U.S. patent application number 14/779231 was filed with the patent office on 2016-02-18 for clothes hanger.
This patent application is currently assigned to BROMPTON WASHSCAPE LTD. The applicant listed for this patent is BROMPTON WASHSCAPE LTD. Invention is credited to Andrew CAPPER, Philip CREWE, John HALL, Niall MCRINER.
Application Number | 20160045050 14/779231 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48226860 |
Filed Date | 2016-02-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160045050 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
HALL; John ; et al. |
February 18, 2016 |
CLOTHES HANGER
Abstract
An adjustable clothes hanger (1) is provided. The hanger (1)
comprises a main body (2) capable of retaining an article of
clothing. The main body (2) has at feast two separately positioned
engagement means (5). The hanger also has a hanging means (3) that
is releasably engageable with any of the engagement means (5). The
clothes hanger can adjusted for use with different sizes and/or
types of clothing by changing the engagement means (5) used to
engage the hanging means (3).
Inventors: |
HALL; John; (London, GB)
; MCRINER; Niall; (London, GB) ; CAPPER;
Andrew; (London, GB) ; CREWE; Philip; (London,
GB) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
BROMPTON WASHSCAPE LTD |
Liverpool Merseyside |
|
GB |
|
|
Assignee: |
BROMPTON WASHSCAPE LTD
Liverpool Merseyside
GB
|
Family ID: |
48226860 |
Appl. No.: |
14/779231 |
Filed: |
March 21, 2014 |
PCT Filed: |
March 21, 2014 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/GB2014/050904 |
371 Date: |
September 22, 2015 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
223/85 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G 25/28 20130101;
A47G 25/44 20130101; A47G 25/32 20130101; A47G 25/442 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A47G 25/44 20060101
A47G025/44; A47G 25/28 20060101 A47G025/28 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 22, 2013 |
GB |
1305257.6 |
Claims
1. An adjustable clothes hanger comprising: a main body capable of
retaining an article of clothing, said body having at least two
engagement means separately positioned perpendicular to one another
on the main body; a hanging means that is releasably engageable
with any of the engagement means; and whereby adjustment of the
clothes hanger is achievable by changing the engagement means used
to engage the hanging means.
2. The hanger of claim 1, wherein at least one of the engagement
means is positioned on an outer edge of the main body.
3. The hanger of claim 1, wherein the main body comprises a
substantially oblong shaped frame.
4. The hanger of claim 3, wherein the frame has rounded
corners.
5. The hanger of claim 1, wherein the main body comprises a
substantially oval shaped frame.
6. The hanger of claim 1, wherein the main body comprises a frame
with a cross-bar extending between opposing sides or edges of the
frame.
7. The hanger of claim 6, wherein the cross-bar has an engagement
means positioned thereon.
8. The hanger of claim 1, wherein each engagement means comprises
an aperture capable of releasably receiving the hanging means.
9. The hanger of claim 8, wherein the hanging means and each of the
apertures are provided with complementary screw threads.
10. The hanger of claim 8, wherein the hanging means has a
resiliently biased portion that releasably retains the hanging
means within each of said apertures.
11. The hanger of claim 2, wherein the main body comprises a
substantially oblong shaped frame.
12. The hanger of claim 2, wherein the main body comprises a
substantially oval shaped frame.
13. The hanger of claim 3, wherein the main body comprises a
substantially oval shaped frame.
14. The hanger of claim 2, wherein the main body comprises a frame
with a cross-bar extending between opposing sides or edges of the
frame.
15. The hanger of claim 3, wherein the main body comprises a frame
with a cross-bar extending between opposing sides or edges of the
frame.
16. The hanger of claim 4, wherein the main body comprises a frame
with a cross-bar extending between opposing sides or edges of the
frame.
17. The hanger of claim 5, wherein the main body comprises a frame
with a cross-bar extending between opposing sides or edges of the
frame.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to clothes hangers and in
particular clothes hangers capable of being adjusted to retain a
range of different clothing types and/or sizes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Clothes hangers are available in a large range of shapes and
sizes to accommodate various types and sizes of clothing.
[0003] Whilst some hanger designs are only suitable to retain
certain types and sizes of clothing, it is known for hangers to be
designed to accommodate multiple types and/or sizes of
clothing.
[0004] In order to accommodate multiple types/sizes of clothing it
is known to provide hangers with adjustable mechanical means that
are movable to vary the shape of hanger so that it can better
retain a particular article of clothing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention seeks to provide a hanger which is
capable of retaining a range of types and/or sizes of clothing
without the need for adjustable mechanical means which increases
the manufacture costs and reduces the durability of the
hangers.
[0006] To this end the present invention provides an adjustable
clothes hanger as claimed in claim 1.
[0007] In use the main body of the clothes hanger is suspended
(e.g. from a clothes rail) by way of the hanging means. Providing a
choice of more than one engagement means on the main body enables
the hanging means to be engaged to the main body of the clothes
hanger in more than one arrangement. The ability to arrange the
main body and the hanging means of the present invention in a
variety of ways gives the clothes hanger a level of
adjustability.
[0008] It will be appreciated that one arrangement of the main body
and hanging means may be suitable for retaining a shirt due to the
orientation of the main body, whereas in a second arrangement the
main body may have a relative orientation that is more suitable for
retaining trousers.
[0009] A user would therefore be able to select which engagement
means to connect the hanging means to dependant on the type and/or
size of clothing that is to be hung on the hanger.
[0010] Preferably at least one of the engagement means may be
positioned on an outer edge of the main body. In this way most, if
not all, of the main body of the hanger hangs down from the hanging
means.
[0011] Preferably at least two engagement means may be positioned
or orientated perpendicular to one another on the main body. In
this way the orientation of the main body can be adjusted by
rotating it about an angle of 90.degree..
[0012] Preferably the main body may comprise a substantially oblong
shaped frame. Although other shapes are considered possible the
variation in the dimensions of the main body's frame is considered
beneficial to the creation of a different hanger shape depending
which engagement means the hanging means are connected to.
[0013] It will be appreciated that providing different hanger
shapes with enable the hanger to retain different clothes types
and/or sizes.
[0014] Further preferably the frame may have rounded corners. It is
appreciated that rounded corners are preferable to angular corners
because clothing sits better on them.
[0015] Although an oblong shaped frame is particularly preferable
it is considered that a substantially oval shaped frame may also be
adopted for similar reasons to the oblong shaped frame.
[0016] Preferable the main body may comprise a frame with a
cross-bar extending between opposing sides or edges of the frame.
It is considered beneficial for the frame of the main body to be
provided with a cross-bar, not least for the structural strength it
provides.
[0017] Further preferably the cross-bar may have an engagement
means positioned thereon. The provision of an engagement means on
the cross-bar enables the main body to be connected to the hanging
means in a further alternative orientation, thus providing for
further types and/or sizes of clothes to be retained by the clothes
hanger of the present invention.
[0018] Preferably each engagement means may comprise an aperture
capable of releasably receiving the hanging means. In this way the
hanging means can be inserted into whichever engagement means will
produce the desired orientation of the hanger main body.
[0019] Further preferably the hanging means and said apertures may
be provided with complementary screw threads. In this way the main
body and the hanging means can be screwed into a secure connection
that will ensure the weight of an article of clothing does not pull
the hanger apart.
[0020] Alternatively the hanging means may have a resiliently
biased portion that releasably retains the hanging means within
each of said apertures. In this way the user can simply push the
hanging means in to a chosen engagement means to form a hanger with
the required shape. When the user wishes to change the shape of the
hanger they can depress or otherwise disengage the resiliently
biased portion and remove the hanging means from the engagement
means.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] The present invention will now be described with reference
to preferred embodiment shown in the drawings, wherein:
[0022] FIG. 1 shows a top view of the main body frame of a
preferred embodiment of the clothes hanger of the present
invention;
[0023] FIG. 2 shows a side view of the clothes hanger shown in FIG.
1;
[0024] FIG. 3 shows an end view of the clothes hanger shown in FIG.
1;
[0025] FIG. 4 shows the clothes hanger of the present invention in
a first orientation and retaining a large shirt;
[0026] FIG. 5 shows the clothes hanger in a second orientation and
retaining a small shirt; and
[0027] FIG. 6 shows the clothes hanger in a third orientation and
retaining a pair of trousers.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0028] The present invention provides a clothes hanger that can be
adjusted for use in hanging clothing of various types and/or sizes.
It is appreciated that the clothes hanger of the present invention
might be used as standard clothes hangers are and can be hung in a
wardrobe or cupboard.
[0029] However it is also envisioned that the adjustability of the
described hanger makes it particularly suitable for use with a
domestic washing machine of the type shown in European Patent
Application No. 06755552.4. It is envisioned that the washing
machine would be provided with one or more clothes hangers of the
present invention and that the user would be able to adjust the
hangers to suit the size and/or type of the articles of clothing
that are to be washed.
[0030] A preferred embodiment of the adjustable clothes hanger 1 of
the present invention is shown in FIGS. 4-6, with each figure
showing a different arrangement of the same adjustable clothes
hanger 1. The different possible arrangements of the clothes hanger
will be described in more detail hereinafter.
[0031] FIGS. 1-3 show a preferred embodiment of the main body 2 of
the clothes hanger of the present invention. In use, and as will be
appreciated from FIGS. 4-6, a complementary hanging means 3 is
connectable to the main body 2 to form the clothes hanger of the
present invention.
[0032] As can be seen from FIG. 1, the main body 2 comprises a
substantially oblong shaped frame 4 with rounded corners. Although
alternative frame shapes are considered possible the oblong shaped
frame 4 represented in the figures is particularly preferable. This
is because the differing dimensions of the frame facilitate the
creation of different shaped hangers depending on the orientation
the main body 4 and the hanging means 3 have when they are
connected together.
[0033] The frame 4 has two opposing long sides 4a and two opposing
shorter sides 4b. Preferably, in addition to the rounded corners,
each side or edge of the frame is rounded to better receive a
shirt, jacket or other types of clothing top.
[0034] It is appreciated that in an alternative frame shape the
corners may be rounded to such an extent that the frame's shape is
closer to that of an oval rather than an oblong.
[0035] It will be appreciated from FIGS. 1-3 that each of the
frame's sides is provided with an engagement means in the form of
an aperture 5. Each aperture 5 is shaped so as to releasably
receive the hanging means 3.
[0036] Although none of the figures actually show the hanging means
3 connected to the main body 2 the skilled person will readily
appreciate the interaction of the hanging means 3 with the
engagement means 5 of the main body 2.
[0037] It will be appreciated that although the figures show the
main body's frame 4 as having an aperture 5 on each of its sides
4a, 4b more simplified embodiments of the present invention may
only have an aperture on one of the long sides 4a and one of the
short sides 4b.
[0038] The frame 4 is also provided with a cross-bar 6 that extends
between two opposing sides of the frame. Although the cross-bar 6
is shown in the figures as extending between the opposing short
sides 4b it is envisioned that a cross-bar may alternatively extend
between the opposing long sides 4a without departing from the
present invention.
[0039] Although not shown in the figures, it is envisaged that the
frame may be provided with more than one cross-bar to facilitate
multiple articles of clothing to be hung on a single hanger.
[0040] It will be appreciated that the cross-bar 6 will provide an
element of structural support to the frame 4 and help it to retain
its shape. As will be appreciated from FIG. 6 the cross-bar 6 will
also play a role in retaining trousers on the clothes hanger.
[0041] As with the sides/edges of the frame 4 the cross-bar 6 is
provided with engagement means in the form of an aperture 5 in to
which the hanging means 3 can be releasably received.
[0042] It will be appreciated from the figures that the positioning
and orientation of the apertures on the frame is such that the
central point of the apertures on the long side 4a, the short side
4b and the cross-bar 6 are located in separate perpendicular planes
in respect to one another.
[0043] Preferably the main body's frame 4 is moulded from a durable
material, such as plastic, wood or metal.
[0044] In order to reduce the amount of material used to make the
main body both the sides/edges of the frame and the cross-bar may
be provided with cut-out regions.
[0045] Turning now to FIGS. 4-6 the various clothes hanger shapes
that can be achieved using the hanger of the preferred embodiment
will now be described in more detail.
[0046] FIG. 4 shows a hanger arrangement considered particularly
suitable for retaining larger shirts 8. In this arrangement the
hanging means 3 is inserted in to an aperture located in one of the
longer sides/edges 4a. In this way the width of the main body's
frame 4 is maximised to fill the shoulders of the shirt.
[0047] The interaction of the hanging means 3 with the aperture 5
of the main body 2 can be appreciated from FIG. 4. Although not
actually shown in an engaged relationship it should be clear that
the bottom end portion of the hanging means is inserted in to the
aperture 5 provided in the uppermost long side/edge 4a of the frame
4.
[0048] The bottom end of the hanging means 3 is provided with a
latch mechanism 7 which depresses to allow the hanging means to be
inserted into the aperture 5. Once the latch is passed through the
aperture 5 it will spring back to retain the hanging means 3 within
the aperture 5.
[0049] In order to disconnect the hanging means 3 from the main
body 2 the resiliently biased latch may be depressed using an
actuating means in the form of a simple button, for example. The
skilled person will appreciate that alternative approaches may be
used to releasably connect the hanging means 3 to the main body
2.
[0050] One alternative approach that is envisioned is the use of
corresponding screw threads on both the hanging means 3 and the
aperture 5. In this way a user can screw the clothes hanger
together in whichever arrangement they require for a particular
type and/or size of clothing and then unscrew them again when they
need a hanger with an alternative arrangement.
[0051] Another alternative approach may be to adopt a simple
bayonet connection similar to those adopted in light bulb
fittings.
[0052] Moving on from the hanger arrangement shown in FIG. 4, the
skilled person will appreciate that alternative sizes and/or types
of clothing may be accommodated using the hanger of the present
invention by simply disconnecting the hanging means 3 from the main
body 2 and reconnecting them with a different orientation.
[0053] In the arrangement shown if FIG. 5 the hanging means 3 is
inserted into an aperture 5 in the uppermost short side/edge 4b of
the main body's frame 4. By doing this the width of the clothes
hanger 1 is minimised thus allowing it to receive smaller shirts,
jackets or other clothes tops.
[0054] In the arrangement of FIG. 6 the hanging means 3 is inserted
into the aperture 5 in the cross-bar 6 of the main body 2. By
inserting the hanging means 3 into the cross-bar rather than one of
the sides/edges of the frame the main body has a flat orientation.
As is shown in FIG. 6, the flat orientation makes the hanger more
suitable for receiving trousers 10.
[0055] Although not shown in the figures it is appreciated that the
hanging means 3 may be provided with a hook to hang the hanger from
a clothes rail for example. Of course the present invention could
also make use suitable alternatives to the hook which are known in
the art without departing from the scope of the present
invention.
* * * * *