Patent Application
20070278259
This invention relates generally to the field of garment hangers and, more particularly, to a garment hanger and size marker combination that displays information about the size of the garment.
In the area of retail garment sales, a specified hanger program (also referred to as GOH (garment on hanger)) is becoming more popular. The GOH program provides the retailers with garments which have been hung on the hangers and ready for distribution and display at stores, thus offering the advantages of transport, distribution and operational efficiencies as well as reduced cost. In the GOH program, there is a need to have information regarding the garments shown on the hangers.
Size markers or sizers are provided on garment hangers to displaying information about the garment including the size. There are basically three types of size markers which attach to the hangers, one being fitted atop the hook of a hanger, a second which is side mounted and a third having a through cavity that allows the hook of a hanger to pass therethrough.
While a variety of size markers are known in the art, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,101, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0006204, and European Patent Application Publication No. 1338226, none are available which provide the user with the ease and simplicity of manipulation of size marker, such as is the subject of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,101 discloses a garment hanger having a tab holder formed at a hanger body and an information tab coupled to said tab holder. However, the information tab requires a substantial amount of effort to secure it with the hanger and prevents removal of the tab from the hanger after being secured thereon.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0006204 illustrates crown sizers which are mounted over the hook of a hanger and positioned coaxially about a post extending from the hanger body, however, are not laterally engaged with the hook of the hanger.
European Patent Application Publication No. 1338226 discloses a size marker provided with a recess adapted for containing, either partly or totally, the post protruding from the plastic body of a hanger. The size marker must be held around and abut against the hook of a hanger. It is rocking after being secured on the hanger.
These size markers fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, but these markers and the known products on the market exhibit disadvantages such as deformation of the size marker after use over a period of time, difficulty in advancement and removal of the size marker after being locked, lack of feasibility of recycling or reuse of the size marker. In addition, they usually horizontally protrude beyond the hanger such that the fabric of smoothly textured garments such as silk, rayon, etc., when hung on the hanger, could be damaged during shipment or storage in a stacking manner.
Consequently, there would be greatly advantageous to address the problems outlined above by providing a garment hanger and size marker combination that
The present invention has been developed to fulfill the needs noted above and therefore has a principle object of the provision of a garment hanger and size marker combination, comprising:
a garment hanger having a hanger body, a hook portion and at least one marker mounting means located at a juncture between the hanger body and the hook portion, said marker mounting means including a web formed between the hanger body and the hook portion, a projecting edge which extends slopingly between the hanger body and the hook portion and has a notch, and a stop formed on each of two opposite sides of the web; and
a size marker mounted on the web via the edge in a self-locking manner, including a pair of substantially parallel spaced apart side walls, a top wall connecting the pair of side walls to define a channel for receiving the web, and a pair of opposite flanges which are structured on the side walls and arranged to engage the stops on the web to secure the size marker to the garment hanger.
Preferably, the web is substantially triangle shaped and the projecting edge is positioned along the hypotenuse of the web and unitarily formed with the web.
The notch arranged on the projecting edge is of a length such that the size marker is laterally advanced to the marker mounting means via the notch.
The stop provided on the web preferably has a sloping surface for facilitating advancement of the size marker to the marker mounting means.
Referring to the size marker, its side walls each preferably terminates by the flange that extends inwardly and upwardly. With such a flange design and the transversely projecting edge, the size marker may be firmly positioned on the marker mounting means.
In according to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the marker mounting means is shaped to substantially completely be received in the channel defined by the side walls and the top wall of the size marker with the upper portion of the projecting edge being abutting against an inner face of the top wall of the size maker.
The garment hanger used in the present invention is advantageously of a type having a plastic post integral with the hanger body and a hook made of metal and received in the post.
To have a better understanding of the invention reference is made to the following detailed description of the invention and embodiments thereof in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
In the various figures of the drawings, like reference numbers are used to designate like parts.
While this invention is illustrated and described in a preferred embodiment, the device may be produced in many different configurations, forms and materials.
Referring now to the drawings,
The profile shape of the web 6 is matched to a predetermined size marker that is to be placed on the marker mounting means.
The stop 9 is of substantially rectangular in cross-section and has a sloping surface 10 to ease the size marker 11 into place, as clearly shown in
In this embodiment of the invention, the projecting edge 7 is positioned along the hypotenuse of the web 6 and transversely projects from the web 6 in opposite directions. There is a notch 8 in the intermediate portion of the edge 7, through which the size marker 11 is laterally advanced onto the marker mounting means 5. The edge 7 is of a width mating with the spacing between the inner surfaces of side walls 12 of the size marker 11, further ensuring the interlocking nature of the marker mounting means 5 into the size maker 11.
Referring now to
In this embodiment, the size marker 11 takes a profile shape which is substantially triangular. The size marker 11 has a pair of substantially triangular parallel side walls 12, a rectangular top wall 13 connecting the side walls 12 to define a channel 14 for receiving the marker mounting means 5.
Each side wall 12 has at its free end a flange 15 integrally formed with and flexing inwardly and upwardly from the free end. The flange 15 is resilient and dimensioned to catch the stop 9 on the web 6 thereby locking the size marker 11 in place on the marker mounting means 5, while maintaining the child-proof standards. With this locking action and the abutment of the projecting edge 7 against the inner face of the top wall 13, the size marker 11 substantially eliminates the possibility of being removed from the garment hanger.
The side wall 12 provides a visible surface which is easily viewable carrying but not limited to the printed size of the garment on the hanger 1. The color of the size marker itself may also provide indicative purpose.
Preferably, the marker mounting means 5 is shaped to substantially completely be received within the channel defined by the side walls 12 and the top wall 13 of the size marker 11. When the size marker 11 is held in place on the marker mounting means, the upper portion of the projecting edge 7 is abutting against an inner face of the top wall of the size maker for the purpose of enhancing the attachment of the size marker 11.
In order to attach the size marker 11 onto the marker mounting means 5 in place, the size marker 11 is forced manually to advance into the marker mounting means 5 through the notch 8 in the direction as shown in
In order to remove the size marker 11, no special tool or means is required for the invention. The size marker 11 may be grasped by hand for applying an outward and upward force to the size marker 11 so that the flanges 15 and the side walls 12 expand outwardly to offset the stops 9 thereby enabling disengagement of the flanges 15 from the locked positions.
It should be appreciated that two size markers may also be arranged oppositely at the junctions of the hanger body and the hook portions of the garment hanger.
The invention thus provides a garment hanger and size marker combination with a simple design which is inexpensive to produce and allows recycling/reuse of the size markers. Because of the simple design of locking members, manipulation of removal or attachment of the size marker can occur without substantial amount of effort, for example through the less finger pressure exerted against the size marker. In addition, the size marker in accordance with the invention, once it is snapped in place, does not horizontally substantially protrude beyond the hook portion of the hanger, allowing the garment hangers having garments suspended therefrom to flat stack while substantially bring no damage to smoothly textured garments such as silk, rayon, etc. during shipment and storage.
The simple construction of the invention also offers the adaptability of the size marker and the marker mounting means to mass-manufacture using molding with uncomplicated molds, the combination of the invention thus being manufactured at very low cost which should contribute to its popularity and usefulness. The bulk of material used in the invention compared to the products in existence is reduced. In addition to cost savings, assembling and disassembling the size may be more user-friendly.
While the embodiment described herein are intended as an exemplary garment hanger and size marker combination, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment illustrated. Those skilled in the art will envision many other possible variations within the scope of the present invention.
