Patent Application
20240065463
The present invention relates to hookless paper hangers and, more particularly, to a hookless paper hanger adapted and configured for securement of a plastic hook thereto.
Garments sold in retail outlets are often displayed on a hanger. Plastic garment hangers having plastic hooks are well-known in the art. These hangers are typically formed as an integral unit using an injection molding process. Plastic garment hangers having metal hooks are also well-known in the art. However, today there is more and more interest in finding ways to reduce the amount of plastic used in the garment industry.
One such solution is referred to as a paper hanger. In a first application of paper hangers as disclosed in commonly-owned co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 17/380,179 filed Jul. 20, 2021 (the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference), the body of the paper hanger is formed of cardboard or a similar paper stock material having sufficient strength to support the weight of the garment and a novel plastic hook, together with a sizer, is connected thereto to allow hanging of the paper hanger and garment supported thereon. In a second application of paper hangers, certain retail outlets (e.g., club stores) display their garments on tables. In this second application, the garment may be supplied to the retailer on a hookless paper hanger.
As will be understood by those in the industry, there are times (due to excess inventory or cancellation of orders) when a shipment of garments intended for sale within a club store (and supplied on hookless paper hangers) must be sold through another outlet. In the past, this would typically require the disassembly of each item, and the subsequent rehanging of the item on a hanger (whether plastic or paper) with a hook. Such a process is both labor intensive and expensive.
There is therefore a need in the art for a hookless paper hanger which is adapted for ready securement of a plastic hook thereto, thereby allowing cost effective conversion of the hookless hanger into a hooked hanger when a shipment of garments intended for display on flat tables needs to be displayed in a conventional hanging format.
The present invention, which addresses the needs of the prior art, provides a hookless paper hanger. The hookless paper hanger includes a paper hanger body. The paper hanger body includes a centrally-disposed portion defining a top edge. The centrally-disposed portion includes a first orienting member. The centrally-disposed portion further includes a plurality of perforations defining a geometric boundary. The paper hanger body further includes a first pair of opposing arms for supporting a first garment thereon. The arms extend from opposing sides of the centrally-disposed portion. In one preferred embodiment, the geometric boundary defines a rectangle. In another preferred embodiment, the first orienting member is a locating notch formed in said top edge. In still another preferred embodiment, the locating notch is U-shaped.
The present invention further provides a garment hanger. The garment hanger includes a paper hanger body. The paper hanger body includes a centrally-disposed trunk defining a top edge. The centrally-disposed trunk includes a first orienting member. The centrally-disposed trunk includes an attachment opening extending therethrough. The paper hanger body further includes a first pair of opposing arms for supporting a first garment thereon and a second pair of opposing arms for supporting a second garment thereon. The first and second pairs of arms extend from opposing sides of the centrally-disposed trunk. The garment further includes a plastic hook including a hook body and a lock member. The hook body includes a hanging arm having first and second ends. The first end of the hanging arm is sized to engage a rack. The hook body further includes an attachment base. The attachment base includes first and second opposing planar surfaces. The attachment base further includes a flange located along one edge thereof and extending in a direction X perpendicular to the first planar surface. The second end of the hanging arm is attached to the flange. The attachment base further includes a collar extending from the first planar surface in the direction X. The collar is sized to extend through the attachment opening in the paper hanger body. The attachment base further includes a second orienting member sized to engage the first orienting member when the hook body is properly oriented with respect to the paper hanger body. The lock member includes a sizer body portion and a tongue extending therefrom. The sizer body portion defines an interior opening sized and configured to allow passage of the hanging arm therethrough. The tongue is sized and configured to engage the collar thereby securing the plastic hook to the paper hanger body.
Finally, the present invention provides a method of assembling a plastic hook to a hookless paper hanger body. The method includes the step of providing a paper hanger body. The paper hanger body includes a centrally-disposed portion defining a top edge. The centrally-disposed portion includes a first orienting member. The centrally-disposed portion includes a plurality of perforations defining a geometric boundary. The paper hanger body further includes a first pair of opposing arms for supporting a first garment thereon. The arms extend from opposing sides of the centrally-disposed portion. The method includes the further step of providing a plastic hook including a hook body and a lock member. The hook body includes a hanging arm having first and second ends. The first end of the hanging arm is sized to engage a rack. The hook body further includes an attachment base. The attachment base includes first and second opposing planar surfaces. The attachment base further includes a flange located along one edge thereof and extending in a direction X perpendicular to the first planar surface. The second end of the hanging arm is attached to the flange. The attachment base further includes a collar extending from the first planar surface in the direction X. The collar is sized to substantially correspond to the geometric boundary in the paper hanger body. The attachment base further includes a second orienting member sized to engage the first orienting member when the hook body is properly oriented with respect to the paper hanger body. The lock member includes a sizer body portion and a tongue extending therefrom. The sizer body portion defines an interior opening sized and configured to allow passage of the hanging arm therethrough. The tongue is sized and configured to engage the collar. The method includes the further step of positioning the first planar surface of the attachment base of the hook body against the paper hanger body such that the collar substantially aligns with the geometric boundary. The method includes the further step of pushing the collar through the paper hanger body to define an attachment opening whereby the collar extends through the attachment opening and the flange engages an edge of the paper hanger body such that the second orienting member on the attachment base engages the first orienting member on the centrally-disposed portion thereby properly orientating the hook body with respect to the paper hanger body. The method includes the further step of installing the lock member by sliding the hanging arm through the interior opening of the sizer body portion and towards the second end of the hanging arm. Finally, the method includes the step of engaging the tongue with the collar to secure the plastic hook to the paper hanger body.
As a result, the present invention provides a hookless paper hanger which is adapted for ready securement of a plastic hook thereto, thereby allowing cost effective conversion of the hookless hanger into a hooked hanger when a shipment of garments intended for display on flat tables needs to be displayed in a conventional hanging format.
A hookless paper hanger 10 is shown in
As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, hookless paper hanger 10 are used by certain retail outlets (e.g., club stores) to display their garments on a flat surface such as a table. The garments are supplied to the retailer already on the hookless paper hanger so that they ready for display on the table. There are times (due to excess inventory or cancellation of orders) when a shipment of garments intended for sale within a club store (and supplied on hookless paper hangers) must be sold through another outlet. In the past, this would typically require the disassembly of each item, and the subsequent rehanging of the item on a hanger (whether plastic or paper) with a hook. Such a process is both labor intensive and expensive.
It has been discovered herein that a hookless paper hanger can be adapted for ready securement of a plastic hook thereto, thereby allowing cost effective conversion of the hookless hanger into a hooked hanger when a shipment of garments intended for display on flat tables needs to be displayed in a conventional hanging format. In this regard, hanger body 12 of the novel hookless paper hanger of the present invention includes a plurality of perforations 22 defining a geometric boundary, e.g., rectangle 24. It is contemplated herein that the geometric boundary could be any number of various shapes such as a circle, triangle, square, etc. In one preferred embodiment, rectangular 24 is located about an axis of symmetry Y extending through hanger body 12. The perforations allow the portion of material defined by the geometric boundary to be readily removed from hanger body 12 by applying pressure to the material within the boundary. A rectangular-shaped block 26 is shown in
The novel hookless paper hanger of the present invention further includes a first orienting member, e.g., locating notch 30, positioned on top edge 16. In one preferred embodiment, locating notch 30 is positioned a distance L from axis Y, thereby positioning notch 30 at an off-center location along top edge 16. In another preferred embodiment, locating notch 30 is formed in the shape of a “U”. It is contemplated herein that the first orienting member could also be formed as an opening in the face of hanger body 12 or as a protrusion extending from a face of hanger body 12.
Referring now to
Attachment base 44 further includes a second orienting member, e.g., protrusion 56, sized to engage locating notch 30 when hook body 34 is properly oriented with respect to hanger body 12. In particular, the industry practice is to orient the hook such that the open portion of the hook faces to the left when viewed from the front of the garment. The positioning of locating notch 30 at an off-center location along top edge 16 ensures that hook body 34 can be installed only in the correct orientation.
Lock member 36 includes a sizer body portion 58 and a tongue 60 extending therefrom. Sizer body portion 58 is preferably formed of four connected walls defining a rectangular cross section and an interior opening 62 sized and configured to allow passage of hanging arm 38 therethrough such that sizer body portion 58 substantially surrounds second end 42 of hanging arm 38 and tongue 60 engages collar 54. However, it is contemplated herein that sizer body portion 58 may also be formed from three connected walls (e.g., by eliminating one of the shorter end walls) or from a substantially continuous curved wall whereby the sizer body portion substantially/completely encloses interior opening 62. In one preferred embodiment, tongue 60 includes an opening and attachment base 44 includes a tab located and biased to engage the opening when the tongue is inserted within collar 54.
When it is necessary/desired to convert hookless hanger 10 into a hooked hanger, the retailer positions a plastic hook 32 next to hookless hanger 10 such that collar 54 engages rectangle 24. The hook is pressed against hanger body 12 until rectangular block 26 is expelled from hanger body 12 thereby defining an attachment opening 28. In one particularly preferred embodiment, collar 54 is sized to maintain frictional engagement with attachment opening 28 when installed therethrough. Thereafter, plastic hook 32 is assembled to hanger body 12. In this regard, hook body 34 is oriented with respect to the hanger body such that the collar on the hook body extends through the attachment opening in the hanger body and protrusion 56 on attachment base 44 engages locating notch 30, thereby ensuring the proper orientation of plastic hook 32. The lock member is then installed by inserting the hanging arm through the interior opening of the sizer body portion of the lock member, and sliding the lock member towards the second end of the hanging arm. The lock member is oriented such that the tongue is positioned to engage the collar. Finally, the tongue is inserted into the collar thereby securing the plastic hook to the paper hanger body.
It will be appreciated that the present invention has been described herein with reference to certain preferred or exemplary embodiments. The preferred or exemplary embodiments described herein may be modified, changed, added to or deviated from without departing from the intent, spirit and scope of the present invention, and it is intended that all such additions, modifications, amendments and/or deviations be included in the scope of the present invention.
