Patent Application
20160058209
The present invention relates to hangers that are used in the packaging and display of jewelry. In particular, the present invention relates to hangers that are secured to one or more pieces of jewelry with a cable tie or other fastening device and hung from merchandise displays.
Small articles, such as jewelry, are commonly displayed for sale in retail stores on racks or in display cases where the articles are hung. A variety of different hangers and tags have been used that are secured to the article and have a means for attaching the article to the rack for display. Several of the criteria for designing these hangers relate to the cost of manufacturing the hangers and the cost of attaching them to the articles. Another important design consideration is that the hangers must be convenient for the merchant to display and they must be convenient for the customer to remove after purchase.
Hangers used for displaying large pieces of jewelry, such as bracelets, broaches and necklaces, must be designed so that the customer can easily view the jewelry and remove the hanger from the display rack. The hangers must also be designed so that the customer can easily remove the hanger to try on the jewelry. Because a customer may try on several pieces of jewelry before making a selection, the hangers must be designed so that they can be removed and then reinstalled on the rack by the customer numerous times without damaging either the jewelry or the hangers. Moreover, large pieces of jewelry require attachment devices that can accommodate their large size.
Accordingly, there is a need for a hanger for displaying large pieces of jewelry that can be easily removed and reinstalled in the display and that does not prevent the jewelry from being worn by a customer. There is also a need for a hanger for displaying jewelry that can be economically manufactured and easily and firmly secured to the jewelry.
In accordance with the present invention, a jewelry display hanger is provided. The jewelry display hanger comprises, consists of or consists essentially of a body, a hook, a bracket and one or more fastening devices, preferably cable ties. The body is substantially flat and preferably rectangular in shape front and rear surfaces, a longitudinal axis, a first end, a second end, two sides extending between the first and second ends and a plurality of apertures. The body has a hook or an aperture for attaching the hanger to a display case or display rod. The hook is an L-shaped member that extends perpendicularly to the body from the first end and then parallel to the rear surface of the body towards the second end of the body. The bracket has a front surface, a rear surface, a first side and a second side. The rear surface of the bracket is attached to the front surface of the body and the front surface of the bracket is preferably concave and adapted to receive a piece of jewelry.
The fastening device can be a cable tie, a twist tie, an elastic cord or a metal strap that passes through the body of the hanger and the piece of jewelry at least once before the two ends are connected at the side of the hanger opposite the jewelry. For example, a first cable tie has a first end and a second end that includes a locking device. The first end passes through at least two of the plurality of apertures in the body and is inserted in the locking device to secure the piece of jewelry, such as a ring, to the hanger. Preferably, the first end of the cable tie passes through one of the plurality of apertures in the body from the rear surface to the front surface, over the bracket and through the ring. The cable tie then passes through a second of the plurality of apertures in the body from the front surface to the rear surface. If desired, the cable tie can be passed through the body and ring a second time before being connected to the second end. Optionally, a second cable tie similar to the first cable tie can pass through the body in a manner similar to the first cable tie using a third and a fourth of the plurality of apertures to further secure the piece of jewelry to the hanger. Additional cable ties operating in the same manner can be used. Preferably, the cable tie locking devices cannot be unlocked and have to be cut. The opposing ends of other types of fastening devices can be secured in different manners, such as twisting or knotting.
The preferred embodiments of the jewelry display hanger with one or more cable ties of the present invention, as well as other objects, features and advantages of this invention, will be apparent from the accompanying drawings wherein:
The present invention is a jewelry display hanger with one or more cable ties or other fastening devices that is used to display rings and other types of jewelry in retail stores. The jewelry display hanger includes: a body, a hook, a bracket and a fastening device; e.g., a first cable tie and, optionally, a second cable tie. The body is rectangular and substantially flat with a plurality of apertures. The front and rear surfaces of the body can include logos, product descriptions or pricing information, including bar codes. The hook extends outwardly from the rear surface at the first end of the body. The bracket is attached to the front surface of the body and the concave surface on the front side receives the curved outer surface of a ring. After a ring is placed on the bracket, a fastening device, such as a cable tie, a twist tie, a metal strap or an elastic cord, is inserted through apertures from the rear of the body, pass through the ring and back through apertures in the body. When a cable tie is used, the first and, optionally, second cable ties are inserted through the apertures from the rear of the hanger, preferably in a manner so that the portions of the cable tie passing over the ring are parallel. The first end of the cable tie (or ties) then passes through the locking device on the second end and tightened to secure the ring to the hanger.
A cable tie with a substantially flat first end having a surface with transverse ridges (i.e., ridges or raised portions of the surface that are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cable tie) and a second end with a locking device is inserted in the passage. Typically, the cable tie is made from a plastic or nylon material. The first end of the cable tie is inserted into one of the apertures in the body and then through a second aperture. If desired, the cable tie can be passed back through the body a second time. The cable tie is then inserted in the locking device to form a loop for attaching the hanger to an article of jewelry. Preferably, the cable tie locking device cannot be unlocked. For example, the first end of the cable tie can have a plurality of ribs transverse to the length of the cable tie. The ridges extend from the surface of the cable tie in a direction from the first end towards the second end. When the first end of the cable tie is inserted into the locking device on the second end, the ridges are slanted in a direction away from the direction of movement of the first end so the cable tie easily passes through the locking device. However, if the user attempts to move the cable tie in the opposite direction, the ridges engage the locking device and prevent the cable tie from moving. In order to remove the cable tie from the hanger, the cable tie has to be cut. The design of the cable tie is not intended to limit the invention and the use of any one of a variety of well-known cable ties is contemplated by this invention. Other types of fastening devices can also be used. For example, when a twist tie is used, it is installed in a similar manner to the cable tie except the two ends are secured by twisting. An elastic cord would be secured by forming a knot from the two ends.
Referring now to the drawings,
Thus, while there have been described the preferred embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art will realize that other embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is intended to include all such further modifications and changes as come within the true scope of the claims set forth herein.
This application claims priority from provisional application Ser. No. 62/043,154, filed on Aug. 28, 2014, which is incorporated herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62043154 | Aug 2014 | US |
