Abstract
A hanging garment wrinkle remover is provided having a support member engageable with a garment. The support member is formed of a first member component in a biased removable engagement against or toward a second member component. With a garment engaged between the first and second member components gravity acting on the weight of the support member removes garment wrinkles over time. A hanger having slots to engage the support member and support the garment can also be provided.
Claims
1. A hanging garment wrinkle remover, comprising: a support member having a first end opposite a second end; said support member having a first member component and having a second member component; a biased removable engagement of a side of said first member component toward or against an opposing side of said second member component; said support member positionable to a removable mount upon a hung garment; and said removable mount positioning said garment in a biased sandwiched contact with said first side of said first member component and said opposing side of said second member component, whereby a weight of said support member is said removable mount elongates fibers of said garment in a de wrinkling of said garment.
2. The hanging garment wrinkle remover of claim 1 wherein at least one magnet forms said biased removable engagement of said side of said first member component toward or against said opposing side of said second member component.
3. The hanging garment wrinkle remover of claim 1 wherein said biased removable engagement of said side of said first member component toward or against said opposing side of said second member component comprises a hinged engagement of said first member component to said second member component and a spring biasing said first member component toward said second member component.
4. The hanging garment wrinkle remover of claim 2 wherein said magnet comprises an electro magnet engaged with one of said first member component and said second member component and a controller regulates power from a battery to said electro magnet in a varying of a magnetic force of said electro magnet; and said varying of said magnetic force varying a force of said biased sandwiched contact of said first side of said first member component and said opposing side of said second member component, whereby said varying of said force of said biased sandwiched contact imparts a sliding action upon said garment of said support member.
5. The hanging garment wrinkle remover of claim 4 wherein a slot depends into one of said first member component or said second member component; and said slot adapted in size for passage of buttons therethrough.
6. The hanging garment wrinkle remover of claim 1, additionally comprising: a vibrator engaged to one of said first component or said second member component; and said vibrator communicating vibration to said garment to increase de wrinkling thereof.
7. The hanging garment wrinkle remover of claim 1, additionally comprising: a pair of secondary members, each of said pair of secondary members having a first half member in a magnetic engagement against or toward a second half member; and each of said pair of secondary members positionable to a sandwiched removable engagement upon a sleeve of said garment with said sleeve positioned in between a said first half member and a said second half member.
8. The hanging garment wrinkle remover of claim 1, additionally comprising: a hanger having a hook adapted for hanging upon a support; a first support arm extending from a first end connected with said hook to a distal end; a second support arm extending from a first end connected with said hook to a distal end; a first slot positioned at or adjacent said distal end of said first support arm; a second slot positioned at or adjacent said distal end of said second support arm; and said support member removably engageable with said hanger with said first end of said support member engaged with said first slot and said second end of said support member engaged with said second slot.
9. The hanging garment wrinkle remover of claim 2, additionally comprising: a hanger having a hook adapted for hanging upon a support; a first support arm extending from a first end connected with said hook to a distal end; a second support arm extending from a first end connected with said hook to a distal end; a first slot positioned at or adjacent said distal end of said first support arm; a second slot positioned at or adjacent said distal end of said second support arm; and said support member removably engageable with said hanger with said first end of said support member engaged with said first slot and said second end of said support member engaged with said second slot.
10. The hanging garment wrinkle remover of claim 3, additionally comprising: a hanger having a hook adapted for hanging upon a support; a first support arm extending from a first end connected with said hook to a distal end; a second support arm extending from a first end connected with said hook to a distal end; a first slot positioned at or adjacent said distal end of said first support arm; a second slot positioned at or adjacent said distal end of said second support arm; and said support member removably engageable with said hanger with said first end of said support member engaged with said first slot and said second end of said support member engaged with said second slot.
11. The hanging garment wrinkle remover of claim 4, additionally comprising: a hanger having a hook adapted for hanging upon a support; a first support arm extending from a first end connected with said hook to a distal end; a second support arm extending from a first end connected with said hook to a distal end; a first slot positioned at or adjacent said distal end of said first support arm; a second slot positioned at or adjacent said distal end of said second support arm; and said support member removably engageable with said hanger with said first end of said support member engaged with said first slot and said second end of said support member engaged with said second slot.
12. The hanging garment wrinkle remover of claim 5, additionally comprising: a hanger having a hook adapted for hanging upon a support; a first support arm extending from a first end connected with said hook to a distal end; a second support arm extending from a first end connected with said hook to a distal end; a first slot positioned at or adjacent said distal end of said first support arm; a second slot positioned at or adjacent said distal end of said second support arm; and said support member removably engageable with said hanger with said first end of said support member engaged with said first slot and said second end of said support member engaged with said second slot.
13. The hanging garment wrinkle remover of claim 6, additionally comprising: a hanger having a hook adapted for hanging upon a support; a first support arm extending from a first end connected with said hook to a distal end; a second support arm extending from a first end connected with said hook to a distal end; a first slot positioned at or adjacent said distal end of said first support arm; a second slot positioned at or adjacent said distal end of said second support arm; and said support member removably engageable with said hanger with said first end of said support member engaged with said first slot and said second end of said support member engaged with said second slot.
14. The hanging garment wrinkle remover of claim 7, additionally comprising: a hanger having a hook adapted for hanging upon a support; a first support arm extending from a first end connected with said hook to a distal end; a second support arm extending from a first end connected with said hook to a distal end; a first slot positioned at or adjacent said distal end of said first support arm; a second slot positioned at or adjacent said distal end of said second support arm; and said support member removably engageable with said hanger with said first end of said support member engaged with said first slot and said second end of said support member engaged with said second slot.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES
[0023] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate some, but not the only or exclusive examples of embodiments and/or features of the disclosed clothing hanger device. It is intended that the embodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be considered illustrative of the invention herein, rather than limiting in any fashion. In the drawings:
[0024] FIG. 1 depicts the combination device of a support member and clothing hanger which is shown in an assembled configuration with the support member engaged at opposite ends with distal ends of the support arms extending from the hook.
[0025] FIG. 2 depicts an exploded view of the combination device of FIG. 1, showing the engaged two members of the horizontal support member which itself is disengaged from mounts positioned at distal ends of the angled support arms.
[0026] FIG. 3 depicts a support member which is employed for de wrinkling garments having a first member component and second member component forming the support member, and showing magnets employable to hold respective sides of each of the two components biasly engaged against or toward each other.
[0027] FIG. 4 shows a top plan view of a first side of the hanger of the combined hanger and support member, as shown in the perspective view of FIG. 1.
[0028] FIG. 5 depicts a top plan view of a rear or second side of the hanger device opposite the view of FIG. 4.
[0029] FIG. 6 is an end view of the hanger device shown in FIGS. 4-5.
[0030] FIG. 7 depicts the hanger device of FIG. 1, in an as-used position, supporting a garment on the angled support arms, and with the fabric of the garment in a sandwiched engagement in between the first member component which is in a removable biased engagement with the second member component of the support member.
[0031] FIG. 8 shows a mode of the device wherein a vibrator is connected to a central area of the engaged support member for imparting vibration thereto and into the stretched fibers of the garment.
[0032] FIG. 9 depicts an optional secondary member having removably engageable first and second portions which may be biasly engaged to sleeves of a garment for de wrinkling thereof.
[0033] FIG. 10 depicts a mode of the device as in FIG. 8, showing that the vibration of the vibrator can be adjusted in frequency and force using a controller, to cause the support member engaged on the garment, to traverse downward thereover in an ironing motion from top to bottom.
[0034] FIG. 11 depicts a mode of the support member having an electro magnet shown in FIG. 12, which is engageable to traverse through the garment to hold the two members in a varying biased engagement and thereby move in an ironing action through adjustment of the force of the magnet and thereby the biased engagement, to allow gravity to pull the support member downward while engaged.
[0035] FIG. 12 shows the support member of the device as employed in the biased sandwiched engagement at the upper end of the garment of FIG. 11, showing a recess formed in first member components defining a passage for buttons, and showing the battery-powered electro magnet which provides the magnetic force to hold the first member component to the second member component, and which has a controller to vary the magnetic attraction to cause the engaged members to move from an upper to a lower end of the garment in an ironing action.
[0036] FIGS. 13-14 show another configuration for the support member wherein the first member component is biased against the second member component by a spring loaded pivot.
[0037] FIG. 15 depicts a mode of the support member showing a garment sandwiched between the first member component which is biased toward the second member component by a spring loaded hinge.
[0038] FIG. 16 depicts a mode of the device herein wherein the support member is shown in a sandwiched engagement at lower ends of a plurality of garments which can be hung on a plurality of hangers.
[0039] FIG. 17 shows a mode of the device herein where the support member is also engageable with a plurality of garments for de wrinkling, each of which would be on a separate hanger or similar support.
[0040] FIG. 18 depicts a mode of the device similar to that of FIG. 15, where a plurality of garments are in a sandwiched engagement at lower ends between the first member component which is biased toward the second member component by a spring loaded hinge.
[0041] FIG. 19 shows a mode of the device herein showing a slot positioned to allow easy traverse over buttons on the garment similar to that of FIG. 11, and showing a separate support member having two halves engaged to the bottom end of the garment.
[0042] FIG. 20 depicts a mode of the device where the support member configured as in FIG. 12 is separate from the hanger, and can be engaged with a garment hanging on any type of hanger.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0043] In this description, the directional prepositions of up, upwardly, down, downwardly, front, back, top, upper, bottom, lower, left, right and other such terms of direction or position, refer to the device as it is oriented and appears in the drawings and are used for convenience only, and such are not intended to be limiting or to imply that the device has to be used or positioned in any particular orientation.
[0044] Now referring to drawings in FIGS. 1-20, wherein similar components are identified by like reference numerals, there can be seen in FIG. 1 a depiction of the clothing hanger device 10 herein, in an assembled configuration. As shown, the horizontally disposed support member 12 is engaged at opposite ends, in respective removable engagements with respective distal ends of the support arms 14 which intersect at a connection to a hook 16.
[0045] The removable engagements 18 of the opposite ends of the support member 12, with the distal ends of the angled support arms 14, can be any removable engagement 18 adapted to the task herein, such as cooperative connectors, hook and loop fabric, magnets, or other removable engagement of both ends of the support member 12, which will hold the assembled support member 12 in a fixed position such that weight of clothing or other supported items can be supported.
[0046] Shown in FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the device 10 of FIG. 1. As show, the support member 12 is disengaged from the removable engagement of ends thereof with the distal ends of the support arms 14. The support member 12 is shown with one side surface of the first member component 20 in a biased engagement against a side surface of the second member component 22. This biased engagement is preferably provided by magnets 24 shown in FIG. 3, which is particularly preferred for reasons noted herein.
[0047] Also shown in FIG. 2, is an enlargement of a slot 26 positioned proximate to both the distal ends of each of the angled support arms 14. Each slot 26 is sized to frictionally engage around one end of the assembled support member 12, and hold the opposing ends of the support member 12 in a weight bearing removable engagement with the respective distal ends of the support arms 14. As noted other removable engagements may be employed such as magnets 24, hook and loop fabric, or mating connectors on each of the support member 12 and the distal ends of the support arms 14.
[0048] As noted, in FIG. 3 is shown, a view of the support member 12, having a first end and second end and showing the first support component 20 disengaged from the second support component 22. As can be seen, magnets 24 positioned on one side surface of one or both of the first support component 20 or second support component 22, provide a magnetic attraction between the two side surfaces. This magnetic attraction will hold a side surface of the first support component 20 biased toward or in a biased contact against, a side surface of the second support component 22. If the first support component 20 and second support component 22 are formed of a magnetically attractive material such as steel or nickel, then magnets 24 need only be on one of the two. If the first and second support components are formed of non magnetically attractive materials, then magnets 24 are positioned on both and aligned, preferably with reversed polarity of each to the other.
[0049] Views of the device 10 of FIG. 1, in an assembled configuration, can also be seen in the top plan view of a first side of the hanger device 10 of FIG. 4, the top plan view of a rear or second side of the hanger device 10 of FIG. 5 which is opposite the view of FIG. 4. An end view of the device 10 if FIGS. 1, 4-5, is provided in FIG. 6.
[0050] Shown in FIG. 7 is the hanger device 10 of FIG. 1, in an as-used position. In this as-used position, the two angled support arms 14 support a garment 28 much like the shoulders of a wearer. At a lower end of the garment 28, the support member 12 is operatively engaged to the fabric of the garment 28. This engagement of the support member 12 positions the garment 28 sandwiched in-between the first member component 20 and second member component 22. The magnets (FIG. 3) cause a magnetic attraction of the first member component 20 toward the second member component 22 and thereby form a biased contact of first member component 20 against one side of the garment 28 and the second member component 22 in a biased contact with the opposite side of the garment 28, and hold the support member 12 in a sandwiched engagement with the garment 28. In this engagement, the weight of the support member 12, acts on the fibers of the garment 28, to stretch them and remove or mitigate any wrinkles in the fabric forming the garment 28.
[0051] FIG. 8 shows a mode of the device 10 which has a support member 12 which will engage in a biased sandwiched engagement with the garment 28 as in FIG. 7 or 10 using the magnetic attraction or other means to bias the first member component 20 toward the second member component 22 with sufficient force to hold it upon the garment 28 sandwiched therebetween.
[0052] However, as shown in FIG. 8, a vibrator 30 powered by a battery 32, is engaged with the first member component 20. In use with the support member 12 in a sandwiched engagement with the garment 28, such as shown in FIG. 7, the vibrations communicated to the first member component 20 from the vibrator 30, are communicated into the fibers of the garment 28 in a wave which combined with the weight of the support member 12, enhance the removal or mitigation of wrinkles in the fabric of the garment 28.
[0053] As shown in FIG. 10, optionally, a controller 32 of the vibrator 30 can control the frequency and strength of the vibrations, to cause the brief loosening of the biasing of the two components forming the support member 12. This will cause the support member 12 to slide down the garment 28 while in the sandwiched engagement therewith, and impart an ironing to the fabric of the garment 28 from the biased contact therewith.
[0054] Another option of the device 10 is shown in FIG. 9 where one or a plurality of secondary members 34 can be provided which are sized for engagement to sleeves 29 of a garment 28 such as in FIG. 10. Each secondary member 34 is formed of a first half member 36 and second half member 38 which are held in biased contact with sleeves 29 positioned therebetween by magnets 24 and the magnetic force between the two halves.
[0055] In FIGS. 11-12 is shown a mode of the device 10 having an electro magnet 40 which is energized by an onboard battery 33 or other power supply. In this mode the magnetic attraction between the first member component 20 to bias it toward or against the second member component 22, may be varied by a controller 32, to thereby vary the amount of biasing force while the support member 12 is engaged to a garment 28 as in FIG. 11. By varying the magnetic force, the bias of the sandwiched engagement on the garment 28 can be varied to allow gravity to overcome a lower biasing force, which will pull the support member 12 in an ironing motion, from the upper end of the garment 28 toward a lower end of the garment 28 over time. To aid the support member 12 in traversing over garment buttons 42 in a gravity induced ironing action, during travel over the garment 28, a slot 44 is provided which depends into the exterior surface of the first member component 20 to allow the buttons 42 to pass therethrough.
[0056] This recess or slot 44 is also shown in FIG. 12 is an enlargement of the support member 12 as employed in FIG. 11. As noted also depicted is the electro magnet 40 which when energized by the onboard battery 33 provides the magnetic biasing force to hold the first member component 20 to the second member component 22, and which has a controller 32 to vary the biasing force of this magnetic attraction overt time, to enable the assembled support member 12 to slip with gravity, but concurrently maintain a biased sandwiched engagement of the garment 28 and act in an ironing motion as gravity draws the support member 12 downward.
[0057] As can be seen in FIGS. 13-14, the support member 12, may also be configured to yield a biased engagement of the garment 28 using a configuration for the support member 12 wherein the first member component 20 is biased against the second member component 22 by a spring loaded pivot 46. As shown, a pair of pivoting members 48 are in a pivoting engagement and each biases one of the first member component 20 and second member component 22 toward each other. The garment 28 is thus held in contact and in-between the biased first member component 20 and second member component 22. In this mode, the removable engagement 18 of the opposite ends of the support member 12 would be in respective slots 26 adapted to hold the pivoting members 48 while in the rotational engagement therebetween.
[0058] Shown in FIG. 15 is another mode of configuration of the support member 12 showing the lower end of the garment 28 sandwiched between the first member component 20 which is biased toward the second member 22 component by a spring 50 operatively connected with a hinged connection 51 between the first member component 20 and second member component 22. Two handles 52 operatively extending from connections with the first and second member components, allow a user to separate the biased contacting first and second member components, and position the end of the garment 28 therebetween. Once the handles 52 are released, the support member 12 is engaged upon the garment 28 in a biased contact between the first member component 20 and second member component 22. This places the support member 12 in an engaged position to help de wrinkle the garment 28.
[0059] Another mode of the device 10 where the support member 12 can be used alone without an engagement to a hanger is shown in FIGS. 16-20. In FIGS. 16-18 is shown that a support member 12 can be concurrently engaged with a plurality of garments 28 each of which can be engaged upon any type of hanger. In all depicted modes of such in FIGS. 16-18, the plurality of garments 28 is placed into a biased sandwiched engagement between a first member component 20 which is biased under force toward a second member component 22. Such may be with a spring 50 or similar bias imparting component, with sufficient force to compress lower ends of all the garments 28 in between the first member component 20 and second member component 22.
[0060] Shown in FIGS. 19-20 is a mode of the device, which as noted also may be employed with the support member 12 above in FIG. 12, but which need not engage with a hanger when not in use. In this mode a recess or slot 44 which is also shown in FIG. 12, is provided and will function to impart an ironing action would employ the electro magnet 40 as described with FIG. 12, which when energized by the onboard battery 33 provides the magnetic biasing force to hold the first member component 20 to the second member component 22. In use, a controller 32 will vary electric power and biasing force of this magnetic attraction over time, to enable the assembled support member 12 to slip with gravity but concurrently maintain a biased sandwiched engagement on the garment 28 and act in an ironing motion as gravity draws the support member 12 downward. As noted above, the slot 44 positioned in a central area of the first or second member components, is provided which allows easy traverse of buttons 42 therethrough.
[0061] It should be noted than any of the different depicted and described configurations and components of the de wrinkling hanger device in different drawn figures, can be employed with any other configuration or component shown and described as part of the device herein. Additionally, while the present invention has been described herein with reference to particular embodiments thereof and steps in the method of production, a latitude of modifications, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosures, it will be appreciated that in some instance some features, or configurations, of the invention could be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. All such changes, alternations and modifications as would occur to those skilled in the art are considered to be within the scope of this invention as broadly defined in the appended claims.
[0062] Further, the purpose of any abstract of this specification is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers, and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. Any such abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting, as to the scope of the invention in any way.
