Patent Publication Number: US-8540089-B2

Title: Hanging closet

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     a) Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to storage design technology and more particularly to a hanging closet for storing things, which facilitates mounting and dismounting, allows connection of multiple hanging closets. 
     b) Description of the Prior Art 
     Due to limited indoor house space in most families, wardrobe space in a house is limited; therefore, hanging closets are highly invited. A hanging closet can be hung on a high place or in a wardrobe to keep storage clothes and other accessories in a classified manner. Regular hanging closets are commonly made of canvass or any of a variety of tough and flexible sheet materials, having opposing top and bottom panels, opposing left and right panels and a back panel and defining therein a plurality of front-open type storage chambers for keeping things. A hanging closet further has a sleeve or Velcro tape provided at the top side for fastening to a hanging rod for hanging. 
     However, conventional hanging closets are commonly of a fixed design, not allowable for adjustment of the storage compartments to fit different requirements. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a hanging closet, which facilitates connection of multiple hanging closets in one of a variety of forms. 
     To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, a hanging closet comprises a closet body and a plurality of compartment support members. The closet body comprises opposing first side panel and second side panel, a back panel connected between said first side panel and said second side panel, a plurality of horizontal panels joined to the first side panel, the second side panel and the back panel at different elevations and dividing the inside space of the closet body into a plurality of front-open compartments. Each horizontal panel comprises an upper panel layer and a bottom panel layer. The upper panel layer and the bottom panel layer are partially and peripherally sealed together and defining an inside space in therebetween. Further, at least one of the first side panel and the second side panel have a plurality of horizontal splits disposed at different elevations and respectively kept in communication with the inside space of each of the horizontal panels. The compartment support members are adapted for supporting the horizontal panels of the closet body in shape. Each compartment support member comprises a first support panel insertable through one horizontal split of the closet body into the inside space of one of the horizontal panels, a third support panel insertable through one horizontal split of the closet body into the inside space of one of the horizontal panels, a flexible connection pocket connected between the first support panel and the third support panel and having an opening at one side thereof, two folding lines respectively connected between the first support panel and the third support panel and two opposing sides of the flexible connection pocket, a cover flap connected to one folding line and adapted for covering the opening of the flexible connection pocket, and a second support panel insertable through the opening of the flexible connection pocket into the inside of the flexible connection pocket. 
     Further, the first support panel and third support panel of each compartment support member are respectively inserted through one respective horizontal split of the closet bodies of two hanging closets of the same design into the associating horizontal panel of each of the two hanging closets to let the flexible connection pocket and second support panel of the compartment support member be horizontally suspending between the two hanging closets. 
     Further, the first support panel and third support panel of each compartment support member are respectively inserted through two adjacent horizontal splits of the closet body into the associating horizontal panels, and the flexible connection pocket and second support panel of the compartment support member are closely attached to one of the first side panel and the second side panel in vertical between the respective two adjacent horizontal splits. 
     Further, the upper panel layer and bottom panel layer of each horizontal panel of the closet body can be made of a flexible transparent sheet material. 
     In an alternate form of the present invention, the hanging closet comprises a closet body and a plurality of compartment support members. The closet body comprises opposing first side panel and second side panel, a back panel connected between the first side panel and the second side panel, a plurality of horizontal panels joined to the first side panel, the second side panel and the back panel at different elevations and dividing the inside space of the closet body into a plurality of front-open compartments. Further, at least one of the first side panel and the second side panel have a plurality of horizontal splits disposed at different elevations. The compartment support members are adapted for supporting the horizontal panels of the closet body in shape. Each compartment support member comprises a first support panel insertable through one horizontal split into the inside of the closet body to support one of the horizontal panels, a third support panel insertable through one horizontal split of the closet body into the inside of the closet body to support one of the horizontal panels, a third support panel connected between the first support panel and the third support panel, and two folding lines respectively connected between the first support panel and the third support panel and two opposing sides of the second support panel for enabling the second support panel to be biasable relative to the first support member and the second support member. 
     Further, each horizontal panel comprises an upper panel layer and a bottom panel layer. The upper panel layer and the bottom panel layer are partially and peripherally sealed together and defining an inside space in therebetween for receiving one of the first support panel and third support panel of one compartment support member. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an elevational view of a closet body of a hanging closet in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an elevational view of an alternate form of the closet body of the hanging closet in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a cutaway view of the closet body of the hanging closet shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an extended status of a compartment support member for hanging closet according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded view of the compartment support member for hanging closet according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded view of the present invention, illustrating one installation example of the compartment support members of the hanging closet. 
         FIG. 7  corresponds to  FIG. 6 , showing the hanging closet installed. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates another application example of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  illustrates still another application example of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  illustrates still another application example of the present invention. 
         FIG. 11  is a cutaway view of still another alternate form of the closet body of the hanging closet according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 12  is an exploded view of the present invention, illustrating an installation example of compartment support members in the hanging closet of  FIG. 11 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A hanging closet in accordance with the present invention is shown comprises a closet body  1  (see  FIG. 1 ) and at least one compartment support member  2  (see  FIG. 4 ). As shown in  FIGS. 1˜4 , the closet body  1  in accordance with the present invention is made of a flexible sheet material, comprising opposing first side panel  11   a  and second side panel  11   b , a back panel  12  connected between the first side panel  11   a  and the second side panel  11   b , a plurality of horizontal panels  14  joined to the first side panel  11   a , the second side panel  11   b  and the back panel  12  at different elevations and dividing the inside space of the closet body  1  into a plurality of rectangular front-open compartments  13 . The horizontal panels  14  made in the shape of a flat rectangular pocket, each comprising a rectangular upper panel layer  141  and a rectangular bottom panel layer  142 . The rectangular upper panel layer  141  and the rectangular bottom panel layer  142  can be made of a transparent or opaque flexible plastic sheet material. In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the rectangular upper panel layer  141  and the rectangular bottom panel layer  142  have respective three of the respective four sides thereof sealed together and the respective other side left open with two of the sealed three sides respectively fixedly connected to the second side panel lib and back panel  12  of the closet body  1 ; the first side panel  11   a  has a plurality of horizontal splits  140  disposed at different elevations and respectively kept in communication with the inside space of each of the horizontal panels  14 . In another embodiment of the present invention, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the rectangular upper panel layer  141  and the rectangular bottom panel layer  142  have respective two opposing sides thereof sealed together and the other two opposing sides left open with one of the sealed two opposing sides fixedly connected to the back panel  12  of the closet body  1 ; the first side panel  11   a  and the second side panel  11   b  each have a plurality of horizontal splits  140  disposed at different elevations and respectively kept in communication with the inside space (the two opposing open sides) of each of the horizontal panels  14 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , each compartment support member  2  comprises a first support panel  21 , a third support panel  13 , a flexible connection pocket  22   a  connected between the first support panel  21  and the third support panel  13  by a respective folding line  20 , a cover flap  221  connected to one folding line  20  and adapted for covering the opening  220  of the flexible connection pocket  22   a , and a second support panel  22  insertable through the opening  220  into the inside of the flexible connection pocket  22   a  to support the flexible connection pocket  22   a  in shape. The first support panel  21  and the third support panel  23  are approximately equal to the horizontal panels  14  of the closet body  1  in size, and respectively insertable through two adjacent splits  140  into the inside of two adjacent horizontal panels  14  of the closet body  1 . The flexible connection pocket  22   a  have a width equal to the horizontal width of the first side panel  11   a  and second side panel  11   b  of the closet body  1 , and a vertical height each to the vertical height between two adjacent horizontal splits  140  of the first side panel  11   a  or second side panel  11   b  of the closet body  1 . Further, by means of the folding lines  20 , the compartment support member  2  can be alternatively set between a flat condition shown in  FIG. 4  and a  -shaped configuration shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , compartment support members  2  are respectively arranged into a  -shaped configuration, and then the first support panel  21  and third support panel  23  of each compartment support member  2  are respectively insertable through two adjacent splits  140  into the inside of two adjacent horizontal panels  14  of the closet body  1  to support the respective horizontal panels  14  in shape. Further, after removal of the second support panel  22  from the flexible connection pocket  22   a , the flexible connection pocket  22   a  can be used for storing things. Further, the first support panel  21  and the third support panel  23  can be made carrying a respective design. Through the transparent the rectangular upper panel layers  141  and rectangular bottom panel layers  142  of each horizontal panels  14 , the designs of the first support panels  21  and third support panels  23  of the installed compartment support members  2  are viewed. 
     Referring to  FIG. 8  and  FIGS. 2 ,  4  and  5  again, the closet body  1  has a sleeve  15  located on the top side thereof for hanging. A hanging rod  3  can be inserted through the sleeves  15  of the close bodies  1  of multiple hanging closets to hang multiple hanging closets in a high place. In this application example, compartment support members  2  can be selectively arranged in a flat condition or  -shaped configuration and then installed in the closet bodies  1  of the hanging closets. When one compartment support members  2  is arranged in a  -shaped configuration, the first support panel  21  and third support panel  23  of the compartment support member  2  are respectively insertable through two adjacent splits  140  into the inside of two adjacent horizontal panels  14  of the closet body  1  of one hanging closet to support the respective horizontal panels  14  in shape. When one compartment support members  2  is arranged in a flat condition, the first support panel  21  and the third support panel  23  are respectively inserted through one respective horizontal split  140  on each of two adjacent hanging closets into the associating horizontal panels  14 , and the second support panel  22  and flexible connection pocket  22   a  of the compartment support member  2  is horizontally suspending between the two adjacent hanging closets for holding things. Further, the second support panel  22  can be directly connected between the first support panel  21  and the third support panel  23  by means of the folding lines  20  without the flexible connection pocket  22   a.    
     In the application example shown in  FIG. 9 , all the compartment support members  2  are arranged in a flat condition, and the first support panels  21  and third support panels  23  of the compartment support members  2  are respectively inserted through the horizontal splits  140  into the horizontal panels  14  of the closet bodies  1  of two hanging closets, and the second support panels  22  and flexible connection pockets  22   a  of the compartment support members  2  are horizontally suspending between the two hanging closets at different elevations for holding things. 
     In the application example shown in  FIG. 10 , three hanging closets are hung on a hanging rod  3 , and compartment support members  2  are selectively arranged in a flat condition or  -shaped configuration and then installed in the closet bodies  1  of the hanging closets. According to this application example, two compartment support members  2  are horizontally mounted in the closet bodies  1  of the hanging closets on the bottom side and partially overlapped in the bottom horizontal panel  14  of the closet body  1  of the middle hanging closet. 
     Further, the aforesaid sleeve  15  of the closet body  1  can be formed of a strip of hook material and a strip of loop material, and the strip of hook material and the strip of loop material each have a fixed end respectively affixed to the top side of the closet body  1  and a free end detachably fastened to each other. By means of fastening the free ends of the strip of hook material and the strip of loop material together or detaching them from each other, the sleeve  15  can be conveniently fastened to or removed from the hanging rod  3  without moving the hanging rod  3  (see  FIGS. 8˜10 ). 
     Referring to  FIGS. 11 and 12 , the horizontal panels  14  of the closet body of the hanging closet can be a solid panel of a single-layer design. Further, the first side panel  11   a  and/or second side panel  11   b  has a plurality of horizontal splits  143  arranged at different elevations corresponding to the elevation of the top wall of each of the horizontal panels  14 . Thus, the first support panel  21  and third support panel  23  of one compartment support member  2  can be respectively inserted through two adjacent horizontal split  143  and respectively supported on the associating horizontal panels  14 . 
     Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.