Patent Application
20180035834
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No federal government funds were used in researching or developing this invention.
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The invention is a garment hanger with a locking mechanism to minimize wrinkling in the collar and shoulder area of a garment, while creating structure and stability to improve the longevity of garment lines.
Garment hangers with features beyond mere hanging storage functionality are known in the field. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,467,737 to Bissett discloses a garment hanger for washing, drying and storing garments on the hanger, and includes neck and shoulder supporting components. The disclosed arrangement is primarily to facilitate the movement of air through the garment to facilitate the washing and drying of the garment while it remains on the hanger. The disclosure does not teach any clamping or other mechanism for securing the garment beyond the mechanism of a standard hanger.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,748,581 to Yamada is a garment hanger comprising a central collar support feature arranged between the hook and hanger body, designed as an integrated pair of curved pieces protruding rearward then folding over to retain a curve in the collar of the hung garment. Thus, the three-dimensional curve of a collar can be supported even when multiple garments are stacked, when the collar would otherwise be crushed. However, the disclosure does not teach any clamping or other mechanism for securing the garment in place.
Similar collar forms for integration with or attachment to garment hangers are described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,171,301, to Christensen, U.S. Pat. No. 2,468,477 to Zimmerman and U.S. Pat. No. 2,609,976 to Burk. In each case, the invention has a frame component for placement within the collar of a hung garment to support and maintain the curve of such collar, but none of the referenced documents includes any means of securing the garment or collar in place. As such, in any known garment hanger, the application of motion or pressure to the hanger or the garment itself risks moving or detaching the garment collar from its frame component, inevitably causing the collar to become subject to lateral or longitudinal forces that will pull or stretch the collar out of its intended shape.
The problem with known garment hangers is a lack of support combined with attachment for the upper portion of the garment, especially the collar, to the hanger. Thus, the aim of the present invention is to not only provide a framing component to preserve the ideal curvature of a garment collar, but to simultaneously secure the collar, and thereby the garment, to the hanger so that the garment will not become dislodged and the collar and/or garment itself become wrinkled or misshapen prior to wearing.
In a preferred embodiment, 1 garment hanger comprising a hook component and hanger body, as well as a mechanism for securing a garment collar located between the hook component and hanger body, such mechanism comprising a forward collar frame and rear collar frame, each of a curved design, with the upper edges of each such collar frame being connected to a collar clamp which can be opened, closed and locked in a closed position to bring the two collar frames into contact, whereby the garment collar is inserted between the collar frames when such collar clamp is opened, then immovably secured between the collar frames when the collar clamp is closed.
In another preferred embodiment, the garment hanger as described herein, wherein the collar clamp comprises (1) a forward clamping wire, further comprising a forward locking member, a left hump, a left crimp, a right hump and a right crimp, and (2) rear clamping wire, further comprising a rear locking member, wherein the right crimp and the left crimp each encircle a portion of the rear clamping wire.
In another preferred embodiment, the garment hanger as described herein, wherein the hook component comprises a hook, a hook stem positioned underneath the rear locking member when the collar clamp is open and rearward to the rear locking member when the collar clamp is closed, and a hook component connector, which encircles the forward locking member.
In another preferred embodiment, the garment hanger as described herein, wherein pulling the hook in a forward and upward direction causes the hook stem to push the rear locking member towards forward locking member and the hook component connector to simultaneously pull the forward locking member towards rear locking member, locking the forward and rear locking members together upon full upward extension of the hook.
In another preferred embodiment, the garment hanger as described herein, wherein the hook component, collar clamp and hanger body are constructed of metal wire.
In another preferred embodiment, the garment hanger as described herein, wherein the gauge of the wire is between 1/16″ and ¼″.
In another preferred embodiment, the garment hanger as described herein, wherein the garment hanger is constructed of plastic.
In another preferred embodiment, the garment hanger as described herein, wherein the forward collar frame and rear collar frame are each constructed of wood.
In another preferred embodiment, the garment hanger as described herein, wherein the two ends of forward clamping wire and the two ends of the rear clamping wire are attached to the upper edge of the forward collar frame and the rear collar frame, respectively, by inserting each wire end into a clamp mounting hole in the upper frame edge of the corresponding frame.
In another preferred embodiment, the garment hanger as described herein, wherein each wire end is affixed into its clamp mounting hole by an adhesive.
In another embodiment, a method of securing a garment collar and shoulders against wrinkling by hanging a garment on the garment hanger of claim 1, and locking the garment collar between the collar frames with the collar clamp.
The invention constitutes an addition to a traditional garment hanger, further comprising a component that will secure the collar so tightly that the garment will be enclosed in dry press, retain a wrinkle free shape, and prevent the collar of the hung garment from drooping and losing shape.
Structurally, the garment hanger of the invention comprises an upper section made up of a wire hook component 20, a lower section made up of a wire hanger body 80, with a central section made up of a combination of a wire collar clamp 70 and forward and rear collar frames 50 and 60, respectively. The central section is intended to comprise a dry press which can be lockably clamped to enclose a garment collar.
Since garment collars are curved, the collar frames 50 and 60 will also be curved, in a roughly semicircular configuration, to match the curves of a standard garment collar. For the purposes herein, the “front” or “forward” direction of the invention will be to the open side of this semicircle, with forward collar frame 50 ahead of rear collar frame 60. The “rear” or “rearward” direction will be to the closed side of the semicircle, with rear collar frame 60 ahead of forward collar frame 50. The terms “left” and “right” will be correspond to those designations when viewing the invention from the forward angle.
In a preferred embodiment, the wire of the various hanger components is uniform in gauge, with a preferred gauge of 1/16″ to ¼″. More preferably, the wire gauge is approximately ⅛″.
In another preferred embodiment, the wire of the hook 21 is flattened.
Alternatively, the gauge of wire may vary between the components. In either case, such wire will preferably be made of a metal or alloy known for use in heavy duty wire hangers, such as brass, bronze, steel, chrome, or any other appropriate commercial metal or alloy. Any component(s) of the garment hanger also may be fashioned of wood or plastic.
In a preferred embodiment, the hanger body will be connected to the lower edge 52 of the forward collar frame 50, and emanate downward therefrom to form two outwardly-flared appendages upon which the shoulders of a hung garment may rest. In one embodiment, the hanger body 80 will comprise two separate wire forms, each with a lower aspect angling towards the other, but with a gap in between. In an alternate embodiment, the hanger body 80 can be a single wire form, with a single, continuous lower aspect.
In another preferred embodiment, the forward and rear collar frames, 50 and 60, respectively, will be formed of curved, plate-like components, each in a roughly semicircular shape. The two frames will be sized so that the front frame 50 is slightly smaller than the rear frame 60, such that the front frame will fit into the curve of the rear frame when the clamping mechanism is closed, with the rear face of the front frame 54 contacting the front face of the rear frame 63 all along its surface. This form-fitting configuration of the two frames, when clamped together via the collar clamp 70, will serve to capture and immobilize the inserted collar of a garment.
Central to the invention design is collar clamp 70, which is comprised of interlocking forward clamp wire 30 and rear clamping wire 40 and can be opened and locked shut to hold the collar of an inserted garment in place between the two collar frames 50 and 60. Forward clamp wire 30 is attached to the upper edge 51 of the forward collar frame 50 by the insertion of each of at least two ends of forward clamping wire 30 into a clamp mounting holes 53. Similarly, rear clamp wire 40 is attached to the upper edge 61 of the rear collar frame 60 by the insertion of each of at least two ends of rear clamping wire 40 into a clamp mounting holes 64. Each such wire end is set in its corresponding mounting hole with a commercially known adhesive from the group comprising epoxies, urethanes, polyurethanes, polyimides, polyester resin, neoprene, elastomers, thermoplastics, thermosets, cyanoacrylate, acrylic polymers, or any other known commercial adhesive.
Forward clamping wire 30 is designed to project upward and slightly rearward, away from the upper edge 51 towards rear collar frame 60, thus to engage rear clamping wire 40. At its furthermost position from the upper edge 51, the forward clamping wire forms a left hump 32 and right hump 33, with a depressed forward locking member 31 located in between.
As detailed in the Detailed Description of the Figures, the hook component 20, forward clamping wire 30 and rear clamping wire 40 are configured such that the pulling of hook 21 in a forward and upward direction will push the rear clamping wire forward while simultaneously pulling the forward clamping wire back, thereby bringing the forward and rear collar frames into full contact. Such pulling of the hook component thereby locks forward and rear locking members 31 and 41 into contact between hook stem 22 and hook component connector 23. As such, when hook component 20 reaches a full upright position suitable for hanging hook 21 from a bar or hook, the collar clamp 70 will become locked in a closed position. Unlocking will only occur when the hook component is subsequently pulled in an opposite direction, i.e. rearward and downward, thus releasing the locking members.
Once a garment has been placed on the garment hanger and the collar of such garment locked into position between the collar frames, the collar and neck region of such garment will be protected from drooping or wrinkling, regardless of any movement or relocation of the assembly, until such time as the collar clamp is unlocked.
Turning to the collar clamp 70, such mechanism is comprised of interlocking forward clamp wire 30 and rear clamping wire 40. Forward clamping wire 30 is attached to the upper edge 51 of the forward collar frame 50 by the insertion of each of at least two ends of forward clamping wire 30 into a clamp mounting hole 53. Each such end is set in its corresponding mounting hole with an adhesive or other known means of fixation. The collar clamp 70 is further attached to rear collar frame 60 by the attachment of a lower aspect 44 of a rear clamping wire 40 to the frame's upper edge 61, by an appropriate adhesive. Forward clamping wire 30 is designed to project upward and slightly rearward, away from the upper edge 51 towards rear collar frame 60, thus to engage rear clamping wire 40. At its furthermost position from the upper edge 51, the forward clamping wire forms a left hump 32 and right hump 33, with a depressed forward locking member 31 located in between.
Rear clamping wire 40 projects upward and slightly forward, away from upper edge 61 of rear collar frame 60 and towards the forward collar frame 50. At its furthermost point from upper edge 61, on either side of rear locking member 41, the rear clamping wire is encircled by the left crimp 33 and right crimp 35 of the forward clamping wire, respectively. The design whereby each crimp encircles a corresponding section of the rear clamping wire allows for a rotation of the rear and forward clamp wires relative to one another, thus bringing the rear and forward collar frames into contact.
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The references recited herein are incorporated herein in their entirety, particularly as they relate to teaching the level of ordinary skill in this art and for any disclosure necessary for the commoner understanding of the subject matter of the claimed invention. It will be clear to a person of ordinary skill in the art that the above embodiments may be altered or that insubstantial changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is determined by the scope of the following claims and their equitable equivalents.
