Clothes hanger retaining device

Abstract

Two gripping members, fabricated out of flexible, expandable, resiliently biased material, are provided. Each gripping member has a longitudinally extending opening therethrough. The gripping members are independently attached to the neck section of the hanger by a retaining connector consisting of a pliable, yet rigid line. In use, after a shirt, blouse, sweater, or similar clothing is positioned on the outwardly extending members of a hanger, or pants are hung on the horizontal cross-member of a hanger, the gripping members are placed over the clothing, the openings of each gripping member surrounding the clothing and clothes supporting members of the hanger. The expandable, resiliently biased nature of the material allows each member to expand a sufficient amount to envelope both the clothing and the support members of the hanger. The clothing is retained on the hanger by the pressure exerted due to the resiliently biased nature of the gripping members and the friction between the clothing surfaces and the internal surfaces of the members. The retaining connector secured to each gripping member maintains the members on the hanger, independent of the clothes gripping process and keeps the members on the hanger even when the clothing is removed.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A hanging clothing retaining device for use with a hanger with clothes supporting members and a neck section, said device comprising: 
 (a) resiliently biased, non-mechanical retaining means for maintaining clothing on a supporting member of the hanger, said retaining means being configured to biasly envelop a portion of the supporting member and the clothing positioned on the clothing member, thus retaining the clothing thereon; and    (b) means extending from the retaining means for separately connecting the retaining means to the hanger.    
     
     
         2 . The device as in  claim 1  wherein the retaining means comprises unitary, integrally formed gripping members.  
     
     
         3 . The device as in  claim 2  wherein each gripping member comprises an internal, longitudinally extending opening which automatically varies in size to a larger diameter than the diameter of the supporting member of the hanger being used.  
     
     
         4 . The device as in  claim 1  wherein the retaining means comprises internal opening means which automatically varies in size to a larger diameter than the diameter of the supporting member of the hanger being used.  
     
     
         5 . The device as in  claim 1  wherein the means extending from the retaining means comprises rigidly flexible connection means which attach the retaining means to the neck section of the hanger to maintain the retaining means on the hanger independently of the supporting members.  
     
     
         6 . The device as in  claim 1  wherein the retaining means comprises unitary members integrally formed of a flexible, resiliently biased, expandable material.  
     
     
         7 . The device as in  claim 4  wherein the retaining means comprises unitary members integrally formed of a flexible, resiliently biased, expandable material.  
     
     
         8 . The device as in  claim 5  wherein the retaining means comprises two unitary, integrally formed gripping members.  
     
     
         9 . The devise as in  claim 1  wherein the means extending from the retaining means is comprised of a rigidly flexible, pliable wire material.  
     
     
         10 . The device as in  claim 8  wherein the means extending from the retaining means extends from one of the gripping members to the neck section of the hanger and then to the second gripping member.  
     
     
         11 . A hanging clothing retaining device for use with a hanger with clothes supporting member and a neck section, said device comprising: 
 (a) dual resiliently biased gripping members, each member comprising an internal opening which automatically varies in size to a larger diameter than the diameter of the supporting member of the hanger being used, said openings extending longitudinally through the lengths of each member; and    (b) rigidly flexible connection means which attaches each gripping member to the neck section of the hanger to maintain the gripping members on the hanger independently of the supporting member.    
     
     
         12 . The device as in  claim 11  wherein the gripping members are unitary, integrally formed of a flexible, resiliently biased, expandable material.  
     
     
         13 . The device as in  claim 11  wherein the connection means is comprised of a rigidly flexible, pliable wire material.  
     
     
         14 . The device as in  claim 11  wherein the connection means extends from one of the gripping members to the neck section of the hanger and then to the second gripping member.