Collapsible hanger cover
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional clothes hangers, especially wire and skinny plastic ones, deform and damage clothing items, particularly when they are wet or damp, due to their narrow design that digs into the fabric.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible hanger cover with rotatable wings and hinges that provide a larger surface area to reduce stress on garments, allowing for expanded and collapsed configurations to accommodate traditional hangers and protect fabrics from deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional wire or skinny plastic hangers are used, then the hanger structure is simple and cost-effective, but the hanger deforms and damages wet or damp clothing items
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a hanger cover as an intermediary component that wraps around the traditional hanger. This cover provides a broader, softer surface area that contacts the garment, preventing the narrow hanger from digging into the fabric. The cover acts as a mediator between the hanger structure and the clothing item, eliminating damage while preserving the simplicity of traditional hangers.
Solution Approach 2:
The hanger cover extends the functional surface area from a narrow line contact to a broader two-dimensional surface. By adding this dimensional extension, the weight distribution is improved across the garment shoulders, preventing the concentrated pressure that causes deformation while maintaining the original hanger structure.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a broader hanger design is used to protect garments, then fabric deformation is reduced, but the hanger becomes more complex and less adaptable to traditional hanger structures
Solution Approach 1:
The hanger cover is designed to nest over the traditional hanger structure. The cover's open configuration allows it to envelop the hanger, with the hanger fitting inside the cover's framework. This nesting arrangement provides the protective broader surface area while maintaining compatibility with various traditional hanger designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The hanger cover incorporates movable joints that allow the structure to transition between open and closed configurations. This dynamic capability enables the cover to adapt to different hanger sizes and shapes, providing versatility while maintaining the protective function across multiple traditional hanger types.
3Area of moving object
If the hanger cover is in expanded configuration to protect garments, then surface area is maximized for weight distribution, but the hanger cover cannot be easily stored or removed
Solution Approach 1:
The hanger cover employs movable joints connecting the wings that enable transformation between expanded and collapsed configurations. When not in use, the wings can be folded together along the hinge axes, reducing the overall volume for easy storage. The dynamic nature of the structure allows seamless transition between the protective expanded state and the compact stored state.
Solution Approach 2:
The hanger cover is divided into multiple wings connected by joints, allowing independent movement of each segment. This segmentation enables the structure to collapse into a compact form by folding the wings together, while in the expanded configuration, the segments form the full protective surface area. The segmented design provides both protection and storage convenience.
Data Source
AI summary
A hanger cover extends between a first end and a second end. The hanger cover includes a pair of wings coupled together, each of the pair of wings having a pair of substantially parallel branches spaced apart by a channel and joined at a junction, wherein the pair of wings are rotatable relative to one another.