U.S. patent application number 12/843713 was filed with the patent office on 2012-01-26 for pants/hanger organizer.
This patent application is currently assigned to BORG UNLIMITED INC.. Invention is credited to Ricardo Gamboa.
Application Number | 20120018464 12/843713 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45492748 |
Filed Date | 2012-01-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120018464 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gamboa; Ricardo |
January 26, 2012 |
PANTS/HANGER ORGANIZER
Abstract
A clothing organizer includes a frame having a hanger section
and a clothing support section which pivots relative to the hanger
section between a first storage position and a second access
position. A plurality of elongated receivers are aligned along a
common plane and spaced apart from each other and extend
perpendicularly from the clothing support section. Each of the
receivers defines a fixed end attached to the clothing support
section and a free end cantilevered perpendicular to the clothing
support section. A sleeve can be removably attachable to any of the
receivers. The sleeve slidably engages and can be pivotable about
the selected receiver. A handle can be fixed to the clothing
support section at an end opposite the hanger section and the
hanger section includes a hook to attach the clothing organizer to
a closet rod or the like.
Inventors: |
Gamboa; Ricardo; (Monterey
Park, CA) |
Assignee: |
BORG UNLIMITED INC.
Monterey Park
CA
|
Family ID: |
45492748 |
Appl. No.: |
12/843713 |
Filed: |
July 26, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
223/95 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G 25/18 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
223/95 |
International
Class: |
A41D 27/22 20060101
A41D027/22 |
Claims
1. A clothing organizer, comprising: a frame including a hanger
section and a clothing support section which pivots relative to the
hanger section between a first storage position and a second access
position; and a plurality of elongated receivers extending
generally perpendicularly from the clothing support section,
wherein an article of clothing can easily be draped over any of the
receivers while the clothing support section is temporarily held in
the second access position and then the clothing support section
can be pivoted into its first stage position for compact storage
for a plurality of articles of clothing.
2. The organizer of claim 1, wherein the receivers are spaced apart
from each other along the clothing support section.
3. The organizer of claim 2, wherein the receivers are aligned
along a common plane.
4. The organizer of claim 1, including a sleeve removably
attachable to any of the receivers, wherein an article of clothing
can easily be draped over the sleeve prior to attaching the sleeve
to a selected receiver.
5. The organizer of claim 4, wherein the sleeve slidably engages
the selected receiver.
6. The organizer of claim 5, wherein the sleeve is pivotable about
the selected receiver.
7. The organizer of claim 1, wherein each of the receivers
comprises a fixed end attached to the clothing support section and
a free end cantilevered generally perpendicular to the clothing
support section.
8. The organizer of claim 1, including a handle fixed to the
clothing support section at an end opposite the hanger section.
9. The organizer of claim 1, wherein the hanger section includes a
hook.
10. A clothing organizer, comprising: a frame including a hanger
section and a clothing support section which pivots relative to the
hanger section between a first storage position and a second access
position; a plurality of elongated receivers extending generally
perpendicularly from the clothing support section where the
receivers are spaced apart from each other along the clothing
support section; and a sleeve removably attachable to any of the
receivers, wherein an article of clothing can easily be draped over
the sleeve prior to attaching the sleeve to a selected receiver
while the clothing support section is temporarily held in the
second access position and then the clothing support section can be
pivoted into its first stage position for compact storage for a
plurality of articles of clothing.
11. The organizer of claim 10, wherein the receivers are aligned
along a common plane.
12. The organizer of claim 10, wherein the sleeve slidably engages
the selected receiver.
13. The organizer of claim 12, wherein the sleeve is pivotable
about the selected receiver.
14. The organizer of claim 10, wherein each of the receivers
comprises a fixed end attached to the clothing support section and
a free end cantilevered generally perpendicular to the clothing
support section.
15. The organizer of claim 10, including a handle fixed to the
clothing support section at an end opposite the hanger section.
16. The organizer of claim 10, wherein the hanger section includes
a hook.
17. A clothing organizer, comprising: a frame including a hanger
section and a clothing support section which pivots relative to the
hanger section between a first storage position and a second access
position; a plurality of elongated receivers extending generally
perpendicularly from the clothing support section wherein each of
the receivers comprises a fixed end attached to the clothing
support section and a free end cantilevered generally perpendicular
to the clothing support section; a handle fixed to the clothing
support section at an end opposite the hanger section a sleeve
removably attachable to any of the receivers, wherein an article of
clothing can easily be draped over the sleeve prior to attaching
the sleeve to a selected receiver while the clothing support
section is temporarily held in the second access position and then
the clothing support section can be pivoted into its first stage
position for compact storage for a plurality of articles of
clothing.
18. The organizer of claim 17, wherein the receivers are spaced
apart from each other along the clothing support section and are
aligned along a common plane.
19. The organizer of claim 17, wherein the sleeve slidably engages
and is pivotable about the selected receiver.
20. The organizer of claim 17, wherein the hanger section includes
a hook.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention is generally directed towards hangers.
More particularly, the present invention is directed towards a
hanger organizer specifically designed to hold a plurality of
articles of clothing while allowing easy access between the stored
position and access position.
[0002] There are three basic types of clothes hangers. The most
commonly known and used is probably a wire hanger which is
configured as a more or less squat isosceles triangle that at its
upper apex has a hook formed from twisting together wires which
meet where the two equal inclined sides of the triangle join. The
second is the wooden hanger, which consists of a flat piece of wood
cut into a boomerang-like shape with the edges sanded down to
prevent damage to the clothing, and a hook, usually of metal,
protruding from the point. Some wooden hangers have a rounded bar
from tip to tip, forming a flattened triangle. This bar is designed
to hang the trousers belonging to the jacket. The third kind is the
plastic coat hanger, which mostly mimics the shape of either a wire
or wooden hanger. Plastic coat hangers are also produced in smaller
sizes to accommodate the shapes of children's clothes.
[0003] The problem with hangers of this nature is that the trousers
or slacks or skirts which they support need to be folded over the
lower long or horizontal side of the hanger which can be not only
comparatively time consuming but also may cause an unwanted crease
in the garment at the fold. Another common hanger for trousers and
slacks comprises a pair of horizontal clamp parts which are
resiliently urged together to clamp the trousers or slacks at their
cuffs. A hook is provided that extends above the clamping parts
which, in turn, is received by a bar or rod that extends
horizontally in a closet or the like. These hangers avoid imparting
an unwanted crease to the trousers or slacks. But they are somewhat
difficult to manipulate both in maneuvering the cuffs of the
trousers or slacks between the clamping parts and in the subsequent
unclamping action to remove them when desired.
[0004] Another type of hanger which is used primarily by women to
hang slacks or skirts is similar in configuration to the first
mentioned hanger described above except that a portion of the lower
horizontal part of the isosceles triangle may be removed and a pair
of resilient clamps are provided on the remaining horizontal
portions near the outboard ends of the hanger. In a variation, the
clamps may be slidable along a horizontal rod. These clamps are, if
anything, even more difficult to operate for clamping the garment
in place than required for the second hanger mentioned above.
[0005] Other combinations exist such as a combination of clamping
means together with slanting arms disposed above the clamping means
which are configured for receiving coats, shirts, sweaters, and the
like. But they all suffer from drawbacks because they are, from a
comparative standpoint, time consuming to use and, moreover, when
clamps are involved, people with disabilities such as arthritis of
the hands and wrists find them difficult and sometimes practically
impossible to manipulate.
[0006] In addition to the problems discussed above, there has been
a growing emphasis to make more efficient use of closet storage
space not only to permit a greater number of clothing articles to
be stored in a given area but also to facilitate access to such
articles. The need for organized storage units has increased due to
the tendency in new building construction to reduce the amount of
closet space within dwelling units.
[0007] In clothes closets, use has been made of various types of
telescoping hangers or racks for supporting articles in movable
relationship to the clothes rod. Such racks have often provided
structure for supporting a plurality of articles in a space which
has heretobefore been utilized to hang a single garment or item.
However, these prior racks have been quite cumbersome in and of
themselves. Additionally, these racks are hard to install, hard to
use and are quite elaborate and expensive.
[0008] Accordingly, there is a need for a clothing organizer that
is relatively inexpensive and stores a plurality of garments while
remaining easy to use when either hanging or retrieving a
particular garment. The present invention fulfills these needs and
provides other related advantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] A clothing organizer of the present invention includes a
frame having a hanger section and a clothing support section. The
clothing support section pivots relative to the hanger section
between a first storage position and a second access position. A
plurality of elongated receivers extend generally perpendicularly
from the clothing support section. An article of clothing can
easily be draped over any of the receivers while the clothing
support section is temporarily held in the second access position.
Then, the clothing support section can be pivoted into its first
stage position for compact storage for a plurality of articles of
clothing.
[0010] In an exemplary embodiment, the receivers are spaced apart
from each other along the clothing support section and the
receivers are aligned along a common plane. Additionally, a sleeve
can be removably attachable to any of the receivers. Now, an
article of clothing can easily be draped over the sleeve prior to
attaching the sleeve to a selected receiver. The sleeve slidably
engages the selected receiver and can be pivotable about the
selected receiver.
[0011] Each of the receivers defines a fixed end attached to the
clothing support section and a free end cantilevered generally
perpendicular to the clothing support section. Additionally, a
handle can be fixed to the clothing support section at an end
opposite the hanger section. Also, the hanger section includes a
hook to attach the clothing organizer to a closet rod or the
like.
[0012] Other features and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent from the following more detailed description, when
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which
illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such
drawings:
[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary closet
organizer embodying the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 is a front view of the structure of FIG. 1;
[0016] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view similar to the
structure of FIG. 1;
[0017] FIG. 4 is a side view of the structure of FIG. 1;
[0018] FIG. 5 is another side view of the structure of FIG. 1 from
the opposite side of FIG. 4;
[0019] FIG. 6 is a top view of the structure of FIG. 1;
[0020] FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the structure of FIG. 1;
[0021] FIG. 8 is a perspective view similar to the structure of
FIG. 1 now showing pants hung in the first storage position;
and
[0022] FIG. 9 is a perspective view similar to the structure of
FIG. 8 now showing pants being selectable in the second access
position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0023] As shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration, the
present invention for a clothing organizer is referred to generally
by the reference number 10. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an
exemplary closet organizer 10 embodying the present invention. FIG.
2 is a front view of the structure of FIG. 1. A frame 12 includes a
hanger section 14 and a clothing support section 16. The clothing
support section 16 is depicted as two parts fixed together, but it
is to be understood that the clothing support section 16 could have
been made from just one single part.
[0024] The hanger section 14 pivots relative to the clothing
support section 16 at pivot 18. Pivot 18 can be made in a multitude
of ways and this disclosure is not limited to one precise form
described herein. For instance, the pivot 18 can be a roller-ball
bearing, a journal bearing, or simply a screw through a pair of
holes through both the hanger section 14 and clothing support
section 16.
[0025] The hanger section 14 and clothing support section 18 can be
made from a multitude of materials, such as wood, plastic, metals
and composites. In an exemplary embodiment, the sections can be
made from a rectangular metallic rod bent and formed into the
desired shape.
[0026] A plurality of elongated receivers 20 extend generally
perpendicular from the clothing support section 16. FIG. 3 is an
exploded perspective view similar to the structure of FIG. 1 and
better shows how receivers 20 extend from the clothing support
section 16. The receivers 20 are spaced apart from each other along
the clothing support section 16 and are aligned along a common
plane. Alternatively described, the receivers 20 include a fixed
end 22 which is attached to the clothing support section 16 and a
free end 24 cantilevered generally perpendicular to the clothing
support section 16.
[0027] A sleeve 26, or a plurality of sleeves 26, may be removably
attachable to any of the receivers 20. As shown in FIG. 3, the
sleeve 26 slidably engages the selected receiver 20. Furthermore,
the sleeve 26 can be pivotable about the selected receiver such
that an article of clothing/garment doesn't shift when
transitioning between the stored position and access position.
[0028] The receivers 20 are substantially strong to retain their
cantilevered position even while supporting a heavy article of
clothing. The receivers 20 can be manufactured from any suitable
appropriate material, such as plastics, metals, woods or
composites. The sleeve 26 can also be manufactured from a range of
materials. The sleeve 26 should be smooth and free of tiny hooks or
defects that could snag the article of clothing and cause a
rip.
[0029] It is to be understood that the sleeves 26 may or may not be
utilized. For instance, without utilizing the sleeves 26, an
article of clothing can easily be draped over any of the receivers
20 while the clothing support section 16 is temporarily held in the
second access position. Then, the clothing support section 16 can
be pivoted into its first stage position for compact storage for a
plurality of articles of clothing. When the sleeves 26 are
utilized, an article of clothing can easily be draped over the
selected sleeve 26 prior to attaching the sleeve 26 to a selected
receiver 20.
[0030] A handle 28 is fixed to the clothing support section 16 at
the end opposite the hanger section 14. A hook 30 is attached to
the hanger section 14. The hook 30 may be rotatable about the
hanger section 14 to facilitate the ease of use of the clothing
organizer 10. Both the handle 28 and the hook 30 are positioned
approximately at the center of the receivers 20. This is done to
keep the weight of the clothing organizer 10 in line with the
handle 28 and the hook 30 such that it doesn't tilt to one side or
the other while in use.
[0031] Various fastening mechanisms and means may be used to
manufacture and assemble the clothing organizer 10. In these
exemplary embodiments, the receivers 20 have threaded ends 32 which
protrude through holes 34 and are captured and secured with
caps/nuts 36. As can be seen by one skilled in the art, various
other methods of manufacturing the present invention are
possible.
[0032] FIG. 4 is a side view of the structure of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is
another side view of the structure of FIG. 1 from the opposite side
of FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a top view of the structure of FIG. 1. FIG. 7
is a bottom view of the structure of FIG. 1.
[0033] FIG. 8 is a perspective view similar to the structure of
FIG. 1 now showing pants 38 hung in the first storage position. As
is shown, several pairs of pants 38 are draped over the sleeves 26.
The closet organizer 10 is hung from a closet rod 40 or the like.
While in the first storage position, gravity allows the clothing
support section 16 to remain upright thereby compactly storing a
plurality of pants 38. When one wants to select a specific pair of
pants, one can grab the handle 28 and pivot the clothing support
section 16 relative to the hanger section 14. This is shown in FIG.
9. FIG. 9 is a perspective view similar to the structure of FIG. 8
now showing pants 38 being selectable in the second access
position. The spacing between the receivers 20 allows easy access
to individual pants 38 whether they are being attached to or from
the closet organizer 10.
[0034] Although several embodiments have been described in detail
for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made to
each without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.
Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited, except as by the
appended claims.
* * * * *