Pinch grip hanger

An improved pinch grip hanger, said hanger comprising;

• (a) a hook and a support bar suspended from said hook, said support bar defining a horizontal axis, with a vertical plane defined by said horizontal axis and a vertical axis extending upward in the direction of the hook, and extending downwardly below said support bar;
• (b) at least one pinch grip mounted on said support bar at a first end thereof, said pinch grip defining a first depth in a direction perpendicular to said horizontal axis, 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 multi stage spring for exerting said spring bias, said spring mounted on said first and second pinch grip jaws and having a plurality of linear portions which, in combination with said first and second jaws, change the effective length of the spring as the pinch grip is opened;
• (d) an outwardly extending member on at least one side of said pinch grip, said member extending from a rear plane of the pinch grip in a direction perpendicular to said support bar to define a fixed guard for the user engagement portion of the second jaw, said fixed guard extending perpendicularly from said rear plane of said pinch grip beyond said user engagement portion when said pinch grip has a garment secured therein, 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 fixed guard on the first of two hangers will engage the rear plane of the pinch grip of the second of said two hangers when the hangers are pressed together, thereby preventing accidental actuation of the pinch grips and release of the garments;
• (c) an offset mounting portion securing said outwardly extending housing and said pinch grip to said horizontal body member, such that said first pinch grip jaw is offset from the centerline of the hanger by approximately one half the distance of the first depth, to thereby reduce the depth of the hanger in normal use.

An improved pinch grip hanger, said hanger comprising;

• (a) a hook and a molded plastic support bar suspended from said hook, said support bar defining a horizontal axis, with a vertical plane defined by said horizontal axis and a vertical axis extending upward in the direction of the hook, and extending downwardly below said support bar;
• (b) first and second pinch grips mounted on said support bar at first and second ends thereof, said pinch grips defining a first depth in a direction perpendicular to said vertical plane, each of said pinch grips having first and second pinch grip jaws, with the first pinch grip jaws integrally molded on the ends of said support bar, with the second pinch grip jaws pivotally mounted on said first pinch grip jaws and spring biased into engagement with said first pinch grip jaws, each of said second pinch grip jaws having a user engagement portion extending upwardly prom pivot axis defined at said pivotal mountings, with garment engaging portions extending downwardly from said pivot axis, said user engagement portions enabling a user to open the pinch grip jaws for insertion or release of a garment in said pinch grips, said spring bias enabling said pinch grips to clamp and suspend a garment between each of said first and second pinch grip jaws in normal use,
• (c) a moving guard portion formed on each of said second pinch grip jaws below the pivot axis of said jaws;
• (c) an offset mounting portion securing each of said pinch grips to said horizontal body member, said first jaws defining a back plane for said hanger offset from said vertical plane with at least one pivot post formed on each of said first jaws, said pivot posts extending outwardly from the said first jaws to define said pivot axis beyond the vertical plane of said hanger, with each of said second pinch grip jaws secured to said pivot posts by first and second resilient springs to define said pivot axis, said first pinch grip jaws being offset from the vertical plane of the hanger by approximately one half the distance of the first depth to thereby reduce the depth of the hanger in normal use;
• (d) a fixed guard portion formed at said offset mounting, said fixed guard portion having a depth defined by the depth of the pinch grip when a garment is clamped in said pinch grip and suspended from said pinch grip, said fixed guard extending perpendicularly from said backplane a distance at least equal to said first depth to protect the user engagement portions of said second pinch grip jaws when a garment is engaged in said pinch grip jaws, such that when two or more improved pinch grip hangers are suspended from their respective hooks with garments clamped in their respective pinch grip jaws, the moving guard portions on the second pinch grip jaws of the first of two hangers will engage the first pinch grip jaws of the second of said two hangers below the pivot axis of each of the pinch grips when the hangers are pressed together, and the fixed guards will engage the back plane of the first pinch grip jaws of the second of said two hangers, said fixed guards and said moving guards thereby preventing accidental actuation of the pinch grips and release of the garments.

An improved pinch grip hanger, said hanger comprising;

• (a) a hook and a support bar suspended from said hook, said support bar defining a horizontal axis, with a vertical plane defined by said horizontal axis and a vertical axis extending upward in the direction of the hook, and extending downwardly below said support bar;
• (b) at least one pinch grip mounted on said support bar at a first end thereof, said pinch grip having first and second 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 jaws in normal use;
• (c) said first jaw defining a backplane for said hanger offset from said vertical plane with at least one pivot post formed on said first jaw, said at least one pivot post extending outwardly from the said first jaw to define said pivot axis beyond the vertical plane of said hanger, with said second pinch grip jaw secured to said pivot posts by a resilient spring to define said pivot axis, said first jaw being offset from the vertical plane of the hanger by approximately one half the distance of the first depth to thereby reduce the depth of the hanger in normal use.