Inertia-Locking Collapsible Garment Hanger for One-Handed Use
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional garment hangers are difficult to operate with one hand, especially for individuals with disabilities, and often require two hands to maneuver, making it challenging to hang garments efficiently and prevent garment neck stretching.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible garment hanger design utilizing inertia and gravity for operation, featuring a housing structure with hanger arms and locking mechanisms that can be extended and locked using single-handed motion, allowing for synchronous or asynchronous operation without relocating the hand, and incorporating weights for enhanced usability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a conventional steel wire hanger is used, then the hanger is simple in design and effective in preventing wrinkles, but it is difficult to insert into or remove from garments and difficult to carry
Solution Approach 1:
The hanger arms are designed to be dynamically collapsible and expandable. When collapsed, the hanger becomes compact for easy insertion into garments and carrying. When expanded, the arms provide full functionality for supporting garments. This dynamic transformation resolves the contradiction between operational ease and manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The hanger arms can be nested within each other when collapsed, similar to nested dolls. This nesting mechanism allows the hanger to become compact for easy insertion into garments and storage, while maintaining the full structure when needed for garment support.
2Ease of operation
If a collapsible garment hanger is used, then it is easier to position inside garments and carry, but two hands are required to maneuver the hanger and garment
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is designed to be self-actuating through gravity and inertia. When the hanger arms are expanded, the weight of the arms and locking mechanism automatically engages the locking mechanism to secure the arms in place. This self-service feature eliminates the need for complex manual operation and reduces the number of hands required.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism utilizes the weight of the hanger arms themselves as a counterweight to automatically engage the locking feature. The gravitational force on the arms' weight provides the necessary force to trigger the locking mechanism, eliminating the need for additional complex locking components or two-handed operation.
3Weight of moving object
If the hanger arms are made lightweight for easy manipulation, then the hanger is easier to maneuver, but the locking mechanism may not engage reliably
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is designed with specific gravitational parameters in mind. By carefully designing the geometry and distribution of mass in the locking mechanism, it becomes sensitive to gravitational force. This allows lightweight arms to reliably engage the locking mechanism through gravity, as the locking mechanism is optimized to respond to the gravitational pull of the arm's weight rather than requiring heavy mass.
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
Enables efficient and fast garment hanging with single-handed operation, preventing garment neck stretching and accommodating various user abilities by using inertia and gravity for automatic locking, thus improving convenience and accessibility.
Implementation Method 1
a weight of one or more of the hanger arm and the locking mechanism is configured to enable the locking mechanism to change between a locked state and an unlocked state in response to a motion of the hanger arm in relation to the locking mechanism
Implementation Method 2
utilize inertia and gravity as a primary means of operation
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a collapsible garment hanger capable of being operated by one hand. The collapsible garment hanger includes one or more hanger arms, wherein a hanger arm comprises an elongated body. Further, the collapsible garment hanger includes one or more locking mechanisms coupled to the one or more hanger arms. A locking mechanism coupled to a hanger arm is configured to remain in one of a locked state and an unlocked state, wherein a weight of one or more of the hanger arm and the locking mechanism is configured to enable the locking mechanism to change between a locked state and an unlocked state in response to a motion of the hanger arm in relation to the locking mechanism. Moreover, the collapsible garment hanger includes a housing structure coupled to the one or more locking mechanisms.