Clothes hanger

A clothes hanger is provided having a first fixed arm and a second retractable arm to allow for easy placement of clothing thereon. The instant abstract is neither intended to define the invention disclosed in this specification nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a clothes hanger and, more specifically, to a clothes hanger having a retractable arm to allow for easy placement of clothing thereon.

2. Description of the Related Art

Various types and styles of clothing are generally available, and such styles tend to ebb and flow in cycles depending upon fashion trends, seasons, personal taste, specific need or function, and other ephemeral and unspoken reasons. With the exception of various sized, however, most clothing in the united states are hung in closets using a simple, one-piece rigid hanger mechanism having a hook connected to laterally opposed arm extension. While adequate for most applications, such a fixed body can be inconvenient to use with those types and styles of clothing that do not have a split front. By way of example, the hanging of a turtleneck sweater can be difficult, sometimes impossible to accomplish without disheveling of the garment.

Several broad categories of improved hangers exist. Generally, they can be categorized as angularly extendable, telescopingly adjustable, or specialized function.

For example, the first group, angularly extendible, attempts to change the overall width of the hanger by adjusting the angle between opposing arm members. This is typified by U.S. Pat. No. 6,964,360, issued in the name of Tubman et al., wherein an adjustable clothes hanger that includes a pair of pivoting arm members that lockably engage at differing pivot points to allow each opposing arm member to be fixed in various positions along a lateral track. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,464, issued in the name of Huang provides for making the hanger wider or narrower in overall width by repositioning a single flexible arm member at differing angles. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 923,786, issued in the name of Geraci, provides for a scissor-like pivot between opposing arm members.

The second group, telescopingly adjustable, does not change the angle between arm members, but rather attempts to telescope or otherwise extend these arm members away from each other in an attempt to affect overall size of the hanger. This can be illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,174, issued in the name of Kandl; U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,358, issued in the name of Lam; U.S. Pat. No. 6,722,538, issued in the name of Autry et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,491,836, issued in the name of Simmet.

A subset of such telescopingly adjustable hangers provides for various extension gadgets that work in conjunction with fixed arm hangers. Examples of such appear in U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,599, issued in the name of Platti, in which the hanger hook portion is vertically adjustable, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,504, issued in the name of Richard, in which a separable hanger extension is provided that can be clipped onto an otherwise conventional hanger.

Finally, special function hangers exist in which an unconventional form is provided, specifically adapted for the task. Examples appear in:

U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,255, issued in the name of Turner;

U.S. Pat. No. 6,220,489, issued in the name of Sato;

U.S. Pat. No. 5,480,075, issued in the name of Robinson; and

U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,743, issued in the name of Deady.

However, none of these solutions are adapted to or adequately address the need of placement of the hanger into clothing that does not have a split or opening within the body or expansion in the neck opening. Consequently, a need has been felt for providing an apparatus and method of providing a clothes hanger having a retractable arm to allow for easy placement of clothing thereon.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved clothing hanger.

It is a feature of the present invention to provide an improved clothes hanger having a retractable arm to allow for easy placement of clothing thereon.

Briefly described according to one embodiment of the present invention, a clothes hanger is provided having an upper body member having a first lateral side opposite a second lateral side. An upper hood is affixed to the body member, and the first lateral side forms a receiving channel. A first extension arm member is fixed rigidly to the second lateral side, and a second extension arm member is retained within the receiving channel. The second extension arm member slidably extends or retracts within the receiving channel to aid in the insertion or withdrawal of the hanger from the neck opening of a garment.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the hanger can be retracted for easy insertion into a sweater or other garment through the neck opening, with the ability to thereafter extend and function just like any otherwise conventional hanger.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

1. Detailed Description of the Figures

Referring toFIGS. 1-3, an improved clothes hanger, generally noted as10, is shown in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention having a vertical support hook12extending from a hanger body14. The size, style or nature of the support hook12is not considered to be a key element of the present invention, and so the support hook12is intended to be shown as an exemplary element only. The hanger body14can take many shapes; for purposes of disclosing the preferred embodiment, a upper body element14aextends laterally in a first direction to a generally linearly elongated first fixed lateral extension arm16. It is anticipated that this first arm10would appear in form or function similar to one half of a conventional clothes hanger. However, in a departure the upper body element14aforms a receiving channel20angularly positioned in a manner symmetric to the first arm16about a vertical centerline “CL”. The receiving channel20supports a slidably engaged second moveable lateral extension arm22in a manner better described in conjunction withFIG. 4. As shown inFIG. 4, the second arm22is formed of a linearly elongated member that forms a central channel24the therein. The elongated member22slides fittingly within the receiving channel20. The central channel24circumscribes an attachment pin26, herein shown as being located at the centerline “CL”. The attachment pin26holds the second arm22within the channel20, and allows the second arm22to slide inward and outwards along the length of the central channel24.

Additionally, the inside end30of the second arm22can terminate at a grasping point32that will allow for easy manual manipulation of the second arm22about the slot20.

2. Operation of the Preferred Embodiment

As shown in conjunction withFIG. 5, in operation the present invention is used in conjunction with a garment50, the clothes hanger10has one fixed arm16and a retractable arm22to allow for easy placement the hanger10within a head or neck hole52of the garment50. By retracting the second arm22, the first arm16can be easily inserted into the neck hole52such that the body14ais positioned in the proper, normal position without pulling, stretching, or otherwise dislocating the cloth of the garment50. Once in position, the second arm22is extended outward, thereby providing the function of an otherwise conventional hanger.

To remove the hanger10, the second arm22can be retracted, similarly allowing the body14ato be removed clothes hanger having a retractable arm to allow for easy placement of clothing thereon, without stretching of the garment50.