U.S. patent application number 12/931194 was filed with the patent office on 2011-11-24 for collapsible hanger.
Invention is credited to Bryan Kaleta, Mark Kaleta.
Application Number | 20110284597 12/931194 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44971657 |
Filed Date | 2011-11-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110284597 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kaleta; Bryan ; et
al. |
November 24, 2011 |
Collapsible hanger
Abstract
A collapsible hanger has a pair of hanger arms for supporting an
article of clothing. Each arm has a proximal end pivotally mounted
on a frame. A gear mechanism engages gear teeth on the proximal end
of the arms and causes the arms to simultaneously rotate between a
raised position to a lowered position. A locking mechanism locks
the arms in the raised position and when the locking mechanism is
released, allows the arms to drop down to a collapsed position,
releasing the article of clothing.
Inventors: |
Kaleta; Bryan; (Darien,
IL) ; Kaleta; Mark; (Chicago, IL) |
Family ID: |
44971657 |
Appl. No.: |
12/931194 |
Filed: |
January 25, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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61395979 |
May 21, 2010 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
223/85 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G 25/50 20130101;
A47G 25/4023 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
223/85 |
International
Class: |
A47G 25/14 20060101
A47G025/14 |
Claims
1. A collapsible hanger comprising: a mounting frame; a gear
mechanism mounted on the frame; a pair of hanger arms, each arm
having a proximal end and a distal end; pivot means mounted to the
frame with the proximal end of each of the arms mounted on the
pivot means for allowing the arms to rotate about the pivot means
from a raised position to a lowered position; and gear means on the
proximal end of each of the hanger arms, the gear means operatively
engaging the gear mechanism whereby movement of the gear mechanism
simultaneously operates both gear means causing the arms to rotate
simultaneously about the pivot means.
2. The collapsible hanger of claim 1 and further comprising locking
means for locking the arms in the raised position.
3. The collapsible hanger of claim 2 wherein the pivot means
comprise at least two pivot posts, with the proximal end of each
arm mounted on one of the posts.
4. The collapsible hanger of claim 2 wherein the locking means
comprises a latch that engages the gear mechanism for allowing or
prohibiting the gear mechanism to move thereby allowing the arms to
rotate.
5. The collapsible hanger of claim 4 wherein the latch locks the
gear mechanism when the arms are in the raised position, and when
the latch is released, the gear mechanism is released and the arms
move to a lowered position by gravity applying a force to the
arms.
6. The collapsible hanger of claim 1 wherein the gear mechanism
comprises a rack with gear teeth on the perimeter of the rack, and
the gear means engages the gear teeth on the rack.
7. The collapsible hanger of claim 6 wherein the gear means on each
of the arms engage opposite sides of the rack, with the gear means
on each of the hanger arms moving in synchronization with the
movement of the rack.
8. The collapsible hanger of claim 5 wherein the latch comprises a
pair of flexible pivoting tabs, the tabs engaging a locking
shoulder on the frame to keep the gear mechanism from moving when
the arms are in the raised position, and disengaged from the
shoulder thereby allowing the gear mechanism to move to allow the
arms to rotate about the pivot means to the lowered position.
9. A collapsible hanger comprising: a mounting frame; a pair of
hanger arms, each arm having a proximal end and a distal end; pivot
means mounted to the frame with the proximal end of each of the
arms mounted on the pivot means for allowing the arms to rotate
about the pivot means from a raised position to a lowered position;
gear teeth disposed around the proximal end of the hanger arms; a
rack with complementary teeth disposed about the rack which engage
the gear teeth on the proximal ends of the arms in a driving
relationship so that linear movement of the rack simultaneously
engages and drives the gear teeth on the arms causing the arms to
rotate simultaneously about the pivot means between the raised and
lowered positions; and a latching mechanism connected to the rack
to lock the rack in place when the arms are in the raised position
and means for releasing the latching mechanism for allowing the
rack to move and the arms to be dropped to the lowered
position.
10. The collapsible hanger of claim 9 wherein the pivot means
comprise at least two pivot posts, with the proximal end of each
arm mounted on one of the posts.
11. The collapsible hanger of claim 9 wherein the latching
mechanism comprises a pair of flexible pivoting tabs, the tabs
engaging a locking shoulder on the frame to keep the rack from
movement when the arms are in the raised position, and disengaged
from the shoulder thereby allowing the rack to move to allow the
arms to rotate about the pivot means to the lowered position.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is based on and claims priority of
provisional patent application 61/395,979 filed May 21, 2010.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention is directed to a collapsible hanger that can
be easily collapsed from a first position in which the arms of the
hanger are in an upstanding horizontal position also referred to as
being in the "up" position to a second position in which the arms
are collapsed to a vertical position also referred to as the "down"
position. The hanger thus serves at least two important functions.
The first is that it can be easily collapsed for storage. The
second is that the arms can be easily moved from the up position to
the down position allowing the arms to be easily inserted into or
removed from a garment that has a continuous open neck portion
often called a crew neck or "v" neck. Such garments do not have a
buttoned or zippered front that opens from the neck of the garment
to the bottom of the garment, making it difficult to insert a
conventional hanger into the neck of the garment without stretching
the neck out of shape.
[0003] The inventive hanger comprises two collapsible arms, pivoted
together at one end, so as to assume the two different positions,
that is the extended raised or "up" position, where they support
the garment and a collapsed or "down" position in which the garment
is allowed to slide off the hanger by gravity.
[0004] The two arms are normally held and locked in the extended,
raised position in which they support the garment by means of the
arms of the hanger which are held in place by a latching mechanism.
When the latching mechanism is released, the two arms swing
downwardly, due to gravity and the weight of the garment, to the
collapsed or down position allowing the garment to slide off the
arms and the hanger.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the hanger in which the arms
are in the extended or up position.
[0006] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the circled area of FIG. 1
illustrating the pivoting locking tabs.
[0007] FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the hanger with the
cover removed and rotated 180.degree. showing the internal
mechanism with the arms in the up position.
[0008] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the internal pivoting and
latching mechanism with the arms in the extended and locked
position.
[0009] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the internal pivoting and
latching mechanism with the arms in the down and unlatched
position.
[0010] FIG. 5A is a front elevation view of the hanger in which the
arms are in the collapsed or down position with the cover removed
and rotated 180.degree..
[0011] FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the hanger illustrating all of
its components.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0012] FIGS. 1 and 3 illustrate the inventive hanger 10 in the up
position in which the hanger 10 can support a garment which is to
be hung from a rod. The hanger 10 has a right arm 12 and a left arm
14. The length of the arms 12 and 14 is of such a length to support
a shirt, sweater or other desired article of clothing when hung
from the hanger 10. Each arm has a distal end 16 and a proximal end
18. The proximal end 18 has a central circular opening 20. Along a
portion of the outer circumference of the proximal end 18 are a
series of gear teeth 22. A hook 38 is at the top of the hanger 10
to hang the hanger 10 on a pole or bar as conventionally done with
most hangers.
[0013] FIGS. 5 and 5A illustrate the hanger 10 in its collapsed or
down position in which the garment can be slipped off of the arms
of the hanger without stretching the collar of the garment. The
distal ends 16 are adjacent to each other when the hanger is in
this collapsed position. The hanger as seen in FIG. 5A can be
easily stored in a suitcase for travel.
[0014] There is a base member or base frame 24 which is most
clearly illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. The base member 24 has a pair
of upstanding circular posts 26, 28. Each of the arms 12, 14 is
mounted on one of the posts 26, 28 by means of one of the posts 26,
28 being inserted into the circular opening 20 at the proximal end
as seen in FIGS. 3-5. The base member 24 also has at its top a pair
of outstanding fingers 30, 32.
[0015] An important feature of the invention is a latching
mechanism 34 that keeps the arms 12 and 14 in the extended position
and can be released to allow the arms 12 and 14 to drop down into
the collapsed position. The latching mechanism 34 is clearly
illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. As previously described, the hook 38
is "c" shaped for hanging on a pole. There is a thumb rest 40 at
the base of the hook 38. Extending downward from the thumb rest 40
is a vertically disposed rack 42 with a series of gear teeth 44 on
both sides of the vertical disposed rack 42. The gear teeth 44 on
the rack 42 engage the gear teeth 22 on the circumference of the
proximal end 18 of each arm 12, 14 as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5.
[0016] The latching mechanism 34 also has a pair of pivoting
locking tabs 46, 48 on either side of the rack 42. The pivoting
locking tabs 46, 48 have a fixed pivoting end 50 mounted just below
the thumb rest 40. Opposite the fixed end 50 is a pivoting or free
end 52. When a force is applied to the free end 52, it is free to
flex or pivot about the fixed end 50. Between the fixed end 50 and
the free end 52 is a shoulder 54 with a ledge 56. The shoulder is
connected to the fixed end 50 by a neck portion 58. Preferably the
locking tabs 46, 48 are made of plastic or a flexible metal so that
the free end 50 can flex yet have a "memory" to cause it to return
to its original position.
[0017] It is easy to operate the latching mechanism and cause the
arms 12, 14 to move between the up, or latched position and the
down or collapsed position. FIGS. 1 and 3 illustrate the arms 12,
14 in the up or raised position in which they are locked by the
latching mechanism 34. As seen in FIG. 4, the pivotal locking tabs
46, 48 are in their normal outwardly extending position. The ledge
56 on the shoulder 54 rests against a toe portion 60 at the base of
the fingers 30, 32. As the fingers 30, 32 are securely mounted to
or formed with the base member 24, the fingers 30, 32 are
stationary. The locking tabs 46, 48 are latched in this
position.
[0018] To collapse the hanger 10, the user grasps the hook 38 with
one hand and compresses the pivoting locking tabs 46, 48 with the
other hand. This can easily be done by pinching the tabs 46, 48
toward each other with the user's thumb and index finger. The
pivoting tabs 46, 48 pivot inward to allow the shoulder 54 to move
over the toe portion 60. This releases the shoulder 54 from
engagement with the toe 60 which releases the latching mechanism 34
from the locked position. The locking tabs 46, 48 clear the toes 60
on the fingers 30, 32. Gravity causes the arms 12, 14 to rotate
about posts 26, 28 in the direction of arrow "A" in FIG. 5. The
rack 42, hook 38 and pivoting arms 46, 48 are drawn upward in the
direction of arrow "B" as the gears 22 on the arms 12, 14 rotate
and drive the gears 44 on the rack 42 forcing the rack in the
direction of arrow B. FIG. 5A illustrates the arms 12, 14 in the
fully released or down position.
[0019] To raise the arms 12, 14, the user grasps the outstanding
fingers 30, 32 with his index and middle finger and places his
thumb on the thumb rest 40. This is similar to one grasping a
syringe when giving an injection. The user applies a downward force
opposite arrow B with his thumb and pulls up on the underside of
fingers 30, 32 with his index and middle finger. This pushes the
rack 42 downward and the tabs 46, 48 slide over a sloped ledge 49
on the fingers 30, 32. Once pushed far enough, the shoulder 54
extends past the toe 60 and the tabs 46, 48 spring outward in the
direction shown by arrow "D" to a latched position such as
illustrated in FIG. 4. This action allows the arms 12, 14 to travel
in the direction of arrow "C" in FIG. 4.
[0020] Also seen in FIG. 6 is a base member cover 62 that has post
holes 64 to receive the posts 26, 28. The cover 62 is designed to
be placed over the base member 24 to cover the internal components
of the latching mechanism 34. Alternatively the base member 62 can
be a mirror image of base plate 24 with posts 26, 28 each being
half of the total height of the assembled posts.
[0021] Preferably all components can be manufactured out of plastic
to minimize material and manufacturing costs. However, one skilled
in the art may produce the hanger from any suitable materials that
function as described above.
[0022] Thus there has been provided a collapsible hanger that has
been described in conjunction with a specific embodiment. However,
it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations
will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the
foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all
such alternatives, modifications and variations as fall within the
spirit and scope of the appended claims.
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