Collapsible Hanger with Nested Arms to Prevent Garment Creasing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Garments such as shirts and jackets often become wrinkled, creased, and lose their shape when stored, leading to unsightly and potentially unwearable conditions due to degradation of the collar and shoulder areas.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible garment hanger with a hinge mechanism and detent system allows the hanger arms to be easily collapsed, incorporating a retractable hook and magnetic attraction to securely hold garments in a way that maintains their shape and prevents wrinkling, using reinforced plastic materials and aesthetic features to enhance appearance and durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If garments are stored in enclosures, drawers, bags or carrying cases, then storage convenience is improved, but the garments become wrinkled, creased and lose their shape
Solution Approach 1:
The hanger arms are designed to collapse and nest within each other, allowing the hanger to be compacted for storage in enclosures, drawers, bags or carrying cases while maintaining the ability to support garment weight when deployed
Solution Approach 2:
The hanger transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic collapsible structure through hinges and detent mechanisms, enabling the arms to be positioned in various configurations - extended for supporting garments and collapsed for convenient storage
2Ease of operation
If the hanger arms are collapsed for storage, then storage convenience is improved, but the ability to support and maintain garment structure is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The detent mechanism is pre-configured with engagement positions that automatically lock the hanger arms in the correct extended configuration when deployed, ensuring reliable garment support capability is restored before use without requiring manual adjustment
Solution Approach 2:
The hanger is divided into modular segments (arms, hinges, detents) that can be independently positioned - the arms can be collapsed for storage while the hook remains functional, or the arms can be extended to support garments while maintaining compact overall footprint
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The collapsible hanger effectively maintains garments in a wrinkle-free and crease-free state, supporting the shoulder and collar areas to prevent sagging and dimpling, allowing for easy storage and transportation while maintaining the garment's intended structure.
Implementation Method 1
a magnetic mechanism to hold the hanger arms in the collapsed position
Data Source
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AI summary
A collapsible hanger includes a left arm, a right arm, and a hook. A hinge rotatably holds the left and right arms together. When in expanded state, the left and right arms extend opposite each other. When in collapsed state, the arms are rotated adjacent to each other. The hook is rotatably coupled to one of the arms. In one example, the hook is rotatbly coupled in a ball and socket arrangement, and rotatable around the ball and socket arrangement between first and second positions. In the first position, the hook curved end is located above a top side of the respective arm. In the second position, the hook curved end is rotated into an opening and recess in the respective arm. A pin holding the hinge together includes a curved end portion overhanging an outer surface of the hinge to form a clasp to hold a collar of a garment.