GB2392379A

GB2392379A - Folding garment hanger

Info

Publication number: GB2392379A
Application number: GB0213592A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter William Robinson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-06-07
Filing date: 2002-06-13
Publication date: 2004-03-03
Also published as: GB0213592D0; GB0213029D0

Abstract

A garment hanger (1) comprises a central portion (3) having a hook (5) or other hanging means extending from a first side thereof intended in use to extend vertically for hanging the hanger from a suitable support, a hinge (7, 9) on second and third sides generally at right angles to the first side and two arms (11, 13) each carried by one of the hinges (7, 9), the hinges (7, 9) being so arranged that the arms (11, 13) are movable between a first position in which they extend from the central portion (3) substantially at right angles to the direction of the hook (5) or other hanging means for supporting a garment thereon and a second position in which they lie alongside each other to enable easy removal of the garment therefrom, and securing means (23, 26) for releasably securing the arms in the said first position.

Description

GARMENT HANGER

This invention relates to a garment hanger.

The usual types of garment hanger comprise a bow, the ends of which extend downwardly in use and a hook or other hanging means is attached to the central part of the bow and extends upwards by which the hanger can be hung from a rail or other support.

While these hangers are perfectly suitable for clothes, such as jackets, which open at the front, some difficulty is experienced with closed clothes for example, top garments such as sweaters and ''T"-shirts since the hanger is often too wide to insert through the neck of the garment and, although it can usually be inserted from the bottom of the gamment, there is a tendency for the hook to foul the garment, sometimes with disastrous results. A second and more common problem is that the neck of the garment (especially a jumper) is likely to be stretched wide by the user to allow the hanger to be passed through. The result of this is often a permanently stretched or misshapen neckline. Whether a hanger Is taken out of a garment up through the neck or down through the garment itself this is always an awkward process. This is particularly a problem in retail outlets as customers may not be too careful when examining the merchandise and may render the garment unsaleable.

The present invention seeks to obviate or reduce the above disadvantages found with standard types of hangers.

According to the invention, a garment hanger comprises a central portion having a hook or other hanging means extending from a first side thereof intended in use to extend vertically for hanging the hanger from a suitable support, a hinge on second and third sides generally at right angles to the first side and two arms each carried by one of the hinges, the hinges being so arranged that the arms . ' ' '2' '. 2

are movable between a first position in which they extend from the central portion substantially at right angles to the direction of the hook or other hanging means for supporting a gamment thereon and a second position in which they lie alongside each other to enable easy removal of the garment therefrom, and securing means for releasably securing the arms in the said first position.

Preferably, the securing means automatically secures the arms in the said first position when the arms are moved into the said first position.

Actuating means may be provided for releasing the securing means to enable the arms to be moved into their said second position.

The securing means may comprise a detent on each of the arms engageable behind a shoulder on the actuating means.

The actuating means may be movable between a first position in which the shoulder is positioned to engage the detent on the arms to secure the arms in their said first position and a second position in which the shoulder is moved free of the detents to allow the arms to move to their said second position and may be biased towards its first position.

The hinges may be so arranged that when the hanger is held upright, the arms take up their first position and when the hanger is inclined to the vertical in one direction, the arms take up their second position.

The hinges may have axes which are, when the hanger is in the vertical position, inclined to the vertical and extend from the upper back of the central portion towards the front of the central portion.

The hinges may have axes which are inclined to each other so as to form upwardly divergent lines on each side of the central portion.

2 2 2: 2 '. 2

- 3 The central portion and the arms may be made of plastics material.

The central portion, arms and hinges may be made of a single integral piece.

The actuating means may be pivotally secured to the central portion. It may be located on the opposite side of the central portion to the arms when in their second position.

The actuating means may have an extending tongue extending from the position central portion in a the same direction as the hook or other hanging means to enable the actuation means to be actuated.

The entire hanger, with the exception of the hook or other hanging means, may be constructed from a single piece of plastics material, suitably polypropylene.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a rear view of the main parts of one embodiment of garment hanger of the invention prior to assembly of the actuating means; Figure 2 is a view of the garment hanger of figure 1with the actuating means in its assembled position; Figure 3 is a side view of the garment hanger of figure 1 showing the actuating means in a first or engagement position; Figure 4 is a side view of the garment hanger of figure 1 showing the actuating means in a second or disengagement position; e2 '' ' " e '" 2': '. ''.

Figure 5 is an underneath view of the hanger of figure 1 with the arms in a released and intermediate position; Figure 6 is a view similar to figure 5 but showing the arms in an extended and locked position.

Figure 7 is a view similar to figure 1 but showing a second embodiment of the invention; Figure 8 is a side view of the hanger shown in figure 7; Figure 9 is a view similar to figure 8 with the actuating member assembled in its locked position, Figure 10 is a view similar to figure 9 with the actuating member in its release position, and Figure 11 is fragmentary view showing a clip arrangement.

Referring now to Figures 1 to 6 of the drawings, a garment hanger 1, of which only the central part is shown, is of generally conventional shape. It comprises a central portion 3 which carries a hook 5 by means of which the garment hanger can be suspended from a rail, suitable hook, or other suspension device in the conventional way. It will be understood that although a hook is shown, other suitable devices can be used. One such device comprises an headed spigot, the head end of which is inserted in a slot in a suspender permanently carried by a rail. At each side of the central portion 3 are a pair of hinges 7 and 9. Carried by these hinges 7 and 9 are a pair of arms 11 and 13 and these arms 11 and 13 are thus movable between an extended position in which they form an extension of the central portion 3 (as shown in figures 1, 2 and 6) and a folded position in 2 ':.

which they are folded forwards from the central portion 3 so as to lie alongside each other. They are shown in an intermediate position in figure 5).

The hinges have a fold line or hinge axis 15 which tapers from the back to the front of the hanger. This taper should be between 25 and15 to the vertical, preferably 20 . The parts of the hanger on either side of the hinge are also tapered to enable the arms 11 and 13 to fold properly. It will also be noted that, as shown, to obtain the best operation of the hanger, the hinge axes should be inclined to what would be the vertical when the hanger is hung up so as to fomm upwardly divergent lines. This inclination should be between 10 and 20 preferably 15 to the vertical.

The hanger may be made of any suitable material such as wood, metal or plastics. Where the hanger is made from plastics, the hinges may be integral with the rest of the hanger.

The hanger is provided with securing means 19 comprising an actuating means 21 having a a pair of shoulders 23 which cooperate with a detent 25 on each of the arms 11 and 13. In order to provide this cooperation, the actuating means 21 is folded up about a hinge portion 27 by which it is attached to the central portion 3 of the hanger 1. Its folded up position is shown in figures 2, 3, and 4. In order to retain the actuating means 21 in its folded up position, it is provided with a pin 29 which engages in an aperture 31 which passes through a pivot rib 33. The pin 29 is secured in the aperture 31 in any suitable way, such as a push fit, the provision of an enlarged head on the pin 29 which, when forced through the aperture 31 will have its head seated against the face of the central portion 3 or the use of adhesives. In the folded up position, the actuating means 21 will have a pivot action against the pivot rib 33. The actuating means has an upwardly extending tongue 35 by which it is actuated.

:::::.:...

À....DTD: À À À...

À.. .

- 6 The construction and arrangement of the actuating means 21 is such that it is biased into its locking position, shown in figure 3 and is moved from this position to its release position by leftward pressure (Figure 4) on the tongue 35 The operation of the hanger in use will now be considered: One starts from a situation where a jumper is placed on the hanger and hung on a rail. In this upright or vertical position, due to the angles of the hinges, the hanger will remain open in the position shown in figures 1 and 6. In this position, the securing means will be locked as shown in figures 3 and 6. Here, it will be observed that the detents 25 on the amms 11 and 13 are caught behind the shoulders 23 of the actuating means 21 and the amms will be locked in this position. When it is desired to remove the jumper from the hanger, the hanger is lifted off the rail and orientated forwards so that the hanger is inclined forwards and the tongue 35 is pushed towards the centre portion 3. This movement of the tongue 35 will cause the actuating means 21 to pivot about the pivot rib 33 so as to move from the position shown in figure 3 to the position shown in figure 4. In the figure 4 position, the shoulders 23 have moved out of the line of movement of the detents 25, thus releasing the arms 11 and 13 to pivot towards each other about the pivot axes 15. A partial pivoting movement is shown in figure 5. With the arms 11 and 13 unlocked, the arrangement of the hinge will automatically cause the hanger to fold towards a position in which the arms lie side by side away from the central portion 3. The hanger will then be easily removable from the gamment.

Once the garment is returned to the hanger, as soon as the hanger is again vertical, the arms will spread out again to resume the position shown in figure 6.

Depending on the force needed to move the actuating means 21, the amms will either automatically lock in position or can be locked in position by a small pressure on the arms.

' ' ':::

. .. . .... ....DTD:

- 7 In a second embodiment of the invention shown in figures 7 to 11, the actuating means 21 has a different form. Its operation is, however, once assembled, the same as in the first embodiment. To this end it has shoulders 23 which cooperate with detents 25 on the arms 11 and 13. It also has a tongue 35 for actuating it.

The difference in this embodiment lies in the assembly. Here the inner end of the actuating means 21 has a narrowed part 41 which cooperates with a pair of spring clips 43, one of which is shown in greater detail in figure 11. Thus the narrow part 41 is pushed behind the clips 43 which hold the actuating means 21 against the central portion 3 of the hanger 1 so that the pin arrangement 29, 31 of the first embodiment is no longer necessary. The two positions of the actuating means 21 are shown in figures 9 and 10 and it will be seen that the actuating means operates in the same way as with the first embodiment.

It will be appreciated that various additions to or alterations of the above described embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, although the embodiments have described a special type of hinge which enables automatic folding and unfolding of the arms of the hanger, it is possible to use straight hinges and to manipulate the movement of the arms manually.

Further, instead of the use of a detent 25 and the shoulders 23, each detent is replaced by a cylindrical projection extending outwardly from each of the arms 11 and 13 cooperating with apertures in the actuating means 21 which replace the shoulders. These apertures are movable towards or away from the projections by the actuating means in a similar way to the movement of the shoulders. With the arms 11 nad 13 in their extended position, the projections will engage in the apertures and can be released by the operation of the actuating means 21.

B2 '' '"I" '2': '. '' ''

- 8 The apertures are not a tight fit in the apertures. However, the amms 11 and 13 are slightly biased towards their closed position so that, as they attempt to move to their closed position, the projections are caught by the appropriate edge of the apertures and are prevented from moving further towards their closed position.

A slightly different construction of the actuating means 21 may be used. In this case the actuating means has a three pronged form with the centre prong bein attached to the central portion of the main hanger while the other two prongs carry the apertures. Thus, when the actuating means is pivoted, only the two outer prongs pivot. This also means that the connecting part 27 can be reduced as it is not needed by the pivotal operation. Also, instead of the pivot being provided by the pivot rib 33, it is provided by a bend in the actuating means 21 in the same position relatively as the rib 33 so as to form a knife edge" acting against the central portion of the hanger.. Fastening of the actuating means 21 to the main hanger at the hinge line may be carried out using a pin as shown in figure 1, the pin passing through the actuating means at the point of the hinge bend. With the biasing of the various parts of the hanger it is possible to arrange the hanger such that when the hook 5 is raised to the vertical position, the arms 11 and 13 swing back automatically and the projections are pushed by this movement into the apertures of the actuating means 21 and are locked there.. To cause the arms to fold, it is only necessary to release the projections by operation of the actuating means 21 and to tilt the hook 5 forwards.

2 2: 2'

Claims

- 9 - CLAIMS:

1. A garment hanger comprising a central portion having a hook or other hanging means extending from a first side thereof intended in use to extend vertically for hanging the hanger from a suitable support, a hinge on second and third sides generally at right angles to the first side and two arms each carried by one of the hinges, the hinges being so arranged that the amms are movable between a first position in which they extend from the central portion substantially at right angles to the direction of the hook or other hanging means for supporting a garment thereon and a second position in which they lie alongside each other to enable easy removal of the garment therefrom, and securing means for reieasably securing the amms in the said first position.

2. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the securing means automatically secures the amms in the said first position when the amms are moved into the said first position.

3. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 2, wherein actuating means are provided for releasing the securing means to enable the arms to be moved into their said second position.

4. A gamment hanger as claimed in claim 3 wherein the securing means comprises a detent on each of the amms engageable behind a shoulder on the actuating means.

5. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 4, wherein the actuating means is movable between a first position in which the shoulder is positioned to engage the detent on the amms to secure the arms in their said first position and a second position in which the shoulder is moved free of the detents to allow the arms to move to their said second position.

" 2 '' '' 2 2': 2 2 2

-10

6. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 5, wherein the actuating means is biased towards its first position.

7. A gamment hanger as claimed in any preceding claim 1, wherein the hinges are so arranged that when the hanger is held upright, the amms take up their first position and when the hanger is inclined to the vertical in one direction, the arms take up their second position.

8. A gamment hanger as claimed claim 7, wherein the hinges have axes which are, when the hanger is in the vertical position, inclined to the vertical and extend from the upper back of the central portion towards the front of the central portion.

9. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 8, wherein the hinges have axes which are inclined to each other so as to form upwardly divergent lines on each side of the central portion.

10. A garment hanger as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the central portion and the arms are made of plastics material.

11. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 10, wherein the central portion, arms and hinges are made of a single integral piece.

12. A garment hanger as claimed in any claim 3 or any claim dependent directly or indirectly thereon, wherein the actuating means is pivotally secured to the central portion.

13 A garment hanger as claimed in claim 12, wherein the actuating means is located on the opposite side of the central portion to the arms when in their second position.

2.. 2 2 ': 2 '' '

-11

14. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 13, wherein the actuating means has an extending tongue extending from the position central portion in the same direction as the hook or other hanging means to enable the actuation means to be actuated.

15. A garment hanger as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the entire hanger, with the exception of the hook or other hanging means, is constructed from a single piece of plastics material.

16. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 15, wherein the plastics material comprises polypropylene.

17. A garment hanger substantially as described herein, with reference to the drawings. ' ': '. ' 2