Patent ID: 7121439

Claim:
An improved pinch grip hanger, said hanger comprising; (a) a hook and a support bar suspended from said hook, (b) at least one pinch grip mounted on said support bar at a first end thereof, said pinch grip having first and second pinch jaws, with the first jaw mounted on said support bar in a fixed location, and the second jaw pivotally mounted on said first jaw and spring biased into engagement with said first jaw, said second jaw having a user engagement portion extending upwardly from a pivot axis defined at said pivotal mounting, and garment engaging portion extending downwardly from said pivot axis, said user engagement portion enabling a user to open the pinch grip for insertion or release of a garment in said pinch grip, said spring bias enabling said pinch grip to clamp and suspend a garment between said first and second pinch grip jaws in normal use, (c) a guard portion formed on said second pinch grip jaw below the pivot axis of said jaw, such that when two or more improved pinch grip hangers are suspended from their respective hooks with garments clamped in their respective pinch grips, the guard portion on the second jaw of the first of two hangers will engage the first pinch grip jaw of the second of said two hangers below the pivot axis of each of the pinch grips when the hangers are pressed together, thereby preventing accidental actuation of the pinch grips and release of the garments.