Abstract:
A multi-tiered hanger for holding multiple undergarments or lingerie. The hanger comprises at least two frames connected together to form a three-dimensional structure, and a hook about which the three-dimensional structure is supported. Each of the at least two frames comprises a means for receiving multiple lingerie.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   None 
   FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH 
   Not Applicable 
   SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM 
   Not Applicable 
   STATEMENT REGARDING COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL 
   Portions of the disclosure of this patent document contain material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 
   BACKGROUND 
   The present invention relates in general to garment hangers, and more particularly to a retractable multi-tiered hanger for holding multiple lingerie. 
   Garment hangers are used to conveniently store and organize garments, and a variety of garment hangers have been developed in the art. These hangers generally include a hook and a main body connected to the hook. Some of these hangers are designed for supporting a single garment while others support multiple garments. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,514,742 to Burger discloses a multiple garment hanger, which comprises a flat base member and a hook member connected to an upper terminal of the flat base member. The side and bottom edges of the flat base member include a plurality of projections having slots or notches. The slots are spaced parallel to the longitudinal axis of the hanger. The garments are hung in a stepped fashion inwardly and downwardly towards the hanger body. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,334 to Blazer discloses a multi-garment, insect infestation inhibiting hanger device for use on a clothes bar. The device comprises a main body that is engaged to a hook. The main body is formed from a section of cut incense cedar or other similarly suitable moth and other insect inhibiting wood. The main body includes a downwardly and inwardly tapering main section and a plurality of garment receiving structures with slots. The device is configured to receive either a plurality of hangers or garment hanging loops. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 2,469,481 to Snyder discloses a garment hanger, which comprises a supporting member, a pair of spaced side pieces mounted on the opposite sides of the supporting member and clamping members carried by the side pieces. The side pieces decrease in width from top to bottom to provide inwardly offset edge portions, each carrying two clamps. Spring members are used to achieve clamping action. 
   Although the above hangers are designed to support multiple garments, they differ from the multi-tiered structure of the present invention, which is specifically designed for lingerie. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,070,773 to Pogoda discloses a lingerie hanger comprising a vertical rod, a hook disposed on top of the vertical rod and a plurality of horizontal crossbars attached to the vertical rod along its length. Both the ends of each horizontal crossbar are curved upwards a short distance and back a longer distance toward the vertical rod. Although this lingerie hanger comprises a multi-tiered structure, the present invention improves the art, providing a three-dimensional multi-tiered hanger specially designed to hang and organize lingerie and other undergarments. 
   Lingerie and other garments are frequently stored in drawers, where they are arranged in piles. It is difficult to find a particular undergarment in a pile of lingerie stored in the drawer. In addition, the types of fabric used to make most lingerie makes it difficult to fold and store. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a hanger that is specially designed for lingerie. 
   A further object is to provide a lingerie hanger that comprises a three-dimensional multi-tiered structure. 
   A further object is to provide a lingerie hanger that can accommodate multiple undergarments. 
   A further object is to provide a lingerie hanger that can be retracted for storage. 
   A further object is to provide a lingerie hanger that can be rotated about a vertical axis which makes it easy to place as well as retrieve the undergarments. 
   Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide a lingerie hanger that is convenient to store and retrieve lingerie and can be hung in a closet or a wardrobe to a clothes bar. These and other objects of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the appended Summary, Description, and Claims. 
   SUMMARY 
   The present invention is a retractable multi-tiered multiple lingerie hanger. The hanger is a three-dimensional structure comprising a hook and two frames. Each frame is defined by a pair of telescopically-retractable vertical tubes connected by a plurality of horizontal bars. The vertical tubes enable the hanger to retract vertically when not in use. Each horizontal bar includes a plurality of upward projections adapted to receive lingerie. The front and rear frames are connected by a plurality of connecting members to form a substantially cuboidal structure. The hook is located above and at the central point between the first and second frames. The hook can also be collapsed downward when not in use. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the retractable multi-tiered lingerie hanger in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a front view of the lingerie hanger in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a top view of the lingerie hanger in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the lingerie hanger with the frames collapsed in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the horizontal member in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view depicting the hook and the horizontal member connected together in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the lingerie hanger in totally collapsed position in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the hook in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the lingerie hanger hooked onto a clothes bar in accordance with the present invention. 
   

   FIGURES—REFERENCE NUMERALS 
   
       
         10  . . . Retractable Multi-tiered Lingerie Hanger 
         12  . . . Collapsible Hook 
         14  . . . Frame 
         16  . . . First Telescopically-retractable Vertical Tube 
         18  . . . Second Telescopic-retractable Vertical Tube 
         20  . . . Horizontal Bar 
         22  . . . Upward Projection 
         24  . . . Connecting Bar 
         26  . . . Horizontal Member 
         28  . . . Connecting Member 
         30  . . . End Portion 
         32  . . . Central Portion 
         34  . . . Tubular Member 
         36  . . . Vertical Axis 
         38  . . . Clothes Bar 
     
  
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Referring to the drawings, the preferred embodiment of a retractable multi-tiered lingerie hanger is illustrated and generally indicated as  10  in  FIGS.1 through 9 . The hanger  10  is a three dimensional structure comprising a collapsible hook  12  and two identical frames  14 , namely, a first and second, both connected together by maintaining a parallel and spaced apart relationship. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 4 , each frame  14  is defined by a first telescopically-retractable vertical tube  16 , a second telescopically-retractable vertical tube  18  and a plurality of horizontal bars  20  connecting the first and second vertical tubes  16  &amp;  18 . Each horizontal bar  20  includes a plurality of upward projections  22 , each adapted to receive lingerie. The upward projections  22  are covered with soft materials such as velvet. The horizontal bars  20  connecting the bottom ends of the vertical tubes  16  &amp;  18  and may include upward projections  22 . The ends of the first vertical tubes  16  and the ends of the second vertical tubes  18  of the first and second frames  14  are connected by four connecting bars  24 , forming a substantially cuboidal structure. When not in use, the tubes  16  &amp;  18  enable the hanger  10  to be telescopically collapsed for easy storage purposes. 
   Again referring to  FIG. 1 , the hook  10  is connected to a horizontal member  26 , which in turn is connected to the top ends of the vertical tubes  16 .&amp;  18  by four connecting members  28 . The horizontal member  26 , which is of a circular cross-section, is located above the first and second frames  14 , and at the central point between the first and second frames  14 . The connecting members  28  are slanted downwardly from the extremities of the horizontal member  26  toward the top ends of the vertical tubes  16  &amp;  18 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 5 , the horizontal member  26  can be divided into two end portions  30  and a central portion  32 ; the three portions  30  &amp;  32  being coaxial. The central portion  32  of the horizontal member  26  has a cross-sectional area lesser than that of the end portions  30 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 5 through 7 , the bottom of the hook  12  is perpendicularly attached to a tubular member  34 , which is adapted to receive the central portion  32  of the horizontal member  26 . When the central portion  32  is received, the surface of the tubular member  34  becomes flush with the surface of the end portions  30  of the horizontal member  26 . This configuration enables the hook  12  to collapse downwardly when not being used as seen in  FIG. 7 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the hook  12  is configured such that it can rotate about a vertical axis  36 , thus enabling the hanger  10  to rotate when hooked onto a rod or a clothes bar  38 . This arrangement of the hook  12  makes it easy to retrieve the lingerie that is hooked on the backside frame  14  just by rotating the hanger  10 . 
   All features disclosed in this specification, including any accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings, may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features. 
   Any element in a claim that does not explicitly state “means for” performing a specified function, or “step for” performing a specific function, is not to be interpreted as a “means” or “step” clause as specified in 35 U.S.C. § 112, paragraph 6. In particular, the use of “step of” in the claims herein is not intended to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112, paragraph 6. 
   Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, various modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustration and not limitation.