Line Engaging Garment Hanger

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to garment hangers, and more particularly, to a garment hanger configured to prevent an accidental disengagement from a support such as a clothes line or the like.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The need for garment hangers providing means to prevent accidental disengagement from a clothes line or the like has been long standing. This need is particularly realized when garments are hung outdoors on a breezy day. Previously disclosed garment hangers incorporating this feature may be characterized as cumbersome and expensive to manufacture.

U.S. Pat. No. 1,817,621 issued to M. L. Harding on Aug. 4, 1931 discloses a garment hanger including a hook element and a spring urged plunger adapted to prevent unwanted removal of the hook element from a support.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,876,938 issued to E. Margolin on March 10, 1959 teaches a coat hanger including a hook element and a detaining bar pivotally affixed thereto to prevent accidental disengagement of the hook element from a support.

The present invention overcomes the shortcomings associated with the prior art by providing a garment hanger which prevents accidental disengagement from a support, may easily and quickly be engaged and disengaged therefrom, and is inexpensive to manufacture.

Therefore, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a garment hanger which prevents accidental disengagement from a support.

A further object is to provide a garment hanger which may easily and quickly be engaged and disengaged from a support such as a clothes line or the like.

A still further object is to provide a garment hanger which is ideally suited to unitary construction by injection molding or similar one piece fabrications.

Another object is to provide a garment hanger which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture and durable.

These objects, as well as further objects and advantages, of the present invention will become readily apparent after reading the description of a non-limiting illustrative embodiment and the accompanying drawing.

According to the principles of the present invention there is provided a garment hanger including support means dimensioned to engage and support garments suspended thereon; a substantially vertical neck element fixedly secured on one end thereof to the support means proximate the central portion thereof; a hook element fixedly secured on one of end thereof to theoother end of the vertical neck element, the hook element adapted to engage and partially circumscribe a support when placed thereon; a rigid tongue fixedly secured to a fixed portion of the inner edges of the hook element, the tongue falling in the same plane as the hook element and extending in a horizontal plane substantially perpendicular to the vertical neck element; and a pivotal tongue hingedly affixed on one end thereof to a second portion of the inner edge of the hook element, the second portion being opposite the first portion, the pivotal tongue being urged into a position adjacent and substantially parallel to the rigid tongue, the pivotal and rigid tongues and the inner edge removably enclosing the support therein when the hook element is placed thereon.

In order that the present invention may be more fully understood it will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the preferred embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary front view of the hook element of the preferred embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view taken substantially along the lines 3--3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of the hook element and can alternate pivotal tongue affixed thereto.

Referring now to the figures, and more particularly to FIG. 1, there is illustrated therein a garment hanger 10. The garment hanger 10 includes a substantially horizontal cross bar 12 dimensioned to engage and support garments thereon. A substantially vertical neck element 14 is fixedly secured on an end 16 thereof to the cross bar 12 adjacent the central portion 18 thereof. A hook element 20 is fixedly secured on an end 22 thereof to the neck element 14. The hook element 20 is adapted to engage and partially circumscribe a support such as a clothes line or the like when placed thereon.

A rigid tongue 24 is fixedly secured on an end 26 thereof to a first portion 28 of the inner edge 30 of the hook element 20. The rigid tongue element 24 falls in the same plane as the hook element 20 and extends in a horizontal plane substantially perpendicular to the neck element 14.

A pivotal tongue 32 is hingedly affixed on an end 34 thereof to a second portion 36 of the inner edge 30 of the hook element 20 as shown in FIG. 2. The second portion 36 is substantially opposite the first portion 28. The pivotal tongue 32 is positioned adjacent and substantially parallel to the rigid tongue 24.

The horizontal cross bar 12, the vertical neck element 14, the hook element 20, the rigid tongue element 24, and the pivotal tongue 32 are preferably formed in one piece by injection molding or a similar process.

FIG. 2 and 3 illustrates the hook element 20. The pivotal tongue 32 is integrally formed as part of the hook element 20. The portion 38 of the pivotal tongue 32 functions as a "living" hinge and urges the pivotal tongue 32 toward the rigid tongue element 24.

When the hook element 20 is placed over a clothes line or the like the pivotal tongue element 32 is urged by the clothes line toward the inner edge 30 of the hook element 20. After the clothes line passes the rigid tongue element 24 the pivotal tongue element 32 moves back thereadjacent removably enclosing the clothes line. To remove the garment hanger 10 from the clothes line, the user simply places slight finger pressure on the pivotal tongue 32 to open a passage between the tongues 24 and 32.

FIG. 4 illustrates an alternate method of fabricating the pivotal tongue 32. A pivot element 40 is pivotally secured on an end 42 thereof to the hook element 20 by a pivot 44. The pivot element 40 is urged against the rigid tongue 24 by a helical coil spring 46. The helical coil spring 46 is fixedly secured on one end 48 thereof to the pivot element 40 and on the other end 50 thereof to the hook element 20.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials, arrangements of parts and operation conditions which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention may be made by those skilled in the art within the principles and scope of the invention.