Clothes Hangers Having User-Adjustable Shoulder Portions

Abstract

Clothes hangers that each have a central portion and a pair of shoulder portions that are user adjustable to allow a user to select between a wider shoulder-width profile and a narrower shoulder-width profile. In some embodiments, each shoulder portion is pivotable between a wider shoulder-width profile and a narrower shoulder-width profile. In some embodiments, each shoulder portion comprises side-by-side deformable members that a user can deform to make and/or switch between a wider shoulder-width profile and a narrower shoulder-width profile.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A clothes hanger, comprising:
 a central portion;   a support-engaging member coupled to the central portion, the support-engaging member for engaging a support so as to allow the clothes hanger to provide a clothes hanging function for an article of clothing; and   first and second shoulder portions coupled to the central portion so as to extend from the central portion in generally opposite directions from one another, wherein each of the first and second shoulder portions has a shoulder-width profile that is user-adjustable between a narrower profile and a wider profile.   
     
     
         2 . The clothes hanger according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second shoulder portions:
 is pivotably coupled to the central portion so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis;   has the narrower profile when pivoted to a first orientation about the pivot axis; and   has the wider profile when pivoted about the pivot axis to a second orientation different from the first orientation;   wherein the user is able to switch between the narrower and wider profiles of each of the first and second shoulder portions by pivoting each of the first and second shoulder portions between the first and second orientations.   
     
     
         3 . The clothes hanger according to  claim 2 , wherein each of the first and second shoulder portions comprises a planar open loop, wherein the first orientation is when the planar loop lies in a vertical plane when the clothes hanger is hanging from the support structure and the second orientation is when the planar loop lies in a plane rotated 90° about the pivot axis. 
     
     
         4 . The clothes hanger according to  claim 3 , wherein the planar loop has a shoulder end and an attachment end, the planar loop being wider proximate the shoulder end than at the attachment end. 
     
     
         5 . The clothes hanger according to  claim 4 , wherein the planar loop is symmetrical about the pivot axis. 
     
     
         6 . The clothes hanger according to  claim 4 , wherein the planar loop is asymmetrical about the pivot axis. 
     
     
         7 . The clothes hanger according to  claim 2 , wherein each of the first and second shoulder portions is joined to the central portion using a snap-fit connection. 
     
     
         8 . The clothes hanger according to  claim 7 , wherein each snap-fit connection includes a headed stud and a corresponding receptacle. 
     
     
         9 . The clothes hanger according to  claim 8 , wherein each receiver includes a side-engagement opening. 
     
     
         10 . The clothes hanger according to  claim 2 , wherein each of the first and second shoulder portions comprises a solid member. 
     
     
         11 . The clothes hanger according to  claim 10 , wherein the solid member is a flat paddle-shaped member. 
     
     
         12 . The clothes hanger according to  claim 10 , wherein the solid member comprises a curved shell having a concave interior and a convex exterior. 
     
     
         13 . The clothes hanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the central portion is asymmetrical relative to a plane spaced equidistant from the first and second shoulder portions. 
     
     
         14 . The clothes hanger according to  claim 13 , wherein the central portion includes a shoulder-portion support and a hook support that cantilevers from only one side of the shoulder-portion support to define a central open region. 
     
     
         15 . The clothes hanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the central portion has a lower end when the clothes hanger is hanging from a support in a normal-use orientation and includes a horizontal bar member depending below the lower end when the clothes hanger is hanging from the support in the normal-use orientation. 
     
     
         16 . The clothes hanger according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second shoulder portions comprise a pair of side-by-side elongate members that are user-deformable between the narrower profile and the wider profile. 
     
     
         17 . The clothes hanger according to  claim 16 , wherein the pair of side-by-side elongate members are fixedly attached to the central portion. 
     
     
         18 . The clothes hanger according to  claim 16 , wherein each of the pair of side-by-side elongate members is hingedly attached to the central portion. 
     
     
         19 . The clothes hanger according to  claim 16 , wherein the pair of side-by-side elongate members are attached to one another distal from the central portion by a hinge. 
     
     
         20 . The clothes hanger according to  claim 19 , wherein the hinge is a pin-type hinge.