releasing position to allow the rear tab
84
to move past the hook structure
76
. This alleviates the user from manually moving the hook structure
76
out of the travel path of the rear tab
84
when the storage bin
16
is being reinstalled in the hose supporting body
12
.
The storage bin
16
includes a pair of rear feet
88
that stabily support the storage bin
16
on a horizontal surface in a freestanding manner and allow the storage bin
16
to be used as a storage container separate from the hose supporting body
12
. The storage bin
16
can be used to store and transport tools, or can be used to contain a liquid such as soapy water.
Operation
The hose hanger apparatus
10
can be used in many ways to make working with and storing a hose easy. To store a hose on the hose supporting body
12
, the user can coil the hose first and then place the coiled hose on the hose hanger apparatus
10
when the hose retainer
14
in its hose releasing position. By placing the hose retainer
14
in its hose releasing position, there are no obstructions in front of the hose supporting surface
22
that impede placement of the hose on the surface
22
. Alternatively, the user can store the hose in the hose hanger apparatus
10
by winding the uncoiled hose around the hose supporting body
12
. When this method is used, the user may prefer to keep the hose retainer
14
in its hose retaining position as the hose is being coiled around the hose supporting body
12
to keep the coils on the hose supporting surface
22
.
To remove the coiled hose from the hose supporting body
12
for use, the user may move the hose retainer
14
to its hose releasing position before removing the coiled hose from the hose supporting body
12
. When the user removes the coiled hose from or places the coiled hose on the hose supporting body
12
with the hose retainer
14
in its hose releasing position, the user is able to remove the coiled hose from the hose supporting body
12
without the need for lifting the coiled hose over the hose retainer
14
. This has several advantages. For example, when removing a coiled hose from the hose supporting body
12
, the sliding movement of the hose assures that the hose user removes all of the coils of the hose from the hose supporting body
12
when removing the hose from the hose hanger apparatus
10
. If the user had to lift the hose to a height sufficient to clear the hose retainer
14
, the user may not grab all of the coils. If one or more coils are missed when the hose is lifted, the hose may start to uncoil and/or the coils may become of unequal size. If the user continues to lift and move only some of the coils, the hose can become tangled. If the user returns the hose to the hose supporting surface of the hose supporting body
12
, and re-attempts to pick up all the coils at once, the hose can become unwieldy and may start to unravel. The user can easily remove the hose from the hose supporting body
12
when the hose retainer
14
is it its hose releasing position by sliding the hose horizontally away from the wall
18
and catching the coils as they come of the hose supporting surface
22
. An additional advantage, mentioned above, is that the user can simply walk away from the apparatus
10
with the free end of the hose in hand and the hose will easily pay out from the apparatus
10
.
To open the storage bin
16
, the user pulls on the handle
80
of the front panel
30
which causes the hook structure
76
to flex, releasing the front tab
78
from locking engagement therewith. The storage bin
16
pivots in its opening direction until the rear tab
84
contact the locking surface
82
of the hook structure
76
. The user can then place articles in or remove articles from the storage bin
16
. The storage bin
16
can be closed by pushing on the front panel
30
to cause the storage bin
16
to pivot in its closing direction. The hook structure
76
flexes to allow the tab
78
to move into locking engagement therewith.
To remove the storage bin
16
from the hose supporting body
12
, the user moves the storage bin
16
to its open position as described above and then the user applies pressure to the flange
86
to move the hook structure
76
out of locking engagement with the rear tab
84
. The user then pivots the storage bin
16
outwardly from the hose supporting body
12
and lifts the storage bin
16
to lift the recesses
74
off of the pins
52
on hose supporting body
12
. The user can then carry the storage bin
16
to a location remote from the hose hanger apparatus
10
. The storage bin
16
can be used to store and carry articles and/or can be used as a bucket for containing soapy water, a water/fertilizer mixture or other liquids.
It can be appreciated that the embodiments of the hose hanger apparatus
10
shown and described herein are examples of the invention and are therefore intended only to illustrate the principles of the invention, but not limit the scope of these principles. The present invention is intended to encompass all modifications, alternatives, substitutions, and equivalents within the spirit and scope of the following claims.
Claims
- 1. A hose hanger apparatus for supporting a length of hose arranged in a coil adjacent a generally vertical support surface, said apparatus comprising:a hose supporting body having a hose supporting surface and mounting structure constructed and arranged to enable said hose supporting body to be mounted to the generally vertical support surface in an operative position with said hose supporting surface facing generally upwardly and extending generally outwardly away from the generally vertical support surface, said hose supporting body being constructed and arranged to enable the hose to be supported thereon when said hose supporting body is mounted in said operative position with the length of hose being arranged in a coil and said hose supporting surface supporting an upper portion of the coil; and a hose retainer movable between (a) a hose retaining position wherein, when said hose supporting body is in said operative position with the hose being arranged in a coil and supported thereon, said hose retainer extends upwardly adjacent said hose supporting surface and in spaced apart relation from the generally vertical support surface to inhibit the upper portion of the coil supported on said hose supporting surface from moving in a direction away from the generally vertical support surface off said hose supporting surface without first raising the hose to a height sufficient to vertically clear said hose retainer, and (b) a hose releasing position wherein, when said hose supporting body is in said operative position with the hose being arranged in a coil and supported thereon, said hose retainer is moved out of said hose retaining position to enable the hose to be removed from said hose supporting surface without the need for first raising the hose to a height sufficient to vertically clear said hose retainer and to enable the hose to be mounted onto said hose supporting body with the hose being arranged in a coil and said hose supporting surface supporting an upper portion of the coil without the need for first raising the unsupported hose to a height sufficient to vertically clear said hose retainer.
- 2. A hose hanger apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said hose retainer remains connected with said hose supporting body in said hose retaining and said hose releasing positions thereof.
- 3. A hose hanger apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said hose retainer is pivotally connected to said hose supporting body for pivotal movement between said hose retaining and hose releasing positions.
- 4. A hose hanger apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said hose retainer and said hose supporting body have cooperating locking structure for releasably locking said hose retainer in said hose retaining position thereof, said cooperating locking structure being disengageable to release said hose retainer for movement to said hose releasing position thereof.
- 5. A hose hanger apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the pivotal connection of said hose retainer to said hose supporting body is a shifting pivotal connection constructed and arranged such that (a) to move said hose retainer from said hose retaining position thereof to said hose releasing position thereof, said hose retainer is moved generally upwardly in a shifting manner to an intermediate position to disengage said cooperating locking structure and then said hose retainer is pivoted downwardly to said hose releasing position, and (b) to move said hose retainer from said hose releasing position thereof to said hose retaining position thereof, said hose retainer is pivoted upwardly to said intermediate position and then said hose retainer is shifted downwardly to said hose retaining position to engage said cooperating locking structure.
- 6. A hose hanger apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said cooperating locking structure comprises (a) a tab carried on said hose retainer and positioned so as to extend generally downwardly therefrom when said hose supporting body is in said operative position and said hose retainer is in said hose retaining position and said intermediate position and (b) a tab receiving space formed on said hose supporting body and positioned so as to face generally upwardly when said hose supporting body is in said operative position, said tab being engageable within said space for releasably locking said hose retainer in said hose retaining position thereof and disengageable from said space to release said hose retainer for movement to said hose releasing position thereof by moving said hose retainer between said hose retaining and intermediate positions.
- 7. A hose hanger apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said tab comprises a pair of said tabs and wherein said tab receiving space comprises a pair of said tab receiving spaces.
- 8. A hose hanger apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said shifting pivotal connection is provided by a pair of pivot pins carried on one of said hose retainer and said hose supporting body and a pair of elongated slots carried on the other of said hose retainer and said hose supporting body, said pivot pins being received in said slots for shifting and pivoting movement.
- 9. A hose hanger apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said pivot pins are carried on said hose retainer and wherein said slots are carried on said hose supporting body.
- 10. A hose hanger apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said hose supporting body and said hose retainer are formed of molded plastic.
- 11. A hose hanger apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said hose supporting body further comprises a pair of side walls that extend downwardly away from said hose supporting surface and define an interior storage compartment suitable for storing articles to be used with the hose, said apparatus further comprising a storage front panel movable between open and closed positions for controlling access to said interior storage compartment to facilitate storage and retrieval of said articles.
- 12. A hose hanger apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a storage bin defining a storage space bounded by peripheral walls for holding said articles, a portion of said peripheral walls defining said front panel, said storage bin being movably mounted in said storage compartment between said side walls for movement between (1) an open position in which said front panel is in its open position and said storage space is accessible so that articles can be moved in and out of said storage space and (2) a closed position in which said front panel is in its closed position and at least a portion of said storage bin is disposed between said side walls.
- 13. A hose hanger apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said storage bin and said hose supporting body have cooperating locking structure constructed and arranged to releasably lock said storage bin in said closed position thereof, said cooperating locking structure being disengageable to release said storage bin for movement to said open position thereof.
- 14. A hose hanger apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said storage bin is removably mounted to said hose supporting body to allow said storage bin to be removed from said hose supporting body and carried as a portable storage bin and wherein said storage bin is constructed and arranged to be supported in a free standing manner in an upright position on a support surface.
- 15. A hose hanger apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said cooperating locking structure is constructed and arranged to releasably hold said storage bin in said open position thereof, said cooperating locking structure being disengageable from said storage bin to allow removal of said storage bin from said storage compartment of said hose supporting body.
- 16. A hose hanger apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said storage bin is pivotally mounted to the side walls of said hose supporting body for pivotal movement between said open and closed positions.
US Referenced Citations (11)