Patent Application
20110036793
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(1) Field of the Invention
This application is directed to multipurpose items useful in a recreation vehicle (RV) setting, and allow the user to provide a number of useful functions in a compactly designed article. In particular, the collapsible article is carefully designed to provide a variety of important and useful functions that are important, desirable, convenient, or commonly needed in a RV Park or camp.
(2) Description of Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,661 discloses a retractable clothes hanger that is useful for recreational vehicles. The unit is large, bulky, and is only designed for a single purpose. A relatively large amount of space needed for attachment. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,210 discloses a storage rack that could be adapted for clothes hanging that has similar problems. U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,555 provides similar storage capabilities, albeit with a stronger arm in the shape of an I beam, square tubing, or solid triangle. This also has problems with compactness, and does not provide additional important and convenient functions for the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,734,639 discloses a garment supporting bracket for automobile use. This bracket is not very useful, as disclosed, for a recreation vehicle because of limits in design due to its adaptations for use in an automobile. It is designed to rotate out of the way in the horizontal plane, and it is very small, only useful for a few garments. It is not useful in a recreational vehicle setting where the user will perform duties such as doing an entire load of laundry and then place much of that load on hangers to dry.
In prior disclosures for garment holders that might possible be useful in a recreational vehicle park setting, there is also lacking consideration for other convenience features that are useful in a recreation park setting. Two other important and convenient features include: screwdriver holder, and a flag holder.
It is important and helpful to provide the functions in a single convenient setting, rather provide each item in a separate piece that is attached ad hoc to the recreation vehicle. This provides a more pleasing and aesthetic appearance, as well as provide a known central point where all of these functions can be found.
The present invention is a multi-purpose recreational vehicle garment bar that incorporates important convenience features for the user. It includes convenient methods of suspending the support base from the recreational vehicle, and optionally, from other fixed structures typically found at a recreational vehicle parking area. Also included in the design are consideration for incorporating screwdriver holders and an end flag holder which provide important convenience and decorative features for the end user.
As an aid to the reader, the following is a list of part numbers and a brief description associated with the number.
The upper 3 mounting hook and an extendable hook 18 are incorporated into the design for convenient mounting to a variety of temporary settings which include awnings, various recreational vehicle structures, recreational vehicle ladders, truck parts, trees, lamp posts, signs, ropes, and wires that are site available for supporting a clothing bar.
Flathead 4A and Phillips 4B screwdrivers are inserted into the base for convenient user access. The screwdrivers are of a variety type or variety size. The screw driver mounting preferably includes magnets 9 so the screwdrivers do not fall out if the MPRVGB base is not vertical.
A spring 5 is incorporated with or attached to the upper hook 3 to provide for convenient retraction. Non-skid (high friction) pads 7 along with a hook and loop fastener system 8 are used to hold the base against a structural support and prevent it from sliding. A pivot stop 10 is used to hold and support the telescoping tube in place when it is used to support garments. The pivot stop 10 also restricts the end rotation of the telescoping tube 15 to substantially 90 degrees. The telescoping tube 15 is thereby constrained to rotate only between parallel to the base and approximately perpendicular to the base. The pivot stop 10 is also designed to hold the telescoping tube 15 at a fixed angle, such as 45 degrees from vertical, to allow the telescoping tube 15 to become a support for an external flag 19 for decorative purposes. A pivoting shaft 12 or pin is used to allow the telescoping tube to rotate, and the pivoting shaft 12 is incorporated into the base in a way to allow it to rotate with little translation.
A pivot tube 14 is attached to a small pivoting base 24 by glue or a threaded connection, and a telescoping tube 15 is attached to, and projects outwardly from the pivot tube 14. A roll pin 13 passes through the small pivoting base 24. The telescoping tube is covered by a hose 16 which is a made up of a flexible material with varying diameters at regular intervals. The hose preferably extends with the telescoping tube, but this is not a requirement and optionally only partially covers the telescoping tube. Two end inserts A & B 17A, 17B are combined together into a single end insert, and are inserted into the free rotating end of the telescoping tube 15. The end insert provides openings for a flag 19 and an extendable hook 18 that can be used to hang the MPRVGB. A optional spring is molded into the single end insert to hold the extendable hook 18 in the retracted position.
An alternate embodiment for the telescoping tube is to use a pair of overlapping elongated flat metal bars with notches in them. The notches would allow an extension by increments and the notches would allow simple interlocking to a desired length. A wire or a clamp would suffice to engage the notches and fix the length of the garment bar. Various sliding mechanical guides are additionally useful for convenience in extending the length.
The MPRVGB has other convenient uses. In another embodiment of the present invention, the lower hook 11 is used for hanging flexible garbage bags or rigid garbage containers. Also, the telescoping tube 15 is used for holding paper towels. These convenience features are important embodiments, and expand the usefulness of the present invention.
While various embodiments of the present invention have been described, the invention may be modified and adapted to various operational methods to those skilled in the art. Therefore, this invention is not limited to the description and figure shown herein, and includes all such embodiments, changes, and modifications that are encompassed by the scope of the claims.
