U.S. patent application number 10/270218 was filed with the patent office on 2004-04-15 for folding hanger closet.
Invention is credited to Shai, Moti.
Application Number | 20040070318 10/270218 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32068937 |
Filed Date | 2004-04-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040070318 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Shai, Moti |
April 15, 2004 |
Folding hanger closet
Abstract
A system and method for providing horizontally folding
decorative hanger closet for enabling a user practical, efficient
and very convenient way of storing hangable clothing in a very
compact and over 70% space saving manner. The closet, which can be
attached to a wall, used as a stand-alone unit or built-in into a
wall, can reach its fully extended form, to provide practical and
convenient access to the clothing, by pooling the front door away
from the steady frame while unfolding internal folding bar, that
supports the hangers, to its full horizontal position.
Inventors: |
Shai, Moti; (Calabasas,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Moti Shai
3524 Via Del Prado
Calabasas
CA
91302
US
|
Family ID: |
32068937 |
Appl. No.: |
10/270218 |
Filed: |
October 15, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
312/205 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B 61/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
312/205 |
International
Class: |
A47B 045/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A extending storage device, for hangable external units, with
folding bar connecting internally both interior parallel sides of
said device, said folding bar is providing support for said
external units, said device comprising: a. a member providing the
frame of said device; b. a member providing horizontally-extending
decorative front door of said device; c. a member providing a
folding bar, to support said external units, connected internally
to both said frame and said front door; d. means for attaching said
frame to a wall forcing said frame to be in fixed and steady
position; e. means for pivotally attaching said folding bar to
internal sides of said frame and said front door, providing limit
of maximum opening of said device when said folding bar is in its
fully horizontal and locked position; f. means to keep said front
door stable and parallel to said frame in the fully extended form
of said device; and g. means to keep said front door tightly
attached to said body in the fully closed form of frame device;
2. The device of claim 1 wherein said hangable external units are,
primarily but not necessarily, hangable clothing.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein said frame has a wide molding
around it to provide a shelter for said hangable clothing when said
device is in its fully closed form.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein said horizontally-extending
decorative front door has a matching, to said frame, shape with a
molding around it, to be attached perfectly to said frame when said
device is in its fully closed form.
5. The device of claim 1 wherein said horizontally-extending
decorative front door further comprising a plurality of wheels
connected to the bottom of said front door to enable the user easy
and efficient opening of said device, especially when said device
is fully loaded with said hangable clothing.
6. The device of claim 1 wherein said horizontally-extending
decorative front door has mirror, picture or decorative design, on
the front side of it, to provide more practical and decorative look
of said device and to take full advantage of said device as a
furniture member as well.
7. The device of claim 1 wherein said folding bar further
comprising plurality of movable members, pivotally attached to each
other to provide enhanced horizontal extendibility of said device,
that achieve their full extendibility when all of said bar members
are in horizontal position.
8. The device of claim 7 wherein said bar members have means for
slidably locking one with the other at their ends when said bar
members reach their horizontal position.
9. The device of claim 7 wherein said bar members have built-in
hanger notches, placed apart from each other, providing support for
hangers that hold said hangable clothing.
10. The device of claim 1 wherein said means for attaching said
frame to a wall has plurality of horizontal support straps.
11. The device of claim 10 wherein said horizontal support straps
have plurality of altitudinal through-holes in every one of
them.
12. The device of claim 1 wherein said means to keep said front
door stable and parallel to said frame are plurality of decorative
chains or the like.
13. The device of claim 12 wherein said chains are attached to the
sides of said frame and said front door to keep said front door
parallel to said frame when said device is in its full extended
form so said chains in their fully stretched horizontal
position.
14. The device of claim 1 wherein said means to keep said front
door tightly attached to said frame has plurality of clip locks to
lock said front door to said frame when said device is closed.
15. The device of claim 14 wherein said clip locks are located on
the sides of said frame and said front door to provide easy and
convenient access to it by the user.
16. A extending built-in storage device, for hangable external
units, with folding bar connecting internally both interior
parallel sides of said device, said folding bar is providing
support for said external units, said device comprising: a. a
member providing a wall built-in frame of said device; b. a member
providing horizontally-extending decorative front door of said
device; c. a member providing a folding bar, to support said
external units, connecting internally to both said built-in frame
and said front door; d. means for pivotally attaching said folding
bar to internal sides of said built-in frame and said front door,
providing limit of maximum opening of said device when said folding
bar is in its fully horizontal and locked position; e. means to
keep said front door stable and parallel to said frame in the fully
extended form of said device; and f. means to keep said front door
tightly attached to said body in the fully closed form of frame
device;
17. The device of claim 1 wherein said a wall built-in frame has
plurality of altitudinal through-holes located on the sides of said
built-in frame.
18. Stand-alone extending and portable storage device, for hangable
external units, with folding bar connecting internally both
interior parallel sides of said device, said folding bar is
providing support for said external units, said device comprising:
a. a member providing a body of said device to shelter said
external units; b. a member providing front door of said device; c.
a member providing a folding bar, to support said external units,
connecting internally to both said body and said front door; d.
means for pivotally attaching said folding bar to internal sides of
said body and said front door, providing limit of maximum opening
of said device when said folding bar is in its fully horizontal and
locked position; e. means providing convenient portability and
stability support of said device; and f. means to keep said front
door tightly attached to said body in the fully closed form of
frame device;
19. The device of claim 18 wherein said a body of said device to
shelter said external units, is a practically flexible cover
connecting said body with said front door providing a shelter for
large amount of said external units.
20. The device of claim 18 wherein said means for providing
convenient portability and stability support of said device, has
plurality of back handles, that folded up when they not in use,
bottom wheels, providing easy portability, and bottom support legs
providing better stability when the storage is in use.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to clothing storage,
specifically to new and improved system, which enables a user to
store hangable clothing in a very compact and efficient method for
space saving purposes.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Compact and efficient hangable clothing storage always was
in big demand in household and public facilities. Such storages
usually require large space that was taken in place of leaving,
working or passing through areas.
[0005] Thereafter, inventors created several types of space saving
storages for hangable units, like: clothing, unframed pictures,
architectural drawings and many more, to address this problem in a
most practical and efficient way. U.S. patent to John Thomas Batts
(1922) describes a portable clothing suitcase that designed
especially for traveling purposes, its big, heavy, expensive to
manufacture and not a space saver. U.S. patent to John W. R.
Johnson (1887) describes a foldable device, to hang clothing,
build-in in a drawer; however the device is usable only when the
drawer is open which means that it designed for temporary usage,
the access to clothing is very inconvenient, impractical and it
doesn't save any space when it is used.
[0006] Somewhat space saving closet was proposed in U.S. Pat. No.
676,594 to Fritz Vogel (1901) describing a two doors clothing
closet that provides a user an access to the hanged clothing when
both door are opened, however it suffers from a number of
disadvantages:
[0007] (a) Only 15% of space saving which means that this closet
takes a lot of floor space relatively to the clothing that it can
store.
[0008] (b) The device includes many movable parts, which makes it
expensive to manufacture.
[0009] (c) Many moving parts that require some kind of maintenance
after certain period of time.
[0010] (d) Must be pre-assembled by professional.
[0011] (e) Requires significantly large clear space surrounding the
wardrobe in order to open both doors.
[0012] (f) User must open both doors to access clothing hanged deep
inside in the wardrobe, and even then it is inconvenient to reach
cloth located deep inside the closet.
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES
[0013] Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the present
invention are:
[0014] (a) to provide over 70% of space saving, storage unit, to
store hangable clothing in a very compact and efficient manner;
[0015] (b) to minimize to only a few inches, and sometimes to
eliminate completely, the floor space that this invention will
take, its thickness is about the thickness of the wall therefore it
can be built-in into the wall so in this case it will not take any
floor space at all;
[0016] (c) to provide indoor and out-door usage of the clothing
storage;
[0017] (d) to provide easy and inexpensive manufacture of the
storage unit;
[0018] (e) to provide easy and simple installation by only screwing
4 screws to the wall;
[0019] (f) to provide neat and decorative furniture piece that may
include mirror or picture on its front side as well;
[0020] (g) no maintenance required.
[0021] Further objects and advantages are to provide at least 70%
space saving storage unit which can be easily installed and used
efficiently and conveniently to store, primarily but not
necessarily, hangable clothing. This decorative storage unit, which
will be used in household and commercial facilities, is simple to
use and inexpensive to manufacture. The storage can be attached to
a wall or built-in into a wall, which will not take any floor
spacing.
[0022] Therefore, the present invention provides efficient,
effective and very practical usage of the hangable clothing storage
in compact and space saving manner in household and public
facilities, packaged in one decorative unit. Still farther objects
and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a
consideration of the drawing and ensuing description.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0023] Briefly and in general terms, the present invention provides
a new and improved system and method for enabling a user practical,
efficient, and economical way of storing hangable clothing in a
very compact manner for space saving purposes.
[0024] The present creation discloses a horizontally extendable
closet that can be attached to the wall, used as stand-alone unit
or built-in into a wall, for storing hangable clothing. The closet
is fully extended, horizontally, upon opening to provide convenient
access to store clothing, and then, upon closing it, it will be
horizontally folded back in providing the user over 70% of space
saving.
[0025] The above objects and advantages of the present invention,
as well as others, are described in greater detail in the following
description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawing of illustrative embodiments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a horizontally Folding
Hanger Closet, with a hangers shown in dashed lines.
[0027] FIG. 2 is a sectional side view that shows clearly the
folding bar in its fully folded position, when the closet is
closed.
[0028] FIG. 3 is a sectional top view of the first embodiment of
the invention, where the storage attached to a wall, that shows
clearly the folding bar in its fully extended horizontal position
supporting hangers, which shown in dashed lines.
[0029] FIG. 4 is a sectional top view of the second embodiment of
the invention, where the storage build-in into a wall, that shows
clearly special shaped frame to fit into a wall. Dry walls and
built-in frame supporting beams are, in a different pattern, to
display more vividly the location of the built-in frame relatively
to the wall.
[0030] FIG. 5 is a sectional side view of third embodiment of the
invention, where the storage is a stand-alone portable unit.
[0031] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another variation of third
embodiment of the invention, where the frame and the front door are
connected with proper flexible material, like: fabric, lather and
so on, for clothing protection especially when this stand-alone
unit will be used out-door.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0032] The present invention is directed to an improved system and
method for enabling a user to store hangable clothing in
horizontally extendable closet in a very compact and efficient way
for space saving purposes. The closet can be attached to a wall,
used as a stand-alone unit or built-in into a wall, in household or
public facilities. The closet can be fully extended, to provide
easy and convenient access to clothing, by pooling the front door
away from the frame, which is in fixed position, and by doing that
unfolding internal bar, that holds the hangers, to its horizontal
and locked position. The preferred embodiments of the improved
system and method are fully and detailed illustrated and described
in the following paragraphs.
[0033] As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, in a preferred embodiment in
accordance with the present invention the system includes the
storage frame 10, for providing shelter for hanged clothing. The
frame 10 includes horizontal support straps 12, with a altitudinal
through-holes in it, it also includes folding bar 22 joining the
frame 10 to the front door 20 through the bar holders 26. The frame
further includes plurality of safety chains 14 or the like
connecting the frame 10 and the front door 20 on both their sides.
Folding bar 22 has notches 24 for providing hangers support. Front
door 20 includes plurality of clip locks 16 locate on both sides of
it, front door 20 further includes plurality of wheels 18 attached
to its bottom side.
[0034] In second embodiment of the invention as shown in FIG. 4,
the built-in frame 40, with an altitudinal through-holes on each
side of it, includes folding bar 22, which has notches 24, built-in
frame 40 has horizontal support straps 42 to support the folding
bar 22, it also has chains 14 or the like connected to the front
door 20.
[0035] As illustrated in FIGS. 5-6, in a third embodiment of the
invention, stand-alone closet body 50 attached to front door 20 by
optional cover 62 including plurality of zippers 60 or the like.
The body 50 further includes plurality of support legs 56,
plurality of bottom wheels 54 and portability handles 52.
[0036] Referring to FIGS. 1-3, in a method for the use of a
preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention the
system enables a user to store hangable clothing in a most
efficient and place saving manner. The frame 10, for providing a
shelter for hanged clothing, is attached to a wall by using any
conventional method through plurality of horizontal support straps
12, which have altitudinal through-holes in every one of them, this
forces the frame 10 to be in fixed and in steady position. The
depth of the frame 10 will determine the capacity of the storage.
The closet can reach its fully horizontally extended form, to
provide a user convenient access to the hanged clothing, by pooling
the front door 20 away from the attached to a wall frame 10.
Folding bar 22 attached to the middle of the internal sides,
through allowing-pivotally-movement bar holders 26, of the frame 10
and the front door 20. Folding bar 22 has integrally designed
notches 24 for providing hangers support. The closet is fully
extended when the folding bar 22 is reached and locked in its
horizontal position, at this situation the user can easily and
conveniently access any clothing in the closet. Safety chains 14 or
the like are connecting the sides of the frame 10 and the front
door 20 in order to provide parallel stability of the front door 20
when the closet is in its fully extended form. Front door 20 has a
plurality of clip locks 16, located on the side, for decorative
look and convenient access by the user, of the front door 20 and
the frame 10, to hold tight the front door 20 to the frame 10, when
the closet is closed. The front door 20 also has a plurality of
wheels 18, connected to the bottom side, so the user can slide
horizontally the front door 20 smoothly and easily upon opening the
closet especially when the closed is fully loaded with cloth.
[0037] As illustrated in FIG. 4, in a method for the user of
another embodiment of the invention, the built-in storage frame 40,
which molding around it when it is built-in into a wall. Built-in
storage frame 40 has an altitudinal through-holes on each side of
it to provide the ability to attach it self to the wall interior
support structure, shown in dashed lines. The built-in frame 40
further includes horizontal straps 42 to provide support for
folding bar 22. This embodiment doesn't take a floor space at all,
complete storage is inside the wall. For better visualization the
FIG. illustrates the built-in frame 40 inside the wall displaying
the front and back dry walls and the supporting beams on the side
in dashed lines.
[0038] As illustrated in FIGS. 5-6, in a method for the user of the
third embodiment of the invention, the stand-alone storage body 50
provides a shelter for large amount of hanged clothing. The body 50
further includes plurality of bottom support legs 56, located at
the bottom of the body 50, to provide better stability to the
storage, and bottom wheels 54, which are located at the bottom of
the body 50, to provide convenient portability by leaning the
storage backward while holding portability handles 52--the dolly
method. Portability handles 52, which are located on the back of
the body 50, are folded up when they not in use. This embodiment
optionally provides access from the side by using practically
flexible cover 62 connected between the body 50 and the front door
20, providing a shelter for the clothing in this stand-alone
extra-wide storage. Flexible cover 62 provides plurality of zippers
60 so the side of the storage can be flipped over to provide
convenient access to the clothing. This embodiment will be used as
a stand-alone unit, indoor as well as out-door providing storage
for large amount of clothing.
[0039] In accordance with the present invention, the particular
embodiments set forth above for the system are capable of providing
a space saving, horizontally extendable closet for hangable
clothing in a most efficient and compact way. However, other forms
of that system may be utilized with the present invention without
departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention. Based on
the present disclosure, other constructions and applications are
known to one skilled in the art.
[0040] In view of the above, it is apparent that the system and
method of the preferred embodiments of the present invention
enhance practicality and effectiveness of enabling a user to store
hangable clothing in a most compact and space saving way.
[0041] While the present invention has been described in connection
with the specific embodiments identified herein, it will be
apparent to those skilled in the art that many alternatives,
modifications and variations are possible in light of the above
description. Accordingly, the invention is intended to embrace all
such alternatives, modifications and variations as may fall within
the spirit and scope of the invention disclosed herein.
* * * * *