EP0530282B1

EP0530282B1 - Clothes-hanger

Info

Publication number: EP0530282B1
Application number: EP91910138A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Arne Wilhelmsson
Original assignee: AS MEKANISKA VERKSTAD AB
Current assignee: AS MEKANISKA VERKSTAD AB
Priority date: 1990-05-22
Filing date: 1991-04-26
Publication date: 1994-12-07
Anticipated expiration: 2011-04-26
Also published as: EP0530282A1; DE69105727T2; SE9001838L; SE468460B; AU7905191A; WO1991017688A1; SE9001838D0; DE69105727D1

Abstract

A clothes-hanger has a centrepiece (1), and two end pieces (2), which, with guide portions (6, 8, 11), are telescopically accommodated and secured in each respective end portion of the centrepiece (1) and insertable therein against the action of a spring (9). The centrepiece (1) has an at least partly downwardly open U-shaped cross-section. At each end and on its underside, the centrepiece (1) has a support and guide surface (12) which interconnects the shanks of its U-shaped cross-section. The support and guide surfaces (12) are, seen in the longitudinal direction of the centrepiece (1), located outside the outer ends of the upper defining wall (5) of the centrepiece.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a clothes-hanger which comprises a centrepiece, and two end pieces which, with guide portions, are telescopically accommodated and secured in each respective end portion of the centrepiece and insertable therein against spring force, the centrepiece having a substantially U-shaped, at least partly downwardly open cross section and being, at each end and at a lower portion, provided with a support and guide surface for the end pieces. See WO-A-8604797

BACKGROUND ART

A plurality of different designs of clothes-hangers of the above-outlined type are previously known in the art. In one such design, the centrepiece has, at its ends facing away from one another, sleeves in which the end pieces are insertable. In this instance, the end pieces have a projecting pin or plug which is relatively short but which is intended to act as a spring anchorage. The other end of the spring supports against a transverse wall interiorly in the centrepiece, this wall also closing that sleeve in which the end piece is shiftable.
A clothes-hanger of this type cannot be manufactured at low cost, since the tool which is intended for producing the centrepiece requires displaceable jaws which render such production considerably more expensive.
The above-described prior art clothes-hanger also entails problems concerning its assembly, since the spring which is intended to project the end pieces out from the centrepiece to an expanded state cannot first be mounted on the end piece whereupon the entire assembly of spring/end piece is thereafter mounted in the centrepiece.
Since the spring in the prior art clothes-hanger lacks a guide along the greater part of its length, the spring movement will also be uneven and jerky and, furthermore, associated with an unpleasant noise.

PROBLEM STRUCTURE

The present invention has for its object to realize a clothes-hanger of the type mentioned by way of introduction, the clothes-hanger being designed in such a manner that it may be produced in a plastic forming tool without the employment of displaceable jaws in the tool. The present invention further has for its object to realize a clothes-hanger which permits extremely simple and rational assembly after manufacture of the different component parts included in the clothes-hanger. Furthermore, the present invention has for its object to realize a clothes-hanger in which adequate guiding is provided for the spring which strives to eject the end pieces out of the centrepiece. Finally, the present invention also has for its object to realize a clothes-hanger which, in general terms, displays a high degree of mechanical strength and functional dependability and which in particular permits reliable guiding of the end pieces in the centrepiece without any play occurring.

SOLUTION

The objects forming the basis of the present invention will be attained if the clothes-hanger disclosed by way of introduction is characterized in that the support surfaces are, in the longitudinal direction of the centrepiece, located outside the outer ends of the upper defining wall of the centrepiece.
A clothes-hanger of this type is produced in a moulding tool in which the parting line is parallel with the upper defining wall of the centrepiece. As a result of the above-mentioned placing of the support and guide surfaces of the centrepiece, these may be produced in a tool which is not fitted with displaceable jaws.
According to the present invention, it also suitably applies that the centrepiece is provided, a distance from each end and at a lower portion, with inner support and guide surfaces for cooperation with the end pieces, and that the upper defining wall of the centrepiece has apertures in the region of each respective inner support and guide surface.
The employment of these features will ensure an improved guiding of the end pieces, at the same time as the lower support and guide surfaces can, because of the presence of the apertures, be produced in a tool without displaceable jaws.
Further advantages will be attained according to the present invention if the clothes-hanger is also given one or more of the characterizing features as set forth in appended Claims 3-6.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described in greater detail hereinbelow, with particular reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which:

Fig. 1: shows a vertical partial cross section of a clothes-hanger produced according to the invention;
Fig. 2: is a view of the clothes-hanger of Fig. 1, seen from beneath;
Fig. 3: shows a section through the clothes-hanger of Fig. 1 along the section marking A-A, the section in this Figure being seen in a direction from left to right;
Fig. 4: shows a corresponding section along the section marking B-B; and
Fig. 5: shows a corresponding section along the section marking C-C.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Fig. 1 shows a left-hand portion of a clothes-hanger according to the invention, and it will be apparent from this Figure that the clothes-hanger has a centrepiece 1, only the left-hand end portion thereof being shown, but it being assumed that the right-hand end portion of the centrepiece is designed as a mirror image of the left. It will also be presupposed that the centrepiece is provided with a suspension device (not shown) such as, for example, a suspension hook or its equivalent. In the left-hand end portion of the centrepiece 1, there is telescopically accommodated an end piece 2 which is provided with a suitably designed suspension device 3 for fixedly retaining, for instance, a skirt.
The end piece 2 is telescopically disposed in the centrepiece 1 and is, therefore, displaceable according to the double arrow D. In Fig. 1, the end piece is shown in its position inserted furthest into the centrepiece.
The centrepiece 1 may roughly be described as a U-profile which is turned with its opening to face downwards so that it has two mutually spaced apart side walls 4 which may preferably be parallel to one another or be at slightly greater spaced apart relationship at the lower edge than the upper edge. The U-profile is further provided with an upper defining wall 5 which interconnects the side walls 4.
Each end piece 2 has portions which extend into the centrepiece and which there shiftably guide against the inner defining surfaces of the centrepiece. It will be apparent from the Drawing that these portions of the end pieces extending into the centrepiece consist of an upper guide member 6 which is in the form of an elongate rod or bar whose cross sectional configuration is substantially complementary to the shape which is defined by the adjacent defining surfaces of the centrepiece 1. On the underside, the upper guide member is, via a gap 7, separated from a spring guide 8 which is in the form of an elongate rod which is substantially parallel with the upper guide member 6. Suitably, the spring guide 8 may be of circular cross section, but this is not necessary; instead the cross section may be cruciform, polygonal or be of any other appropriate shape which, with slight friction, may be accommodated interiorly in a compression spring of the helical type. This compression spring is schematically illustrated in Fig. 1 at reference numeral 9.
Beneath the spring guide 8, there is a further gap 10 which thereby separates-off a lower guide member 11 in the form of an elongate rod or bar whose longitudinal direction is substantially parallel with both the upper guide member 6 and the spring guide 8.
At the lower edge of the outer end of the centrepiece 1, there is disposed a lower support and guide surface 12 which abuts against the underside of the lower guide member 11. This lower support and guide surface 12 is placed, seen in the longitudinal direction of the centrepiece 1, outside (in the Figure to the left of) the outer end of the upper defining wall 5 of the centrepiece, so that thereby the entire support and guide surface is, when the end piece 2 is dismounted, freely visible when the clothes-hanger is observed straight from above. This placing of the support and guide surface 12 is possible in that both side walls 4 of the centrepiece 1 are provided with obliquely downwardly and outwardly directed end edges, as illustrated by the broken line 13.
At a certain distance in from the outer end of the centrepiece 1, there is disposed, along the lower edge of the side walls 4, an inner support and guide surface 14 which is in the form of a transverse bridge interconnecting the lower edge portions of the side walls 4. In order for it to be possible to realize such a support and guide surface 14 in a tool without employing displaceable jaws, the upper defining wall 5 of the centrepiece is provided with an aperture 15 in register with the support and guide surface 14. That tool part which defines the inside (upwardly facing) of the support and guide surface 14 can be passed through this aperture 15.
At the inner support and guide surface 14, the centrepiece 1 is further provided with abutment surfaces 16 for cooperation with the end of the spring 9 which strives to eject the end piece 2 out of the centrepiece 1. These abutment surfaces 16 are intimated in Fig. 1 by a broken line. In practice, the abutment surfaces are created in that the side walls 4 have inwardly directed bulges or thickened portions whose outwardly facing end edges form the abutment surfaces 16. Hereby, the inner distance between the side walls 4 will be considerably smaller in between the strip-shaped projections which carry the abutment surfaces 16. These strip-shaped projections are suitably transversely directed in relation to the longitudinal direction of the centrepiece, but may especially be at right angles thereto.
Fig. 5 clearly shows the cross section through the clothes-hanger in the region of the abutment surfaces 16. It will be clearly apparent how the side walls 4 have bulges or thickened portions whose mutual spacing approximately correponds to the diameter or cross sectional dimension of the spring guide 8, whose contour is shown by broken lines. It will also be apparent from this Figure how the inner support and guide surface 14 extends as a bridge between the side walls 4. The contours of the cross section of both the upper guide member 6 and the lower guide member 11 are further apparent from the Drawing.
It will be apparent from Fig. 2 that the lower guide member 11 has an inner narrow portion 17 whose width corresponds to the inner dimension between the strip-shaped projections forming the abutment surfaces. Thus, this inner narrow portion is slidable between the strip-shaped projections. At the inner and free end of the lower guide member 11, there are disposed transversely directed arrest surfaces 18 which come into abutment against corresponding arrest surfaces 19 on the inwardly facing edges of the strip-shaped projections which also carry the abutment surfaces 16. As a result of this cooperation between the arrest surfaces 18 and 19, the end piece 2 is prevented from being wholly ejected out of the centrepiece 1 under the action of the force of the spring 9. Thus, the end piece will have a well-defined maximum projecting position.
It will also be apparent from Fig. 2 that the inner arrest member 11 is spiculated at the inner end by being provided with wedge surfaces 20. The purpose of these wedge surfaces is to realize a deformation in the side walls of the centrepiece so that these are flexed away from one another on mounting of the end piece 2. This mounting operation is quite simply effected in that the end piece is pressed with some force into the centrepiece so that the locking catch formed by the wedge surfaces 20 and the arrest surfaces 18 is forced past the strip-shaped, transversely directed members which have the abutment surfaces 16 and the arrest surfaces 19.
It will also be apparent from Fig. 2 that the lower guide member 11 has an outer, somewhat thicker portion whose side edges directly abut and guide against the insides of the side walls 4. The transition region between the thicker and the narrower portion 17 is intimated at 21.
Concerning the upper guide member 6, it might be mentioned that this has the same cross section throughout its entire length, since the strip-shaped members carrying the abutment surfaces 16 need not be present along the upper portion of the inner surfaces of the side walls 4. Hereby, the upper guide member 6 will also be guided towards the upper end surfaces 22 on the strip-shaped members.
Fig. 3 shows how the outer support and guide surface 12 extends as a bridge between and interconnects the side walls 4 of the centrepiece 1. It will correspondingly be apparent from Fig. 4 that the cross section of the centrepiece 1 is substantially U-shaped, where the bottom of the U consists of the upper defining wall 5.
On assembly of the subject matter of the present invention, the spring is placed on the spring guide 8 and runs no risk of falling off, since the spring can, in the expanded state, be of approximately the same length as, or possibly shorter length than the spring guide.
Thereafter, the end piece 2 is quite simply slid with some force into the centrepiece 1 so that the arrest surfaces 18 pass the strip-shaped members on the side walls 4. It is naturally an advantage if assembly can be carried out while the centrepiece is still slightly warm and thereby possesses better resilience properties.

DESCRIPTION OF ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENTS

The inner support and guide member 14 has been described above as a bridge which interconnects the lower edges of the side walls 4. However, according to the present invention the inner support and guide member 14 may be provided with a breach so that it is formed only by bosses extending (towards one another) inwardly from the lower edges of the side walls 4. These bosses must be of such an extent inwards towards the centre plane of the centrepiece 1 that they can support the narrower portion 17 on the lower guide member 11. Naturally, this embodiment facilitates mounting of the end pieces, since the side walls 4 may more readily flex away from one another on insertion of the end piece.
Nor is it necessary according to the present invention that the strip-shaped members which are provided with the abutment surfaces 16 and the arrest surfaces 19 be placed straight above the inner support and guide member. Instead, these strip-shaped members may be offset in the longitudinal direction of the centrepiece 1. However, the aperture 15 and the inner support and guide member 14 must unconditionally be located in register with each other.
In order to improve release in the plastic moulding tool in which the present invention is produced, it may be appropriate to form the strip-shaped members with the abutment surfaces 16 and the arrest surfaces 19 slightly wedge-shaped, with the smallest width, seen in the longitudinal direction of the centrepiece, at the lower edge of the centrepiece.
The present invention may be further modified without departing from the scope of the appended Claims.

Claims

A clothes-hanger comprising a centrepiece (1), and two end pieces (2), which, with guide portions (6, 8, 11), are telescopically accommodated and secured in each respective end portion of the centrepiece and insertable therein against the action of spring force (9), the centrepiece having a substantially U-shaped, at least partly downwardly open cross section, and being, at each end and at a lower portion, provided with a support and guide surface (12) for the end pieces (2), characterized in that the support and guide surfaces (12) are, in the longitudinal direction of the centrepiece, located outside the outer ends of the upper defining wall (5) of the centrepiece.
The clothes-hanger as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that the centrepiece (1) is, a distance from each end and at a lower portion, provided with inner support and guide surfaces (14) for cooperation with the end pieces (2); and that the upper defining wall (5) of the centrepiece is provided with apertures (15) in the region of each respective inner support and guide surface (14).
The clothes-hanger as claimed in Claim 2, characterized in that the centrepiece (1) is, a distance from its ends, provided with inner abutment surfaces (16) which are transversely directed in relation to the longitudinal direction of the centrepiece and against which abut those springs (9) which strive to eject the end pieces (2) out of the centrepiece (1); and that the end pieces are provided with abutments (18) which, in the longitudinal direction of the centrepiece, are located inside the abutment surfaces in order to come into abutment thereagainst in the projected position of the end pieces.
The clothes-hanger as claimed in Claim 3, characterized in that the abutment surfaces (16) are located at the support and guide surfaces (14).
The clothes-hanger as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the end pieces (2) have three approximately mutually parallel, elongate members accommodated in the centrepiece (1), of which the uppermost is a guide member (6) whose cross section is approximately complementary to adjacent inner surfaces (4, 5) on the centrepiece (1), the centremost (8) is a guide rod for guiding that spring (9) which strives to eject the end piece out of the centrepiece, and of which the lowermost is a guide member (11) which at least cooperates with the inner support and guide surface (14) and which, at its free end, has means (18) for preventing the complete ejection of the end piece (2) out of the centrepiece.
The clothes-hanger as claimed in any one of Claims 2-5, characterized in that the inner support and guide surface (14) has the form of a bridge which interconnects lower edge portions of the side walls (4) of the centrepiece (1).