Adjustable clothes hanger

Abstract

An adjustable clothing hanger including a pair of side members ( 104,106 ) selectively adjustable relative to a hanger body ( 102 ) and in moveable relationship with upper and lower cross bars ( 108, 110 ). The hanger may also include a lockably rotatable hook ( 100 ).

1 . An adjustable clothes hanger, comprising:
 a body having a first shoulder portion and a second shoulder portion;   a first side member having an upper arm adapted for telescopic movement with said first shoulder portion;   a second side member having an upper arm adapted for telescopic movement with said second shoulder portion; an upper cross bar connecting said first and second side members; and a lower cross bar connecting said first and second side members, said upper and lower cross bars each comprising at least two portions adapted for telescopic movement with one another, said portions of said upper cross bar being asymmetrically positioned relative to said portions of said lower cross bar when said hanger is in a non-expanded position.   
   
   
       2 . The hanger of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said cross bars includes a third portion adapted for telescopic movement with said other two portions. 
   
   
       3 . The hanger of  claim 1 , wherein one of said portions of one of said cross bars extends from one of said side members through a central vertical plane separating said first and second side members. 
   
   
       4 . The hanger of  claim 1 , wherein one of said portions of each of said cross bars extends from one of said side members through a central vertical plane separating said first and second side members. 
   
   
       5 . The hanger of  claim 1 , wherein one of said portions of one of said cross bars is a rod that is exposed when said hanger is moved from the non-expanded position to an expanded position. 
   
   
       6 . The hanger of  claim 5 , wherein said rod is exposed only on one side of a central vertical plane separating said first and second side members. 
   
   
       7 . The hanger of  claim 5 , wherein one of said portions is adapted to move within said rod. 
   
   
       8 . The hanger of  claim 1 , further comprising a depth stop configured to prevent said first and second side member from completely separating from said body. 
   
   
       9 . The hanger of  claim 1 , wherein each of said first and second side members include an opening and each of said first and second shoulder portions include an opening, the openings of said first side member and said first shoulder portion being alignable to form a first pair of aligned openings, the openings of said second side member and said second shoulder portion being alignable to form a second pair of aligned openings, further comprising a shoulder board having a projection for insertion into one of said pair of aligned openings. 
   
   
       10 . An adjustable clothes hanger, comprising:
 a body having a first shoulder portion and a second shoulder portion;   a first side member having an upper arm adapted for telescopic movement with said first shoulder portion and a lower arm at an angle relative to said upper arm;   a second side member having an upper arm adapted for telescopic movement with said second shoulder portion and a lower arm at an angle relative to said upper arm of said second side member, said lower arms of said first and second side members being of different lengths and adapted for telescopic movement with one another, one of said upper arms having a length greater than the length of one of said lower arms.   
   
   
       11 . The hanger of  claim 10 , wherein one of said shoulder portions of said body has a length longer than that of one of said upper arms of said side members. 
   
   
       12 . The hanger of  claim 10 , wherein each of said first and second side members includes a second lower arm adapted to be in telescopic relationship with each other. 
   
   
       13 . The hanger of  claim 1 , further comprising a hook adapted to be in rotative engagement with said body, said hook comprising a locking mechanism for selectively locking the rotative position of said hook relative to said body. 
   
   
       14 . A clothes hanger, comprising:
 a body having a first shoulder portion and a second shoulder portion;   a hook rotatively attached to said body; and   a locking mechanism for selectively locking the rotative position of said hook relative to said body.   
   
   
       15 . The hanger of  claim 14 , wherein said locking mechanism includes a plurality of detents radially dispersed about the rotative axis of said hook. 
   
   
       16 . The hanger of  claim 14 , wherein said locking mechanism includes a spring. 
   
   
       17 . The hanger of  claim 16 , wherein said spring is configured to bias said hook into engagement with one of said detents. 
   
   
       18 . A method of selecting a radial position of a hook of a clothes hanger relative to a body of the hanger, the method comprising the steps of:
 axially moving the hook relative to the body in a first direction;   moving the hook in a second direction to engage the hook with a portion of the body to prevent the hook from rotating about its axis.   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the step of moving includes axially moving the hook in the direction opposite to the first direction. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the step of axially moving includes moving the hook towards the body. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the step of moving includes contacting a portion of the hook with at least one detente. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the step of moving includes permitting a biasing force to move the hook into engagement with the portion of the body.