Garment hanger shoulder guard

A garment hanger shoulder guard for manipulation between a collapsed configuration, wherein the shoulder guard is essentially flattened for shipping and storage, and an erect configuration for placement upon a garment hanger to provide a desired garment-supporting contour configuration for a garment to be supported by the garment hanger, the garment hanger having a generally central altitudinally extending suspension hook, longitudinally spaced apart opposite end portions, and shoulder portions extending longitudinally and sloping altitudinally between the suspension hook and the opposite end portions for hanging the garment to be supported by the garment hanger, the shoulder guard comprising:

• an elongate member having a length extending in a longitudinal direction between opposite ends, and a generally central portion having a first lateral width extending in a lateral direction between opposite side edges, the longitudinal length being much greater than the lateral width;
• an aperture in the elongate member, the aperture being located generally centrally between the opposite ends and the opposite side edges for receiving the suspension hook of the garment hanger;
• the elongate member including intermediate shoulder support portions located between the central portion and each of the opposite ends, each shoulder support portion having a second lateral width greater than the first lateral width such that each shoulder support portion extends laterally beyond a corresponding side edge of the central portion;
• and
• a coupling member at each of the opposite ends for coupling the opposite ends to corresponding opposite end portions of the garment hanger, each coupling member including:
• an end wall at a corresponding end of the elongate member, the end wall being movable selectively between a collapsed position, wherein the end wall is placed essentially flat against the elongate member, and an erect position, wherein the end wall extends altitudinally from the elongate member for being coupled with the garment hanger;
• a slot in the end wall, the slot passing longitudinally through the end wall and extending altitudinally for receiving a corresponding end portion of the garment hanger and gripping the corresponding end portion to couple the elongate member to the garment hanger when the coupling member is erect;
• and
• laterally opposite gussets connecting the end wall with corresponding shoulder support portions, the gussets extending from the end wall laterally outwardly beyond the first lateral width toward the second lateral width, the gussets coupling the end wall with the shoulder support portions such that the gussets and the end wall lie essentially flat against the elongate member when the end wall is in the collapsed position, thereby placing the shoulder guard in the collapsed configuration and, upon movement of the end wall toward the erect position, the shoulder guard is placed in the erect configuration, with the shoulder support portions and the gussets coacting so as to bend the shoulder support portions into the desired garment-supporting contour configuration while biasing the end wall toward the collapsed position for facilitating retention of the coupling member securely coupled with the corresponding end portion of the garment hanger and further, upon hanging the garment over the shoulder guard, urging the end wall toward the erect position to maintain the desired garment-supporting contour configuration.