GARMENT HANGER

Abstract: A garment hanger has a second frame portion of a supporting frame for maintaining the shape of a shoulder portion, in which the second frame portion vertically swings with respect to an extension direction of a first frame portion to select a narrow plane during storing the garment and a wide plane during displaying it as an area for supporting the shoulder portion of a garment, and a height of an outer end is varied during the swinging of the second frame portion to preserve the original shape of the garment even though the portion for supporting the shoulder portion is varied.

Description: GARMENT HANGER TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a garment hanger, and more particularly to a garment hanger capable of facilitating the storage of plural articles of garments within a limited space such as a wardrobe or a dress rack while maintaining an original shape of the garment, and being used for displaying the garments in a shop. BACKGROUND ART A garment hanger is a device for holding a garment to keep it in shape when an article of garment is stored or displayed. The garment hanger for supporting the garment is diversely shaped per purpose of its application. Generally, the garment hanger employed for the purpose of storing or displaying the garment in a house or shop is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The garment hanger 10 includes a hook member 20 for hanging the garment hanger to a clothes rod, and a supporting frame 30 substantially V-shaped for preserving the outline of the garment on a uniform state, which is connected to hook member 20 via a pivot point 5. Also, a cross bar 40 allows supporting frame 30 to maintain the regular shape while putting a pair of slacks and the like thereon. The general garment hanger will be examined with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the garment hanger suitable for storing or transporting plenty of garments in a wardrobe or a dress rack. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the garment hanger for maintaining and displaying the garments in a preferable condition in a shop or the like. The garment hanger shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be described below. In FIG. 1, garment hanger 10 is used for storing or transporting the garments, in which the width of an end portion of support frame 30 for supporting a shoulder portion of the garment does not greatly differ from that of a center of supporting frame 30. When viewed from the upper side, an angle between the center and the end portion of supporting frame 30 is formed to be narrow within a range that the shape of the garment is not changed to thus occupy a narrower space, so that plenty of garments are stored in a limited space or transported while requiring the narrower space. The garment hanger as shown in FIG. 2 is used for maintaining and displaying the shape of the garment on the optimal condition in a display place of the shop and the like. Here, the width of the end portion of supporting frame 30 for supporting the shoulder portion of the garment is usually wider than that of the center of supporting frame 30 twice or thrice. The reason of relatively thickening the width of the end portion of supporting frame 30 is in that the shoulder portion of the garment such as the curved outline is to be smoothly maintained by making the width thick enough as if a man wears the garment. However, the garment hanger as shown in FIG. 1 has the narrow width to have advantage of occupying less space during storing or transporting the garments after being produced in a factory, but it is difficult to optimally maintain the shape of the garment. Moreover, the garment hanger as shown in FIG. 2 having the wide width maintains the shape of the garment as actually being put on to be suitable for the use of display, but occupies so large space to increase product circulation expenses, transportation cost, etc. Therefore, in order to complement the drawbacks of the above-described hangers, clothing enterprises or specialized shops for handling plenty of clothes are furnished with two kinds of hanger respectively having wide and narrow end portions of supporting frame 30. Thus, the garment hanger as shown in FIG. 1 is used for the storage and transportation of the garments while the garment hanger as shown in FIG. 2 is used for the display. In this case, however, two kinds of plural hangers should be prepared. Furthermore, the garment hangers are not used at the same time but selectively employed. Accordingly, a custody place for storing the hangers are separately required, and the change of respective hangers per purpose of the application is a troublesome job as well as unnecessarily waste time. DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION The present invention is devised to solve the foregoing problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide a garment hanger capable of being compatibly used for display and storage. It is another object of the present invention to provide a garment hanger capable of adjusting an area of a supporting frame. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a garment hanger capable of uniformly preserving a shoulder line of an article of garment when an area of a supporting frame is adjusted. To achieve the above objects according to the present invention, there is provided a garment hanger including a hook member and a supporting frame joined to the hook member for maintaining a shape of an article of garment in a uniform state. Here, the supporting frame has a first frame portion serving as a body of the supporting frame, and a second frame portion coupled to the first frame portion and capable of vertically swinging with respect to an extending direction of the supporting frame. The garment hanger has a coupling portion formed to an end of the second frame portion to be fitted into a swing hole formed in the end of the first frame portion, and an area of an upper plane for supporting the garment is varied by the swinging of the coupling portion. Thus, the shape of the garment is naturally maintained by widening the area of the upper plane of supporting the garment during the display and narrowing the area of the upper plane during the storage/transportation. Additionally, only a single hanger can be used from production, storage, transportation to display in case of a formal clothing and garments of quality, so that cost and time required for changing the hanger can be reduced when storing or displaying the garments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above objects and other advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional garment hanger suitable for storing a plurality of articles of garments in a wardrobe or dress rack; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a conventional display garment hanger for preferably maintaining the shape of an article of garment in a shop; FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing one embodiment of a garment hanger according to the present invention; FIG. 4A is a plan view showing the second frame portion of the garment hanger used during the transportation or storage; FIG. 4B is a sectional view showing a portion cut along line A-A of the second frame portion of FIG. 4A; FIGS. 5A and 5B are front views showing the second frame portion shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B; FIG. 6A is a view showing the coupling portion formed to the end of the second frame portion joined to the first frame portion; FIG. 6B is a sectional view showing the coupling portion taken along line A-A of FIG. 4B; FIG. 6C is a sectional view showing the first frame portion including the swing hole for fitting the coupling portion therein; FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the coupling portion of another embodiment according to the present invention, and coupling state of the first frame portion having the swing hole for fitting the coupling portion therein and second frame portion; FIG. 8A is a view showing a section of the swing hole; FIG. 8B is a perspective view showing the coupling portion; FIGS. 9A and 9B are views showing the coupling state; and FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the coupling portion of still another embodiment according to the present invention, and the coupling state of the first frame portion having the swing hole fitted with the coupling portion thereto and the second frame portion. EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of a garment hanger according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The garment hanger according to the present invention has the same construction as the conventional hanger in that a hook member 20 supports hanger 10 to a clothes rod, and a V-shaped supporting frame 30 maintains the outline of the garment on a uniform state which is joined to hook member 20 via a pivot point 5, and a cross bar 40 allows supporting frame 30 to maintain the uniform shape while putting a pair of slacks and the like thereon. Cross bar 40 may be omitted for simplifying the construction thereof, which is deleted herein. As compared with the conventional garment hanger, the hanger according to the present invention has the supporting frame separately formed into a first frame portion 45 serving as a body and a second frame portion 50 for supporting the shoulder portion of the garment. Especially, second frame portion 50 supporting the shoulder portion can swing about first frame portion 45. Also, when viewed from the upper side of hanger 10, second frame portion 50 is shaped to have a plane occupying a relatively small area during the storage or transportation of the garment and a plane occupying a relatively larger area enabling to preserve the shape of the garment during the display as being worn by a man. FIG. 4A is a plan view showing second frame portion 50 of hanger 10 employed for storage and transportation of the garments. A width of the upper plane of second frame portion 50 is formed to be substantially the same as first frame portion 45 of supporting frame 30. An angle from pivot point 5 for joining hook member 20 to an outer end 55 of second frame portion 45 is formed to be capable of occupying the minimum space while storing the garment. An uneven groove is formed along an upper portion of second frame portion 50 as long as a predetermined length to prevent the garment from sliding down. FIG. 4B is a plan view showing second frame portion 50 of the hanger used for the display, in which second frame portion 50 of the hanger as shown in FIG. 4B is rotated as much as 90°. An upper plane of second frame portion 50 is formed to have widened right and left sides as reaching both ends. This is for permitting the shape of the garment to be identical to that worn by a man. FIGS. 5A and 5B are front views of second frame portion 50 shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B. An inclination from first frame portion 45 to the end of second frame portion 50 has no difference from first frame 45 at a joining portion with first frame portion 45 to a predetermined length, but an angle exceeding the predetermined length to the end is to have an inclination of 5° to 20°. In second frame portion 50 as shown in FIG. 5B, there is no change in the inclination from first frame portion 45 to the end of second frame portion 50. The reason of differing the inclination of second frame portion 50 in accordance with the purpose of storing and displaying as described above will be described hereinbelow. The shape of garment can be preferably maintained by uniformly preserving the shoulder height of the garment during the storage or display. Therefore, the width of the supporting frame of the conventional hanger used for storing the garments is formed to be narrow as possible. Accordingly, the area of the shoulder portion of the garment hung on second frame portion 50 becomes relatively narrowed to downwardly droop the garment, thereby probably transforming the shoulder portion of the garment. In the present invention, the inclination to the end of second frame portion 50 is greater than that of the conventional hanger even when second frame portion 50 adopts the narrow area. In FIG. 5B, the inclination has no difference to the end of second frame portion 50, so that, even though the height formed by second frame portion 50 is lower than that of FIG. 5A, the larger area of second frame portion 50 is utilized to lessen the drooping of the garment because relatively wide area of the shoulder portion of the garment contacts thereto. As the result, the shoulder height of the garment put on the hanger can be constantly maintained in spite of changing the area by swinging second frame portion 50 to prevent the drooping and constantly preserve the uniform shape. A construction for joining the second frame portion formed as above to the first frame portion to allow the second frame portion to be able to swing will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A to 6C. FIG. 6A illustrates the coupling portion formed to the end of the second frame portion joined to the first frame portion. FIG. 6B is a sectional view showing the coupling portion taken along line A-A of FIG. 4B, and FIG. 6C is a sectional view showing the first frame portion having a swing hole for fitting the coupling portion therein. The structure of the coupling portion will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 6A. The coupling portion 60 is provided to the section of second frame portion 50 in the direction of first frame portion 45 for the joining and swinging with first frame portion 45. Coupling portion 60 is formed of a hollowed cylinder 65 in the section of second frame portion 50, and cylinder 65 is formed with an abutment 70 on the upper portion thereof to inhibit coupling portion 60 from being loosened after being coupled to first frame portion 45. Coupling portion 60 will be described with reference to FIG. 6B which illustrates the section cut along line A-A of FIG. 6A. Coupling portion 60 includes a stopper 75 on the external surface of hollowed cylinder 65 for defining the swinging range during swing of second frame portion 50. Stopper 75 is spaced by a predetermined angle in the radial direction with respect to the center to perform the swinging of second frame portion 50 within the range of a predetermined angle. In the present invention, the angle is approximately 135° which may be differed in accordance with embodiments. Since the diameter of abutment 70 formed to second frame portion 50 is larger than that of swing hole 75 formed in first frame portion 45 during fitting into first frame portion 45, a center of coupling portion 60 is transversely cut by a predetermined length to elastically fit abutment 70 into swing hole 75 for facilitating the fitting. Also, under the completely fitted state, abutment 70 is hooked into swing hole 75, so that second frame portion 50 is not come out. Another embodiment of the shape of coupling portion 60 and swing hole 75 for fitting coupling portion 60 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the coupling portion of another embodiment according to the present invention, and coupling state of the first frame portion having the swing hole for fitting the coupling portion therein and second frame portion 50. FIG. 8A is a view showing a section of the swing hole, FIG. 8B is a perspective view showing the coupling portion, and FIGS. 9A and 9B are views showing the coupling state. As illustrated in FIG. 8A, a cloverleaf swing hole 100 is formed in the end of first frame portion 45, and first and second fixing portions 100a, 100a' , 100b and 100b are formed per 90°. A joining portion of first fixing portions 100a and 100a' and that of second fixing portions 100b and 100b are formed by a guide plane 100c bent in a predetermined size. First fixing portion 100a and second fixing portion 100b is connected to have a corner lOOd. To the upper and lower sides of second frame portion 50 in FIG. 8B, semicircular first and second hooks 110 and 120 with an elastic force have one side stepped, which are respectively inserted to first and second fixing portions 100a and 100b of first frame portion 45, and flexibly swings along guide plane 100c within the swinging space when second frame portion 50 swings. At this time, corner lOOd functions as the stopper to block the swinging of first and second hooks 110 and 120 out of an angle of a predetermined area. The above-stated operating state is illustrated in FIGS. 9A and 9B. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the coupling state of first frame portion 45 and second frame portion 50, in which a reference numeral 130 designates a fixing hole, 140 is a guide hole, 150 is a hook and 160 is a swing plate. Circular fixing hole 130 having a predetermined size is formed in the center of first frame portion 45. Guide hole 140 having a circular arc as much as 90° for fixing at ends is fixed to one side of fixing hole 130. Circularly- shaped hook 150 having a step at one end is provided to the center of second frame portion 50. Center of hook 150 is transversely cut as much as a predetermined length to be elastically inserted into fixing hole 130, and the step portion is hooked to fixing hole 130, so that second frame portion 50 is not come out after second frame portion 50 is inserted into first frame portion 45. Swing plate 160 swinging along guide hole 140 is provided to one side of hook 150. In the garment hanger according to the present invention constructed as above, the area of the shoulder portion of the garment is changed only by the swinging of the second frame portion. As a result, a minimum space is occupied when storing the garments and the shape of the garment is optimally maintained when display them. While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to particular embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be effected therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A garment hanger including a hook member and a supporting frame joined to said hook member for maintaining and displaying a shape of an article of garment in a uniform state, wherein said supporting frame comprises: a first frame portion serving as a body of said supporting frame; and a second frame portion coupled to said first frame portion and capable of vertically swinging with respect to an extending direction of said supporting frame. 2. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein an area of an upper plane for supporting said garment is varied by the swinging of said second frame portion. 3. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 2, wherein said second frame portion comprises means on a section in the direction of said first frame portion for coupling with said first frame portion, and said first frame portion comprises a hole fitted with said coupling means in a section in the direction of said second frame portion. 4. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 3, wherein said coupling means is shaped as a hollowed cylinder, and has an abutment at an upper end thereof. 5. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 4, wherein a stopper forming a predetermined angle in the radial direction with respect to a center is provided to the outer surface for restricting the movement of said coupling means within a predetermined range when said second frame portion swings. 6. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 5, wherein said coupling means has a center transversely cut as long as a predetermined length. 7. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 2, wherein a narrow plane is selected during transporting/storing said garment and a wide plane is selected during displaying by swinging said an upper plane for supporting said garment in said second frame portion. 8. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 7, wherein, when said narrow plane is selected as said upper plane of said second frame portion, an outer height of said second frame portion is to be higher as much as a predetermined value than that when said wide plane is selected. 9. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 8, wherein the height difference of said upper plane of said second frame portion is 15 to 30mm. 10. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 2, wherein said second frame portion is formed to have the same width as said upper plane of said first frame porion, and one side thereof has right and left sides widening as reaching ends. 11. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 2, wherein a swinging range of said second frame portion is preferably 90°.

Inventors: OK WOO YOUNG, OK, WOO, YOUNG
Applicants: CRABEE CO LTD, OK WOO YOUNG, CRABEE CO., LTD., OK, WOO, YOUNG
Application year: 1995
Main classification: A47G25
IPC codes: A47G25