Clothes hanger

Abstract

[Problem] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a clothes hanger which has good operability for attaching / detaching to / from clothes and with which clothes after washing can dry quickly. [Solution] In a clothes hanger 100, a first horizontal bar 1 and a second horizontal bar 2 are individually connected, by a plurality of joints 4, to a third horizontal bar 3 positioned therebetween, and the joints 4 are rotated by a rotary shaft 3J on the third horizontal bar 3 to vary the interval between the first and second horizontal bars 1, 2. A projection 4P provided on the joints 4 abuts on a stopper part 3S of the third horizontal bar 3 to stop the rotation, thereby restraining the first and second horizontal bars 1, 2 from moving downward. A hook 5 is configured to rotate and fall in a longitudinal direction of the third horizontal bar 3.

Description

clothes hanger

[0001] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention relates to a clothes hanger.

[0002] There are clothes hangers for hanging washed shirts and other items to dry in a neat and tidy state.

[0003] Common clothes hangers are made by bending thin wire into a wide triangle with a hook at the top center, or similar shapes made by injection molding synthetic resin. These hangers are almost thin and have a small cross-sectional area, so the left and right sides are connected at the base of the triangle to ensure strength, and as a result, they require a certain height.

[0004] For this reason, when a washed shirt is hung to dry on a regular clothes hanger, the front and back of the shirt may stick together. Also, because the hanger is long in the vertical direction, it is difficult to insert the hanger into the garment, and because it cannot be made long in the horizontal direction, the length of the hanger that can be inserted into the sleeve part is limited, which causes the shirt sleeves to droop and overlap at the armpits, resulting in longer drying times.

[0005] Because injection molding allows for the desired cross-section, numerous garment hangers have been proposed in recent years, including those elongated in the thickness direction like wooden hangers, and those whose longitudinal width can be adjusted by stretching or bending (see, for example, Patent Document 1). However, these hangers are difficult to insert into garments due to their long thickness. Furthermore, when inserting a hanger into a garment in a folded state and then unfolding it, if the hanger is too long in the width direction, it will get caught on the torso of the shirt, so it must be stretched by sliding it widthwise after unfolding. While it is possible to pull the hanger out without being obstructed by the fabric of the shirt by inserting your hand through the cuff, this can be particularly difficult with long-sleeved shirts.

[0006] Apart from hangers for drying shirts, a structure has been proposed that adds thickness to a hanger by arranging multiple horizontal bars in a structure that allows the distance between them to change. By applying this structure, it is possible to insert the hanger into a shirt in a thin rod-like state and then expand it to add thickness. Neither of the hangers in Patent Documents 2 and 3 is designed for drying shirts, and the purpose of varying the distance between the horizontal bars is to improve storage capacity rather than to improve insertion ease for clothes, but the structure can be applied to hangers for shirts.

[0007] Utility Model Registration No. 3239350 Patent No. 6592646 JP 2015-139694 A

[0008] When the structure of Patent Document 2 is applied to a shirt hanger, the horizontal bar of the hanger is not straight but curved or bent along the shoulder line of the shirt, so the radius of rotation in a plane perpendicular to the axis when unfolding becomes large at the widthwise end. In other words, when inserting the hanger into the shirt and then trying to unfold it, the hanger gets caught on the shirt fabric at the widthwise end, making it difficult to unfold.

[0009] When the structure of Patent Document 3 is applied to a shirt hanger, the horizontal bars of the hanger remain parallel and expand in the thickness direction, so the movement trajectory is not large. However, as the horizontal bars of the hanger expand, they move slightly upward from the horizontal, and to use gravity to expand the bars, the hanger must be held upside down. Furthermore, when a shirt is hanging on the hanger, the fabric of the shirt applies a force that resists the movement of the bars to open, so to expand the bars, it is necessary to hold both horizontal bars with both hands and open them. Performing this operation from the outside of a wet shirt is unstable and difficult due to the lack of slippage.

[0010] Therefore, the present invention aims to improve the operability of a hanger with multiple long horizontal bars that can be thickened by widening the distance between two horizontal bars, and to improve the ease of attaching and detaching the hanger to and from clothing, as well as the operability of unfolding the hanger.Furthermore, the present invention aims to make the hanger foldable when not in use.

[0011] A clothes hanger according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a first horizontal bar, a second horizontal bar arranged parallel to the first horizontal bar, and a third horizontal bar arranged between the first horizontal bar and the second horizontal bar, and the first horizontal bar and the second horizontal bar are each individually connected to the third horizontal bar by a plurality of joints, and each of the joints has a hinge structure near both ends, one of which has a joint portion with the third horizontal bar that rotates at a hinge portion of the joint, and the other of which has a joint portion with the first horizontal bar or the second horizontal bar that rotates at a hinge portion of the joint. In a clothing hanger that is connected to a horizontal bar and moves along an arc centered at the connection point with the third horizontal bar, while rotating at a hinge section, the distance between the first horizontal bar and the second horizontal bar is variable.When a protrusion on the joint hits a stopper section on the third horizontal bar, the rotation around the hinge connecting the third horizontal bar and the joint stops, the downward movement of the first horizontal bar and the second horizontal bar is suppressed, and the hook rotates and falls in the longitudinal direction of the third horizontal bar.

[0012] In addition, there are eight joints, the distance between the axes of both ends of the joints is the same length, all axes of the joints are parallel, and the distance between the first horizontal bar and the second horizontal bar can be changed while maintaining parallelism.

[0013] In addition, the first to third horizontal bars are each configured to bend using a bending rotation axis provided near the center of the longitudinal direction, and when the first horizontal bar and the second horizontal bar are closest to each other, the three bending rotation axes of the first to third horizontal bars coincide.

[0014] In a garment hanger constructed according to the present invention, when the hook is folded down while the first and second horizontal bars are close together, the entire hanger becomes thinner, making it easier to insert into the sleeve. After insertion, when the joint is rotated to expand the first and second horizontal bars, they remain parallel, leaving a small trajectory and less likely to get caught on the shirt fabric. Furthermore, because the first and second horizontal bars expand while lowering, they can be expanded without resisting gravity, and can be completed with a simple shake. Therefore, even if the horizontal bars are longer, ease of insertion into the shirt is not significantly impaired, and the hanger can be inserted into the sleeve, ensuring additional thickness, making it convenient for drying shirts.

[0015] The three horizontal bars have a rotating axis near the center for bending, so that after drying the clothes, they can be folded and easily removed from the neck hole of the shirt. When folded, they can be stored without taking up much space. Furthermore, when the first and second horizontal bars are unfolded, they are not easily broken because their axes do not align with the third horizontal bar. Furthermore, when folded, the first and second horizontal bars are less likely to unfold in the thickness direction, allowing the hanger to remain thin.

[0016] Furthermore, if the hinge structure is made of a thin flexible synthetic resin portion, the total number of parts can be reduced, assembly becomes easier, and manufacturing can be performed at low cost.

[0017] 4 is a perspective view of a conventional clothing hanger; a perspective view of a clothing hanger according to a first embodiment (with the horizontal bar open); a perspective view from another angle of FIG. 2; a front view of the state of FIG. 2; a cross-sectional view (A-A cross section) of the rotating shaft of the joint of FIG. 4; a cross-sectional view (B-B cross section) of the center of the left and right of FIG. 4; a perspective view of a clothing hanger according to the first embodiment (with the horizontal bar closed and the hooks folded down); a front view of the state of FIG. 7; a cross-sectional view (A-A cross section) of the rotating shaft of the joint of FIG. 8; a cross-sectional view (C-C cross section) of the bending rotation inhibiting part of FIG. 8; another cross-sectional view (D-D cross section) of the bending rotation inhibiting part of FIG. 8; a cross-sectional view (E-E cross section) of the middle part of FIG. 8; a bending rotation inhibiting part for releasing the bending rotation inhibiting part in the state of FIG. 7; 17A and 17B are cross-sectional views of the joint portion of the second embodiment when the horizontal bar of the clothing hanger is aligned with the position at the time of injection molding; 17B are cross-sectional views of the joint portion of the second embodiment when the horizontal bar of the clothing hanger is aligned with the closed position; 17C are cross-sectional views of the second embodiment when the horizontal bar of the clothing hanger is aligned with the position at the time of injection molding; 17D are cross-sectional views of the second embodiment when the horizontal bar of the clothing hanger is aligned with the closed position; 17D are cross-sectional views of the second embodiment when the horizontal bar of the clothing hanger is aligned with the closed position;

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0019] Figure 1 shows the appearance of a typical conventional clothes hanger 10. The hanger in Figure 1 is intended to be an injection-molded part. It is essentially a rectangular shape made of a small cross-section synthetic resin rod, elongated in the width direction, with a hook 5 attached to the apex. Because the hook 5 is integrally molded, it does not collapse or rotate. Therefore, its width is limited to prevent stretching when inserted through the neck hole of a round-neck T-shirt. As a result, the hanger does not reach the shirt sleeves, and the sleeves hang down along the torso. Furthermore, because the clothes hanger 10 is thin, when a wet shirt is hung up, the front and back of the shirt will dry while still stuck together. This can result in a longer drying time.

[0020] 2 and 3 are perspective views of a clothes hanger 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Three horizontal bars that are long in the width direction are connected by joints 4 to create thickness. In this first embodiment, the width is, for example, 62 cm and the thickness is 7 cm. In Fig. 2, the horizontal bar at the front is the first horizontal bar 1, the horizontal bar at the back is the second horizontal bar 2, and the slightly shorter horizontal bar between the first and second horizontal bars 1 and 2 is the third horizontal bar 3.

[0021] FIG. 2 illustrates the orientation of a garment hanger 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment, the hanger has no front or back and is generally symmetrical except for the hooks 5 and the hook tip storage section 3H. However, for convenience, the left and right sides are defined in the longitudinal direction (width direction) as shown in the figure, with the near side being the front. The distance in the front-to-rear direction in the figure represents the thickness of the garment hanger 100. As shown in the front view of FIG. 4, for the purpose of partially explaining the horizontal bar, the portion between the two inner joints 4 is referred to as the center portion 102, the portion between the outer and inner joints 4 as the middle portion 103, and the portion outside the two outer joints 4 as the tip portion 104.

[0022] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 4 taken along A-A at the rotation axes 1J, 2J, and 3J of the joints. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along B-B, which is the center in the left-right direction. As shown in Figures 2 to 6, the first and second cross bars 1 and 2 are connected to four joints 4 each (a total of eight joints 4) via the outer connecting portions 4B of the joints 4, and are further connected to the third cross bar 3 via the central connecting portions 4A of the joints 4. The outer connecting portions 4B and the central connecting portions 4A act as bearings, forming a hinge structure with the rotation axes 1J, 2J, and 3J of the joints provided on the first to third cross bars 1, 2, and 3, respectively, as its axis.

[0023] When the central connecting portion 4A of the joint 4 rotates around the joint rotation axis 3J provided on the third horizontal bar 3, the outer connecting portion 4B of the joint 4 moves along an arc centered on the joint rotation axis 3J provided on the third horizontal bar 3. The first and second horizontal bars 1 and 2 are not straight bars, but the opposing portions are parallel. These parallel portions of the first and second horizontal bars 1 and 2 move while maintaining their parallelism when the joint rotation axes 1J and 2J rotate relative to the outer connecting portion 4B of the joint 4.

[0024] Because there are two joints 4 per horizontal bar, one on each side of the central hook 5, the strength of the third horizontal bar 3 helps prevent excessive bending of the first and second horizontal bars 1 and 2 when clothes are hung on them. Furthermore, if there were only one joint 4 per horizontal bar on each side, symmetrically, the first and second horizontal bars 1 and 2 would rotate independently without remaining parallel. Furthermore, if there were more than eight joints 4, a force would act on the joints 4 to correct the warp when the first and second horizontal bars 1 and 2 warped, which would likely have a negative impact on the rotation of the joints 4. The eight joints 4 provide a structure that combines strength and operational stability when the garment hanger 100 of the first embodiment is mass-produced.

[0025] The rotation axes 1J, 2J, and 3J of the joints connecting the joint 4 and the first to third cross bars 1, 2, and 3 are all set to be parallel in the state shown in Figure 2. Furthermore, the distance between the axes of all joints 4 is the same at both ends. Therefore, all joints 4 rotate without twisting, and the first and second cross bars 1 and 2 move smoothly without needing to bend. Furthermore, by having axes at two locations, at both ends of the joint 4, the first and second cross bars 1 and 2 can move while remaining parallel without interfering with the joint 4. When widening the distance between the first and second cross bars 1 and 2 from the state shown in Figure 7, no forces are applied other than gravity and friction around the joint rotation axes 1J, 2J, and 3J, so the distance can be widened simply by holding the hook 5 and swinging it up and down. Furthermore, even if the first and second horizontal bars 1, 2 are not linear, the opposing portions of the first and second horizontal bars 1, 2 are always parallel in the open and closed states and at any time during the open and closed states, so there is no difference in the degree of spreading in parts, and friction with the fabric of the clothing does not increase during movement, making it easy to handle.

[0026] The joint 4 has a joint protrusion 4P on the outer periphery of the central connecting portion 4A that connects the third horizontal bar 3, and as shown in Figure 5, the joint protrusion 4P abuts against a stopper portion 3S provided on the third horizontal bar 3. The first and second horizontal bars 1 and 2 tend to move downward due to gravity, but the joint protrusion 4P abuts against the stopper portion 3S, restricting this downward movement. Therefore, even when clothes are hung, the joint 4 does not rotate, and the relative positions of the three horizontal bars 1, 2, and 3 remain stable as shown in Figure 2.

[0027] In the first embodiment of the present invention, the joint protrusion 4P is provided on the outer periphery of the central connecting portion 4A, but the structure may be such that rotation is prevented by the shape of the shaft and bearing. In this case, even if the part that abuts against the stopper portion 3S does not have a shape that is generally expressed as a protrusion but has a step-like shape, it is still considered to be a protrusion as defined in the claims.

[0028] At the joint's rotation axes 1J, 2J, as shown in Figure 5, the lower ends 1U, 2U of the horizontally long general portions of the first and second horizontal bars 1, 2 are set above the upper ends of the joint's rotation axes 1J, 2J. This eliminates the need for a slide mechanism in the mold during injection molding of the first and second horizontal bars 1, 2, and enables the mold to be opened and closed in the left-right direction in Figure 5 (the front-to-back direction in Figure 2) to remove the molded parts after molding. Furthermore, because joint 4 does not extend above the tangent line (dashed line in Figure 5) connecting the upper end of the third horizontal bar 3 and the upper ends of the first and second horizontal bars 1, 2, it does not leave marks on clothes when drying them.

[0029] Furthermore, the cross sections of the rotation axes 1J, 2J, and 3J of all joints have a shape obtained by cutting the top and bottom of a circle linearly. With this shape, the parting line of the mold does not come on the periphery, so even if flash occurs during injection molding, it is unlikely to affect the sliding of joint 4.

[0030] When the garment hanger 100 of the first embodiment is in an open state, the rotation axes 1J, 2J of the joints on the first and second horizontal bars 1, 2 are set slightly below the rotation axis 3J of the joint on the third horizontal bar 3. If the rotation axes 1J, 2J of the joints on the first and second horizontal bars 1, 2 are set above the rotation axis 3J of the joint on the third horizontal bar 3, the distance between the first and second horizontal bars 1, 2 will be shortened by forces from the left-right direction in Figure 5 (the front-back direction in Figure 2), making the hanger unstable when drying clothes. Also, if the rotation axes 1J, 2J of the joints on the first and second horizontal bars 1, 2 are set significantly below the rotation axis 3J of the joint on the third horizontal bar 3, the distance between the first and second horizontal bars 1, 2 will not be sufficient. Furthermore, if the rotation axes 1J, 2J of the joints of the first and second cross bars 1, 2 are approximately 10 mm or less below the rotation axis 3J of the joint of the third cross bar 3, when closing the first and second cross bars 1, 2, it is only necessary to slightly lift the first and second cross bars 1, 2 while pressing down on the third cross bar 3 from above, and then apply force to grasp the first and second cross bars 1, 2 from the left and right directions in Figure 5 (the front and back directions in Figure 2), which will close the bars, so that operation can be done with one hand.

[0031] As shown in Figure 1, a typical simple garment hanger 10 has a linear section connecting both ends in the width direction to prevent deformation, making it impossible to reduce the height at the center in the width direction. The present invention aims to provide a design that allows even long hangers to be easily threaded through the sleeves, so the height must be reduced. To ensure that the horizontal bars do not deform even when wet clothes are hung on them, it is best to design them with a long cross section in the vertical direction. While this design is possible to some extent for the third horizontal bar 3, the first and second horizontal bars 1 and 2 cannot be made too long in the vertical direction because they must be as small as possible when folded. In particular, the rotation axis portions of the joints are short in the vertical direction due to the mold structure described above. To compensate for this, most of the intermediate portion 103 between the rotation axis 1J, 2J, and 3J of the central joint and the rotation axis 1J, 2J, and 3J of the outer left and right joints has a long cross section in the vertical direction. If the deflection of the intermediate portion 103 of the first and second horizontal bars 1 and 2 can be suppressed, the structure will have minimal deflection overall, except for the tip portion 104, because they are connected to the third horizontal bar 3 by the joints.

[0032] 7 and 8 are perspective and front views of the garment hanger 100 of the first embodiment, showing the state in which the horizontal bars are closed and the hooks 5 are folded down. Also, a similar cross section taken along the line A-A in FIG. 9 corresponds to FIG. 5. The first and second horizontal bars 1, 2 are closer together than in the state shown in FIG. 2, and are thinner overall. Furthermore, because the tips of the first and second horizontal bars 1, 2 are curved inward in the front-to-back direction and closer together, the tips 104 are less likely to get caught at the opening of the shirt sleeve when passing them through the neck hole and into the sleeve. When actually using the clothing hanger 100 of the first embodiment for a T-shirt, grasp the middle part 103 on the side where the hook 5 of the clothing hanger 100 is folded down, insert the tip of the opposite side through the neck hole of the shirt and pass it through the sleeve, insert it until the tip of the gripped side reaches the neck hole, grasp the clothing hanger 100 over the shirt and change your grip while returning it until the center is aligned with the shirt, lift up the hook 5, hold the tip of the hook 5, and gently shake it up and down to spread the first and second horizontal bars 1 and 2 and adjust the position.

[0033] Furthermore, the first and second horizontal bars 1, 2 are shaped so that their tips hang downward to allow the sleeve portion to be gently released when the shirt is drying, and the third horizontal bar 3 is shorter than the first and second horizontal bars 1, 2, so that when inserting the tip portion 104 into the sleeve, the tip of the third horizontal bar 3 does not move too far away from the trajectory along which the tips of the first and second horizontal bars 1, 2 pass through the sleeve, and the tip of the third horizontal bar 3 can be inserted smoothly without getting caught.

[0034] When inserting the garment hanger 100 of the first embodiment of the present invention through the neck hole of a shirt toward the sleeve as shown in FIG. 7 , it is assumed that the first and second horizontal bars 1, 2 are gripped by the middle portion 103, which has a vertically elongated cross section. FIG. 12 shows a cross section of the middle portion 103 (cross section E-E in FIG. 8 ). When the middle portion 103 is gripped, the tops of the middle protrusions 103P on the first and second horizontal bars 1, 2 first come into contact with each other, although there is a slight gap between them in the state shown in FIG. 12 . Because the cross section of the middle portion 103 widens in the front-to-back direction as it extends downward, gripping the middle portion 103 acts on the first and second horizontal bars 1, 2 with a force F that moves the lower ends of the cross sections of the middle portions 103 toward each other. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12 , a moment M acts on the first and second horizontal bars 1, 2, centered on the tops of the middle protrusions 103P, tending to move the tip ends 104 toward each other when viewed from the side. Therefore, the tips of the first and second horizontal bars 1, 2 naturally come into contact, allowing for smooth insertion into the sleeve. The middle protrusion 103P is provided with vertical ribs for the purpose of reinforcement and to accommodate slight misalignment, but the heights of the ribs are configured to move apart from the top downwards so that they always come into contact at the top.

[0035] The hook 5 of the garment hanger 100 of the first embodiment of the present invention has a rotation axis at the center of the garment hanger 100 in the width direction and is configured to rotate and tilt in the longitudinal direction of the third horizontal bar 3. In this embodiment, the axis of the hook 5 is a single axis shared with the bending rotation axis 3A of the third horizontal bar 3, but it may also be configured to tilt freely in any direction using a ball joint. The third horizontal bar 3 has a hook tip storage section 3H, which prevents the hook 5 from protruding vertically as much as possible when tilted and prevents the hook 5 from getting caught on clothing when inserted into the clothing. However, if the hook 5 is completely hidden between the first and second horizontal bars 1 and 2 when the garment hanger 100 is closed, it would be difficult to grasp and lift it up, so the hook 5 is configured to protrude slightly when viewed from the front, as shown in Figure 8.

[0036] The first to third horizontal bars 1, 2, and 3 each have a horizontal bar bending rotation axis 1A, 2A, and 3A at the center in the width direction. The first to third horizontal bars 1, 2, and 3 are divided into left and right halves each equipped with the bending rotation axis 1A, 2A, and 3A, and are connected by bending rotation axis pins 1P, 2P, and 3P. In the open state shown in FIG. 2, the bending rotation axes 1A and 2A of the first and second horizontal bars 1 and 2 and the bending rotation axis 3A of the third horizontal bar 3 are vertically offset. In the closed state shown in FIG. 7, they are all aligned in a straight line. By aligning the bending rotation axes 1A, 2A, and 3A of the first to third horizontal bars 1, 2, and 3, the clothes hanger 100 of the first embodiment as a whole can be bent. In actual use, the clothes hanger can be bent even if there is some axis misalignment due to gaps or deformation between components. The term "aligned axes" as used in the claims refers to a design in which the axes are aligned within a range of misalignment that does not require the application of a large force.

[0037] 14 and 15 show a perspective view and a front view of the garment hanger 100 of the first embodiment of the present invention with the horizontal bars folded. By folding the bending rotation axes 1A, 2A, and 3A of the first through third central horizontal bars 1, 2, and 3, respectively, the width dimension of the garment hanger can be shortened when stored. In this case, the joint rotation axes 1J, 2J, and 3J are not parallel to the right and left sides of the center (the upper and lower sides of FIGS. 14 and 15). (The joint rotation axis 2J of the second horizontal bar 2 is hidden in the figures.) Therefore, the first and second horizontal bars 1 and 2 do not easily open in the front-to-rear direction, and the garment can be hung without increasing in length in the front-to-rear direction.

[0038] In the state shown in Figure 2, the bending rotation axes 1A, 2A of the first and second horizontal bars 1, 2 are aligned, but the bending rotation axis 3A of the third horizontal bar 3 is vertically offset, preventing easy bending. However, due to the weight of wet clothes, some bending may occur. To prevent this, the first embodiment provides a bending rotation restraint 3C. Figures 10 and 11 show cross-sectional views (C-C cross section and D-D cross section) of the bending rotation restraint 3C in the state shown in Figure 8. The third left horizontal bar 3L and the third right horizontal bar 3R are provided with claws 3LC, 3RC at their overlapping portions, which engage with each other to prevent movement in the bending direction of the third horizontal bar 3. When bending, the plate 3B around the claw of the third left horizontal bar 3L, which constitutes the inner claw 3LC in Figure 11, is moved inward in the front-to-rear direction to release the engagement of the claws 3LC, 3RC.

[0039] If there is a bias in the distance traveled by the front and rear plates when the plates 3B around the claws move inward, there is a risk that the claws 3LC, 3RC on one side will not be released and will remain, so a bias prevention protrusion 3K is provided at the front-to-back center (left-to-right center in Figure 11) of the third cross bar 3. As a result, when force is applied to the plates 3B around the claws from the outside, the inside of the plates 3B around the claws will abut against the bias prevention protrusion 3K, and the plates 3B around the front and rear claws will move the same distance, so that the claws 3LC, 3RC on one side will not be released and will remain.

[0040] To release the bending rotation inhibiting portion 3C, the plate 3B around the claw can be directly pinched and moved inward, but to eliminate the need to change grip during bending operations, bending rotation inhibiting portion release protrusions 1N and 2N are provided on the first and second cross bars 1 and 2. Figure 11 shows a cross section from the direction in which the bending rotation inhibiting portion release protrusions 1N and 2N can be seen. Figure 13 shows an enlarged perspective view of the bending rotation inhibiting portion release protrusions 1N and 2N in the state shown in Figure 7. When bending the clothes hanger 100 of the first embodiment, by grasping the first and second horizontal bars 1 and 2 near the bending rotation prevention section release protrusions 1N and 2N and moving the first and second horizontal bars 1 and 2 closer to the inside in the front-to-back direction, the bending rotation prevention section release protrusions 1N and 2N provided on the inside in the front-to-back direction of the first and second horizontal bars 1 and 2 will come into contact with the outside of the plate 3B around the inner claw 3LC of the third horizontal bar 3, and by grasping even harder, the inner claw 3LC will move inward and the bending rotation prevention section 3C will be released.

[0041] Forcibly bending the garment hanger 100 when it is open, as shown in Figure 2, may result in damage. However, simply gripping the garment hanger when it is closed, as shown in Figure 7, release of the bending and rotation inhibiting portion 3C, not only makes the operation easier, but also prevents the garment hanger 100 from being accidentally damaged by the user.

[0042] Considering the direction of the load when clothes are hung, it is easier to design a robust structure for the shaft portion if the bending direction of the horizontal bar is such that the tip moves upward, but in the first embodiment, the tip moves downward, which is designed to ensure that the hook 5 is not hidden even in the bent state and can be easily hung on the clothesline, and that the clothes hanger 100 can be bent to easily remove it from the neck hole of a shirt after the clothes are dried. However, the bending direction may be such that the tip moves upward within the scope of the claims.

[0043] Figure 16 is a perspective view of a clothes hanger 100 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 17 is a front view of Figure 16, and Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view of the joints taken along the line F-F in Figure 17. In the first embodiment, the eight joints 4 were separate components, but in the second embodiment, the first to third horizontal bars 1, 2, and 3 and the joints 4 are integrally molded. While the left and right sections are separated into separate components around the bending rotation axes 1A, 2A, and 3A of the horizontal bars, each of the left and right sections is a single component connecting the first to third horizontal bars 1, 2, and 3. The thin-walled sections 4T at both ends of the joints 4 bend to form a hinge structure.

[0044] The components of the clothes hanger 100 of the second embodiment are manufactured by injection molding flexible synthetic resin such as polypropylene, and the thin-walled portion 4T can maintain its performance without breaking even if it is repeatedly bent.

[0045] In the hinge structure of the clothing hanger 100 of the second embodiment, the thin-walled portions 4T provided at both ends of the joint 4 cannot be clearly shown as a single straight line axis, and the thin-walled portions 4T as a whole deform while causing the portions on both sides connected to the thin-walled portion 4T to move relatively, but in reality, this is a movement that can be called a rotation, just like in the first embodiment. In the drawings showing the clothing hanger 100 of the second embodiment, for convenience, the thin-walled portions 4T are shown as being bent in a single straight line in the left-right direction, acting as the rotation axes 1J, 2J, and 3J of the joint.

[0046] Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view (F-F cross-section) of the joint portion of Figure 17. When the first and second horizontal bars 1 and 2 are open, the protrusion 4P of the joint abuts against the stopper portion 3S provided on the third horizontal bar 3, thereby restricting the movement of the joint 4. Therefore, when clothes are hung out to dry, the first and second horizontal bars 1 and 2 are stable in the state shown in Figure 18.

[0047] 19 is a cross-sectional view (G-G cross-section) of the center of the left and right sides of FIG. 17. In the second embodiment of the clothing hanger 100, in order to reduce the number of parts, the pins 1P, 2P, and 3P of the bending rotation axes of the first to third horizontal bars 1, 2, and 3 are not made into separate parts, but are molded integrally with the horizontal bars or the hooks 5. As a result, the total number of parts in the clothing hanger 100 of the second embodiment is reduced to three, which reduces the part manufacturing costs and assembly costs compared to the first embodiment. However, if priority is placed on product life and appearance, the bending rotation axes 1A, 2A, and 3A may be made into separate parts as in the first embodiment.

[0048] Figure 20 shows a cross section of the joint 4 portion of the garment hanger 100 of the second embodiment, showing the shape of the garment hanger when injection molding a part in which the first to third horizontal bars 1, 2, and 3 and the joint 4 are connected by the thin-walled portion 4T. That is, Figure 18 is aligned with the position during injection molding. As shown in Figure 20, the positions of the first and second horizontal bars 1 and 2 are positioned between the open and closed positions, and the joint 4 portion is designed so that it can be removed without interference by vertical movement of the mold. Furthermore, if the thin-walled portion 4T is not bent, the resin will flow smoothly during molding, so a non-bent shape as shown in Figure 20 is desirable. Smooth resin flow during molding reduces the possibility of weld lines occurring in the thin-walled portion 4T.

[0049] 21 shows a cross-sectional view of the joint 4 when the first and second horizontal bars 1, 2 are aligned in the closed position in the clothing hanger 100 of the second embodiment. In the clothing hanger 100 of the second embodiment, there is no need to provide a bearing in the joint 4, so the shape of the joint 4 and its surrounding area is smaller, and when the first and second horizontal bars 1, 2 are closed, the dimensions in the up-down and front-to-back directions are smaller than those of the first embodiment.

[0050] Figure 22 is a perspective view of the garment hanger 100 of the second embodiment, and Figure 23 is a front view of Figure 22, showing the first to third horizontal bars 1, 2, and 3 folded. In the garment hanger 100 of the second embodiment, when the first and second horizontal bars 1 and 2 are closed, a force acts to return the hinge structure formed by the thin-walled portion 4T to the state at the time of injection molding, i.e., the state shown in Figure 20. At this time, the first and second horizontal bars 1 and 2 tend to open in the absence of external force. In order to minimize the size in the front-to-rear direction when the first to third horizontal bars 1, 2, and 3 are folded, the garment hanger 100 of the second embodiment is provided with a bending-time opening prevention protrusion 1W and a bending-time opening prevention protrusion storage portion 3W. When the first to third cross bars 1, 2, and 3 are bent, the bent-time opening prevention protrusions 1W provided on the first and second cross bars 1 and 2 fit into the bent-time opening prevention protrusion storage portions 3W provided on the third cross bar, preventing the first and second cross bars 1 and 2 from opening. The positions of the bent-time opening prevention protrusions 1W and the bent-time opening prevention protrusion storage portions 3W when not bent are shown in Figure 17.

[0051] As described above, the clothes hanger 100 of the embodiment of the present invention is equipped with a horizontal bar that is long in the width direction, and it can support the inside of the sleeves and dry the fabric of the clothes without overlapping at the sides.It also has sufficient dimensions in the thickness direction to prevent the body of the clothes from sticking to the hanger, and it is easy to insert into the clothes.It can be folded up small when not in use, so it is a clothes hanger that dries clothes quickly and is easy to use.

[0052] 10 Conventional clothing hanger 100 Clothing hanger according to an embodiment of the present invention 102 Central portion 103 Middle portion 103P Middle portion protrusion 104 Tip portion 1 First horizontal bar 1A Rotation axis for bending horizontal bar (first horizontal bar) 1J Rotation axis of joint (first horizontal bar) 1L First left horizontal bar 1N Bending rotation inhibiting portion release projection (first horizontal bar) 1P Bending rotation axis pin (first horizontal bar) 1R First right horizontal bar 1U Lower end of general portion (first horizontal bar) 1W Bending opening prevention projection 2 Second horizontal bar 2A Bending rotation axis of horizontal bar (second horizontal bar) 2J Rotation axis of joint (second horizontal bar) 2L Second left horizontal bar 2N Bending rotation inhibiting portion release projection (second horizontal bar) 2P Bending rotation axis pin (second horizontal bar) 2R Second right-hand horizontal bar 2U Lower end of general part (second horizontal bar) 3 Third horizontal bar 3A Rotation axis for bending horizontal bar (third horizontal bar) 3B Plate around claw (third left horizontal bar) 3C Bending rotation prevention part 3H Hook tip storage part 3J Rotation axis of joint (third horizontal bar) 3K Anti-bias protrusion 3L Third left-hand horizontal bar 3LC Inner claw (claw on the left bar of the third horizontal bar) 3P Pin of rotation axis for bending (third horizontal bar) 3R Third right-hand horizontal bar 3RC Outer claw (claw on the right bar of the third horizontal bar) 3S Stopper part 3W Storage part for protrusion to prevent opening when bending 4 Joint 4A Central connecting part 4B Outer connecting part 4P Protrusion of joint 4T Thin part 5 Hook F The force M acting on the clothes hanger when gripped is the moment F acting on the tip of the clothes hanger.

Claims

1. A clothes hanger comprising a first horizontal bar, a second horizontal bar arranged parallel to the first horizontal bar, and a third horizontal bar arranged between the first horizontal bar and the second horizontal bar, the first horizontal bar and the second horizontal bar being individually connected to the third horizontal bar by a plurality of joints, each of the joints having hinge structures near both ends, one of the hinge structures having a connection portion with the third horizontal bar that rotates at a hinge portion of the joint, and the other of the hinge structures being connected to the first horizontal bar or the second horizontal bar and rotating while moving along an arc-like trajectory centered on the hinge portion connected to the third horizontal bar, wherein the distance between the first horizontal bar and the second horizontal bar is variable, and a protrusion provided on the joint hits a stopper portion of the third horizontal bar to stop the rotation around the hinge connecting the third horizontal bar to the joint, thereby suppressing downward movement of the first horizontal bar and the second horizontal bar.

2. The clothes hanger according to claim 1, wherein the hooks rotate and fall in the longitudinal direction of the third horizontal bar.

3. A clothes hanger as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the hinge structure of the joint is made of a thin section of flexible synthetic resin.

4. A clothes hanger as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that there are eight joints, the distances between the hinges at both ends of the joints are all the same length, the axes of rotation of all the joints are parallel, and the opposing parts of the first horizontal bar and the second horizontal bar are kept parallel while the distance between them is variable.

5. A clothes hanger comprising a first horizontal bar, a second horizontal bar arranged parallel to the first horizontal bar, and a third horizontal bar arranged between the first and second horizontal bars, the first horizontal bar and the second horizontal bar being individually connected to the third horizontal bar by a plurality of joints, each of the joints having a hinge structure near both ends, one of which rotates at the hinge portion of the joint at the connection portion with the third horizontal bar, and the other of which is connected to the first horizontal bar or the second horizontal bar and rotates while moving along an arc-like trajectory centered on the hinge portion connected to the third horizontal bar, thereby making it possible to change the distance between the first horizontal bar and the second horizontal bar, wherein the first to third horizontal bars are each structured to bend by a bending rotation axis provided near the center in the longitudinal direction, and when the first horizontal bar and the second horizontal bar are closest to each other, the three bending rotation axes of the first to third horizontal bars coincide.

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