WO2008051562A2

WO2008051562A2 - Collapsible clothing hanger

Info

Publication number: WO2008051562A2
Application number: PCT/US2007/022534
Authority: WO
Inventors: James Gordon Carnes
Original assignee: James Gordon Carnes
Priority date: 2006-10-25
Filing date: 2007-10-24
Publication date: 2008-05-02
Also published as: WO2008051562A3

Abstract

This invention comprises first and second arms (12b, 12a). The first arm (12b) has a first end, and the second arm (12a) has a second end. An axle (24) rotatably secures the first end and the second end together for rotating the first arm (12b) and second arm (12a) from an extended position to a closed position. The first end of the first arm (12b) includes a recess (34) affixed to the first end, and the second end of the second arm (12a) has a detent (16) affixed to the second end. The first arm (12b) and the second arm (12a) facilitate the rotation of the first arm (12b) and the second arm (12a) from the closed position to the extended position, whereat the extended position the detent (16) engages the recess (34) to releasably affix the first arm (12b) and the second arm (12a) at the extended position.

Description

Title: "COLLAPSIBLE CLOTHING HANGERS" TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to the general field of clothes hangers and more particularly to improve such hanger where by users may easily and simply adjust such hangers from their closed or compact position to their extended or clothes hanging position with minimum, simple user effort.

BACKGROUND OF THE ART

This art relates to devices for suspending garments when not in use, and in particular to coat hangers which comprise a plurality of arms that are permanently, rotatably connected together. These hangers typically comprise plural amis that may be folded together in their compact or closed position so that hangers occupy a minimum amount of space when packed for transportation.

Though such hangers comprise plural arms which are permanently connected to each other are known, the prior art has not addressed the problem of simplifying and easing the effort required to dispose the plural arms from their compact position to their extended, hanging position, whereat its arms are releasably connected in their extended position. For example, U.S. Patent No. 890,093 of Gazier et al. discloses a hanger comprising first and second arms that are pivotably connected with each other. Even so, such arms requires the user to slide a lug to a position that will affix one arm to another. Similarly, U.S. Patent No. 1,805,561 of Becker discloses pivotably disposed arms, which require the user of a support-engaging element in the form of a latch to slide from their compact position to its extended position. Similarly, U.S. Patent No. 932,756 of Gazier not only describes pivotably connected arms. Even so, the user must insert a pivot into an L-shaped slot in order to couple its arms together.

The manipulation of the prior art hangers by their users to releasably affix plural arms together increases the complexity and the time required by the user to releasably affix the hangers in their extended position. Further, the user of the present art hanger must adjust the positions of its hooks. As will also be described below, this invention reduces the complexity and time to suspend its hangers in a closet or from a fixture mounted on a wall.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The problems of the prior are solved by this collapsible clothes hanger, which comprises first and second arms. The first arm having a first end, and the second arm having a second end. An axle rotatably secures the first end and the second end together for rotating the first arm and second arm from an extended position to a closed position. The first end of the first arm includes a recess affixed to said first end, and the second end of the second arm has a detent affixed to the second end. The first arm and the second arm facilitate the rotation of the first arm and the second arm from the closed position to the extended position, whereat the extended position the detent engages the recess to releasably affix the first arm and the second arm at the extended position.

In a further aspect of this invention, the first end of the first arm includes a cam surface for depressing the detent as the first arm and the second arm rotate about the rotating axle from the closed position to the extended position. In a still further aspect of this invention, the cam surface is defined by a radius of increasing length as a function of rotation of the first arm and the second arm from the closed position to the extended position.

In a further aspect of this invention, a spring is disclosed for urging the detent to engage the recess.

In a still further aspect of this invention, there is provided a hook, which is attached to the detent and is oriented to suspend the hanger in a vertical orientation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like parts and in which:

FIG. 1 is a prospective elevational view taken from the front of the hanger of this invention as shown in its extended position;

FIG. 2 is a prospective elevational view taken from the back of the hanger of FIG. 1 as

shown in its closed position;

FIG. 3 is a prospective elevational view taken from the back of the hanger of FIG. 1 as shown in its closed potion;

FIG. 4 is a back elevational view of the hanger of FIG. 1 as shown in its open position; FIG. 5 is a back elevational view of the hanger of FIG. 1 as broken away along line 5-5 of FIG. 5 as shown in its open position;

FIG.6 is a back side elevational view of the hanger of FIG. 1 as shown in its closed position;

FIG. 7 is back side view of the hanger of FIG. 1 as shown in its closed position as broken away along line 7-7 of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a back side view the hanger of FIG. 1 as shown in its partially open position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MBODIMENT OF THIS INVENTION

In accordance with the teachings of this invention, there is shown a hanger 10, which comprises two arms 12a and 12b that are connected together at one end of each of the two arms. A pin 24 interconnects the arms 12a and 12b so that they may be pivoted from a closed or compact position as shown in Figs. 2, 3, 6 and 7, to a second position, wherein the arms 12a and 12b are disposed to an extended position as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 so as to support a piece of clothing, e.g., a shirt. As shown in Figs. 4-8, a detent 16 is mounted within a passage 20 of the arm 12a. Further, a spring 22 is disposed within the passage 20 to spring bias the detent 16 toward the other arm 12b. As shown in Figs. 2-8, a recess 34 that is disposed within a disk 28 as shown in Figs. 2-8, whereby the disk 28 and the arm 12b are held in a locked position with respect to the arm 12a. As shown in Figs. 2-8, there is shown a cylindrically shaped cavity 36 that is disposed within the arm 12a for receiving the disk 28. Further, the disk 28 is fixedly connected to the arm 12b, whereby the disk 28 and the arm 12b may rotate together from its open position to its closed position about the pin 24. As shown in Fig. 3, a pair of mounting members 26a and 26b are connected to an end of the arm 12a. In particular, the mounting members 26a and b are spaced from each other so as to receive the disk 28 therebetween. As shown in Figures 3-8, the disk 28 is generally of a circular configuration to permit its rotation about the pin 24. As best shown in Figure 8, a section of the disk 28 has been removed so that it is provided with a straight edge 30, and a curved cam surface 32 of decreasing radius to permit the detent 16 to be increasingly depressed as the legs 12a and 12b are moved as indicated by the arrow 25 from their closed position to their open position. An advantage of such a structure is that the user does not need to depress the detent 16 in preparation for the detent 16 to engage the recess 34. Rather, as the arms 12a and b are moved towards their closed position, the curvature 32 engages a bottom of the detent 16. As the arms 12a and 12B are continued to be disposed toward the open position, the detent 16 is gradually moved to compress the spring 22, until the disk 28 and its arm 12b are rotated to a position, whereat the recess 34 is aligned with the detent 16 so that the spring 24 will press the detent 16 into the recess 34, whereby the arms 12a and b are locked in their open position as shown in Figs. 1, 4, and 5. In order to release the detent 16 from the recess 34, the user can grasp one of the two handles 17 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 (one handle 17 is hidden on the other side of the arm 12a), which are respectively fixed to opposite sides of the detent 16. When the user has withdrawn the detent 16 from the recess 34, the user may grasp the arms 12a and 12b and move them to the closed position. In particular, the user moves the detent 16 to compress the spring 22 and to release the detent 16 from the recess 34.

The present invention, therefore, is well adapted to carry out the objects and attains the ends and advantages mentioned as well as other objects inherent therein. While a presently preferred embodiment of the invention has been given for the purpose of disclosure of numerous changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention, and the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. A collapsible clothes hanger comprising:

a) first and second arms, said first arm having a first end, and said second arm having a second end;

b) an axle rotatably securing said first end and said second end together for disposing said first arm and said second arm from an extended position to a closed position;

c) said first end of said first arm including a recess affixed to said first end;

d) said second end of said second arm having a detent affixed to said second end; and

e) said first arm and said second arm facilitating the rotation of said first arm and said second arm from said closed position to said extended position, whereat said extended position said detent engages said recess to releasably affix said first arm and said second arm at said extended position.

2. A collapsible clothes hanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first end of said first arm includes a cam surface for depressing said detent as said first arm and said second arm rotate about said pivoting axle from said closed position to said extended position.

3. A collapsible clothes hanger as claimed in claim 2, wherein said cam surface is defined by a radius of increasing length as a function of the rotation of said first arm and said second arm from said closed position to said extended position.

4. A collapsible clothes hanger as claimed in claim 1 , wherein there is further included a spring urging said detent into said recess.

5. A collapsible clothes hanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein there is included a hook, whereby said hook is attached to said detent and is oriented to suspend said hanger in a vertical orientation.