# US 7,743,954 B2 · Retractable clothes hanger > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,743,954 B2 - Document ID: US7743954B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/167,424 - Filed: 2008-07-03 - Published: 2009-02-12 - Granted: 2010-06-29 - Earliest claimed: 2007-08-08 - Inventors: Lu-Ying Chiu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7743954B2 ## CPC - A47G 25/4023: {collapsing downwardly away from the hook member} - A47G: HOUSEHOLD OR TABLE EQUIPMENT (book-ends A47B5/00; knives B26B) ## Abstract A clothes hanger includes a hanging rod and a linkage mechanism. The hanging rod includes a hanging unit and a guiding rod with its upper end connected to the hanging unit. The linkage mechanism includes a sliding unit, a first linkage arm, and a second linkage arm. The sliding unit is affixed in an up-down slidable manner to the guiding rod. The first linkage arm is installed at a left side of the guiding rod, and the first linkage arm has a first end connected to the sliding unit and a second end connected to a lower end of the guiding rod. The second linkage arm is installed at a right side of the guiding rod, and the second linkage arm has a first end connected to the sliding unit and a second end connected to the lower end of the guiding rod. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A retractable clothes hanger comprising: a hanging rod comprising: a hanging unit; and a guiding rod having an outer circumference and having an upper end connected to the hanging unit; a linkage mechanism comprising: a sliding unit affixed in an up-down slidable manner to the guiding rod; a first linkage arm installed at a left side of the guiding rod, the first linkage arm having a first end connected to the sliding unit and a second end connected to a lower end of the guiding rod; and a second linkage arm installed at a right side of the guiding rod, the second linkage arm having a first end connected to the sliding unit and a second end connected to the lower end of the guiding rod; and a fixing unit fixing the sliding unit at a specific position on the guiding rod, wherein when the sliding unit is moved to a first position corresponding to the guiding rod, the linkage mechanism is in a closed-state, and when the sliding unit is moved to a second position corresponding to the guiding rod, the linkage mechanism is in an open-state for hanging clothes, wherein the sliding unit is annular shaped and includes an inner circumference corresponding to and slideable on the outer circumference of the guiding rod, with the fixing unit including a bump formed in the inner circumference of the sliding unit, with the fixing unit further including a recess formed in the outer circumference of the guiding rod and receiving the bump of the sliding unit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The retractable clothes hanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the specific position is the first position. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The retractable clothes hanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the specific position is the second position. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The retractable clothes hanger as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an extension unit installed on the linkage mechanism for increasing a wingspan of the linkage mechanism in the open-state. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The retractable clothes hanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein both the first linkage arm and the second linkage arm comprise: a sub-upper arm having a first end and a second end, the first end of the sub-upper arm connected to the sliding unit; and a sub-lower arm having a first end and a second end, the first end of the sub-lower arm connected to the second end of the sub-upper arm, the second end of the sub-lower arm connected to the lower end of the guiding rod. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The retractable clothes hanger as claimed in claim 5, wherein the linkage mechanism is monolithic at interconnections between the sliding unit and the first ends of the sub-upper arms of the first and second linkage arms, between the second ends of the sub-upper arms and the first ends of the sub-lower arms of the first and second linkage arms, and between the seconds ends of the sub-lower arms of the first and second linkage arms and the lower end of the guiding rod, with the first and second ends of the sub-upper arms and sub-lower arms having cross-sections, and with folding areas at the interconnections being defined by the cross sections of the sub-upper arms and the sub-lower arms at the first and second ends being thinned out. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The retractable clothes hanger as claimed in claim 6 further comprising a spring between the first end of the sub-lower arm and the second end of the sub-upper arm of each of the first and second linkage arms for moving the sliding unit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The retractable clothes hanger as claimed in claim 5 further comprising a spring between the first end of the sub-lower arm and the second end of the sub-upper arm of each of the first and second linkage arms for moving the sliding unit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The retractable clothes hanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first linkage arm and the second linkage arm are made of elastic material. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The retractable clothes hanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hanging unit is a hook. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The retractable clothes hanger as claimed in claim 1, being made by injection molding. ### Claim 12 A retractable clothes hanger comprising: a hanging rod comprising: a hanging unit; and a guiding rod having an upper end connected to the hanging unit; and a linkage mechanism comprising: a sliding unit affixed in an up-down slidable manner to the guiding rod; a first linkage arm installed at a left side of the guiding rod, the first linkage arm having a first end connected to the sliding unit and a second end connected to a lower end of the guiding rod; and a second linkage arm installed at a right side of the guiding rod, the second linkage arm having a first end connected to the sliding unit and a second end connected to the lower end of the guiding rod, wherein both the first linkage arm and the second linkage arm comprise: a sub-upper arm having a first end and a second end, the first end of the sub-upper arm connected to the sliding unit; and a sub-lower arm having a first end and a second end, the first end of the sub-lower arm connected to the second end of the sub-upper arm, the second end of the sub-lower arm connected to the lower end of the guiding rod, wherein when the sliding unit is moved to a first position corresponding to the guiding rod, the linkage mechanism is in a closed-state, and when the sliding unit is moved to a second position corresponding to the guiding rod, the linkage mechanism is in an open-state for hanging clothes, wherein the linkage mechanism is monolithic at interconnections between the sliding unit and the first ends of the sub-upper arms of the first and second linkage arms, between the second ends of the sub-upper arms and the first ends of the sub-lower arms of the first and second linkage arms, and between the seconds ends of the sub-lower arms of the first and second linkage arms and the lower end of the guiding rod, with the first and second ends of the sub-upper arms and sub-lower arms having cross-sections, and with folding areas at the interconnections being defined by the cross sections of the sub-upper arms and the sub-lower arms at the first and second ends being thinned out. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The retractable clothes hanger as claimed in claim 12 further comprising a spring between the first end of the sub-lower arm and the second end of the sub-upper arm of each of the first and second linkage arms for moving the sliding unit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The retractable clothes hanger as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first linkage arm and the second linkage arm are made of elastic material. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The retractable clothes hanger as claimed in claim 12, wherein the hanging unit is a hook. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The retractable clothes hanger as claimed in claim 12 further comprising an extension unit installed on the linkage mechanism for increasing a wingspan of the linkage mechanism in the open-state. ### Claim 17 A retractable clothes hanger comprising: a hanging rod comprising: a hanging unit; and a guiding rod having an upper end connected to the hanging unit; a linkage mechanism comprising: a sliding unit affixed in an up-down slidable manner to the guiding rod; a first linkage arm installed at a left side of the guiding rod, the first linkage arm having a first end connected to the sliding unit and a second end connected to a lower end of the guiding rod; and a second linkage arm installed at a right side of the guiding rod, the second linkage arm having a first end connected to the sliding unit and a second end connected to the lower end of the guiding rod, wherein both the first linkage arm and the second linkage arm comprise: a sub-upper arm having a first end and a second end, the first end of the sub-upper arm connected to the sliding unit; and a sub-lower arm having a first end and a second end, the first end of the sub-lower arm connected to the second end of the sub-upper arm, the second end of the sub-lower arm connected to the lower end of the guiding rod, and a spring between the first end of the sub-lower arm and the second end of the sub-upper arm of each of the first and second linkage arms for moving the sliding unit, wherein when the sliding unit is moved to a first position corresponding to the guiding rod, the linkage mechanism is in a closed-state, and when the sliding unit is moved to a second position corresponding to the guiding rod, the linkage mechanism is in an open-state for hanging clothes. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The retractable clothes hanger as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first linkage arm and the second linkage arm are made of elastic material. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The retractable clothes hanger as claimed in claim 17, wherein the hanging unit is a hook. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The retractable clothes hanger as claimed in claim 17 further comprising an extension unit installed on the linkage mechanism for increasing a wingspan of the linkage mechanism in the open-state.