Interlocking Hanger Structure for Load Rigidity and Crease Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional clothing hangers with thin widths are prone to bending under heavy loads and can create crease lines in garments due to their susceptibility to deformation.
Innovation Solution
Interlocking hanger design with specific interlocking regions and attachment pieces that allow multiple hangers to be combined, forming a stronger and wider hanger with a smooth surface, reducing the likelihood of bending and crease formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the hanger width is reduced to save material and increase storage capacity, then manufacturing cost and storage efficiency are improved, but the hanger becomes more prone to bending and creates creases in clothing
Solution Approach 1:
Two separate hangers are merged together through interlocking regions to form a single stronger structure. The hangers are positioned with their arms parallel and connected at the lower corners, effectively combining their structural strength while maintaining the benefits of thin individual hangers for material savings and storage efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The thin hangers are designed to nest within each other when not in use, maximizing storage capacity. When needed, they are deployed and interlocked to provide the necessary strength, effectively transitioning between a compact nested state and an expanded strong state.
2Productivity
If the hanger width is reduced to fit more hangers on a rod, then storage capacity is improved, but the hanger becomes more susceptible to deformation under heavy loads
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple thin hangers are combined through interlocking to create a reliable structure that can support heavy loads. The interlocking regions connect the hangers at their lower corners, distributing the load across multiple points and preventing deformation that would occur in a single thin hanger.
3Ease of manufacture
If the hanger width is reduced to minimize material usage, then manufacturing cost is improved, but the hanger creates undesirable crease lines in clothing
Solution Approach 1:
By combining two thin hangers into a wider interlocked structure, the hanger provides sufficient width to support clothing without creating creases, while still using less material than a single wide hanger would require. The interlocked structure distributes the clothing weight more evenly.
4Adaptability or versatility
If separate joining pieces are used to connect hangers, then adaptability and configuration options are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The joining functionality is merged into the hanger structure itself through integrated interlocking regions with holes and extruded lips. This eliminates the need for separate joining pieces while still allowing two hangers to connect securely, reducing component complexity while maintaining the ability to create joined configurations.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment a hanger has two interlocking regions, each located at the lower corners of the hanger arms. The interlocking regions have a hole that extends at least part way through the body of the hanger and an extruded lip that extends beyond the body of the hanger at the interlocking region. In one embodiment the outer surface of the interlocking region is narrower than the upper hanging arms of the hanger and the outer edge of the extruded lip is substantially co-planar with the outer surface of the upper hanging arms. This allows the upper hanging arms to be in direct contact with each other when the two hangers are locked together, creating a smooth upper surface.