GB2394893A

GB2394893A - Garment hanger with arms formed from waste bottles

Info

Publication number: GB2394893A
Application number: GB0225072A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Susan Shih
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-10-29
Filing date: 2002-10-29
Publication date: 2004-05-12
Also published as: GB0225072D0; DE20218957U1

Abstract

A garment hanger comprises a coupler 40, and one or more bottles 50, such as waste PET bottles, detachably or selectively secured to the coupler 40, for suitably supporting the shoulder portions of coats, jackets or garments. The bottles 50 may be threaded 51 and thus secured to the coupler 40 with threading engagements 44,51. The coupler further comprises a retainer 3 for attaching to support members. The retainer 3 includes a stem 30 having a hook 31 formed on one end for attaching to the support member, and a lever 32 having an arm 38 biased to engage with the hook 31 and to retain the hook to the support member.

Description

- 1 GARMENT HANGER US I NG BOTTLE

The invention relates to a garment hanger formed or manufactured with bottles, such as the waste bottles. 05 Typical garment hangers are normally made of metal or plastic materials, and include a frame attached to a hook for hanging or supporting garments. The frame normally includes a relatively smaller width that may not suitably support jackets or coats, such that the 10 shoulder portions of the jackets or coats or garments I may be deformed after hanging with the typical garment hangers. The invention is to provide a garment hanger which may be formed or manufactured with bottles for suitably 15 supporting jackets or coats.

SUMMARY OF THE I NVENT I ON

According to the present invention there is provided a garment hanger comprising: a) a coupler, 20 b) one or more bottles, c) a securing device for securing the bottles to the coupler, and d) the coupler including a retainer for attaching to support member. The garment hanger may be formed 25 with bottles, and may include bottles having relatively greater diameter to suitably support jackets or coats or garments.

2 - BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a garment hanger; FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the garment hanger; FIG. 3 is a partial bottom perspective view of a 05 coupler, in which a portion of the coupler has been cut off for showing the inner structure of the coupler; and FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the operation of the garment hanger; and FIG. 5 is a side schematic view illustrating the 10 operation of the garment hanger. l DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFF,8=D EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a garment hanger comprises a coupler 40 including one or two ends 43 for securing to bottles 50, such as the waste polyethylene 15 terephthalate (PET) bottles 50. For example, the coupler 40 includes one or both ends 43 each having a securing device, such as an inner thread 44 for threading with the other securing device, such as the threaded mouths 51 of the bottles 50, and thus for 20 securing the bottles 50 to the coupler 40.

As best shown in FIGS. 4, 5, the bottles 50 include a diameter greater than the width of the typical garment hangers, and thus may be used for suitably supporting the shoulder portions 21 of the 25 garments or coats or jackets 20 in shape.

As shown in FIG. 1, the bottles 50 of smaller lengths tsolid lines) or of greater lengths (dotted

lines) may be selectively attached to the coupler 40 for supporting garments or coats or jackets 20 of different shapes or widths.

It is to be noted that the attachment or securing 05 of the bottles SO to the coupler 40 with threading engagements is for illustrating purposes only. The bottles 50 may also be secured to the coupler 40 with fasteners, clips, latches or adhesive materials or the other devices for securing the bottles 50 to the 10 coupler 40.

The coupler 40 includes a clip or a hook or a retainer 3 or the other retaining devices provided thereon for hooking or attaching to various support members 80 (FIG. 4). For example, the retainer 3 may be 15 manufactured separately and then fixed to the coupler 40, or may be directly formed with the coupler 40 in such as the molding processes.

The coupler 40 includes an orifice 41 formed therein and defined by one or more spring blades 42 20 (FIG. 3) that are extended inwardly in the coupler 40.

For example, the coupler 40 includes a hollow chamber 47 formed therein, and the spring blades 42 are extended into the chamber 47 of the coupler 40.

The retainer 3 includes a stem 30 having a pin 34 25 extended from one end thereof for engaging into the orifice 41 of the coupler, and an enlarged head 36 provided on the free end of the pin 34 for engaging

- 4 with the spring blades 42, and for fixing the retainer 3 to the coupler 40.

Alternatively, the retainer 3 may also be attached or fixed to the coupler 40 with fasteners, latches, 05 clips, adhesive materials or the other fixing devices for fixing the retainer 3 to the coupler 40. The retainer 3 includes a hook 31 provided on the other end of the stem 30 for attaching to the support member 80 (FIG. 4).

10 The retainer 3 further includes a lever 32 having a middle portion rotatable or pivotally secured to the middle portion of the stem 30 with a pivot shaft 37, and having an arm 38 formed on one end thereof for engaging with the hook 31 and for stably retaining or 15 attaching the hook 31 and thus the retainer 3 to the support member 80.

A spring biasing device or a spring 33 (FIG. 2) may be engaged on the shaft 37 and engaged between the stem 30 and the lever 32, for biasing or forcing the 20 arm 38 of the lever 32 toward the hook 31 and to engage with the hook 31.

The lever 32 includes the other end 39 formed as a handle 39 for being moved or forced toward the stem 30 against the spring 33, in order to move or force the 25 arm 38 of the lever 32 from the hook 31, and for allowing the hook 31 to be solidly engaged onto or easily disengaged from the support member 80.

5 - The coupler 40 thus includes a hook or a retainer 3 for easily hooking or attaching to the support member SO. The retainer 3 may be solidly fixed to the coupler 40, or may be formed as an integral one- piece structure 05 for attaching the coupler 40 and the bottles 50 to the support member 80.

Claims

- 6 CLAIMS:

1. A garment hanger comprising a coupler, characterized in that: at least one bottle is secured to the coupler, and 05 the coupler includes a retainer for attaching to support member.

2. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coupler includes a first securing device, and the bottle includes a second securing device and engaged 10 with the first securing device for securing the bottle to the coupler

3. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first securing device is an inner thread formed in the coupler, and the second securing device is an outer 15 thread formed on the bottle and threaded with the inner thread of the coupler.

4. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retainer includes a hook for attaching to the support member.

20

5. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 4, wherein the retainer includes a stem having a first end and a second end, the hook is provided on the first end of the stem.

6. A garment hanger with arms formed from bottles, said garment hanger being constructed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings. I: - (

6. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 5, wherein 25 the coupler includes an orifice formed therein, the second end of the stem includes a pin engageable into the orifice of the coupler for securing the retainer to

the coupler.

7. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 6, wherein the coupler includes at least one spring blade provided therein for defining the orifice thereof, the stem 05 includes an enlarged head formed on the pin for engaging with the spring blade and for fixing the stem of the retainer to the coupler.

8. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 5, wherein the retainer includes a lever pivotally secured to the 10 stem and having an arm provided on a first end thereof, and means for biasing the arm to engage with the hook.

9. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 8, wherein the lever includes a second end having a handle provided thereon for moving the arm away from the hook 15 against the biasing means.

10. A garment hanger substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A garment hanger with arms formed from bottles, the garment hanger comprising:-

a coupler comprising a body having two end portions to each of which a bottle is detachably secured, and a retainer for engagement with a support member for suspension of the garment hanger, the body of the coupler including a hole into which an end of the retainer is fitted.

2. A garment hanger as claimed in Claim 1, in which the two

end portions of the body of the coupler are internally threaded for screwthreaded engagement with external thread formations on the bottles.

3. A garment hanger as claimed in either of the preceding claims, in which said one end of the retainer includes an enlarged head formation and in which spring blades are contained within the body of the coupler for engagement with the enlarged head formation. 4. A garment hanger as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which a hook is provided at the other end of the retainer for engagement with the support member, and in which the retainer includes a pivotally mounted arm urged by a spring into engagement with the hook.

Cl 5. A garment hanger as claimed in Claim 4, in which the retainer includes a handle for movement of the arm away from the hook against the action of the spring.