GB2253998A

GB2253998A - Hanger device

Info

Publication number: GB2253998A
Application number: GB9111127A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Katherine Lurie; Yoshiro O Radike
Original assignee: YLK Inc
Current assignee: YLK Inc
Priority date: 1991-03-25
Filing date: 1991-05-23
Publication date: 1992-09-30
Also published as: FR2674412A1; ITMI920524A0; DE4119765A1; ITMI920524A1; IT1267098B1; GB9111127D0

Description

22539Q8 HANGER DEVICE The present invention generally relates to

supporting devices and more particularly to devices for use in hanging handbags, umbrellas and the like from tables and counter tops.

There has long been a problem experienced by persons who are carry handbags, umbrellas or other small parcels when dining, attending meetings or at other occasions where it is necessary to maintain possession of the item. The most apparent problem arises when men or women are dining in restaurants and are required by prudence to maintain purses or handbags in close proximity while dining. By necessity, the individual must usually place the handbag, purse or parcel on his or her lap, on a separate chair, on the table or on the floor. When the lack of space prevents convenient placement of the parcel, an individual is often forced to place the object on the floor thereby putting it in contact with dirt and subjecting it to theft.

A number of devices are taught by the prior art which seek to solve the problem addressed by the present invention. Examples of these devices are disclosed in united States Patent Nos. 4,194,714, 2,532,255 and 2,473,086. All of the devices taught by the prior art exhibit a similar problem which is resolved by the present invention. The device taught in the 1714 patent comprises a hanger for a purse having an elongated first arm, one end thereof to be placed on a table top, a second arm being hinged at an end of the first arm and being adapted to support the purse thereon. There is a fixed relationship between the arm which is supported by the table and the location which the purse, bag or parcel is supported. In the 1255 patent, a substantially cylindrical housing is adapted for placement upon a table top or counter and includes a downwardly depending hook for support of the purse. Although the hook is provided with the ability to swing with respect to the housing, there is no ability to laterally displace the hook with respect to the supporting housing. The 1086 patent comprises a structure which is substantially similar to that shown in the 1255 patent. While providing the ability of the supporting hook to swing relative to a supporting plate, there is no ability to laterally displace the hook with reference to the supporting hook.

The devices taught by the prior art all exhibit an inherent problem which is resolved by the present invention. Irrespective of whether the supporting arm or hook can be swiveled or pivoted with respect to the supporting plate or housing, the inability to laterally displace the elements with reference to each other limits use of the devices to table tops or other surfaces having access beneath same. As an example, the devices taught by the prior art cannot support a handbag or purse from a counter top which includes an adjacent, fixed vertical surface.

The present invention resolves those problems inherent in the designs in the devices taught by the prior art. A supporting housing is adapted to be placed upon the horizontal surface of a table top or counter. A supporting shaft horizontally extends from the housing and is in a slidable relationship therewith. The supporting shaft depends downwardly into a supporting arm and hook which is used to hold the handbag, purse or the like. By altering the position of the supporting shaft relative to the housing, the point upon which the handbag or purse is supported can be laterally displaced relative to the supporting housing. By fully displacing the supporting arm relative to the housing, the present invention provides the ability to hang a handbag, purse or the like from a counter or table top even where there is no spacial access beneath the counter or table top.

The present invention comprises a hanger device for hanging a handbag, purse or the like from a counter or table top. A cylindrical housing is adapted for secure placement upon the counter or table top. A supporting shaft is slidably disposed within the housing and extends therefrom in the plane of the housing. The supporting shaft is coupled within the housing to provide for a plurality of fixed positions. The supporting shaft is slidably disposed within a positioning channel, the shaft including a predetermined number of selectable positions formed by tapered sections of reduced diameter along the supporting shaft. Resilient leaf springs are disposed on opposite sides of the supporting shaft within the housing. The springs are adapted to resiliently bear upon the shaft and secure supporting shaft at selected positions when in contact with the tapered sections. The portion of the supporting shaft extending from the housing depends downwardly into a supporting arm and hook from which a handbag, purse or the like can be hung. By slidably changing the position of the supporting shaft relative to the housing, the supporting hook can be laterally displaced relative to the housing.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved hanger device for supporting handbags, purses and the like from a counter or table top.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a hanger device which can be used with counters or table tops having no special access beneath same.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a hanger device for purposes, handbags and the like which can be easily stored.

It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide an imiproved hanger device which is simple and inexpensive to fabricate.

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objectives and advantages thereof, will be better understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawing in which a presently preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawing is for the purpose of illustration and description only, and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the present invention hanger device being supported from a table top.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view of the present invention hanger device showing the alternative lateral positions of the supporting arm relative to the housing.

FIGURE 3 is a rear elevation view of the present invention shown in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the housing and supporting shaft taken through line 4-4 of FIGURE 2 illustrating a first position of the supporting shaft relative to the housing.

FIGURE 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the present invention taken through line 5-5 of FIGURE 2 showing the supporting shaft in its second, extended position relative to the housing.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the present invention hanger device being supported upon a surface having no spacial access there beneath.

An understanding of the present invention can be best gained by reference to FIGURE 1, the present invention hanger device being generally designated by the reference numeral 10. As shown in FIGURE 1, hanger device 10 is supporting a handbag 11. Hanger device 10 generally comprises a housing 12 from which extends a supporting shaft 13 which depends downwardly into a support arm 14. Support arm 14 is deflected upwardly into a hook 15 upon which handbag 11 is hung. As shown in FIGURE 1, housing 12 rests upon table top 15 with hook 15 supporting handbag 11 beneath table top 15. As will be explained, the present invention hanger device 10 provides for use thereof with tables or counters which do not provide for spacial access beneath the top surface thereof (FIGURE 6).

The structure of the present invention can be best understood by reference to FIGURE 2 and FIGURE 3. The present invention hanger device 10 comprises a cylindrical housing 12 having upper and lower planar surfaces. The interior coupling between support shaft 13 and housing 12, as shown in FIGURE 4 and FIGURE 5, is enclosed by cover 16 which is capable of having decorative indicia disposed thereon. The lower planar surface of housing 12 comprises a resilient pad 17 which can be fabricated from rubber or a polyurethane foam. Pad 17 is used to provide traction and thereby maintain placement of housing 12 on table top 15. In addition, resilient pad 17 provides a protective layer to prevent defacing table top 15.

As shown in FIGURE 2, support shaft 13 extends outwardly from sleeve 19 in parallel spaced relation to the lower planar surface 18 of housing 12. Support shaft 13 depends downwardly forming support arm 14 which is in a planar relationship with support shaft 13 (FIGURE 3). Support arm 14 is comprised of segments 20, 21 and hook 15. Segment 20 of support arm 14 is perpendicular to support shaft 13. Support arm 14 is deflected at 22 separating segments 20 and 21 whereby segment 21 of support arm 14 is oriented beneath housing 12. Segment 21 of support arm 14 depends upwardly at 23 forming hook 15 upon which a handbag, purse or the like can be supported (FIGURE 1).

In order to meet the objectives of the present invention, support shaft 13 is coupled through sleeve 19 to housing 12 in a manner which provides for lateral movement thereof in the direction designated by reference numeral 25 (FIGURE 2). As shown in FIGURE 2, the range of movement represented by reference numeral 25 allows hook 15 to be laterally displaced and thereby change the center of gravity of a supported object relative to housing 12. The means to slidably structure couple support shaft 13 within housing 12 can be best understood by reference to FIGURE 4 and FIGURE 5. FIGURE 4 represents the orientation of support arm 14 as shown in solid lines in FIGURE 2. FIGURE 5 represents the orientation of support arm 14 as shown in phantom lines in FIGURE 2. As shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, a central channel 30 is disposed through sleeve 19 and extends diametrically into the central core of housing 12. A perpendicular cross-bore 31 extends equally on either side of channel 30 and is adapted to receive biased leaf springs 32 and 33. Beyond crossbore 31, channel 30 extends into expansion channel 34 which is adapted to accommodate the biasing ends of leaf springs 32 and 33. Finally, channel 30 is extended through housing 12 into channel extension bore 35 to accommodate the terminus 36 of support shaft 13 when moved to the position indicated by reference numeral 37.

Support shaft 13 is a cylindrical member, one end thereof depending downwardly to support arm 14, the opposite terminus 36 limiting the extended movement of support shaft 13 when moved in the direction indicated by reference numeral 40 (FIGURE 5). To meet objectives of the present invention, support shaft 13 can be moved in a range between two alternative positions designated by reference numeral 25 (FIGURE 2). The positional movement of support shaft 13 is defined by a pair of annular depressions 41 and 42 formed along support shaft 13 about the axis thereof. As stated, FIGURE 4 represents the position of support arm 14 as shown in solid line in FIGURE 2. In this position, the distal ends of leaf springs 32 and 33 are biased placing the distal ends thereof in forced contact with annular depression 41. FIGURE 5 illustrates the altered position of support arm 14 represented in FIGURE 2 in phantom lines. In this position, the biased force imposed by the distal ends of leaf springs 32 and 33 place them in forced contact within annular depression 42. As stated, an objective of the present invention is to provide a hanger device 10 which can be easily stored. Based on the cylindrical profile of support shaft 13, support arm 14 can be rotated about the axis of support shaft 13 and relative to housing 12 as represented by the directional reference 43 (FIGURE 3). In this manner, when the present invention hanger device 10 is to be stored, support arm 14 can be rotated until it lies in the same plane as housing 12 thereby producing a substantially flat and easily storable structure.

Use of the present invention can be understood by reference to FIGURES 1 and 6. As stated, FIGURE 1 illustrates the support of a handbag beneath a table top 15 having spacial access there beneath. In this position, support arm 14 is in the closed position (FIGURE 4), hook 15 being substantially in alignment with housing 12. In FIGURE 6, hanger device 10 is supported upon a table top or counter 45 which has no spacial access beneath same as a result of an integral, vertical wall 46. Under these conditions, support shaft 13 and support arm 14 are urged in the direction designated by reference numeral 40. This displaces hook 15 relative to housing 12 in a manner which permits handbag 11 to be supported on hook 15 irrespective of the lack of spacial access beneath table top or counter 45.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A hanger device for hanging an object from a tabl top comprising:

(a) a housing having a substantially planar lower surface adapted to rest upon the table top and a central bore disposed therethrough in parallel spaced relation to the lower surface thereof, the axis of said central bore bisecting the housing; (b) a support shaft having first and second ends slidably coupled within the central bore of said housing and being coaxial therewith and having a plurality of positional depressions disposed in the surface of said support shaft, one of said positional depressions being substantially adjacent the first end of said support shaft; (c) biasing means for engaging said positional depressions in the surface of said support shaft coupled within the central bore of said housing and in biased contact with said support shaft; and -(d) a support arm depending downwardly from the second end of said support shaft and being deflected into a hook member, said support shaft, support arm and hook member being in a planar relationship with one another.

2. A hanger device as defined in Claim 1 wherein said housing is cylindrical, the central bore therethrough being aligned along the diameter of said housing.

3. A hanger device as defined in Claim 1 wherein said support arms depend from said support shaft in a perpendicular relationship thereto.

4. A hanger device as defined in Claim 1 wherein said support shaft has two positional depressions formed therein, each being disposed about the full circumference of said support shaft.

5. A hanger device as defined in Claim 1 wherein said biasing means comprises two leaf springs having a distal end adjacent with and in forced contact with said support shaft.

6. A hanger device as defined in Claim 1 further including a covering member disposed upon said housing enclosing said central bore and including means for receiving decorative indicia thereupon.

7. A hanger device as defined in Claim 1 further including a rubber pad secured to the planar lower surface of said housing.

8. A hanger device for hanging an object from a table top comprising:

(a) a cylindrical housing having a substantially planar lower surface adapted to rest upon the table top and the central bore diametrically disposed therethrough in parallel spaced relation to the lower surface of said housing; (b) a support shaft having first and second ends slidably coupled within the central bore of said housing and being coaxial therewith and having a plurality of spaced, positional depressions annularly disposed along the surface of said support shaft, one of said annular, positional depressions being substantially adjacent the first end of said support shaft, said support shaft being rotatable through 3600 of arc about its own axis; (c) biasing means for engaging said annular, positional depressions coupled within the central bore of said housing and in bias contacted with said support shaft; and (d) a support arm depending downwardly from the second end of said support shaft and being perpendicular thereto, said support arm being deflected into a hook member, said support shaft, support arm and hook member being in a planar relationship with one another.

9. A hanger device as defined in Claim 8 wherein said support shaft has two annular, positioial depressions formed therein.

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10. A hanger device as defined in Claim 8 wherein said biasing means comprises two leaf springs, each having a biased distal end adjacent with and in forced contact with said support shaft.

11. A hanger device as defined in Claim 8 further including a covering member disposed upon said housing enclosing said central bore and including means for receiving decorative indicia thereupon.

12. A hanger device substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.