Abstract:
The present invention is an apparel apparatus that is especially useful for hanging narrow or small necked shirts and sweaters. It is a collapsible garment hanger, or clothing hanger, that has moving parts. There are two hanger arms that rotate about pins on a hanger body, and there is a fulcrum about which a quick-release lever and release tabs pivot so that a locking mechanism can be manipulated. All of the parts used with the apparatus are inexpensive plastic parts that can be injection molded, and the apparatus can be quickly assembled by snapping parts together.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/985,556, filed Nov. 10, 2004. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
   The majority of residences in the developed world have at least one closet full of articles of clothing on garment hangers. Using garment hangers for clothing storage provides easier viewing and access to clothing, and it is usually faster to hang clothing as opposed to folding. There are numerous different styles of garment hangers that meet budget constraints and clothing needs. People tend to invest more money on a garment hanger used with an expensive suit or jacket, but not for a shirt or sweater. Dress shirts, T-shirts, pull-overs and turtle necks frequently are placed on an inexpensive plastic or metal hanger. A problem that is often just tolerated is that the neck openings of these garments must be stretched or unbuttoned if the garment is removed from the hanger while it is still on a clothes rod. A closely related problem occurs when these garments are removed from the hanger by simply tugging on a shoulder of the garment until it stretches the neck opening over a hanger arm. The resulting spring force, when the garment is released from the hanger, commonly causes the hanger to be propelled off the clothes rod. Granted, all of these problems could be avoided if a person were to unhook the hanger and remove the garment by feeding the hanger down through the bottom of the garment, but this is awkward for most, and time consuming if the hanger snags on the inside of the garment while being removed. 
   Many have tried to develop a cost effective foldable or collapsible hanger that is easy to operate and will accommodate narrow-necked shirts and sweaters. Most of the prior art of the last 120 years is a variation of one or more of the following: the hanger arms are spring loaded and can temporarily be forced downwardly into a collapsed position, such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,730,757, 4,813,581, 6,427,882, and 6,540,121; the hanger arms are spring loaded and can temporarily be forced laterally into a folded position, such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,114,786, 4,988,021, and 5,480,076; or the hanger arms are normally in a locked position but can be released into a collapsed position, such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 320,230, 395,884, 765,331, 2,509,754, 2,906,442, 2,941,704, 4,186,857, 4,231,499, 5,044,534, and 5,590,823. The first two variations are spring loaded devices, which can make them difficult to handle and control, so they present their own set of problems when a user attempts to insert and manipulate such a spring loaded garment hanger into the neck opening of a shirt. On the other hand, the garment hangers of the third variation frequently have many piece parts, are awkward to handle, or they are just too expensive to make available to the general public. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
   The present invention is an apparel apparatus, and more specifically a garment hanger that has arms that drop when a quick-release lever is squeezed. The preferred embodiment only requires three piece parts formed from just two injection molds, thereby creating a cost-competitive collapsible hanger that is easy to manufacture, assemble and use. An alternate preferred embodiment has a quick-release lever arm that latches around the hanger&#39;s neck such that the quick-release lever arm may be flipped to the side to cause the hanger arms to drop, with one of the hanger arms remaining in a substantially fixed position relative to the hook of the garment hanger. In addition to low cost and easy use, a major focus of the present invention is extremely rapid removal of a garment from a hanger without damaging or stretching the garment. There isn&#39;t a return force that brings the hanger arms back to a locked position, so some of the clumsiness seen in the prior art devices has been eliminated. Also, the overall appearance of the collapsible hanger of the present invention is very familiar, and operation of the device is immediately obvious and natural for most. 
   The most preferred embodiment of the present invention requires a hanger body and two hanger arms that are interchangeable. The parts are injection molded plastic and can be snapped together in a few seconds. The hanger body has a base and a cover that are separated by a fulcrum, the separation defining a cavity. The hanger arms can rotate within the bottom section of the cavity, and the top section of the cavity is used to manipulate the cover so the hanger arms can be locked into position within the bottom of the cavity, or they can be released and allowed to fall into a collapsed position. There are several alternate embodiments that function the same way, with a release lever on the top of the cover that is squeezed to drop the hanger arms, but the piece parts and method of assembly are different. 
   In the alternate preferred embodiment of the present invention, the hanger body is molded to one of the hanger arms, and the other hanger arm is molded to a quick-release lever arm. The hanger arms are pivotally secured to each other by a rivet that additionally functions to provide resistance against the quick-release lever arm such that the quick-release lever arm is normally being pressed against the neck of the hanger, thereby causing the quick-release lever arm to latch around the neck of the hanger assembly. A further feature of the alternate preferred embodiment is that it may be rotated into an extended position so that it can uniquely and alternately be slipped through the sleeve of a shirt, or it may be rotated into a fully collapsed position having a very compact size that may be easily packed in luggage when traveling. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a collapsible hanger of the present invention—in the locked position. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the collapsible hanger of  FIG. 1  after the hanger arms have been released—in a collapsed position. 
       FIG. 3  is an enlarged perspective view of the hanger body used with the collapsible hanger of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 4  is a cross section through line  4 - 4  of the hanger body of  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 5  is a cross section through line  5 - 5  of the hanger body of  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 6  is an enlarged perspective view of a hanger arm used with the collapsible hanger of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 7  is a cross section through line  7 - 7  of the hanger arm of  FIG. 6 . 
       FIG. 8  is a cross section through line  8 - 8  of the hanger arm of  FIG. 6 . 
       FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the alternate preferred embodiment of the collapsible hanger of the present invention—in the locked position. 
       FIG. 10  is an exploded cross sectional view, through line  9 - 9 , of the clasp design used with the hanger of  FIG. 9 . 
       FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the hanger of  FIG. 9  in the extended position. 
       FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the hanger of  FIG. 9  in a collapsed position. 
       FIG. 13  is an exploded cross sectional view, through line  13 - 13  in  FIG. 12 , of the rivet and hinge design used with the hanger of  FIG. 9 . 
       FIG. 14  is an exploded cross sectional view, through line  14 - 14  in  FIG. 12 , of the arm design used with the hanger of  FIG. 9 . 
       FIG. 15  is a perspective view of the hanger of  FIG. 9  in the storage position. 
       FIG. 16  is a perspective view of the left hanger arm used in  FIG. 9 , which includes the quick-release lever arm and clasp. 
       FIG. 17  is a cross sectional view, through line  17 - 17  in  FIG. 16 , of the arm design used with the hanger of  FIG. 9 . 
       FIG. 18  is a perspective view of the right hanger arm of  FIG. 9 , which includes the hook and neck. 
       FIG. 19  is a cross sectional view, through line  19 - 19  in  FIG. 18 , of the clasp design used with the hanger of  FIG. 9 . 
       FIG. 20  is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment that is very similar to the hanger of  FIG. 9 , except that the hanger arms have been shortened so they are better suited for use with children&#39;s clothing. 
       FIG. 21  is a cross sectional view, through line  21 - 21 , of the collapsible hanger shown in  FIG. 20 . 
   

   The following is the list of numerical callouts used in  FIGS. 1-4 : 
     10  hanger body 
     20  base 
     22  hook 
     24  hanger neck 
     26  back 
     28  aperture 
     30  cavity 
     32  fulcrum 
     40  cover 
     42  quick-release lever 
     44  flange 
     46  release tab 
     48  teeth 
     50  hanger arm 
     52  broadened garment support 
     54  hanger shoulder 
     56  pin 
     58  distal tip 
     60  lateral reinforcement structure 
   The following is the list of numerical callouts used in  FIGS. 9-21 : 
     62  hook 
     64  neck 
     66  slope 
     68  chamfer 
     70  right hanger arm 
     72  right hanger shoulder 
     74  right aperture 
     76  right distal tip 
     78  right hollow 
     80  left hanger arm 
     82  left hanger shoulder 
     84  left aperture 
     86  left distal tip 
     88  left hollow 
     90  rivet 
     92  quick-release lever arm 
     94  notch 
     96  elevated bevel 
     98  strap pegs 
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
   The most preferred embodiment of the present invention, shown in  FIGS. 1 through 8 , requires a hanger body  10  and two hanger arms  50 . Because the two hanger arms are interchangeable, only two plastic piece parts need to be manufactured, preferably using an injection molding process. Assembly is easily accomplished by snapping two hanger arms into one hanger body. This specification will describe from the top to the bottom, as defined by  FIG. 1 , the preferred embodiment&#39;s hanger body and hanger arms, followed by assembly and function, and then alternate embodiments will be described. Preferred materials, shapes, methods of attachment and methods of assembly will be discussed, but these preferences are not intended to exclude suitable or functionally equivalent alternatives. 
   The hanger body  10  is comprised of three thicknesses: a base  20 , a cavity  30  and a cover  40  (best seen in  FIGS. 3-5 ). The base, from the top down, includes a hook  22 , a hanger neck  24 , a back  26  and apertures  28 . The cavity includes a fulcrum  32  that holds the base in spaced relation to the cover such that a substantially uniform separation is normally maintained. The cover includes a quick-release lever  42 , a flange  44 , and release tabs  46  that have teeth  48  that project into the very bottom of the cavity. The least expensive and most preferred hanger body is molded from a strong and elastic material, preferably a thermoplastic or thermosetting polymer of high molecular weight, such as nylon. 
   As seen in  FIG. 3 , the base  20  of the hanger body  10  incorporates, at its top, a hook  22  that is similar in shape and size to the hooks on conventional clothing hangers designed to be supported by a pole or a rod. The thickness of the material at the hook will depend on the strength of plastic used to make the hanger body, but a common solid tubular nylon construction should have roughly a ten millimeter diameter, with the circular design of the hook having about a fifty millimeter diameter. Starting at about the base of the hook, the hanger neck  24  should broaden and flatten as it gets farther from the hook until it gradually meets a large flat structure that is the back  26  of the base. About three-quarters of the way down the back, there are two apertures  28  that are fairly symmetrically located on opposite sides of the vertical centerline  4 - 4  of the collapsible hanger (see  FIG. 3 ). It should be noted that the vertical centerline passes through the center of the hook design&#39;s diameter. 
   As seen in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the cavity  30  of the hanger body  10  lies just adjacent the back  26  of the hanger body. The cavity has a top section and a bottom section which are divided by a fulcrum  32 . The fulcrum is most preferably molded as part of the base  20  and cover  40  such that it protrudes into the cavity from about the horizontal centerline of the back. The fulcrum is strong, elastic, and will recover its original shape after an applied squeezing force is released. Because the fulcrum will frequently be distorted, it may be necessary to include accordion-like bends or stress relief structures along the fulcrum&#39;s length to avoid premature failure. The fulcrum also determines the thickness of the cavity because the fulcrum acts to substantially hold the cover in a uniformly spaced relation to the base such that the base and cover normally lie in nearly parallel planes. 
   The cover  40  is similar to the base  20  in overall size, thickness, and flatness. The cover, like the cavity  30 , is similarly divided by the fulcrum  32  into a top section and a bottom section. The top section of the cover, which is by function the quick-release lever  42 , lies over the top section of the cavity. The bottom section of the cover, which lies over the bottom section of the cavity, has two release tabs  46  separated by a central flange  44  that is adjacent the fulcrum. The flange is for guiding the hanger arms  50  into the apertures  28  during assembly and use. Just below the flange is an open area in the bottom section of the cover that exposes the apertures in the back  26  of the hanger body. The release tabs, which are on the opposite side of the fulcrum as the quick-release lever, include teeth  48 . The teeth point into the cavity and are beveled such that objects may easily enter the cavity, but not exit. Although there is only a single row of teeth shown in the various figures, one or more additional rows of teeth may be added adjacent the first row, along with corresponding ridges that should be molded into the hanger shoulder  54  of the arms so that the multiple rows of teeth can function together to hold the hangers arms in a locked position. 
   As seen in  FIGS. 6 through 8 , the hanger arms  50 , which are symmetrical and interchangeable, are the other molded part of the collapsible hanger of the present invention. The hanger arms are most preferably made from the same plastic as the hanger body  10 . The top of a hanger arm is crested with a broadened garment support  52 . A hanger arm has a hanger shoulder  54  that, at its center point, includes a pin  56  that extends outwardly from both major surfaces of the hanger shoulder. The hanger shoulder is rounded and smoothed to minimize friction, except along the bottom edge of the hanger shoulder. Farthest from the hanger shoulder is the distal tip  58 . A lateral reinforcement structure  60  has been included on the bottom of the hanger arm, except under the hanger shoulder, to prevent it from bending under the weight of a heavy garment. 
   Assembly of a hanger is quickly accomplished by forcing the hanger shoulders  54  of two hanger arms  50 , distal tips  58  pointing down, and the flange  44  of a hanger body  10  until the pins  56  snap into the apertures  28  such that each pin is rotateably joined with an aperture. The orientation only requires that the two hanger arm&#39;s lateral reinforcement structures  60  are adjacent each other, which places a just assembled hanger in the fully collapsed position.  FIG. 2  shows the left hanger arm in a partially collapsed position, and the right hanger arm in the fully collapsed position. To bring the hanger arms into a locked position, which is the position a hanger must be in to support a garment, the distal tips are separated until each hanger shoulder has been rotationally moved into the bottom section of the cavity  30 , under each of the release tabs  46 . The teeth  48  will allow the hanger arms to move freely until the bottom edges of the hanger shoulders are independently gripped by the teeth into the locked position, which is the position shown in  FIG. 1 . 
   To operate an assembled collapsible hanger of the present invention, a user provide squeezing force is applied against the hanger neck  24  of the base  20  and the top of the quick-release lever  42 . The applied force will temporarily distort the hanger body  10  at the fulcrum  32  and allow the quick-release lever to pivot about the fulcrum and travel through the top section of the cavity  30  toward the hanger neck. The base and cover  40  will substantially maintain their shape, but the fulcrum bends, so the release tabs  46  and quick-release lever work and move like the two ends of a seesaw. The relatively insignificant travel of the areas of the release tabs nearest the fulcrum, as well as the very limited travel of the flange  44 , prevents the pins  56  from coming out of their apertures  28 . The teeth  48 , which are far away from the fulcrum, experience a significant amount of travel away from the back  26 . The flange works to hold the hanger shoulders  54  against the base so that the rotationally joined pins and apertures do not separate. Conversely, the teeth pivot away from the hanger shoulder and back of the base until the hanger arms disengage from the locked position and drop under the force of gravity into the collapsed position. A shirt that was being held by the broadened garment supports  52  of the hanger arms  50  will fall off the collapsible hanger because the neck opening of the shirt will be much larger than the collapsed hanger by the time the distal tips  58  are adjacent each other. The hanger arms must be manually returned to the locked position. 
   There are numerous deviations from the above described preferred embodiment that are predominantly aesthetic, but nonetheless require minor changes in functional aspects. A first alternate embodiment is design to give the collapsible hanger of the present invention a sleeker, more aesthetic look that uses less material, but at the cost of some strength and stability. By compacting the hanger body, the hanger arms can be designed to look long and sleek, preferably with broadened garment supports that eliminate the need for the lateral reinforcement structures, which will give the hanger body with hanger arms an overall umbrella shape. A more compact hanger body will also allow the quick-release lever to be moved up, at least partially into the hanger neck, so the fulcrum can be positioned much closer to the hanger neck. 
   A second alternate embodiment uses a two piece hanger body that includes snap-fit fasteners, such as mushroom pins, that function to hold the cover piece to the base piece. The mushroom pins may be molded right into either the cover piece or the base piece, and the mushroom pins additionally serve the same purpose as the pins that were on the hanger shoulders of the preferred embodiment. In place of pins, the hanger shoulders have shoulder apertures through which the mushroom pins pass during assembly so the hanger arms are rotateably joined to and sandwiched between the cover piece and base piece. During operation, the top most edge of the hanger shoulder functions as the fulcrum about which the cover piece pivots, so there is no need to mold a fulcrum into the cover piece or base piece. 
   A third alternate embodiment, which is very similar to the preferred embodiment, has only one of the hanger arms rotateably joined to the hanger body, with the other hanger arm being permanently fixed or molded into the hanger body. Because the fulcrum serves just the one rotateably joined hanger arm, the fulcrum can be angled more towards being perpendicular to the required travel of the quick-release lever and release tab, which will put less stress on the fulcrum during operation of the collapsible hanger. 
   The alternate preferred embodiment, shown in  FIGS. 9-19 , has been designed such that the functional aspects of the hanger body have been integrated into hanger pieces that include the hanger arms. The alternate preferred embodiment&#39;s assembly requires a right hanger piece and a left hanger piece that are joined by a fastener, such as a rivet. The manufacturing cost of the alternate preferred embodiment has been significantly reduced by eliminating the need for any slides in the tooling and by reducing the overall weight of the collapsible hanger. Using polypropylene and the dimensions described herein, the weight of an alternate preferred embodiment should be approximately sixty grams. 
     FIG. 9  shows the alternate preferred embodiment in the locked position, which is suitable for supporting a garment, and we will define the right and left sides based on the view in  FIG. 9 . The right hanger piece, which is independently shown in  FIGS. 18 and 19 , includes a large hook  62  that is used to support the hanger over the top of a clothes rod in the traditional way. The hook in  FIG. 9  is substantially a 10 mm rod that bends around a curve. One end of the hook, opposite the free end, extends downwardly into the hanger&#39;s neck  64 , right hanger shoulder  72 , right hanger arm  70 , and then all the way out to the right distal tip  76 .  FIG. 9  shows the free end of the hook facing away from the right distal tip so the hanger can more easily be placed on a clothes rod. Other than at the hook, the right hanger piece is about 5 mm thick. The right hanger shoulder includes a centrally located right aperture  74 . The long middle section of the right hanger arm has been lightened such that there are two 8 mm wide bars separated by a roughly 15 mm wide right hollow  78 . The distance from the right aperture to the right distal tip is about 250 mm for a typical adult-sized hanger. 
   The left hanger piece, which is independently shown in  FIGS. 16 and 17 , includes a quick-release lever arm  92  that extends downwardly into the left hanger shoulder  82 , left hanger arm  80 , and then all the way out to the left distal tip  86 . The left hanger piece also includes a left aperture  84  and a left hollow  88 . Measurements and construction of the left hanger shoulder, arm and distal tip are substantially identical to the same features on the right hanger piece.  FIG. 9  shows the left hanger shoulder being in front of the right hanger shoulder, but this arrangement is just a matter of preference that seems to favor right handed people. 
   A rivet  90  passes through the right aperture  74  and the left aperture  84  to fasten the right hanger shoulder  72  against the left hanger shoulder  82  such that the hanger arms  70  and  80  may be rotated into different relative positions. The relative positions are most easily described using the angle defined by the left distal tip  86 , the rivet  90 , and the right distal tip  76 . In the locked position, shown in  FIG. 9 , this angle is approximately 130 degrees. In the extended position, shown in  FIG. 11 , the distal tips have been rotated to a substantially maximal separation which makes this angle approximately 180 degrees. In collapsed positions, this angle is greater than approximately zero degrees and less than the number of degrees defined by the locked position, but it is shown in  FIG. 12  as being approximately 50 degrees. In the storage position, shown in  FIG. 15 , the distal tips are substantially adjacent each other such that this angle is approximately zero degrees. 
   When the hanger is manipulated from the storage position to increasingly obtuse collapsed positions, an elevated bevel  96  that is on the quick-release lever arm  92  of the left hanger piece eventually meets the hanger neck  64 . A slight resistance is felt with continued rotation of the hanger arms because the elevated bevel forces the quick-release lever arm away from the hanger neck while the rivet  90  tries to keep the left and right hanger shoulders in parallel planes. An optional slope  66 , most clearly seen in  FIG. 10 , has been added to the hanger in  FIG. 9  to soften the slight resistance. At approximately 130 degrees of rotation, the elevated bevel passes the hanger neck and the hanger shoulders abruptly return to parallel planes, except that a notch  94  at the peak of the elevated bevel blocks the hanger arms from returning to a collapsed position. This locked position is suitable for holding the hanger arms in an orientation that will support garments, such as shirts and sweaters. The holding ability of the locked position may be enhanced by adding a chamfer  68  to the hanger neck. 
   The hanger may be easily manipulated from the locked position to an even greater angle, up to 180 degrees or more, before the elevated bevel again meets resistance by hitting the right hanger arm. This extended position is useful for sliding the hanger assembly through a garment neck until the hanger is partially down one of the garment arms. The streamlined shape of the extended position allows the hanger to easily pass through even the narrowest of garment necks without stretching the garment. Once both distal tips have passed through the garment&#39;s neck, the hook is pulled back out through the garment&#39;s neck while the distal tips are allowed to fall under the force of gravity until the hanger assumes the locked position. The garment may now be hung in a closet by catching the hook over a clothes rod. To remove the garment from the hanger, the elevated bevel is simply flipped away from the hanger neck by a user&#39;s thumb or finger, thereby causing the distal tips to drop. The garment will then slip off the hanger and the hanger will come to rest in a collapsed position without ever having been removed from the clothes rod. 
   The light weight design and compactness of a hanger in the storage position allows the hanger to be easily packed with luggage while traveling. An additional advantage of the storage position is the ability to compactly package hangers that are being sold. Much of the bulk and expense associated with storing an inventory of hangers may be significantly reduced, not to mention the lower shipping costs that may be achieved by taking advantage of the compactness of the storage position. An additional use of the compactness of the storage position is the option of feeding the adjacent distal tips into a garment&#39;s neck and then rotating the hanger arms into the locked position, which is another quick method of hanging a garment without stretching the garment&#39;s neck. 
     FIGS. 20 and 21  show a modified alternate preferred embodiment that is very similar to the collapsible hanger of  FIG. 9 , but the distance from an aperture to a distal tip has been shortened to about 170 mm so that the hanger is better suited for use with children&#39;s clothing. Also, two new features have been added, strap pegs  98  and a reinforced hook structure, and these features may optionally be incorporated into the hanger of  FIG. 9 . The strap pegs serve the same function as strap hooks that are seen on many common hangers, but the strap pegs are much stronger because the weight bearing surface includes the hanger arms themselves. The strap pegs are about 2 mm thick and they are placed inside the hollows so they will not catch on a garment that is being removed from the hanger. Strapped garments that are properly supported by the strap pegs will drop off the hanger when the hanger is released into a collapsed position. The other modified feature is a reinforced hook that uses a simple “H” structure, thereby allowing for a slight reduction in material. 
   Another feature that may be optionally included with the alternate preferred embodiment is a lip, or other protruding structure, placed along the top of at least one of the hanger arms. The lip should prevent the hanger arms from excessive rotation beyond the storage position, such as to a position having an angle of 340 degrees, by blocking the underside of the opposing arm in much the same way that the notch on the elevated bevel blocks the hanger arms from returning to a collapsed position. The preferred location of the lip is approximately at the border between the left hanger arm and the left hanger shoulder, and the lip need only be about 10 mm or less long and have an elevation that is a couple of millimeters high. 
   While a preferred form of the invention has been shown and described, it will be realized that alterations and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the following claims. For example: adding very broad distal tips that somewhat resemble upside-down spoons; including a non-slip cover or coating on the hanger arms; adding garment strap hooks or pegs to the hanger arms; supporting the hanger shoulders under the broadened garment supports rather than under the bottom edge of the hanger shoulders; or adding a swivel attachment to the hanger neck can be designed into the disclosed embodiments of the present invention by one skilled in the art. Also, it is advisable that unforgiving edges and comers be smoothed or shaped into a nearby structure to prevent a garment from getting caught or damaged unnecessarily.