Foldable hanger for shoulder pads and trousers with a pushbutton

Abstract

The present invention relates to a foldable hanger for shoulder pads and trousers with a pushbutton, the hanger having a triangular structure with a support body (1) with an upper hook (2) and two side arms (3) that close and open by actuating a locking-unlocking device using a button (4) integrated in the support body itself, for anchoring same in two positions: closed with the arms lowered, or open with the arms raised, characterised in that it incorporates an articulated crossbar (5) between the ends of the arms, which when the arms are together, is divided into two equal portions in an upward or downward movement simply by actuating a latch of a collapsing device (8) located at the centre thereof. The hanger has a specific arm design to interact with the anchoring mechanism, as well as for gathering up the two partitions of the crossbar in a closing upward movement. The main advantage of the present invention is that, as the hanger can be folded using an anchoring pushbutton, it can also be used for trousers.

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] Folding hanger for shoulder pads and trousers with push button. -

[0003] The object of the present invention is a folding hanger for shoulder pads and trousers with a push button, formed from the type of triangular structure hanger with an upper hook and two side arms that close and open by actuating a locking-unlocking device by means of a button integrated in the support body itself, for anchoring in two positions, folding with arms lowered, or use with arms raised, with the singularity in this case of incorporating an articulated crossbar between the ends of the arms that makes it useful for hanging trousers or any garment that can be folded or held with clips on the crossbar, and that by action of a specific anchoring mechanism and component design, is perfectly coupled to the arms of the hanger or, alternatively, as a continuation of these, in the folding operation.

[0004] This functionality of a folding hanger with built-in crossbar is achieved thanks to an ingenious system of folding a cylindrical rod down its center by means of a device that divides it into two equal parts or segments in an upward or downward movement by simply activating a latch between two positions, taking advantage of the force exerted at both ends of the rod by the arms of the hanger in its closing movement by the action of a locking-unlocking device with a push button specifically designed for this purpose, which interacts with two conical axes of the arms; arms that also have a hollow design on their facing inner sides for the perfect concealment of the two segments of the crossbar in the closed position facing inwards.

[0005] The main advantage of this new push-button folding hanger over other popular hangers is that, without losing its folding function, it also works with trousers, not just shoulder pads.

[0006] FIELD OF APPLICATION. -

[0007] The technical field of application of this invention is that of removable garment hangers, in particular, folding or abatiole hangers.

[0008] STATE OF THE ART. - Within this technical field, various triangular hanger solutions have long been known, suitable for shoulder pads and trousers. These hangers can be folded or collapsed by hand to help place garments on hangers for both display and storage.

[0009] Examples of such hangers are those disclosed in the Spanish utility models with publication numbers ES0020568-U “Folding hanger”, ES0030989-U “Improved folding hanger”, ES0037892-U “New folding hanger”, ES0053472-U “Folding articulated hanger”, ES0060685-U, ES0102548-U, ES0107032-U, or ES0134573-U, which are very old documents, prior to 1970, in which the corresponding hangers, designed for travel, were very simple utensils, consisting of slats or segments articulated at their ends and with a hook in one of the joints themselves, or in an upper support, which are manipulated by hand when folded and unfolded.

[0010] It should be noted that Japanese patent JP2006247310A, from 2006, whose object is a folding hanger for shoulder pads and trousers with closing and opening of the arms by means of two push buttons, one on each side of the support body with hook, which is apparently of the type of the present invention, while also presenting a folding crossbar in two segments between the ends of the arms that fold when force is applied between them, is actually more of a manual hanger than an automatic one, since, lacking an independent locking-unlocking device, it requires holding the two buttons pressed simultaneously to have the arms lowered. Furthermore, the folding of the crossbar is carried out by means of a different mechanism, which only allows it to be raised upwards.

[0011] Practically at the same time as said Japanese patent, folding hangers with an automatic push-button device emerged, consisting of a hook attached to a support body with two folding arms in the same plane, in which the support body does have a locking-unlocking button for anchoring the arms in their two positions, use or folded, but these hangers were generally designed only for shoulder pads. Among them, it is worth highlighting, for having an anchoring system of the type of the claimed hanger, the German utility molding DE202004009288-U1 from 2004, for a folding hanger formed by a central housing with springs to release or lock the extended arms for use or storage, the Japanese patent JP2006223705-A, from 2005, and the Korean KR20130107771-A from 2012 highlighted above.The fundamental difference between these hangers and the proposed hanger is that they do not have an articulated trouser bar. The German model hanger allows a bar to be inserted between the ends of the arms in the open position, but this loses its function as a folding hanger.

[0012] Folding hangers with a push button for locking and unlocking the arms and a folding crossbar in two parts, of the type as a whole to the hanger in question, are only three known, corresponding to two Korean patents and a recent Spanish utility model, but as discussed below, they are different solutions, both in the arm locking-unlocking mechanism, and, particularly, in the folding system of the crossbar, which do not contemplate an articulation between the constituent segments as claimed, which enables folding upwards, collected between the arms, or downwards, as an extension of the latter.

[0013] Korean patent number KR20090096103-A, from 2008, relates to a foldable hanger for shoulder pads and trousers consisting of an operating unit with a push button, equivalent to the locking-unlocking device of the present application, coupled to a body at the lower end of the hook, which is the guide bar from which the movable arms depart according to the actuation of the button, but apart from the differences in the push device, the articulation of the trouser support in two equal segments that can be retracted in the arms appears to be a conventional cylindrical type articulation.

[0014] The other existing Korean patent, KR20150011949-A, discloses a hanger of this type, but the arm locking and unlocking system is semi-automatic; the locking is manual on the arms, and the unlocking to their intended use position is automatic with a push button. The arms are manually forced inward to fold, actuating the central joint of the crossbar, which rises in two parts, to hook onto the inside of the arms; then, simply pressing the button for the hanger to open automatically. Therefore, it is also a different solution.

[0015] Finally, Spanish utility model number ES1234849-U, obtained in 2018, relates to a folding hanger that has a series of joints that allow the classic triangular structure to be converted into a rhombus-shaped structure. In its general characteristics, it is a hanger of the type of the present application, with a locking-unlocking mechanism with a push button for the arms in the body of the hook, but apart from the different characteristics of the push button, it has the difference that the articulation of the crossbar through its center is only downward, to form a rhombus, because the same type of articulation used in all the joints only enables that movement. COMPENDIUM OF THE INVENTION. -

[0016] The aforementioned folding hanger for shoulder pads and trousers with a push button is a hanger formed from the type of detachable hanger with a triangular structure used for shoulder pads, composed of a support body with an upper hook and two rectangular folding side arms, with front, rear, exterior faces above and interior below, which close and open in the same plane by means of respective joints attached to the body, for anchoring in two positions: folded, closed or arms lowered, and in use, open or arms raised, by actuating a locking-unlocking device with a push button or manual lever integrated or formed as a box in the support body itself.

[0017] What essentially characterizes this new folding hanger is the inclusion of the crossbar articulated in two equal parts between the ends of the arms, by means of a folding device that by the force exerted at both ends when the arms are closed, enables according to a chosen option, moving a key or tab as a latch, that the two parts flex in an upward movement, upwards, or downwards, downwards, as well as a design of folding arms with known axes that enable their anchoring in closed and open by means of the locking-unlocking device, and lateral hollows that in the position of closed arms allow the two segments of the crossbar to be collected within them in the upward movement option, to which must be added the anchoring device itself, with a specific mechanics for this hanger.

[0018] More specifically, the articulated crossbar for trousers, or garments to be hung or held with clips to the same, is a cylindrical rod that is divided by its center into two equal parts or segments, joined by its two distant ends to the ends of the side arms by means of separate cylindrical joints, and joined by its two proximal or inner ends of articulation by its center by means of a connection and folding device by means of guides, in which these two ends are coupled and moved by means of a ball-rolling hitch provided in the center of the perimeter base of each of them, formed by a straight protruding axis that ends inserted into a sphere of greater diameter than that of the crossbar rod, in an ascending or descending movement, depending on the set of open guides, due to the pressure exerted by the closing of the side arms in their positioning and anchoring in folding,with the subsequent folding of the crossbar into two possible positions: closed, retracted together with the arms, or open, as an extension of the arms. The cylindrical joints of this crossbar with the side arms consist of a cylindrical pin through matching circular holes made at the corresponding ends, which acts as a common axis of rotation for the arm and crossbar profiles in motion.

[0019] The connection and folding device by means of guides of the inner ends of the crossbar at its midpoint is made up of a rectangular box, in which the sides between the ends are the lateral ones, and those perpendicular to these are the upper, lower, front and rear sides in relation to the hook of the hanger, with a lipped mouth on the sides, and two double curved rails inserted inside, penetrating from the mouths, each with two branches, upper and lower, in symmetrical positions with respect to the central planes of longitudinal and transverse section of the box, which delimit a body in the center that in longitudinal section between sides has a rhombus shape with concave curved sides, with two wedge-shaped portions separated at the vertices of the horizontal diagonal, which by means of small cylindrical joints inside the tubular edges of both parts of the fragmented body,simultaneously actuatable by means of a latch on the front side of the box, they can be rotated at an angle of between 40°-50° around the diagonal, upwards or downwards, until said portions are anchored in a fixed position forming continuation surfaces with the upper or lower concave curved sides of the conical body, constituting the guides for raising or lowering the two divisions of the crossbar by means of their ball-bearing couplings.

[0020] The folding arms of the hanger have as a unique feature a longitudinal tubular groove or channel on the opposite inner faces, with a geometry complementary to the inner tubular profile of the articulated crossbar, which serve to house the two divided parts of the folded crossbar in the closed position in the arms.

[0021] These folding arms, positioned in front of the box that makes up the locking-unlocking device with a push button, have, at the bottom of their ends closest to the hook, cylindrical joints with the body of the box, consisting of a cylindrical pin through matching circular holes made in said part of the ends and the front side, which acts as the axis of rotation of the arms in folding; and at the top of the ends, two conical axes fixed by their bases to the rear face of that part of the arms, penetrating by their vertices in the body of the box through two holes on both sides of the push button, these conical vertices additionally facilitating the rotation of the arms in the folding operation.The locking and unlocking device for the folding arms, an essential component of the hanger and also claimed as an invention, consists of a T-shaped box in a top view, made up of a casing of panels or plates, with front, rear, upper, lower and lateral sides, in the centre of the front side of which there is a manual button or pushbutton, the actuation of which moves a straight metal plate attached to it inside the box, which ends in a spring that returns the button to its original position after the actuation is released.This metal plate has inserted in each of its side profiles, by means of cylindrical joints, two hook-shaped levers that embrace by their ends the vertices of the conical axes of the folding arms, which slide along rails in the form of two curved openings on the front side of the box, to allow the rotation of these side levers in the opposite direction to the penetration of the push button guided by rails located on the inside of the upper face of the box, pushing with their ends the conical axes for their displacement through curved openings made on the front side for this purpose, thus releasing the arms, which fold down by the force of gravity for the fold of the hanger to its closed position or lowered arms.The straight plate also has a metal tip that passes through it perpendicularly until it is inserted into a locking-unlocking disc located parallel to the bottom side of the box, with a locking stop formed by a Z-shaped metal tab arranged perpendicular to the disc, the purpose of which is to lock the device actuated with the arms lowered to allow its use, by fitting the metal tip into the sharp corner of the Z. Beneath this disc is a second disc connected to the first by a second metal tip that engages with a torsion spring located in its center, which together are responsible for returning the locking disc to its initial position. By pressing the button again, the device is unlocked and returns it to its original open hanger position, holding the garments.

[0022] FIGURES AND DRAWINGS. -

[0023] At the end of this descriptive memorandum, a series of figures with illustrative drawings of the proposed folding hanger, with its component parts, are included.

[0024] Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the hanger in its locked state for hanging garments. Figure 2 shows a detail of the connection between one of the folding side arms and the trouser bar, joined by a cylindrical pin that articulates the two parts.

[0025] Figure 3 shows the other end of the trouser bar, finished with the ball that faces the connection and folding device.

[0026] Figure 4 is a plan view of the connection and folding device, showing the entry of the crossbar spheres and the different directions it can take.

[0027] Figure 5 is an exploded axonometric view of the complete connection and folding device, with the top cover covering the included device.

[0028] Figures 6 and 7 show the front elevation of the two positions the unlocked hanger can take. Folded down with the crossbar facing upwards in the first case and downwards in Figure 7.

[0029] The view in Figure 8 shows a perspective of the side arms, the hollow shape of the element to house the crossbar, the joints with the other bodies of the element and the conical shaft that is inserted into the locking device.

[0030] Figure 9 shows the locking and unlocking device with all its components.

[0031] METHOD OF IMPLEMENTATION. -

[0032] As can be seen in Figure 1, the hanger in question has the traditional triangular shape of a clothes hanger, in this case the particularity consists in the ability to fold simply by pressing a button. The hanger is made up of a support body (1) with an upper hook (2) and two rectangular folding side arms (3), with an articulated crossbar (5) with a connection and folding device (8) in its middle.

[0033] The support body (1), as shown in figure 9, houses inside a locking and unlocking device for the folding arms (3) and is made up of a T-shaped box (4) in top view, formed by a casing of panels or plates, with front, rear, upper, lower and side sides, in the centre of the front side of which there is a manual button or push button (24). When actuated, a straight metal plate (25) attached to it inside the box moves, which ends in a spring (26) to return the button to its original position after the actuation is released. Said plate is connected by means of a horizontal joint (28) to two hook-shaped levers (27) that embrace the vertices of the conical axes (23) of the folding arms at their ends, in order to prevent their movement, keeping the arms raised.Once the button is pressed, the system is unlocked, causing these levers to rotate in the opposite direction to penetration and guided by rails (30), releasing the conical shafts, allowing their movement through the two curved openings (29) on the front side of the box, to allow the folding arms to rotate by the force of gravity to fold the hanger to its closed position or lowered arms; the metal plate (25) is attached to a metal tip (31) that passes through it perpendicularly until it is inserted into a locking-unlocking disc (32) located in parallel on the lower side of the box, with a locking stop (33), formed by a Z-shaped metal tab arranged perpendicular to the disc, the purpose of which is to block the device actuated with the arms lowered to allow its use, by means of the fit in which the metal tip fits into the sharp corner of the zeta.Below this disc there is a second disc (34) connected to the first one through a second metal tip (35) and hooked together by a torsion spring (37) located in its center which together are responsible for returning the locking disc (32) to its initial position. By pressing the button again the device is unlocked and returns it to its original open hanger position, holding the garments.

[0034] The folding arms (3) of the hanger have a rectangular shape with curved corners, especially the lower outer one whose radius of curvature is greater to avoid deformations of the garments. Its body has a longitudinal tubular slit or channel (21) on the opposite inner faces, with a geometry complementary to the inner tubular profile of the articulated crossbar (5) of trousers, to accommodate the two divided parts of the folded crossbar in the closed position in the arms, as can be seen in figure 8. They are joined to the support body (1) thanks to cylindrical joints (22) in the upper outer part, which pass through the entire thickness of the box (4), acting as hinges, and are responsible for the rotation of the arms with respect to the support body. Additionally, it has a conical piece (23) in the upper inner part as an axis of movement.Said axis is inserted into the box through rails or curved openings (29) that guide the axes in the opening and closing of the hanger. In the open position of the hanger, the conical axes are blocked by the levers (27) in the lower part of the curved openings; in the unlocked position of the hanger, with the arms lowered, the levers are released and the conical axes rise to the upper part of the openings. In the lower inner part of the arm there is a cylindrical joint (6) that joins the arms with the crossbar for trousers (5). As shown in figure 2, said joint is composed of a metal pin that passes through the arm of the hanger from front to back, penetrating a hole in the crossbar made for this purpose, to allow the crossbar to rotate with respect to the arm.

[0035] As can be seen in the figures, the crossbar (5) is composed of two symmetrical parts, joined together by a folding device (8) which is responsible for articulating the upward or downward movement of the crossbar and thus the folding of the hanger. As described, the crossbar is connected to the side arms (3). Through the joint (6). In.The other inner end of each half (7), as shown in figure 3, has a ball bearing hitch (9) provided in the center of the perimeter base of each of them, formed by a straight protruding shaft (10) driven into its end wall to the crossbar, which ends inserted in a sphere (11) of metal or other equivalent material of larger diameter than that of the crossbar rod, which is introduced into the rectangular box (8) of folding in ascending or descending movement, according to the set of open guides, due to the pressure exerted by the closing of the lateral arms in their positioning and anchoring in folding, with the consequent folding of the crossbar by its two parts in two possible positions: closed, collected together with the arms, or open, as an extension of those.Looking at figures 4 and 5, the balls enter the device (8) thanks to a lipped mouth (14) on the sides and which fork into a rail (15a and 15b) each with two branches, upper and lower, in symmetrical positions with respect to the central planes of longitudinal and transversal section of the box, which delimit a body in the center (16) that in longitudinal section between sides has a rhombus shape with concave curved sides (17).Between the body and the lid (13) of the box, and at the vertex of the rails, there are two wedges (18) connected to these by two cylindrical joints (19), which can be simultaneously actuated by a latch (20) on the front side of the box, they can be rotated at an angle of between 40°-50° around the diagonal, upwards or downwards, until said portions are anchored in a fixed position forming continuation surfaces with the upper or lower concave curved sides of the conical body, constituting the guides for raising or lowering the two divisions of the crossbar by means of their couplings with bearing balls.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Foldable hanger for shoulder pads and trousers with a push button, formed from the type of removable hanger with a triangular structure used for shoulder pads, composed of a support body (1) with an upper hook (2) and two rectangular folding side arms (3), with front, rear, exterior faces above and interior below, which close and open in the same plane by means of joints connected to the body, for anchoring in two positions: folded, closed or with arms lowered, and in use, open or with arms raised, by actuating a locking-unlocking device with a push button or manual lever integrated or formed as a box (4) in the support body itself, characterized by including an articulated crossbar (5) for trousers, in the form of a cylindrical rod, which is divided by its center into two equal parts or segments.joined by its two distant ends to the ends of the side arms by means of cylindrical joints (6), and joined by its two close or inner ends (7) of articulation by its center by means of a connection and folding device (8) by means of guides, in which these two ends are coupled and moved by means of a ball bearing hitch (9) provided in the center of the perimeter base of each one of them, formed by a straight protruding axis (10) that ends inserted into a sphere (11) of greater diameter than that of the crossbar rod, in ascending or descending movement, according to the set of open guides, due to the pressure exerted by the closing of the side arms in their positioning and anchoring in folding, with the consequent folding of the crossbar by its two parts in two possible positions: closed, collected together with the arms, or open,as an extension of those; in which the cylindrical joints (6) of the crossbar with the lateral arms are constituted by a cylindrical pin (12) through matching circular holes made in the corresponding ends, which acts as a common rotation axis of the arm profiles (3) and crossbar (5) in movement; and in which the connection and folding device (8) by means of guides of the inner ends of the crossbar is formed by a rectangular box (13), in which the sides between the ends (7) are the lateral ones, and those perpendicular to these are the upper, lower, front and rear sides in relation to the hook of the hanger, with a lipped mouth (14) on the sides, and two double curved rails (15a and 15b) inserted inside, penetrating from the mouths, each one with two branches, upper and lower,in symmetrical positions with respect to the central planes of longitudinal and transversal section of the box, which delimit a body in the center (16) that in longitudinal section between sides has a rhombus shape with concave curved sides (17), with two wedge-shaped portions (18) separated at the vertices of the horizontal diagonal, which by means of small cylindrical joints (19) inside the tubular edges of both, parts of the fragmented body, actuated simultaneously by a latch (20) on the front side of the box, are rotatable at an angle between 40°-50° around the diagonal, upwards or downwards, until said portions are anchored in a fixed position forming continuation surfaces with the upper or lower concave curved sides of the conical body, constituting the guides for raising or lowering the two divisions of the crossbar by means of their couplings with bearing balls.

2. Folding hanger for shoulder pads and trousers with a push button, according to claim 1, characterised in that the folding arms (3) of the hanger have a longitudinal tubular groove or channel (21) on the opposite inner faces, with a geometry complementary to the inner tubular profile of the articulated crossbar (5) of trousers, to accommodate in the arms the two divided parts of the folded crossbar in the closed position.

3. Foldable hanger for shoulder pads and trousers with a push button, according to claim 1, characterised in that the folding arms (3), positioned in front of the box that forms the locking-unlocking device with a push button, have, at the lower part of their ends closest to the hook, two cylindrical joints (22) with the body of the box, consisting of a cylindrical pin through matching circular holes made in said part of the ends and the front side of the box, which acts as an axis of rotation of the arms when folded down; and on the upper part of the ends, two conical axes (23) fixed by their bases to the rear face of that part of the arms, penetrating by their vertices into the body of the box through two holes on both sides of the push button.

4. Foldable hanger for shoulder pads and trousers with a push button, according to claims 1 and 3, characterised in that the locking and unlocking device of the folding arms (3) is constituted by a box (4) with a T shape in zenithal view, formed by a casing of panels or plates, with front, rear, upper, lower and lateral sides, in the centre of the front side of which there is a manual button or push button (24) whose actuation moves a straight metal plate (25) attached to it inside the box, which ends in a spring (26) that returns the push button to its original position. Tafter the drive is released, which has inserted in each of its side profiles, by means of two cylindrical joints (28), two hook-shaped levers (27) that embrace at their ends the vertices of the conical axes (23) of the folding arms, which slide along rails (29) in the form of two curved openings on the front side of the box, to allow the rotation of these side levers in the opposite direction to the penetration of the push button guided by rails (30) located inside the upper face of the box; The straight plate (25) also has a metal tip (31) that passes through it perpendicularly until it is inserted into a locking-unlocking disc (32) located in parallel on the lower side of the box, with a locking stop (33) formed by a Z-shaped metal tab arranged perpendicular to the disc, in which the metal tip fits into the sharp corner of the zeta, below which there is a second disc (34) connected to the first through a second metal tip (35) that engages with a torsion spring (36) located in its center.

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