EP0119866B1

EP0119866B1 - Improvements in garment hangers

Info

Publication number: EP0119866B1
Application number: EP19840301887
Authority: EP
Inventors: Peter Shalson
Original assignee: Braitrim UK Ltd
Current assignee: Braitrim UK Ltd
Priority date: 1983-03-21
Filing date: 1984-03-20
Publication date: 1986-11-26
Also published as: EP0119866A1; DE3461417D1; GB8307704D0

Description

This invention relates to moulded garment hangers which are suitable for supporting garments, such as coats and jackets, at the shoulders of the garment. The construction of the hanger has to be such that it is sufficiently rigid to support the weight of the garment and it is desirable that the outer ends to the arms of the hanger are of inverted "U" shape in cross-section to give a broad rounded support of large surface area where the shoulders of the garment are in contact with the hanger. This prevents the garment being marked by the hanger, which sometimes occurs when the garment is supported on a narrow hanger of reduced surface area.
If the hanger is designed for lighter-weight garments, such as knit wear or garments of fine fabrics, the hanger itself can be of a lighter construction, but it is still desirable that the outer ends of the hanger are of inverted "U" shape in cross-section to present a broad rounded support of extra surface area to the shoulders of the garment. This construction is generally kind to the fabric of the garment and, in the case of lightweight garments, avoids ridges or other projecting surfaces on the hanger being seen as lines on the outside of the garment when it is on the hanger.
When garments have been supported on a garment hanger for some time, there is a tendency for the garment to lose its shape, but this is minimised with this type of hanger.
Hangers of this type formed from moulded plastics material are known (see US-A-3,406,881) and the cross-section of the hanger, even at the central portion between the arms of the hanger, which does not come into engagement with the shoulders of the garment, is of inverted "U" shape. This means that the amount of plastics material which is used is rather in excess of what is required to provide the necessary strength.
A mould for producing a hanger having a cross-section of inverted "U" shape is necessarily intricate because it has to allow the moulded hanger to be readily withdrawn from the mould and, consequently, the cost of making such a mould is greaterthan that for a simpler mould for producing a similar hanger having a "C" shape cross-section.
It has been proposed to make the central portion of a hanger of "C" shape cross-section and this brings about a reduction in the width of the hanger in the vicinity of the central portion. This is advantageous in that it enables a larger number of garment supporting hangers to be arranged in a given hanging space in a store or vehicle. A difficulty resides in the fact that, with such hangers, it is extremely difficult to mould the outer ends of the arms with the desirable inverted "U" shape cross-section. The difficulty exists in designing a split mould which permits the varying cross-section to be obtained in a hanger and, atthe same time, allows the hanger to be withdrawn from the mould.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a garment hanger having the advantages of the known hanger of inverted "U" shape cross-section at its outer ends and which can readily be moulded.
According to the present invention, a garment hanger has a central portion and a pair of arms integral with the central portion and extending outwardly in opposite directions therefrom, the central portion and the arms being of plastics material, and a hook attached to the central portion, characterised in that the cross-section of each arm changes from "C" shape adjacent the central portion to inverted "U" shape near its outer end and a part of each arm adjacent said outer end is in the form of a flap integrally connected to the arm by a hinge which permits the hanger to be moulded in a mould with theflap in a position such that said part of the arm is of non-inverted "U" shaped cross-section whereby the hanger can be readily withdrawn from the mould.
The garment hanger is moulded with the flaps in an open position, with the ends of the arms being of non-"U"-shaped cross-section, so that the hanger can be readily withdrawn from the mould and, after it has been withdrawn, the flaps are hinged to a closed position, where the cross-section of the ends of the arms are of inverted "U" shape.
In order that the invention may be more readily understood, it will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in whiεh:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a garment hanger with the hook removed;
Figure 2 is a plan;
Figure 3 is an end elevation of part of the hanger; and
Figures 4A-4D are cross-sections taken at different positions along the length of the hanger.

A garment hanger siutable for supporting a garment at its shoulders is formed from a plastics material, such as polypropylene or high impact polystyrene. It comprises a central portion 1 adapted to receive a support hook (not shown). Integral with the central portion, and extending outwardly therefrom, are a pair of arms 3. The arms project forwardly by a small angle from the central portion and they also project downwardly therefrom in the usual manner. The arms are narrowest adjacent the central portion and widen out towards their outer ends 5, as can be seen from Figure 2. The cross-section of each arm, where it joins the central portion, is generally "C" shape having a substantially flat rear face 7 and top and bottom faces 9, 11. At a position close to the outer end of each arm, the top face 9 is extended downwardly to provide a front face 10 and a cross-section which is substantially f1 or inverted "U" shape. Figures 4A-4D show how the cross-section changes along the length of the arm.
From a postion approximately half-way along the length of each arm to the outer end thereof, the top surface 9 and the front surface 10 of the arm is provided by a flap 13, which is formed integral with the rest of the hanger, and which is hinged thereto, along a hinge 15 extending parallel to the length of the arm.
The hanger is moulded in a split mould, with the flaps opened out through an angle of about 90° from the position shown in the figures. This enables the hanger to be readily withdrawn from the mould, since the cross-section of the arms adjacent their ends are not of "U" shape cross-section, which would prevent the moulded hanger from being lifted from the mould. After the hanger has been withdrawn, the flaps 13 are pivoted about their hinges 15 to the closed position, where the cross-section of the arms adjacent their outer ends is of inverted "U" shape. Friction between the flaps and the adjacent edges of the top surfaces 9 or coacting clips on the flaps and the surfaces hold the flaps in the closed position.
A bar 17 for supporting a pair of trousers may be formed integral with the hanger, and alternatively, or in addition, a hook 19 may be provided at the outer end of each arm.
The bar 17 is connected at its ends to positions near the ends of the hanger which are on the underside of the hanger but are away from the front or rear wall of the hanger. This, and the fact that the bar is moulded integrally with the rest of the hanger, is a most advantageous feature of the hanger. With conventional hangers of inverted "U" shape cross-section, it would need a very intricate, and hence expensive, mould to produce such a moulded hanger and, heretofore, it has been usual to mould the bars separately and to subsequently secure them to the hangers with a suitable adhesive or retension system. It has also been proposed to mould a bar integral with a hanger, but the bar lies on the plane of, and is secured to, either the front or rear wall of the hanger. By moulding the present hanger with the flaps open, the bar can be moulded integral with the hanger and have its ends substantially central of the underside of the ends of the arms. Similarly, the hooks 19 are positioned within the walls of the ends of the arms and this lessens the chance of the hooks snagging into a garment carried on the hanger.
The central part 1 of the hanger has a label area 21 on its front side to allow a manufacturer's or retailer's label to be added. It is desirable for the label area to be surrounded by an upstanding continuous ridge 23 which clearly defines the area. Again, with conventional moulded hangers of box section or inverted "U"shape cross-section, it has not been economic to provide an upstanding ridge surrounding the area because of the difficulties of moulding such a hanger. With the hanger of the present invention, such an upstanding continuous ridge can readily be provided. Furthermore, information, such as a name or trade mark, can be moulded with the hanger, with the name or trade mark upstanding from the plane of the hanger. Some users of the hanger require different facilities than other users forthe label areas and, to this end, it is relatively simple to provide the label areas on different inserts and the appropriate insert is positioned in the mould priorto moulding.
It is desirable for a large part of the surface area of the hanger to be roughened during moulding so as to increase the friction between the hanger and a garment supported on it, thereby preventing the garment from slipping on the hanger. With a conventional hanger having an inverted "U" shape cross-section, it is not possible to roughen the side walls of the hanger as this impedes the withdrawal of the hanger from the mould. With the hanger of this invention, it is possible to roughen a much larger area during moulding, e.g. the rear face, as the roughened surfaces do not impede withdrawal from the mould.
The garment hanger of the present invention is readily mouldable and it has the advantage of a "C" shaped hanger at its central portion and the advantages of a hanger of inverted "U" shape cross-section at its ends.
Further advantages are:-

(1) If a bar is fitted, it can have its ends within the underside of the arms and, furthermore, be moulded integral with the hanger.
(2) If hoods are provided, they too can be fitted within the underside of the arms.
(3) It is relatively simple to provide different label areas and they can be surrounded by a continuous upstanding ridge.
(4) A name or trade mark on a label can be upstanding from the plane of the hanger.
(5) A large area of the hanger surface can be roughened during moulding.

Claims

1. A garment hanger having a central portion (1) and a pair of arms (3) integral with the central portion and extending outwardly in opposite directions therefrom, the central portion and the arms being of plastics material, and a hook attached to the central portion, characterised in that the cross-section of each arm changes from "C" shape adjacent the central portion (1) to inverted "U" shape near its outer end (5) and a part of each arm adjacent said outer end is in the form of a flap (13) integrally connected to the arm by a hinge (15) which permits the hanger to be moulded in a mould with the flap in a position such that said part of the arm is of non-inverted "U" shaped cross-section whereby the hanger can be readily withdrawn from the mould.

2. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that a clip on each flap coacts with the arm to hold the flap in the closed position.

3. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that a support bar is integral with the hanger, the ends of the bar being connected to the undersurface of the outer ends of the arms away from the front and rear walls of the arms.

4. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that a pair of hooks are integral with the hanger, the hooks being connected to the undersurface of respective opposite ends of the arms away from the front and rear walls of the arms.

5. A garment hanger as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the central portion has a label area which is surrounded by an upstanding continuous ridge.

6. A garment hanger as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that at least part of the outer surface of each arm is roughened to reduce slipping between the hanger and a garment on the hanger.