GARMENT HANGER

Abstract: A garment hanger has at least a pair of arms (12,18) on either side of the central stem (10). Each arm of each pair extends outwardly from a hinge connection (19) with the stem. The hinges of each pair are disposed vertically spaced and at their opposite ends the arms are hingedly attached at spaced points to a garment retaining member (14, 15). Each upper arm (18) is hinged at a point (21) intermediate of the two end hinge mountings (19, 20) to move outwardly away from the other arm (12) on compression of the ends towards each other and resilient biassing means such as springs in the arms are provided on at least the upper arm to bias the ends of the hanger outwardly. The construction of this hanger becomes the known radial movement of the arms which tend to tilt the garment retaining member at an angle to the original vertical angle resulting in considerable pressure to effect movement of the arms. The hanger of this invention ensures that the garment retaining member (14, 15) remains in a desirable direction.

Description: This invention relates to garment hangers. Garment hangers have been proposed which have variable widths to accomodate garments of different sizes and the width variation is goverened by resilient members which urge the garment gripping portions outwardly at the ends of the hanger to assist in retaining the garments on the hanger. Thus garment hangers with pivoted arms of resilient material or incorporating spring or other urging means have been suggested. In particular it has been proposed to have a structure in which two arms of resilient material can have the ends pushed towards each other upon engagement with the waisband of a garment for example and on release from the garment are biased outwards. A simple arm can be provided which can move about a hinge point with bias to the original position. However, in such a structure the radial movement of the arm tends to tilt the garment retaining portion at an pole to the original vertical angle and also considerable pressure is necessary to effect movement of the arms. This tilting has been overcome to some degree by a trepezoidal structure as shown in FR-A-2417281, the source of the known features of the pre-characteristing part of independent Claim 1, and GB-A-2151916 involving two approximately parallel arms. In these structures any movement of the upper arm is parallel to or in the same direction as the movement of the lower arm. However, in such structures there is still some movement of the end portion in an undersired direction. It is an object of the present invention to provide a garment hanger in which the above problems are substantially alleviated. In the present invention there is provided a garment hanger having a sugport hook, a shank extending from the hook, and a pair of elongate arms extending outwardly in opposite directions from the shank, each arm including upper and lower members each hingedly attached with the shank, and garment retaining members hingedly attached to the upper and lower members, characterised in that the each upper member is adapted to operate as a hinge at a predetermined point intermediate its ends so that when applying pressure upon the garment retaining members to compress each arm inwardly towards the shank the upper member of each arm hinges at the said hinge point intermediate the opposed ends thereof to increase the spacing between the said upper and lower members to substantially maintain the positions one relative to the other of the garment retaining members, the resilient forces inherent within the upper member being operative to increase the spacing between the upper and lower members respectively. The lower arm can be hingedly attached to the centre portion or at a point outwardly of the centre of the hanger and can be a single piece of polymeric arterial with sufficient flexibility and resilience at the junction point between arm and each of the hanger and garment retaining member to provide both for hinging and the necessary resilience. The upper arm can also be a single piece of integrally molded polymeric material having sufficient resilience and flexibility at each end to provide for the hinging and the necessary resilience to push the arm outwardly. Preferably the centre of the arm will be slightly angled or curved to provide a further hinging point and resilience, the curve being convex in relation to the lower arm. Further preferred embodiments of the invention are defined in dependent claims 5 to 12. The lower arm can also be provided with an intermediate hinge portion providing the hinging such that on movement of the arm about the hinge the hinge moves away from the other arm. Invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Figure 1 illustrates a hanger for small garments particularly trousers; and Figure 2 diagrammatically illustrates a larger size of hanger. In Figure 1 there is provided a central stem 10 with upper hook 11 which is slightly off-centre to allow for the weight disposition of a pair of trousers. A pair of lower arms 12 extend outwardly from the centre of the hanger being hinged at the inner attachement to the hanger at hinge points 13 and at the garment retainers 14 and 15 at hinge points 16. Two strengthening arms 17 extend outwardly from the centre so resulting in outward disposition of the two hinge points 13. Two upper arms 18 are hingedly attached to the centre at points 19 and to the garment gripping means 14 and 15 at points 20, each arm having a hinge point 21 disposed along the arm. In the case of this structure the hinge point is molded into the arm so as to provide a natural bending point on compression of the two ends 14 and 15 towards each other. As shown by the dotted lines 12a and 21a and 20a as the end portion is forced inwardly the arms bend upwards but the hinge in the upper arm causes the hinge portions 21 to move away from the lower arm and to exert forces on the end portions (garment retaining means 14 and 15) which holds said garment retaining means either in the vertically upright position or slightly biasses each end portion so that the lower portion moves inwardly more than the upper portion. Figure 2 diagrammatically indicates a structure in which an additional reinforcement 30 is provided outwardly of the centre between the upper and lower arms and the hinging points 13 and 19 are at these second pair 30 of reinforcements. In alternative structures, lower arm 12 could be provided with a hinge intermediate of the two hinging points 13 and 16. Also at least the upper arm could be continuously curved between hinging points 19 and 20 but still give the effect of a hinged arm. Although the structure can be provided by integral moulding in a plastics material which has the necessary resilience in the structure of the arms to provide both hinging and the resilient effect, more rigid arms can be provided with actual hinge elements and separate resilient means for example springs biassing the arms as appropriate. The centre stem 10 could extend to the lower arm 12 so that the hinging elements 13 would then be at the stem 10. For hangers which are designed for heavy garments, arms of plastics material could be provided which are reinforced by internal metallic springs along the whole or a portion of each arm and so disposed with the arms so as to provide the necessary resilience and hinge emements. The garment gripping members 14 and 15 can be illustrated as serrated members or can be clip members. The central stem 10 could be mounted on a resilient arm extending between arms 18. Movement of the resilient arms would then move the hook carrying portion and any label upwardly so as to maintain equal distance vertically from the line of the garment retaining portion.

Claims: 1. A garment hanger having a support hook (11), a shank (10) extending from the hook, and a pair of elongate arms (12, 18) extending outwardly in opposite directions from the shank, each arm including upper (18) and lower (12) members each hingedly attached (13, 17, 19) with the shank (10), and garment retaining members (14, 15) hingedly attached (20) to the upper and lower members characterised in that the each upper member (18) is adapted to operate as a hinge at a predetermined point (21) intermediate its ends so that when applying presure upon the garment retaining members (14, 15) to compress each arm inwardly towards the shank the upper member of each arm hinges at the said hinge point (21) intermediate the opposed ends thereof to increase the spacing between the said upper and lower members to substantially maintain the positions one relative to the other of the garment retaining members, the resilient forces inherent within the upper member being operative to increase the spacing between the upper and lower members respectively. 2. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the lower arms (12) are each hingedly attached to a centre portion and are a single piece of polymeric material. 3. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the lower arms (12) each hingedly attached at a point outwardly of the centre of the hanger and are a single piece of polymeric material. 4. A hanger as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the centre of the arms (12, 18) is slightly angled or curved to provide a further hinging point, the curve being convex in relation to the lower arm (12). 5. A hanger as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lower arm (12) is provided with a hinge portion (12A) intermediate the centre of the hanger and an outermost end of each lower member. 6. A hanger as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that each hinge point (12A, 21) is molded into an arm (12, 18) so as to provide a natural bending point upon compression of the two ends of the hanger towards each other. 7. A hanger as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in strengthening arms extending outwardly form the centre resulting in outward disposition of the two hinge points. 8. A hanger as claimed in claim 7, characterised in a second pair of strengthening arms (30) located between the upper and lower arms (18, 12). 9. A hanger as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in a central stem (10) which exends to the lower arm (12) with hinging elements located at the stem. 10. A hanger as claimed in claim 9, characterised in that the central stem (10) is mounted on a resilient arm extending between the upper and lower arms (18). 11. A hanger as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the arms (12, 18) are reinforced by internal metal springs along the whole or a portion of each arm. 12. A hanger as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the garment gripping members (14, 15) are serrated members or clip members.

Inventors: AGATHANGELOU, EVA
Applicants: CLOBERLEAF TRADING COMPANY LTD.
Application year: 1988
Main classification: A47G25
IPC codes: A47G25