Patent Application
20170065113
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to clothes organization and more particularly to a space Saving Stackable Tangle Free Clothes Hanger System (SSTFCHS) without a protruding hook, which prevents the hangers from becoming tangled, and saves vertical space that is wasted by the traditional hook. The Space Saving Stackable Tangle Free Clothes Hanger System is the most space saving closet system, by maximizing the horizontal and vertical space saved. A miniature closet rod is used to eliminate wasted space from the use of a traditional closet rod.
2. Description of the Related Art
The traditional clothes hanger, comprised of a hanger body upon which clothing is draped, and a protruding hook for holding the hanger on a pole or rod, has seen very little modification during the course of its history. Modifications in the prior art have consisted of variations of material used to create the hanger body, such as wire, wood or plastic; variations in shape, such as triangular or rectangular; and various methods to keep clothing from slipping off, such as slot areas to hold straps, or friction materials on the shoulder and pant bar area to keep clothing in place.
Multiple disadvantages exist with the traditional clothes hanger design. The hooks in the traditional design cause hangers to quickly become tangled if stored in a pile. Traditional hangers and closet rods require excess vertical space, and limits clothing storage in certain small areas.
Traditional closet rods come in long lengths which are difficult to maneuver, and costly to ship.
The traditional clothes hanger was designed with a flaw on purpose. If the hanger had been designed with a “true” shoulder shape/slope design, it would be nearly impossible to insert the hanger through the collar. That is why the traditional clothes hangers arms slope at a greater degree verses the natural slope of human shoulders.
Traditional contoured hangers are primarily used for suits, coats, and dresses. The problem is they “tilt” forward when clothing is placed on them. “Tilting” reduces the benefit of a contoured clothes hanger, so manufacturers have added extra contour to compensate.
The hook feature found on traditional hangers can easily stretch out the collar or neck line of garments as the user attempts to insert the hanger into the article of clothing. In order to avoid stretching out the neck the user must insert the hanger from the bottom of the shirt, pulling it up through the inside of the shirt and grasping it from the top of the shirt. This method is cumbersome and tedious; especially in the retail setting where speed (amount of time) in hanging articles of clothing is important.
There accordingly remains a need for a simple, innovative design for hanging clothing, as well as shipping and installing closet rods that eliminates the above disadvantages found in the prior art.
The disadvantages shown in the prior art are solved by the Space Saving Stackable Tangle Free Clothes Hanger System. The disclosed invention reveals a new “shoulder shape/slope” hanger structure, with the hook feature not protruding from the “head” of the hanger. In its place, the hanger has a hook within the “head”, (top of hanger), which connects to the miniature closet rod. Traditional hangers are adaptable to the miniature closet rod.
The disclosed invention poses numerous advantages. The first advantage is that with the hook not protruding from the head of the hanger, it eliminates the age old problem of stretched out necklines and collars, even if the clothing is buttoned all the way up enabling the user to quickly hang a shirt, dress, blouse or sweater with no stretching. This is also beneficial for children because their collar is smaller in size. This makes hanging up clothing faster, and is especially useful for commercial applications such as clothing retailers who need to hang up a lot of clothing in a short amount of time.
The second advantage is that the elimination of the protruding hook renders a neat, contemporary look to clothes hanging, giving a modern, edgy appearance. With the micro design a miniature closet rod can be added in doorways as the rod only hangs approximately ¾″ from what it is mounted to.
The third advantage is the handgrip. The handgrip assists with holding and inserting the hanger vertically through the collar. This method is much faster and easier to place clothing on the hanger, especially for smaller individuals, and children, because the neck collar is generally smaller on their articles of clothing.
The fourth advantage is wheelchair users can now have two rows of clothes verses one, doubling the usable closet space. With a traditional clothes hanger the top row is over a foot higher making it unreachable by most people in a wheelchair.
The fifth advantage is that by eliminating the protruding hook, it eliminates the tangled mess that so quickly materializes when hangers are tossed together in a pile. Without the protruding hook, it is literally impossible for the hangers to tangle together, or overlap while on the rod, a welcome relief for consumers and retailers alike.
The sixth advantage is the addition of concave grooves on one side, and convex grooves on the opposite side of the hangers, which line up to allow the hangers to stack on top of each other, eliminating a piled mess of hangers and neatly stacking them. The concave grooves and convex grooves can also be assisted by neodymium magnets, or a similar device, or replaced by magnets located anywhere on the hanger. There can one or more magnets imbedded in the hanger, and they can be all facing the same direction through the hanger to allow multiple hangers to connect together. Multiple hangers can stack up on the side of a metal surface, such as a washer or dryer.
The seventh advantage is the option of a wheel, sleeve, roller, bearing, etc., where the hook is located which allows for easy rolling or sliding of the hangers back and forth on the miniature rod.
The eighth advantage is the space savings of the design of the hanger. The hook on traditional hangers is a few inches tall. With elimination of the traditional protruding hook, a few inches of vertical closet space is saved.
The ninth advantage is the space savings of the design of the miniature closet rod. The miniature closet rod hangs approximately ¾″ below the surface and is attached by clips/brackets, or wall mounts. Traditional closet rods hang 1 to 3 inches below.
The tenth advantage is the shoulder shape/slope design. Reducing the degree of slope the hanger “arms” have saves vertical space by bringing the hanger arms up to a shoulder shape/slope. The lesser degree of the angle does not allow the clothing to droop down as far.
The eleventh advantage is the closet shelving can be lowered accordingly, allowing more accessibility for the user. The bottom shelving can now be lowered for wheelchair users to be classified as “usable space” for accessibility.
The twelfth advantage is the shelf clip used with the miniature rod eliminates the use of screws, creating a quick and easy installation for the user. The miniature rod then clips onto the bottom part of the shelf clip.
The thirteenth advantage is the miniature closet rod can be shipped in the same box as the hangers, eliminating expensive shipping costs which are associated with shipping standard length closet rods. The miniature closet rods can come in shorter lengths which is easier for the user to maneuver, and can easily be connected together by a connection pin, which inserts into the ends of the closet rods, creating a long closet rod with a smooth finish the entire length. The miniature closet rod could also have a male and female end on opposite sides which connect together.
The fourteenth advantage is the texture can be included in the production of the hangers, applied to all or parts of the hangers or an alternate method which achieves the same goal. Texture will help prevent clothing from slipping off of the hangers and prevent “nipples” from forming on the shoulders of the clothing.
The fifteenth advantage is the new hanger “guides” itself onto the miniature closet rod. If the top of the hanger head touches the bottom of the shelf it will guide itself onto the rod. The curvature of the hanger design body also assists with guiding the hanger onto the miniature closet rod.
The sixteenth advantage is without a protruding hook, the hangers will save space in travel bags and suitcases.
The seventeenth advantage is the design of a contoured hanger. The front side of the hanger underneath the hook touches the top of the miniature closet rod and the rear side of the hanger underneath the miniature closet rod touches the bottom of the miniature closet rod which prevents the hanger from tilting forward when clothing is added. The thicker contoured hanger (coat hangers are generally ½″ to 2″ thick) and miniature closet rod have a close tolerance maximizing the use of the contour and shaping the clothing perfect.
The eighteenth advantage is the hook can be slightly flexible to “clip” onto the miniature closet rod to prevent the hanger from falling off when in use in vehicles, boats, planes, etc. A traditional clothes hanger can easily fall off when in use in vehicles, boats, planes, etc.
The nineteenth advantage is the clothes hanger can have an aerodynamic shape to allow for flight of the hanger, can be similar to, but not limited to that of a boomerang, or any similar method with the curvature of the hanger to create an aerodynamic effect.
Other advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with the accompanying figures, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed.
The drawings contained herein represent preferred embodiments of the invention and are not intended to limit the scope.
Certain terms are used throughout the following description to refer to particular system components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, design and manufacturing companies may refer to a component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components that differ in name but not function.
In the following discussion, the terms “including” and “comprising” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean “including, but not limited to . . . ” Moreover, the term “system” means “one or more components” combined together. Thus, a system can comprise an “entire system” or “subsystems” within the system.
For a detailed description of various embodiments, reference will now be made to the accompanying illustrative drawings:
In a preferred embodiment the hook 12 can be slightly flexible to allow the hanger 10 to “clip” onto the miniature rod 40 to prevent the hanger 10 from falling off when in use in vehicles, boats, airplanes, etc.
In a preferred embodiment the concave grooves 20 on one side of the hanger 10 will line up with the convex grooves 26 on the opposite side of another hanger 10. The concave grooves 20 and convex grooves 26 can also be assisted by neodymium magnets 28, or a similar device, or replaced by magnets 28 located anywhere on the hanger 10. There can one or more magnets 28 imbedded in the hanger 10, and they can be all facing the same direction through the hanger 10 to allow multiple hangers 10 to connect together. Multiple hangers 10 can stack up on the side of a metal surface, such as a washer or dryer. This allows the hangers 10 to stack up neatly, one on top of the other, preventing a pile of unorganized hangers 10.
In a preferred embodiment the hand grip 18 assists with holding and inserting the hanger 10 vertically through the collar. The hand grip 18 assists with the ease of use for inserting and removing the hanger 10 from clothing.
In a preferred embodiment the texture 24 can be built in to the hanger 10, applied to all or part of the hanger 10, or an alternate method which achieves the same goal can be added. Texture 24 helps prevent clothing from slipping off of the hanger 10, and prevents “nipples” from forming on the shoulders of the clothing.
In a preferred embodiment the convex grooves 26 will line up with the concave grooves 20 on the opposite side of another hanger 10 which allows the hangers 10 to be stackable to organize them and to prevent a pile of tangled clothes hangers 10. Magnets 28 can also be used to assist with the stackable function.
In a preferred embodiment the pant hanger 22 has a bottom bar 16 with an open end design for ease of use hanging up garments such as pants, slacks, or skirts.
In a preferred embodiment the pant hanger 22 has concave grooves 20 on one side of the pant hanger 22 that line up with the convex grooves 26 on the opposite side of another pant hanger 22. Magnets 28 can also be used to assist with the stackable function. This allows the pant hangers 22 to stack up neatly, one on top of the other, preventing tangling.
In a preferred embodiment the hand grip 18 assists with the ease of use for holding onto the pant hanger 22.
In a preferred embodiment the pant hanger 22 can be equipped with a roller 30 that is seen on the hanger 10 in
In a preferred embodiment the convex grooves 26 will line up with the concave grooves 20 on the opposite side of another hanger 80. Magnets 28 can also be used to assist with the stackable function. This allows the hangers 80 to stack to up neatly, one on top of the other, preventing tangling.
In a preferred embodiment the design of the contoured 84 hanger 80 functions by having have a close tolerance between the contoured 84 hanger 80, the hook 12, and the miniature closet rod 40. The front side of the hanger 80 underneath the hook 12 touches the top of the miniature closet rod 40. The rear side of the hanger 80 underneath the miniature closet rod 40 touches the bottom of the miniature closet rod 40, which prevents the hanger 80 from tilting forward. This maximizes the use of the contour 84 and shapes the clothing perfect. The thickness 82 of the hanger 80 assists with this function.
In a preferred embodiment the rod 40 can be in an L bracket form mountable to a vertical surface to create a closet anywhere one chooses.
One intended use of the disclosed invention is as an anti-theft device for commercial establishments such as hotels and clothing retailers. Few end users would wish to steal a hanger that could only be used with a miniature closet rod. In a hotel, as an example, the miniature closet rod could be installed as part of a rod system in the closet. In such an embodiment the hook could have a wheel such that it easily rolls along the accompanying rod system. Additionally, decorative and aesthetic accoutrements could be added to the rod system including lighting inside, above, or on the side of the rod. The hanger can be constructed of plastic, metal, wood, resin, composite, or a recyclable material, or just the top portion may be metal, or wrapped in metal or a durable material. The elimination of the protruding hook, and the addition of the stackable system, solves the problems identified in the prior art and offers a neat, contemporary look to clothes hanging.
In a preferred embodiment, the stackable feature with concave and convex grooves can be knobs, holes, magnets, or any other method that can be used to assist with stacking the hangers to prevent a tangled mess.
In a preferred embodiment, the user will remove the existing traditional closet rod in the closet and affix the miniature closet rod to the underside of the closet shelving that is typically in place above the traditional closet rod. The miniature closet rod can be of varying sizes although ⅜″ to ½″ diameter is sufficient to allow the hanger to connect smoothly, while maximizing the vertical space saved and minimizing the visual of the miniature rod. The user will save approximately 6″ of vertical closet space (approximately ¾ of a cubic foot per linear foot) by using this system rather than a traditional clothes hanger and closet rod. In addition, the user may elect to affix additional short, wall mount miniature closet rods to hang the clothing parallel, instead of perpendicular, on the wall behind the clothing for additional hanging. These articles of clothing could lie against the back wall and the miniature closet rods would thereby provide additional hanging storage, for articles that are used less frequently.
The same system may be used under laundry room cabinets, in small spaces, under doorways or anywhere that a user desires to hang clothing but does not wish to mount a bulky and unsightly traditional clothes rod, especially if ones uses the metal L bracket to enable even more potential hanging spaces.
Yet another embodiment for the system is for it to be applied to tie or belt holders in the same fashion it is used in place of the traditional hook on hangers.
The versatility of this system is that the hangers guide themselves to hang up and are just as easily removed, providing another benefit in speed of hanging up and removing clothes. Yet another benefit is when in use in vehicles, RV's for example, if the hanger sways the arm of the hanger will hit the shelving above it to prevent the hanger from falling off.
The miniature closet rod may be any color to blend in with its surroundings. In an embodiment, a ⅜″ diameter rod could be mounted to the top of a doorway. If the doorway were white, the rod could be white. The rod would be minimally visible verses a traditional closet rod, yet the user could quickly and easily hang clothing in the doorway. This could be of value in a laundry room or even in a living or bedroom. Many people enjoy folding their laundry while watching TV in a living room or den. With this embodiment they can hang their clothes without making multiple trips to the bedroom closet. The closet rod can be removable for ease of moving from one room to another.
The color of the rods and the hangers can be virtually any color, depending on the user's preference.
Although preferred embodiments are illustrated with regard to types and sizes of the miniature closet rod and the opening of the mini hook, there are many types of possible embodiments that would be apparent to one skilled in the art. Movable sections of rods can be beneficial when moving from one room to another.
While the figures depict a shape similar to the traditional triangular shape of hangers, other shapes and embodiments can be used. The term hanger used herein can refer to any clothes hanger that has a body capable of supporting an article of clothing. As an example, some clothes hangers are in a rectangular, rather than triangular shape, and may have clips to hold pants or other garments. The type of hanger body or material of which it is constructed is not an obstacle to the use of the miniature hook method. Tie and belt holders are another example.
The hanger shape can be that with an aerodynamic shape, it can be similar to the shape of a boomerang, but not limited to, allowing the hanger to be thrown for flight. The hand grip can assist with the use of the aerodynamic hanger and can be placed anywhere on the hanger to assist with the throwing of the hanger.
While the disclosed invention has been described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments thereof, many changes, modifications, alterations and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The invention should therefore not be limited to the particular preferred embodiment disclosed but should include all embodiments that could fall within the scope of the claims.
Accordingly, the preferred embodiments of the invention shown in the drawings and described in detail above are intended to be illustrative, not limiting, and various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims set forth below.
This application claims the benefit of design Pat. No. D703,447S filed Apr. 29, 2014, U.S. Provisional Patent 62/070,734 filed Sep. 5th, 2014, and U.S. Provisional Patent 62/122,721 filed Oct. 28, 2014 by the present inventor and the application is hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
