U.S. patent application number 12/583700 was filed with the patent office on 2010-03-11 for perfect shirt hanger.
Invention is credited to Artan Temali, Enkeleta Temali.
Application Number | 20100059557 12/583700 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41798338 |
Filed Date | 2010-03-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100059557 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Temali; Artan ; et
al. |
March 11, 2010 |
Perfect shirt hanger
Abstract
Perfect Shirt Hanger is a premium-quality, hook-topped
collapsible shirt hanger, manufactured in injection-molded
thermoplastic or wood having the collapsible shoulder and upper-arm
portions contoured and shaped to provide a crease-free hang for the
shirt or other garment, and is flared somewhat to further preserve
the garment's natural shape.
Inventors: |
Temali; Artan; (Mamaroneck,
NY) ; Temali; Enkeleta; (Mamaroneck, NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
RUTH EURE
4795 EDISON AVENUE
BOULDER
CO
80301
US
|
Family ID: |
41798338 |
Appl. No.: |
12/583700 |
Filed: |
August 25, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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61191407 |
Sep 8, 2008 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
223/94 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G 25/4023
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
223/94 |
International
Class: |
A41D 27/22 20060101
A41D027/22 |
Claims
1. A collapsible hanger comprising two arm sections which are
joined by a central portion, the central portion comprising a hook
for hanging and two clips for securing the two arms in place on the
central portion.
2. A unitary foldable garment hanger comprising: a) a pair of
elongated arm means each having a shoulder, said shoulders being in
adjacent relationship, each shoulder having a top portion and a
bottom portion; b) hinge means interconnecting adjoining respective
said bottom portions so that said arm means articulate in opposed
relationship to each other between respective outwardly extended
positions and lowered adjacent positions; and c) latch means.
3. The hanger of claim 2 which is openable from a disassembled
storage configuration into an assembled use configuration with one
hand, and which is closable from said assembled use configuration
into a disassembled storage configuration with one hand.
4. The hanger of claim 2 wherein each said shoulder includes a
portion which abuts against the other when said arm means are in
said extended positions.
5. The hanger of claim 2 wherein, when said arms are in said
lowered adjacent positions, said hook means and said latch means
are in non-interfering relationship with each other and with said
link means and said arm means.
6. The hanger of claim 2 wherein said arms, said link means, said
hook means and said latch means are generally coplanar.
7. The hanger of claim 2 which is openable from a disassembled
storage configuration into an assembled use configuration with one
hand, and which is closable from said assembled use configuration
into a disassembled storage configuration with one hand.
Description
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
[0001] The present invention claims priority from U.S. Provisional
Application Ser. No. 61/191,407, filed Sep. 8, 2008, of common
title and inventorship herewith.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention pertains to the field of clothing
hangers and more specifically to the field of collapsible shirt
hangers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The prior art has put forth several variation on retractable
clothing hangers. These include:
[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 7,036,696 to Lam wherein is disclosed a
foldable and self-opening garment hanger. Lam's hanger comprises a
resilient force such as a spring for opening the hanger.
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,257 to Ward discloses a folding hanger
for garments and the like. The hanger of Ward comprises 2 wings,
one of which has an integral hook for engaging a closet rod or the
like, wherein the two wings latch together.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,584 to Adams describes a foldable
hanger. The hanger of this invention comprises two arms and a
central link. The central link is attached to the hook for engaging
the closet rod. The link also comprises a latch for engagement of
the arms.
[0007] None of these prior art devices describe or contemplate the
collapsible hanger of the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] President Thomas Jefferson invented a wooden coat hanger in
the early 1800s, but it wasn't until the 1930s that modern, wire
coat hangers were in universal use. Coat hangers are a good
alternative to folding shirts, a good way to keep shirts from
getting creased and wrinkled, but because the coat hanger frame is
rigid, taking a shirt off a hanger is also, unfortunately, a good
way to tear or otherwise damage the shirt. The invention to be
discussed in this report is an improvement on the coat or shirt
hanger, and is marketed to both household consumers and
retailers.
[0009] Recognizing the potential to create a better shirt hanger, a
new product, entitled the Perfect Shirt Hanger was invented. Simply
stated, the Perfect Shirt Hanger is a premium-quality, hook-topped
shirt hanger, manufactured in injection-molded thermoplastic by the
plastics products industry, Standard Industrial Code 3089. (The
Perfect Shirt Hanger could alternatively be manufactured in wood,
at a considerably higher cost.) The shoulder and upper-arm portions
of the Perfect Hanger are contoured and shaped to provide a
crease-free hang for the shirt or other garment, and is flared
somewhat to further preserve the garment's natural shape.
[0010] One embodiment is contemplated to be injection molded out of
inexpensive plastic for the retail trade.
[0011] An alternative embodiment is contemplated to be a slightly
heavier version for general consumer use.
[0012] A further alternative embodiment comprises a cedar version
for more affluent consumers.
[0013] A further alternative embodiment comprises a spring actuated
means for ease of opening the hanger.
[0014] It is an object of the present invention to provide an
improved collapsible hanger.
[0015] This invention is directed to a foldable garment hanger of
unitary plastic construction which incorporates a pair of opposed,
pivotable, garment-supporting arms that can be articulated between
open (i.e., unfolded and assembled) and closed (i.e., folded and
disassembled) positions.
[0016] The articulation is achieved by means of a combination of
hinges and an integral interconnecting link that extends between
the shoulders of the arms.
[0017] Latches are provided for maintaining the arms in their
respective fully open (i.e., fully assembled) and fully closed
(i.e., fully disassembled) positions.
[0018] The hanger is simple and easy for the user to open or
closed.
[0019] Moreover, the hanger employs relatively few flexible
interconnections and interconnected movable parts, and incorporates
a simple, reliable latching mechanism.
[0020] The hanger is believed to offer features and use advantages,
including structural simplicity and reliability, that have not
previously been available so far as now known in a foldable plastic
garment hanger.
These and other objects, aims, purposes, features, benefits,
advantages, embodiments and the like will be apparent to those
skilled in the art from the present specification taken with the
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] FIG. 1 is a front view of the collapsible hanger of the
present invention showing the arm sections in the folded
position.
[0022] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the collapsible hanger of
the present invention showing the arm sections in the upright
position.
[0023] FIG. 3 shows the collapsible hanger of the present invention
in use.
[0024] FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of the hanger of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0025] The Perfect Shirt Hanger, a shirt hanger featuring
quick-release shoulders that fold down to allow a garment to simply
glide off, presents a number of distinct and significant benefits
and advantages. Foremost, the Perfect Shirt Hanger provides for
crease-free hanging in a closet or on a retail store's racks, yet
protects shirts and other garments from the tearing, ripping, and
pulling that so often occur in removing garments from standard
hangers. To the household consumer, of course, the Perfect Shirt
Hanger means enhanced conservation and protection of valued
garments; to a retail store operator, the Perfect Shirt Hanger
means less damage to costly inventory.
[0026] One distinguishing feature of the Perfect Shirt Hanger is
the ability of its two shoulder/upper-arm supports to fold
downward, such that a shirt or other garment (dress, coat, jacket,
sweater) could simply glide down off the hanger. This feature is
achieved by equipping the two arms of the hanger with hinges, these
hinges operated by a pair of spring-release locks at the base of
the hanger's hook. A pair of molded release clips, one on either
side of the hanger hook's shaft, is pressed together, releasing the
locks and allowing the two arms of the hanger to fold downward
vertically, and thus allow the shirt or other garment to simply
slide down off the hanger with no possibility of ripping,
stretching or tearing.
[0027] The Perfect Shirt Hanger is simple to use, requires no
assembly or maintenance, and is sturdy enough to provide many years
of reliable service.
[0028] The Perfect Hanger can be produced in several versions to
accommodate the needs of retailers, average consumers, and more
affluent consumers.
[0029] Simple in concept and designed for single-handed operation,
the Perfect Shirt Hanger constitutes a vast improvement on the
standard hangers now universally in use, suggesting an enormous
potential market for this product.
[0030] A folding or collapsible shirt hanger, the shoulder sections
of which fold downward to allow the shirt or other garment to
safely glide off the hanger, the Perfect Shirt Hanger protects
shirts, jackets, and other upper-body garments from tearing,
ripping, or stretching when being removed from their hangers.
Cleverly designed and eminently useful, the Perfect Shirt Hanger
presents a considerable advance on the technology of garment
hangers, and as such will find a wide and enthusiastic market among
both the consumer households and clothing retailers.
[0031] Turning to FIG. 2, Hanger 10 incorporates a pair of arms 11
and 12 which can be articulated in longitudinally opposed
relationship to each other between a fully open position as shown
in FIG. 2, and a fully closed position as shown in FIG. 1. Various
plastics can be employed; however, it is presently preferred to
employ a thermoplastic polypropylene (including homopolymers,
copolymers with other monomers, polyblends or the like) due to the
capacity of such a polymer to be molded into a body.
[0032] Each arm 11 and 12 is generally symmetrically configured and
similarly sized relative to the other arm.
[0033] In hanger 10 assembly, the upward and outward movement of
the arm 11 relative to the arm 12 is limited by the edge 24 of
central portion 28. When the arms 11 and 12 are in their extended
and hanger 10 assembled, unfolded, and normal use configuration as
shown in FIG. 2, the lower straight section of central portion 28
abuttingly engage and thereby limit or prevent further pivotal
extension of the arms 11 and 12.
[0034] Thus, the arm 11 is pivotable relative to central portion 28
and the arm 12 is pivotable relative to central portion 28. Central
portion 28 acts as the pivotal portion of a hinge during pivotal
movements of the arms 11 and 12.
[0035] A hook 19 that is conveniently sized for engagement over a
closet bar (not shown) or the like outwardly extends from integral
association with central portion 28. Although alternative hook
connecting arrangements and locations are possible, the presently
preferred one is as shown in the FIG. 2 and involves the
positioning of the base of hook 19 in the region of the joining
between the arms 11 and 12 on central portion 28.
[0036] To stabilize and secure the arms 11 and 12 in the assembled
hanger 10 use configuration shown in FIG. 2, a latch assembly is
provided. Various latch assemblies and variations in latch assembly
location can be used. Preferably, hanger 10 employs a latch
assembly clip 14 that is positioned just above the pivot point of
arms 11 and 12 on central portion 28.
[0037] Preferably, the interrelationship between the latch assembly
clip 14 and the hook 19 is such that, when hanger 10 is fully
assembled and latched, and the hook 19 is engaged fully and
properly with a closet bar (not shown), the hanger 10 is in a
centered and balanced relationship so that the arms 11 and 12 tend
to hang in equally spaced relationship relative to the closet
bar.
[0038] Thus, the arms 11 and 12, the central portion 28, and the
hook 19 are interconnected with one another and movable relative to
one another. These sections are, as shown, preferably generally
equally spaced from one another, when the hanger 10 is in its
collapsed or storage configuration.
[0039] The hanger 10 is openable from a disassembled storage
configuration as into an assembled use configuration as shown in
FIG. 2 with one hand, and also hanger 10 is closable from the
assembled use configuration into the disassembled storage
configuration with one hand.
[0040] In an alternative embodiment, the arms are spring loaded and
actuated by the pressing of a button mounted on the central
portion. When the button is pressed, the arms spring open into the
ready to use position.
[0041] Although this invention has been described with respect to
specific embodiments, it is not intended to be limited thereto and
various modifications which will become apparent to the person of
ordinary skill in the art are intended to fall within the spirit
and scope of the invention as described herein taken in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.
* * * * *