U.S. patent application number 11/715646 was filed with the patent office on 2008-09-11 for clothing accessories supporting rack.
Invention is credited to Peter Ar-Fu Lam.
Application Number | 20080217272 11/715646 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39740580 |
Filed Date | 2008-09-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080217272 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lam; Peter Ar-Fu |
September 11, 2008 |
Clothing Accessories supporting rack
Abstract
A clothing accessory supporting rack structured for supporting
neckties, belts and necklace is disclosed to provide a first
storage mode and a second organizing mode; wherein said first
storage mode is designed for providing high storage efficiency
inside a closet and said organizing mode is designed for providing
convenient organizing services outside a closet.
Inventors: |
Lam; Peter Ar-Fu; (Torrance,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Peter Ar-Fu Lam
20104 Wayne Avenue
Torrance
CA
90503
US
|
Family ID: |
39740580 |
Appl. No.: |
11/715646 |
Filed: |
March 8, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
211/118 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G 25/743
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
211/118 |
International
Class: |
A47F 5/08 20060101
A47F005/08 |
Claims
1. A clothing accessories supporting rack comprising: a first
supporting frame having at least a first and a second supporting
bars, each provided for receiving multiple clothing accessory
articles; a first suspension member connected to a first edge of
said first supporting frame for suspending said clothing accessory
supporting rack with an external supporting member; and a mechanism
configured to position said first supporting bar approximately
vertically on top of said second supporting bar for defining a
first storage mode; said mechanism is further configured to
position said first supporting bar horizontally apart from said
second supporting bar for defining a second organizing mode.
2. The clothing accessories supporting rack of claim 1 wherein said
first and second supporting bars are parallel to each other during
said first storage mode.
3. The clothing accessories supporting rack of claim 1 wherein said
first and second supporting bars are parallel to each other during
said second organizing mode.
4. The clothing accessories supporting rack of claim 1 comprises
one or more supporting frames, wherein said first suspension member
is positioned approximately on top of the center of gravity of said
one or more supporting frames during said first storage mode.
5. The clothing accessory supporting rack of claim 1 wherein said
mechanism comprises a second suspension member having a first end
connected to a second edge of said supporting frame and a second
end connected to said first suspension member or said external
supporting member at a location proximate to said first suspension
member to define said second organizing mode; and said second
suspension member is further configured to be disconnected from
said first suspension member, or said external supporting member or
said second edge to define said first storage mode.
6. The clothing accessory supporting rack of claim 5 wherein the
side view of said supporting frame, said first suspension member
and said second suspension member define a triangle during said
second organizing mode.
7. The clothing accessory supporting rack of claim 1 wherein the
side view of said first suspension member defines a vertical plane
during said first storage mode and the side view of said frame is
configured to position at an angle from said vertical plane during
said second organizing mode.
8. The clothing accessory supporting rack of claim 1 wherein said
first supporting bar is configured to support a first necktie and
said second supporting bar is configured to support a second
necktie; wherein said clothing accessory supporting rack is further
configured to provide gravitational non-slipping effect between
said first and second neck ties during said first storage mode.
9. The clothing accessory supporting rack of claim 1 wherein at
least one of said parallel supporting bars is removable from said
frame.
10. The clothing accessory supporting rack of claim 9 wherein said
removable supporting bar comprises a handle or a suspension
member.
11. The clothing accessory supporting rack of claim 1 wherein at
least one of said parallel supporting bars comprises one or more
hooks positioned below said parallel supporting bar for receiving a
belt or a neck lace.
12. The clothing accessory supporting rack of claim 1 wherein said
first edge of said frame comprises one or more hooks for receiving
a belt or a necklace.
13. The clothing accessory supporting rack of claim 1 further
comprising a second supporting frame having at least two parallel
supporting bars, each provided for supporting multiple clothing
accessory articles; wherein said second supporting frame comprises
an edge connected to said first suspension member.
14. The clothing accessory supporting rack of claim 1 further
configured to be supported inside a closet during said first
storage mode and to be supported outside a closet during said
second organizing mode; wherein said first suspension member is
configured to engaged with the supporting rod of a closet during
said first storage mode and to engage with the pull handle of a
closet door during said second organizing mode.
15. A clothing accessory supporting rack comprising: a first
supporting frame having at least a first supporting bar provided
for supporting a first necktie and a second supporting bar provided
for supporting a second neck tie, and a mechanism configured to
provide gravitational non-slipping effect between said first and
second neckties during a first storage mode and to release said
first and second neckties from said gravitational non-slipping
effect during a second organizing mode.
16. A clothing accessory supporting rack comprising: a first
supporting frame having at least a first and a second parallel
supporting bars, each provided for receiving multiple clothing
accessory articles; and a first suspension member connected to a
first edge of said first supporting frame for suspending said
clothing supporting rack inside a closet during a first storage
mode and for engaging with the pull handle of a closet door during
a second organizing mode; wherein said frame is further configured
to swing away from said closet door for providing said second
organizing mode.
17. The clothing accessory supporting rack of claim 16 further
comprises a mechanism to keep the position of said first and second
supporting bars during said second organizing mode.
18. The clothing accessory supporting rack of claim 16 further
comprises a second supporting frame having at least a third and a
fourth supporting bars, each parallel to said first and second
parallel supporting bars.
19. The clothing accessory supporting rack of claim 16 wherein the
horizontal spacing between said parallel supporting bars during
said second organizing mode is wider than the horizontal spacing
between said parallel supporting bars during said storage mode.
20. A clothing accessory supporting rack comprising: a first
supporting frame having at least a first supporting bar and a
second supporting bars parallel to each other according to a front
view of said clothing supporting rack, wherein each supporting bar
is configured to receive multiple clothing accessory articles; a
first suspension member showing a downward opening hook according
to said front view; said first suspension member is connected to a
first edge of said first supporting frame for suspending said
clothing accessory supporting rack with an external supporting
member; and said first supporting frame is further configured to
rotate vertically against said first suspension member.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus configured for
organizing, supporting and storage of clothing accessories.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0002] Clothing accessories such as neckties are difficult to be
organized and efficiently stored in a conventional closet. It is
the intention of this invention to design a low cost supporting
rack, which provides efficient and organized spaces for storage of
neckties and other clothing accessories alike. It is also an object
of the subject invention to provide a supporting rack that is easy
for users to organize and access a collection of neckties.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present invention is directed to an improved clothing
accessories supporting rack provided for storing and organizing
clothing accessory articles. Hereunder the term clothing accessory
articles or the simplified term clothing accessories are defined by
elongated wearable articles such as neckties, necklace or belts
that can be supported by a horizontal supporting bar or a hook.
[0004] The first important characteristic of the invention is a
supporting rack configured to provide two working modes, a first
storage mode and a second organizing mode.
[0005] According to a first design objective, a supporting rack is
specially designed to efficiently support clothing accessory
articles inside a closet for defining a first storage mode. Another
design objective of the subject invention is to provide a second
organizing mode that allows easy access and coordination of the
clothing accessory articles when the supporting rack is removed
from the closet.
[0006] Numerous exemplary embodiments are disclosed in this
application. Most of the preferred embodiments carry the following
characteristics derived from the inventive steps of the design
research:
[0007] (1) The supporting rack comprises a first suspension member
for the supporting rack to be engaged with the supporting bar
inside a closet. This suspension member is also configured to
engage with the pull handle of a closet door, or to engage with a
nail or hook secured on a supporting wall.
[0008] (2) The supporting rack comprises a supporting frame having
multiple supporting bars; each supporting bar is configured to
receive multiple clothing accessory articles.
[0009] (3) In most embodiments, the supporting bars are positioned
parallel to each other, during both the storage mode and the
organizing mode.
[0010] (4) During a storage mode, the horizontal spacing between
adjacent supporting bars is to be minimized.
[0011] (5) In a preferred embodiment, the supporting bars are
positioned approximately vertically on top of each other during a
storage mode.
[0012] (6) During an organization mode, the horizontal spacing
between and along adjacent supporting bars are to be comfortably
expanded.
[0013] (7) In a preferred embodiment, the supporting frame can be
rotate against the first suspension member; to turn or swing
against the closet door/supporting wall rested upon.
[0014] (8) A mechanism is provided to keep the shape and position
of the supporting frame during an organizing mode.
[0015] (9) Conversion between the two operation modes should be
simple and easy.
[0016] (10) Non-slipping effect is a preferred feature for the
supporting bars.
[0017] (11) Inventive designs structured to provide gravitational
non-slipping effect.
[0018] (12) Organizing spacers are desirable options.
[0019] (13) Another preferred option is to provide supporting bars
that can be removed from the supporting frame.
[0020] (14) Additional hooks operable during both modes is also a
desirable design features.
[0021] (15) Possibility to provide double capacity upgrade.
Structures of the embodiments and description of these
characteristics will be best understood from the following
description when read in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0022] FIG. 1 illustrated a three dimensional view of a preferred
embodiment during storage mode;
[0023] FIG. 2A is a side view of the preferred embodiment
illustrated in FIG. 1;
[0024] FIG. 2B illustrates the location of the neckties during an
organizing mode;
[0025] FIG. 2C demonstrates the working principle of gravitational
non-slipping effect provided to the neckties during storage
mode;
[0026] FIG. 3 illustrates a three dimensional view of the preferred
embodiment of FIG. 1 during an organizing mode;
[0027] FIG. 4A is a side view of the embodiment shown in FIG.
3;
[0028] FIG. 4B illustrates an alternate embodiment of FIG. 4A;
[0029] FIG. 4C illustrates an improved embodiment to provide double
capacity as compared with the embodiment of FIG. 1;
[0030] FIG. 4D illustrated a side view of the double capacity
embodiment during organizing mode;
[0031] FIG. 5A illustrated an improved design to support additional
clothing accessories such as belts and necklace;
[0032] FIG. 5B illustrated an improvement achieved by the
technology of contoured bar alignment;
[0033] FIG. 5C illustrated the side view of a supporting bar
mounting segment;
[0034] FIG. 5D illustrated the side view of two supporting bar
mounting segments connected together to provide contoured and self
adjusted gravitational non-slipping effect for a storage mode;
[0035] FIG. 5E illustrated the side view of two supporting bar
mounting segments connected together during an organizing mode;
[0036] FIG. 6 demonstrates an alternate embodiment of FIG. 1;
[0037] FIG. 7A demonstrates an alternate embodiment provided with a
removable supporting bar;
[0038] FIG. 7B is a side view of the removable supporting bar;
[0039] FIG. 7C is a side view of an alternate removable supporting
bar;
[0040] FIG. 8 illustrates the top view of the embodiment of FIG. 1
helping to define the direction of the front view and side
view;
[0041] FIG. 9A illustrates the top view of another embodiment
during storage mode; and
[0042] FIG. 9B illustrates the top view of the embodiment of FIG.
10A during organizing mode.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0043] The accompanied drawings demonstrate several preferred
embodiments of clothing accessories supporting rack provided to
support clothing accessory articles such as neckties and necklace.
FIG. 1 is the three dimensional view of a preferred embodiment
supporting several neckties inside a closet for demonstrating a
storage mode. The clothing accessories supporting rack 100
comprises a suspension member 102 and a supporting frame 107 that
supports neckties 131 to 139. The suspension member 102 comprises a
hook 102a for 10 engaging with a first external supporting member,
represented by the supporting rod 106 located inside a closet.
Portions 102b and 102c of the suspension member 102 connects the
suspension member 102 to the edge 105 of the supporting frame 107.
The portions 102b and 102c are designed to provide swing or
pivoting function between the frame 107 and the suspension member
102. The supporting frame 107 comprises two or more parallel
supporting bars 108, 121 and 111. These parallel supporting bars
are configured to locate along the same vertical plane as
demonstrated in the storage mode of FIG. 1. Supporting bar 111 is
positioned vertically on top of the supporting bars 121 and 108.
Spacers 112 to 117 provided organized spacing for the supporting
bar 111 to support multiple neckties. Spacers 112 to 117 may be
fixed or adjustable along the extension of the supporting bar 111.
The supporting bars 111, 121 and 108 are connected together by the
vertical edge plates 210 and 220 to form the polygonal supporting
frame 107. A second suspension member 141 is connected to the
supporting bar 108 located around the bottom edge of the supporting
frame 107. The suspension member 141 comprises a catch designed to
be engaged with the retainer hook 103 of the suspension member 102
when the garment accessories supporting frame 100 is converted to
serve an organizing mode.
[0044] The plane A1, A2 and A3 defines the horizontal plane
occupied by the edge or horizontal bar 105. All other horizontal
plans discussed in this specification are defined to be parallel to
this plane. B1 defines the direction of viewing to obtain the top
view of the clothing accessories supporting rack 100. Side view of
the clothing accessories supporting rack 100 is defined by the B2
viewing direction. Attention is now directed to FIG. 2A which
illustrates the side view of the clothing accessories supporting
rack 100. It can be observed that the necktie 131 is in touch with
the necktie 132 during the storage mode provided inside a closet.
Similarly the necktie 132 is in touch with the necktie 133. The
narrow span C1, C2 indicated that the clothing accessories
supporting rack occupies very little closet space during the
storage mode although it receives a good number of clothing
accessories. Neckties tend to slip when it is support on a
horizontal supporting bar. Non-slipping function can be provided by
fabricating or coating the supporting bar with high friction
material, such as a flocking or rubber coating. Flocking and rubber
coating not only increase the product cost significantly, the high
friction coating also make the necktie more difficult to be
inserted or removed during the organizing mode. A design objective
is defined during the research of this invention to provide a
supporting rack that offers non-slipping function only during the
storage mode, The non-slipping function is released when the
supporting rack is removed from the closet for converting into an
organizing mode. FIG. 2C illustrates a gravitational non-slipping
effected provided by the supporting rack of FIG. 1 according to
this design objective. During the storage mode, the parallel
supporting bars 111, 121 and 108 are stacked, or positioned
approximately vertically on top of each other, so that the neck
ties 131, 132 and 133 are slightly displaced and in touch with the
adjacent necktie due to gravitational force. FIG. 2B illustrates an
organizing mode when the supporting frame is positioned
horizontally when operated outside the closet. The supporting bars
111 and 121 are separated horizontally apart by a distance C3, C4.
During the organizing mode of FIG. 2B, the only frictional force
applied to the necktie 131 is the frictional force between the
supporting bar 111 and the necktie 131. When the storage mode of
FIG. 2C is compared with the organizing mode of FIG. 2B, two
additional frictional forces are applied to the necktie 131 to
significantly enhance the non-slipping function. The first
additional frictional force is provided by the interaction between
the portions 282 and 283 of the necktie 131. This frictional force
occurred around the D3 and D4 area. The second additional
frictional force added to the necktie 131 occurred during the D1
and D2 interaction, where the necktie portion 283 rubbed with the
necktie 132. When the necktie portion 282 tends to slip in the
downward E1 direction, it interacts with the upward movement of the
283 portion in the E2 direction. Furthermore the 283 portion rubbed
with the adjacent necktie 132 to create an additional frictional
force. The two additional frictional forces created are
proportional to the frictional coefficient between the portions
282, 283, and the portions 283, 132 multiply by the gravitational
weight of the neckties 131 and 132. The principle to make use of
natural gravitational forces to provide additional non-slipping
frictional forces two surfaces of the clothing accessories during a
storage mode defines the term "gravitational non-slipping
effect".
[0045] Attention is now directed to FIG. 3, which represents an
alternative arrangement of the supporting rack when it is removed
from the closet to provide an organizing mode. The portion 102a of
the suspension member 102 is first engaged to a second external
supporting member, such as a pull handle 382 of the closet door
381. The supporting frame 107 is then swing, or rotated against the
suspension member 102 to a horizontal position. The end portion 142
of the second suspension member 141 is then connected to the
engagement hook 103 of the suspension member 102 to secure the
horizontal position of the frame 107. FIG. 2B illustrated the
condition of the neckties 131 and 132 in this organization mode. It
can be observed that the additional non-slip frictional forces
described in FIG. 2C for necktie 131 are automatically released in
the organizing mode. It should be emphasized that it is not
necessary to place the supporting frame 107 absolutely horizontal
for the organizing mode. The supporting frame 107 is only required
to be adequately rotated against the vertical plane defined by the
closet door 381 or 386 to provide a reasonably comfortable
separation space C3, C4 as illustrated in FIG. 2B. This comfortable
spacing is required to extend along the whole supporting bar useful
for properly supporting clothing accessories. The second suspension
member 141 is a low cost design to keep or secure the deployed
position of the supporting frame 107 during an organizing mode.
There are many other standard designs well known to the art be able
to provide the same function. All these alternate designs capable
to keep/release the supporting frame 107 from the organizing mode
position are included in the claimed scope of the subject
invention. In addition to the pull handle of a closet door, the
portion 102a can be engaged with other external supporting member
such as a wall mount hook. Typical exemplary shape of the portion
102a is a hook having a downward opening. It should also be note
that the supporting bars 111 and 112 are parallel to each other
both in the storage mode of FIG. 1 and the organizing mode of FIG.
3.
[0046] FIG. 4A illustrated the side view of the clothing
accessories rack deployed to provide the organizing mode as shown
in FIG. 3. The wide spacing between adjacent neckties 131 to 133
allows a user to comfortably organize, coordinate or select a
necktie. The angle of the supporting frame 107 against the
supporting closet door 381 or a supporting wall is determined by
the length of the second suspension member 141. It should be noted
that it is not necessary to maintain the supporting frame at a
right angle from the supporting closet door. The supporting frame
107 can work reasonably well by maintaining at an angle around 70
to 110 degrees from the vertical plane defined by the suspension
member 102 as illustrated in FIG. 4A. This vertical plane is also
represented by the vertical plane L3, L4 of FIG. 8 as discussed
hereunder. FIG. 4B illustrates an alternate embodiment wherein a
longer second suspension member 143 is provided. The end portion
142 is provided in the form of a hook, which also engages with the
pull handle 382 of the closet door 381. Although this design
eliminates the engagement hook shown in FIG. 1, it may prohibit the
clothing supporting rack to work properly when it is deployed
against a wall having only a nail to receive the hook 102a.
[0047] Attention is now directed to the side view of an alternate
embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4C. This is a design that provides
double capacity as compared with the clothing accessory supporting
rack of FIG. 1. Two supporting frames 462 and 466, each may be
similar in structure to the supporting frame 107 of FIG. 1 are
provided around the front side and the rear side of the suspension
member 461. The supporting frame 462 is provided the supporting
bars 463 and 464. The supporting frame 466 is provided the
supporting bars 467 and 468. The supporting frames 462 and 466 are
connected to the portion 461a of the suspension member 461. Both
supporting frames are free to rotate against the suspension member
461. Supporting frames 462 and 466 may be identical or different in
structure. It should be noted that the second suspension member 141
of FIG. 1 is an option that is not included in this double capacity
supporting rack. According to this embodiment, during the
organizing mode, the user is required to use one hand to lift,
rotate and gold the supporting frame 462 against the wall or closet
door and use another hand to pick a necktie. When a necktie located
on the supporting frame 466 is to be selected, the supporting rack
is turned around and the suspension member 461 is again engaged
with a receiving member mounted on the wall, or the pull handle of
a closet door. The frame 462 rests approximately in a vertical
position to provide gravitational non-slipping effect and the frame
466 and be lifted or rotated for accessing the necktie desired.
FIG. 4D illustrates an alternate embodiment providing the optional
second suspension member that helps to keep the position of a
deployed supporting frame during the organizing mode. The end
portion 492 of the second suspension member 491 is engaged with the
engagement hook 473 extended from the suspension member 471. The
principle of working is similar to the corresponding design
illustrated in FIG. 1. According to this application, the
engagement hook 473 is required to engage with a second suspension
member extended from both sides of the supporting rack. Two
engagement hooks, one on each side of the supporting rack is less
desirable because the supporting rack is preferred to rest closely
against a supporting wall or closet door. To resolve this issue,
the engagement hook 473 is designed to be rotatable from the
suspension member 461 as shown in the directions G1 and G2 of FIG.
5A. It should also be noted that the first suspension member, the
supporting frame and the second suspension member form a triangle
in a side view as illustrated in FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4D.
[0048] FIG. 5A illustrated an alternate embodiment providing
additional supporting hooks 514 along the top edge or supporting
bar 515 of the supporting frame 511. These additional supporting
hooks are useful for supporting clothing accessory articles such as
necklace 540 and belts 541. Attention is now directed back to FIG.
2A. Without neckties, the supporting frame 107 is in a
substantially vertical plane, wherein the supporting bar 111 is
substantially on top of the supporting bar 121 and 108. When the
supporting rack is loaded with neckties, the center of gravity of
the supporting frame is slightly shifted to the right hand side as
illustrated in the side view of FIG. 2A. Accordingly the terms
"approximately on top" or "approximately vertically on top" are
created and defined to tolerate this type of slight tolerance due
to the thickness and the mass of the clothing accessories supported
by the supporting rack. These terms are also defined to include the
absolute conditions when one supporting bar is positioned exactly
vertically on top of another supporting bar. The slight tilting of
the frame when it is fully loaded negatively affects the
performance of the disclosed design to generate gravitational
non-slipping frictional forces. Accordingly improved designs
defined as "contoured supporting bar alignment" and "self adjusted
gravitational non-slipping effect" are invented to improve the
gravitational non-slipping frictional force provided by the
embodiment of FIG. 1. FIG. 5B illustrated a supporting frame 560
connected to a suspension member 565. The side view locus linking
the contact surfaces of the parallel supporting bars is now
arranged in a curved shape. This effect can be achieved by
providing side edges of shape contoured towards the right hand
side. The contoured shape of the side edges effectively shifted the
center of gravity of the supporting frame towards the right hand
side. The shift of center of gravity allows the lower supporting
bars 563 and 564 to provide adequate contact area for creating the
additional non-slip frictional force required. Since the contoured
side edge is of a fixed shape, effectiveness in compensation of
non-slip frictional force varies according to the mass and number
of clothing accessory articles supported by the rack. An improved
designed named "self adjusted gravitational non-slipping effect"
was created to provide better self compensated gravitational
non-slipping effect to the supporting rack. Attention is now
directed to FIG. 2A. When the supporting frame 210 is fully loaded
with clothing accessory articles such as the neckties 131 to 133,
weight of the neckties shifted the lower end of the frame 210
towards left hand side. This shifting movement reduces the
frictional forces developed between the neckties 131 to 133. In an
improved embodiment, each supporting bar 111, 121 and 108 is
mounted with a series of interconnected segments of edge plates
freely rotatable from each other. The side view of a typical edge
plate is illustrated in FIG. 5C. Dotted line area 578 is the
location where a supporting bar is mounted. Holes 572 and 573 are
the pivot points for one edge plate segment to be interconnected
with an adjacent edge plate segment. Areas 574 and 575 are recessed
areas. Protruded portions 576, 577 are stoppers prevented the
supporting frame from bending into a undesirable direction during
organizing mode. FIG. 5D demonstrates how two adjacent segments
will be able to provide self adjusted contour effect when the
supporting frame 511 is tilted to the left hand side in a storage
mode. Weight of the clothing accessory articles rested on the
support bar 584, interacted by the pivot point 586, tends to shift
the edge plate segment 583 towards the direction of G3. This motion
compensates the reduction of gravitational non-slipping frictional
force when the supporting frame is shifted to the left hand side,
as previously discussed. The angle and pressure of compensating
self adjusted frictional force depend on the mass of the clothing
accessory articles supported on the supporting bar 584. FIG. 5E
demonstrates how the improved design works during an organizing
mode. The interconnected segments of edge plates are not desired to
be contoured or rotated from each other during a deployed
organizing mode. Pulling force of the second suspension member 141
to maintain the horizontal level of the supporting frame 107 as
illustrated in FIG. 3 is represented the direction of force G4.
When edge segment 590 is moved by the force G4 against the edge
plate 594 according to the pivot point 593, the two edge plates are
kept at a horizontal level by the interacting stoppers 592 and 596.
Accordingly, "self adjusted gravitational non-slipping effect" is
defined by a working principle that make use of gravitational force
between the relative movement of adjacent supporting bars to
provide self adjusted non-slipping interaction between layers of
neckties supported by the adjacent supporting bars. FIG. 5C to 5E
demonstrates a supporting frame design capable of offering self
adjusted contoured frame shape in the storage mode of FIG. 5D. The
design also allows the supporting frame to remain in a flat
position when it is converted into the organizing mode of FIG.
5E.
[0049] Attention is now directed to an alternate embodiment
illustrated in FIG. 6. The supporting frame structure of FIG. 6 is
identical to that of FIG. 2A except that the second suspension
member 141 of FIG. 2A is replaced by the second suspension member
621. The end portion 142 of FIG. 2A is replaced by the hook 631.
Attention is now directed to FIG. 7A. All the parallel supporting
bars described in the previous embodiments are fixedly secured with
the supporting frame. FIG. 7A illustrated a supporting bar 720 that
is removable from the side edge plate 700 of the supporting frame.
A handle 727 enables a user to hold and remove the supporting bar
720. After a supporting bar is filled with clothing accessories
such as neckties, a user hold the handle 727, allowing the terminal
portion 729 of the supporting bar 720 to be inserted into the guide
702 as shown in the direction H. The guide 702 is carefully shaped
to provide an upward facing opening at a suitable angle so that the
supporting bar 720 will not fall during both the storage mode and
the rotated organizing mode. Further suspension hook 728 may be
provided beneath the support bar for receiving other clothing
accessory articles such as necklace or belt of FIG. 5A. These
additional hooks may be integrated with the spacers 112 and 117 of
FIG. 1. Since the supporting bar is free to rotate from the
supporting frame, weight of the supported necklace or belt will
always direct the hook 728 to locate beneath the horizontal level
of the supporting bar 720. FIG. 7B illustrated the side view of the
removable supporting bar 720. The handle 727 locates on the upper
side of the supporting bar 720. The hook 728 is always positioned
below the supporting bar 720. FIG. 7C showed an alternate
embodiment of FIG. 7B wherein the orientations of the hook shape
handle 727 is rotated by 90 degrees. This modification allows the
supporting bar 781 to use as a separated hanger for independently
engaging with an external supporting member such as a closet
rod.
[0050] FIG. 8 illustrated the top view of a typical preferred
embodiment. 802 represents a suspension member for the supporting
rack to be engaged with a closet supporting rod or the pull handle
of a closet door. 801 represents the supporting frame, which is
positioned along the vertical plane L3, L4. When the frame 801 is
described to rotate vertically against the suspension member 802,
it means the frame 801 rotates along the vertical plane L1, L2
against suspension member 802. Direction J indicates the direction
of viewing for the side views described in this specification.
Direction K1, K2 represents the direction of viewing for a front
view.
[0051] FIG. 9A illustrated the top view of another embodiment of a
clothing accessories supporting rack during a storage mode. This
rack comprises a suspension member 901, 902 for connecting the
supporting rack to a closet supporting rod, or the pull handle of a
closet door. It also comprises a supporting frame having parallel
supporting bars 911 to 913. The parallel supporting bars are
connected to two end plates 928 and 938 with the pivot points 921
to 923 and 931 to 933. When the suspension member is engaged with
the pull handle of a closet door for converting into an organizing
mode, the supporting bar 913 swings towards the direction N such
that the supporting bars 911 to 913 are wide apart from each other
for receiving or accessing clothing accessory articles as shown in
FIG. 9B. It can be observed that the suspension hook 961 of FIG. 9B
does not locate around the center of gravity of the frame during
the organizing mode of FIG. 9B. The reason is that it is more
important to position the suspension member 901 around the center
of gravity line M1, M2 during the storage mode of FIG. 9A. Although
the embodiment of FIGS. 9A and 9B satisfies several design goals of
the research, the performance of this embodiment is inferior as
compared with the embodiment of FIG. 1 due to two reasons: [0052]
(a) It failed to provide the desirable gravitational non-slipping
effect; and [0053] (b) It is difficult to implement double capacity
upgrade as illustrated in FIG. 4C.
[0054] From the foregoing it should now be recognized that
embodiments of a clothing accessories supporting rack have been
disclosed herein especially suited for providing both a high
storage efficiency storage mode and a easy to access organizing
mode. It should be noticed that the embodiments described are
exemplary to achieve the disclosed design goals, to implement the
disclosed theory; and that different alternate designs provided
according to the spirit of the invention are all considered being
included within the scope of the claims.
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