Abstract:
Children&#39;s furniture for organizing clothing and accessories is described herein. The furniture, a Valet System, is shaped in the form of a young boy or young girl. The Valet System comprises a plurality of devices for holding or storing clothing and accessories such as notched bars, clips, drawers, and cabinets.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims the benefit to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/875,909, filed Sep. 10, 2013, which is hereby incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The present disclosure is generally related to furniture. More particularly, the present disclosure is directed to children&#39;s furniture such as furniture for storing and organizing shirts, dresses, shorts, pants, skirts, shoes, accessories, and other items. 
         [0003]    Most items of children&#39;s furniture are box-like storage bins and standard dressers having a box-like shape. Although the furniture can be painted in various aesthetically pleasing colors, there has not been innovation over the years in terms of how items are stored and displayed. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0004]    It is an object of the present invention to provide an item of furniture which has an improved aesthetic appearance and provides greater interest to a user of the same. 
         [0005]    Disclosed herein is a system for organizing children&#39;s clothes, shoes, accessories, etc. referred to herein as a “Valet System,” such as the MY LITTLE VALET™ system by Inventive Momma, LLC. In certain aspects of the invention, the Valet System has bodily features of a girl or boy. For example, the top of the system may be in the shape of a girl&#39;s face or a boy&#39;s face. The front of the face may optionally have a mirror. In some embodiments of the invention, the mirror is at the height of a child&#39;s face, e.g., proportionate to a child. The middle portion of the Valet System may be designed to look like a girl&#39;s outfit or a boy&#39;s outfit. The system acts as a storage and organizational unit for various articles of children&#39;s clothing, accessories, and toys. 
         [0006]    The Valet System has various hooks, bars, shelves, drawers, cabinets, hooks, clips, and pegs. For example, the front of the system may have clips or bars or hooks to hold a child&#39;s pants, shirt, dress, or skirt. The front of the system may also have a fixed or cascading hanger system. 
         [0007]    In some embodiments, the head portion of the system may be removable and interchangeable with a shelf and/or tray. In other embodiments the head portion is permanently fixed on the system. The color of the hair on the head portion may be a color such as yellow, brown, black, red. 
         [0008]    The Valet System may further comprise a power connection, which functions to receive electrical power from an existing (e.g., household) power outlet. In some embodiments, the power connection may be incorporated within the base of the assembly. The Valet System may be pre-wired for items such as telephone jacks, speaker wires, USB charging outlets, and power outlets. In some embodiments, the Valet System is pre-wired for speaker wires and speakers are incorporated into the system. 
         [0009]    The Valet System may be constructed of wood and have a natural stain finish. In other embodiments, the Valet System is constructed of wood and has colored laminate finishes. In other embodiments, the Valet System is constructed of wood and has painted or printed graphics. Other materials such as lightweight molded plastic materials, metal, stone or various combinations of any of the aforementioned materials may be used in construction of the Valet System. 
         [0010]    In some embodiments, the Valet System is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, produce, and distribute. It is a further object of the invention to provide the Valet System manufactured in a variety of sizes. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1A  is a front and partial side perspective view of a female version of the Valet System organizational system.  FIG. 1B  is a front and partial side perspective view of an additional female version of the Valet System organizational system. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2A and 2B  are front plan views of a female version of the Valet System organizational system.  FIG. 2C  is a side plan view of a Valet System organizational system. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3A  is a front and partial side perspective view of a female version of the Valet System organizational system.  FIG. 3B  is a rear plan view of a female version of the Valet System organizational system. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4A  is a front and partial side perspective view of an alternative exemplary embodiment of a Valet System organizational system.  FIG. 4B  illustrates a rear and partial side perspective view of the alternative exemplary embodiment. 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a front and partial side perspective view of a male version of the Valet System organizational system. 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a front plan view of a male version of the Valet System. 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a front plan view of an additional male version of the Valet System. 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is a side plan view of a male version of the Valet System organizational system. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0019]    Disclosed herein are children&#39;s furniture items. Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , a Valet System, indicated generally as  1 , is constructed of solid wood, plywood, wood laminate, MDF, particleboard, or other suitable furniture construction materials. The furniture described herein can be used indoors and is sized and dimensioned to fit in a child&#39;s bedroom or play room. Varying sized furniture may be used for children of different ages. 
         [0020]    FIGS. lA and  1 B show two variations of the Valet System  1 . The height of the Valet System  1  may be from about 40-60 inches. In some embodiments, the height may be from about 42-58 inches, 44-56 inches, 46-54 inches, 48-54 inches, 50-54 inches, or 52-54 inches. The Valet System  1  comprises a front  31 , two sides  32 , a base  2 , and a back  33  (not shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B ). The Valet System  1  further comprises a top part  30 , which can be in the shape of a boy&#39;s head or a girl&#39;s head, and which has a front surface and a back surface. The front surface of top part  30  can be decorated to have hair and accessories appropriate for a boy or girl. For example, as shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , top part  30  has girl&#39;s hair and a hair bow. In some embodiments the hair bow is constructed of wood and is part of the same piece of wood as the hair and face of top part  30 . In other embodiments, the hair bow is engineered from a wire form and is attached to top part  30 . In other embodiments, top part  30  may be configured to have boy&#39;s hair and a baseball cap. The Valet System  1  may be customized and/or personalized for the end-user wherein the hair color on the top part  30  may any of a variety of colors such as blonde, black, brown, red, and the depicted accessories can be adjusted to the customer&#39;s liking (e.g., a baseball cap for a favorite team). The top part  30  may further comprise a mirror  3  on the front surface. The height of the Valet System  1  can be selected in order to enable a child to see his or her reflection in the mirror  3 . In some embodiments, the Valet System  1  has a telescoping top part  30  that allows the height of the top part  30  to be adjusted. 
         [0021]    Below the top part  30 , the front  31  of the Valet System  1  is designed to look like a girl&#39;s outfit or a boy&#39;s outfit. For example, as shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , the outfit is a girl&#39;s shirt and jumper. Other possible outfits include a skirt and shirt, a dress, a bathing suit, and a shirt and shorts. One or more notched bars  4  protrude from the front  31  of the Valet System  1 . The notched bars  4  are sized and configured to hold a plurality of clothing hangers (e.g., the hangers can rest in the notches/detents). In other embodiments, the Valet System may comprise one or more fixed hanger or cascading hanger systems. Each notched bar  4  may protrude the same distance from the front  31 . In other embodiments, the notched bars  4  extend at different lengths from the front  31 . As shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , the notched bars  4  may be spaced apart so that the bottom of a shirt hanging on the top notched bar  4  hits approximately at the second notched bar  4 . In some embodiments, the front  31  may have a notched bar  4  a quarter of the distance from the top of the unit to the bottom and another notched bar  4  at the midway point from the top of the unit to the bottom. In other embodiments, the notched bars  4  are removable and can be placed at a variety of locations. At least one of the two sides  32  may also have a plurality of notched bars  4 . 
         [0022]    The front  31  of the Valet System  1  may also have a plurality of clips  6  to hold articles of clothing such as skirts, shorts, pants, socks, and tights. 
         [0023]    The middle portion of the Valet System  1  may further comprise a cabinet having a door  5  that opens. In some embodiments, the Valet System  1  has arms  10  as shown in  FIG. 1B . In other embodiments, instead of arms  10  there are bars  12  as shown in  FIG. 1A . The bars  12  may be configured to hold necklaces, baseball hats, bracelets, and other accessories. 
         [0024]    The bottom portion of the Valet System  1  is configured to look like two legs  34  and feet  8 . The bottom of the feet  8  is attached to the top side of the base  2 . In some embodiments, the feet  8  are telescoping and may extend to adjust the overall height of the Valet System  1 . The feet  8  may be secured to the base by glue, nails, screws, or other suitable means. In some embodiments, the feet  8  may be hollow and can serve as a receptacle  9  configured to hold a pair of shoes. In such embodiments, the feet  8  may have a lid  15  attached by a hinge or other fastening mechanism to the feet  8  as shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B . 
         [0025]    Side  32  may include one or more drawers  7 . As shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , the drawers  7  may extend entirely across the width of the Valet System  1 . The width of the drawers  7  may be about 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 inches. Alternatively, each side  32  can include one or more drawers. Such drawers can extend across the width of the Valet System  1  by any desired distance. For example, the drawers can extend across the entire width of the Valet System  1 , with pulls on alternating sides  32 . As another example, the drawers can extend only half of the width of the Valet System  1 , with pulls on both sides  32 . 
         [0026]    The base  2  of the Valet System  1  preferably has a diameter of between about 20-30 inches. More preferably the diameter is between about 22-28 inches. Even more preferably the diameter is between about 24-26 inches. The base  2  may have wheels such as recessed rubber caster-wheels (not shown). A plurality of caster wheels may be mounted to the bottom surface of the base  2 . In some embodiments, the caster wheels are rubber and recessed so that the base  2  is one half of an inch to one inch above the surface upon which it sits. 
         [0027]      FIGS. 2A-2C  illustrate further views of the Valet System  1 .  FIG. 2A  illustrates the interior of the cabinet  5 . Cabinet  5  may comprise one or more shelves  11 .  FIG. 2B  shows another view of the front  31  of the Valet System  1 . 
         [0028]      FIG. 2C  is a side view of the Valet System. The example shown in  FIG. 2C  comprises three drawers  7  having a width of about 3-4 inches. The Valet System  1  may comprise a power connector, which functions to receive electrical power from an existing power outlet, such as a standard household outlet. In some embodiments, the power connector may be incorporated within the base  2  of the assembly. The power connector is connected to a power outlet  18 . The power outlet  18  may be a USB charging outlet or an AC outlet such as a NEMA 1-15 socket, NEMA 5-15 socket, or a NEMA 20 A socket. The power outlet  18  may be located on the back  33  of the Valet System  1 . The Valet System  1  may also be pre-wired for items such as telephone jacks and speaker wires. In some embodiments, the Valet System is pre-wired for speaker wires and speakers are incorporated into the system. In addition, in some embodiments the Valet System is pre-wired for a lamp and/or nightlight. 
         [0029]      FIGS. 5-8  illustrate a male version of the Valet System  1   a  with features similar to the female Valet System  1 . 
         [0030]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrate alternate views of an embodiment of the Valet System  1 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3A , the top part  30  may be interchangeable with a tray  13 . The tray  13  and the top part  30  would each have an appendage  40  that fit within a hollow portion of the Valet System  1 . The tray  13  could have any sized shape such as oval, polygonal, circular, square, or rectangular. The tray  13  may further comprise an edge or lip  14 . 
         [0031]    The embodiment shown in  FIG. 3A  comprises a door  5 . The door  5  has a mirror  16 . When the door  5  is open, at least one of two shelves  11  is accessible. When the door  5  is open, drawers  7  may also be accessible. 
         [0032]    As shown in  FIG. 3B , the back  33  of the Valet System  1  may have a growth chart  17 . The surface of the back  33  may be wood, a blackboard finish, a laminate or some other finish that allows both permanent and non-permanent marking with pens, markers, chalk, and other writing instruments. The growth chart  17  may extend from the base  2  of the Valet System  1  to the top of the Valet System  1 . The back  33  may also comprise one or more notched bars  4  configured to hold items such as jackets and backpacks. In some embodiments, the back  33  may have a calendar wherein the dates and months can be filled in and changed, e.g., on a blackboard surface or on a dry erase board surface. 
         [0033]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  illustrate another version of the Valet System  20 . The head, body, and legs portion of the Valet System  20  may be cut from a single piece of solid wood, plywood, wood laminate, MDF, particleboard, or other suitable furniture construction materials. In other embodiments, the Valet System  20  may be formed of molded plastic. An advantage of using molded plastic to make the Valet System  20  is that it is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, produce, and distribute. 
         [0034]    As shown in  FIG. 4A , the Valet System  20  may have a plurality of hooks  21  on its front side. In other embodiments, the Valet System  20  may have a plurality of notched bars  4 . The Valet System  20  may also have a plurality of clips  22  on its front. 
         [0035]    The rear of the Valet System  20 , shown in  FIG. 4B , may have a plurality of bars  25  protruding from the rear surface. The bars  25  are configured to hold a plurality of hangers, necklaces, hats, headbands, and other items, as shown in  FIG. 4B . 
         [0036]    At the base of the Valet System  20  are feet  23 . The feet  23  are secured to the base  24 . The feet  23  are configured to have shoes rest on their surface. 
         [0037]    It is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not limiting. It is also intended that features of the individual Valet Systems are interchangeable and may be added or subtracted from additional embodiments. Changes in detail or structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.