Patent Application
20110168597
Retailers are continually evolving product displays in hopes of discovering more effective and visually attractive means for displaying products to potential consumers. The packaging for products may be designed to facilitate product display. For example, given the limited shelf space available in retail stores, it is often desirable to provide product packaging configured to facilitate hanging of products from rods, pegs, or other display fixture support members.
One aspect of the present invention relates to a hanger assembly for supporting an item suspended from a support structure including a hanger and a sleeve. The hanger includes a display section, which defines a bottom edge and including a hanging feature configured to receive a portion of the support structure, and a drop section extending downwardly from the bottom edge of the display section to define a lower portion of the drop section opposite the bottom of the display section. The drop section includes a primary shaft and an arm. The primary shaft extends the length of the drop section and defines a front surface configured to be placed adjacent the item to be supported. The arm extends upwardly from the lower portion of the drop section laterally spaced from the primary shaft to define a lower slot between the primary shaft and the arm. The sleeve extends entirely around the primary shaft through the lower slot. The sleeve is initially loose around the primary shaft and is configured to shrink upon exposure to an activating condition around the primary shaft and to tightly fit around and secure the item to the primary shaft. Other related products, assemblies and methods are also disclosed and provide additional advantages.
Embodiments of the invention will be described with respect to the figures, in which like reference numerals denote like elements, and in which:
The following detailed description of the invention merely provides example embodiments and is not intended to limit the invention or the application and uses of the invention. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background of the invention or the following detailed description of the invention.
Embodiments of the present invention are configured to present products for retail sale suspended from a support rod or similar structure. In particular, the hanger, such as a single piece hanger, is configured to fit along side an item for retail sale and secured to one another via a shrink-wrap sleeve extending around a portion of both the hanger and the item for retail sale. In one example, the hanger provides a display portion including information regarding the item for retail sale and a drop portion downwardly extending from the display portion. A portion of the item for retail sale, e.g., a handle of a kitchen utensil, is placed to longitudinally extend in parallel and in contact with the drop portion. The shrink-wrap sleeve is placed around the drop portion and the handle of the kitchen utensil and is exposed to conditions that shrink the shrink-wrap sleeve thereby securing the utensil to the hanger. The entire assembly is suspended via the hanger from a retail display support rod or other support. When hung, the display portion can be easily read, etc. by potential consumers and other viewers thereof. Additional details and variations are described in the below description.
Turning to
One embodiment of hanger 12 is illustrated in
In one example, front surface 30 is substantially planar, but defines a front recess or front indentation 36 rearwardly inset from a remainder of front surface 30, but not through an entire thickness of display section 20. Front indentation 36 may be used for any suitable purpose, and, in one embodiment, provides a portion of front surface 30 configured to receive a label 42 (
Display section 20 defines a hanging aperture 40 or other hanging feature or mechanism for receiving a suitable support, for example, a retail support rod 18, such that hanger 12 is suspended therefrom (e.g., other means for receiving a support). Other means for supporting hanger 12 in a suspended position include a hook, a notch, a protrusion, etc. as will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading the present application.
In one embodiment, drop section 22 extends downwardly from a bottom-most portion of perimeter edge 34 of display section 20 in an elongated manner defining a first end 50 immediately adjacent display section 20 and a second edge 52 opposite first end 50. In one example, display section 20 is substantially broader in at least one direction (e.g., a lateral direction) than drop section 22. More specifically, in one example, drop section 22 includes a primary shaft 54 (e.g., an longitudinally portion) substantially extending the entire length of drop section 22 between first end 50 and second end 52. Primary shaft 54 is shaped in a suitable manner, for example, to define a first or front surface 56 and a second or rear surface 58 opposite front surface 56. In one embodiment, front surface 56 is laterally contoured to match the cross-sectional contour of the portion of item 14 for retail sale. For instance, where item 14 is a utensil with a substantially cylindrical handle, front surface 56 is curved such that the handle is able to nest with front surface 56 of primary shaft 54.
In one example, protrusions 60 are formed and extend rearwardly from rear surface 58 of primary shaft 54. For instance, a first series of elongated protrusions 62a, 62b, and 62c are longitudinally spaced along a left side of primary shaft 54 and a second series of elongated protrusions 64a, 64b, and 64c are longitudinally spaced along a right side of primary shaft 54. In one embodiment, first series of elongated protrusions 62a, 62b, and 62c and second series of elongated protrusions 64a, 64b, and 64c mirror each other along primary shaft 54. First series of elongated protrusions 62a, 62b, and 62c and second series of elongated protrusions 64a, 64b, and 64c are spaced from one another to define slots 70 laterally extending therebetween.
More specifically, a first one of slots 70 laterally extends from between two of the first series of elongated protrusions 62a and 62b to between two of the second series of elongated protrusions 64a and 64b, and a second one of slots 70 laterally extends from between a different two of the first series of elongated protrusions 62b and 62c to between a different two of the second series of elongated protrusions 64b and 64c. In one embodiment, hanger 12 includes a bridge member 68 extending over each one of slots 70, e.g., between two of first series of elongated protrusions 62a and 62b or 62b and 62c and two of second series of elongated protrusions 64a and 64b or 64b and 64c such that each slot 70 is defined in front of a corresponding bridge member 68. In one example, bridge members 68 are only supported by corresponding ones of protrusions 60; while in one example, bridge members 68 are supported from rear surface 58 of primary shaft 54 in addition to or as an alternative to their interaction with the corresponding ones of the protrusions 60. In one example, holes 66 are defined through primary shaft 54 in front of bridge members 68 to facilitate formation of hanger 12 (e.g., where hanger 12 is injection molded), to decrease a weight of hanger 12, and/or to decrease an amount of material used to form hanger 12.
In one example, drop section 22 forms a widening 80 near first end 50 and a widening 82 near second end 52. In other words, drop section 22 is wider near each of first end 50 and second end 52 than at a middle section of drop section 22 (e.g., primary shaft 54 of drop section 22). A top prong or top arm 90 downwardly extends (e.g., extends away from display section 20) from each of left and right sides of widening 80 spaced from primary shaft 54 to define corresponding top slots 94 between each top arm 90 and primary shaft 54. Similarly, a bottom prong or bottom arm 92 upwardly extends (e.g., extends toward display section 20) from each of left and right sides of widening 82 to define corresponding bottom slots 96 between each bottom arm 92 and primary shaft 54. In one embodiment, bottom arms 92 are longer than top arms 90; however, the reverse sizing or identical sizing of top arms 90 and bottom arms 92 is also contemplated.
In one embodiment, sleeve 16 is a closed tube configured to shrink under exposure to certain activating elements or conditions, such as heat, vacuum pressure, etc. In one example, sleeve 16 is a heat-shrink tube, such as a tube formed of transparent, translucent, or opaque plastic as will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading the present application, configured to shrink and/or harden when heat, such as heat from a heat gun, is applied to sleeve 16. Sleeve 16 is closed and defines a top edge 100 and a bottom edge 102 opposite top edge 100. As such, sleeve 16 defines a continuous inner surface 104 and a continuous outer surface 106. A length of sleeve 16 as defined between top edge 100 and bottom edge 102 is less than a distance between far edges of one of top slots 94 and a corresponding bottom slot 96 (i.e., a bottom slot 96 on a similar side of primary shaft 54).
In one embodiment, utensil 14 includes a kitchen utensil, a cleaning utensil, a hairbrush, etc. and/or may be replaced with any other suitably sized and shaped item for retail sale. For instance, items having elongated relatively narrow portions are particularly suitable for use (e.g., as utensil 14) with hanger 12 and sleeve 16. In one embodiment, utensil 14 includes a handle 110 extending from a functional or other portion 112 thereof. During use, sleeve 16 is placed around primary shaft 54, more particularly, such that top edge 100 is positioned to extend through both top slots 94 and bottom edge 102 is positioned to extend through both bottom slots 96. Sleeve 16 is sized to allow handle 110 to be readily slid alongside primary shaft 54 within sleeve 16 as generally illustrated with reference to
At 160, handle 110 of utensil 14 is slid into sleeve 16 adjacent front surface 56 such that handle 110 nests within a curvature of (whether smooth curvature or angular bending of) front surface 56 of primary shaft 54. In one example, handle 110 is positioned such that a top thereof is near or aligned with a top of primary shaft 54.
Once handle 110 is positioned as desired with respect to hanger 12 and sleeve 16, then, at 162, product assembly 10, more specifically, sleeve 16 is exposed to a heat or other specific exposure (e.g., vacuum pressure) application causing sleeve 16 to shrink until sleeve 16 tightly wraps primary shaft 54 and handle 110 as a tight outer skin. In one embodiment, when shrunk, sleeve 16 contacts each protrusion 60 and extends between first series of elongated protrusions 62a, 62b, and 62c and second series of elongated protrusions 64a, 64b, and 64c. protrusions 60 in generally provide additional structure that sleeve 16 surrounds, and, in one embodiment, thereby, contributes to maintenance of sleeve 16 on hanger 12 (e.g., helps prevent sleeve 16 from longitudinally slipping from its desired position on hanger 12).
In one example, the spacing between first series of elongated protrusions 62a, 62b, and 62c and second series of elongated protrusions 64a, 64b, and 64c provides a cut channel 116 (
At 164, after sleeve 16 is shrunk but before a knife, etc. is applied to cut sleeve 16, hanger 12 is hung on support rod 18, for example, is positioned to receive support rod 18 via hanging aperture 40 in a desired position within a retail store. When so hung, utensil 14 is suspended for display to potential consumers and for subsequent removal from support rod 18, purchase, and removal from the retail setting.
In one embodiment, sleeve 16 may be damaged or a consumer who purchased utensil 14 may return utensil 14 after having cut sleeve 16 such that the retail store receives an opened or partially disassembled product assembly 10 at 166. In one example, at 168, utensil 14 is re-secured to hanger 12 using a method other than sleeve 16 or similar structures, which are not generally available in stores for repackaging merchandise. In one embodiment, ties 120, such as cable ties, string, etc., are placed to extend through transverse slots 70 and around primary shaft 54 of hanger 12 and handle 110 of utensil 14 such that utensil 14 is securely coupled with hanger 12 in a relatively aesthetically pleasing manner that can be placed back in the retail display without conspicuous signs of repackaging, etc. Notably, although the locking portion of ties 120 are illustrated in one position, it should be understood that such ties could be located closer to primary shaft 154 and/or in any other suitable position.
Although the invention has been described with respect to particular embodiments, such embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered to limit the invention. Various alternatives and modifications within the scope of the invention in its various embodiments will be apparent to those with ordinary skill in the art.
