Clothes hanger storage device
A clothes hanger storage device includes a container and a plurality of pillars inside the container for retaining a multitude of variously-sized and -shaped hangers. The plurality of pillars may be arranged as two sets of pillars, or two elongated pillar units, wherein large triangular hangers extend around both sets of pillars or around the two elongated pillar units, and small triangular hangers extend around only one set of pillars or one elongated pillar unit. Non-triangular hangers, such as hangers only comprising two shoulders, may be stored in the container by being trapped between the container wall and the pillars, but not extending around the pillars. The clothes hanger storage device may be adapted to be hung from a door, stored underneath a counter or in a closet, or attached to the door of a cabinet. In an optional embodiment, the container may be fitted with a releasable lid that fits over the top of the container. The preferred lid may be moved to a dispensing position, which leaves room between the container and the lid through which one or more hangers may be removed.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to clothing hangers, and more specifically, to a container for stacking, storing, carrying, or dispensing a plurality of clothes hangers. The invention further relates to a container for storing clothes hangers comprising triangularly arranged pillars upending from the base of the container, so that a variety of differently-sized or -shaped hangers may be stacked over the pillars.
2. Related Art
In the dry cleaning business, retail businesses, and in home use, it is important to have a storage device for excess hangers. Do to the unusual shapes and sizes of clothing hangers, many become interlocked and tangled when stored loosely in a box. Often the box in which hangers are stored can be aesthetically unpleasing, and may take up valuable under-counter or other storage space. In an effort to provide an effective means for storing clothing hangers, many clothing hanger storage devices have been patented.
Issued patents relating to clothes hanger storing and carrying devices are reviewed hereinafter.
Peterson (U.S. Pat. No. 3,115,968) discloses a collapsible carton member for the storage of clothes hangers.
Hildt (U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,981) discloses a rack for storing clothes hangers having a single neck portion and two shoulder portions wherein the rack comprises a base and a plurality of elongated posts extending upwardly and perpendicular to the upper surface of the base.
Keen (U.S. Pat. No. 4,424,905) discloses a device for organizing, storing and dispensing garment hangers comprising a vertically disposed glide rod for engaging the hanger hook and two vertically disposed guide rods positioned on opposite sides of said glide rod and spaced forward thereof for engaging the respective outer shoulder portions of the garment hanger. The bottom ends of the guide rods and glide rod are mounted to a base.
Scola (U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,184) discloses a clothes hanger carrying device for neatly stacking and storing a plurality of conventional wire type clothes hangers. The carrying device includes a bottom base flange having a greater perimeter than the triangular body of the clothes hanger to provide a support for a plurality of the hangers, and a stacking body extending upwardly from the base flange.
Dahnke (U.S. Pat. No. 6,109,457) discloses a hanger guide attached to a base wherein the clothes hangers are received on the hanger guide.
Licari (U.S. Pat. No. 6,230,904) discloses a hanger package and display assembly comprising a top and bottom platform, and at least two spaced-apart rods vertically disposed between the platforms.
Design applications relating to clothes hanger storage devices are as follows: Kiggens et al. (U.S. Pat. No. D237,442); Pawuk et al. (U.S. Pat. No. D382,402); Shawhan (U.S. Pat. No. 392,818); Jones (U.S. Pat. No. 403,862); Spurgeon et al. (U.S. Pat. No. D417,802); Wacks (U.S. Pat. No. D421,686); and, Kim (U.S. Pat. No. D465,352).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is a clothes hanger storage device, and more specifically, a clothes hanger storage device comprising a container and a plurality of pillars inside said container for retaining a multitude of variously-sized and -shaped hangers. The plurality of pillars may be arranged as two sets of pillars, or two elongated pillar units, wherein large triangular hangers extend around both sets of pillars or around the two elongated pillar units, and small triangular hangers only extend around one set of pillars or one elongated pillar unit. Non-triangular hangers, such as hangers only comprising two shoulders, may be stored in the container by being trapped between the container wall and the pillars, but not extending around the pillars.
The preferred clothes hanger storage device may be adapted to be hung from a door, stored underneath a counter or in a closet, or attached to the door of a cabinet. In an optional embodiment, the container may be fitted with a releasable lid that fits over the top of the container. The preferred lid may be moved to a dispensing position, which leaves room between the container and the lid through which one or more hangers may be removed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring to the figures, there are shown some, but not the only embodiments of the invented clothes hanger storage device. In the preferred embodiment, the clothes hanger storage device 100 is used to stack, store, and carry a plurality of differently-shaped and -sized hangers. The clothes hangers comprise a hook H, a neck N, two shoulder sections S′, S″, and some hangers may comprise a base B′, B″ connecting the shoulder sections to form a triangular hanger (see
In the preferred embodiment, the clothes hanger storage device 100 is a generally rectangular container 10 comprising a plurality of side walls—a base 12, a front wall 14, a rear wall 16, and two end walls 18. The base 12 and the side walls define an interior space 70, as shown in
The preferred embodiment further comprises a plurality of pillars extending upward and generally perpendicular to the base 12 of the container 10. As shown in
In the preferred embodiment, the pillars are integral with the base 12 of the container 10 meaning they are formed as an extension of the base, preferably by molding. The pillars are preferably not solid, so that there is a detent corresponding to each pillar in the bottom of the base of the container, so that the containers may be stacked one on top of the other with the pillars from one container sliding into the detents created by the hollow pillars of the other container. To accommodate the stacking of the containers, the pillar sides are sloped, as shown to best advantage in
The sets of pillars are spaced-apart in a triangular arrangement, so that they can accommodate different shapes and sizes of hangers. The spacing between the two sets of pillars is sufficient, so that when a large triangular hanger (shown in
In the preferred embodiment, the relationship between the container 10, the elongated slot 22, and the pillars 22, 23 and 24, 25 is such that they are oriented to accommodate a wide variety of hangers. The front 14 and rear 16 walls of the container 10 are preferably between 12″-14″ in length from corner C to corner C, and the end walls 18 are preferably between 6″-10″ long from corner C to corner C, but in the preferred embodiment, they are 7″ long (see
In an alternative embodiment, the plurality of pillars may be a set of two elongated pillars/units, one elongated pillar 60 being positioned toward the front wall 14 of the container 10 and the second elongated pillar 62 being positioned toward the rear wall 16 of the container 10 (see
In an especially preferred embodiment, the container 10 is fitted with a lid 30. The lid 30 is adapted to be secured to the top edge 20 of the container 10 (see
The latches 40 permit the lid 30 to moved from a closed position, as shown in
In order to move the lid 30 from the closed position to the raised or dispensing position, the user must press the latches 40 toward the end walls 18 of the container 10, and then raise the lid 30 until the protrusions 44, 46 snap around the edge 21′ securing the lid 30 in the raised position. The latches 40 may be designed to create, in the raised position, a space 50 that is 2″-4″ from the bottom of the lid 30 to the top edge 20 of the container 10. When the lid 30 is in the raised position, the user may remove one or more hangers by sliding the hangers off of the pillars 22, 23 and/or 24, 25, and out through the space 50 between the top edge 20 of the container 10 and the lid 30. Preferably, 1-3 hangers may be lifted up and forward out of the device through the space 50. The latches 40 are preferably made of a sturdy material, so as to support the lid 30 above the container 10. Additionally, other latch mechanisms may be used, such as a latch mechanism that wraps or snaps around the outside of the container wall instead of going through an aperture in the container, such as arm(s), rod(s), or other fasteners that can hold the lid in multiple positions relative to the container.
The lid 30 and/or container 10 may be adapted to include mechanisms for aiding in storing or carrying the clothes hanger storage device 100. For example, in order to attach the lid 30 to the underside of a table or countertop, holes 34 may be molded into the lid 30, or otherwise provided, in order to screw the lid 30 into a table or countertop. Other means of attaching the lid 30 or container 10 without the lid 30 to a table or countertop may be used, such as adhesive strips, chain links, or the lid 30 and/or container 10 may cooperate with glide rails that allow the clothes hanger storage device to be slid out from underneath the table or countertop. As shown in
Although this invention has been described above with reference to particular means, materials and embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these disclosed particulars, but extends instead to all equivalents within the scope of the following claims.
Claims
1. A clothes hanger storage device comprising:
- a container comprising a base and a side wall upending from a perimeter of the base to surround and define an interior space;
- a plurality of pillars inside said interior space;
- wherein said side wall comprises at least one opening; and
- a hanger is located inside said container around said pillars.
2. A clothes hanger storage device as in claim 1, wherein said plurality of pillars are arranged as two sets of pillars, and wherein each set of pillars comprises two pillars.
3. A clothes hanger storage device as in claim 1, wherein said plurality of pillars are arranged in a triangle.
4. A clothes hanger storage device as in claim 1, wherein said plurality of pillars are formed as an extension of the base.
5. A clothes hanger storage device as in claim 2, wherein said hanger extends around said two sets of pillars.
6. A clothes hanger storage device as in claim 2, wherein said hanger extends around only one set of pillars.
7. A clothes hanger storage device as in claim 1, wherein a neck of said hanger extends out through said opening in the side wall.
8. A clothes hanger storage device as in claim 1, wherein said plurality of pillars are two elongated pillars.
9. A clothes hanger storage device as in claim 8, wherein one elongated pillar is longer than the other elongated pillar, and said elongated pillars are parallel to each other and form a triangle.
10. A clothes hanger storage device as in claim 8, wherein said hanger extends around both of said elongated pillars.
11. A clothes hanger storage device as in claim 8, wherein said hanger extends around only one of said elongated pillars.
12. A clothes hanger storage device comprising:
- a container comprising a base and a side wall upending from a perimeter of the base to surround and define an interior space, wherein said side wall comprises at least one opening and a top edge;
- a plurality of pillars inside said interior space;
- a hanger inside said container around said pillars; and
- a lid that is securable to said top edge in a first, closed position wherein said lid is fitted around said top edge of the container, and a second, raised position wherein said lid is positioned a distance away from said top edge.
13. A clothes hanger storage device as in claim 12, wherein said container comprises handles in said top edge, and wherein said handles comprise apertures.
14. A clothes hanger storage device as in claim 13, wherein said lid comprises a plurality of latches, and wherein said latches are adapted to cooperate with said apertures.
15. A clothes hanger storage device as in claim 12, wherein said lid is secured in said first and second positions by at least two latches that each comprise a plurality of spaced connection members that are releasably connectable to the container.
16. A clothes hanger storage device as in claim 15, wherein one or more of said connection members releaseably grip said top edge.
17. A clothes hanger storage device as in claim 15, wherein one or more of said connection members abut said top edge.
18. A clothes hanger storage device as in claim 12, wherein, when said lid is in the second, raised position, it is parallel to said top edge.
19. A clothes hanger storage device as in claim 18, wherein said lid, being spaced a distance from said top edge, defines a space for dispensing said hanger from said container.
20. A clothes hanger storage device as in claim 19, wherein said hanger has a hook that is accessible through said opening, and said space for dispensing is sized so that, after being lifted up to the lid, said hanger will slide out of the device through said space.
21. A clothes hanger storage device as in claim 12, further comprising one or more brackets extending from said sidewall, and one or more brackets comprising a hooked end for extending over a door.
22. A clothes hanger storage device as in claim 12, wherein said lid comprises holes adapted to cooperate with screws for being attached to an underside of a table or countertop.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 30, 2004
Publication Date: Jun 1, 2006
Inventors: Renee Bentley (Meridian, ID), Taylor Jenkins (Nampa, ID)
Application Number: 11/001,536
International Classification: B65D 85/00 (20060101);