GB2206783A

GB2206783A - Clothes hanger

Info

Publication number: GB2206783A
Application number: GB08715734A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christos Megas
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-07-03
Filing date: 1987-07-03
Publication date: 1989-01-18
Anticipated expiration: 2007-07-03
Also published as: GB2206783B; GB8715734D0

Abstract

A clothes hanger has an open triangular frame fitted with two open-ended frusto-conical tubes 30 of resilient plastics material for supporting the shoulders of a garment on the hanger, each tube having an axial slot 32 and arranged with the smaller diameter end engaged as a snap fit around one of the inclined side bars 13, 14 of the frame and the edges of the slot engaged as a snap fit against the crossbar 15 of the frame, and the tubes being adjustable into different setting positions along the side bars of the frame. In one embodiment (figs 1 to 4) the inside wall of the tube diametrically opposite the slot has a channel for reception of the side bar, and the side edges of the slot are serrated. In another embodiment the side edges of the slot are formed with grooves 33-37 in which the crossbar is engageable at different setting positions of the tube on the frame. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN CLOTHES HANGERS This invention relates to clothes hangers for supporting garments.

adapted to fit around the shoulders of a wearer. Examples of such garments are dresses, cardigans, jumpers and coats.

A conventional construction of clothes hanger comprises a flat open triangular frame, the apex of which is provided with a-hook for engaging around a horizontal rail. Such hangers are commonly made from a single length of small diameter metal rod bent into a flat open triangular frame with one end of the rod shaped to form the hook, or the hangers are made of plastics material which is moulded into a flat open triangular frame and hook in which the sides and base of the frame and the hook are integral with one another. In use, the hanger is fitted inside the neck portion of the garment, and the garment is suspended by its shoulder portions on the frame of the hanger when the hanger is hooked onto a rail.

Clothes hangers of this construction are cheap to make and occupy very little space in storage. They have however the disadvantage that, in use, the weight of a garment on the hanger tends to drag down the shoulder portions at the front and rear of the hanger and the thin frame tends to form narrow creases along the shoulder portions of the garment. Also the drag on the shoulders tends to give the garment a misshapen appearance.

It is known to shape the side portions of a clothes hanger to correspond approximately to the contours of the shoulders of a wearer, but such hangers are relatively costly to manufacture and are bulky to store in quantity.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a clothes hanger comprising a frame suitable for suspending a garment adapted to fit around the shoulders of a wearer, wherein two shoulder supports are detachably mounted one on each side of the frame, the shoulder supports being arranged to at least partially fill- out and shape the shoulder portions of a garment suspended on the hanger. The shoulder supports are preferably adjustable along the frame to vary the spacing between the two supports and thereby adapt the hanger to fit garments of different sizes.

The clothes hanger of the invention has the advantage that it presents clothing garments three dimensionally. By a suitable selection of size and shape for the shoulder supports, the hanger can eliminate drag or "hang" whatever the design dimensions at the shoulder, thereby giving the garment "hanger appeal" and the appearance of human shoulder contours. Moreover, the hanger emphasises any shoulder detail design on the garment.

The clothes hanger of the invention also has the advantage that it can prevent creasing or other damage to delicate fabric.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a shoulder support for a clothes hanger, the shoulder support comprising a tube provided with means for detachably securing the tube on the frame of the hanger so that the tube at least partially fills out and shapes a shoulder portion of a garment suspended on the hanger.

For a clothes hanger in which the frame comprises two side bars of relatively small cross sectional dimensions, each shoulder support may consist of a tube the inside surface of which is provided with a channel for reception of the associated side bar as a close frictional fit.

For a clothes hanger in which the frame comprises an open substantially triangular frame having two side bars and a crossbar, each shoulder support preferably comprises an open-ended frusto-conical tube which is split axially along its full length to form a narrow slot, the smaller diameter end of the tube being of a size to be a close fit around the associated side bar and the crossbar extending through the slot in the tube. The edges of the slot may be serrated to provide a frictional fit with the crossbar of the frame, or the edges of the slot may be provided with spaced grooves for reception of the crossbar, to enable the shoulder support to be located in selected positions on the frame.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front elevation view of a clothes hanger comprising a frame fitted with shoulder supports, Figure 2 is a view on a larger scale of the underside of one of the shoulder supports of the hanger shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a sectional view of the shoulder support of Figure 2, taken along the line III-III in Figure 2, Figure 4 is an end view on a larger scale of one of the shoulder supports of the hanger of Figure 1 taken in the direction of the arrow "A" in Figure 1, Figure 5 is a front elevation view of a clothes hanger comprising a frame fitted with shoulder supports of a different construction to those shown in Figures 1-4, the shoulder supports being shown in an extended position, and Figure 6 is a view of the underside of one of the shoulder supports of the hanger as shown in Figure 5.

The clothes hanger shown in Figure 1 comprises a flat triangular open frame 10 provided with a hook 11 at the apex of the frame, and two shoulder supports 12 detachably mounted one on each side of the triangular frame.

The frame 10 and hook 11 are moulded in one piece in plastics material. The frame comprises two inclined side bars 13, 14 and a crossbar 15 having a straight horizontal portion 16 formed at its ends with curved portions 17, 18 respectively which are integral with the outer ends of the side bars 13, 14 so that the frame is in the form of an endless hoop of triangular shape The hook 11 lies in the same plane as that of the triangular frame, with the base of the hook integral with the apex of the triangular frame. The side bars 13, 14 and the cross bar 15 are preferably substantially circular in cross section, but may be of any other suitable cross section.

Each shoulder support 12 is made.of resilient plastics material and comprises a frusto-conical open-ended tube 20, the smaller diameter end of which has internal cross-sectional dimensions substantially equal to or smaller than the cross-sectional dimensions of the side bars 13, 14. The wall of the tube 20 is split axially along its full length to form a narrow slot 21 the edges of which are serrated as shown in Figure 2. The internal surface of the tube 20 diametrically opposite the slot 21 is provided with two rails 24 spaced apart a distance approximately equal to the cross-sectional width of the side bars 13, 14. The rails 24 extend along only the centre portion of the tube 20 as shown in Figure 3.

The two shoulder supports 12 are mounted on opposite sides respectively of the frame 10, with the smaller diameter end of each support engaged as a close fit around the associated side bar 13 nr 14 adjacent the hook 11, the two rails 24 engaged as a close fit against opposite sides of the associated side bar 13 or 14, and the serrated edges of the slot 21 engaged against the crossbar 15 as shown in Figure 1.The frictional grip between the smaller diameter ends of the shoulder supports and the side bars 13, 14 and the frictional grip between the serrated edges of the slot 21 and the crossbar 15 hold the shoulder supports in position on the frame, but nevertheless permits sliding adjustment of the shoulder supports along the side bars 13 14 as necessary to accommodate garments of different sizes. The shoulder supports 12 may be positioned with their larger diameter ends above the crossbar 15 and therefore out of the engagement therewith. In this position the rails 24 hold the shoulder supports in position on the side bars 13, 14. The side bars 13, 14 in cross section may have a depth greater than the width thereof so that the rails 24 prevent twisting of the shoulder supports on the side bars 13, 14 when the shoulder supports are positioned above the crossbar 15.

In use, the shoulder supports 12 fill out the shoulder portions of a garment suspended from the hanger so that the garment hangs in a manner similar to that when worn. The shoulder supports are preferably adjusted to a position in which they are concealed by the shoulder portions of a garment on the hanger, and the shoulder supports preferably have relatively thin walls so as to avoid or reduce to a minimum any interruption in the line of the shoulder portions of the garment where it passes over the smaller diameter end of the support.

The shoulder supports can readily be removed from the frame by pivoting the support upwardly about its small diameter end, and the support can readily be replaced on the frame by first mounting the larger diameter end on the curved portion 17 or 18 of the crossbar and pivoting the support downwardly about its larger diameter end.

The clothes hanger shown in Figures 5 and 6 comprises a flat triangular open frame 10 provided with a hook 11 at the apex of the frame, and two shoulder supports 30 detachably mounted one on each side of the triangular frame. The frame 10 is similar to that of the frame of the hanger of Figure 1 and comprises two inclined side bars 13, 14 and a horizontal crossbar 15 having a straight horizontal portion 16 and curved end portions 17; 18.

Each shoulder support 30 is made of resilient plastics material and comprises a frusto-conical open-ended tube 31, the smaller diameter end of which has internal cross-sectional dimensions substantially equal to or smaller than the cross-sectional dimensions of the side bars 13, 14. The wall of the tube 31 is split axially along its full length to form a narrow slot 32, and each edge of the slot is formed with grooves 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 which are spaced along the tube and which co-operate with corresponding grooves 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 in the other edge of the slot to form apertures for passage of the crossbar 15 at different settings of the shoulder support.

The two shoulder supports 30 are mounted on opposite sides respectively of the frame 10, with the smaller diameter end of each support engaged as a close fit around the associated side bar 13 or 14 adjacent the hook, and with either the straight portion 16 or the curved portion 17 or 18 of the crossbar engaged as a snap fit in a selected one of the apertures formed by the grooves 33-37 in the edges of the slot in the shoulder support.

Each of the grooves 33-37 is shaped to engage against the cross bar around substantially the full periphery of the groove. Thus in the fully extended position of the shoulder support as shown in Figure 5 in which the curved portion 17 or 18 is engaged in the aperture formed by the grooves 33, each of the grooves 33 is substantially semi-circular to engage as a close fit around a part of the curved section 17 or 18 which extends substantially perpendicular to the slot 31 in the shoulder support. In the fully retracted position of the shoulder support in which the straight portion 16 of the crossbar is engaged as a snap fit in the aperture formed by the grooves 37, each of the grooves is substantially elliptical in shape to engage as a close fit against the horizontal portion of the cross bar which is inclined relative to the slot 31 in the shoulder support.

The shoulder supports 12 or 30 may be replaced by supports of different length or different cone angles to fit garments of different sizes or styles.

When large numbers of the hangers are to be stored, the shoulder supports are preferably removed from the frames, since the frames and the supports can be stored separately in a considerably smaller space than that necessary to accommodate the same number of hangers in an assembled condition.

The frame and the shoulder supports may be of any other suitable construction or shape from those of the examples shown in the drawings, provided that the hanger serves the function of at least partly filling out and shaping the shoulders of a garment suspended on the hanger. For example, each shoulder support may consist of an open-ended cylindrical tube instead of a frusto-conical tube, the cylindrical tube being split axially and provided internally with rails defining a channel for reception of a side bar of the hanger frame as in the hanger of Figures 1-4.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A clothes hanger comprising a frame suitable for suspending a garment adapted to fit around the shoulders of a wearer, wherein two shoulder supports are detachably mounted one on each side of the frame, the shoulder supports being arranged to at least partially fill out and shape the shoulder portions of a garment suspended on the hanger.

2. A clothes hanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shoulder supports are adjustable along the frame to vary the spacing between the two supports and thereby adapt the hanger to fit garments of different sizes.

3. A clothes hanger as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which the frame comprises two side bars arranged one on each side of the frame, wherein each shoulder support comprises a tube mounted around the associated side bar.

4. A clothes hanger as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein each shoulder support comprises a frusto-conical tube, the smaller diameter end of the tube being of a size to be a close fit around the associated side bar.

5. A clothes hanger as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein the inside surface of the tube is provided with a channel which receives the associated side bar of the frame as a close fit.

6. A clothes hanger as claimed in any of claims 3 or 4 in which the frame comprises two side bars and a crossbar extending between the side bars, wherein each tube is split axially along its full length to form a slot for passage of the crossbar.

7. A clothes hanger as claimed in claim 6, wherein the inside surface of the tube is provided with rails defining a channel diametrically opposite at least part of the slot in the tube, the channel being of a size to receive the associated side bar of the frame as a close fit.

8. A clothes hanger as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein each tube is formed of resilient material and the crossbar effects deformation of the tube, whereby the resilience of the tube urges the side edges of the slot into frictional engagement with the crossbar.

9. A clothes hanger as claimed in claim 8, wherein the edges of the slot are serrated.

10. A clothes hanger as claimed in claim 8, wherein the edges of the slot are each provided with spaced grooves, the grooves in each edge of the slot co-operating with the grooves in the other edge of the slot to form apertures for passage of the crossbar at different settings of the shoulder support on the frame of the hanger.

11. A clothes hanger as claimed in claim 10, wherein each of the grooves is shaped to engage against the crossbar around substantially the full periphery of the groove.

12. A clothes hanger as claimed in claim 11, wherein the frame comprises an open substantially triangular frame having two inclined side bars and a cross bar having a straight central portion and two curved portions connecting the ends of the straight portion to the outer ends of the side bars, the side bars and the crossbar being substantially circular in cross section, wherein the grooves which are adapted to engage the curved portions of the frame when the shoulder supports are in a retracted position are substantially semi-cylindrical, and the grooves which are adapted to engage the straight portion of the crossbar when the shoulder supports are in an extended position are substantially elliptical.

13. A shoulder support for a clothes hanger frame comprising two side bars and a crossbar extending between the two side bars, the shoulder support comprising an open-ended frusto-conical tube of resilient plastics material which is split axially along its full length, whereby the smaller diameter end of the tube may be mounted on a side bar of the hanger frame with the cross bar extending through the slit in the tube.

14. A shoulder support as claimed in claim 13, wherein the axial edges of the tube defining said slit are each provided with spaced grooves, the grooves in each axial edge of the tube co-operating with the grooves in the other axial edge of the tube to form apertures for passage of the crossbar at different settings of the shoulder support on the frame of the hanger.

15. A clothes hanger substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1-4 of Figures 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.