HK1115040B - Universal lower neck sizer - Google Patents

Description

Universal low neck sizer

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to the field of garment hangers, and more particularly to a low neck indicator for use with a standardized garment hanger style.

Background

In the field of retail clothing, the so-called go-and-hang (GOH) procedure has been preferred by retailers. In the step and hang procedure, garments delivered to the retailer are hung on hangers so that they can be immediately displayed for sale upon arrival at the retail location. Whereas previously retailers required their own effort to accomplish this task.

In particular, retailers already have specific hangers or hanger signatures assigned among their various suppliers in order to achieve a pleasing visual uniformity at their point of sale. For this reason, standards for hanger size, shape, performance characteristics, etc. are maintained, for example, by organizations such as the voluntary inter-industry commercial standards Association (VICS). In this regard, a particular standardized hanger feature is very popular in many hanger models which incorporates a smooth rounded transition between the hanger hook and the hanger body, particularly at the rear side of the hanger hook where the hanger hook forms an acute angle with the hanger body.

In addition, in connection with the propagation of the walk-on-hook procedure, retailers and their customers wish to enable the hangers themselves to have some indicia relating to the items they carry. The types of indicia include manufacturer, material and price, but most notably size for clothing. To accomplish this, various means have been developed, including those disclosed by Marshal et al in U.S. patent 5,884,422 and Gouldson in U.S. patent 6,019,260, both commonly assigned for the present application. The type of this popularity is disclosed in the latter patent just mentioned, namely that secured to the hanger at the rear side of the intersection between the hanger hook and the hanger body, suitably referred to as a side sizer label, or simply a side sizer; those types of low neck sizers or indicators.

However, such side sizers, as known in the art, require that the hanger be specially manufactured to receive a particular indicator. Various other indicators can be made universally applicable, such as those attached around a hanger hook. These indicators are generally free to slide along the length of the hanger hook, typically resting adjacent the bottom of the hook of the hanger body. However, these indicators do not securely engage the hanger, nor do they achieve the desired appearance.

Disclosure of Invention

To overcome these and other deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention provides a hanger and indicator combination. The garment hanger has a hook extending upwardly from the body and forming an angle with the body, the garment hanger having a rib extending peripherally of the garment hanger at least in a portion of the region of intersection between the hook and the body.

The indicator has two opposing side walls connected together by an end wall. The side wall preferably has an opening therethrough, while the end wall preferably has a first recess on at least one free side thereof, more preferably both sides. A receiving projection extends inwardly from one or both of the side walls, the receiving projection having a second recess therein for receiving a rib of a garment hanger. Optionally, a ramp is raised from the inner surface of the sidewall such that the receiving projection is directed toward the top of the second recess. A bar depending from a mid-portion between the opposite side wall and the end wall of the indicator has a free end that is deflected by engaging the rib of the hanger by size and size when the rib is received in the second recess of the receiving projection.

Drawings

These and other features, advantages and benefits of the present application will become more apparent in conjunction with the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like structure is represented by like reference numerals, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of a central portion of a garment hanger and a low neck sizer in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the exemplary embodiment taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a hanger and low neck sizer in an exemplary embodiment.

Detailed Description

Referring now to fig. 1, in this front view, there is shown a central portion of a garment hanger, generally indicated by reference numeral 10, and a low neck sizer, generally indicated by reference numeral 12. In fig. 1, the proximal side wall of the sizer 12 is shown as if transparent, to facilitate showing the underlying structural features. The hanger 10 has a body 14 and a hook 16 extending upwardly from the body 14. The hanger 10 is suspended from a support (not shown) by a hook 16. The hook 16 intersects the body 14 at a generally non-right angle, thus forming an acute angle with one side and an obtuse angle with the other side. It is only in describing the current state of the art herein that the present invention is not limited by the angle of intersection between the hook 16 and the body.

Generally, the garment hanger 10, and particularly the hook 16, has a rib 18 adjacent thereto. The ribs are formed in accordance with the cross-sectional shape of the hanger body, either an I-channel, C-channel or other commonly known or hereafter developed cross-sectional type. At the intersection between the hook 16 and the body 14, the ribs 18 form an angled portion 20 that is a desired and advantageous location for the size clip 12 to fit.

Referring now to fig. 2, a cross-sectional view of the hanger 10 and sizer 12 is shown, taken along line 2-2 in fig. 1. The size clip 12 has opposite side walls 22, 24 connected together by an end wall 26. The side walls may, but need not, have the same or similar profile, see the shape shown in fig. 1. Having the side walls 22, 24 with the same profile, viewed from either the front or the rear of the garment hanger, provides a symmetrical appearance. Further, in the exemplary embodiment, the profile shape is generally triangular, with one corner rounded (see FIG. 1). However, the profile shape of the sizer 12 can be varied without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.

At least one of the side walls 24 has an inwardly projecting receiving projection 28 which includes a recess or notch 30 for receiving and retaining the rib 18 of the hanger 10. The receiving protrusion 28 may include a ramp 32 to facilitate mounting of the size clip 18 on the hanger 10. In addition, the depth and shape of the recess 30 can be varied to increase or decrease the resistance to removal of the sizer 12, and in a preferred embodiment, the sizer 12 is defined by relevant industry standards as so-called child-resistance, i.e., the force required to remove the sizer 12 is greater than can be applied by an average child or at least some predetermined number of children.

In the exemplary embodiment, rib 18 is open to only one side, and therefore only one receiving projection 28 is needed or desired. However, in other embodiments, such as those in which hanger 10 has an I-channel shape, rib 18 has free ends on both sides. In this case, a second receiving projection 28 on the opposite side wall 22, 24 may be advantageous, e.g. for further increasing the removal resistance.

Referring to fig. 3, a perspective view of the hanger 10 and sizer 12 is shown. Preferably, the end wall 26 includes a notch 34 on one or both of its free sides. When the sizer 12 is installed on the garment hanger 10, the rib 18 is received in the recess 34, and the opposing side walls 22, 24 can engage the rib 18 to provide lateral stability.

Optionally, referring again to fig. 1 and 2, to further enhance the stability of the sizer 12 mounted on the garment hanger 10, the sizer 12 can include a suspended string 36 between the opposing side walls 22, 24 and the end wall 26. The suspension cord 36 is a rod of material that is secured centrally to the sizer 12, in this example to the end wall 26, but may alternatively or additionally be secured to one or both side walls 22, 24. Preferably, the ends of the messenger engage the ribs 18 of the hanger 10 and deflect when the sizer 12 is attached to the hanger 10, i.e., when the ribs 18 are received in the notches 30. The resulting deflection of the ends of the suspension cords applies tension to the sizer 12, thereby enhancing engagement of the ribs 18 in the notches 30 that receive the projections 28.

To further enhance this engagement, the sizer 12 can also include a through-hole 38 that, in the present exemplary embodiment, passes through both side walls 22, 24. The through-holes 38 allow a plurality of size clips 12 to be bundled together for packaging, shipping, or to facilitate loading into a holding magazine of a machine for automatically attaching the size clips 12 to the hanger 10 as a magazine, or further allow a magazine feed or vibratory bowl feeder to orient the size clips 12 prior to attaching the size clips 12 to the hanger 10.

By way of example only, the material of the size clip 12 and/or the hanger 10 is typically an injection molded plastic such as polystyrene, SAN, ABS, PPO, nylon, polypropylene (PP), polyethylene, PET, Polycarbonate (PC), acrylic, K-resin, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or a variant of any of these. Other plastics, metals, or almost any desired material may be used, regardless of the particular method of manufacture. In particular in these plastics, the material may be transparent, translucent or opaque or coloured as required, with little restriction. Additional indicia such as manufacturer, material, price, or size of the item to be hung from the hanger may be molded, integrally formed with the sizer 12, or added thereafter. Further, the color of the sizer 12 or simply the presence of the sizer 12 can also constitute the desired indicia.

The invention has been described with reference to some related exemplary embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that certain changes and/or modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. These examples are provided by way of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined only by the claims appended below.

Claims (2)

1. A hanger and indicator combination, wherein:

the hanger comprises:

a hook extending upwardly from the body and forming an angle with the body, the garment hanger having a rib extending peripherally of the garment hanger in at least a portion of the region of intersection between the hook and the body;

the indicator includes:

two opposing side walls connected together by an end wall, the end wall having a first recess on at least one free side thereof;

a receiving projection extending inwardly from at least one of the side walls, the receiving projection having a second recess therein for receiving the hanger rib and a ramp surface rising from the inner surface of the side wall toward the top of the second recess, the side wall carrying the receiving projection; and

a rod depending from a mid-portion between the opposite side wall and the end wall of the indicator, a free end of the rod being deflected by size and size by engaging the rib of the hanger when the rib is received in the second recess of the receiving projection.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein: at least one of the side walls is formed with a through hole.