US2645541A

US2645541A - Garment bag having an extensible top support

Info

Publication number: US2645541A
Application number: US77364A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jacob J Mintz; Frederick L Muller
Original assignee: Klear Vu Corp
Current assignee: Klear Vu Corp
Priority date: 1949-02-19
Filing date: 1949-02-19
Publication date: 1953-07-14
Anticipated expiration: 1970-07-14

Description

y 4, 1953 J. J. MINTZ El'AL 2,645,541

' GARMENT BAG HAVING AN EXTENSIBLE TOP SUPPORT Filed Feb. 19, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JNVENTOR. M005 ./T M/A/rz July 14, 1953 J. J. MINTZ :ETAL GARMENT BAG HAVING AN EXTENSIBLE TOP SUPPORT Filed Feb. 19, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 14, 1953 GARMENT BAG HAVING AN EXTENSIBLE TOP SUPPORT Jacob J. Mintz, Somerville, and Frederick L. Muller, Westfield, N. J., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Klear-Vu Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application February 19, 1949, Serial No. 77,364

11 Claims.

The present invention relates to a garment bag construction and in particular to one in which the bag is provided with a frame on which garments may be hung, which frame is extendible from the bag to facilitate access thereto.

Garment bags are in wide use of the type comprising an internal frame supporting a flexible outer covering. The frame supports, and particularly the top supports, generally comprise a skeletonic wire frame including a corrugated cross-bar from which garments may be hung, the frame having hooks extending upwardly therefrom through the garment bag outer covering to permit the entire bag and the garments contained therein to be hung from a support rod of the type normally present in a closet. One portion of the garment bag is openable to permit access to the interior thereof so as to provide for ready removal of garments therefrom or insertion of garments thereinto. A prime difiiculty which has been encountered in garment bags of this type, particularly when a large number of garments are contained therein, is the relative inaccessibility of the garments. Space and light restrictions in closets always make the proper selection of a garment a somewhat troublesome matter particularly when a large number of garments are in the closet and the hook portions of the hangers on which they are supported overlap one another. When garments are contained within a garment bag, this problem is materially intensified since even if the closet is lighted, the interior of the garment bag is not and it often occurs that when one wishes to remove a dress, for example, from a crowded garment bag, it is necessary to first remove a number of the garments on either side of the desired dress. This difliculty arisesqprimarily because, although the projecting edge of the garment desired can readily be identified, the position of the hook portion of the hanger with respect to the hook portions of the other hangers cannot readily be ascertained. Since these hangers are supported. by a cross-bar on the top support of the garment bag, and since that cross-bar must be placed substantially in line with and below the hooks by which the garment bag is mounted on the support rod in order that the the inaccessible position which the cross-bar necessarily must assume.

A further problem arises when one wishes to select one of a number of garments but is not quite sure which of the garments would be most desirable. Thus, it often happens that a woman is uncertain as to which of her dresses would be most appropriate for a given occasion. When the garments are completely enclosed within a garment bag, even if that garment bag be opened they are not readily visible and hence proper choice is made very difficult. It is generally necessary in such a case to completely remove all of the possible choices from the garment bag in order that they may be adequately viewed and it is then necessary to return all but the chosen garment to the garment bag.

It is the prime object of the present invention to devise a garment bag construction which avoids the above disadvantages by rendering the crossbar on which the garment hangers are sup-, ported more readily accessible than has heretofore been the case when garments are to be placed into or removed from the garment bag.

Another object of the present invention is to devise a garment bag construction which will permit the garments in the garment bag to be more readily exposed for viewing and choice without it being necessary to remove them from the garment bag or from the support bar on which they are hung.

Yet anotherobject of the present invention is to devise a garment bag construction which achieves the above advantages but which at the same time permits the cross-bar from which the garments are hung to take up its normal position in line with the garment bag hooks during the time that the garment bag is not opened.

A further object of the present invention is to devise, in conjunction with such a garment bag, a mechanism for maintaining said garmentbag in upright position when the garments contained therein are rendered readily accessible.

A still further object of the present invention is to devise a garment bag construction in which the top support is formed of two parts, one part constantly supportingthe top of the garment bag and retaining it in desired configuration, and anotherpart from which the garments are adapted to be hung being movable with respect to said one part between a housed position completely within the garment bag and a projected position in which the garments hung therefrom are at least partiallyexposed outside the garment bag, thus facilitating inspection, removal and re- 3 placement of the garments. A subsidiary object is to provide, in conjunction with such a garment bag, means for retaining the garment bag in upright position when said other part is moved to extended position.

A more generalized object is to devise a top support for a garment bag which is of simple and inexpensive construction but which nevertheless permits the attainment of the above objectives.

To the accomplishment of the, foregoingfiobjects and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, the present invention relates to a garment bag having an extendible top support portion as defined in the appended claims and as described in this specification, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a three-quarter perspective view showing the garment bag of the present invention in closed condition;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the garment bag in open position, its top support being extended therefrom, parts of the arment bag being broken away for purposes of clarity;

Fig. 3 is a three-quarter perspective View similar to Figs. 1 and 2 but showing the top support, the garment bag being indicated only in phantom;

Fig. 4 is a view of the top support similar to Fig. 3 but showing that support in extended position;

Fig. 5 is an end cross-sectional view taken along B which is adapted to support the garment bag in its desired shape and a second frame generally designated C slidably mounted within said garment bag so as to be movable between a position entirely therewithin and a position extending out therefrom. A grip generally designated D is attached to the garment bag top support and is adapted to engage in non-slipping and particularlyin non-rotative relationship with the support'bar E on which the garment bag is hung so as to prevent the garment bag from canting or tilting away from its normal upright position when the second frame C is in extended position.

As here disclosed, the flexible covering A may take the form, for example, of fabric, rubberized fabric, or synthetic plastic sheets secured together in any appropriate manner so as to define a closed container having a top 2, sides 5.; ends 5 and a bottom 8. One of the ends 6 is p vided with a slide fastener closure generally designated i9 so that said end may be opened for access to the interior of the garment bag, the slide fastener being here disclosed as extending along the top edge i2, the side edge i i, and he bottom edge 16 so that the entire side 6 is openable in flapped manner.

ing sides l8 and ends Zil and having hooks 22 Pro jecting upwardly therefrom and through eyeleted apertures 24 in the top 2 of the garment bag covering A so as to be receivable over the support rod E of a closet or the like, the top support thus being suspended from the support rod E and the bag covering A being shaped by and suspended from the top support. If desired, a similarly shaped flat support, not shown, may be provided to rigidify and shape the bottom 8 of the covering A.

The first frame B here takes its conventional form in which a cross-bar 26 is secured between the two frame sides is midway of their length,

' this cross-bar being provided with corrugations adapted to receive the hooks of hangers on which garments may be hung. The garment bag hooks 2 2 are rotatably mounted within sleeves 28 which in turn encompass straight portions 30 of the cross-bar 26 (see Fig. 5).

The second frame C is here shown as also skeletonic in nature, being defined by wire sides l8 and ends 20', the frame C being of the same size and configuration as the frame B, although this is not absolutely essential to the broader aspects of the invention. The frame C is also provided with corrugated cross-bar 26 similar to the cross-bar 25. The frame C is positioned below the frame B and in the form here disclosed is secured thereto so as to be slidable with respect thereto, this attachment being achieved by means of securing elements in the form of S-shaped links SZthe reversely'bent portions of which e compass the sides 18 and I8 and are slidable with respect to at least one set of said sides and Proferably both sets. Two of the links '32 engage the sides l8 and I8 between the cross bars 25, 26' and one end 2%, 20 and the other two of the links 32 engage sides It and 83" between the cross-bars 26, 25' and the other ends 29, 28'. As a result, the frame C is slidable between a housed position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, in which it is completely within the garment bag covering A and, as here disclosed, below and coincident with the frame B, and an extended position illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4 in which it is partially projected from the frame B with one of its ends 20' and a substantial portion of its sides l8 projecting out from the garment bag covering A through the opened flapped end 5 thereof. The cross-bar 26' is preferably positioned on the frame C so that when the frameC is in its housed position, the cross-bar 26 is substantially in linewith and directly below the hooks 212 and hence in a position such that the weight of the garments hung from the cross-bar 26 will act directly downwardly with respect to the hooks 22, exerting no turning moment thereon, So that the garment bag will normally hang in its desired vertical or upright position, When the frame. C is moved to its projected position, its. cross-bar 26 will move outwardlywithin the interior of thegarment bag until, in the form here disclosed, it is adjacent the end-20of the frame B and hence is quite close to the open endfi of the garment bag covering A. When in this position, garments hung from the cross-bar 25 will be almost half way out of the garment bag covering A and hence can be carefully observed in a detailed manner and may conveniently be removed from the garment bag or replaced therein,'the positionof the cross-bar 26' practically at the outer edge [2 of the top 2 of thegarment. bag covering A making this possible.

When the frame C is moved to its projected position, the weight of the garments suspended therefrom will no longer act directly vertically with respect to the hooks 22 but will be instead appreciably laterally disposed with respect tosaid books. 22, and consequently a turning moment will be exerted thereon which will tend to cant or tilt the garment bag away from its normal upright position. In order to prevent this, an arm 34 is secured to one end 20 of the frame B, for simplicitys sake merely being curled therearound, the arm 34 extending upwardly through the eyeletted aperture 36 in the top 2 of the garment bag covering A and carrying the adjustable grid D which is adapted to engage the support rod E in non-slipping and preferably non-rotative relationship.

As here specifically disclosed, the grip D comprises'a pair of similar deformable arcuate members 38 the extremities of which are connected by bar 40, the arcuate members 38 constituting extensions of the arm 34, and another arcuate member t2 also integral with the bar 34 but being reversely bent with respect to the arcuate members 38 and overlapping the bar 40 which joins the ends of said arcuate members 38, the arcuate members together thus defining between themselves a transverse aperture adapted to encompass the support rod E. The end of the arcuate member 52 is provided with an internally screw threaded sleeve 44 through which screw 56 is threaded, the tip 48 of the screw 46 engaging the bar 3E, preferably in a conical recess 49 formed therein. In practice the arcuate memhere 33 and 5 2, which are formed of some readily deformable material, are bent around the support rod E so as toencompass the same, after which the screw 26 is threaded through the sleeve M and against the bar 40 so as to cause the

arcuate members

38 and 42 to overlap to an increasing extent and to tighten around the support rod E, the transverse aperture defined by the

arcuate members

38 and 42 becoming smaller and smaller until the arcuate members 38 and d2 grip the support rod E with sufficient force so as not to slip thereover. Consequently, whenever the second frame C is moved to projected position, the tilting or canting moment exerted by the weight of the garments supported on the cross-bar 26 will be effectively resisted by the slip-tight engagement between the grip D and the support rod E. Y

, In order to increase the garment containing capacity of the garment bag, and in order to decrease the tilting or canting moment exerted when the second frame C is moved to projected position, those garments access to which is not often desired may be supported directly on the cross-bar 28 of the first frame B in conventional manner (see the garment 5!] of Fig. 2), the weight of these garments 59 always, being exerted in vertical line with the hooks 22 and hence never exerting any tilting or canting moment on the garment bag no matter what the position of 'the second frame C. Those garments access to which is often required will be hung from the crossbar 25 on the movable frame C (see garment 52 of Fig. 2), such garment 52 being completely enclosed within the garment bag when the frame C is moved to its housed position and being extended substantially out from the garment bag when the frame C is moved to its projected position. I

The construction above described permits ready access to the contents or desired portion of the contents of a garment bag whenever such access is desired merely by opening the end 6 of the garment bag and pulling on the exposed end 20 of the second frame C. In this way removal or insertion of garments into the garment bag is facilitated and at the same time the garments themselves may be examined in detail and at great length without having to remove the garments from the cross-bar 26 on which they are hung. The canting or tilting effect of the weight of such garments on the garment bag when the garments are in their extended and readily accessible position is effectively resisted by the grip D. The construction involved is simple and inexpensive but positive in functioning and may be employed with conventional garment bags without extensive modification of the outer covering A thereof, and without any modification of said covering provided the grip D is dispensed with.

Although but one embodiment of the present invention is here illustrated, it will be apparent that many variations may be made in the size, shape and detailed construction thereof without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the following claims.

We'claim:

1. A top support for a garment bag, said support comprising a first skeltonic rectangular wire frame adapted to support the top of a garment bag in its desired configuration including sides, ends, and hooks secured to and projecting upwardly from said frame midway of its length, and a second skeletonic rectangular wire frame including sides, ends, and a central cross-bar on which coat hangers may be hung, the sides of said second frame being slidably secured to the sides of said first frame so that said second frame is movable between a housed position with respect to said first frame, said cross-bar being adjacent said hooks, and an extended position in which an end and part of the sides of said second frame extend beyond an end of said first frame and in which said cross-bar is adjacent said end of said first frame.

2. A top support for a garment bag, said top support comprising a first skeletonic rectangular wire frame adapted to support the top of a garment bag in its desired configuration including sides, ends, and hooks secured to and projecting upwardly from said frame midway of its length, a second skeletonic rectangular wire frame of the same size as said first frame including sides, ends, and a central cross-bar on which coat hangers may be hung, and securing elements encompassing the sides of said frames so as to secure said frames to one another, said securing elements being slidable on the sides of at least one of said frames so as to permit said second frame to he slid endwise relative to said first frame while said first frame continues to support the top of said garment bag between a housed position coincident with said first frame, said cross-bar being adjacent said hooks, and an extended position in which an end and partof the sides of said second frame extend beyond an end of said first frame and said cross-bar is adjacent said end of said first frame.

3. A top support for a garment bag, said top support comprising a first skeletonic rectangular wire frame adapted to support the top of a garment bag in its desired configuration including sides, ends, and hooks secured to and projecting upwardly from said frame midway of its length, a second skeletonic rectangular wire frame of the same size as said first frame including sides, ends,

5' and a central cross-bar on which coat hangers may be hung, and S-shaped links the upper and lower reversely bent portions of which encompass the sides of said first and second frames respectively so as to secure said frames to one another, said reversely bent portions being slidable on at least one of said frames so as to permit said second frame to be slid endwise relative to said first frame while said first frame continues to support the top of said garment bag between a housed position under said first frame, said crossbar beingbelow said hooks, and an extended position in which an end and part ofthe sides of said second frame extend beyond an end of said first frame and said cross-bar is adjacent said end of said first frame.

l. A garment bag comprising a flexible covering having a top, sides and ends, one of the ends thereof being openable to provide access to the interior thereof, and a top support for said garment bag, said support comprising a first frame with hooks projecting upwardly therefrom and extending through the top of said covering so as to be received over a support rod from which the garment bag is hung, said first frame at all times supporting the top of said covering in its desired shape, an arm projecting upwardly from said first frame and extending through the covering of said garment bag, a grip on said arm adapted to be engaged with said support rod in non-slipping relationship therewith, and a second frame in said garment bag and movable with respect to said first frame between a housed position in which said second frame is completely enclosed within said garment bag and an extended posi tion in which said second frame extends out from said garment bag through the openable end thereof, said second frame including a cross-bar on which coat hangers may be hung, said cross bar being positioned on said second frame at a point substantially midway of the length thereof so as to be. adjacent said hooks when said second frame is in housed position and adjacent the openable end of said garment bag when said second frame is in'extended position.

5. A garment bag comprising a flexible covering having a top, sides and ends, one of the ends thereof being openable to provide access to the interior thereof, and a top support forsaid garment bag, said support comprising a first frame 4 with hooks projecting upwardly therefrom and extending through the top of said covering so as to be received over a support rod from which the garment ha is hung, said first frame at all times supporting the top of said covering in its desired tends out from said garment bag through the openableend thereof, said second frame including a cross-bar on which coat hangers may be hung, said cross-bar being positioned on said second frame .at a point substantially midway of the length thereof so as to be adjacent said hooks when said second frame is in housed position and adjacent the openable end of said garment bag when-said second'frame is in extended position.

6. A garment bag comprising a flexible coverment bag, said support comprising a first frame with hooks projecting upwardly therefrom and extending through the top of said covering so as to be received over a support rod from which the garment bag is hung, said first frame at all times supporting the top of said covering in its desired shape, an arm projecting upwardly from said first frame and extending through the covering of said garment bag, a transversely apertured gripping member on said arm adapted to encompass said support rod, means on said gripping member for engaging said support rod in non-slipping relationship therewith, and a second frame in said garment bag and movable with respect to said first frame between a housed position in which said second frame is completely enclosed within said garment bag and an eX- tended position in which said second frame extends out from said garment bag through the openable end thereof, said second frame including a cross-bar on which coat hangers may be hung, said cross-bar being positioned on said second frame at a point substantially midway of the length thereof so as to be adjacent said hooks when said second frame is in housed position and adjacent the openable end of said garment bag when said second frame is in extended position.

7, A garment bag comprising a flexible covering having a top, sides and ends, one of the ends thereof being openable to provide access to the interior thereof, and a top support for said garment bag, said support comprising a first frame with hooks rejecting upwardly therefrom and extending through the top of said covering so as to be received over a support rod from which the garment bag is hung, said first frame at all times supporting the top of said covering in its desired shape, an arm projecting upwardly from said first frame and extending through the covering of said garment bag, first and second arcuate members on said arm, said members together defining between themselves a transverse aperture, an adjustable connection between said members for causing said members to overlap to varying degrees and thus vary the size of said aperture, said members being adapted to encompass said support rod in non-slipping relationship therewith, and a second frame in said garment bag and movable with respect to said first frame between a housed position in which said second frame is completely enclosed within said garment bag and an extended position in which said second frame extends out from said garment bag through the openable end thereof, said second frame including a cross-bar on which coat hangers may be hung, said cross-bar being positioned on said second frame at a point substantially midway of the length thereof so as to be adjacent said hooks when said second frame is in housed position and adjacent the openable end of said garment bag when said second frame is in extended position.

8. A top support for a garment bag, said top support comprising a first frame adapted to support the top of a garment bag in its desired configuration and having hooks projecting upwardly therefrom at a point substantially midway of its length, said hooks being adapted to extend through the fabric of a garment bag and be received over a support rod, an arm project ing upwardly from said first frame and adapted to extend through the covering of a garment bag, a grip on said arm adapted to be engaged with said support rod in non-slipping relationship therewith, and a second frame of substantially the same size as said first frame and having a cross-bar on which coat hangers may be hung at a point substantially midway of its length, said second frame being slidably secured to said first frame so as to be movable in the direction of the length of said first frame between a housed position with respect to said first frame, said cross-bar then being adjacent said hooks, and an extended position in which said cross-bar is close to the end of said first frame, the cooperation of said grip with said support rod preventing canting of said top support when said second frame is in extended position.

9. The top support of claim 8, in which said grip has a support-rod-engaging portion of variable size adapted to be engaged with said support rod in non-slipping relationship therewith, said grip thereby being rendered adjustable.

10. The top support of claim 8, in which said grip comprises a transversely apertured member on said arm adapted to encompass said support rod and means on said member for engaging said support rod in non-slipping relationship therewith.

11. The top support of claim 8, in which said grip comprises first and second arcuate' members on said arm, said members together defining between themselves an aperture transverse to said arm, and an adjustable connection betweensaid members for causing said members to overlap to varying degrees and thus vary the size of said aperture.

JACOB J. MINIZ. FREDERICK L. MULLER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,002,860 Morley Sept. 12, 1911 1,014,392 Hawley Jan. 9, 1912 1,679,091 Luery July 31, 1928 1,832,715 London Nov. 17, 1931 1,896,307 Hatch Feb. 7, 1933 1,981,510 Jones Nov. 20, 1934 2,210,490 Leonardson Aug. 6, 1940 2,523,682 Corwin Sept. 26, 1950