GB2318320A

GB2318320A - A garment hanger

Info

Publication number: GB2318320A
Application number: GB9621503A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William John Edwards
Original assignee: FERGUSON HANGERS Ltd
Current assignee: FERGUSON HANGERS Ltd
Priority date: 1996-10-15
Filing date: 1996-10-15
Publication date: 1998-04-22
Also published as: GB9621503D0; GB2318321A; GB2318321B; GB9623712D0

Abstract

A garment hanger 1 comprising a molded hanger portion 3 and a display panel 5 wherein, during manufacture of the hanger 1, the display panel is entered into the mold of the hanger portion 3 such that the hanger portion 3 and the display panel 5 become united when the hanger portion 3 is molded. As a result, a separate manufacturing process, involving the application of a display panel 5 to a pre-molded garment hanger 3, is avoided. The panel 5 may be pre-printed with graphic material (e.g. picture of or literature relating to a garment). Advertising material may be included on panel 5. The latter may be formed of cardboard or other paper/card material. The panel may be a pre-moulded sheet of plastics.

Description

A GARMENT HANGER This invention relates to garment hangers, and in particular to a hanger which includes a graphic display area.

Plastics molded garment hangers are well known which include a suspension hook, a pair of downwardly and outwardly extending arms for supporting a garment and an integrally molded label area between the arms below the suspension hook. The label area is usually a few centimeters wide and about 1 cm high, and is designed to receive a sticky label which indicates the size of the garment on the hanger.

When displaying ladies brassieres (or bras), it is also known to include a cardboard display panel folded over and supported by the arms of the hanger (cf. Figure 1), which panel helps to fill the space formed between the arms of the hanger, the straps of the bra and the bodice of the bra. In general, such cardboard display panels need to be assembled manually on a pre-molded garment hanger, and this takes considerable time and is therefore expensive.

In the light of the foregoing, there is a clear market for a garment hanger, particularly for lingerie such as ladies brassires, which is less labour intensive from the point of view of assembly of the hanger itself and garment loading on the assembled hanger. The inventor of the present invention has satisfied this long felt need.

According to the present invention, there is provided a garment hanger comprising a molded hanger portion and a display panel wherein, during manufacture of the hanger, the display panel is entered into the mold of the hanger portion such that the hanger portion and the display panel become united following molding of the hanger portion. As a result, the display portion is held firmly and integrally with the remainder of the garment hanger such that a separate assembly process is not required.

Another advantage of the present invention is that the assembly process can be completely automated, and the subsequently produced garment hangers can be stored in a magazine such that they can be dispensed individually for the application of garments thereto.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the mold of the hanger portion completely surrounds the display panel.

If this is the case, following molding of the hanger portion, the display panel is held extremely firmly.

Preferably both sides of the display panel are supported by the hanger portion.

The display panel is preferably pre-printed with graphic material, such as a picture of the garment in use and literature relating to the garment. Further, advertising material may be included on the display panel.

Although it is envisaged that the display panel will preferably be formed of cardboard or other paper/card material, probably as a single sheet, in theory any appropriate material could be used. Indeed, the display panel may be a pre-molded sheet of plastics material. If this is the case, the plastics material of the display panel and the plastics material of the hanger portion may fuse during manufacture.

Preferably the hanger portion includes a suspension hook and a pair of outwardly extending arms. More preferably, each arm includes a hook or clip for retaining a garment on the hanger.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the display panel is positioned, in use, below the arms of the hanger portion. If this is the case, the garment hanger may be a bra hanger.

Alternatively, if the garment hanger is to be used to display briefs for example, the display panel may be positioned above the arms of the hanger portion. Further, although it is likely that the display portion will be below the suspension hook, in theory it could be positioned above the suspension hook.

Preferably the height of the display panel is greater than the combined height of the arms and the suspension hook of the hanger portion. Further, the width of the display panel is preferably almost as wide as the hanger portion.

As a result, a large display area is provided.

A specific embodiment of the present invention is now described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front view of a known prior art bra hanger with display panel; Figure 2 is a front view of a bra hanger according to the present invention; and Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 in Figure 2.

With reference to the Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings, a bra hanger 1 according to the present invention comprises a molded hanger portion 3 and an integral display panel 5.

The hanger portion 3 comprises a suspension hook 7, a pair of downwardly and outwardly extending arms 9 and a label area 11 situated between the arms 9 below the suspension hook 7. Further, each arm 9 carries a retaining hook 13 at its end to prevent the straps of a bra (not shown) from falling off the arms 9 during use.

The display panel 5, which is made of cardboard and preprinted, is situated below the arms 9 of the hanger portion 3. The arms 9 form one boundary to the display panel 5, the remainder of the display panel 5 being bounded by a web 15 of plastics material formed integrally with the remainder of the hanger portion 3 during the molding of the hanger portion 3. This web 15, in combination with the arms 9, retain the display panel 5 in position.

As mentioned previously, during the manufacture of a garment hanger 1 according to the present invention, the display panel 5 is placed in position within the mold of the hanger portion 3 such that, following molding of the hanger portion 3, the display panel 5 is held firmly between the web 15 and the arms 9 of the hanger portion 3. This is actually achieved by virtue of the web having a central groove 17 accommodating the display card 5, with a pair of ridges 19 either side of the groove 17 which overlay the outer edge of the display card 5. Other ways of retaining the display card 5 in position can of course be envisaged by those skilled in the relevant art.

By pre-printing the display card 5, general literature relating to the product, such as a bra, to be mounted on the garment hanger 1 is provided. Further, the manufacturing process can be completely automated, thereby avoiding the need for manual labour to assemble the display card on a garment hanger, as has been necessary in the past.

Additionally, by automating the manufacturing process, finished garment hangers 1 according to the present invention can be stacked in a magazine of such hangers, so that they can be dispensed subsequently as a supply of hangers upon which the garments can be immediately applied.

As with prior art garment hangers, the label area 11 is of a relatively small size and can accommodate an adhesive label which gives the actual size (and perhaps price) of the garment carried by the hanger 1.

It will of course be understood that the present invention has been described above purely by way of example, and that modifications of detail can be made within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A garment hanger comprising a molded hanger portion and a display panel wherein, during manufacture of the hanger, the display panel is entered into the mold of the hanger portion such that the hanger portion and the display panel become united when the hanger portion is molded.

2. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the molded hanger portion surrounds the display panel.

3. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the display panel is accommodated in a groove in the molded hanger portion.

4. A garment hanger as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the display panel is pre-printed with graphic material.

5. A garment hanger as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the display panel is cardboard, paper or any other card-like material.

6. A garment hanger as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the hanger portion includes a suspension hook and a pair of outwardly extending arms.

7. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 6, wherein each arm includes a hook or clip for retaining a garment on the hanger.

8. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the display panel is positioned, in use, below the arms.

9. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 8, wherein the hanger is a bra hanger.

10. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the display panel is positioned, in use, above the arms.

11. A garment hanger as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the height of the display panel is greater than the height of the arms and suspension hook of the hanger portion.

12. A garment hanger substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.