Abstract:
A hanger for body armor includes a base with a pair of arms extending in opposite directions from one another. Each arm has a longitudinal channel along the length of the arm. In each arm is at least one retainer slidably moveable along the length of the arm along the longitudinal channel. The retainer is a resiliently flexible clip or clasp, such as a binder clip. An elastomeric strap is attached between the arms allowing at least one arm to be removably attached to the base. A hook is fixed relative to the base allowing the hanger to be hung from a structure.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention is generally directed towards hangers. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a hanger specifically designed to hold body armor. 
         [0002]    There are three basic types of clothes hangers. The first is the wire hanger, which has a simple loop of wire, most often steel, in a flattened triangle shape that continues into a hook at the top. The second is the wooden hanger, which consists of a flat piece of wood cut into a boomerang-like shape with the edges sanded down to prevent damage to the clothing, and a hook, usually of metal, protruding from the point. Some wooden hangers have a rounded bar from tip to tip, forming a flattened triangle. This bar is designed to hang the trousers belonging to the jacket. The third kind is the plastic coat hanger, which mostly mimics the shape of either a wire or wooden hanger. Plastic coat hangers are also produced in smaller sizes to accommodate the shapes of children&#39;s clothes. 
         [0003]    Some hangers have clips along the bottom for suspending skirts. Dedicated skirt and trousers hangers may not use the triangular shape at all, instead using just a rod with clips. Specialized pant hanger racks may accommodate many pairs of trousers. Foldable clothes hangers that are designed to be inserted through the collar area for ease of use and the reduction of stretching are an old variation on traditional clothes hangers. In short, there have been an abundance of different hanger designs over the years, but few have been specifically designed for body armor. 
         [0004]    Body armor, also called a flak jacket or a flak vest, is a very specialized garment intended to protect the wearer from penetration, such as from a bullet or a knife. One of the most common types of body armor is in the shape of a vest that includes a front and back protection surface connected with straps. The front and back protection surfaces are substantially heavier than a traditional garment, as they have special fabrics and materials designed to protect the wearer. Elastic straps connect over the shoulder and around the upper and lower torso to help secure the vest to the wearer&#39;s body. 
         [0005]    A flak vest is heavy and thick, and accordingly can cause the wearer to perspire and sweat into the fabric. To compound this problem, a flak vest is typically worn underneath clothing, such as a uniform to help conceal its use. This means more heat and moisture can be trapped within the fabric of the flak vest. Therefore, when the flak vest is not in use it must be stored and dried in a timely manner for use at a later time. A short drying cycle is desired to minimize odors and chance of mildew and other problems associated with repeatedly moist fabrics. The means to facilitate drying must not damage or prematurely wear out the flak vest. In particular, the elastic straps should not be overstretched while in storage such that the memory of the elasticity is lost and a proper fit onto the wearer is impeded. 
         [0006]    Utilizing traditional hangers for flak vests are problematic. First, a traditional hanger, such as a wire hanger, is not structurally strong enough to support the weight of a flak vest. The wire will distort and the flak vest will fall off. Alternatively, the inside surfaces of the flak vest come into contact thereby preventing proper ventilation and evaporation. Additionally, hanging a flack vest from a hanger puts a lot of stress on the elastic shoulder straps. Overtime the shoulder straps lose their elasticity and the vest must be prematurely replaced. Having an improperly fitting flak vest is important as it can increase the risk of an injury from an improper fit. 
         [0007]    One attempt to solve this problem is the use of a vest rest hanger that is generally described as a wire formed box about the same size and shape of the wearer&#39;s torso. One would place the flak vest upon the vest rest hanger the same way one would attach the vest to their torso. In this manner, the inside surfaces of the vest are allowed to vent to the atmosphere to facilitate drying. However, the vest rest hanger is bulky and cannot be stored within a typical locker. In many locker rooms, such as a locker room in a police station, each officer has allocated a small locker or closet for storage of their uniforms and tools of their trade. The vest rest hanger is substantially too large to fit within such a locker. Furthermore, these vest rest hangers are expensive and can easily cost 90 dollars and upwards. 
         [0008]    Another attempt to solve this problem is through the use of a flak rest hanger that is comprised of a hanger connected to two large flat surfaces with a support at the bottom for the vest to rest upon. The flak vest hanger is made of plastic and is about the same size as the vest itself. The two surfaces are hinged near the top such that the bottom portion can be opened and the hanger can be set upon the ground. A horizontal support is placed along the bottom of each surface such that the heavy part of the vest can rest against the support and relieve some stress upon the elastic straps. A plurality of holes disposed along each surface allows the flak vest to breath when it is placed within the hanger. However, this version works best when it can be set upon the ground with the bottom open to facilitate drying. Furthermore, this structure is quite large when not in use and is not optimally designed to facilitate drying while hanging because air cannot easily pass by the inside surface. Lastly, due to the sheer size of the hanger, it is also expensive costing 70 dollars and upward. 
         [0009]    Accordingly, there is a need for a simplified hanger for body armor that allows for proper ventilation for consistent drying, prevents mildew build up on fabric and reduces general wear and tear while being smaller to ship and store. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    A hanger for body armor of the present invention includes a base with a pair of arms oppositely positioned from one another. Removably connected to the base is at least one arm extending in an opposite direction from the other arm. Each arm has a longitudinal channel along the length of the arm. In each arm is at least one retainer slidably moveable along the length of the arm along the longitudinal channel. The retainers are resiliently flexible clips or clasps, such as binder clips. The retainers are for grasping and holding a portion of the body armor and are slidably moveable to accommodate a variety of shapes and sizes of body armor. The longitudinal channel may be sufficiently long such that a plurality of retainers can be used along each arm for better weight distribution along the body armor. The longitudinal channel may also include an upper and lower portion where the distal end of the arm forms an open end such that a retainer can be assembled within. 
         [0011]    An elastomeric strap is attached between the arms, or alternatively between the base and a removably attachable arm. The elastomeric strap creates a preload tension to keep the removably attachable arm within the base such that the hanger can support the body armor. When the hanger is not in use, the internal preload of the elastomeric strap can be overcome and the removably attachable arm removed from the base. The arms are foldable and pivotable about the base and allows for a smaller package and travel size of the hanger. One may attach a strap or a rubber band around the distal ends of the arms to keep it in the stored configuration. 
         [0012]    A hook is fixed relative to the base allowing the hanger to be hung from a structure. The hook may be rotatably connected to the base to facilitate hanging from a variety of structures easily accessible. For example, the hanger may be hung within a locker on a hook, from an edge of an open door, along a rack or any other suitable attachment structure. 
         [0013]    A flak vest is typically placed inside-out and upside-down within the receivers of the body armor hanger. This exposes the inner panels of the flak vest to help facilitate evaporation of sweat and moisture thereby reducing the drying cycle time. Also, the receivers grip and hold onto the heavier part of the flak vest and not the elastic straps. Wear and overstretching of the elastic straps during drying and storage is eliminated thereby increasing the useful life of the flak vest. This is important as the elastic straps hold the flak vest to the wearer and a having a good fit is crucial for the vest to properly function if it is ever needed. 
         [0014]    Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary hanger embodying the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a view similar to  FIG. 1  without the vest; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the hanger of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the hanger of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is a view similar to  FIG. 4  showing the movement of the retainer along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  is a side view taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 7  is a view similar to  FIG. 6  showing the retainer opened; 
           [0023]      FIG. 8  is a sectional side view taken along line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 4  showing the arms secured within the base; 
           [0024]      FIG. 9  is a view similar to  FIG. 8  showing the arms removed from the base; 
           [0025]      FIG. 10  is a perspective side view showing how the arms can be folded downward; and 
           [0026]      FIG. 11  is a view similar to  FIG. 10  showing the hanger of  FIG. 2  in a stored configuration. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0027]    As shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration, the present invention for a body armor hanger is referred to generally by the reference number  10 .  FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the hanger  10  holding a flak vest  12  upside-down and preferably inside-out. The outline of the vest  12  is shown by the dotted lines and is held by retainers  14  which are shown being slidably captured within the arms  16 . The retainers  14  face downwardly such that the bottom of the vest  12  can be held in an upside-down position. Holding the vest  12  upside-down allows the bulky part of the vest  12  to be held and thereby relieves stress being imparted along the elastic straps during storage. The vest  12  is preferably turned inside-out such that the inside surface can be better exposed to the surrounding air to facilitate the evaporation of any residual moisture imparted during use of the vest  12 . The retainers  14  are resiliently flexible clips or clasps for releasably securing the body armor to the hanger. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the retainers  14  are shaped to perfectly fit the arms  16 . Alternatively, the clips may be the same as binder clips which are commonly used to hold large stacks of paper together. Allowing the use of the commonly known and easily available binder clips helps facilitate the ease of understanding of the product and helps facilitate its adopted use while reducing costs. 
         [0028]      FIG. 2  is a close-up view similar to  FIG. 1  with the vest removed and  FIG. 3  is an exploded view of  FIG. 2 . Hanger  10  has a hook  18  connected to a base  20 . The hook  18  is a standard hook shape that all hangers traditionally have, allowing it to be hung over a rod, post, or hook in a closet or locker. The hook  18  may be pivotally or rotatably attached to the base  20  such that it allows the hanger  10  to be hung from a variety of structures, such as the edge of an open locker door or the like by allowing the hook  18  to pivot relative to the base  20 . In an alternative embodiment not shown, the base  20  could comprise two adjacently opposed arm receivers that would receive two arms  16 . As shown here in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , one arm  16  is molded to the base  20  while a second arm  16  is attachable. Each arm  16  has a proximal end  24  and a distal end  26 . The proximal end  24  of the arms  16  attach to the base  20 , whether already formed therein or later attached. An elastomeric strap  28  helps hold the arms  16  within the base  20 . The elastomeric strap  28  is attached to the base  20  and the proximal end  24  of the non-molded arm  16 . The elastomeric strap  28  may be any sufficient bias or preload that imparts a force between the arms  16 . The elastomeric strap  28  may be an elastomer, bungee cord, spring, rubber band or any other suitable material or design. 
         [0029]    The retainer  14  is illustrated as being captured along a channel  30  that runs along the longitudinal length of the arm  16 . The retainer  14  is allowed to slide along the longitudinal channel  30  such that it can be properly positioned to hold different sizes and shapes of body armor. This means that one size of hanger  10  can be used to hold all sizes of flak vests regardless of differences in vest sizes or shapes. Also, a plurality of retainers  14  may be used along each channel  30  to help distribute the load or to provide for a stronger grip. 
         [0030]    The channel  30  may be in the form of a slot  32 . The slot  32  is comprised of a top portion  34  and a bottom portion  36 . In an alternative embodiment not shown, one of the portions ( 34  or  36 ) may be removably attached such that the retainer  14  may be slidably captured along the arm  16 . As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the slot  32  is molded into the arms  16  and forms an open end  37  at the distal end  26  such that the retainers  14  can be slidably attached. A pair of caps  40  are attached to the distal ends  26  of the arms  16  to permanently capture the retainers  14 . Screws or pins  38  are inserted into the base  20  and the proximal end  24  of the non-molded arm  16  to capture the elastomeric strap  28 . The elastomeric strap  28  holds the non-molded arm  16  to the base  20 . 
         [0031]    The base  20  is designed to receive the non-molded arm  16 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the base  20  has a female-side receiver  39  formed therein which accepts the male-side plug  41  formed as part of the non-molded arm  16 . A protrusion  43  on the non-molded arm  16  corresponds to a notch  45  on the base  20 . When the base  20  and the non-molded arm  16  are attached, the protrusion  43  and the notch  45  prevent one arm  16  rotating with respect to the other arm  16  such that the hanger  10  acts as one rigid structure. 
         [0032]      FIGS. 4 and 5  are side views of the hanger  10  of  FIG. 2  showing how the retainer  14  can be slid within the channel  30 . 
         [0033]      FIGS. 6 and 7  show how the retainer  14  can be opened and closed while being captured within the hanger  10 . The width of the channel  30  is smaller than the inside width of the retainer  14  such that it fits within the channel  30 . The retainer legs  42  can be pressed together overcoming the internal resistance of the body  44  of the retainer  14  to open it as shown in  FIG. 7 . When the legs  42  are relaxed the internal resistance of the body  44  forces the retainer  14  shut, as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0034]      FIGS. 8 and 9  are sectional side views showing one embodiment of how the base  20  and the non-molded arm  16  cooperate to form one solid structure. The elastomeric strap  28  is connected between the base  20  and the proximal end  24  of the non-molded arm  16  by being captured with the screw or pin  38 . The elastomeric strap  28  holds the arms  16  together so that they are rigid in relation to each other and the base  20 . It can be seen from  FIGS. 8 and 9  that the male-side plug  41  fits within and secures to the female-side receiver  39 . Furthermore, the notch  45  and protrusion  43  prevent rotation of one arm  16  relative to the other. This geometry allows the arms  16  to support the weight of the vest  12 . A multitude of elastomeric strap designs and arm receivers can be practiced by one skilled in the art after understanding this teaching and accordingly this disclosure is not intended to limit it to any one specific version or just the version described herein. For instance in another exemplary embodiment not shown, the base  20  could form the male-side plug  41  while the non-molded arm  16  could form the female-side receiver  39 . 
         [0035]      FIGS. 10 and 11  show how the arms  16  of the hanger  10  can be folded downward into a stored configuration. The arms  16  can be pulled apart to overcome the resistance of the elastomeric strap  28 . This allows the proximal end  24  of the non-molded arm  16  to be removed from the base  20 . Then the arms  16  can be folded downward as shown in  FIG. 10  and secured in a folded configuration with the use of a rubber band  48  or other fastening means, about the distal ends  26  as shown in  FIG. 11 . As shown in  FIG. 10 , the hook  18  can remain outward such that the hanger  10  can still be hung from a support. Alternatively, the hook  18  can be secured within the folded elastomeric strap  28  as shown in  FIG. 11  for compact storing within a bag or the like. 
         [0036]    One advantage of the hanger  10  over the related art is that it has a lower production cost. The parts of the hanger  10  can be manufactured from steel, aluminum, composites, plastics or the like. The hanger is light weight, and can be packaged in a small enclosure for shipping and takes up little space in a locker or closet. Also, the hanger  10  can utilize the commonly known binder clips that are well known and easily understood. The hanger  10  allows the vest  12  to be hung inside-out to facilitate evaporation of residual moisture while still be stored within a locker or hung from a structure. This unique positioning of the flak vest  12  reduces the drying cycle time and is easy and convenient to utilize. Furthermore, the retainers  14  allow the vast majority of the weight of the vest  12  to be carried through the front and back protection surfaces and not through the elastic straps. This extends the life of flak vests and prevents premature stretching and wear. 
         [0037]    Although several embodiments have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made to each without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited, except as by the appended claims.