STRAP SUPPORTED ACCESSORY HANGER

Abstract

Disclosed are nonlimiting examples of an accessory hanger. In one nonlimiting example embodiment an accessory hanger comprises an elastomeric strap having at least one hole, a hanger stem, at least one bracket on the hanger stem, the at least one bracket including a stud configured to insert into at least one hole of the elastomeric strap, a hanger body attached to the hanger stem, and at least one hanger hook attached to the hanger body.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Field

This disclosure generally relates to hangers and organizers.

2. Description of the Related Art

Hangers and organizers that are used to store belts, ties, hats, jewelry, hand bags, scarves, clothing, tools, or other objects are often supported by a hook that is hung over a rod. A hook supports the downward force that is created by the weight of the objects being stored. Hook supported hangers and organizers are common in the marketplace.

SUMMARY

The inventor noted that conventional hangers and organizers suffer several drawbacks. For example, an accessory hanger is typically used to organize multiple objects on the same hanger. Therefore, when one object is removed from the hanger, the center of gravity changes and the accessory hanger becomes unbalanced. Also, an accessory hanger that is supported by a hook is unstable and will tilt and turn anytime a light force is applied to it from any direction such as when removing or adding objects to the hanger. A different kind of support system is needed for accessory hangers that can counter rotational motions and can be easily attached and removed from hanging rods of various geometries.

In view of these problems the inventor set out to design a new accessory hanger. As a result, the inventor developed a strap supported accessory hanger that, in at least one nonlimiting example embodiment, is a hanger that is fully constrained to a hanging rod. Fully constrained means that all six degrees of freedom of the hanger are fixed in place. Therefore, in this nonlimiting example embodiment, the hanger cannot tilt or turn. In this nonlimiting example embodiment, the hanger may be fully constrained by using a strap to fasten the hanger to the hanging rod. The strap, in at least one example embodiment, may be made from elastomeric material which is desired because of its innate properties which provide a high coefficient of friction (COF) with many materials it may interact with. An elastomeric material may provide a high COF because its flexibility allows the elastomer to form to the mating materials surface which increases contact surface area. Also, elastomeric materials are stickier than most materials due its molecular structure. Therefore, the flexibility and stickiness of the elastomer strap may provide a high COF between the strap and the hanging rod which may result in a strong grip. In at least one nonlimiting example embodiment it is important to have a high COF at the hanger and hanging rod interface. If the COF is low at this interface, a high clamping force will be required to resist any rotational moments created by an unevenly loaded hanger. In some cases it is undesired, and even impractical, to require a user to apply a high clamping force. A hanger that has an elastomer strap, with a high grip surface to the hanging rod, significantly reduces the amount of clamping force required to keep the hanger balanced and stable when it is loaded unevenly.

In at least one nonlimiting example embodiment, a strap may be fixed to a hanger stem by means of a protruding stud on each side of the hanger stem as seen in FIG. 6B. The strap may have a pattern of holes evenly spaced down the center of the strap as seen in FIG. 2A. One or more of the strap's holes will firmly fit over one or more of the hanger stem's studs. This method of fastening the hanger to the hanging rod is quick and easy for the user.

The bottom of the hanger stem is attached to the hanger body. The hanger body may be orientated in either a horizontal or vertical position and may be made in a variety of sizes and shapes. The use of a strap enables the hanger body to be longer than hanger bodies of conventional accessory hangers and may hold more objects without becoming unbalanced or unstable. This is because the strap may oppose the moment at the center of the hanger that is created by the gravity force of the hanging objects and the length of the hanger body.

Hangers typically have hooks on each side of the hanger body to hang objects from. A hanger supported by a strap can have this architecture as seen in FIG. 1, but also can have a one-sided hook architecture as seen in FIG. 9. The advantage of only having hooks on side of a hanger is that it takes up less space. It is difficult to keep a one-sided hook hanger stable unless it has a strap to fix the hanger to the hanging rod.

The invention is not limited merely to clothing and fashion accessories such as belts, ties, hats, jewelry, hand bags, and scarves. It may also be used to store other types of items such as tools.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Example embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a strap supported accessory hanger in accordance with example embodiments;

FIGS. 2A-2D are views of a strap in accordance with example embodiments;

FIGS. 3A-3B illustrates how a strap supports an accessory hanger over hanging rods of various shapes in accordance with example embodiments;

FIGS. 4A-4E are views of a bracket in accordance with example embodiments;

FIGS. 5A-5C are views of a hanger stem in accordance with example embodiments;

FIGS. 6A-6D are views of a hanger stem with protruding studs in accordance with example embodiments;

FIGS. 7A-7B are views of a hanger body in accordance with example embodiments;

FIGS. 8A-8E are views of a hanger hook and illustrate multiple hanger hook geometries in accordance with example embodiments; and

FIG. 9 illustrates another example of a strap supported accessory hanger in accordance with example embodiments;

FIG. 10 illustrates yet another example of a strap supported accessory hanger in accordance with example embodiments;

FIG. 11 are views of yet another example of a strap supported accessory hanger in accordance with example embodiments; and

FIG. 12 illustrates yet another example of a strap supported accessory hanger in accordance with example embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Example embodiments are not intended to limit the invention since the invention may be embodied in different forms. Rather, the example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, the sizes of components may be exaggerated for clarity.

In this application, when an element is referred to as being “on,” “attached to,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element, the element may be directly on, directly attached to, directly connected to, or directly coupled to the other element or may be on, attached to, connected to, or coupled to any intervening elements that may be present. However, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly attached to,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there are no intervening elements present. In this application, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

In this application, the terms first, second, etc. are used to describe various elements and components. However, these terms are only used to distinguish one element and/or component from another element and/or component. Thus, a first element or component, as discussed below, could be termed a second element or component.

In this application, terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” are used to spatially describe one element or feature's relationship to another element or feature only as illustrated in the figures. However, in this application, it is understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the structure. For example, if the structure in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the term “below” is meant to encompass both an orientation of above and below. The structure may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

Example embodiments are illustrated by way of ideal schematic views. However, example embodiments are not intended to be limited by the ideal schematic views since example embodiments may be modified in accordance with manufacturing technologies and/or tolerances.

The subject matter of example embodiments, as disclosed herein, is described with specificity to meet statutory requirements. However, the description itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent. Rather, the inventors have contemplated that the claimed subject matter might also be embodied in other ways, to include different features or combinations of features similar to the ones described in this document, in conjunction with other technologies. Generally, example embodiments relate to hangers and organizers.

FIG. 1 is a view of a strap supported accessory hanger 1000 supporting six belts 700 in accordance with example embodiments. In FIG. 1, the strap support accessory hanger 1000 includes a strap 100, a bracket 200, a hanger stem 300, a hanger body 400, and seven hanger hooks 500. The strap supported accessory hanger 1000 is hanging on a hanging rod 600. Although FIG. 1 illustrates the hanger 1000 as comprising of a bracket 200, a hanger stem 300, a hanger body 400, and seven hanger hooks 500 other embodiments of a strap supported accessory hanger could use strap 100 with many different bracket 200, stem 300, body 400, and hook 500 shapes to hold belts, ties, hats, jewelry, hand bags, scarves, clothing, tools, or other objects. For example, the embodiment in FIG. 9 uses hanger hook 510, the embodiment in FIG. 10 uses hanger slot 520, and the embodiment in FIGS. 6A-6D uses a protruding stud 310 on the hanger stem 300 instead of a bracket 200. Also, FIG. 12 depicts an accessory hanger using a protruding stud 410 on the hanger body 400 instead of a bracket 200. As such, the example in FIG. 1 is for purposes of illustration only and is not intended to limit the invention.

FIGS. 2A-D are views of strap 100 in accordance with example embodiments. FIG. 2A is a top view of the strap with a length L of about 280 millimeters and a width W of about 15.5 millimeters. FIG. 2B is a side view of the strap with a thickness T of about 3 millimeters. FIG. 2C is a detailed view from the front of the strap depicting the center holes of the strap with a width W1 of about 5.25 millimeters, a length L1 of about 3.25 millimeters, and a distance L2 between holes of about 4 millimeters. Although the shape of the holes 110 in the example embodiment shown in FIG. 2C are rectangular, they could be circular 120 as embodied in FIG. 2D or any other shape. The dimensions provided above are only for purposes of illustration and are not intended to limit the invention as the dimensions may change.

The strap 100 could be made from various materials. One material that may be used is an elastomeric material. Elastomeric material has a high COF with many materials it may interact with which provides a high grip hold with the hanging rod 600. Examples of elastomeric material that may be used is ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber (EPDM), styrene-butadiene (SBR), or natural rubber (NR). These three elastomers have appropriate tensile strength and elongation properties for a strap that supports an accessory hanger. Tensile strength is important so the strap can support a fully loaded hanger. Elongation is important so the strap doesn't elongate too much under load, but is not too stiff that it is difficult to stretch it over the protruding stud 210, 310, or 410. Also, the strap material may undergo chemical or treatment processes, such as vulcanization, to improve material properties such as elasticity, tensile strength, hardness, and others. Again, the three materials provided are for example purposes and are not intended to limit the invention to these materials or processes used to alter them.

The strap 100 will work with various hanging rod geometries and sizes. For example, in FIG. 3A the strap is supporting an accessory hanger over a hanging rod 600 with a circular cross section that is about 33 millimeters in diameter. The strap 100 could also support an accessory hanger over a hanging rod 600 with a circular cross section that is larger or smaller than 33 millimeters in diameter. The strap 100 can also support an accessory hanger over a hanging rod of different geometries. For example, in FIG. 3B the strap 100 is supporting an accessory hanger over a hanging rod 610 with a square cross section.

The strap 100 can be fixed to hanger stem 300 or hanger body 400 in a variety of ways. In example embodiments, see FIG. 3A for detailed view, the strap 100 is fixed to bracket 200 on one side with an adhesive and fastened to at least one protruding stud 210 on the other side. In example embodiments, the strap is then wrapped over hanging rod 600 and fastened to the other bracket 200 by placing at least one of the strap's 100 holes 110 over at least one protruding stud 210. Another way the strap 100 can be fixed to the hanger stem 300 is by protruding studs 310 on each side of the hanger that the strap holes 110 can slide over as shown in FIG. 6B. In a similar way, FIG. 12 depicts an example of how strap 100 could be directly fixed to the hanger body 400 by protruding studs 410. Other ways strap 100 may be fixed to hanger stem 300 or hanger body 400 include magnet, hook and loop, button, buckle, zipper, and others. In FIG. 11 the accessory hanger 4000 is shown without a hanger stem 300 where the accessory strap 100 extends from the hanger body 400 around the hanging rod 600 and back to the hanger body 400.

An example embodiment of a bracket 200 with a protruding stud 210 can be seen in FIG. 4A. An example embodiment of a bracket 200 without a protruding stud 210 can be seen in FIG. 4B. The protruding stud 210 may be fixed to the bracket by a weld or pressed into a drilled hole in the bracket among other ways. The bracket 200 with a protruding stud 210 may also be injection molded and may be made from steel or plastic among other materials. The protruding stud 210 may be of a variety of shapes. For example, the protruding stud may be rectangular as seen in FIG. 4A or circular as seen in FIG. 4C. Example embodiments shown in FIG. 4A and FIG. 4C have one and two protruding studs 210 and 220 respectively. However, there is no limit to how many protruding studs 210 there may be on a bracket 200. Again, a bracket 200 and protruding stud 210 is one of a variety of ways to fix the strap 100 to hanger stem 300 or hanger body 400.

Example dimensions of a bracket 200 and protruding stud 210 can be seen in FIGS. 4D-E. A front view of bracket 200 and protruding stud 210 is seen in FIG. 4D with a width Wb of about 15 millimeters, a length Lb of about 18 millimeters, a width Wb1 of about 6 millimeters, a length Lb1 of about 4 millimeters, and a radius Rb of about 1 millimeter. A side view of bracket 200 and protruding stud 210 is seen in FIG. 4E with a thickness Tb of about 2.5 millimeters, a length Lb2 of about 3 millimeters, a width Wb2 of about 4 millimeters, and a radius Rb 1 of about 2 millimeters. The dimensions provided above are only for purposes of illustration and are not intended to limit the invention as the dimensions may change.

In one embodiment, the bracket 200 may be spot welded to the hanger stem 300 or hanger body 400, however, this is not intended to limit the invention. For example, in another embodiment, the bracket 200 may be one member of a single injection molded part consisting of bracket 200, hanger stem 300, hanger body 400, and hanger hooks 500. Again, these are only examples of how the hanger members may be attached together.

In the example embodiments the strap supported accessory hanger 1000 may have a hanger stem 300. The hanger stem 300, however, may not be required as the strap 100 could be directly fastened to the hanger body 400. For example, FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 show accessory hangers that do not have a hanger stem 300.

FIGS. 5A-C are views of hanger stem 300 in accordance with example embodiments. FIG. 5B is a front view of the hanger stem 300 with a length Lst of about 84 millimeters, and a width Wst of about 28 millimeters. FIG. 5C is a side view of the hanger stem 300 with a thickness Tst of about 17 millimeters and a wire diameter Dst of about 4 millimeters. The dimensions provided above are only for purposes of illustration and are not intended to limit the invention as the dimensions may change.

In example embodiments, the hanger stem 300 may be made from wire that is malleable or ductile such as low carbon steel or other materials. However, this is not intended to limit the invention. For example, in another embodiment, the hanger stem 300 may have the shape of a rectangular prism or cylinder and be made with a stamping mold with various materials.

In one embodiment, the hanger stem 300 may be spot welded to the hanger body 400, however, this is not intended to limit the invention. For example, in another embodiment, the hanger stem 300 may be one member of a single injection molded part consisting of bracket 200, hanger stem 300, hanger body 400, and hanger hooks 500. Again, these are only examples of how the hanger members may be attached together.

A variant of the hanger stem 300 is seen in FIG. 6A. This hanger stem 300 has two protruding studs 310 on opposite sides of the hanger stem 300. FIG. 6B depicts how the hanger stem protruding studs 310 support the strap 100. To support the strap 100, one of the straps holes 110 slides over one hanger protruding studs 310 on one side of the hanger stem 300. Then, the strap 100 is wrapped around the hanging rod 600, and fastened down by sliding one of the strap's holes 110 over one of the hanger stem protruding studs 310 on the other side of the hanger stem 300. The hanger stem protruding studs 310 are angled downward to prevent the strap 100 from sliding off. Also, the protruding studs 310 may be bent upwards or downwards to help prevent the strap 100 from sliding off. The amount of tension in the strap 110 is determined by how many strap holes 110 are between the opposing hanger protruding studs 310. The less strap holes 110 there are between opposing hanger protruding studs 310, the more tension there is in the strap 100. More tension in strap 100 results in a higher clamping force provided by the strap 100. The hanger stem 300 with protruding studs 310 embodiment eliminates the need for bracket 200 and bracket protruding studs 210. The example embodiments show hanger stem 300 with one protruding stud 310 on each side of the hanger. However, this is for illustration purposes only. The hanger stem 300 may have more than one protruding stud 310 on each side of the hanger stem.

Example dimensions of hanger stem protruding studs 310 can be seen in FIGS. 6C-D. An angled view of protruding stud 310 is seen in FIG. 6C with a width Wp of about 7 millimeters, a length Lp of about 13 millimeters, a width Wp1 of about 1 millimeters, and a width Wp2 of about 11 millimeters. A side view of hanger stem protruding stud 310 is seen in FIG. 6D with a wire diameter of about 3 millimeters and an angle of about 75 degrees. The dimensions provided above are only for purposes of illustration and are not intended to limit the invention as the dimensions may change.

In example embodiments, the hanger stem protruding studs 310 may be made from wire that is malleable or ductile such as low carbon steel or other materials. However, this is not intended to limit the invention. For example, in another embodiment, the hanger stem protruding stud 310 may have the shape of a rectangular prism or cylinder and be made with a stamping mold with various materials.

In one embodiment, the hanger stem protruding studs 310 may be spot welded to the hanger stem 300, however, this is not intended to limit the invention. For example, in another embodiment, the protruding studs 310 may be one member of a single injection molded part consisting of hanger stem 300, hanger body 400, and hanger hooks 500. Again, these are only examples of how the hanger members may be attached together.

An example embodiment of the hanger body 400 can be seen in FIGS. 7A-B. The top view shown in FIG. 7B depicts example dimensions of a length Lba of about 18 millimeters, a width Wba of about 303 millimeters, a radius Rba of about 9 millimeters, and a wire diameter of about 4 millimeters. The dimensions provided above are only for purposes of illustration and are not intended to limit the invention as the dimensions may change.

In example embodiments, the hanger body 400 may be made from wire that is malleable or ductile such as low carbon steel or other materials. However, this is not intended to limit the invention. For example, in another embodiment, the hanger body may have the shape of a rectangular prism or cylinder and be made with a stamping mold with various materials.

An example embodiment of the hanger hooks 500 can be seen in FIG. 8A. The example embodiment in FIG. 8A is of a dual sided hook. However, this is not intended to limit the invention. For example, other embodiments may be a single sided hook 510 as seen in FIG. 8D or a slot support 520 as seen in FIG. 8E. The single sided hook 510 in use with a strap supported accessory hanger 2000 can be seen in FIG. 9. The slot support 520 in use with a strap supported accessory hanger 3000 can be seen in FIG. 10. Again, these embodiments are only examples. The hooks that are attached to the hanger body may be of any shape that best supports whatever is intended to be organized. Objects that may be organized may include belts, ties, hats, jewelry, hand bags, scarves, clothing, tools, or other objects.

Example dimensions of hanger hook 500 can be seen in FIGS. 8B-C. A front view of hanger body 500 is seen in FIG. 8B with a width Wh of about 14 millimeters, a width Wh1 of about 90 millimeters, a length Lh of about 9 millimeters, and length Lh1 of about 30 millimeters, a radius Rh of about 5 millimeters, and a radius Rh1 of about 18 millimeters. A side view of hanger body 500 is seen in FIG. 8C with a width Wh2 of about 12.5 millimeters, a radius Rh2 of about 6.25 millimeters, and a wire diameter Dh of about 3 millimeters. The dimensions provided above are only for purposes of illustration and are not intended to limit the invention as the dimensions may change.

In example embodiments, the hanger hook 500 may be made from wire that is malleable or ductile such as low carbon steel or other materials. However, this is not intended to limit the invention. For example, in another embodiment, the hanger hook 500 may be a solid object in the shape of a J and may be made with a stamping mold with various materials.

In one embodiment, the hanger hook 500 may be spot welded to the hanger body 400, however, this is not intended to limit the invention. For example, in another embodiment, the hanger hook 500 may be one member of a single injection molded part consisting of bracket 200, hanger stem 300, hanger body 400, and hanger hooks 500. Again, these are only examples of how the hanger members may be attached together.

In example embodiments, the inventive hanger accessory may be viewed as a hanger assembly having a strap. The strap, for example, may correspond to the strap 100 illustrated in the various embodiments and the hanger assembly may resemble a combination of the bracket 200, the hanger stem 300, the hanger body 400, and the hanger hooks 500. However, the hanger assembly is not required to have certain elements, for example, the hanger assembly may be comprised of the hanger body 400 and hanger hooks 500 as illustrated in FIG. 11. Regardless, the strap 100, as shown in the various embodiments, may wrap around the hanging rod 600 and may be in tension thus drawing the hanger assembly against a bottom of the hanging rod 600 and providing compressive forces between the hanging rod 600 and the strap 100 on one side of the hanging rod 600 and between the hanger assembly and the hanging rod 600 on the other side of hanging rod 600.

Example embodiments of the invention have been described in an illustrative manner. It is to be understood that the terminology that has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Many modifications and variations of example embodiments are possible in light of the above teachings. Therefore, within the scope of the appended claims, the present may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

Claims

1. An accessory hanger comprising: a strap configured to wrap around a top of hanger rod; anda hanger assembly configured to be arranged below the hanger rod and configured to attach to the strap, wherein the strap and the hanger assembly are configured to apply compressive forces to the hanger rod.

2. The accessory hanger of claim 1, wherein the hanger assembly includes a hanger stem and a bracket on a first side of the hanger stem, wherein a first stud extends from the bracket.

3. The accessory hanger of claim 2, further comprising: a second stud on a second side of the hanger stem, wherein the first stud is insertable into a first hole of the strap and the second stud is insertable into a second hole of the strap.

4. The accessory hanger of claim 2, wherein the first stud extends downwards to prevent the strap from sliding off the stud when the strap is in tension.

5. The accessory hanger of claim 2, wherein hanger stem is comprised of wire.

6. The accessory hanger of claim 2, wherein the hanger assembly includes a hanger body comprised of wire.

7. The accessory hanger of claim 6, wherein the hanger stem and the hanger body are substantially perpendicular to one another.

8. The accessory hanger of claim 1, wherein the hanger assembly includes a first stud configured to insert into a first hole of the strap and a second stud configured to insert into a second hole of the strap.

9. The accessory hanger of claim 8, wherein each of the first and second studs extend downwards.

10. A system comprising: a hanger rod;an elastomeric strap wrapped around a top of the hanger rod;a hanger assembly applying pressure to a bottom side of the hanger rod, wherein the hanger assembly includes at least one hanger hook and wherein the elastomeric strap is in tension.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the hanger assembly includes a hanger stem and a hanger body, wherein a first stud is on a first side of the hanger stem and the first stud extends into a first hole of the elastomeric strap.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising: a second stud on a second side of the hanger stem, the second stud extending into a second hole of the elastomeric strap.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the elastomeric strap contacts about half a circumference of the hanger rod.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein friction between the hanger rod and the elastomeric strap prevents the hanger from rotating.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein friction between the rod and the elastomeric strap prevents the hanger from translating along a length of the rod.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the hanger assembly includes a stud extending into a hole of the strap.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the hanger assembly includes a first stud extending into a first hole of the strap and a second stud extending into a second hole of the strap.

18. A method of connecting an accessory hanger to a rod comprising: moving a hanger assembly underneath the rod;wrapping a strap around a top of the rod and positioning a hole of the strap around a stud extending from the hanger assembly thus resulting in the strap being in tension and the hanger assembly exerting a force against the rod.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising moving the strap so that another hole in the elastomeric strap surrounds another stud of the hanger assembly prior to wrapping the elastomeric strap around the top of the rod.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the hanger assembly applies a pressure to an underside of the rod and the strap applies a pressure to a top side of the rod.