Movable clothes hanger assembly

Abstract

A clothes hanger assembly for installation in a vehicle interior space. The clothes hanger assembly comprises two arms and is adjustable between a stowage position, in which the arms are stowed, and a functional position, in which the arms form a hanger-like construction. The clothes hanger assembly furthermore comprises a carriage and a cable drive. The arms are articulated to the carriage, and the carriage is arranged on the cable drive, wherein the carriage is shiftable by means of the cable drive in order to adjust the clothes hanger assembly between the stowage position and the functional position.

Claims

1. A clothes hanger assembly for installation in a vehicle interior space, the clothes hanger assembly comprising: two arms adjustable between a stowage position, in which the arms are stowed, and a functional position, in which the arms form a hanger-like construction; a cable drive; and a carriage arranged on the cable drive, the cable drive configured to actuate to translate the carriage between a first position and a second position to articulate the two arms about the carriage between the stowage position and the functional position.

2. The clothes hanger assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a guide body that guides the carriage.

3. The clothes hanger assembly of claim 2, wherein the guide body defines a guiding groove and the carriage includes an engagement element that engages the guiding groove.

4. The clothes hanger assembly of claim 2, wherein the guide body defines a first cavity and when the two arms are in the stowage position, the arms are stowed in the first cavity.

5. The clothes hanger assembly of claim 4, further comprising: a housing defining an articulation point, wherein the guide body is configured to articulate at the articulation point.

6. The clothes hanger assembly of claim 5, further comprising: a swivel element arranged on the guide body and spaced apart from the articulation point such that a force is exerted on the guide body by means of the cable drive via the swivel element, articulating the guide body relative to the housing about the articulation point.

7. The clothes hanger assembly of claim 5, wherein the housing defines a second cavity and the guide body is configured to move between a guide-body stowage position and a guide-body functional position, wherein when the guide body is in the guide-body stowage position, the guide body is stowed in the second cavity and when the guide body is in the guide-body functional position, the guide body is arranged along an angle with respect to the housing.

8. The clothes hanger assembly of claim 5, wherein the cable drive includes a winding element rotatably mounted in the housing.

9. The clothes hanger assembly of claim 5, wherein the clothes hanger assembly is a prefabricated module configured to be installed in the vehicle interior space and including a housing, a guide body configured to be articulated thereto, and a motor operable to drive the cable drive.

10. The clothes hanger assembly of claim 1, wherein the cable drive includes a cable, wherein the carriage is attached to the cable.

11. The clothes hanger assembly of claim 10, wherein the cable drive includes a tensioning device configured to tension the cable.

12. The clothes hanger assembly of claim 10, wherein the cable drive includes a winding element configured to wind the cable.

13. The clothes hanger assembly of claim 12, wherein the cable drive includes a rotatable shaft and a motor configured to drive the shaft, wherein the winding element is non-rotatably mounted on the shaft.

14. The clothes hanger assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a leg spring configured to pretension at least one of the arms against the carriage.

15. The clothes hanger assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a first adjustment element by means of which the arms are pivotable relative to the carriage by abutment upon adjustment from the functional position to the stowage position.

16. A clothes hanger assembly for use in a vehicle, the clothes hanger assembly comprising: a carriage; an arm attached to and configured to pivot about the carriage between a stowage position and a functional position, wherein the arm forms a hanger when in the functional position; and a cable drive including a cable and a winding element configured to wind and unwind the cable to pivot the arm between the stowage position and the functional position.

17. The clothes hanger assembly of claim 16, further comprising: a guide body defining a guide channel, wherein the carriage is configured to translate along the guide channel as the arm moves between the stowage position and the functional position.

18. A clothes hanger assembly for use in a vehicle, the clothes hanger assembly comprising: a carriage; an arm attached to and configured to pivot about the carriage between a stowage position and a functional position configured to form a hanger; a cable drive including a cable and a winding element; and a motor operable to rotate the cable drive to wind and unwind the cable to pivot the arm between the stowage position and the functional position.

19. The clothes hanger assembly of claim 18, further comprising: a guide body defining a guide groove that receives the arm when the arm is in the stowage position.

20. The clothes hanger of claim 19, further comprising: a housing defining a cavity, wherein the guide body is configured to pivot with respect to the housing between a first position and a second position, wherein when the guide body is in the first position, the guide body is disposed in the cavity.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The idea underlying the invention will be explained in detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the Figures, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a view of a clothes hanger assembly comprising two arms, a cable drive and a carriage;

(3) FIGS. 2A, 2B show views of a clothes hanger assembly in a functional position and in a stowage position;

(4) FIGS. 3A, 3B show views of a clothes hanger assembly in the functional position, wherein in the first view a part of a housing of the clothes hanger assembly is transparent; and

(5) FIG. 4 shows a view of a clothes hanger assembly when switching from the functional position into the stowage position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.

(7) A known clothes hanger assembly is provided in DE 102 61 896 A1, which is mounted to the backrest of a vehicle seat, is more space-saving than a clothes hanger, but is optically present and requires much space also in the stowage position.

(8) Another known clothes hanger assembly is provided in EP 0 753 427 A2, which as part of a grab handle is mounted above a vehicle door, is almost invisible in the stowage position, but the attachment in the necessary combination with a grab handle is not very flexible.

(9) For switching from the stowage position into the functional position, both solutions require cumbersome manipulations by hand, such as for example pushing or pulling.

(10) FIG. 1 shows a clothes hanger assembly with two arms 1a, 1b, a cable drive 2 and a carriage 3 to which the arms 1a, 1b are articulated. The articulation of the arms 1a, 1b is effected by means of a hinge which foldably mounts the arms 1a, 1b on the carriage 3. The cable drive 2 engages a fastening point 33 at the carriage 3 so that the carriage is shiftable by means of the cable drive 2.

(11) The arms 1a, 1b and the carriage 3 are pretensioned against each other by one leg spring 32a, 32b each.

(12) The clothes hanger assembly is adjustable between a functional position, which is shown in FIG. 2A, and a stowage position, which is shown in FIG. 2B. The arms 1a, 1b are folded out in the functional position and folded in in the stowage position.

(13) The carriage 3 is guided on a guide body 4 by two square engagement elements 30a, 30b of the carriage 3 engaging into two guiding grooves 40a, 40b of the guide body 4. The guiding grooves 40a, 40b extend along the longitudinal axis of the cuboid guide body 4 on opposite walls which border a first cavity 41 of the guide body 4.

(14) The first cavity 41 furthermore is delimited by a first stop element 43a of the guide body 4 and by a second stop element 43b at an end of the guide body 4 opposite the first stop element 43a. In the functional position, the carriage 3 rests on the first stop element 43a. In the functional position, the arms 1a, 1b likewise rest on the first stop element 43a and protrude at an angle to the guide body 4 on opposite sides so that they form a hanger-like construction.

(15) The first cavity 41 is molded to support the arms 1a, 1b. In the stowage position, the arms 1a, 1b folded in are mounted in the first cavity 41, and the carriage 3 rests on the second stop element 43b of the guide body 4.

(16) The guide body 4 is articulated to a housing 5 at an articulation point 50, as it is shown in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B. The articulation point 50 is formed by a hinge about which the guide body 4 may be folded. In the functional position, the guide body 4 is folded out and arranged at right angles to the housing 5, wherein a portion of the guide body 4 extends from the articulation point 50 into a second cavity 51 of the housing 5. In the stowage position, the guide body 4 is folded in and arranged in the second cavity 51 of the housing 5.

(17) The guide body 4 may include a swivel element 42 that is arranged on the portion of the guide body 4 which in the functional position extends from the articulation point 50 into the second cavity 51. The guide body 4 is pivotable relative to the housing 5 about the articulation point 50 by a force which acts on the swivel element 42.

(18) The cable drive 2 may include a cable 20. The two ends of the cable extend from the carriage 3 over the swivel element 42 in opposite directions, as may be taken from a synopsis of FIG. 1 and FIG. 3A. The cable drive 2 thereby may exert forces on the swivel element 42 in two directions.

(19) The clothes hanger assembly furthermore may include a deflection point 26 which is arranged on the first stop element 43a of the guide body 4. The cable 20 is deflected by 180° at the deflection point 26 so that it extends from the carriage 3 to the deflection point 26 and back to the carriage 3.

(20) When the clothes hanger assembly switches from the functional position into the stowage position, the guide body 4 may be folded in about the articulation point 50 in the direction of the housing 5 by pulling the cable 20 via the swivel element 42. In the stowage position of the clothes hanger assembly, the guide body 4 may be folded out from the second cavity 51 about the articulation point 50 by pulling the cable 20 via the swivel element 42.

(21) The cable drive 2 may include a winding element 22, onto which both ends of the cable 20 may be wound. One end of the cable 20 is partly wound up on the winding element 22 in a first direction of rotation, and the other end is partly wound up in a second direction of rotation. Upon rotation of the winding element 22, either the one end of the cable 20 is wound up and the other end of the cable 20 is unwound or, vice versa, the one end of the cable 20 is unwound and the other end of the cable 20 is wound up, depending on the direction of rotation.

(22) The winding element 22 is non-rotatably connected to a shaft 23 of the cable drive 2, which is rotatably mounted on the housing 5. The cable drive 2 may include a motor 24 which is arranged on the housing 5 and which rotates the shaft 23.

(23) The cable drive 2 also may include a tensioning device 21, over which a first end of the cable 20 extends from the winding element 22 to the swivel element 42 and which tensions the cable 20. Winding up from the first end of the cable 20 onto the winding element 22 effects a transition from the functional position into the stowage position.

(24) The cable drive 2 may include a deflection element 25, at which the cable 2 is deflected. A second end of the cable 20 extends from the winding element 22 over the deflection element 25 to the swivel element 42. Winding up from the second end of the cable 20 effects a transition from the stowage position into the functional position.

(25) In detail, switching from the stowage position into the functional position proceeds as follows: When the winding element 22 rotates, the second end of the cable 20, which extends over the deflection element 25, is wound up, and via the swivel element 42 a force acts on the portion of the guide body 4, which in the functional position extends from the articulation point 50 into the second cavity 51, by pulling the cable 20, which force effects folding of the guide body 4 out of the second cavity 51 in a fold-out direction A.

(26) After the guide body 4 is folded out of the second cavity 51, a further winding up of the second end of the cable 20 effects a displacement of the carriage 3 from a position resting on the second stop element 43b in the direction of the first stop element 43a.

(27) In the stowage position, the arms 1a, 1b are sectionally enclosed in a sleeve-shaped stowage element 44 of the guide body 4, which compensates the spring force of the leg springs 32a, 32b. The displacement of the carriage 3 from a position resting on the second stop element 43b in the direction of the first stop element 43a effects that the arms 1a, 1b and the stowage element 44 are brought out of engagement. The spring force of the leg springs 32a, 32b effects that the arms 1a, 1b fold out of the first cavity 41.

(28) Further winding up of the second end of the cable 20 effects a displacement of the carriage 3 along the guide body 4 to the first stop element 43a into the functional position.

(29) Winding up of the first end of the cable 20, which extends over the tensioning device 21, effects a change from the guide position into the stowage position, as is shown in FIG. 4. Initially, winding up leads to a displacement of the carriage 3 in the direction of the second stop element 43b. Upon abutment of the arms 1a, 1b against the first adjustment element 45a and the second adjustment element 45b the arms 1a, 1b fold into the first cavity 41. At the same time, and as an example upon abutment of the carriage 3 against the second stop element 43b, the Bowden cable 2 effects a force acting on the guide body 4 at the swivel element 42, which swivels the guide body 4 about the articulation point 50 in a fold-in direction E. The force acting on the guide body 4 effects folding of the guide body 4 into the second cavity 51 of the housing 5.

(30) The following is a list of reference numbers shown in the Figures. However, it should be understood that the use of these terms is for illustrative purposes only with respect to one embodiment. And, use of reference numbers correlating a certain term that is both illustrated in the Figures and present in the claims is not intended to limit the claims to only cover the illustrated embodiment.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(31) 1a, 1b arm 2 cable drive 20 cable 21 tensioning device 22 winding element 23 shaft 24 motor 25 deflection element 26 deflection point 3 carriage 30a, 30b engagement element 32a, 32b leg spring 33 fastening point 4 guide body 40a, 40b guiding groove 41 first cavity 42 swivel element 43a first stop element 43b second stop element 44 stowage element 45a first adjustment element 45b second adjustment element 5 housing 50 articulation point 51 second cavity A fold-out direction E fold-in direction

(32) While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.