Abstract:
A device for hanging items of clothing on a vehicle seat part, such as a backrest ( 1   a ), a head restraint  1 ( d ) or head restraint holder ( 1   c ) of a vehicle seat ( 1 ) has a fastening hook ( 4   e,    40   e ) for hanging the clothes hanger ( 4   a,    4   b,    4   c,    40   a,    40   b,    40   c,    40   b   ′, 40   c ′), the fastening hook being movable between an inoperative position, in which the fastening hook ( 4   e,    40   e ) is entirely or partially accommodated in the clothes hanger ( 4   a,    4   b,    4   c,    40   a,    40   b,    40   c,    40   b   ′, 40   c ′) or bears against the latter, and an operative position, in which the fastening hook ( 4   e,    40   e ) protrudes out of the clothes hanger ( 4   a,    4   b,    4   c,    40   a,    40   b,    40   c,    40   b   ′, 40   c ′) to such an extent that the clothes hanger ( 4   a,    4   b,    4   c,    40   a,    40   b,    40   c,    40   b   ′, 40   c ′) can be hung on a wardrobe bar.

Description:
This application is the national stage of PCT/EP2010/006857 filed on Nov. 11, 2010 and claims Paris Convention Priority of DE 10 2009 052 824.5 filed Nov. 13, 2009 and DE 10 2010 018 788.7 filed Apr. 29, 2010. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a device for hanging items of clothing on a vehicle seat part, such as a backrest, a head restraint or head restraint holder of a vehicle seat. 
     Devices for hanging items of clothing in vehicles, usually in the form of clothes hangers that are attached to the head restraint bars on the rear sides of vehicle seats by various fastening means are known in various designs. 
     The clothes hanger is usually provided with one or more supporting elements that are attached to the head restraint bars with a clamping device. Clothes hangers, supporting elements and fastening device usually form a fixed assembly, e.g. consisting of an appropriately shaped spring steel wire with adapter elements made of plastic at the ends of the wires which are clamped between the head restraint bars by spring force. 
     There is often a need not only to hang up items of clothing on a clothes hanger to look after them during the journey but, for example, during hotel stays, to remove the items of clothing from the vehicle on the clothes hanger and to hang them in a different place on a wardrobe bar. 
     For this purpose, it is necessary for the clothes hanger to be provided with a fastening hook, which, however, is a safety risk for passengers on the back seat of the vehicle and is also unsatisfactory in terms of aesthetics. 
     The object of the invention is to create a device for hanging items of clothing on a clothes hanger that can be attached to the rear side of vehicle seats and that enables items of clothing to be taken out of the vehicle on the clothes hanger and hung on a wardrobe bar. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This object is inventively achieved with a device for hanging items of clothing on a vehicle seat part, such as a backrest, head restraint, or head restraint holder of a vehicle seat having the characteristics of the independent claim. 
     The device comprises a fastening means for connecting the device to the vehicle seat part, a support element which is connected to the fastening means and a clothes hanger which is connected to the support element via a releasable coupling, wherein a fastening hook for hanging the clothes hanger is provided on the clothes hanger, the fastening hook being movable between an inoperative position, in which the fastening hook is entirely or partially accommodated in the clothes hanger or bears against the latter, and an operative position, in which the fastening hook protrudes out of the clothes hanger to an extent such that the clothes hanger can be hung on a wardrobe bar. 
     Interposing a releasable coupling between the support element and the clothes hanger enables the clothes hanger to be quickly and simply separated from the device and used separately. The fastening hook is accommodated entirely or partially in the clothes hanger for use in the vehicle or bears against the latter and is therefore not a hindrance to either safety or aesthetics. If the clothes hanger is required outside the vehicle, e.g. for a hotel stay, it can be separated from the support element with or without the jacket and transported by the pull-out or fold-out fastening hook and hung on a wardrobe bar. 
     The coupling between the support element and the clothes hanger is preferably constituted as a plug connection with a first coupling element on the support element and a second coupling element on the clothes hanger so that the clothes hanger can be separated with one hand from the support element just by pulling the clothes hanger or the fastening hook. 
     In a preferred embodiment, a latch is provided that can be released with an actuating member, wherein the actuating member should preferably be located in a position on the clothes hanger that remains accessible even when an item of clothing is hanging thereon, e.g. next to the fastening hook or on the side of the clothes hanger facing toward the vehicle seat. Finally, it is also possible for the latch to be released by pulling out or folding out the fastening hook. 
     The clothes hanger is preferably constituted as a hollow body with a centrally positioned hanger body and hanger arms disposed on the sides thereof that are closed by covers on their underside. On the underside of the clothes hanger, the second coupling element is preferably located that closes the hanger body. 
     In a preferred embodiment, an upwardly open receiving space is provided on the hanger body in which the fastening hook is accommodated when in the inoperative position. In the receiving space, a preferably vertically disposed guide rail can be provided in which a guide slide disposed at the lower end of the fastening hook is guided so that the fastening hook can be pulled through the opening vertically upward out of the clothes hanger, until the guide slide stops at the end of the guide rail. At the side of the opening, a grip recess can be provided on the clothes hanger for gripping the fastening hook. 
     Horizontally oriented covers can be mounted on the fastening hook that close the opening of the receiving space in the operative and/or inoperative position of the fastening hook. 
     In place of the receiving space on the hanger body, a pit-like recess can be disposed on one of its wide sides in which the fastening hook is accommodated when in the inoperative position. 
     Instead of a linear guide, the fastening hook could also be connected to the hanger body via a joint with a pivot axis that extends parallel or transverse to the wide side of the hanger body. 
     The fastening hook can be preloaded in the inoperative position by a spring so that it automatically moves back into the inoperative position when not in use. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the support element is constituted as a longitudinal support whose longitudinal axis extends essentially vertically and which is fixed or movably connected to the fastening means at its lower end, preferably via a joint. 
     The support element is preferably connected to a fastening means via a releasable coupling. The coupling can comprise a receiving socket and a plug element and a manually releasable latching device. 
     The clothes hanger is preferably disposed at the upper end of the column-like support element and the coupling between the support element and the clothes hanger is preferably provided at the upper face end of the support element so that no offset arises between the support element and clothes hanger. The coupling elements on the support element are preferably not protruding so that passengers are not endangered when the clothes hanger is removed. 
     On the wide side of the support element or of the hanger body facing away from the head restraint of the vehicle seat, a preferably fold-out clothes hook can be disposed which is accommodated in a recess when in the inoperative position and is preloaded in the inoperative position by a spring. The longitudinal axis of the clothes hook extends preferably parallel to the longitudinal axis of the support element. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the clothes hook is disposed on the hanger body and is provided at its upper end with a bend oriented toward the hanger body which is flush with the contour of the hanger body when the clothes hanger is folded in. The recess is preferably extended sufficiently far beyond the bent end of the clothes hook that it can comfortably be gripped to fold out the clothes hanger. 
     Further preferred embodiments of the invention result from the remaining characteristics stated in the dependent claims. 
     It is understood that the characteristics stated above and below can be used not only in the stated combination but also in other combinations or alone without departing from the scope of this invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a first variant of the inventive device with a clothes hanger and the fastening hook in the inoperative position and the folded-out clothes hook and parts of the fastening means. 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the clothes hanger removed from the support element according to  FIG. 1  with the fastening hook in the operative position 
         FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of the support element according to  FIG. 1  without the clothes hanger and with the clothes hook folded in. 
         FIG. 4  shows a side view of the device according to  FIG. 1 , with fastening means, mounted on the head restraint holder of a vehicle seat, with the clothes hook folded in. 
         FIG. 5  shows a detail of the device according to  FIG. 1  in a longitudinal section 
         FIG. 6  shows a detail of the device according to  FIGS. 2 and 3  in a longitudinal section 
         FIG. 7  shows a longitudinal section of a variant of the fastening hook in the operative position 
         FIG. 8  shows a longitudinal section of the fastening hook according to  FIG. 7  in the inoperative position 
         FIG. 9  shows a perspective exploded view of a second variant of the inventive device 
         FIG. 10  shows a further variant of the fastening hook in the operative position 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       FIGS. 1 to 6  show a first variant of the inventive device. The support element  3   a  is movably connected at its lower end to the plug element  2   b  via the joint  3   b . The receiving socket  2   a , into which the plug element  2   b  is plugged and releasably latched with the latch device  2   c  ( FIG. 4 ), is fastened to the head restraint holder  1   c , which connects the backrest  1   a  with the head restraint  1   d  of a vehicle seat  1 . Receiving socket  2   a , plug element  2   b  and latching device  2   c  together form a releasable coupling with which the support element  3   a ,  3   b  can be fastened to the clothes hanger  4   a ,  4   b ,  4   c  on the vehicle seat  1  or can removed therefrom. 
     The fold-out clothes hook  3   d  is disposed on the wide side of the support element  3   a ,  3   b  facing away from the vehicle seat and is accommodated in the recess  3   d ″ disposed in the support element  2   a ,  3   b  when in the inoperative position. 
     Two sleeves  3   c ′ are constituted on the end face at the upper end of the support element  3   a ,  3   b  and form the first coupling element  3   c  into which two pins  4   d ′ formed on the underside of the clothes hanger  4   a ,  4   b ,  4   c  engage to form the second coupling element  4   d.    
     The clothes hanger comprises a centrally disposed hanger body  4   a  and hanger arms  4   b ,  4   c  disposed on the sides thereof. 
     The receiving space  4   k  is centrally accommodated in the hanger body  4   a , and is provided with an opening  4   k ′ on the upper side that is flush with the outer contour of the hanger body  4   a.    
     The fastening hook  4   a  is accommodated in the receiving space  4   k  when in its inoperative position and is guided with a vertically disposed linear guide  4   f ,  4   g . The linear guide comprises a guide rail  4   f  disposed in the receiving space and a guide slide  4   g  mounted at the lower end of the fastening hook  4   e  which slides in the guide rail and forms the stop for limiting the pull-out path of the fastening hook  4   e.    
     The fastening hook  4   e  is preloaded into the inoperative position by the springs  4   h.    
     A lower cover  4   m  and an upper cover  4   l  are provided on the fastening hook  4   e  and close the opening  4   k ′ of the receiving space  4   k  in the operative position ( FIG. 1 ) or inoperative position ( FIG. 2 ) of the fastening hook. 
     A grip recess  4   i  is constituted on the wide side of the opening  4   k ′ in which the fastening hook  4   e  is held at the edge of the upper cover  4   l  and can be pulled out of the receiving space  4   k . When pulling ceases, the fastening hook  4   e  is pulled into the receiving space  4   k  by the springs  4   h.    
       FIGS. 7 and 8  show a variant of the fastening hook  4   e  that is connected to the hanger body via a pivot axis  4   n  extending approximately horizontally and parallel with the wide side of the hanger body. A pit-like recess  4   o  is constituted on the wide side of the hanger body  4   a  in which the fastening hook  4   e  is accommodated when in its inoperative position. 
       FIG. 9  shows an exploded view of a second variant of the inventive device. The clothes hanger  40   a ,  40   b ,  40   c  is constituted as a hollow body and is open on its underside. The open undersides of the hanger body  40   a  are covered by the intermediate element  50  that is introduced into the hanger body  40   a  from below and is screwed onto the clothes hanger  40   a ,  40   b ,  40   c  with the two covers  40   b ′,  40   c ′ on the screw hole protrusions  40   b ″,  40   b ′″,  40   c ″,  40   c ′″,  50   f ′,  50   f″.    
     The second coupling element  50   a  has the form of a rounded pyramid frustum and is disposed on the underside of the intermediate element  50 , the coupling element being accommodated in a complementary bearing shell disposed at the upper end of the support element  3   a ,  30   a  which constitutes the first coupling element  30   c.    
     A latching device  50   e ,  50   e ′,  50   e ″,  50   e ′″, with which the first and second coupling element  30   c ,  50   a  are held together, is disposed on the side of the intermediate element  50  facing toward the vehicle seat part  1   a ,  1   c ,  1   d.    
     A spring tab  50   e  is constituted on the rear cover  50   b  of the intermediate element  50  and has a lower end on which a latching hook  50   e ′ is disposed. The latching hook  50   e ′ latches into the trap  50   e ′″ disposed on the inside of the first coupling element  30   c  once the coupling elements  30   c ,  50   a  have been plugged together. The latching device  50   e ,  50   e ′,  50 ″,  50   e ′″ is released by pressing on the actuating member  50   e ″ so that the clothes hanger  40   a ,  40   b ,  40   c ,  40   b ′,  40   c ′,  50  can be separated from the support element  30   a.    
     A receiving space  50   c  for the fastening hook  40   e  is provided on the intermediate element  50 . Guide rails  50   d ′,  50   d ″, in which the guide slide  40   g  of the fastening hook  40   e  is guided, are disposed on the side walls of the receiving space  50   c  connected via the back wall  50   c ′. A recess  50   g ′ in the center of the guide slide  40   g  is provided with a spring attachment  40   g ″ for receiving the spring  40   h  that pulls the fastening hook  40   e  into the receiving space  50   c  when not in use. 
     At the upper end face  40   a ′ of the hanger body  40   a  has an opening  40   k ′ through which the fastening hook  40   e  can be moved out of the receiving space  50   c  into the operative position. The upper and lower covers  401 ,  40   m  on the fastening hook  40   e  close the opening  40   k ′ in the inoperative or operative position of the fastening hook  40   e.    
     A blind cover  40   a ″ is mounted on the hanger body  40   a  on the side facing away from the vehicle seat part  1   a ,  1   c ,  1   d  and covers parts of the intermediate element  50 . 
     The support element  30   a  is connected to the plug element  20   b ,  20   b ′ at the lower end via the joint  30   b . The guide section  20   b ′ of the plug element  20   b  is plugged into a receiving socket  2   a  on vehicle seat part  1   a ,  1   c ,  1   d  and is releasably latched to the latching device  20   c.    
       FIG. 10  shows a clothes hanger  30   d  disposed on the side of the hanger body  40   s  facing away from the vehicle seat part  1   a ,  1   b ,  1   d , whose longitudinal axis extends parallel with the longitudinal axis  30   a ′ ( FIG. 5 ) of the support element  30   a  and that is rotatably held at its lower end on the hanger body  40   a.    
     The upper end of the clothes hanger  30   d  has a bend oriented toward the clothes hanger  40   a  whose outside is flush with the upper end face  40   a ′ of the hanger body  40   a  when the clothes hook  30   d  is folded into the recess  30   d ′. The recess  30   d ′ extends sufficiently far beyond the bend  30   d ″ that the free end of the clothes hook  30   d  can be gripped to fold it out. 
     A support  30   d ′″ is disposed behind the bend  30   d ″ on the inside of the clothes hook  30   d  and prevents hanging loops of items of clothing from becoming caught in the bearing region of the clothes hook  30   d.    
     The clothes hook  30   d  is preloaded into the folded-in position with a leg spring (not depicted) disposed in the pivot region.