AU653594B2 - Improvements in and relating to indicia - Google Patents

Description

S F Ref: 211038

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 6 5 3 5 9 4 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

r r a a n e r Name and Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: Brendan Jon Lindsay 9 Newhaven Street Ellerslie Auckland NEW ZEALAND Brendan Jon Lindsay Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia Improvements In And Relating To Indicia The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5845/6 1 The present invention relates to improvements in and relating to indicia, particularly in the nature of size indicator tabs for attachment to clothes hangers.

It is now common place, at least in New Zealand, for clothes hangers to include an indicator of the size of the item of clothing suspended from the hanger.

Various proposals have been adopted for this indicia and in particular, various proposals have been put forward for the design of tabs which can be selectively attached to a clothes hanger depending on the size of clothing.

Various problems have, however, arisen in the manufacture or use of such previous tabs. One problem is in the ease with which a tab can be inserted on a hanger. Another problem has been in respect of the security of the attachment of the tab to the hanger.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide indicia for a hanger which overcomes or 20 obviates problems in indicia available at the present time or at least will provide the public with a useful choice.

to: •According to one aspect of the present invention, there is thus provided an indicating tab for a hanger 2 having a pair of spaced apart, substantially parallel, "25 display surfaces, the respective free end portion's of which providing a bifurcated end, an outer edge of the free end of one of said end portions being off-set relative to an outer edge of the free end of the other end portion so that, in use, said off-setting provides a lead-in of said bifurcated !nd onto and over a portion of the hanger.

Further aspects of this invention which should be considered in all its novel aspects will become apparent from the following description given by way of example of possible embodiments thereof and in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings wherein: 10 Figures 1 to 4: show very diagrammatically, i0 respective, front, end, rear and underside views of an indicator tab according to one possible embodiment of the invention; Figure 5: shows diagrammatically the neck and hook of a hanger with the indicator tab of figures 1 to 4 positioned thereon.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 to 4, an indicator tab is referenced generally by arrow 1 and in this :..*example is shown with two display surfaces 2 and 3 on 20 each of which in this example is shown a reference 20 numeral This of course is by way of example only and merely illustrates how a size 10 item of clothing indicator tab could appear in use. With the use of such e size indicating numerals, the numerals themselves can be 9*C* 25 provided on the one or more display surfaces by any 2 suitable manner such embossing, engraving, paintihg, 9* printing, stamping, adhesive fixtures and the like. In an alternative embodiment, rather than using numerals, letters or alpha numeric indications could be used. In a further alternative, the tab could be of one or more colours which would indicate a particular clothes size or type.

In this example, both sides 2 and 3 of the tab 1 are being utilised for display purposes although this is of course not always necessary and any one surface or part of one surface may be used in other embodiments.

It is seen that one of these surfaces, in the embodiment shown as surface 2, has an end portion 2A which ends before the end portion 3A of the other display portion 3 to form a bifurcated end portion In this way, there is an off-set indicated by arrow X in Figure 4 between the respective end portions 2A and 3A.

In this embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4, the display portions 2 and 3 are each shown of a substantially .o trapezoidal shape and formed, suitably moulded or bent, from a single piece of material such as plastics, metal or the like, into a substantially bifurcated shape and 20 conjoined at the far end by a flange or edge portion 6.

20 One or both of the portions 2 and 3 may include a small projecting portion 5, in the embodiment shown only on an inner surface of the portion 3, which in use may

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locate with a detent, aperture or the like provided on a ges.. 25 corresponding surface on or adjacent the neck of a hanger or hanger bar so as to accommodate the tab" once C in position.

Referring to Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings, it is seen that the tab of Figures 1 to 4 has been N iS 'K 6' 0' -4located in position on the neck 8 of the hanger hook 9 so that it is now displaying an indication of the size of the item of clothing suspended or proposed to be suspended from the hanger.

As shown in outline, the neck portion 8A has been engaged by the bifurcated end portion (10) of the indicator tab 1 and in the example shown the projection will be engaged within the aperture or detent 11 also shown in outline in Figure In providing a bifurcated end portion 10 for the tab 1, a problem with moulding of the tab 1 particularly is that the end portions 2A and 3A then close up, making it difficult to insert a bifurcated member such as tab 1 onto the neck portion 8.

In the present invention, however, this problem has been overcome at least obviated by providing the off- .i set portion X. This off-set portion X enables the leading portion 3A to guide the neck portion 8A into the 2 opening between the end portion 3A and the following portion 2A. In this way, location of the tab 1 over the eeoee neck portion 8A is made substantially easier.

Where in the foregoing description reference has been made to specific components or integers of the invention having known equivalents then such equivalents •o are herein incorporated as if individually set forth.

"o Although this invention has been described by way "of example and with reference to possible embodiments thereof it is to be understood that modifications or improvements may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

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Claims (6)

1. An indicating tab for a hanger having a pair of spaced apart, substantially parallel, display surfaces, the respective free end portions of which providing a bifurcated end, an outer edge of the free end of one of said end portions being off-set relative to an outer edge of the free end of the other end portion so that, in use, said off-setting provides a lead-in of said bifurcated end onto and over a portion of the hanger.

2. An indicating tab according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said display surfaces has a hanger engagement projection on an inner facing surface.

3. An indicating tab substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings. o

4. A combination of a hanger and an indicating tab as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said hanger includes a neck portion adapted to receive said bifurcated end.

5. A combination as claimed in claim 4 wherein Said neck portion of said hanger has an aperture which is engageable by said engagement portion.

6. A comibination oX. a hanJQJ, and an IcUoat~Irg 'tab sb otait ia3,1y as her~oin deoribed wlth reference to Figures I. to 5 of the accompanying drawings. a. a a .~aa a a a a a a a a.. .aaa a a a. a a a. a a a a a g/specs/682502004 IMPROVEMENTS IN ANQ RELATING TO INDICIA AQAKIT~\T An indicating tab for attachment to a clothes hanger can include indicia on both sides 3) defining a bifurcated end portion (10) with their respective ends (2A, 3A). These ends (2A, 3A) are off-set to facilitate the end portion being slid onto a suitable part of a hanger. .:Fig. 1 s 006069 LHP:685T