CLOTHES HANGER
A clothes hanger includes a hanger body for suspending clothes, a hook extending upwardly from the hanger body and having a latch-side end which is spaced apart from the hanger body to define an access opening, a latch movably disposed on the latch-side end and having a latch end movable between retracted and extended positions, and a closing lever pivotally mounted on the hanger body and having a catch end which is turnable between a closed position, where the catch end is engaged with and is retained by the latch end so as to close the access opening, and one of first and second open positions, where the catch end is angularly displaced from the latch end to open the access opening.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a clothes hanger, more particularly to a clothes hanger which has a closing lever that is turnable to open or close an access opening of a hook.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
The object of the present invention is to provide a clothes hanger which has a latch unit that can be operated conveniently to turn a closing lever to close or open an access opening of a hook so as to permit hanging of the hook on a clothes rod and removal of the hook from the clothes rod in a convenient manner, and so as to permit hanging of the hanger on a clothes rod installed at a relatively high position.
According to this invention, the clothes hanger includes a hanger body which is configured to suspend clothes and which has a top mount that has a seat surface confronting upwardly, and a hook which has a lower end mounted on the seat surface, a shank segment extending upwardly from the lower end, and a crook segment that extends forwardly and downwardly from the shank segment to terminate at a latch-side end. The latch-side end is spaced apart from the shank segment to define an accommodation space, and is spaced apart from the seat surface to define an access opening to the accommodation space. A latch is disposed on the latch-side end, and has a latch end that has a latch surface confronting the shank segment, and that is movable between a retracted position, where the latch end is remote from the seat surface, and an extended position, where the latch end is closer to the seat surface. A closing lever has a pivoted end which is disposed forwardly of the shank segment and which is pivotably mounted on the seat surface about a pivot axis, and a catch end which is opposite to the pivoted end and which is turnable about the pivot axis among a closed position, where the catch end is engaged with and is guarded against movement out of the latch surface of the latch end in the extended position to close the access opening, a first open position, where the catch end is angularly displaced from the latch end in a clockwise direction, and a second open position, where the catch end is angularly displaced from the latch end in a counterclockwise direction.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Referring to
The hanger body 6 is configured to suspend clothes, and has a top mount 61 that has a seat surface 62 confronting upwardly. A pair of lugs 64 are disposed on the seat surface 62. A spacer 63 is disposed forwardly of the lugs 64, and extends uprightly from the seat surface 62.
The hook 3 has a lower end 31 mounted on the seat surface 62, a shank segment 35 extending upwardly from the lower end 31, and a crook segment 32 that extends forwardly and downwardly from the shank segment 35 to terminate at a latch-side end 36 which is spaced apart from the shank segment 35 to define an accommodation space 320, and which is spaced apart from the seat surface 62 to define an access opening 321 communicated with the accommodation space 320. In this embodiment, the crook segment 32 and the latch-side end 36 are separately formed. The latch-side end 36 has a surrounding wall 361 which defines a tubular chamber 360. The tubular chamber 360 is configured to extend upwardly to terminate at a ceiling surface 324 which is integrally formed with the crook segment 32. A rear wall 321 extends downwardly from and is integrally formed with the ceiling surface 324. A mortise-and-tenon mechanism is disposed between the crook segment 32 and the latch-side end 36. Specifically, the mortise-and-tenon mechanism includes a pair of first mortises 322 formed in two opposite sides of the ceiling surface 324, a pair of first tenons 364 formed on the surrounding wall 361 and fitted respectively to the first mortises 322 so as to prevent upright movement of the surrounding wall 361 relative to the ceiling surface 324, a pair of second mortises 323 formed in two sides of the rear wall 321, and a pair of second tenons 365 formed on the surrounding wall 361 and fitted respectively to the second mortises 323 so as to prevent forward and rearward movement of the surrounding wall 361 relative to the ceiling surface 324. Thus, the surrounding wall 361 can be easily coupled with and can be retained firmly relative to the crook segment 32. Moreover, the surrounding wall 361 has a guiding slot 363 extending therethrough to be communicated with the tubular chamber 360, and a through bore 362 extending therethrough along a lengthwise axis (X) that extends uprightly.
The latch unit 5 is received in the tubular chamber 360, and includes a latch 52, a keystem 54, and a first biasing member 53. The latch 52 extends along the lengthwise axis (X) to terminate at a latch end 521. With reference to
The closing unit 4 includes a closing lever 41 and a second biasing member 43. The closing lever 41 has a pivoted end 413 which is pivotably mounted on the lugs 64 by means of a pin 42 extending along a pivot axis, and a catch end 411 which is opposite to the pivoted end 413 and which is turnable about the pivot axis among a closed position, as indicated by solid lines in
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
The clothes hanger according to this invention may also serve as a suit hanger as shown in
As illustrated, the access opening 321 can have a relatively large dimension for facilitating passage of the clothes rod 7. Moreover, since the operated end 543 extends forwardly of the latch-side end 36, operation of the operated end 543 by the user or with the use of the clothes rod 7 is facilitated. In addition, by virtue of the configuration of the latch end 411 which is movable among the first open position, the closed position, and the second open position, the clothes hanger of this invention can be conveniently hung on a clothes rod at a relatively high position or removed therefrom. Furthermore, a plurality of the clothes hangers according to this invention can be hung on a clothes rod in a row, and any of the clothes hangers can be removed from the clothes rod without interfering with adjacent hangers or the clothes hung on the hangers.
While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretations and equivalent arrangements.
Claims
1. A clothes hanger comprising:
- a hanger body which is configured to suspend clothes, and which has a top mount that has a seat surface confronting upwardly;
- a hook which has a lower end mounted on said seat surface, a shank segment extending upwardly from said lower end, and a crook segment that extends forwardly and downwardly from said shank segment to terminate at a latch-side end which is spaced apart from said shank segment to define an accommodation space, and which is spaced apart from said seat surface to define an access opening to said accommodation space;
- a latch which is disposed on said latch-side end, and which has a latch end that has a latch surface confronting said shank segment, and that is movable between a retracted position, where said latch end is remote from said seat surface, and an extended position, where said latch end is closer to said seat surface; and
- a closing lever having a pivoted end which is disposed forwardly of said shank segment and which is pivotably mounted on said seat surface about a pivot axis, and a catch end which is opposite to said pivoted end and which is turnable about the pivot axis among a closed position, where said catch end is engaged with and is guarded against movement out of said latch surface of said latch end in the extended position to close said access opening, a first open position, where said catch end is angularly displaced from said latch end in a clockwise direction, and a second open position, where said catch end is angularly displaced from said latch end in a counterclockwise direction.
2. The clothes hanger according to claim 1, wherein said latch extends along an uprightly extending lengthwise axis to terminate at said latch end, said clothes hanger further comprising a first biasing member which is disposed to urge said latch end to move along the lengthwise axis and towards the extended position.
3. The clothes hanger according to claim 2, wherein said latch-side end has a surrounding wall which defines a tubular chamber to receive said latch and said first biasing member such that said latch end is movable between the retracted and extended positions along the lengthwise axis.
4. The clothes hanger according to claim 3, wherein said surrounding wall has a guiding slot which extends therethrough to be communicated with said tubular chamber, said clothes hanger further comprising a keystem which has an actuating end that is received in said tubular chamber, and that is configured to move said latch end between the extended and retracted positions, and a stem body which extends from said actuating end outwardly through said guiding slot to terminate at an operated end for facilitating manual operation.
5. The clothes hanger according to claim 3, wherein said tubular chamber is configured to extend upwardly to terminate at a ceiling surface which is integrally formed with said crook segment.
6. The clothes hanger according to claim 5, wherein said crook segment and said latch-side end are separately formed, said clothes hanger further comprising a mortise-and-tenon mechanism disposed between said crook segment and said latch-side end to prevent movement of said latch-side end relative to said crook segment.
7. The clothes hanger according to claim 1, further comprising a second biasing member which is disposed between said pivoted end and said seat surface, and which biases said catch end towards the second open position.
8. The clothes hanger according to claim 7, wherein said catch and latch ends respectively have cam and follower surfaces mating with each other such that, when said catch end is angularly moved by a thrusting force in the clockwise direction against said second biasing member, said latch end is forced to move to the retracted position so as to permit said catch end to sweep over said latch end to continue to move angularly towards the first open position.
9. The clothes hanger according to claim 8, further comprising a spacer which extends uprightly from said seat surface and which is disposed forwardly of said pivoted end such that, when said catch end is turned to the second open position, said catch end abuts against said spacer and is spaced apart from said seat surface.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 19, 2009
Publication Date: Feb 24, 2011
Inventors: San-Chi CHANG (Douliou City), Chien-Hung Lee (Taichung Hsien), Sheng-Lung Wu (Nan-Tou Hsien)
Application Number: 12/544,048