US 8,177,106 B2Granted

Adjustable garment/coat hanger

OwnerJohn S. Bettsinventor

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Abstract

An adjustable garment hanger including an overhead suspension element and a pair of hanger arms extending outwardly from a central housing. Arm inclination is adjustable relative to fabric being supported so as to minimize wrinkling deformation. Arms may collapse immediately downwardly on pivots to a generally vertical mode releasing the garment via its neckline opening. A central, flexible spring element includes ledges latching arms in a first, garment supporting position. When the spring element is driven upwardly or downwardly by twisting the suspension element in a mutually threaded boss, the ledges slightly adjust the arms upward or downward. Quick release tabs may be provided at an upper end of the spring element such that, when manually pressed, the ledges instantly withdraw allowing the arms to collapse and release the garment. With garment weight removed, springs attached to the arms act to bias their return to garment supporting position each collapse.

Claims6

Dependent claims

An adjustable garment hanger, said hanger including:

a generally central hanging element for suspension of said hanger, said hanging element having a first end thereof configured for interconnection to an overhead suspension structure, and a second end of said hanging element comprising an elongated stem section;
a generally central housing supporting said hanging element for rotary movement therein, and further including a first pair of pivot pins;
said garment hanger further comprising first and second arms extended from inner to outer ends thereof and configured for supporting a garment, wherein each said arm is pivotally mounted on one of said pair of pivot pins so as to swing from a first outwardly extended garment holding position to a second downwardly dropped position for garment release;
a flexible spring body disposed in said central housing and including a boss threadably interconnected to said stem, and further including a pair of latching tabs each of which extends outwardly therefrom respectively toward said first and second arms;
said latching tabs configured with a generally downwardly facing ledge configured to normally restrict upward pivotal movement of said outwardly extended arms, thus maintaining said first and second arms in their first garment holding position;
whereby rotation of said hanging element in opposite directions will incrementally raise or lower said spring body, resulting in slight raising or lowering of said inner ends of said garment support arms to alter inclination of said arms about said first pins, and additional raising of said spring body serves to raise said latching tabs sufficiently to release said arms permitting them to fall to their second downwardly dropped position for garment release.

3 more elements

An adjustable garment hanger, said hanger including:

a generally central hanging element for suspension of said hanger, said hanging element having a first end thereof configured for interconnection to an overhead suspension structure, and a second end of said hanging element comprising an elongated stem section;
a generally central housing supporting said hanging element for rotary movement therein, and further including a first and second pair of pivot pins;
said garment hanger further comprising first and second arms extended from inner to outer ends thereof and configured for supporting a garment, wherein each said arm is pivotally mounted on one of said pair of pivot pins so as to swing from a first outwardly extended garment holding position to a second downwardly dropped position for garment release;
a flexible spring body disposed in said central housing and including a boss threadably interconnected to said stem elongated section, said flexible spring body further including a pair of latching tabs each of which extends outwardly therefrom respectively toward said first and second arms;
said latching tabs configured with a generally downwardly facing ledge configured to normally restrict upward pivotal movement of inner ends of said outwardly extended arms, thus maintaining said first and second arms in their first garment holding position;
a pair of levers pivotally mounted on said second set of pivot pins with a fulcrum portion of each of said levers engaged against an opposite side of an upper portion of said flexible spring body at a location upward from said latching tabs;
said rotation of said hanging element in opposite directions adjusts inclination of said arms upwardly or downwardly, and additional raising of said spring body serves to raise said latching tab ledges sufficiently to release said arms to fall to a collapsed position for garment release;
moreover, squeezing pressure on said levers immediately compresses the spring body upper end causing immediate collapse of said arms.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/137,130Filed 22 Jul 2011 · us provisional application
Priority: 22 Jul 2010
Published: US 2012/0018462 A126 Jan 2012
Granted: 15 May 2012
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification3 codes

A47G 25/447
Slidable hangers ; Adjustable hangers: having an adjustable top angle between the support arms or adjustable arc formed by the support arms
A47G 25/4023
Comprising one-piece support arms at least one only pivotally-connected to a central hook member: collapsing downwardly away from the hook member
A47G
Household or table equipment