Tilt and slide space savings clothing storage device and self-locking clip for asymmetric hanger accessory

Abstract

A family of space savings storage devices for hanging, storing and removal of any item that can be hung in a vertical plane from an appropriate hanger hook is disclosed. The devices consist of a pair of downwardly diverging legs forming either an inverted V-shaped or U-shaped receiver. The fixed angle of divergence of the legs ranges from 60 to 120 degrees. In one embodiment that angle can be varied. On the undersides of the legs are attached sockets from which items can be hung using appropriate hooks attached to the body of a hanger. The spacing of the sockets can be equal or variable. Increased spacing on the lower segments of the legs for the inverted U-shaped receiver, where the legs are nearly vertical, prevents hung items which are generally bulkier at the top, or hanger components which also can be bulky from interfering with each other as the spacing can be adjusted to allow such parts to lay one above the other. At the top of each device is a slide element which can be placed over a glide or horizontally disposed support post. By moving the slide element to either side of the vertical or equilibrium position on the support post, these devices by simple principles of Physics tilt. From basic geometrical considerations, items hung on the upwardly tilted leg horizontally spread apart, while those on the more vertically oriented leg move together. This allows easy access to items suspended from sockets on the more horizontal leg. Devices disclosed can be constructed where the horizontal space requirement in the vertical position is no more than in the tilted and slide position. Thus loading or unloading items from these devices can be done in a fixed horizontal space. The inverted V-shaped or U-shaped also confers excellent visual inventory of hung items. Also disclosed is a self locking spring clip that improves the use of Asymmetric Hangers for long or short trousers and skirts. Asymmetric Hangers with this modification and a modified hook to fit the hook and socket system employed here lend themselves well to use with the storage systems disclosed. Other hangers with appropriate means for attachment to the devices can also be used.

1 . A storage device adapted for supporting a plurality of clothing items which are carried by individual hangers in a vertical plane, said individual hangers having a supporting hook, said device having slide element adapted to slidably engage an elongated glide, said slide element including a pair of downwardly-diverging legs transverse to said vertical plane and having a series of sockets spaced apart therealong, said sockets adapted to receive said supporting hooks of said individual hangers, said slide element operable to pivot on said glide to change the orientation of said rods between horizontal and upright. 
     
     
         2 . A storage device according to  claim 1  wherein said rods diverge substantially at a right angle, whereby when one of said legs is upright, the other of said legs is substantially horizontal. 
     
     
         3 . A storage device according to  claim 1 , wherein said legs diverge downwardly at an angle of divergence of between 60 and 120 degrees. 
     
     
         4 . A storage device according to  claim 2 , including means to adjust said angle of divergence. 
     
     
         5 . A storage device according to  claim 1  for use with individual hangers having hooks with a given cross-sectional configuration, wherein said sockets comprise tubular elements having a bore complementary to said given cross-sectional configuration. 
     
     
         6 . A storage device according to  claim 1  for use in a clothes closet having a horizontal pole for suspending a plurality of individual hangers, each having a clothes-holding element of a given width suspended from a hook, said downwardly-diverging legs underlying a length of said pole which is greater than said given width of the individual hangers, including pivot means mounting said diverging legs for pivotal movement about a vertical axis to allow orientation of said clothes holding elements between two positions respectively parallel and transverse to said pole. 
     
     
         7 . A storage device adapted for supporting a plurality of clothing items which are carried by individual hangers in a vertical plane, said individual hangers having a supporting hook, said device having slide element adapted to slidably engage an elongated glide, said slide element including a pair of downwardly-diverging legs transverse to said vertical plane, said legs having upper segments forming a given angle with each other and terminating in a lower segment normally disposed upright, said segments having a series of sockets spaced apart therealong, said sockets adapted to receive said supporting hooks of said individual hangers, said slide element operable to pivot on said glide to change the orientation of said rods. 
     
     
         8 . A storage device according to  claim 7 , wherein said given angle is greater then 90°, and said sockets along said upper segments being spaced apart by a distance less than the spacing of the sockets along said lower segments. 
     
     
         9 . A storage device according to  claim 7 , wherein said slide element comprises the upper portions of said downwardly diverging legs, and a pair of downwardly-diverging arms spaced above said downwardly diverging legs and forming a receiver operable to capture the glide in the spacing between said legs and said arms to enable said slide to be displaced along the glide, and to tilt said device to change the orientation of said lower segments of said downwardly diverging legs from an upright orientation to an orientation transverse to a vertical plane. 
     
     
         10 . A storage device according to  claim 9 , wherein said slide element provides an inverted generally U-shaped receiver having downwardly diverging slots connected at their top by a transverse slot. 
     
     
         11 . A clothes hanger comprising:
 a support rod having an outer surface;   at least one spring clip comprising a first clothes clamping member and a second clothes clamping member and a torsion spring having a substantially cylindrical passage, said first clamping member and second clamping member including aligned openings substantially aligned with said passage and supported on said rod with said rod passing through said aligned openings and said passage thereby maintaining the first clamping member and the second clamping member in the closed clamping position due to forces applied by the spring; and   a sleeve passing over and contacting the rod on the outer surface and contacting the spring clip at the aligned openings and the passage so as to provide resistance to the movement of the spring clip in a direction parallel to the rod.   
     
     
         12 . A clothes hanger with a single spring clip and a fixed finger projecting from said rod so as to permit clothing under tension to be supported between the finger and the spring clamp.