Expandable clothing hanger

Abstract

An expandable garment hanger assembly has a central frame and housing assembly. An arm pair assembly with a right and left side arm portion is pivotally coupled to an interior portion of the frame and housing assembly and designed to be folded or laterally extended. The right and left side arm portions are rotatably engaged to move rotationally and simultaneously in the opposite direction. A release spring and lock assembly is disposed within the frame and housing assembly and designed to be locked when the arm pair assembly is closed. At least one depressible release assembly is coupled to the spring and lock assembly designed to release the spring and lock assembly to extend the right and left side arm portions. A right and left side arm extender portion is slidably coupled to the distal ends of the right and left side arms respectively and designed to extend or retract.

1 . An expandable garment hanger assembly comprising:
 a central frame and housing assembly;   an arm pair assembly with a right side arm portion and a left side arm portion pivotally coupled to an interior portion of the central frame and housing assembly at a proximal end portion of the right side arm portion and a proximal end portion of the left side arm portion, the arm pair assembly adapted to be in a folded and substantially parallel state or a laterally extended state, wherein the right side arm portion and the left side arm portion rotatably engaged to move rotationally and simultaneously in the opposite direction;   a release spring and lock assembly disposed within the central frame and housing assembly and coupled to the proximal end of the right side arm portion and the proximal end of the left side arm portion, the spring and lock assembly adapted to be releasably locked when the arm pair assembly is in a closed state;   at least one depressible release assembly coupled to the spring and lock assembly and disposed substantially through a distal face or a proximal face of the central frame and housing assembly, the depressible release assembly adapted to release the spring and lock assembly allowing a spring assembly or member of the spring and lock assembly to laterally and simultaneously extend the right side arm portion and the left side arm portion; and   a right side arm extender portion slidably coupled to a distal end portion of the right side arm portion, and a left side arm extender portion slidably coupled to a distal end portion of a left side arm portion, the right side arm extender portion and the left side arm extender portion adapted to be in an extended or retracted state.   
     
     
         2 . The expandable garment hanger assembly of  claim 1  wherein a rotatable hook assembly is coupled to the central frame and housing assembly and adapted to suspend from a bar or other substantially rigid surface. 
     
     
         3 . The expandable garment hanger assembly of  claim 1  wherein a second lock assembly is disposed within the central frame and housing assembly and adapted to releasably lock the arm pair assembly into an extended state. 
     
     
         4 . The expandable garment hanger assembly of  claim 1  wherein the right side extender portion is disposed at least partially inside a right sleeve portion of the distal end of the right side arm portion and the left side extender portion is disposed at least partially inside a left sleeve portion of the distal end of the left side arm portion. 
     
     
         5 . The expandable garment hanger assembly of  claim 4  wherein a right gap portion is disposed between a distal end of the right side extender portion and the distal end of the right side arm portion when the right side extender portion is at least partially extended, and a left gap portion is disposed between a distal end of the left side extender portion and the distal end of the left side arm portion when the left side extender portion is at least partially extended, the right gap portion and the left gap portion adapted to keep garment straps from slipping off the arm pair assembly. 
     
     
         6 . The expandable garment hanger assembly of  claim 1  wherein a polymer grip portion is planarly disposed on a top surface of the arm pair assembly. 
     
     
         7 . The expandable garment hanger assembly of  claim 1  wherein a fabric grip portion is planarly disposed on the top surface of the arm pair assembly. 
     
     
         8 . The expandable garment hanger assembly of  claim 1  wherein the central frame and housing assembly and the arm pair assembly are made substantially from one of a group of:
 wood, plastic, and aluminum. 
 
     
     
         9 . A method of using an expandable garment hanger assembly, the method comprising:
 at least partially inserting a central frame and housing assembly in a folded state, with a right side arm portion and a left side arm portion substantially parallel, into an open portion of a garment member, the right side arm portion and a left side arm portion extending from a proximal end of the housing assembly and through the open portion of the garment member, a rotatable hook portion substantially outside the open portion of the garment member;   depressing a release spring and lock assembly disposed within the central frame and housing assembly and coupled to the proximal end of the right side arm portion and the proximal end of the left side arm portion, the spring and lock assembly adapted to be releasably locked when the arm pair assembly is in a closed state and unlocked when depressed;   facilitating the right side arm portion and the left side arm portion simultaneously rotating in the opposite directions to a fully opened state within the open portion of the garment member and against an inside surface of the garment member;   engaging the spring and lock assembly to hold extended the right side arm portion and the left side arm portion; and   slidably coupling as needed a right side arm extender portion slidably coupled to a distal end portion of the right side arm portion, and a left side arm extender portion slidably coupled to a distal end portion of the left side arm portion, the right side arm extender portion and the left side arm extender portion adapted to be in an extended or retracted state.   
     
     
         10 . The method of using an expandable garment hanger assembly of  claim 9 , the method further including suspending the central frame and housing assembly from a bar or other substantially rigid surface via a rotatable hook assembly coupled to the central frame and housing assembly. 
     
     
         11 . The method of using an expandable garment hanger assembly of  claim 9 , the method further including engaging a second lock assembly disposed within the central frame and housing assembly and adapted to releasably lock the arm pair assembly into an extended state. 
     
     
         12 . The method of using an expandable garment hanger assembly of  claim 9 , the method further including sliding the right side extender portion disposed at least partially inside a right sleeve portion of the distal end of the right side arm portion and sliding the left side extender portion disposed at least partially inside a left sleeve portion of the distal end of the left side arm portion. 
     
     
         13 . An expandable garment hanger assembly comprising:
 a central frame and housing assembly having a rounded top end and a rounded bottom end;   an arm pair assembly with a right side arm portion and a left side arm portion pivotally coupled to an interior portion of the central frame and housing assembly at a proximal end portion of the right side arm portion and a proximal end portion of the left side arm portion, the arm pair assembly adapted to be in a folded and substantially parallel state or a laterally extended state, a distal end of the right side arm and a distal end of the left side arm rounded and adapted to parallelly abut when the right and left arm assemblies are in a folded state, when abutted to form a substantially U shape, adapting the central frame and housing assembly to be packed without entangling adjacent garment members, wherein the right side arm portion and the left side arm portion rotatably engaged to move rotationally and simultaneously;   a release spring and lock assembly disposed within the central frame and housing assembly and coupled to the proximal end of the right side arm portion and the proximal end of the left side arm portion, the spring and lock assembly adapted to be releasably locked when the arm pair assembly is in a closed state;   at least one rounded and depressible release assembly coupled to the spring and lock assembly and disposed substantially through a distal face or a proximal face of the central frame and housing assembly, the depressible release assembly adapted to release the spring and lock assembly, allowing a spring assembly of the spring and lock assembly to laterally and simultaneously extend the right side arm portion and the left side arm portion; and   a right side arm extender portion slidably coupled to a distal end portion of the right side arm portion, and a left side arm extender portion slidably coupled to a distal end portion of a left side arm portion, the right side arm extender portion and the left side arm extender portion adapted to be in an extended or retracted state and forming at an obtuse angle.   
     
     
         14 . The expandable garment hanger assembly of  claim 13  wherein a rotatable hook assembly is coupled to the central frame and housing assembly and adapted to suspend from a bar or other substantially rigid surface. 
     
     
         15 . The expandable garment hanger assembly of  claim 13  wherein a second lock assembly is disposed within the central frame and housing assembly and adapted to releasably lock the arm pair assembly into an extended state. 
     
     
         16 . The expandable garment hanger assembly of  claim 13  wherein the right side extender portion is disposed at least partially inside a right sleeve portion of the distal end of the right side arm portion and the left side extender portion is disposed at least partially inside a left sleeve portion of the distal end of the left side arm portion and secured via a friction fit. 
     
     
         17 . The expandable garment hanger assembly of  claim 16  wherein a right gap portion is disposed between a distal end of the right side extender portion and the distal end of the right side arm portion when the right side extender portion is at least partially extended, and a left gap portion is disposed between a distal end of the left side extender portion and the distal end of the left side arm portion when the left side extender portion is at least partially extended, the right gap portion and the left gap portion adapted to keep garment straps from slipping off the arm pair assembly. 
     
     
         18 . The expandable garment hanger assembly of  claim 13  wherein a polymer grip portion is planarly disposed on a top surface of the arm pair assembly. 
     
     
         19 . The expandable garment hanger assembly of  claim 13  wherein a fabric grip portion is planarly disposed on the top surface of the arm pair assembly. 
     
     
         20 . The expandable garment hanger assembly of  claim 13  wherein the central frame and housing assembly are made substantially from one of a group of: wood, plastic, and aluminum.