Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02529691 2005-12-12
HOCKEY HANGER
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a hanger for garments and sports equipment.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Single garment hangers of generally triangular configuration with a hook are
commonly
used for hanging clothing on a bar or hook, such as in a closet, wardrobe, or
portable
garment rack, to keep the clothing fresh and to prevent wrinkles. However,
such
hangers are not typically adapted to hanging more than one item of clothing,
and they
are not well-suited to hanging items such as sports pads and equipment.
Devices for hanging multiple garments are also known, such as coat trees. Such
devices are more robust and heavy-duty than single garment hangers; however,
such
devices may lack the portability of single garment hangers. Such devices also
are not
well-suited to hanging items such as sports pads and equipment.
Sports uniforms, pads and other equipment absorb sweat in use. However, such
items
may not be cleaned immediately, and are often thrown back into a sports bag
where the
items are unable to dry quickly, which may result in odors and bacterial
growth.
It would be desirable to have a hanger for sports uniforms, pads and equipment
that
allows these items to hang dry after use. Preferably, such a hanger should
also
incorporate the portability of a single garment hanger, without compromising
the strength
and robustness required for hanging multiple items.
CA 02529691 2005-12-12
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A hanger is provided to address the aforementioned problems.
The present device is a portable sports equipment hanger comprising:
a plurality of open frame members joined together in a linear array,
an endmost frame member in the array having a primary hook or loop on an
outer surface thereof, the primary hook or loop being adapted to allow the
array to hang
in a downwardly depending fashion from the hook or loop when in use,
each frame member comprising a plurality of secondary hooks or loops on the
frame member, the secondary hooks or loops being adapted for removably hanging
sports equipment thereon,
the frame members being flexibly joined in the array to permit folding the
hanger
for transportation or storage.
As used herein, "sports equipment" includes any equipment or garments used or
worn
by a player participating in a sport. Examples include, but are not limited
to, uniforms,
workout garments, undergarments, pads, supports, helmets, masks, gloves,
mitts,
towels, and water bottles. The hanger is particularly useful for hockey
equipment, and
hockey equipment examples are discussed. However, the invention is not limited
to
hockey equipment, and the skilled person will readily appreciate that the
hanger can be
used for any type of sports or exercise equipment used or worn by a player.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
Figure 1A is a front view of a hanger according to a first embodiment (using a
unitary
primary hook).
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Figure 1 B is a side view of a connector clip according to the first
embodiment.
Figure 2 is a front view of a top frame member according to the first
embodiment.
Figure 3 is a detail view of the top section of the top frame member also
according to the
first embodiment.
Figure 4A is an exploded view of a hanger according to a second embodiment
(using a
separate primary hook piece).
Figure 4B are side views of possible connector clips according to the second
embodiment.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a hanger according to the first embodiment
(but having
only 2 frame members).
Figure 6 is a perspective view of a hanger in use with hockey equipment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Two embodiments of the hanger are shown in the attached figures:
= a first embodiment (shown in Figures 1A, 1B, 2, 3, 5) using an integral
primary
hook; and
= a second embodiment (shown in Figures 4A, 4B) using a separate primary hook
piece.
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Preferably, the frame members of the hanger are of rigid plastic construction.
Injection-
molded plastics, in particular, have durable characteristics that are useful
for the
invention, while also having beneficial manufacturing considerations
(inexpensive
materials, ease of manufacturing). The material selected should be strong and
resistant
to torsion or bending, should not crack or stretch unduly under strain, should
be water-
and germ-resistant, and should have an attractive visual appeal. The hangers
may be
provided in different colors or designs to enhance consumer appeal. While
plastic is
preferred, any material is suitable that is lightweight and rust-proof, while
having
sufficient strength to carry equipment.
In construction, each frame member is preferably of one-piece construction. An
open,
generally rectangular shape is preferred. The open middle portion facilitates
drying, and
keeps the hanger relatively lightweight.
Secondary hooks or loops may be integral with the frame members (as shown in
the
figures) or may be separate hardware pieces joined by fastening or adhesion to
the
frame members (not shown). In a preferred configuration, each frame member has
multiple secondary hooks or loops (see Figure 1A, 4A, 5 for possible
configurations of
secondary hooks), some on outside surfaces of the frame member (i.e. sticking
out from
the outside boundary of the frame member), and some on inside surfaces (i.e.
extending
within the inside of the "window" in the center of the frame member). It may
be preferred
to orient the interior hooks so as to hook away from each other (as shown in
Figure 2).
This may enhance the ability of these hooks to hold one piece of equipment
securely
between them. However, the placement of the hooks or loops is not critical to
the
invention. It is more important that the number of such hooks should be
sufficient to
allow a player to store all or substantially all of his/her equipment on a
single hanger. An
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example of the hanger in use with hockey equipment is shown in Figure 6. A
configuration with 18 secondary hooks (as shown in Figure 1A) has been found
to be
particularly useful for hockey equipment.
Preferably, as shown in Figure 1A, the hanger has approximately 3 frame
members in
linear array. (An alternate configuration of the same embodiment with 2 frame
members
is shown in Figure 5). An endmost frame member (which will be the topmost
frame
member when the hanger is in use - see Figure 2) has a primary hook or loop,
which
may be integral with the frame member (as in the first embodiment), or a
separate piece
joined to the frame member by fastening or adhesion (as in the second
embodiment).
The frame members are preferably joined to each other, edge-to-edge, in a
linear row.
For example, when generally rectangular frame members are used (as shown in
the
figures), each of the frame members is joined to its adjacent frame member at
the
longest edge of the rectangle (as shown in Figure 1A).
The flexible joints between the frame members are preferably constructed using
connectors, which are looped or clipped to the frame members to hold them
together.
The connectors may themselves be flexible, such as loops of plastic threaded
through
slots on the frame members (not shown). Or, the connectors may be more-or-less
rigid
pieces clipped or looped to the frame members sufficiently loosely to permit
relative
rotational movement between the frame members for folding. The connectors may
advantageously have an S shape or C shape (some examples of different shapes
are
shown in Figures 1 B, 4A and 4B). As shown in Figure 1A and 5, two connectors
may be
used between each pair of adjacent frame members, however, any number of
connectors may be used that permits the desired flexibility while maintaining
the strength
and stability of the overall structure. It may be advantageous to provide
releasable or
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removable connectors, to allow the hanger to be dismantled, or to provide
enhanced
modularity.
Preferably, the frame members are generally the same size and shape, and are
capable
of folding upon each other to collapse the hanger (folded configuration not
shown). The
folded hanger preferably lies flat, either in a generally Z-type fold
configuration, or in a G-
type fold configuration. Both the light weight of the hanger, and its folding
capability,
enhance transportability for use in different locations. As an example, the
hanger can be
unfolded and used to hang-dry equipment in a hotel room, while a player is
away from
home at a tournament. The hanger can be hung on a shower bar, for example, in
a
hotel bathroom.
To enhance the portability of the hanger, the weight of the entire structure
is preferably
less than about 1 pound. The size of each frame member is preferably no more
than
about19" by 20". In total, an assembled hanger is preferably less than about
38" long
(i.e. tall), including primary hook/loop. The exact dimensions are not
critical, however, it
is preferred that the folded hanger be sized to fit in a standard sports
equipment bag, or
suitcase. The hangers may be sized differently for men and women, or for child
and
adult users.
The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the
invention. Further,
since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled
in the art, it
is not desired to limit the invention to the exact configurations, components,
materials
and applications shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable
modifications and
equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.
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