FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a garment hanger assembly with a recyclable metal or plastic removable hook and a recyclable paper hanger body.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Traditional garment or clothing hangers are limited in design and utility for various retail and consumer applications. These hangers are made from plastic, metal, wood, or a combination thereof, and have been used to facilitate the hanging of clothing for more than a century. A typical garment hanger is usually comprised of a hanger body, which is shaped or contoured in the form of a triangle with two arms extending in opposite directions, and a metal or plastic hook provided centrally to the hanger body. The hanger body and hook are usually made from one piece of material and therefore cannot be removed from each other.
Retailers have, and still do, keep these traditional clothing hangers in stores, rarely if ever giving them to a customer. If a garment is sold, it is removed from the hanger and the sold garment packaged for the selling customer. The hanger itself is taken to a backroom of the store wherein it is introduced to a new article of clothing. This circular use of traditional clothing hangers is simple, but it comes with drawbacks. For example, the cost of replacing broken hangers is steep and the time used to hang a new article of clothing on an empty hanger is better spent on attending to paying customers.
Improvements in logistics and operational systems in the mid-1990's led to a new go-to storage method for the apparel and fashion industries, i.e. the Garment-on-Hanger (GOH) system, which drastically cut down the time and cost of using hangers in these industries. In a GOH system, garments are delivered to retail merchants already suspended from hangers, wherein upon arrival at the retail location the garments are immediately placed on display for sale. A garment is placed on a hanger and subsequently shipped from a manufacturer and/or distribution center to the retail establishment. The GOH system therefore affords an efficient way for the storage, transport, retrieval, and sortation of many articles of clothing. However, while costs associated with hangers and employee productivity are saved, the GOH system has seen a rise in shipping costs. For instance, fewer garments can fit in an individual shipping carton because of the space taken up by each hanger present therein, both because the hook portion on traditional hangers protrudes from the hanger body and because the thickness of each traditional hanger takes up vertical space, resulting in fewer garments packed in the same size shipping carton. Further, more space is needed at the manufacturing and/or distribution site, as well as the retail establishments, to accommodate the shipments of merchandise.
Perhaps more importantly, an estimated 85% of GOH hangers are eventually disposed in the trash by retail stores, ensuing in approximately 20 billion plastic GOH hangers being landfilled every year. Similarly, an estimated 300 million dry-cleaner wire hangers are landfilled every year. Most municipal recycling programs do not accept any traditional clothing hangers due to the varying mix of material for each hanger and the tangling of said hangers in recycling machinery.
The need to replace traditional hangers used in dry-cleaning and GOH systems has therefore been recognized for some time. The first all-paper fiberboard hangers began to surface in the 2000's, specifically for use in GOH programs. The all-paper hanger is thinner than traditional plastic shipping hangers, taking up 20% less room in shipping cartons than plastic hangers, while still being able to provide the strength needed for suspending an article of clothing. This efficiency translates to fewer cartons needed with each shipment, resulting in less shipping and labor costs, as well as requiring less space in distribution centers and storage rooms. Most importantly, paper fiberboard hangers are recyclable, both at the store or dry-cleaner level, as well as with a customer once the article of clothing and the hanger are taken home. All-paper hangers do not, however, come without deficiencies. For one, the paper hanger remains relatively thick in diameter at the hook portion, making it unpracticable in industries such as dry-cleaning, which uses overhead conveyer machinery having narrow constriction points and designed for using all-wire hangers with very thin diameter. All-paper hangers additionally require employing a large amount of material due to the difficulty in efficiently nesting the cutting dies because of the awkward placement of the hook portions.
Recently, plastic hangers with a collapsible plastic hook, like the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 11,051,642 to Ho, have been utilized by clothing manufacturers and/or distributors to minimize the space needed in cartons or packages for sending clothing via a GOH method to retailers. While the collapsible plastic hook works well for plastic hangers, it presents mechanical issues for use with a paper hanger body. In addition, garment hangers with plastic bodies are still too thick for shipping clothing efficiently in a GOH method. US 2022/0300490 to Ho discloses a plastic two-piece plastic hook for a paper garment hanger, wherein the plastic hanger hook includes 1) a hanger body with a base having a “collar” or protuberance that can fit snuggly through an opening of a paper hanger body, and 2) a locking member with a sizer body portion and a “tongue” extending therefrom, wherein the tongue includes an opening for engaging the collar when the sizer body portion of the locking member is fitted down over the hook body and positioned at the base thereof. Although the plastic hook disclosed in US 2022/0300490 allows for a simple way to permanently secure a plastic hook to a paper-based hanger body, it is still not optimal for use in GOH systems since the assembled plastic hanger requires more packaging space because of the protruding hook, resulting in the use of larger cartons.
A removable hook for a hanger body is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,899,454 to Mainetti. However, the hook is limited in use to a plastic or metal hanger body that is arched. U.S. Pat. No. 11,134,804 to Mackenzie teaches two distinct removable hooks for a paper hanger body. One hook requires a wire hook with a bracket that is not sturdy and difficult to attach and remove from the hanger body, the bracket also including sharp edges that can easily damage a paper hanger body. The other hook disclosed in Mackenzie is a bent wire hook which is also difficult to attach and remove and is not aesthetically pleasing for use in stores.
There therefore still exists a need for a garment hanger assembly for use in dry-cleaning and in any industry that uses a GOH method, such as the garment and fashion industries. To reduce the thickness of the hanger in taking up less vertical space within a carton, the garment hanger body of the garment hanger assembly is made of a durable, lightweight material such as paper. To avoid using larger cartons which are presently employed in GOH systems, the garment assembly includes a removable hook such that garments can be shipped with only a hanger body. Once shipped to the retailer, each article of clothing in a GOH carton is removed by grabbing the hanger body that said article of clothing is suspended from and removably attaching a hanger hook made from a durable and recyclable material. Both the paper hanger body and the removable hanger hook are made from recyclable materials making it practical for the dry-cleaning and the GOH industries. Accordingly, a paper hanger assembly including a paper hanger body and a removable hanger hook is disclosed. The paper hanger assembly as disclosed herein can be used in the dry-cleaning industry and/or the GOH industries and generally employs a fastening mechanism on the removable hanger hook for the facile removable attachment of the hanger hook to the paper hanger body.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In light of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a paper hanger assembly comprising a paper hanger body and a removable swivel hanger hook. The paper hanger body is in a shape of a garment hanger and includes a central region, a first side region extending from the central region in a first direction, and a second side region extending from the central region in a second direction opposing the first direction. The hanger body further comprises a front surface, a back surface, a top surface, and at least one aperture in the central region. The removable hanger hook includes a distal hook end and a proximal base end, wherein the proximal base end comprises a front side having a first top edge, a back side having a second top edge, and a top side defined by the first top edge and the second top edge of the front and back side, respectively, of the proximal base end. In addition, the top side of the proximal base end of the removable hanger hook includes a base end aperture, the distal hook end being permanently secured to the proximal base end through said base end aperture such that the removable hanger hook is provided with rotation relative to the proximal base end. The front side or the back side of the proximal base end also comprises a fastening mechanism that engages and fastens the removable hanger hook to the hanger body through the at least one aperture in the hanger body when the hanger hook removably attaches to the central region of the hanger body. The front side, the back side and the top side of the proximal base end of the removable hanger hook are in contact with the front surface, the back surface and the top surface, respectively, of the hanger body when the hanger hook is removably attached to the central region of the hanger body. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that one or more aspects of this invention can meet certain objectives, while one or more other aspects can meet certain other objectives. Each objective may not apply equally, in all its respects, to every aspect of this invention. As such, the following objects can be viewed in the alternative with respect to any one aspect of this invention.
Accordingly, it can also be an object of the present invention to provide a paper hanger assembly comprising a paper hanger body and a single-piece removable hanger hook for use in the dry-cleaning industry. The hanger body is in a shape of a garment hanger and includes a central region, a first side region extending from the central region in a first direction, and a second side region extending from the central region in a second direction. The hanger body further comprises a front surface, a back surface, a top surface, and at least one aperture in the central region. The single-piece removable hanger hook includes a distal hook end and a proximal base end, the proximal base end comprising a front side which may or may not have a first top edge, a back side that may or may not have a second top edge, and a top side. The front side, the back side or both the front and back side of the proximal base end has a fastening mechanism that engages and fastens the single-piece removable hanger hook to the hanger body through the at least one aperture in the hanger body when said single-piece removable hanger hook removably attaches to the central region of the hanger body. The front side, the back side and the top side of the proximal base end of the single-piece removable hanger hook is in contact with the front surface, the back surface and the top surface, respectively, of the hanger body when the single-piece removable hanger hook removably attaches to the central region of the hanger body.
As provided herein, the removable hanger hook of the garment hanger assembly is made from recyclable material and is either a 360-degree rotating swivel hook or a fixed-in-place hook (fixed hook) with no rotation. The removable swivel hook can be used in any industry, in particular one that employs a Garment-On-Hanger (GOH) system, such as for example, the garment or fashion industries, wherein at one end the garment is placed in a packaging carton by the manufacturer or distributor suspended only from the hanger body, and at the other end the garment is removed by a retailer by grabbing the hanger body that the garment is suspended from and removably attaching a removable swivel hanger hook. Once placed on a rack, the article of clothing can be viewed from all sides without removing the clothing from the hanger or removing the hanger from the rack, due to the presence of the rotating swivel hook. Also, shipping costs in GOH methods are drastically reduced for two reasons. First, more garments can be added to each packaging carton because the thicker, traditional hangers are eliminated. Second, because the removable swivel hook is removed from the paper hanger body, larger GOH cartons can be replaced with shorter cartons as the space taken up by “protruding” hook portions of traditional hangers is also eliminated.
The removable fixed hook of the garment hanger assembly can also be used in any industry, such as those that employ a GOH method and, in particular, the dry-cleaning industry, which employs overhead conveyer machinery having narrow constriction points and designed for using all-wire hangers thereon. Using an all-paper hanger with a thick hook portion is not feasible as the conveyers have narrow constriction points. However, the removable fixed hook as described herein is manufactured at a narrow diameter so as to be able to run through the constriction points of the conveyer system without incident. The paper hanger body can be replaced when necessary by removing it from the removable fixed hook. Further, eliminating the hook portion from an all-paper hanger and using a removable hook with a paper hanger body brings the price of the hanger down as it takes less paper to make the hanger (i.e. no paper hook) and the hook can be used numerous times, bringing down the overall price of the garment hanger assembly as described herein.
Other objects, features, benefits and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from this summary and the following descriptions of certain embodiments and will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art having knowledge of garment hangers. Such objects, features, benefits and advantages will be apparent from the above as taken into conjunction with the accompanying examples, figures and all reasonable inferences to be drawn therefrom. The disclosures in this application of all articles and references, including patents, are incorporated herein by reference.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1a is a front perspective view of a removable swivel hook for a garment hanger assembly; FIG. 1b is a rear perspective view of the removable swivel hook; FIG. 1c is a side view of the removable swivel hook; and FIG. 1d shows the proximal base end of the removable swivel hook in a planar position.
FIG. 2a is a front view of a paper hanger body for the swivel hook depicted in FIGS. 1a-1c; FIG. 2b is a front perspective view of a garment hanger assembly including the hook of FIGS. 1a-1c and the hanger body of FIG. 2a; and FIG. 2c is a rear perspective view of the garment hanger assembly.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the garment hanger assembly of FIG. 2b and FIG. 2c.
FIG. 4a is a front perspective view of a second removable swivel hook for the garment hanger assembly; FIG. 4b is a rear perspective view of the removable swivel hook; FIG. 4c is a side view of the removable swivel hook; and FIG. 4d shows the proximal base end of the removable swivel hook in a planar position.
FIG. 5a is a front view of a paper hanger body for the swivel hook depicted in FIGS. 4a-4c; FIG. 5b is a front perspective view of a garment hanger assembly including the hook of FIGS. 4a-4c and the hanger body of FIG. 5a; and FIG. 5c is a rear perspective view of the garment hanger assembly.
FIG. 6a shows three, step-wise cross-sectional side views from left to right of the removable swivel hook of FIGS. 4a-4c being removably attached to the hanger body of FIG. 5a; and FIG. 6b shows three, step-wise cross-sectional side views from left to right of the removable swivel hook of FIG. 6a being removed from the hanger body.
FIG. 7a is a front perspective view of a removable fixed hook for a garment hanger assembly; FIG. 7b is a rear perspective view of the removable fixed hook; FIG. 7c is a side view of the removable swivel hook; and FIG. 7d is a perspective cut-away view of FIG. 7b with the fastening mechanism showing.
FIG. 8a is a front view of a paper hanger body for the fixed hook depicted in FIGS. 7a-7d; FIG. 8b is a front perspective view of a garment hanger assembly including the hook of FIGS. 7a-7d and the hanger body of FIG. 8a; and FIG. 8c is a rear perspective view of the garment hanger assembly.
FIG. 9a shows three, step-wise cross-sectional side views from left to right of the removable fixed hook of FIGS. 7a-7d being removably attached to the hanger body of FIG. 8a; and FIG. 9b shows three, step-wise cross-sectional side views from left to right of the removable swivel hook in FIG. 9a being removed from the hanger body.
FIG. 10a is a front view of a second removable fixed hook for a garment assembly; FIG. 10b is a rear view of the fixed hook; FIG. 10c is a rear perspective view of the fixed hook; and FIG. 10d is a rear perspective cut-away view of the fixed hook in FIG. 10a.
FIG. 11a is a front view of a third removable fixed hook for a garment assembly; FIG. 11b is a rear view of the fixed hook; FIG. 11c is a rear perspective cut-away view of the fixed hook; and FIG. 11d is a front perspective cut-away view of the fixed hook.
FIG. 12a is a front perspective view of a fourth fixed hook for a garment assembly; FIG. 12b is a front view of the fixed hook; FIG. 12c is a rear view of the fixed hook; FIG. 12d is a rear perspective view of the fixed hook; and FIG. 12e is a perspective view similar to FIG. 12d with the back side of the base end in an open position.
FIG. 13a is a front view of a paper hanger body for the fixed hook depicted in FIGS. 12a-12d; FIG. 12b is a front perspective view of a garment hanger assembly including the hook of FIGS. 12a-12d and the hanger body of FIG. 13a; and FIG. 13c is a rear perspective view of the garment hanger assembly.
FIG. 14a is a rear perspective view of the hook of FIG. 12a with front and back sides in a planar position with each other; FIG. 14b is a side view of FIG. 14a; FIG. 14c is a similar view as FIG. 14a with front and back sides at an angle to one another; and FIG. 14d is a side view of the hook of FIG. 14a with front and back sides parallel to one another.
FIG. 15a is a front perspective view of a fifth fixed hook for a garment hanger assembly; FIG. 15b is a rear perspective view of the removable fixed hook; and FIG. 15c is a side view of the removable hook.
FIG. 16a is a front view of a paper hanger body for the fixed hook depicted in FIGS. 15a-15c; FIG. 16b is a front perspective view of a garment hanger assembly including the hook of FIG. 16a and the hanger body of FIG. 15a; and FIG. 16c is a rear perspective view of the garment hanger assembly.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
As it relates to certain non-limiting embodiments, the present invention relates to a garment hanger assembly comprising a paper hanger body and a removable (or releasable) hook. The removable hook is assembled such that it is either a 360-degree rotating swivel hook or a single-piece fixed hook with no rotation, and together with the paper hanger body that the hook removably attaches to, affords a garment hanger assembly which cures the deficiencies of the prior art. Specifically, the removable swivel or fixed hook includes a hook end and a base end, the base end having at least a front side and a back side. A fastening mechanism is located on either the front or back side, or both.
According to one feature of the illustrated embodiments, the hanger body of the garment hanger assembly as described herein is made from a biodegradable material such as paper. More specifically, the hanger body is made from a molded paper or pulp. Such molded paper can include, for example, pulp paper, pulp fiber, foamed paper pulp, recycled newspaper, brown paper, white paper, sugar cane pulp, bamboo pulp fibers, and/or any other suitable biodegradable material. Preferably, a semi-rigid, lightweight and durable sheet paper material is used, such as for example, paperboard or cardboard. The hanger body can be formed from a variety of methods, including for example by die cutting, and can consist of one or more, preferably several layers of sheet paper material, A semi-rigid cardboard is preferred because it is easily cut into the desired shape and readily folded and joined to another piece of cardboard by adhesive or other forms of connection. The hanger body formed from this type of material is inexpensive to manufacture yet suitably strong for its intended task. These hangers can be repeatedly used and, when Lin usable, are readily disposed of by recycling. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the sheet material is any semi-rigid, lightweight, durable, readily formed, foldable sheet-like material. Paper products, such as cardboard and paperboard, are preferred because they are readily disposed of by recycling. However, other types of paper products can be used as well.
According to another feature of the illustrated embodiments, the shape, dimensions and material of the removable hook, swivel and fixed alike, can vary depending on the type of garment hanger body employed. The hanger body is in turn dependent on the type of clothing being suspended therefrom. Regardless, the removable hook as described herein is preferably molded and made of a sturdy, recyclable material such as a plastic, preferably a thermoplastic or bioplastic, or a material traditional wire hangers are made of, i.e. stress-hardened steel wire that may or may not be coated with a thin lacquer. Single-piece removable hooks are made from one material, such as a sheet metal or sheet plastic, while two-piece removable hooks can be made from one material or two different materials. A suitable example of sheet metal used as material for the base end is a magnesium alloy sheet metal or an iron/manganese (ferromanganese) alloy sheet metal. Suitable sheet plastics used as material include but are not limited to acrylics, polypropylenes, polystyrenes, nylons, and polyesters such as, for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
Accordingly, the following presents non-limiting examples of an embodiment for a garment hanger assembly. It is to be understood that while terms such as “left”, “right”, “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “back,” “side,” “rear,” “down,” “up” and the like may be used in this specification to describe various example features and elements of the invention, these terms are used herein as a matter of convenience, e.g., based on the example orientations shown in the figures or the orientation during typical use.
Removable Swivel Hook
Referring to specific non-limiting embodiments depicted in FIGS. 1a-1d to FIG. 6a-6b, the garment hanger assembly comprises a paper hanger body and a removable swivel hanger hook preferably made of two pieces. FIG. 1a shows a front perspective view of an embodiment of a removable swivel hook 101 for a garment hanger assembly 200 depicted in FIG. 2b (front perspective view) and FIG. 2c (perspective rear view) according to the present invention. The removable swivel hook 101 includes a hook end 103 that is in a position distal to a paper hanger body 210 (see FIG. 2a, which depicts the front view of a paper hanger body 210 of garment hanger assembly 200 without hook 101) when the hook 101 is removably attached to said hanger body 210. The removable swivel hook 101 also includes a base end 105 that is in a position proximal to the paper hanger body 210 when the hook 101 is removably attached to said hanger body 210. The proximal base end 105 of swivel hook 101 comprises a front side 105A preferably with a planar surface and having a first top edge 105B, a back side 105C preferably shorter in length than the front side 105A and having a second top edge 105D, and a top side 105E defined by the first top edge 105B and the second top edge 105D of the front 105A and back side 105C, respectively, of the proximal base end 105 (see FIG. 1b, which depicts a rear perspective view of hook 101). FIG. 1d, which depicts the proximal base end 105 of the swivel hook 101 in a planar position (pressing or stamping pattern), shows the top side 105E of the proximal base end 105 including a base end aperture 105F, the distal hook end 103 permanently secured to the proximal base end 105 through the base end aperture 105F such that hook 101 is provided with rotation relative to the proximal base end 105. It is to be understood that the distal hook end of the swivel hooks as described herein can be permanently secured to base end by a variety of known methods, such as with a rivet, bolt, lock nut and the like.
The hanger body 210 as shown in FIG. 2a is made from paper and has a shape of a garment hanger with a central region 214, a first side region 216 extending from the central region 214 in a first direction 216A, and a second side region 218 extending from the central region 214 in a second direction 218A opposing the first direction 216A. The hanger body 210 includes a front surface 210A, a back surface 210B, a top surface 210C, and at least one aperture 212 in the central region 214 for receiving proximal base end 105 of removable swivel hook 101, as seen in FIG. 2b and FIG. 2c. The aperture 212 extends from the front surface 210A of the hanger body 210 to the back surface 210B of the hanger body 210 and is configured to be a particular shape. For example, as shown in FIG. 2a, the at least one aperture 212 in the central region 214 of the hanger body 210 is in the shape of a semi-circle with a straight edge 212A and a rounded edge 212B, the straight edge 212A parallel with and in closer proximity to the top surface 210C of the hanger body 210 than the rounded edge 212B.
Referring now to FIG. 1c, which depicts a sideview of the removable swivel hook 101, proximal base end 105 also includes a fastening mechanism 105G as an extension or “arm” of the back side 105C of base end 105. The fastening mechanism 105G can alternatively be an extension of the front side 105A of the proximal base end 105, as discussed in detail below, or in certain other non-limiting embodiments an extension of both the front and back side 105A, 105C of the proximal base end 105. As shown in FIG. 1c, arm 105G extends from the back side 105C of base end 105 in a first direction medially towards the front side 105A at essentially a right angle and then in a second direction laterally away from the front side 105A at an angle less than a right angle to form an edge 105H of the arm 105G. The arm edge 105H may or may not be configured such that it is preloaded, i.e. in contact with front side 105A, when not removably attached to hanger base 210. In an embodiment wherein the arm edge 105H is preloaded, the back side 105C can angle in medially from the second edge 105D to the arm edge 105G at an angle of from 1-10°.
FIG. 3 shows a side view of the removable swivel hook 101 after the proximal base end 105 thereof is pushed over the central region 214 of the paper hanger body 210 and fully engaged therewith. Specifically, the fastening mechanism 105G engages and removably fastens the hook 101 to the hanger body 210 through the at least one aperture 212 (FIG. 2a) in the hanger body 210. Once the fastening mechanism arm 105G is engaged with the hanger body 210 through aperture 212, the front side 105A, back side 105C and top side 105E of the proximal base end 105 of the removable swivel hanger hook 101 is in contact with the front surface 210A, the back surface 210B and the top surface 210C, respectively, of the hanger body 210 and the hook 101 is then removably attached to the central region 214 of said hanger body 210. As depicted in FIG. 3, the edge 105H of the arm 105G is inserted into aperture 212 and said arm 105G from where it extends in a first direction to the arm edge 105H is frictionally engaged with the straight edge 212A of said aperture 212 in the central region 214 of the hanger body 210, thereby removably attaching swivel hook 101 to the paper hanger body 210. To maximize the frictional engagement, the width of the arm edge 105H is preferably equal to or slightly less than the width of the straight edge 212A of aperture 212. Fastening mechanism 105G of proximal base end 105 therefore acts as a clip-attachment when pushed down over and past the top surface 210A of the paper hanger body 210 and into the aperture 212. Flexibility of at least one of the front or back sides 105A, 105C is therefore crucial. To initiate the release of the fastening mechanism 105G from hanger body 210, a finger of a user is inserted into aperture 212 and pulls the arm 105F out, up and away from straight edge 212A. The central region 214 of the hanger body 210 can preferably also include a recess or slot 215 on the top surface 210C of the hanger body 210 for more readily receiving the proximal base end 105 (see FIG. 2a) of the removable swivel hanger hook 101 when said hook 101 removably attaches to the central region 214 of the hanger body 210. As such, recess 215 is approximately the same width as, or slightly wider than, the front and back sides 105A, 105C of base end 105 near the first and second top edges 105B, 105D to assist in removably attaching hook 101 to hanger body 210. In other words, base end 105 “slides” through recess 215 until fastening mechanism 105G engages hanger body 210 through aperture 212. At least a portion of the recess 215 is configured to also provide for room within the top surface 210C of the hanger body 210 for that part of the distal end 103 that is permanently secured to the base end 105 through the base end aperture 105F when the hook 101 is removably attached to the body 210.
In an alternate, non-limiting embodiment of the garment hanger assembly depicted in FIGS. 1a-1d and FIGS. 2a-2c, FIG. 4a shows a front perspective view of a removable swivel hook 401 for a garment hanger assembly 500 depicted in FIG. 5b (front perspective view) and FIG. 5c (perspective rear view) according to the present invention. Accordingly, removable swivel hook 401 includes a hook end 403 that is in a position distal to a paper hanger body 510 (see FIG. 5a, which depicts the front view of a paper hanger body 510 of garment hanger assembly 500 without hook 401) when the hook 401 is removably attached to said hanger body 510. The removable swivel hook 401 also includes a base end 405 that is in a position proximal to the paper hanger body 510 when the hook 401 is removably attached to said hanger body 510. The proximal base end 405 of swivel hook 401 comprises a front side 405A having a first top edge 405B; a back side 405C that preferably has a planar surface and a shorter length than the front side 405A and includes a second top edge 405D; and a top side 405E defined by the first top edge 405B and the second top edge 405D of the front 405A and back side 405C, respectively, of proximal base end 405 (see FIG. 4b, which depicts a rear perspective view of hook 401). In a preferred embodiment, the back side 405C angles in medially from the second edge 405D to the arm edge 405G at an angle of from 2-6°, more preferably at about 3°. FIG. 4d, which depicts the proximal base end 405 of the swivel hook 401 in a planar position (pressing or stamping pattern), shows the top side 405E of the proximal base end 405 including a base end aperture 405F, the distal hook end 403 permanently secured to the proximal base end 405 through the base end aperture 405F such that hook 401 is provided with rotation relative to the proximal base end 405. As discussed in detail below, the proximal base end 405, and specifically the front side 405A of base end 405, includes a fastening mechanism 405G.
The hanger body 510 as shown in FIG. 5a is made from paper and has a shape of a garment hanger with a central region 514, a first side region 516 extending from the central region 514 in a first direction 516A, and a second side region 518 extending from the central region 514 in a second direction 518A opposing the first direction 516A. The hanger body 510 includes a front surface 510A, a back surface 510B, a top surface 510C, and at least one aperture 512 in the central region 514 for receiving proximal base end 405 of removable swivel hook 401, as seen in FIG. 5b and FIG. 5c. The aperture 512 extends from the front surface 510A of the hanger body 510 to the back surface 510B of the hanger body 510 and is configured to be a particular shape. For example, as shown in FIG. 5a, the at least one aperture 512 in the central region 514 of the hanger body 510 is in the shape of a semi-circle with a straight edge 512A and a rounded edge 512B, the straight edge 512A parallel with and in closer proximity to the top surface 510C of the hanger body 510 than the rounded edge 512B.
FIG. 4c depicts a sideview of the removable swivel hook 401 wherein the proximal base end 405 also includes a fastening mechanism 405G as an extension or “arm” of the front side 405A of base end 405. As shown in FIG. 4c, arm 405G extends from the front side 405C of base end 405 in a first direction medially towards the back side 405C at essentially a right angle, and then in a second direction essentially perpendicular to the first direction and parallel to the back side 405C to form an edge 405H of the arm 405G. In a preferred embodiment, the shape of the arm 405G from the edge 405H down is essentially the same as the shape of aperture 512, as discussed in detail below.
The removable attachment of swivel hook 401 to paper hanger body 510 is shown in FIG. 6a. In particular, the proximal base end 405 of hook 401 is pushed over the central region 514 of hanger body 510 and slid down the central region 514 until the fastening mechanism 405G on front side of 405A is lined up with aperture 512 on the front surface 510A of hanger body 510. The arm 405G of fastening mechanism from the edge 405H down defines a substantially semi-circular outline which is sized to correspond to aperture 512b such that arm 405G extends into aperture 512b, thereby removably attaching hook 401 to body 510. In one particularly preferred embodiment, fastening mechanism 405G from the edge 405H down is sized to maintain frictional engagement with straight edge 512A and rounded edge 512B when installed into aperture 512. Once the fastening mechanism arm 405G is engaged with the hanger body 510 through aperture 512, the front side 405A, back side 405C and top side 405E of the proximal base end 405 of the removable swivel hanger hook 401 is in contact with the front surface 510A, the back surface 510B and the top surface 510C, respectively, of the hanger body 510. Proximal base end 405 therefore acts as a clip-attachment when pushed down over and past the top surface 510A of the paper hanger body 510. Flexibility of at least one of the front or back sides 405A, 405C is therefore crucial. The central region 514 of the hanger body 510 can preferably also include a recess or slot 515 on the top surface 510C for more readily receiving the proximal base end 405 of the swivel hanger hook 401 when hook 401 removably attaches to the central region 514 of the hanger body 510. As such, recess 515 is approximately the same width as, or slightly wider than, the front and back sides 405A, 405C of base end 405 near the first and second top edges 405B, 405D to assist in removably attaching hook 401 to hanger body 510. Base end 405 therefore slides through recess 515 until fastening mechanism 405G engages hanger body 510 through aperture 512. At least a portion of the recess 515 is configured to also provide for room within the top surface 510C of hanger body 510 for that part of the distal end 403 that is permanently secured to the base end 405 through the base end aperture 505F when the hook 401 is removably attached to the body 510. As shown in FIG. 6b, removal of the swivel hook 401 only requires insertion of a finger from a user into aperture 512 near the back surface 510C of hanger body 510 to push fastening mechanism out of said aperture 512. Once fastening mechanism 405G is released from aperture 512, swivel hook 401 is then lifted off hanger body 510 and completely removed therefrom.
Removable Fixed Hook
Referring now to other specific non-limiting embodiments as depicted in FIGS. 7a-7d to 16a-16c, the garment hanger assembly comprises a paper hanger body and a removable fixed hanger hook. FIG. 7a shows a front perspective view of an embodiment of a removable fixed hook 701 for a garment hanger assembly 800 depicted in FIG. 8b (front perspective view) and FIG. 8c (rear perspective view) according to the present invention. The removable fixed hook 701 is preferably a single-piece and includes a hook end 703 that is in a position distal to a paper hanger body 810 (see FIG. 8a, which depicts the front view of a paper hanger body 810 of garment hanger assembly 800 without hook 701) when the hook 701 is removably attached to said hanger body 810. The removable fixed hook 701 also includes a base end 705 that is in a position proximal to the paper hanger body 810 when the hook 701 is removably attached to said hanger body 810. The proximal base end 705 of fixed hook 701 comprises a front side 705A that may or may not have a first top edge 705B, a back side 705C that may or may not have a second top edge 705D, and a top side 705E if base end 705 has a first top edge 705B and a second top edge 705D. Accordingly, if a top side 705E is included in single-piece fixed hook 701, it is defined by the first top edge 705B and the second top edge 705D of the front 705A and back side 705C, respectively, of the proximal base end 705 (see FIG. 7b, which depicts a rear perspective view of hook 701).
The hanger body 810 as shown in FIG. 8a is made from paper and has a shape of a garment hanger with a central region 814, a first side region 816 extending from the central region 814 in a first direction 816A, and a second side region 818 extending from the central region 814 in a second direction 818A opposing the first direction 816A. The hanger body 810 includes a front surface 810A, a back surface 810B, a top surface 810C, and at least one aperture 812 in the central region 814 for receiving proximal base end 705 of removable fixed hook 701, as seen in FIG. 8b and FIG. 8c. The aperture 812 extends from the front surface 810A of the hanger body 810 to the back surface 810B of the hanger body 810 and is configured to be a particular shape. For example, as shown in FIG. 8a, the at least one aperture 812 in the central region 814 of the hanger body 810 is in the shape of a circle and has an edge 812B, which may or may not include one or two straight edges 812A parallel with the top surface 810C of the hanger body 810.
Referring now to FIG. 7c, which depicts a sideview of the removable fixed hook 701, proximal base end 705 also includes a fastening mechanism 705G as a protrusion on the front side 705A of the proximal base end 705. Specifically, FIG. 7d is a perspective cut-away view of FIG. 7b showing the protrusion 705G on an inside surface 705A′ of the front side 705A of base end 705 (see also FIG. 7a illustrating the protrusion 705G as broken lines on front side 705A). As seen in FIG. 7d, the protrusion 705G includes a ledge 705H extending medially towards the back side 705C of base end 705. The width of the protrusion 705G is preferably smaller than the width of front side 705A. The ledge 705H engages straight edge 812A of aperture 812 in the central region 814 of hanger body 810 and fastens the single-piece hanger hook 701, thereby removably attaching said hanger hook 701 to the central region 814 of hanger body 810. The fastening mechanism 705G can alternatively be a protrusion 705G on the back side 705C of base end 705, or one protrusion 705G on the front side 705A and another protrusion 705G on the back side 705C, respectively, of the proximal base end 705. The ledge 705H of protrusion 705G may or may not be configured such that at least a portion thereof is in contact with front side 705A of the base end 705 when the fixed hook 701 is not removably attached to hanger base 810.
The removable attachment of fixed hook 701 to paper hanger body 810 is shown in FIG. 9a. In particular, the proximal base end 705 of hook 701 is pushed over the central region 814 of hanger body 810 and slid down central region 814 until the protrusion 705G on front side of 705A enters aperture 812 on the front surface 810A of hanger body 810. Protrusion 705G continues to enter aperture 812 until the entire protrusion edge 705H is inserted therein and maintains frictional engagement with straight edge 812A. Once the protrusion 705G is engaged with the hanger body 810 through aperture 812, the front side 705A, back side 705C and top side 705E of the proximal base end 705 of the removable fixed hanger hook 701 is in contact with the front surface 810A, the back surface 810B and the top surface 810C, respectively, of the hanger body 810. Proximal base end 705 therefore acts as a clip-attachment when pushed down over and past the top surface 810A of the paper hanger body 810. Flexibility of at least one of the front or back sides 705A, 705C is therefore crucial. The central region 814 of the hanger body 810 can preferably also include a recess or slot 815 on the top surface 810C for more readily receiving the proximal base end 705 (see FIG. 8a) of the fixed hanger hook 701 when hook 701 removably attaches to the central region 814 of the hanger body 810. As such, recess 815 is approximately the same width as, or slightly wider than, the front and back sides 705A, 705C of base end 705 near the first and second top edges 705B, 705D to assist in removably attaching hook 701 to hanger body 810. Base end 705 therefore slides through recess 815 until protrusion 705G engages hanger body 810 through aperture 812. As shown in FIG. 9b, removal of the fixed hook 701 simply requires insertion of a finger from a user into aperture 812 near the back surface 810C of hanger body 810 to push protrusion out of said aperture 812. Once the protrusion 705G is released from aperture 812, the fixed hook 701 is then lifted off hanger body 810 and completely removed therefrom.
It is to be understood that other non-limiting embodiments of single-piece hooks operate similarly to hook 701. For example, in an embodiment wherein a top side is not included in the single-piece fixed hook 1001, distal hook end 1003 extends into the proximal base end 1005, as depicted in FIG. 10a (front view), FIG. 10b (rear view) and FIG. 10c (rear perspective view of hook 1001). FIG. 10d is a perspective cut-away view of FIG. 10c showing protrusion 1005G on inside surface 1005A′ of the front side 1005A of base end 1005 for the fixed hook 1001 wherein the distal hook end 1003 extends into base end 1005 (see also FIG. 10a illustrating the protrusion 1005G as broken lines on front side 1005A). Protrusion 1005G likewise includes a ledge 1005H extending medially towards the back side 1005C of base end 1005 that can engage a paper hanger aperture when hook 1005 becomes removably attached to said hanger body.
Another non-limiting example of a single-piece removable fixed hook that operates similarly to hook 701 is one that includes two protrusions as a fastening mechanism. FIG. 11a depicts a front perspective view of fixed hook 1101 with a protrusion 1105G illustrated in broken lines on the inside surface 1105A′ of the front side 1105A of proximal base end 1105 (see also FIG. 11c, which is a rear perspective cut-away view of hook 1101). FIG. 11b depicts a rear perspective view of fixed hook 1101 with a protrusion 1105G illustrated in broken lines on the inside surface 1105C′ of back side 1105C of proximal base end 1105 (see also FIG. 11d, which is a front perspective cut-away view of hook 1101). The width of each protrusion 1105G is preferably smaller than the width of front side 1105A and back side 1105C, respectively. As seen in FIGS. 11a-11d, the protrusion 1105G on inside surface 1105A′ is preferably in a different position, relatively, than protrusion 1105G on inside surface 1105C′ such that one protrusion 1105G is not aligned with the other protrusion 1105G. Each protrusion 1005G on the inside surfaces 1105A′, 1105C′ includes a ledge 1005H extending medially towards the back side 1105C and front side 1105C, respectively, of base end 1105 that engage a paper hanger aperture when hook 1005 becomes removably attached to said hanger body.
In an alternate, non-limiting embodiment of the garment hanger assembly depicted in FIGS. 7a-7d and FIGS. 8a-8c, FIG. 12a is a front perspective view of an embodiment of a removable fixed hook 1201 for a garment hanger assembly 1300 depicted in FIG. 13b (front perspective view) and FIG. 13c (rear perspective view) according to the present invention. The removable fixed hook 1201 is a single-piece and includes a hook end 1203 that is in a position distal to a paper hanger body 1310 (see FIG. 13a, which depicts a front view of a paper hanger body 1310 of garment hanger assembly 1300 without hook 1201) when the hook 1201 is removably attached to said hanger body 1310. The removable fixed hook 1201 also includes a base end 1205 that is in a position proximal to the paper hanger body 1310 when the hook 1201 is removably attached to said hanger body 1310. As shown in FIG. 12b (front view) and FIG. 12c (rear view) the proximal base end 1205 of fixed hook 1201 comprises a front side 1205A having a first top edge 1205B, a back side 1205C preferably shorter in length than the front side 1205A and having a second top edge 1205D, and a top side 1205E defined by the first top edge 1205B and the second top edge 1205D of the front 1205A and back side 1205C, respectively, of the proximal base end 1205 (see also FIG. 12d, which depicts a rear perspective view of hook 1201). FIG. 12d and FIG. 12e show a perspective of a rear view of hook 1201 with a fastening mechanism 1205G on both the front side 1205A and the back side 1205C of base end 1205 in the form of a snap-fit fastener.
The hanger body 1310 as shown in FIG. 13a is made from paper and has a shape of a garment hanger with a central region 1314, a first side region 1316 extending from the central region 1314 in a first direction 1316A, and a second side region 1318 extending from the central region 1314 in a second direction 1318A opposing the first direction 1316A. The hanger body 1310 includes a front surface 1310A, a back surface 1310B, a top surface 1310C, and at least one aperture 1312 in the central region 1314 for receiving proximal base end 1205 of removable fixed hook 1201, as seen in FIG. 13b (front perspective view) and FIG. 13c (rear perspective view). The aperture 1312 extends from the front surface 1310A of the hanger body 1310 to the back surface 1310B of the hanger body 1310 and is configured to be a particular shape. For example, as shown in FIG. 13a, the at least one aperture 1312 in the central region 1314 of the hanger body 1310 is in the shape of a circle.
Referring now to FIG. 12e, which depicts a rear view of the removable fixed hook 1201, proximal base end 1205 collectively includes a fastening mechanism 1205G as a cylindrical protrusion 1205G′ on the front side 1205A of base end 1205 and a snap-fit aperture 1205G″ on the back side 1205C of base end 1205. Specifically, cylindrical protrusion 1205G′ is on an inside surface 1205A′ of the front side 1205A of base end 1205 and includes an annular rib 1205H near the medial end thereof at a position closer to the back side 1205C of base end 1205. The annular rib 1205H engages the snap-fit aperture 1205G″ after being inserted into hanger body aperture 1312 in the central region 814 of hanger body 1310 and fastens the single-piece hanger hook 1201, thereby removably attaching said hanger hook 1201 to the central region 1314 of hanger body 1310 (see FIGS. 13a-13c). The fastening mechanism 1205G can alternatively include cylindrical protrusion 1205G′ on the back side 1205C of base end 1205 and the snap-fit aperture 1205G″ on the front side 1205A of base end 1205.
The removable attachment of fixed hook 1201 to a paper hanger body, as the one of FIG. 13a for example, is shown in FIGS. 14a-14d. FIG. 14a depicts a rear perspective view of single-piece, removable fixed hook 1201 with front and back sides 1205A, 1205C of the proximal base end 1205 in a planar position with each other, illustrating how the base end 1205 includes two integral (or living) hinges (or fixture bearings), one hinge 12051 bifurcating the front side 1205A at or near the first top edge 1205B, and another hinge 12051 bifurcating the back side 1205C at or near the second top edge 1205D. FIG. 14b is a side view of FIG. 14a and illustrates how the cylindrical protrusion 1205G′ with annular rib 1205H is perpendicular to base end 1205 when base end 1205 is in a planar position. The two integral hinges 12051 are made of the same material as the rest of single-piece hook 1201 and provide lateral to medial, as well as medial to lateral, movement for both the front side 1205A and back side 1205C of base end 1205. Once the proximal base end 1205 in planar position is lined over central region 1314 of paper hanger body 1310, both front side 1205A and back side 1205C can be moved medially inward at integral hinges 12051 by pressing down on each side 1205A, 1205B, as shown in FIG. 14c, another front perspective view of hook 1201. As front and back sides 1205A, 1205C continue to move medially towards a front and back surface, 1305A, 1305C, respectively, of a hanger body, protrusion 1205G′ approaches, and eventually is inserted into, circular aperture 1312 in hanger body 1310 until it engages snap-fit aperture 1205G″ in back side 1205C of base end 1205. FIG. 14D is a side view of hook 1201 with front and back sides 1205A, 1205C of base end 1205 parallel to each other and depicting how annular rib 1205H interlocks with snap-fit aperture 1205G″ and fastens hook 1201 to a paper hanger, such as for example hanger body 1310. Once the cylindrical protrusion 1205G′ is engaged with aperture 1205G″, the front side 1205A, back side 1205C and top side 1205E of the proximal base end 1205 of the removable fixed hanger hook 1201 is in contact with the front surface 1310A, the back surface 1310B and the top surface 1310C, respectively, of the hanger body 1310. Fastening mechanism 1205G of proximal base end 1205 therefore acts as a snap-fit attachment when hook 1201 is removably attached paper hanger body 1310. The snap-fit attachment as described herein can be a cantilever or torsional snap-fit, as well as annular. The central region 1314 of the hanger body 1310 can preferably also include a recess or slot 1315 on the top surface 1310C for more readily receiving the proximal base end 1205 of the fixed hanger hook 1201 when hook 1201 removably attaches to the central region 1314 of the hanger body 1310. As such, recess 1315 is approximately the same width and shape as the front and back sides 1205A, 1205C of base end 1205 near the first and second top edges 1205B, 1205D to assist in removably attaching hook 1201 to hanger body 1310. Removal of the fixed hook 1201 simply requires pulling back side 1205C away from paper hanger body 1310 until cylindrical protrusion 1205G′ is released from snap-fit aperture 1205G″ and the front and back sides 1205A, 1205C moved laterally away from the hanger body 1310.
In yet another alternate, non-limiting embodiment of the garment hanger assembly depicted in FIGS. 7a-7d and FIGS. 8a-8c, FIG. 15a is a front perspective view of an embodiment of a removable fixed hook 1501 for a garment hanger assembly 1600 depicted in FIG. 16b (front perspective view) and FIG. 16 (rear perspective view) according to the present invention. The removable fixed hook 1501 is a single-piece and includes a hook end 1503 that is in a position distal to a paper hanger body 1610 (see FIG. 16a, which depicts a front view of a paper hanger body 1610 of garment hanger assembly 1600 without hook 1501) when the hook 1501 is removably attached to said hanger body 1610. The removable fixed hook 1501 also includes a base end 1505 that is in a position proximal to the paper hanger body 1610 when the hook 1501 is removably attached to said hanger body 1610. As shown in FIG. 15a and FIG. 15b (rear perspective view) the proximal base end 1505 of fixed hook 1501 comprises a front side 1505A having a first top edge 1505B, a back side 1505C preferably shorter in length than the front side 1505A and having a second top edge 1505D, and a top side 1505E defined by the first top edge 1505B and the second top edge 1505D of the front 1505A and back side 1505C, respectively, of the proximal base end 1505. The back side 1505C consists essentially of two flanges, a first flange 1505C that extends laterally from second top edge 1505D in a direction perpendicular to top side 1505E, and a second identical flange 1505C that also extends laterally from second top edge 1505D in a direction perpendicular to top side 1505E. As shown in FIG. 14c, which shows a side view of hook 1501, distal hook end 1503 extends into the proximal base end 1505 such that it bifurcates second top edge 1505D and the first and second flanges 1505C.
The hanger body 1610 as shown in FIG. 16a is made from paper and has a shape of a garment hanger with a central region 1614, a first side region 1616 extending from the central region 1614 in a first direction 1616A, and a second side region 1618 extending from the central region 1614 in a second direction 1618A opposing the first direction 1616A. The hanger body 1610 includes a front surface 1610A, a back surface 1610B, a top surface 1610C, and at least one aperture 1612 in the central region 1614 for receiving proximal base end 1505 of removable fixed hook 1501, as seen in FIG. 16b (front perspective view) and FIG. 16c (rear perspective view). The aperture 1612 extends from the front surface 1610A of the hanger body 1610 to the back surface 1610B of the hanger body 1610 and is configured to be a particular shape. For example, as shown in FIG. 16a, the at least one aperture 1612 in the central region 1614 of the hanger body 1610 is in the shape of a semi-circle with a straight edge 1612A and a rounded edge 1612B, the straight edge 1612A parallel with and in closer proximity to the top surface 1610C of the hanger body 1610 than the rounded edge 1612B.
As shown in FIG. 15c, the proximal base end 1505 of removable fixed hook 1501 also includes a fastening mechanism 1505G as an extension or “arm” of the front side 1505A of base end 1505. The arm 1505G extends from the front side 1505A of base end 1505 in a first direction medially towards the back side 1505C at essentially a right angle, and then in a second direction essentially perpendicular to the first direction and parallel to the back side 1505C to form an edge 1505H of the arm 1505G. In a preferred embodiment, the shape of the arm 1505G from the edge 1505H down is essentially the same as the shape of aperture 1612.
The removable attachment of fixed hook 1501 to paper hanger body 1610 is like that shown in FIG. 6a for hook 601. In particular, the proximal base end 1505 of hook 1501 is pushed over the central region 1614 of hanger body 1610, between the first side 1505A and back side 1505C, and slid down central region 1614 until the fastening mechanism 1505G on front side of 1505A is lined up with aperture 1612 on the front surface 1610A of hanger body 1610. The arm 1505G of fastening mechanism from the edge 1505H down defines a substantially semi-circular outline (see FIG. 15b) which is sized to correspond to aperture 1612b (see FIG. 16a) such that arm 1505G extends into aperture 1612b (see FIGS. 16b-FIG. 16c), thereby removably attaching hook 1501 to body 1610. In one particularly preferred embodiment, fastening mechanism 1505G from edge 1505H down is sized to maintain frictional engagement with straight edge 1612A and rounded edge 1612B when installed into aperture 1612. Once the fastening mechanism arm 1505G is engaged with the hanger body 1610 through aperture 1612, the front side 1505A, back side 1505C and top side 1505E of the proximal base end 1505 of the removable swivel hanger hook 1501 is in contact with the front surface 1610A, the back surface 1610B and the top surface 1610C, respectively, of the hanger body 1610. Proximal base end 1505 therefore acts as a clip-attachment when pushed down over and past the top surface 1610A of the paper hanger body 1610. Removal of fixed hook 1501, like that depicted in FIG. 6b, requires only the insertion of a finger from a user into aperture 1612 near the back surface 1610C of hanger body 1610 to push fastening mechanism out of said aperture 1612. Once fastening mechanism 1505G is released from aperture 1612, fixed hook 1501 is lifted off hanger body 1610 and completely removed therefrom.
Although various embodiments of the garment hanger assembly are illustrated and described herein, it is appreciated that other embodiments are contemplated as being within the scope of the present disclosure and that various substitutions may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the same.
Patent Application
20240148175
