EP0311241B1

EP0311241B1 - Line hanger

Info

Publication number: EP0311241B1
Application number: EP88307574A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Leslie Adrian Youseman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-10-08
Filing date: 1988-08-16
Publication date: 1991-12-04
Also published as: ES2027385T3; WO1989003189A1; EP0395641A1; EP0311241A1; GR3003695T3; IL87504A0; GB8723692D0; AU2254788A; DE3866667D1

Description

This invention relates to a line hanger for attaching a variety of garment ranges to a variety of line sizes.
Drying, airing and hanging garments on lines generally by present methods, without the use of hangers, has lead to the garments becoming unduly creased and sometimes out of shape. However, at present if hangers are employed as they are, they tend to rotate and/or slide along the line and come off easily. Any attempts to fix the hanger to the line have been ineffective, cumbersome and restricted in its ability to cope with variety.
Garment hanging devices are disclosed in U.S. Patents Nos. 2092121 and 3184204 which comprise a part for attachment of the device to the line and a lower part for engagement by the hook of a clothes hanger.
According to the invention there is provided a line hanger device comprising an upper part for engaging a line and a lower part having means for the purpose of gripping garment hangers, the upper part being adapted to grip a variety of line sizes to stop undue swinging movement relative to the line within normal use, and the lower part being adapted to grip a variety of garment hanger sizes to stop undue swinging and pivoting of the garment hanger relative to the line hanger device whilst in use, characterised in that the upper part is in the form of an elongate arch, and in that the elongate arch of the upper part is connected to the lower part which is in the form of a flat plate transverse to said arch and has slots defining an elongate strip around which a hook of a garment hanger may be engaged and gripped by the plate and strip.
The upper part can accommodate a variety of line sizes and the lower part can hold and grip virtually all domestic garment hangers, especially those made of wire. The hanger may be made of a flexible but firm plastics material with sufficient memory to ensure that it returns to shape for repeated use
Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows line and hanger connected in working position made in accordance with the invention,
Figure 2 shows the upper part of the hanger serving as a line grip head with a thick line located therein,
Figure 3 shows the upper part with a thin line located therein,
Figure 4 shows a lower part accommodating a thick headed hanger,
Figure 5 shows a lower part accommodating a thin headed hanger,
Figure 6 shows a modified form of hanger, and
Figure 7 illustrates the ability to hang several garments perpendicular to the line, increasing its capacity.

The hanger comprises an upper part 4 serving as a grip head, in the form of an elongate arch, inside which are two serrated or undulating projections 5 facing each other on the two limbs of the arch respectively. The line 1 will be pulled into the line grip head 4 by the weight of the garment. The flexibility of the line grip head 4 allows the correct grip depth. The upper part 4 has one limb shorter than the other, the longer limb being integral with the lower part 2 of the hanger which lower part serves as a hanger grip body. The limbs have two interface beads 6 facing each other at the lower end level of the shorter limb. The beads 6 ensure that the line does not readily spring back out of grip.
The lower part 2 consists of three vertical strips cross connected at both ends to form a plate-like structure with two vertical slots. The hanger head 3 is passed behind the middle section and out with the aid of curved indents 7 on the middle strip at each edge. The weight of the garment and the flexibility of the hanger grip body 2 ensures the hanger head 3 is pulled down into a sure grip.
Since the weight of the garment becomes the active gripping force, by removing the weight the device is easily disengaged by reverse sequence.
It may be required to transfer the garments to a second line of a different thickness, this may be done readily without adjustment and still ensure the same properties.
Dimensions for the invention are determined by the variety of line sizes being used and the hangers to be secured. It is therefore a result of relative proportion to the area of use.
Figure 6 shows a modification in which the upper part is provided with two serrated projections 10 facing each other on the two limbs of the arch respectively. Two flexible webs 11 are provided on the inner sides of the two limbs of the arch respectively, the webs facing each other so as to grip the line to prevent sliding of the hanger along the line. The webs 11 are integral with the projections 10 so that the latter come into operation as the webs 11 are bent back.
The arch serves to prevent undue swinging movement relative to the line in normal use. The length of the arch is suitably chosen so that when the arches of adjacent hangers engage each other the garments are suspended so they remain out of contact with each other when drying.

Claims

1. A line hanger device comprising an upper part (4) for engaging a line and a lower part (2) having means for the purpose of gripping garment hangers, the upper part (4) being adapted to grip a variety of line sizes to stop undue swinging movement relative to the line within normal use, and the lower part (2) being adapted to grip a variety of garment hanger sizes to stop undue swinging and pivoting of the garment hanger relative to the line hanger device whilst in use, characterised

in that the upper part is in the form of an elongate arch, and

in that the elongate arch of the upper part (4) is connected to the lower part (2) which is in the form of a flat plate transverse to said arch and has slots defining an elongate strip around which a hook of a garment hanger may be engaged and gripped by the plate and strip.

2. A line hanger as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the upper part (4) has flexible webs (11) on the inner sides of the arch respectively, the webs facing each other so as to grip the line to prevent sliding of the hanger along the line.

3. A line hanger as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the upper part has two limbs, one limb being integral with the lower part, said limbs having integral beads (6), facing each other.

4. A line hanger as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the beads are provided respectively on the two limbs at the lower end level of the shorter limb.

5. A line hanger as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the elongate strip has a curved indent (7) in each edge.