US 4,363,388 AGranted

Garment bag unit

AssigneeWallace London

InventorsWallace London, Kurt L. Meyer

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A framed garment bag with flexible walls having exterior suspension means at the top thereof and a jointed clamp formed of a pair of pivoted channels disposed in a substantially vertical plane on the interior thereof. The upper channel of the clamp which is fixed to the underside of the top, and the lower channel which is pivoted to the rear end of the former, are fitted with contiguous edges of yieldable material which effect a tight retention of the hooks of the garment hangers disposed therebetween when the channels are clamped together in a plane parallel to the top of the frame of the bag. The upper edge of the yieldable material in the lower channel is serrated or roughened to enhance this retention as well as to provide an impediment to the movement of hooks of the hangers when the lower channel lowered to a limited extent is an inclined position for loading or unloading. The bottom web of the lower channel is provided with a slot to accommodate the shanks of one or more hookless garment hangers of the type found in hotel closets, when a need therefor arises. Also, the downward inclination of the lower channel is controlled by a vertical stem or by a continuous band surrounding the channels at their pivoted end, which cooperate with the hinge pin pivotally joining said channels.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A frame type garment bag unit having means on the outside of the top thereof for suspending the bag while loading therein or unloading therefrom a plurality of garments on hangers therefor, which may alternatively be of the type having a vertical wire shank extending upwardly from the center of the hanger and terminating in a downwardly extending curved hook portion, or a vertical wire shank having a bulbous enlargement at the upper end thereof, comprising,

(a) a jointed clamp disposed in a generally vertical plane and having an upper channel fixed to the garment bag and a lower channel pivotally mounted to said upper channel at the rear ends thereof, with the open edge of each channel facing the other,
(b) a horizontally disposed hinge pin at said rear ends extending beyond the external surfaces of said channels,
(c) a reenforcing sleeve surrounding said hinge pin between the internal surfaces of said channels,
(d) a strip of resilient material seated within each channel and protruding beyond the open edge thereof,
(e) a latching device of high mechanical efficiency at the front end of said jointed clamp for alternately permitting the spreading of said channels or the clamping thereof together, for embracing the hook portions of the garment hangers to maintain them in fixed position,
(f) means extending between said last-mentioned upper channel and said lower channel for limiting the pivotal movement of the latter in the open position of said jointed clamp, to provide an inclined support for the hook portions of the garment hangers in the course of loading and unloading the latter into and from the garment bag, and
(g) the bottom wall of said lower channel having an elongated keyhole-shaped slot for permitting the insertion and withdrawal of hangers having wire shanks with bulbous enlargements, to render the garment bag universally adaptable for enclosing garments on both types of hangers.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 06/282,714Filed 13 Jul 1981
Granted: 14 Dec 1982
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

A47G 25/54
Household implements used in connection with wearing apparel; Dress, hat or umbrella holders: dust- or moth-proof garment bags, e.g. with suit hangers
B65D 85/18
Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials: for wearing apparel, headwear or footwear
Y10T 24/4453
Including pivoted gripping member: with position locking-means for gripping members
A47G
Household or table equipment