Clothes supporting apparatus

Abstract

A clothes supporting apparatus is provided having a shaping member defining a flexible periphery for supporting an item of clothing. An adjustable mechanism is provided for selectively decreasing a transverse extent of the periphery, wherein the adjustable mechanism extends between joints on opposing portions of the periphery and causes the opposing portions of the periphery to flex towards each other when the adjustable mechanism is operated. The shaping member is elastically deformable causing the opposing portions of the periphery to return to an unflexed position when the adjustable mechanism is released.

1 . A clothes supporting apparatus comprising:
 a shaping member defining a flexible periphery for supporting an item of clothing; and,   an adjustable mechanism for selectively decreasing a transverse extent of the periphery, wherein the adjustable mechanism extends between joints on opposing portions of the periphery and causes the opposing portions of the periphery to flex towards each other when the adjustable mechanism is operated.   
     
     
         2 . The clothes supporting apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the adjustable mechanism includes a transverse portion of a cord provided between attachment points on the opposing portions of the periphery, the transverse portion of the cord being adjustable in length thereby causing the opposing portions of the periphery to flex towards each other when the length of the transverse portion is reduced. 
     
     
         3 . The clothes supporting apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the shaping member is elastically deformable causing the opposing portions of the periphery to return to an unflexed position when the length of the adjustable mechanism is released. 
     
     
         4 . The clothes supporting apparatus as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the cord extends from each end of the transverse portion through the attachment points in the form of cord guides to a securing mechanism at which the cord is securable at variable positions to adjust the length of the transverse portion of the cord. 
     
     
         5 . The clothes supporting apparatus as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the cord forms a triangle with a base of the transverse portion and an opposing vertex at which the securing mechanism is provided, wherein the securing mechanism secures the cord to decrease or increase a size of the triangle. 
     
     
         6 . The clothes supporting apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the flexible periphery is in a plane extending from a hanging member and the opposing portions of the periphery are opposed side portions of the shaping member joining a top portion and a bottom portion of the shaping member and the joints on the opposing portions are universal joints enabling the clothes supporting apparatus to be folded to move the bottom portion to a position adjacent the top portion. 
     
     
         7 . The clothes supporting apparatus as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the top portion includes curved corners joining the side portions and wherein one or more slip resistant devices are provided on the curved corners to provide traction for an item of clothing preventing the item from sliding off the curved corners. 
     
     
         8 . The clothes supporting apparatus as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the bottom portion has a straight strengthened extent to provide structure to the shaping member. 
     
     
         9 . The clothes supporting apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the shaping member is formed of a tubular member housing two or more flexible rods, wherein adjacent ends of the flexible rods are provided at the attachment points on opposing portions of the periphery to provide opposing the joints in the shaping member. 
     
     
         10 . The clothes supporting apparatus as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the securing mechanism is a clamp arrangement through which two extents of the cord are threaded to clamp the extents of the cord at a selected position. 
     
     
         11 . The clothes supporting apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , including an attachment area at which a hanging member is attached to the shaping member and at which the securing mechanism is provided, wherein the hanging member has a hinge member and is foldable at the attachment area so that in a folded position it is within the periphery of the shaping member. 
     
     
         12 . The clothes supporting apparatus as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the hinge member has a pivot housing enabling the hanging member to be foldable flat against the attachment area. 
     
     
         13 . A method of use of a clothes supporting apparatus comprising:
 providing a shaping member defining a flexible periphery adjustable between an expanded configuration and a contracted configuration in which an adjustable mechanism decreases a transverse extent of the periphery between joints on opposing portions of the periphery causing the opposing portions of the periphery to flex towards each other; and,   once an item of clothing is supported on the shaping member, increasing the transverse extent of the periphery causing the opposing portions of the periphery to expand to a selected expanded configuration.   
     
     
         14 . The method of use of a clothes supporting apparatus as claimed in  claim 13 , including providing a folded configuration by:
 folding the clothes supporting apparatus at the joints on the opposing portions to fold a bottom portion to a position adjacent a top portion.   
     
     
         15 . The method of user of a clothes supporting apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , including folding a hanging member so that in a folded position it is within the periphery of the shaping member. 
     
     
         16 . The method of use of a clothes supporting apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , including folding the clothes supporting apparatus with a supported item of clothing with the shaping member in an expanded configuration resulting in the clothing item being supported in a taut arrangement. 
     
     
         17 . The method of use of a clothes supporting apparatus as claimed in  claim 13 , including applying heat to an item of clothing supported on the shaping member in the expanded configuration. 
     
     
         18 . The method of use of a clothes supporting apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , including stacking multiple clothes supporting apparatus with each clothes supporting apparatus in the folded configuration. 
     
     
         19 . The method of use of a clothes supporting apparatus as claimed in  claim 13 , including displaying the supported item of clothing on the shaping member in a shape corresponding to a shape as worn on a person. 
     
     
         20 . A clothes supporting apparatus comprising:
 a shaping member defining a flexible periphery adjustable in a range between an expanded configuration and a contracted configuration by an adjustable mechanism for adjusting a length of a transverse extent of the periphery between joints on opposing portions of the periphery, wherein contracted configurations cause the opposing portions of the periphery to flex towards each other.