Abstract:
A clothes hanger storage device, said device comprising at least one elongate vertical support member and a plurality of transverse hanger carrying members; vertical spacing between said transverse carrying members arranged 10 allow a plurality of clothes hangers to depend from each successive said carrying member, said device further including a hook element by which said device may be suspended for use.

Description:
[0001]    The present invention relates to storage devices for specific items and, more particularly for the storage of clothes hangers within wardrobes and other storage locations. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    A well-known frustration of clothes hangers is their propensity when not in use to tangle, so that extracting a single hanger from a bundle of hangers is at least annoyingly difficult. Another disadvantage of clothes hangers when not in actual use, is that they take up valuable space in a wardrobe, or if required in a laundry for example, form an unsightly tangle for which a suitable place is difficult to find. 
         [0003]    It is an object of the present invention to address or at least ameliorate some of the above disadvantages. 
       NOTES 
       [0000]    
       
         1. The term “comprising” (and grammatical variations thereof) is used in this specification in the inclusive sense of “having” or “including”, and not in the exclusive sense of “consisting only of”. 
         2. The above discussion of the prior art in the Background of the invention, is not an admission that any information discussed therein is citable prior art or part of the common general knowledge of persons skilled in the art in any country. 
       
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION 
       [0006]    Accordingly, in a broad form of the invention, there is provided a clothes hanger storage device; said device comprising at least one elongate vertical support member and a plurality of transverse hanger carrying members; vertical spacing between said transverse hanger carrying members arranged to allow a plurality of clothes hangers to depend from each successive said hanger carrying member; said device further including a hook element by which said device may be suspended for use. 
         [0007]    Preferably, said at least one elongate vertical support member comprises two parallel spaced apart elongate vertical support members; said support members interconnected at their respective upper ends by a transverse element; said plurality of transverse hanger carrying members extending between said two elongate vertical members to form a ladder-like structure. 
         [0008]    Preferably, said at least one elongate vertical support member is a single elongate vertical member; said transverse hanger carrying members extending outwardly at intervals along the length of said single vertical member; each of said transverse hanger carrying members provided with an upturned portion at outer ends of said carrying members. 
         [0009]    Preferably, said device further includes a supporting bracket; said bracket adapted for attachment to a vertical surface; said bracket including a support structure for engagement with said hook element. 
         [0010]    Preferably, said supporting bracket is adapted for attachment to an underside surface of an horizontal structure; said bracket including a support structure for engagement with said hook element. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of a clothes hanger storage device according to the invention, 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the device of  FIG. 1  showing a number of clothes hangers supported on the device, 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a bracket for use with the device of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the device of  FIGS. 1 and 2  when supported by the bracket of  FIG. 3 , 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a second preferred embodiment of a clothes hanger storage device according to the invention, 
           [0017]      FIG. 5A  shows an alternative suspension arrangement for the embodiment of  FIG. 5 , 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the device of  FIGS. 1 and 2  when supported by another embodiment of a bracket, 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is a dimensioned, plan view of a small hanger tidy in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention, 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  is a dimensioned, plan view of a ceiling bracket that can be used with the tidy of  FIG. 7 , 
           [0021]      FIG. 9  is a dimensioned, plan view of a long wall bracket that can be utilised with any of the above embodiments and 
           [0022]      FIG. 10  is a dimensioned, plan view of a further embodiment of the bracket comprising a long ceiling or wall bracket. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     First Preferred Embodiment 
       [0023]    With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in a first preferred embodiment of the invention, a clothes hanger storage device  10  is formed as a ladder-like structure, comprising parallel, elongate, vertical support members or rails  12  and  14 , and a number of transverse hanger carrying members or, rungs  16 . In this instance the example, of  FIG. 1  includes 4 rungs but it will be understood that the device may be arranged in various lengths, widths and numbers of rungs without, departing from the principles of the invention. 
         [0024]    Rails  12  and  14  are linked by a transverse element  18  at their upper ends, to which is attached a hook  20 . Hook  20  is preferably at least 25 mm wide so as to prevent unwanted rotation of the device when suspended from a rail. In one preferred form, the device may be provided with two spaced apart hooks. 
         [0025]    The spacing between rungs  16  is such that clothes hangers  22  may be suspended between them as can be seen in  FIG. 2 . The spacing between the uppermost rung and the transverse element  18  is sufficient for a hook  24  of a clothes hanger  22  to pass through. Although  FIG. 2  shows clothes hangers supported from the upper three rungs only, it will be understood that the lowermost rung also may support a number of clothes hangers. 
         [0026]    Hook  20  is arranged so that the clothes hanger storage device  10  may be hung from a clothes rail (not shown) in a wardrobe for example. Alternatively, the device  10  may include a hanger bracket.  30  as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . Bracket  30  comprises a back plate  32  and hanger structure  34 . When the bracket  30  is attached to a vertical surface (that is oriented as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 ), structure  34  extends from the back plate far enough to accommodate clothes hangers  22  placed on device  10 . 
         [0027]    Bracket  30  may be attached by screws to any suitable vertical surface, for example in a cupboard, or to a laundry wall.  FIG. 6  shows an alternative bracket which may be secured under a shelf or the underside of any other suitable horizontal structure, for support of the device  10 . 
         [0028]    The rails  12  and  14 , and transverse element  18  of device  10  are preferably fabricated from stainless steel rod of between 4 and 6 mm diameter, with the transverse elements  16  of somewhat smaller diameter. Preferably, the rails  12  and  14  and the transverse element  18  comprise one continuous length of stainless steel rod. The hook is preferably formed of a piece of flat stainless steel but may also be formed of a piece of rod. Alternatively, the device could be fabricated from any suitable metal and chrome plated for example, or be made of wood, or the whole device may be injection moulded from a suitable polymer. 
         [0029]    The spacing between the rails  12  and  14  is preferably approximately 90 mm to allow a reasonable number of clothes hangers to be supported between the rails while not intruding excessively into a wardrobe or other storage area. 
       Second Preferred Embodiment 
       [0030]    With reference now to  FIG. 5 , in this second preferred embodiment of the invention, the device  100  includes a single elongate vertical support member or rail  112  from which extends a series of transverse hanger carrying elements  116 . In this instance hanger carrying elements  116  extend outwardly from both sides of the rail element  112  and are spaced apart in the same arrangement as described for the first embodiment above. 
         [0031]    Hanger carrying elements  116  are provided with an upturned portion  118  at their respective outer ends so as to retain clothes hangers when suspended from the elements  116 . In this embodiment, a hook  120  may be formed as an extension of, the single rail element  112 , which as in the First Preferred Embodiment above, allows the device  100  to be suspended from a clothes rail of a wardrobe for example, or from the bracket  30  shown in  FIG. 3 . In a preferred alternative suspension arrangement, the device of this embodiment may be provided, with a short cross bar at the upper end of the vertical rail element with a pair of spaced apart hooks as shown in  FIG. 5A . 
         [0032]    The device of this second embodiment may also of course be suspended from either of the two brackets  30  or  40  shown in  FIGS. 3 and 6 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 7  is a dimensioned, plan view of a small hanger tidy in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention, 
         [0034]      FIG. 8  is a dimensioned, plan view of a ceiling bracket that can be used with the tidy of  FIG. 7 , 
         [0035]      FIG. 9  is a dimensioned, plan view of a long wall bracket that can be utilised with any of the above embodiments and 
         [0036]      FIG. 10  is a dimensioned, plan view of a further embodiment of the bracket comprising a long ceiling or wall bracket. 
         [0037]    The arrangement of  FIG. 10  is an alternative embodiment which comprises a double length ceiling bracket that can also be used as a wall, bracket for example to hold hangers against the wall as to be contrasted with off the wall. 
         [0038]    In Use 
         [0039]    The device described in the above embodiments provides a compact and convenient way for the control and accessibility of clothes hangers when these are not in use. In a wardrobe, clothes hangers temporarily out of use can take up a significant amount of clothes rail space as well as being a nuisance when trying to access clothing in the wardrobe. Similarly, in a laundry, a device according to the present invention when suspended from the bracket of  FIG. 3  or  6 , allows convenient and tidy storage of clothes hangers for use. 
         [0040]    The above describes only some embodiments of the present invention and modifications, obvious to those skilled in the art, can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention.