U.S. patent application number 13/356435 was filed with the patent office on 2012-09-27 for garment hanger.
Invention is credited to John Merandi.
Application Number | 20120241481 13/356435 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46876471 |
Filed Date | 2012-09-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120241481 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Merandi; John |
September 27, 2012 |
GARMENT HANGER
Abstract
A garment hanger includes a garment support structure having
first and second arms arranged for supporting the opposed shoulders
of a garment. These two arms are rigid and in a fixed relation to
each other. A hook member is included and configured for suspending
the hanger from a support structure, and a means or structure is
provided for coupling the hook member to the garment support
structure enabling both the first and second arms to rotate in
substantially a same plane about a generally horizontal pivot
axis.
Inventors: |
Merandi; John; (Kyle,
TX) |
Family ID: |
46876471 |
Appl. No.: |
13/356435 |
Filed: |
January 23, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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61435156 |
Jan 21, 2011 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
223/85 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G 25/32 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
223/85 |
International
Class: |
A47G 25/14 20060101
A47G025/14 |
Claims
1. A garment hanger comprising: a garment support structure having
first and second elongated arms arranged for supporting the opposed
shoulders of a garment, the first and second arms in a rigid and
fixed relation to each other, each of the first and second
elongated arms having an outer end spaced apart relative to one
another; a hook member configured for suspending the hanger from a
support structure; and means for coupling the hook member to the
garment support structure and for enabling both the first and
second arms to rotate in substantially a same plane about a
generally horizontal pivot axis.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority under 35 USC 119(e) to U.S.
provisional Application Ser. No. 61/435,156, filed on Jan. 21,
2011, and which is incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to garment hangers,
and more particularly, to a garment hanger having arms that pivot
about a pivot axis point on the hanger hook/neck.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Most common garment (or clothes) hangers are constructed of
plastic material. The plastic material, as well as the process for
manufacturing, is relatively inexpensive. However, the arms and
hook/neck are rigid and usually rigidly affixed together. Other
hangers are generally more expensive because of the material (e.g.,
wood, metal, etc.) used or because they include additional
functionality (e.g., folding, foldable arms, use for special
garments, collapsible, etc.).
[0004] The common relatively inexpensive plastic hanger has at
least one drawback--when a user pulls a garment from the hanger,
the hanger can break. This is especially problematic for smaller
hangers used mainly for children's garments, as they tend to be
smaller and more prone to breaking. In addition, due to their
height size and lack of experience with hangers, children and
toddlers often pull downward (from below) on the garment while the
hanger remains on the rod while attempting to remove the garment.
Many times, due to the rigidity of the arms, as the garment is
pulled (usually at one side) downward one arm of the hanger rotates
downward and the other arm rotates upward. At the same time, the
garment usually gets caught to the smaller neck area and the child
tends to pull harder on garment. As a result of this force, the
hanger arm(s) or neck may break.
[0005] Accordingly, there is needed a relatively inexpensive
(material and manufacture) garment hanger that resists such forces
and reduces the likelihood of breakage.
SUMMARY
[0006] According to an embodiment of the disclosure, there is
provided a garment hanger including a garment support structure
having first and second elongated arms arranged for supporting the
opposed shoulders of a garment. The first and second arms are
configured in a rigid and fixed relation to each other, and each of
the first and second elongated arms having an outer end spaced
apart relative to one another. The hanger includes a hook member
configured for suspending the hanger from a support structure. The
hanger further includes a structure for coupling the hook member to
the garment support structure and for enabling both the first and
second arms to rotate in substantially a same plane about a
generally horizontal pivot axis.
[0007] The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and
technical advantages of the present disclosure so that those
skilled in the art may better understand the detailed description
that follows. Additional features and advantages of the present
disclosure will be described hereinafter that form the subject of
the claims. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they
may readily use the concept and the specific embodiment(s)
disclosed as a basis for modifying or designing other structures
for carrying out the same or similar purposes of the present
disclosure. Those skilled in the art should also realize that such
equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of
the claimed invention in its broadest form.
[0008] Before undertaking the Detailed Description below, it may be
advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases
used throughout this patent document: the terms "include" and
"comprise," as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without
limitation; the term "or," is inclusive, meaning and/or; the
phrases "associated with" and "associated therewith," as well as
derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within,
interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or
with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with,
interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have,
have a property of, or the like. Definitions for certain words and
phrases are provided throughout this patent document, those of
ordinary skill in the art should understand that in many, if not
most instances, such definitions apply to prior uses, as well as
future uses, of such defined words and phrases.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure,
and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following
descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,
wherein like numbers designate like objects, and in which:
[0010] FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate front and side views of a garment
hanger in accordance with one embodiment of the disclosure;
[0011] FIG. 3 illustrates a more detailed and exploded view of one
embodiment of a coupling means shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;
[0012] FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate two different positions of the
hanger arms as they are rotated counterclockwise and clockwise,
respectively;
[0013] FIG. 5 illustrates one example of a pivot pin for coupling
hanger arms to the hook/neck member; and
[0014] FIGS. 6-12 illustrate different embodiments of the coupling
mechanism.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] FIGS. 1-12 and the various embodiments used to describe the
principles of the present disclosure in this patent document are by
way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way to
limit its scope. Those skilled in the art will understand that the
principles described herein may be implemented with any type of
suitably arranged device and/or devices.
[0016] To simplify the drawings, reference numerals from previous
drawings may sometimes not be repeated for structures that have
already been identified.
[0017] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there are shown a front view and
a side view, respectively, of garment hanger 100 in accordance with
one embodiment of the present disclosure. The hanger 100 includes a
garment support structure 102 having two elongated arms 104, 106.
Each of the arms 104, 106 are adapted for supporting a different
shoulder of a garment (e.g., shirt, T-shirt, dress, sweater, and
the like). In one embodiment, the arms 104, 106 are about equal in
length to each other in the hanger 100, though they may be of
different lengths.
[0018] Each of the arms 104, 106 includes an outer end 114, 116,
respectively. In the embodiment illustrated, each of the arms 104,
106 extends generally downwardly relative to the other arm, and the
outer ends 114, 116 are interconnected to by an elongated lower
cross member 120. Such interconnections are, preferably, integrally
formed and curved in order to avoid catching or snagging any
portion of a garment. In another embodiment (not shown), the cross
member 120 may be omitted.
[0019] The arm 104 and the arm 106 of the garment support structure
102 are structured or configured to be in a fixed relation with
respect to each other. In other words, not only are the arms 104,
106 in a fixed relation, the outer end 114 and the outer end 116
are also in a fixed relation to each other. In other words, the
arms 104 and 106 are adapted or structured such that they do not
fold or move relative to each other. This may be accomplished by
constructing the garment support structure 102 of a single unitary
piece of material (e.g., plastic, wood, metal) or rigidly attaching
or securing multiple structures together
[0020] The hanger 100 includes a hook 130 for supporting the hanger
100 from a closet rod 132 or other similar structure (shown in
dashed outline in FIG. 1). The hanger 100 further includes a hanger
neck 134 coupled to the hook 130. The neck 134 is generally a
smoothly arcuate structure which terminates at a coupling end 140.
A coupling means 140 provides a coupling mechanism (or function)
that allows or enables the garment support structure 102 to pivot
in relation to the hook 130 (and neck 134) and about a pivot axis
150. The pivot axis 150 extends in the horizontal direction (into
and out of the drawing page in FIG. 1) as shown in FIG. 2. Thus,
the two arms 104, 106 rotate in a circular direction about the
pivot axis 150. As will be understood, the extent of rotation will
generally be limited by the dimensions and configuration of the
arms 104, 106 and the hook 130/neck 134.
[0021] As will be described in more detail set forth below, the
coupling means 140 may include a portion of the hook 130/neck 134,
a portion of the garment support structure, one or more additional
structures, or a combination of any of these.
[0022] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 (and illustrated in
more detail in FIG. 3), the coupling means 140 includes a pivot pin
150 that secures an end portion 152 of the hook 130/neck 134 to the
garment support structure 102. The end portion 152 (e.g., female
portion) has a shape similar to a fork, and includes two spaced
apart downwardly extending portions 154, with each portion 154
including an aperture 156 (for receiving the pivot pin 150). A
portion 158 (e.g. male portion) of the garment support structure
102 also includes an aperture 159 (for receiving the pivot pin
150). In this embodiment, the pivot pin 150 may have a structure
similar to a rivet, axle, kotter pin or the like.
[0023] In this particular embodiment, the coupling mechanism
includes at least the pivot pin 150, and may further be considered
to include the two spaced apart downwardly extending portions 154
and the portion 158 of the structure 102. Various other coupling
mechanisms 140 may be utilized as desired, so long as each provides
the desired function of allowing the ends 104, 106 to rotate
relative to the hook 130/neck 134 and about an axis point. It will
be understood that persons of ordinary skill in the art can readily
identify coupling mechanism 140 that may be utilized.
[0024] Now turning to FIGS. 4A and 4B, there are shown front views
illustrating rotational movement of the ends 104, 106 of garment
support structure 102 of the hanger 100 of FIG. 1.
[0025] In one embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the pivot pin 150 may be
a push-in pin or fastener, in which the pin 150 is squeezed for
insertion through the apertures 156 and aperture 159, and once
inserted, the pin 150 expands to lock into place. This type of pin
may be constructed of any suitable material, such as plastic (e.g.,
nylon). Advantages of using this type of coupling mechanism include
smaller packaging and shipping convenience, since the garment
support structure 102 and the hook 130/neck 134 structure can be
packaged, shipped and/or purchased separately from each other.
Using this type of pin or fastener, a user can easily assemble the
two main hanger portions (102 and 130/134) into a fully assembled
garment hanger 100.
[0026] Another embodiment of the coupling mechanism 140 is shown in
FIG. 6. This is similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, except
the male/female portions are reversed--as shown.
[0027] Turning to FIG. 7, there is shown an alternative embodiment
of the coupling mechanism 140. The forked configuration has been
deleted and the two portions 102 and 130/134 are simply positioned
adjacent to one another and interconnected about the pivot point,
as shown. This may be accomplished using the pivot pin 150, or some
similar structure such as a snap pin or rivet. The ends of the hook
member/neck 130/134 and the support structure 102 may be suitably
structured or configured to enable a rotational pivot point, as
described earlier. In this embodiment, the 102 structure is
considered as the "female" portion. As will be appreciated, and
though not shown, the embodiment in FIG. 7 may be reversed, such
that the structure 102 may be alternatively configured to be
considered as the "male" portion.
[0028] Now turning to FIG. 8, there is shown is shown another
embodiment of the coupling mechanism 140. Instead of having
differently configured ends (i.e., male and female), each of the
end portions have an aperture and a pivot pin (snap pin or rivet,
etc.) is disposed therebetween to connect them.
[0029] Now turning to FIG. 9, there is illustrated another
embodiment of the coupling mechanism 140. The portion 130/134
includes a ball-shaped portion 900 while the structure 102 is
structured with a receiving portion 902 having an opening therein
for receiving the portion 900. The dimensions of the structures are
sized to allow the portion 902 to "snap" into the opening of the
portion 902. One connected, the amount of force necessary to remove
the portion 900 is substantial. In addition, and though not shown,
the end receiving portion 902 may be configured or structured to
deform or allow relatively easy insertion of the ball-shaped
portion 900 into the receiving portion 902. Shapes other than the
shape of a round ball may be utilized, as appropriate. In addition,
once inserted, the structure 102 may pivot (rotate and twist) about
a pivot point in all directions. This may be beneficial in some
applications. In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the
coupling mechanism includes members 904 that restrict movement of
the structure 102 relative to the hook/neck 130/134. In one
embodiment, the structure 102 is prevented from rotating about the
hook/neck 130/134. In another embodiment, the structure is
restricted such that it is only allowed to move about the pivot
axis in a single plane--that plane being illustrated in FIGS. 4A
and 4B. Different structure(s) or member(s) may be utilized as part
of the structure 102, the hook/neck 130/134 or both, to provide
this functionality.
[0030] Now turning to FIG. 10, this embodiment is similar to the
one described in FIG. 9, however the structure 120 includes the
ball-shaped portion 900 (or similar structure) and the hook/neck
130/134 includes the receiving portion 902. This embodiment may
also include other structures or members such as 904, etc. to
restrict movement as described above.
[0031] Now turning to FIG. 11, there is illustrated another
embodiment (two views) of the coupling mechanism 140. The portion
130/134 includes a receiving portion 1100 which receives a
ball-shaped portion 1102. The receiving portion 1110 is
hook-shaped, as illustrated, and includes two prongs or forks (as
shown). The dimensions of the structures are sized to allow the
portion 1102 to rest within the "hook" of the portion 1102. Shapes
other than the shape of a round ball may be utilized, as
appropriate. In addition, once inserted, the structure 102 might
pivot (rotate and twist) about a pivot point in all directions.
This may be beneficial in some applications. In another embodiment,
the coupling mechanism includes additional structures or members
904 (not shown) that will restrict movement of the structure 102
relative to the hook/neck 130/134. In one embodiment, the structure
102 will only be allowed to move about the pivot axis in a single
plane--that plane being illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B. Different
structure(s) or member(s) may be utilized as part of the structure
102, the hook/neck 130/134 or both, to provide this
functionality.
[0032] Now turning to FIG. 12, there is illustrated another
embodiment (two figures) of the coupling mechanism 140. The portion
130/134 includes a receiving portion 1200 which receives a
pin-shaped portion 1202. The receiving portion 1200 includes two
downwardly extending portions with inner surfaces. The inner
surfaces include protrusions or ridges 1204 for contacting or
mating with corresponding indentations or valleys 1206 in the
pin-shaped portion 1202 of the structure 102. The protrusions 1204
and indentations 1206 will be configured to "snap" together when
the two portions are aligned and pushed together. Once snapped in
place, a substantial force may be required for removal. Thus, the
receiving portion 1200 will beneficially be configured or
structured to deform to some degree with force is applied for
insertion of the pin-shaped portion 1202. Once inserted, removal
will likely require a substantial amount of additional force. The
shape of the protrusions 1204 and the indentions 1206 (and the
portions 1200, 1202) will restrict movement of the structure 102
relative to the hook/neck 130/134. In one embodiment, the structure
102 will only be allowed to move about the pivot point (becoming a
pivot axis) in a single plane--that plane being illustrated in
FIGS. 4A and 4B. Different structure(s) or member(s) may be
utilized as part of the structure 102, the hook/neck 130/134 or
both, to provide this functionality.
[0033] As will be appreciated with respect to the embodiment in
FIG. 12, the protrusions 1204 and indentations 1206 may be
switched--that is, the portion 1200 may include the indentions 1206
while the portion 1202 may include the protrusions 1204. Similarly,
the female/male configuration may be switched--that is, the portion
1200 may be the "male" (having the pin-shape) and the portion 1202
may be the "female" (having the receiving portion).
[0034] In any of the foregoing embodiments, it may be desirable for
the structure 102 (with the arms 104, 106) to be relatively
stationary under ambient conditions. That is, at rest (without any
force), the hanger 100 will be in the ambient condition as shown in
FIG. 1. To prevent any unwanted pivoting movement due to a relative
light force applied (i.e., moving the hanger with or without a
garment, or a steady state with a garment), the surface(s) of the
coupling mechanism 140 may include a coating or material that
causes a low amount of friction which results in the structure 102
not pivoting under normal conditions (no substantial force applied
to a garment thereon or to the structure 102). In addition, the
dimensions of the members in the coupling mechanism 140 may be
selected such that a low amount of friction is present under normal
conditions.
[0035] The hanger 100 is typically, formed of a rod-shaped material
but is not limited thereto. In one embodiment, the two hanger
portions are formed of any suitable material known to those skilled
in the art, and the same material or different material may be used
for the two hanger portions. In one embodiment, the material is
plastic material.
[0036] Each of the hanger embodiments described herein can be
constructed of various conventional materials using various
conventional construction methods. For example, the hanger can be
comprised of molded or preformed plastic with a tubular or rod
cross section. The hanger 100 can be formed using, for example,
preformed plastic rodding, plastic extrusions, plastic coated wire,
plastic tubing, metal tubing, mixtures thereof or the like, as
desired.
[0037] While this disclosure has described certain embodiments and
generally associated methods, alterations and permutations of these
embodiments and methods will be apparent to those skilled in the
art. Accordingly, the above description of example embodiments does
not define or constrain this disclosure. Other changes,
substitutions, and alterations are also possible without departing
from the spirit and scope of this disclosure, as defined by the
following claims.
* * * * *