Abstract:
A garment hanger includes a hook having a base, first and second hanger arms extending from the base of the hook in opposite directions and angled downwardly relative to the hook; and an elongated horizontal support rod coupled at each end to substantially S-shaped retaining portions. The retaining portions are positioned directly under the support rod and adapted to suspend and securely retain a garment between the support rod and the retaining portions in a fixed position and prevent or minimize the occurrence of creases in the garment. The first and second hanger arms, support rod, and first and second retaining portions are aligned vertically with one another on a single vertical plane and integrally formed of a rod like member with substantially the same size and shape in cross section throughout. The garment hanger is sturdy and is adapted to hold and retain numerous types of garments, as well as retain several garments at the same time, such as a jacket and pants.

Description:
CLAIM OF FOREIGN PRIORITY UNDER 35 U.S.C. SECTION 119 
     This patent application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. Section 119 to Japanese Utility Model Application Number 3065446, filed Jul. 2, 1999, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a clothes or garment hanger. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a unique clothes or garment hanger having a support rod coupled to substantially S-shaped retaining portions that are adapted to retain a garment in a fixed position and prevent or minimize the occurrence of creases in the garment. 
     Garment hangers are important for use in the clothes cleaning, dry cleaning, tailoring, and garment industries. Concerns among those in the clothes cleaning, dry cleaning, tailoring, and garment industries are that the garments or clothing that hang on the garment hangers do not get wrinkled, creased, or damaged and that the garments are secured on the garment hangers and do not easily slide or fall off the hangers. 
     Garment hangers typically comprise a hook portion adapted to suspend the hanger from a closet rod or support bar, a pair of angled arms extending in opposite directions from the hook portion and adapted to receive the shoulders of a garment such as a jacket or shirt, and a support bar or rod connecting the angled arms and adapted to support or retain a garment such as pants or trousers. 
     A known garment hanger is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,107,026. This patent discloses a garment hanger having a retaining clamp. However, a problem with the design of the garment hanger in this patent is that the end of the retaining clamp is exposed and curved upwardly which can create problems with catching on the garment and damaging the garment. 
     Another known garment hanger is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,689,126. This patent discloses a garment hanger having a cross bar with inwardly and upwardly inclined hooks. However, a problem with the design of the garment hanger in this patent is that the hanger is not suitable for retaining pants without belt loops or skirts without hanging loops. In addition, the hanger in this patent is not designed to hold both pants and a jacket. 
     Another known garment hanger is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,017,854. This patent discloses a garment hanger having a support bar with clamps. However, a problem with the design of the garment hanger in this patent is that the hanger requires the addition of separately formed clamps to retain skirts or pants. Thus, the manufacturing costs are increased over designs that do not require such clamps. In addition, the clamps can damage clothes by causing creases or indentations in the garments at the point that the clamp holds the garment. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for a new and improved garment hanger which overcomes and avoids the problems associated with known garment hangers. None of these or other known garment hangers provide all of the advantages of the present invention. Additionally, known garment hangers do not suggest or provide the present novel combination of components as disclosed and claimed herein. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention satisfies these needs as well as provides a unique and nonobvious garment hanger. The advantages of the present invention over known garment hangers include, but are not limited to, the following: providing a garment hanger made of a friction-free material and having a support rod coupled to substantially S-shaped retaining portions that are adapted to securely retain a garment in a fixed position and prevent or minimize the occurrence of creases in the garment; providing a garment hanger that is sturdy and can easily hold all types of garments with or without loops, i.e., belt loops, as well as hold both a jacket and pants and provides easy removal of the pants without having to remove the jacket from the hanger; providing a garment hanger that does not require additional clips, clamps, or pins to retain garments, and thus avoiding damage to garments caused by the use of such additional devices; providing a garment hanger in which the retaining portions do not have exposed ends, thus avoiding damage to the garment; providing a unitary garment hanger that may be formed of a single wire, thus decreasing the costs of manufacturing and decreasing the complexity of the manufacturing; providing a garment hanger that may be formed of a single wire and a rolled paper support tube wherein the rolled paper support tube has a substantially friction-free, nonadhesive surface, thus avoiding the damage to garments caused by known rolled paper support tubes having adhesive surfaces; and providing a garment hanger that is easy and inexpensive to fabricate and manufacture and is not prone to damage in handling or use. 
     The present invention is directed to a garment hanger comprising: (a) a hook having a base; (b) first and second hanger arms extending from the base of the hook in opposite directions and angled downwardly relative to the hook; (c) an elongated horizontal support rod disposed between the first and second hanger arms, the support rod having a first end coupled to a substantially S-shaped first retaining portion, the first retaining portion continuous with the first hanger arm, and the support rod further having a second end coupled to a substantially S-shaped second retaining portion, the second retaining portion continuous with the second hanger arm. The first and second retaining portions are the same shape and configuration, are mirror images of each other, are spaced apart and opposite from each other, and are disposed between the hanger arms. The first and second retaining portions are adapted to suspend and retain a garment between the support rod and the retaining portions at several points of retention. 
     The hanger arms are adapted to support a different opposed shoulder of a first garment. The first and second retaining portions are adapted to retain a second garment between the support rod and the first and second retaining portions and preferably within the first garment and vertically below the first garment. 
     In one version of the present invention the hook, hanger arms, support rod, and retaining portions of the garment hanger are formed in one continuous unitary piece, preferably a preformed metal wire. 
     In another version of the present invention the hook, hanger arms, and retaining portions are formed in one continuous unitary piece, preferably a preformed metal wire, and the support rod is a second piece which is coupled to each of the retaining portions between the hanger arms. Preferably, the support rod in this version is a hollow tube comprised of rolled paper and having a substantially friction-free surface. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood from the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings, where: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first version of the garment hanger of the present invention showing one version of how a garment can be retained on the hanger; 
     FIG. 2 a cross-sectional view of the first version of the garment hanger in the direction of line  2 — 2  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a first version of the garment hanger of the present invention showing a second version of how a garment can be retained on the hanger; 
     FIG. 4 a cross-sectional view of the first version of the garment hanger in the direction of line  4 — 4  of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second version of the garment hanger of the present invention; and, 
     FIG. 6 a cross-sectional view of the second version of the garment hanger in the direction of line  6 — 6  of FIG.  5 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention is directed to a garment or clothing hanger having a combination of unique features. 
     FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a first version of the garment hanger of the present invention showing one version of how a garment, such as a skirt with hanging loops, can be retained on the hanger. FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the first version of the garment hanger in the direction of line  2 — 2  of FIG.  1 . The garment hanger  10  of the present invention comprises a hook  12 . The hook  12  has a curved portion  14 , a stem  16 , and a base  18 . The hook  12  is of a suitable configuration to suspend the garment hanger  10  from a tubular closet rod or support bar. The hanger  10  further comprises a first hanger arm  20  and a second hanger arm  22 . Preferably, each hanger arm  20 ,  22  is equal in length, and preferably each has a length of between 9 inches to 10 inches. The first hanger arm  20  has a top end  24  and a bottom end  26 . The second hanger arm  22  has a top end  28  and a bottom end  30 . The top ends  24 ,  28 , of hanger arms  20 ,  22 , respectively, extend from the base  18  of the hook  12  in opposite directions and are angled downwardly relative to the hook  12 . The hanger arms  20 ,  22  are of a suitable configuration so as to receive the shoulders of a garment, such as a jacket or shirt, for hanging. 
     The garment hanger  10  further comprises an elongated horizontal support rod  32  disposed within and between the first and second hanger arms  20 ,  22  and is preferably in planar alignment with the first and second hanger arms  20 ,  22 . Preferably, the support rod  32  has a substantially friction-free surface so that garments that are hung over the rod do not become damaged or caught on the rod. Preferably, the support rod  32  has a length of between 14 inches to 16 inches. The support rod  32  has a first end  34  and a second end  36 . The first end  34  of the support rod  32  is coupled to a substantially S-shaped first retaining portion  38 . The first retaining portion  38  has a first end  40  and a second end  42 . The first end  40  of the first retaining portion  38  is continuous with the first hanger arm  20 . The second end  36  of the support rod  32  is coupled to a substantially S-shaped second retaining portion  44 . The second retaining portion  44  has a first end  46  and a second end  48 . The first end  46  of the second retaining portion  44  is continuous with the second hanger arm  22 . Preferably, the first and second retaining portions  38 , 44  are equal in length, and preferably each has a length of between 4 inches to 5 inches. The garment hanger  10  is preferably manufactured so that the support rod  32  is in parallel alignment with the first and second retaining portions  38 ,  44 . With no garment on the hanger of the present invention, the support rod  32  is preferably adjacent to the first retaining portion  38  at region  50  and is preferably adjacent to the second retaining portion  44  at region  52 . These regions  50 ,  52  or points of retention are the areas for securing or retaining a garment in a fixed position when the garment, such as a pair of pants, is folded over the support rod  32  and held behind the first and second retaining portions  38 ,  44 . The garment hanger of the present invention is preferably made of a suitably flexible and pliable material such that when a garment is retained between the support rod  32  and the first and second retaining portions  38 ,  44 , regions  50 ,  52  are spaced apart from the support rod  32  to accommodate the cloth of the garment such as pants, trousers, or a skirt. In addition, it is not necessary that the support rod  32  itself have an adhesive or friction surface because the retaining portions  38 ,  44  act to retain the garment on the support rod  32 . Preferably, when a garment, such as pants or trousers, is hung from the garment hanger, the pants are folded over the support rod  32  and portions of the pants are positioned behind the retaining portions  38 ,  44 , so as to securely retain the pants in a fixed position and minimize or avoid creases in the pants. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a first version of the garment hanger of the present invention showing a second version of how a garment, such as pants, can be retained on the hanger. FIG. 4 a cross-sectional view of the first version of the garment hanger in the direction of line  4 — 4  of FIG. 3, showing how the pants are folded over the support rod and a portion of the pants are positioned behind the first and second retaining portions  38 ,  44  so as to retain the garment securely in place and minimize or avoid creases in the garment. More particularly, as shown in FIG. 4, a first curve of the garment is created on an upper surface of the support rod  32  because the garment is folded over the support rod  32 , and a second curve is created on upper surfaces of the first and second retaining portions  38  and  44  at a lower surface of the support rod  32 . Because of the first and second curves of the garment, the garment hanger of the present invention can securely retain the garment without allowing the garment from sliding or falling off from the hanger. 
     The first and second retaining portions  38 ,  44  are preferably the same shape and configuration, are mirror images of each other, are spaced apart and opposite from each other, and are disposed between and within the hanger arms  20 ,  22 . Each of the first and second retaining portions  38 ,  44  is adapted to suspend and retain a garment  54  (FIG. 1) or garment  56  (FIG. 3) between the support rod  32  and the retaining portions at the points of retention  50 ,  52 . The first and second retaining portions  38 , 44  are preferably spaced apart from each other at a distance of less than the width of a garment retained thereon. Preferably, the first and second retaining portions  38 ,  44  are spaced an equidistance from an imaginary vertical longitudinal central axis (not shown) running down the center of the hanger from the hook through the support rod. 
     The hanger arms  20 ,  22  are adapted to support a different opposed shoulder of a first garment (not shown). As shown in FIG. 1, the first and second retaining portions  38 ,  44  are adapted to retain a second garment  54  between the support rod  32  and the first and second retaining portions  38 ,  44 . Preferably, the second garment, such as a pair of pants, is retained within the first garment, such as a jacket, and hangs vertically below the first garment. 
     In the version of the present invention as shown in FIG. 1, the hook  12 , hanger arms,  20 ,  22 , support rod  32 , and retaining portions  38 ,  44  of garment hanger  10  are formed in one continuous unitary piece. The garment hanger  10  is preferably comprised of a metal such as steel. Preferably, the hanger  10  is comprised of a preformed metal wire before being formed into the garment hanger. Preferably, the length of the preformed metal wire used for the garment hanger of the present invention is between 3 feet and 4 feet long. However, other suitable lengths may be used. Preferably, the material is available from most hardware stores. The material used to make present invention was obtained in Tokyo, Japan. The material used with the present invention provides advantages such as low manufacturing costs and simple fabrication, and has a desirable flexibility and durability. The thickness or diameter of the metal wire used to make the hanger of the present invention is preferably between about 2 mm to about 3 mm. However, other suitable thicknesses may be used. The metal wire may be coated with a polymeric material, a polyester material, a paint, or other suitable material to provide a substantially friction-free surface. Because the support rod does not need an adhesive surface to retain a garment, damage to a garment caused by the use of adhesive is avoided. The garment hanger may also be made of other suitable materials such as molded plastic. 
     FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a second version of the garment hanger of the present invention. FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the second version of the garment hanger in the direction of line  6 — 6  of FIG.  5 . In this version of the present invention, the hook, hanger arms, and retaining portions are formed in one continuous unitary piece and the support rod is a second piece which is coupled to each of the retaining portions between the hanger arms. FIG. 5 shows a garment hanger  100  comprising a hook  12  having a base  18 , and first and second hanger arms  20 ,  22  extending from the base  18  of the hook  12  in opposite directions and angled downwardly relative to the hook  12 . Garment hanger  100  comprises a support rod  102  in the form of a separate and removable hollow tube  102 . The hollow tube  102  has a first end  104  and a second end  106 . Preferably, the hollow tube  102  is comprised of rolled paper having a substantially friction-free surface. However, the hollow tube may also be made of other suitable materials. Preferably, the hollow tube  102  is a separate and removable piece from the garment hanger. Preferably, the hollow tube  102  has a length of between 13 inches to 14 inches. 
     The garment hanger  100  further comprises a first retaining portion  108  having a first end  110  and a second end  112 . The garment hanger  100  further comprises a second retaining portion  114  having a first end  116  and a second end  118 . The first end  104  of the hollow tube  102  is coupled to the second end  112  of the first retaining portion  108 , such that the second end  112  of the first retaining portion  108  is inserted into the first end  104  of the hollow tube  102  and securely retained within the hollow tube  102 . The second end  106  of the hollow tube  102  is coupled to a second end  118  of the second retaining portion  114 , such that the second end  118  of the second retaining portion  114  is inserted into the second end  106  of the hollow tube  102  and securely retained within the hollow tube  102 . Preferably, between about 0.5 inches to 2 inches of each of the ends of the first and second retaining members  108 ,  114  are inserted into the hollow tube  102  When the hollow tube  102  is securely in place, the hollow-tube  102  is disposed between the first and second hanger arms  20 ,  22 . 
     The first and second retaining portions  108 ,  114  are preferably substantially S-shaped in configuration, are mirror images of each other, are spaced apart and opposite from each other, and are disposed between the first and second hanger arms  20 ,  22 . Each of the first and second retaining portions  108 ,  114  are adapted to suspend and retain a garment between the hollow tube  102  and the retaining portions  108 ,  114  at regions or points of retention  50 ,  52 . 
     The garment hanger of this version is also adapted to retain a first garment on the hanger arms and a second garment between the hollow tube and the first and second retaining portions. Preferably, when a garment, such as pants or trousers, is hung from the garment hanger, the pants are folded over the hollow tube  102  and portions of the pants are positioned behind the retaining portions  108 ,  114 , so as to securely retain the pants in a fixed position and minimize or avoid creases in the pants. 
     Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions of the invention are possible. Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein.