Technological background Clothes-hanging units in which a tubular gas-discharge lamp is arranged coaxially within the support of the clothes- hanging unit are known. This solution requires the provision of openings in the support to direct the light beam and consequently adequate cross-sections of the support in order to house the lamp and at the same time to ensure sufficient mechanical strength.

Description of the invention The invention proposes, as its main object, to improve the functionality of universal hangers with integrated lighting, at the same time achieving greater structural simplification than known solutions.

This and other objects are achieved by the invention by means of a universal hanger with integrated lighting formed in accordance with the appended Claims.

Brief description of the drawings The characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clearer from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, described by way of non- limiting example with reference to the following drawings, in which: Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views of a universal hanger with integrated lighting, according to the invention, Figures 3 and 4 are a front elevational view and a side elevational view of the hanger of the previous drawings, respectively,

Figures 5 and 6 are partial views of a detail of the universal hanger of the previous drawings in two different configurations of fixing to a supporting structure, Figure 7 is a side elevational view of the universal hanger according to the invention, mounted in a wardrobe compartment, Figures 8 to 11 are perspective views of four respective variants of the universal hanger according to the invention, Figure 12 is a partially-sectioned side view of the variant of the invention according to Figure 8.

Preferred method of implementing the invention With reference initially to Figures 1 to 7, a universal hanger with integrated lighting, formed in accordance with the present invention, is generally indicated 1.

The universal hanger 1 comprises a tubular support 2 which is elongate along a predominant longitudinal axis and has the function of supporting, for example, coat-hangers 3 (Figure 7). The tubular support 2 has a circular cross- section, or alternatively an oval cross-section so as, in the latter case, to increase its moment of inertia and to improve its characteristics of mechanical resistance to stresses induced by the weight of the items hung up.

The universal hanger 1 also comprises a tubular lighting body 4, for example, a gas-discharge lamp, which is elongate along an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the support and spaced therefrom.

The lighting body 4 is housed in a box-like element 5 which constitutes its casing and has a screen 6 as an element for diffusing the light beam. The screen 6 serves to direct the light beam appropriately towards the clothes or other items hung on the support 2.

The box-like element 5 is connected to respective fixing brackets 7 at its opposite axial ends. The tubular support 2 of the universal hanger can also be connected between the brackets 7. Each of the brackets 7 has means for fixing the universal hanger to a shelf-like structure, this term meaning any structure suitable for the fixing of the universal hanger, for example, the opposed walls 8 of a wardrobe 9 (Figure 6), or the top 10 of the wardrobe compartment (Figure 5).

Each bracket 7 has holes 11 for the lateral fixing of the universal hanger 1, by screw means, to the internal walls 8 of the wardrobe, as shown in Figure 6. Each bracket 7 also has a bent lip 12 having holes 13 for the upper fixing of the universal hanger, for example, to the top of the wardrobe 9.

A cable, indicated 14, for the electrical supply of the circuit means for the operation and control of the lighting body is also housed in the box-like element and a presence detector, provided for automatically controlling the switching-on of the lighting body when the user's presence is detected, is indicated 15. Alternatively, the lighting body 4 may be switched on by a lever switch which can be switched directly by the user, or by a travel-limit connected with the opening of the wardrobe 9.

According to a main characteristic of the invention, the support 2, the lighting body 4, the circuit means for controlling the lighting body, and the bracket fixing means are combined in a unit which can be handled individually.

It will also be noted that, by virtue of the fact that the longitudinal axes of the lighting body 4 and the support 2 are spaced apart, during the fitting of the universal hanger 1 inside the wardrobe 9, the lighting body 4 is

offset towards the access side of the wardrobe, relative to the support 2. As a result, the light beam is advantageously directed, in particular, onto the front of the clothes which are hung up, that is, onto the portion which is most visible to the user, thus improving the effectiveness of the illumination of the clothes hung up.

Figures 8 to 11 show four variants of the universal hanger according to the invention in which details similar to those of the previous embodiment are indicated by the same reference numerals.

In the variant of Figure 8, the universal hanger differs from the previous embodiment in that it has a diffuser screen 6 with a partially convex outer surface and a presence detector incorporated in a detector unit, generally indicated 16 and having an indicator light 17.

The second variant of the invention, shown in Figure 9 differs from the previous embodiments in that it has a pull switch 18 for operating the lighting body 4.

In the third variant of the invention, shown in Figure 10, the universal hanger is equipped with an energy- distribution unit, generally indicated 19 and including a push-button switch 20 and an electrical socket 21.

Figure 11 shows a fourth variant of the invention in which both the presence detector unit 16 and the energy distribution unit 19 are incorporated in the universal hanger. As shown in this embodiment, the universal hanger can be fixed to the outside of the base of a kitchen wall unit in order to support spoons and other kitchen utensils, all indicated 22.

The invention thus achieves the objects defined, affording the advantages set out above in comparison with known solutions.