One-piece clothes hanger

Abstract

One-piece clothes hanger (1) with a hook section (5), two shoulder sections (3) projecting from it and a trouser holder section (4) connecting the ends of the two shoulder sections (3), wherein the clothes hanger (1) is made of a biodegradable material, characterized in that the clothes hanger (1) has at least in sections a pore structure with differently shaped pores (7) and / or a grid structure with differently shaped grid openings (14).

Description

The present invention relates to a one-piece clothes hanger. Even though hangers per se have been known for years, more stringent regulations and general environmental awareness have recently focused on the development of hangers which are reusable or compostable.For example, a biodegradable clothes hanger is described in GB 2 458 769 A. There, a clothes hanger made of a material based on bagasse or empty fruit bundles of palms by thermoforming is described. The clothes hanger has a weight of 45 g and is compostable within twelve weeks.Another clothes hanger made of biodegradable plastic is described, for example, in US 2010 / 0213222 A1. It is described therein that a clothes hanger must be very thin-walled (<3 mm) in order to be better biodegradable. Therefore, a clothes hanger with a symmetrical lattice structure is described there.The present inventors have found that biodegradability can be improved even further.To solve this problem, a one-piece clothes hanger is provided having the features of claim 1.In particular, this is distinguished in that it has, at least in sections, a pore structure with pores of different shapes.Alternatively or additionally, it can also have a grid structure with differently shaped grid openings.A pore structure is, for the present invention, differentiated from a lattice structure in such a way that pores are regarded substantially as roundish, oval or organic openings and / or cavities. In contrast, the grid-like configuration is of primary importance in the grid structure, that is to say that grid bars or ribs form the clothes hanger. Both the pore and the lattice structure can be designed as optically pleasing and conspicuous appearances.The differently shaped pores or differently shaped grids can achieve an increase in biodegradability because not only is a high surface-to-volume ratio achieved through pore openings or grid openings, but because the pores are each shaped differently per se or the grid openings are each shaped differently per se, there is also independently a statistically better attack total for biodegradation of the ironing material. Biodegradability refers, for example, to the capacity of organic chemicals to be decomposed biologically, i.e. by living beings (in particular saprobiontes) or their enzymes. Ideally, this chemical metabolism proceeds completely as far as mineralization, so that the organic compound is decomposed as far as inorganic substances such as carbon dioxide, oxygen and ammonia, but the decomposition can also remain in the case of decomposition-stable transformation products.For example, the hanger can easily be decomposed naturally in the soil or in a compost. The different and asymmetrical shape of the grid openings or pores at the same time still brings about a high stability with light weight and little material consumption. Since these pore openings or grid openings are distributed completely arbitrarily in terms of their cross-sectional diameter and / or configuration over the regions of the bracket, a dense arrangement of these can also be achieved. Differently shaped pores or grid openings means in particular that the circumferential geometry which delimits the opening can be shaped differently in each case.It is sufficient that at least two pores or two grid openings are formed differently, but advantageously the predominant proportion (e.g. more than 50% by number) of the grid openings or pores is formed differently or essentially all pores or grid openings are formed differently.Alternatively or additionally, the different shape of the pores or grid openings can also relate to their area ratio, so that pores or grid openings with different sizes are provided.However, the clothes hanger is made of a biodegradable material and is constructed as a one-piece clothes hanger and comprises a hook section known per se, two shoulder sections depending therefrom and a pant holder section connecting the two shoulder sections at the ends of the two shoulder sections.As the biodegradable material, a biodegradable resin may be used. Biodegradable plastics can be made from thermoplastic starch, cellulose, degradable polyesters and polylactide (PLA).According to an advantageous development of the invention, the predominant fraction of the pores in any case has an unsymmetrical shape per se, in particular an organic shape here. Organic forms as the name suggests are forms developed from forms of nature. They have, for example, a liquid, smooth, continuous appearance and are formed by curves and circles. In nature, real forms are, for example, the shape of leaves, plants, insects, clouds and animals. The organic forms are limited to synthetically constructed forms which thus do not usually occur in nature. Insofar as the aforementioned applies to the pores, this naturally also applies to the grid openings. The grid openings can also be asymmetrical per se and in particular also have organic shapes. The asymmetric or organic form achieves better stability of the bracket and this results in different possible application for the decomposition geometrically and in terms of surface area. A side effect of the organic form is that it is already visualized for the user that this clothes hanger is natural and biodegradable. Thus, the visual shape may indicate the use of the hanger.According to a further variant, the pore structure can be formed by a foamed biodegradable plastic. In this connection, a variant is to be considered, on the one hand, in which the outer surface of the hanger is substantially closed and is thus smooth, i.e. the pores are not visible from the outside (for the average human eye). Alternatively, a variant can be envisioned in which the outer surface is open-pored and the pores are visible from the outside. Both of these variations make the hanger light and also allow rapid biodegradation of the hanger. Nevertheless, the variant with the pores open on the surface is to be preferred here. Nevertheless, due to the thin-walled surface layer biodegradability of the closed surface variant can also be achieved, because once the surface is attacked, there is then a large surface-to-volume ratio of the pores in the interior, which leads to rapid decomposition.According to a further variant, the pores of the pore structure are formed by openings in the clothes hanger. These openings pass through the hanger body formed by the clothes hanger, for example transversely to the suspension direction. In particular, the cross-sectional area of the opening of each of the majority of the pores is greater than 1 cm 2 square centimeters per opening. In particular, all pores taken together have an opening area of, for example, 150 cm 2.In this variant, for example, the clothes hanger is not formed from a foamed biodegradable plastic, but the biodegradable material, in particular the biodegradable plastic, is injection molded and the openings are kept free, for example, by inserts in the mold.These larger openings relative to the foamed pores are also visible to the eye from a far point of view and pass through the ironing body transversely to the suspension direction.Here, the hanging direction is the direction from the hook portion to the pant holder portion. There are two transverse directions perpendicular thereto, one the direction of extension of the shoulder portions. This is referred to as the shoulder portion extension direction and the further direction perpendicular thereto is described here as the transverse direction for the sake of simplicity. Thus, the hanger has a hanging direction (vertical direction), a shoulder portion extending direction also corresponding to the extending direction of the pant holder portion, and a transverse direction which is the direction transverse to the above two directions.The clothes hanger may be formed of a hanger body which is a substantially planar member and is defined, for example, transversely by two parallel surfaces and outwardly defined by an outer defining edge in the circumferential direction. Between the pant holder portion and the shoulder portions there is an inner hole defined by an inner limiting edge of the hanger.The shoulder portions are formed by arms. These are also defined in the transverse direction by planar arm surfaces, the arm surfaces being called arm surfaces in order to delimit them from the planar web surfaces which form the planar web which forms the pant holder section. The respective planar portions defining the hook portion are for simplicity referred to as hanger surfaces.The arm surfaces and / or the web surfaces and / or the hanger surfaces are each penetrated by pores, so these corresponding surface sections form a plate-shaped configuration, through which the openings pass in the transverse direction.According to a preferred development, the yoke body is surrounded towards the outside by an outer limiting edge which delimits the latter over its full circumference and towards the inside by an inner limiting edge which delimits the latter over its full circumference. The outer limiting edge and the inner limiting edge have, for example, a transverse thickening. This may have a substantially round or oval cross section or may also have a planar cross section and be formed as a rib, the planar surfaces of which extend in the transverse direction.This planar surface can be surrounded by the delimiting ribs or transverse bulges in such a way that this bulge or rib protrudes from the surface from one side in the transverse direction or else protrudes beyond the planar surface on both sides.The planar surface is thus formed by a plate element through which pores pass, the thickness of which is less than the transverse diameter of the transverse thickening.This plate element preferably extends in the suspension direction of the bow, i.e. in the vertical direction. In this suspension direction, the plate element can be designed to be corrugated in its cross-sectional view.Alternatively or additionally, the plate element can be designed to be corrugated in the direction of extension of the pant holder section, i.e. in the pant holder section direction of extension.In the aforementioned directions, one or more waves may be provided in the cross section thereof. This corrugation provides a further stability, thus providing an overall more easily stable bracket which is biodegradable.The corresponding aforementioned pores provided in the plate element can each be bounded by a boundary edge in the manner of a rib or thickening. This results in a further increased stability. Thus, a similar boundary edge is also provided here as the boundary edge of the stirrup body itself.Not only the shoulder portions, and the hook portion and the pant holder portion may be penetrated by pores so as to form the planar member.Instead, the pant holder section can also not have pores or lattice structure, but rather can be a continuous, substantially uninterrupted element.According to a further variant, the grating structure is covered.The lattice structure is formed, for example, by ribs, the rib-limiting surfaces of which run in the transverse plane direction. The ribs may have a round, oval or any other cross-section. These corresponding ribs are held in a frame formed by the peripheral edge. The circumferential edge can be formed by the aforementioned thickening or can be a rib per se.The individual ribs can be inclined with respect to one another, do not have to be straight, but can also extend in a curved manner.The individual ribs can have different cross-sectional thicknesses per se or can also have different cross-sectional thicknesses along their course.This brings about a further asymmetry and better stability.The rib structures in the hanger body may be separated from each other, for example, a rib structure portion in the hook portion, another rib structure portion penetrating through both shoulder portions, and another separated rib portion penetrating through the pant holder portion.For example, three separated rib structure sections are provided.The rib structure can correspond in a side view in the transverse direction to the configuration of a sheet, in particular to one of the following sheet types: linden sheet, oak sheet, book sheet.Further advantageous embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the drawing. In these show: FIG. 1.1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of a bow with a bow body, through which openings pass in the transverse direction, FIG. 1.2a shows a further variant of the bow shown in FIG. 1.1, in which a plate element penetrated by pores is held in a frame made up of an inner and outer transverse thickening, FIG. 1.2b is a cross-sectional view taken along the line V--V in FIG. 1.2a, FIG. 1.3a shows a further development of the example from FIGS. 1.2a and b, wherein pore openings are each completely surrounded by a thickening or rib, FIG. 1.3 bshows a cross-sectional view along the line V-V in FIG. 1.3 a, FIG. 1.4a shows a further development of the example from FIGS. 1.2a and b, wherein here the plate element penetrated by pores is corrugated in the horizontal or shoulder section extension direction, FIG. 1.4 bshows a cross-sectional view along the line H-H in FIG. 1.4 a, FIG. 1.5a shows a further development of the example from FIGS. 1.2a and b, wherein here the plate element penetrated by pores is corrugated in the vertical direction, FIG. 1.5 bshows a cross-sectional view along the line V-V in FIG. 1.5 a, FIG. 1.6a shows a development of the example in FIGS. 1.4a, b and 1.5a, b, in which the plate element through which pores pass is corrugated in the vertical and arm extension direction, FIG. 1.6 bshows a cross-sectional view along the line V-V in FIG. 1.6 a, FIG. 2.1 shows a variant of the hanger from FIG. 1, wherein the pant holder section is not penetrated by pores, FIG. 2.2.a shows a variant of the hanger from FIGS. 2.1 a, b, wherein the pant holder section is not penetrated by pores, FIG. 2.2.b is a cross-sectional view taken along the line V--V in FIG. 2.2a, FIG. 3.1.a shows an embodiment in which the clothes hanger has a grid structure with grid openings, FIG. 3.1.b is a cross-sectional view taken along the line V--V in FIG. 3.1a, FIG. 4.1.a shows an embodiment in which the clothes hanger is made of a foamed biodegradable plastic material, and FIG. 4.1.b is a cross-sectional view taken along the line V--V in FIG. 4.1a.In the figures, substantially four groups of exemplary embodiments are described. A first group is shown in FIGS. 1.1 to 1.6, a second group is shown in FIGS. 2.1 and 2.2, a third group is shown in FIG. 3.1, and a fourth group is shown in FIG. 4.1.In the figures, the same elements are provided with the same reference numerals.The clothes hanger has reference numerals 1. The clothes hanger 1 forms a hanger body 2 having two shoulder portions 3, a pant holder portion 4 and a hook portion 5.In the first exemplary embodiment, the bracket body is bounded in the transverse direction, i.e. in the direction into the plane of the drawing, by two planar surfaces 6, which are configured in a planar manner with the exception of the pore openings 7. The outer limiting edge in the circumferential direction of the bow is provided with reference number 8, the inner limiting edge which delimits the opening 10 between the shoulder sections 3 and the pant holder section 4 is provided with reference number 9. The inner and outer boundary edges 8, 9 merge into the planar boundary surfaces 6 in a rounded portion and in the transverse direction without projecting beyond and thus the bow body per se has a rounded shape through which only the pore openings 7 pass in the transverse direction.The transverse direction is always intended to represent the direction of an axis running centrally through the opening 10, the suspension direction is the vertical direction because it represents the direction from the hook portion 5 to the pant holder portion 4, the third direction perpendicular thereto is the pant holder portion extension direction or shoulder carrier portion extension direction.In the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 1.1, the pore openings 7 are all organically shaped and each have different sizes. At least two, in particular more than eight or even more than ten, such openings have a different surface area and also different contours.Thus, the bracket, when viewed in the transverse direction, has a limestone-like opening configuration of roundish flow limestones, wherein the limestones form the corresponding pore openings 7.In the variants in FIGS. 1.2 to 1.6, further details are shown on the inner boundary edge 8 in the region of the pant section. There, a corrugation is provided in the pant holder extension direction so that the pant does not fall down. On the outer boundary edge 9, a corrugation is likewise provided in the region of the shoulder sections 3, but here with an extension in the transverse direction. However, this will not be discussed in more detail; such a configuration can also be provided in the case of the clip in FIG. 1.1, which is not illustrated there.Only the differences with respect to the embodiment in FIG. 1.1 are described below.In FIG. 1.2, the bracket body is slightly shaped differently. In essence, a plate element 11 is provided here, through which pores pass, which essentially forms the stirrup body. On the outer limiting edge 8 or the inner limiting edge 9 of the bracket body 2, a circumferential limiting rib 12 is provided, which is an example of a thickening. As can be seen in the cross-sectional device along the line V-V in FIG. 1.2.b, this can have a substantially semicircular configuration. The plate element 11 through which pores pass then adjoins the planar side of the semicircle. The thickness of the plate element 11 in the cross-sectional direction is thinner than the corresponding thickness of the delimiting rib 12.The embodiment from FIG. 1.3 is a further development of the variant from FIG. 1.2. Here, the individual pores are bounded on the edge by pore delimiting ribs 12 a, which extend transversely to the plate element 11 on both sides. Further stability can thus be achieved. These pore delimiting ribs are easily visible in the cross-sectional view in FIG. 1.3.b.The embodiment in FIG. 1.4 is a development of the embodiment in FIG. 1.2, wherein here the plate element 11 penetrated by pores is designed to be corrugated in the pant holder portion extension direction, i.e. in the horizontal direction in the cross-sectional direction thereof, as illustrated in FIG. 1.4.b.The variant in FIG. 1.5 is a similar development to the development in FIG. 1.4, only in that here the corrugation is not provided in the pant holder or arm extension direction of the bow, but in the vertical direction, i.e. in the suspension direction, as can be seen in FIG. 1.5.b.The embodiment of FIGS. 1.6a and b is essentially the combination of the embodiment of FIGS. 1.4 and 1.5, and the plate-shaped element 11 penetrated by pores is provided corrugated in the suspension direction and in the pant holder section extension direction. This double corrugation results in a further stability.FIG. 2.1 is a development of the embodiment from FIG. 1.1, wherein no pores are provided here only in the region of the pant holder section 4.A corresponding further development of the exemplary embodiment from FIG. 1.2 is illustrated in FIGS. 2.2 aand b.In the embodiment in FIGS. 3.1 aand b, a variant is shown in which no pore structure is provided, but rather a lattice structure. In this variant, the lattice structure is formed by ribs 13. These ribs 13 may have different diameters. The ribs 13 of the embodiment in Figs. 3.1a and b have a sheet-like organic structure. Here too, the individual grid openings 14 have a different geometry in their cross section and also with respect to their boundary edge. As a variant to the examples with the through-going pores in the plate element, this is an alternative that also brings a high stability in connection with an easy biodegradability.In the example in FIGS. 3.1a and b, three grid regions are provided which are separated from one another, namely a grid region in the region of the pant holder portion 4, a region in the region of the hook portion 5 and a region in the region of the shoulder portions 3.In the embodiment in FIGS. 4.1.a and b, a variant is specified, wherein the bracket body 2 is formed from a foamed biodegradable plastic material, wherein a continuous layer is here on the surface, such that the pores are not visible from the outside.As shown in Fig. 4.1.b, foamed pores are provided inside. These pores are much smaller than the pores in the examples from FIGS. 1.1 to 1.6 and 2.1 and 2.2, which form openings through them. The embodiment in FIGS. 4.1 aand b also makes the bracket light and nevertheless stable and also lead to a high surface-to-volume ratio and thus to easy biodegradability.However, as in the examples from FIGS. 1.1 to 1.6 and 2.1 and 2.2, these pores do not pass through a planar plate element as macroscopic pores, but rather are constructed as microscopic pores in the manner of a sponge having different pore sizes.The hanger is an integral hanger of a monomaterial, with the respective hooks, arm and pant retainer portions integrally connected together.In the exemplary embodiments, small hook elements 15 are also provided integrally on the stirrup body 2, which can function, for example, for hanging supports of women's shirts or brassieres. The position of these hook elements 15 is slightly different in the different embodiments. However, the position is not limited to the specific arrangement, but the position of one of the embodiments may be the same in one of the other embodiments.According to an independent aspect of the invention, a method for producing this bracket can also be protected as such.This method may include injecting and foaming a material into an injection mold, wherein the material is a biodegradable plastic material.Alternatively, the pores or ribs, as for example for the variants from FIGS. 1.1 to 1.6 and 2.1 and 2.2 and 3.1, can be formed and shaped in an injection mold, wherein the corresponding lattice openings and pores are then produced by inserts in the mold.List of reference characters1 Clothes hanger 2 Hanger body 3 Shoulder portions 4 Pant holder portion 5 Hook portion 6 Planar surfaces 7 Pore openings 8 Outer boundary edge 9 Inner boundary edge 10 Opening 11 Pore-penetrated plate member 12 Boundary rib 12 aPore boundary rib 13 Rib 14 Lattice openings 15 Hook memberReferences included in the specificationThis list of documents cited by the applicant has been produced in an automated manner and is only included for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent application or utility model application. The DPMA does not take any adhesion for any faults or omissions.Patent Literature citedGB 2 458 769 A

[0002] US 2010 / 0213222 A1

[0003]

Claims

One-piece clothes hanger (1) having a hook portion (5), two shoulder portions (3) projecting therefrom and a pant holder portion (4) connecting the ends of the two shoulder portions (3), wherein the clothes hanger (1) is produced from a biodegradable material, characterized in that the clothes hanger (1) has, at least in portions, a pore structure having differently shaped pores (7) and / or a lattice structure having differently shaped lattice openings (14).One-piece clothes hanger (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that a predominant proportion of pores (7) each have an asymmetric, in particular organic geometry, and / or wherein a predominant proportion of lattice openings (14) each have an asymmetric, in particular organic geometry, per se.One-piece hanger (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the pore structure is formed by a foamed biodegradable plastic, wherein the pores (7) are not visible on an outer surface of the hanger (1) and the outer surface is substantially closed, or wherein the pores (7) are visible on an outer surface of the hanger and the outer surface is substantially open-porous.One-piece clothes hanger (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the pores (7) of the pore structure are formed by openings (10) in the clothes hanger (1) which pass through the hanger body (2) formed by the clothes hanger (1) transversely to the suspension direction and in particular each have a cross-sectional area of more than 1 cm 2.One-piece clothes hanger (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the hanger body (2) formed by the clothes hanger (1) is a substantially planar element, wherein the shoulder sections are formed by arms which are bounded transversely to the suspension direction by planar arm surfaces, wherein the pant holder section (4) is formed by a planar web which is bounded transversely to the suspension direction by planar web surfaces, and wherein the hook section (5) is formed by a planar hanger which is bounded transversely to the suspension direction by planar hanger surfaces, wherein the arm surfaces and / or the web surfaces and / or the hanger surfaces are penetrated by the openings (10).One-piece clothes hanger (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the hanger body (2) is bounded circumferentially around its outer boundary edge (8) and inner boundary edge (9) by a transverse thickening, and the planar surfaces which bound the hanger body in the transverse direction are formed by a plate element (11) through which pores pass, the thickness of which is less than the transverse diameter of the transverse thickening.One-piece clothes hanger (1) according to claim 6, characterised in that the plate element (11) is formed corrugated in itself in the hanging direction of the hanger, i.e. in the vertical direction and / or in the extension direction of the pant holder section (4).One-piece clothes hanger (1) according to one of claims 4 to 7, characterised in that the pores (7) are each bounded by a thickening, in particular a rib (12), which is completely surrounded directly on their boundary edge.One-piece clothes hanger (1) according to one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that the pant web does not have a pore structure or lattice structure.One-piece clothes hanger (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the grid structure is formed by ribs (13), which together with a frame (12), which in each case bounds the hanger body (2) on the inside and on the outside in a circumferential manner, form the differently shaped grid openings (14).One-piece clothes hanger (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that the ribs have different cross-sectional thicknesses.One-piece clothes hanger (1) according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that rib structures separated from each other are formed in the hook portion (5), the two shoulder portions (3) and the pant holder portion (4), respectively, wherein the rib structure in the shoulder portions (3) is a common rib structure of both shoulder portions.One-piece clothes hanger (1) according to one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that the rib structure corresponds in a side view to a rib structure of a leaf.

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