AU717475B3 - Collapsible hanger - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION PETTY PATENT Invention Title: COLLAPSIBLE HANGER Name of Applicant: Valentine Grace Pty Ltd SALVATORE CORALLO The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 2 COLLAPSIBLE HANGER Field of the Invention This invention relates to collapsible hangers and more particularly to collapsible garment hangers.

Background of the Invention Varying designs of hangers have been known in the art. The conventional hanger includes a single piece of wire bent into a triangular shape providing two shoulder members and a cross member with a hook attached to the apex. Plastic versions of the conventional hanger are also known. This hanger has many disadvantages in that it is easily tangled with other hangers, requires storage space and is difficult to pack in a suitcase because of its size.

Known collapsible hangers include a plurality of straight members connected via connectors that must be disengaged so that the garment hanger is collapsible, or that allow the hanger to fold centrally and inwardly so that the members meet along their length. These hangers are not easily extendable, costly to produce and articles of clothing must be removed from the hangers when the hanger is collapsed.

Summary of the Invention It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved collapsible hanger.

According to the present invention there is provided a collapsible hanger having three members pivotally interconnected, comprising two shoulders joined by a base, each member having connection means on opposite ends adapted to allow the members to assume a triangular array, Swherein one of the shoulders is adapted to slide through H:\HBost\Keep\Specis\41036.99 Valentine Grace.doc 22/09/99 3 the connection means of the other shoulder member causing both shoulders to fold down towards the base so that the shoulders are folded onto the base to collapse the hanger.

The connection means of the said other shoulder member is inclined at an angle to the said other shoulder member to allow collapsibility, according to the profile of the connection means and the dimensions of the members of the hanger.

A hook member may be connected to the apex of the hanger.

The attachment of the base member to the shoulder members enable the members to fold down in abutting contact in a substantially parallel array in the plane of the hanger, in order to avoid a scissoring effect.

The three members are preferably connected through the connection means by any fastening means.

In the first aspect, the connection means may be provided by the bending of the ends of the members in a loop configuration, the interconnection of the loops providing the connection between the members.

In a second aspect, the members are hinged together. In one embodiment, a hinge pin on one member is adapted to snap fit to a means on the adjacent member.

Preferably, the connection of the hook member to one of the shoulder members restricts the passage of the connection means of the other shoulder member, providing the closed triangular shape.

The hanger may be constructed from wire, plastics or a combination of both.

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99 Valentine Grace.doc 12/11/99 3 4 The hanger may vary in size to accommodate adult clothing, children's clothing and babies clothing.

Brief description of the drawings Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front elevation view of the fully extended hanger in accordance with a first embodiment.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the hanger in a collapsed position in accordance with a first embodiment.

Figure 3 is a side elevation view of the fully extended hanger in accordance with a first embodiment.

Figure 4 is a front elevation view of the fully extended hanger in accordance with a third embodiment.

Figure 5 is a front elevation view of the collapsed hanger in accordance with a third embodiment.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the collapsed hanger in accordance with a third embodiment.

Figure 7 is a side view of the fully extended hanger in accordance with a third embodiment.

Detailed description of the Preferred Embodiments As shown in figure 1, the hanger is made of bent wire and includes a first shoulder member 1, a second shoulder member 2, a longer base member 3 and a hook member 11.

Each member has connection means on opposite ends in a loop \\melb_files\homeS\HBost\Keep\Specis\4 1 0 36 99 Valentine Grace.doc 11/11/99 4 5 configuration. Connection means 4 and 5 correspond to member 3, connection means 6 and 10 correspond to member 2 and connection means 7 and 9 correspond to member i. Hook member 11 has connection means 8 at its base, also in a loop configuration. Connection means 9 is interconnected to connection means 5, and connection means 10 is interconnected to connection means 4, providing the attachment of members 1 and 2 to base member 3. Base member 3 is bent in a loop configuration at its ends at connection means 4 and 5. The first shoulder member is fed through the eye of connection means 6 which is at an included angle of 1540 to shoulder member 2. Connection means 7 is interconnected to connection means 8, the interconnection of connection means 7 and 8, restricting the passage of connection means 6 and providing the closed triangular shape. Figure 3 is a side elevation view of the fully extended hanger.

When the hanger is ready to collapse, connection means 6 allows shoulder member 2 to slide down vertically and inwardly towards base member 3, forcing the downward and vertical movement of shoulder member 1 towards base member 3. The interconnection of connection means 7 and 8 allows hook member 11 to rotate and fold in line with the collapsed members. Base member 3 provides the base of the collapsed hanger.

Figure 2 illustrates the fully collapsed hanger.

As shown in figure 4, shoulder members 1 and 2, base member 3 and hook member 11 are moulded from plastics and are connected by connection means 17, 18 and 19. Base member 3 is bent at substantially 900 at its ends to connect to shoulder members 1 and 2. The four members are secured in a triangular array by a hinge pin that snap fits into a recess on the adjacent member at connection means 17, 18 and 19. Shoulder member 2 is bent at connection means 16 \\melbfiles\homeS\HBost\Keep\Specis\41036.

99 Valentine Grace.doc 11/11/99 6 at an included angle of 1160 to shoulder member 2, to allow shoulder member 1 to feed through the eye of connection means 16 which is a substantially closed loop. Connection means 17 restricts the passage of connection means 16 to provide the closed triangular shape. Figure 7 is a side view of the extended hanger.

When the hanger is ready to collapse, connection means 16 allows shoulder member 2 to slide down vertically and inwardly towards base member 3, forcing the downward and vertical movement of shoulder member 1 towards base member 3. Connection 17 allows hook member 11 to rotate and fold in line with the collapsed members. Base member 3 provides the base of the collapsed hanger. Figure 5 is a front elevation view of the collapsed hanger and figure 6 is a top plan view of the collapsed hanger.

In use, it is contemplated that the hanger will be expanded from the collapsed position to the fully extended position by moving the apex of the hanger in a vertical direction away from the base member. The hanger will be collapsed by moving the apex vertically down towards the base member.

The hanger can be used in both the fully extended position to display or hang clothing items or the collapsed position to pack clothing items without the need to remove the clothing items from the hanger. The hanger would be collapsed to store when not in use.

It will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that while the invention has been described in some detail for the purposes of clarity and understanding, various modifications and alterations to the embodiments and methods described therein may be made without departing from the scope of the inventive concept disclosed in the specification.

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Claims (3)

1. A collapsible hanger having two shoulder members interconnected by a base member, each member having connection means on opposite ends adapted to ionnect the members in a triangular array, whereby one of the shoulder members is adapted to slide through the connection means of the other shoulder member to enable both the shoulder members to fold down onto the base member, the attachment of the base member to the shoulder members enabling the members to fold down in abutting contact in a substantially parallel array in the plane of the hanger.

2. Collapsible hanger according to claim 1, wherein the shoulder and base members are each formed of wire rod bent at each end to form substantially closed loops, the loops being interconnected to form the triangular array, with the loop of one shoulder member extending over the wire rod of the other shoulder member to facilitate the folding of the hanger in abutting contact in a substantially parallel array in the plane of the hanger, a hanging hook being pivotally attached to the apex of the hanger.

3. Collapsible hanger according to claim i, wherein the shoulder and base members are each formed of plastic strips, the shoulder members and base member being pivotally attached to form the triangular array, the connection means of the other shoulder member is a substantially closed loop that extends over the other shoulder member to facilitate collapse of the hanger, a hanging hook being pivotally attached to the apex of the hanger, the attachment of the base member to the shoulder members enabling the members to fold down in abutting contact in a substantially parallel array in the plane of the hanger. H:\HBost\Keep\Specis\ 4 10 36 99 Valentine Grace.doc 31/01/00 7 8 Dated this 12th day of November 1999 VALENTINE GRACE PTY LTD and SALVATORE CORALLO By their Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK Fellows Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia H:\HBost\Keep\Specis\41036. 99 Valentine Grace.doc 12/11/99 8