US20040084487A1

US20040084487A1 - Clothes hanger retaining device

Info

Publication number: US20040084487A1
Application number: US10/282,433
Authority: US
Inventors: Kelly Keating
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-10-30
Filing date: 2002-10-30
Publication date: 2004-05-06

Abstract

Two gripping members, fabricated out of flexible, expandable, resiliently biased material, are provided. Each gripping member has a longitudinally extending opening therethrough. The gripping members are independently attached to the neck section of the hanger by a retaining connector consisting of a pliable, yet rigid line. In use, after a shirt, blouse, sweater, or similar clothing is positioned on the outwardly extending members of a hanger, or pants are hung on the horizontal cross-member of a hanger, the gripping members are placed over the clothing, the openings of each gripping member surrounding the clothing and clothes supporting members of the hanger. The expandable, resiliently biased nature of the material allows each member to expand a sufficient amount to envelope both the clothing and the support members of the hanger. The clothing is retained on the hanger by the pressure exerted due to the resiliently biased nature of the gripping members and the friction between the clothing surfaces and the internal surfaces of the members. The retaining connector secured to each gripping member maintains the members on the hanger, independent of the clothes gripping process and keeps the members on the hanger even when the clothing is removed.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Maintaining clothes like shirts, blouses, sweaters, pants, and the like, on hangers can often be difficult. Such clothing, especially lightweight articles, when they are hung-up, have a tendency to slide and fall off hangers. Prior means to solve this problem have centered around the use of specially designed hangers, such as are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,733,016 and 5,839,629. However, these hangers are not designed to retain all types of clothing and, in many instances, are not truly effective in retaining clothes in place, especially when the hangers are moved with the clothing placed thereon. The use of mechanical clips on hangers is also common, as is typified in U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,728. However, these are more elaborate mechanisms which are not truly adapted for use with hanging shirts, pants, or similar clothing. Significantly, such devices often require some dexterity and strength in order to press and pivot the clips. This process may be difficult for young children, seniors, or people with manual disabilities.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is thus the object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages and limitations of prior hanger retaining devices.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a clothes hanger retaining device which is effective in maintaining shirts, blouses, sweaters, pants, and similar types of clothing on a hanger.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a clothes hanger retaining device which will maintain clothing on the hanger, not only during stationary positioning of the hanger, but also when the hanger, with clothing attached, is moved to another location.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a clothes hanger retaining device which can be used on most common hangers, regardless of hanger size.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a clothes hanger retaining device which can be varied in size, depending on the diameter of the arms of the hanger to be used.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a clothes hanger retaining device which is non-mechanical in nature and does not require excessive user manual dexterity or strength.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a clothes hanger retaining device which can easily be used by young children, senior citizens, or people with manual disabilities.

The present invention comprises two gripping members fabricated out of flexible, expandable, resiliently biased material. Each gripping member has a longitudinally extending opening therethrough. The gripping members are independently attached to the neck section of the hanger by a retaining connector consisting of a pliable, yet rigid line. In use, after a shirt, blouse, sweater, or similar clothing is positioned on the outwardly extending members of a hanger, or pants are hung on the horizontal cross-member of a hanger, the gripping members are placed over the clothing, the openings of each gripping member surrounding the clothing and clothes supporting members of the hanger. The expandable, resiliently biased nature of the material allows each member to expand a sufficient amount to envelope both the clothing and the support members of the hanger. The clothing is retained on the hanger by the pressure exerted due to the resiliently biased nature of the gripping members and the friction between the clothing surfaces and the internal surfaces of the members. The retaining connector secured to each gripping member maintains the members on the hanger, independent of the clothes gripping process and keeps the members on the hanger even when the clothing is removed.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The clothes hanger retaining device itself, however, both as to its design, construction, and use, together with additional features and advantages thereof, are best understood upon review of the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view of the hanger retaining device of the present invention mounted on a typical hanger. [0011]
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken from FIG. 1. [0012]
FIG. 3 is a bottom view taken from FIG. 1. [0013]
FIG. 4 is a view of a shirt mounted on a hanger and retained thereon by the present invention.[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Clothes [0015] hanger retaining device 1 comprises clothes gripping members 2 and 4, shown herein as being cylindrical in shape. This shape is only one example of a configuration which can be used. The actual external shape of members 2 and 4 is not significant. For instance, they can have flat exterior sides and form any geometric shape of choice. Members 2 and 4 are fabricated of flexible, resiliently biased material, which is expandable in nature, similar to the material used in polyethylene type products common to some types of pipe insulation and formed box packing. The invention is not to be considered restricted by the type of material to be used. It is the resiliently biased, flexible, expandable characteristics of the applicable material which is significant to the invention.
[0016] Members 2 and 4 each comprise longitudinally extending openings 6. Opening 6 has a diameter which is larger than the diameter of hangers in common use today. Rigidly flexible, wire-like retaining connector 10 is attached at one end 12 to member 2 and at its other end 14 to member 4. Connector 10 may be a pipe cleaner type wire connection or any rigid, yet pliable line. Connector 10 is advantageously wrapped around neck section 18 of hanger 16.
In use, on a shirt or similar article of [0017] clothing 30, the clothing is hung on outwardly extending clothes supporting members 20 and 22 of hanger 16, members 2 and 4 are placed over the shirt, by positioning the members over the arms and simply pressing down on the members. Openings 6 in members 2 and 4 accept shirt 30 and hanger members 20 and 22, enveloping them at these locations. Shirt 30 is thereby maintained on hanger 16 by the pressure exerted by the resiliently biased nature of the material of members 2 and 4 and the friction between the surfaces of the shirt and internal surfaces of opening 6 and longitudinal surfaces 3 and 5 of members 2 and 4. Members 2 and 4 are simply and easily removed from the clothes retaining position by pulling them gently upwards. It can be appreciated that members 2 and 4 can similarly be used to secure pants hung or cross-member 24 of hanger 16.
By the subject invention, clothing can be easily retained and removed with little effort or difficulty by anyone, including young children, senior citizens, and individuals with lesser manual strength or with manual handicaps. When not in use, [0018] connector 10 maintains retaining device 1 on hanger 16 independently of the use of members 2 and 4 on clothes supporting members 20, 22, and 24 of the hanger.
Certain novel features and components of this invention are disclosed in detail in order to make the invention clear in at least one form thereof. However, it is to be clearly understood that the invention as disclosed is not necessarily limited to the exact form and details as disclosed, since it is apparent that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. [0019]

Claims

I claim:

1. A hanging clothing retaining device for use with a hanger with clothes supporting members and a neck section, said device comprising:

(a) resiliently biased, non-mechanical retaining means for maintaining clothing on a supporting member of the hanger, said retaining means being configured to biasly envelop a portion of the supporting member and the clothing positioned on the clothing member, thus retaining the clothing thereon; and

(b) means extending from the retaining means for separately connecting the retaining means to the hanger.

2. The device as in claim 1 wherein the retaining means comprises unitary, integrally formed gripping members.

3. The device as in claim 2 wherein each gripping member comprises an internal, longitudinally extending opening which automatically varies in size to a larger diameter than the diameter of the supporting member of the hanger being used.

4. The device as in claim 1 wherein the retaining means comprises internal opening means which automatically varies in size to a larger diameter than the diameter of the supporting member of the hanger being used.

5. The device as in claim 1 wherein the means extending from the retaining means comprises rigidly flexible connection means which attach the retaining means to the neck section of the hanger to maintain the retaining means on the hanger independently of the supporting members.

6. The device as in claim 1 wherein the retaining means comprises unitary members integrally formed of a flexible, resiliently biased, expandable material.

7. The device as in claim 4 wherein the retaining means comprises unitary members integrally formed of a flexible, resiliently biased, expandable material.

8. The device as in claim 5 wherein the retaining means comprises two unitary, integrally formed gripping members.

9. The devise as in claim 1 wherein the means extending from the retaining means is comprised of a rigidly flexible, pliable wire material.

10. The device as in claim 8 wherein the means extending from the retaining means extends from one of the gripping members to the neck section of the hanger and then to the second gripping member.

11. A hanging clothing retaining device for use with a hanger with clothes supporting member and a neck section, said device comprising:

(a) dual resiliently biased gripping members, each member comprising an internal opening which automatically varies in size to a larger diameter than the diameter of the supporting member of the hanger being used, said openings extending longitudinally through the lengths of each member; and

(b) rigidly flexible connection means which attaches each gripping member to the neck section of the hanger to maintain the gripping members on the hanger independently of the supporting member.

12. The device as in claim 11 wherein the gripping members are unitary, integrally formed of a flexible, resiliently biased, expandable material.

13. The device as in claim 11 wherein the connection means is comprised of a rigidly flexible, pliable wire material.

14. The device as in claim 11 wherein the connection means extends from one of the gripping members to the neck section of the hanger and then to the second gripping member.