Abstract:
A clothes hanger is provided having a first fixed arm and a second retractable arm to allow for easy placement of clothing thereon. The instant abstract is neither intended to define the invention disclosed in this specification nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a clothes hanger and, more specifically, to a clothes hanger having a retractable arm to allow for easy placement of clothing thereon. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Various types and styles of clothing are generally available, and such styles tend to ebb and flow in cycles depending upon fashion trends, seasons, personal taste, specific need or function, and other ephemeral and unspoken reasons. With the exception of various sized, however, most clothing in the united states are hung in closets using a simple, one-piece rigid hanger mechanism having a hook connected to laterally opposed arm extension. While adequate for most applications, such a fixed body can be inconvenient to use with those types and styles of clothing that do not have a split front. By way of example, the hanging of a turtleneck sweater can be difficult, sometimes impossible to accomplish without disheveling of the garment. 
     Several broad categories of improved hangers exist. Generally, they can be categorized as angularly extendable, telescopingly adjustable, or specialized function. 
     For example, the first group, angularly extendible, attempts to change the overall width of the hanger by adjusting the angle between opposing arm members. This is typified by U.S. Pat. No. 6,964,360, issued in the name of Tubman et al., wherein an adjustable clothes hanger that includes a pair of pivoting arm members that lockably engage at differing pivot points to allow each opposing arm member to be fixed in various positions along a lateral track. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,464, issued in the name of Huang provides for making the hanger wider or narrower in overall width by repositioning a single flexible arm member at differing angles. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 923,786, issued in the name of Geraci, provides for a scissor-like pivot between opposing arm members. 
     The second group, telescopingly adjustable, does not change the angle between arm members, but rather attempts to telescope or otherwise extend these arm members away from each other in an attempt to affect overall size of the hanger. This can be illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,174, issued in the name of Kandl; U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,358, issued in the name of Lam; U.S. Pat. No. 6,722,538, issued in the name of Autry et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,491,836, issued in the name of Simmet. 
     A subset of such telescopingly adjustable hangers provides for various extension gadgets that work in conjunction with fixed arm hangers. Examples of such appear in U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,599, issued in the name of Platti, in which the hanger hook portion is vertically adjustable, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,504, issued in the name of Richard, in which a separable hanger extension is provided that can be clipped onto an otherwise conventional hanger. 
     Finally, special function hangers exist in which an unconventional form is provided, specifically adapted for the task. Examples appear in: 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,255, issued in the name of Turner; 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,220,489, issued in the name of Sato; 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,480,075, issued in the name of Robinson; and 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,743, issued in the name of Deady. 
     However, none of these solutions are adapted to or adequately address the need of placement of the hanger into clothing that does not have a split or opening within the body or expansion in the neck opening. Consequently, a need has been felt for providing an apparatus and method of providing a clothes hanger having a retractable arm to allow for easy placement of clothing thereon. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved clothing hanger. 
     It is a feature of the present invention to provide an improved clothes hanger having a retractable arm to allow for easy placement of clothing thereon. 
     Briefly described according to one embodiment of the present invention, a clothes hanger is provided having an upper body member having a first lateral side opposite a second lateral side. An upper hood is affixed to the body member, and the first lateral side forms a receiving channel. A first extension arm member is fixed rigidly to the second lateral side, and a second extension arm member is retained within the receiving channel. The second extension arm member slidably extends or retracts within the receiving channel to aid in the insertion or withdrawal of the hanger from the neck opening of a garment. 
     In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the hanger can be retracted for easy insertion into a sweater or other garment through the neck opening, with the ability to thereafter extend and function just like any otherwise conventional hanger. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an improved clothes hanger according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a front elevational view thereof, shown in a retracted state; 
         FIG. 3  is a front elevational view thereof, shown in an extended state; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view taken along line IV-IV of  FIG. 3 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view thereof shown being used to support an article of clothing. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms of its preferred embodiment, herein depicted within the Figures 
     1. Detailed Description of the Figures 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , an improved clothes hanger, generally noted as  10 , is shown in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention having a vertical support hook  12  extending from a hanger body  14 . The size, style or nature of the support hook  12  is not considered to be a key element of the present invention, and so the support hook  12  is intended to be shown as an exemplary element only. The hanger body  14  can take many shapes; for purposes of disclosing the preferred embodiment, a upper body element  14   a  extends laterally in a first direction to a generally linearly elongated first fixed lateral extension arm  16 . It is anticipated that this first arm  10  would appear in form or function similar to one half of a conventional clothes hanger. However, in a departure the upper body element  14   a  forms a receiving channel  20  angularly positioned in a manner symmetric to the first arm  16  about a vertical centerline “CL”. The receiving channel  20  supports a slidably engaged second moveable lateral extension arm  22  in a manner better described in conjunction with  FIG. 4 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the second arm  22  is formed of a linearly elongated member that forms a central channel  24  the therein. The elongated member  22  slides fittingly within the receiving channel  20 . The central channel  24  circumscribes an attachment pin  26 , herein shown as being located at the centerline “CL”. The attachment pin  26  holds the second arm  22  within the channel  20 , and allows the second arm  22  to slide inward and outwards along the length of the central channel  24 . 
     Additionally, the inside end  30  of the second arm  22  can terminate at a grasping point  32  that will allow for easy manual manipulation of the second arm  22  about the slot  20 . 
     2. Operation of the Preferred Embodiment 
     As shown in conjunction with  FIG. 5 , in operation the present invention is used in conjunction with a garment  50 , the clothes hanger  10  has one fixed arm  16  and a retractable arm  22  to allow for easy placement the hanger  10  within a head or neck hole  52  of the garment  50 . By retracting the second arm  22 , the first arm  16  can be easily inserted into the neck hole  52  such that the body  14   a  is positioned in the proper, normal position without pulling, stretching, or otherwise dislocating the cloth of the garment  50 . Once in position, the second arm  22  is extended outward, thereby providing the function of an otherwise conventional hanger. 
     To remove the hanger  10 , the second arm  22  can be retracted, similarly allowing the body  14   a  to be removed clothes hanger having a retractable arm to allow for easy placement of clothing thereon, without stretching of the garment  50 . 
     The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto and their equivalents. Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims.