Abstract:
The article hanger is formed of a wire or rod and is configured for removable attachment to parallel posts, such as the posts supporting an adjustable height headrest above the seatback of an automobile. Each end of the device includes a multiple element clip attachable about the corresponding headrest support post, with the multiple elements precluding angular deflection of the remainder of the device and firmly attaching it to the posts. An arm extends from each attachment clip, with a spring coil loop formed in each arm to allow the two clips to be deflected for installation and removal. An article support hook is formed medially in the wire or rod, between the two spring coils. The device may be coated with a resilient or nonabrasive material to preclude metal-to-metal contact between the device and the headrest support rods, and/or other metal components.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/725,641, filed Oct. 13, 2005. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates generally to portable, removably installable brackets and the like for removably suspending various articles therefrom. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the present invention relates to an article hanger adapted for attachment to the headrest of a motor vehicle, and that is adapted to support a clothes hanger or the like.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]     Interior space is often at a premium in many automobiles, particularly in the case of smaller automobiles and sports cars. While all such cars have at least some trunk space, there is no provision for hanging articles (e.g., dry cleaning or suit bags, etc.) within the interior of many cars. The alternative is to place them in the trunk, where they often must be folded to fit in smaller trunks. This often results in undesired creases and wrinkles in the article of clothing by the time it can be removed for proper storage or for wearing.  
         [0006]     Other problems exist when using a conventional automobile trunk for storage, particularly in the case of larger cars. Oftentimes, small purchases are made, e.g., one or two small grocery bags of goods, with the bags being placed in the trunk for carriage home. Generally, the volume within even smaller automobile trunks will allow the goods to slide about and spill from their bags during transport, thus resulting in the additional chore of repacking the goods within the bags in order to remove them from the trunk of the car.  
         [0007]     As a result, various devices have been developed in the past for supporting or suspending articles within the interior of an automobile. Most such devices are configured for permanent installation in the vehicle and require some modification to the interior of the car for installation. Many, if not most, automobile owners are reluctant to install such permanent devices, as modification to the interior of the vehicle may result in lowering the value of the car. Such modifications are generally prohibited for persons leasing their automobiles.  
         [0008]     Certain other portable and removably installable devices have been developed, but these are often affixed to a rear door frame, rear side glass, or other rearward area of a multiple seat passenger area in a larger automobile. Such devices cannot be used in many small cars, and tend to obstruct outward visibility in any case. Still other devices have been developed which attach to the back of one of the front seats of the car, with such devices generally being usable in smaller, two seat cars. However, most such devices are relatively bulky and cumbersome, with relatively broad shoulder supports for hanging coats and the like therefrom, and/or other relatively large panels and/or components bracing against the seatback or other structure. The few relatively compact wire form devices that have been developed are not configured to receive the hook of a clothes hanger, grocery bag handle loop, or the like.  
         [0009]     Thus, an article hanger solving the aforementioned problems is desired.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     The article hanger comprises a single, monolithic length of wire or rod that is bent and formed in such a manner that the article hanger may be removably attached to the conventional posts supporting an adjustable height headrest to the seatback of an automobile, or other similar support having two parallel rods or posts. Each end of the device includes a multiple element clip, which engages the corresponding headrest support post, with the multiple elements precluding angular deflection of the remainder of the device and rigidly attaching the device to the posts. An arm extends from each attachment clip, with a spring coil loop formed in each arm to allow the two clips to be deflected for installation and removal. An article support hook is formed medially in the wire or rod, between the two spring coils. The device may be coated with a resilient material or a nonabrasive plastic or other coating in order to preclude metal-to-metal contact between the device and the headrest support posts and/or other metal components.  
         [0011]     These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]      FIG. 1  is an environmental, perspective view of an article hanger according to the present invention, shown installed upon the headrest support posts of a vehicle seatback.  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a detailed rear perspective view of the article hanger of the present invention, showing further details thereof and its installation upon a pair of broken away headrest support posts.  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a detailed rear elevation view of the article hanger of the present invention, showing the inward deflection of the two arms in broken lines for the installation or removal of the device upon or from the headrest support posts.  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  is a detailed top plan view of the article hanger of the present invention, showing the spreading of the spring clips for installation or removal of the device upon or from the headrest support posts.  
     
    
       [0016]     Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0017]     The present invention comprises an article hanger. In a preferred embodiment, the article hanger removably attaches to and is supported by the conventional headrest support posts of a vehicle seatback.  FIG. 1  of the drawings provides a general environmental rear perspective view of the article hanger  10 , showing it attached to the left and right headrest support posts LP and RP of a vehicle seatback SB and supporting a garment bag GB. The device is formed of a single, monolithic length of heavy gauge wire or rod, but includes sufficient resilience to allow it to be flexed or sprung to install its attachment clips upon the headrest posts or to remove the device from the posts. The term “monolithic” as used herein, also includes such a device formed of two or more lengths of wire or rod, with the lengths being welded together end-to-end during manufacture to produce a device essentially structurally comprising a single, monolithic unit.  
         [0018]      FIG. 2  of the drawings is a detailed rear perspective view of the hanger  10 , more clearly showing the details of its various features. The monolithic rod of which the hanger  10  is formed includes opposite first and second end portions  12  and  14 , which are bent to form the respective headrest support post attachment clips  16  and  18 . Each clip  16  and  18  includes multiple gripping elements that serve to secure the hanger  10  rigidly to the posts LP and RP and preclude undue movement of the hanger  10  relative to the posts when installed thereon. The gripping elements  16  and  18  are mirror images of one another, each comprising an elongate, generally U-shaped upper clip portion having a single post rear contact member  20  that bends around the post when installed thereon and continues to the post upper forward contact member  22 , which member  22  bends downwardly to double back and form the post lower forward contact member  24 .  
         [0019]     Each lower forward contact member  24  continues in a sinusoidal bend to its respective lower clip portion having a first rearward post contact member  26 , which bends back to form the second rearward post contact member  28  therebelow. This configuration provides a series of two elements or fingers, which bear against the forward portion of each post, i.e., forward elements  22  and  24 , and three rearward elements, i.e., elements  20 ,  26 , and  28 , which bear against the rearward portion of each post. As the lower forward element  24  is disposed between the upper rearward element  20  and the lowermost rear element  28  along the post when the hanger  10  is installed, the device cannot rock forwardly or rearwardly relative to the two headrest posts LP and RP, as would be the case with a simpler attachment structure having fewer elements. It will be noted in the top plan view of  FIG. 4  of the drawings that the various elements or fingers of the post gripping portions of each of the clips  16  and  18  respectively define a headrest support post gripping passage  30  therebetween, with an outwardly oriented throat  32  therebetween which is narrower than the gripping passage  30 . This is shown clearly in  FIG. 4 , as the various front and rear gripping elements  20  through  28  must be sprung away from one another, as shown in broken lines, in order to allow the gripping portions of the device to pass around the respective headrest support posts. Once installed, the grip elements spring back to their natural configuration, gripping the headrest posts securely therein.  
         [0020]     Each of the gripping portions  16  and  18  of the hangar device  10  includes an arm, respectively left arm  34  and right arm  36 , extending from the respective lowermost rearward post contact member  28 . The lower portions of the two arms, i.e., the portions extending immediately from the two gripping portions  16  and  18 , define a span  38  therebetween, with the span  38  being approximately equal to (or slightly greater than) the span between the two headrest support posts LP and RP. This span  38  may be adjusted at the time of manufacture of the hanger  10 , or adjusted by the user of the device, to fit specific headrest post configurations.  
         [0021]     The two arms  34  and  36  continue upwardly and outwardly away from their respective headrest support post grips  16  and  18 , with each of the arms having a spring coil loop, respectively  40  and  42 , preferably helical, formed near the common distal portion thereof. These spring coil loops  40  and  42  allow the user of the device  10  to spring the two gripping members  16  and  18  together in order to position their open ends between the two headrest support posts LP and RP, as shown in broken lines in  FIG. 3  (the device may be moved laterally for greater clearance for each grip separately, rather than being positioned centrally between the two posts, as shown in  FIG. 3 ), with the spring tension urging the two gripping members  16  and  18  apart to retain their hold on the two headrest posts when the device is installed thereon, as shown in solid lines in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0022]     The mirror image left and right portions of the hanger  10  have a common distal portion that forms a centrally disposed article support hook  44 . The hook  44  is preferably oriented with its open portion and tip  46  facing inwardly, i.e., toward the span  38  between the two headrest support post attachment clips  16  and  18 , with a smoothly curved and contoured back portion  48  oriented outwardly away from the two arms  34  and  36 . This arrangement provides greater safety in the event the device is installed in a vehicle with rear seats, as the hook tip  46  does not face toward any rear seat passenger riding behind the device.  
         [0023]     The article hanger  10  is secured to the two headrest posts LP and RP of a vehicle seatback by squeezing the two headrest post grips  16  and  18  together, generally as shown in  FIG. 3  of the drawings, and allowing the two post grip members  16  and  18  to spring outwardly to grip the respective headrest support posts therebetween. The device is preferably formed of a heavy wire or rod made of spring steel, thus allowing it to be resiliently deformed for installation and removal from the headrest support posts. Preferably, the spring steel wire or rod is coated with a non-metallic material  50 , e.g., a relatively thin, nonabrasive plastic or rubberized coating or sleeve, as shown by the surface coating representation in the various drawings. Most preferably, the entire device is provided with such a coating, although only the two gripping portions  16  and  18  may be coated to reduce manufacturing costs. This provides greater friction between the post grip portions  16  and  18  of the device and the two headrest support posts LP and RP in order to resist slippage of the device when installed. The use of such a non-metallic coating  50  also precludes metal-to-metal contact between the steel rod or wire of the device and the metal headrest support posts, thus eliminating any rattle or noise producing vibrations between the device and the headrest posts.  
         [0024]     Although shown in use with the posts supporting a vehicle headrest, the article hanger  10  may be attached to any two parallel posts or rods, and may be used to support clothes hangers or other devices having hooks, bag handles (e.g., plastic grocery or shopping bags), or any other articles that may be hung from a hook. Although described as being formed from a single monolithic wire, the article hanger  10  may alternatively be formed from a plurality of discrete components, e.g., a single wire forming the clips  16  and  18 , arms  34  and  36 , and spring coil loops  40  and  42  joined together at their ends and having a discrete hook attached to the single wire between the two coil loops  40  and  42 ; two separate wire portions, each wire forming a single one of the clips, arms, and loops, and a discrete hook joining the two wires together between the loops; etc.  
         [0025]     In conclusion, the article hanger provides an economical means for vehicle owners and drivers to hang various articles, rather than placing those articles in the vehicle trunk or other storage area. While the wire or rod from which the article hanger is formed is shown throughout the drawings as having a round cross section, it will be appreciated that the device is not limited to such a cross section, but may be formed of wire or rod having any practicable cross section, circular or otherwise, e.g. square, oval, rectangular, etc., as desired. While the article hanger is particularly well suited for use in holding dry cleaning garment bags, suit bags, articles of clothing on hangers, and similar articles, it is also well suited for holding grocery bags and virtually any other practicable article having a hanging loop, eye, or hook. The article hanger is particularly useful in relatively small two seat cars and other vehicles having limited interior space, but may also be used in larger vehicles as well. The economy and utility of the article hanger will prove to be most useful to many vehicle operators, for a multitude of applications and uses.  
         [0026]     It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.