Patent ID: 8534626

Claim:
A method for hanging an article having a handle from either the handle of a carrier device or from a horizontal table surface, said method comprising: providing a dual-configuration hanger including a pair of hook-like curved arms each having a proximate end and a distal end, and a pivot-and-locking assembly joining the proximate ends and allowing the arms to pivot between a closed configuration in which the distal ends are in contact with or in close proximity to each other so that the arms define essentially a closed loop, and an open configuration in which the distal ends are spaced from and facing each other to define an opening in between the distal ends and the curved arms define a pair of opposed hooks with facing ends, the said pivot-and-locking assembly having a housing including two halves which rotate with reference to each other, the proximate ends of the arms being fixedly attached to the respective ones of the housing halves; the pivot-and-locking assembly including a locking mechanism for releasably locking the arms in the closed configuration, the locking mechanism releasably locking the housing halves to each other against rotation in the closed configuration; in order to hang the article from the horizontal table surface, releasing the locking mechanism and moving the arms to the open configuration, positioning the distal end of one of the arms on the horizontal table surface so that the other arm hangs below the table surface, and positioning the article handle on the hook defined by the other arm; and in order to hang the article from the carrier device handle, encircling the carrier device handle and the article handle within the curved arms by relatively moving the carrier device handle and the article handle through the opening between the distal ends of the arms, and then moving the arms to the closed configuration and allowing the locking mechanism to lock the arms in the closed configuration.