EP0878154A2

EP0878154A2 - Garment display frame

Info

Publication number: EP0878154A2
Application number: EP98303808A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Michael Anthony Hawkins
Original assignee: Mainetti UK Ltd
Current assignee: Mainetti UK Ltd
Priority date: 1997-05-14
Filing date: 1998-05-14
Publication date: 1998-11-18
Anticipated expiration: 2018-05-14
Also published as: EP0878154B1; GB9709647D0; DE69835252D1; EP0878154A3

Abstract

A garment display frame for knitwear or the like is disclosed. The knitwear frame comprises a body member 101 having a pair of transverse legs 102 adapted to extend laterally outwards to engage the interior of a garment via a neck portion thereof to mount the body member 101 to the exterior of the garment. A pair of fold members 106 extend from lateral outer portions of the body member 101 to enable respective lateral outer portions of the garment to be folded around each said fold member. Clamping means 104, 105 are arranged adjacent each end of the body member 101 for receiving respective lateral outward portions of the garment when folded around the fold members 106 and/or a bottom portion of the garment when folded upwards. A locking flap 111 and hinges 113 are provided for enabling the legs 102 to be moved towards each other to enable the display frame to be removed from the garment.

Description

The present invention relates to a garment display frame, and relates particularly, but not exclusively, to a display frame for knitwear or the like.

Knitwear frames are generally known for displaying knitwear such as pullovers in a generally flat, folded arrangement at a point of sale. Such a knitwear frame is shown in Figures 1a to 1f.

Referring to Figure 1a, the known knitwear frame consists of a body member 1 of plastics material having a pair of outwardly projecting legs 2 attached to an upper part of the body member 1, and a pair of clamping portions 3 arranged below respective outwardly projecting arms 2. Each clamping portion 3 consists of a generally planar loop portion 4 and a sloping clamp member 5 which has two inclined portions. A pair of downwardly projecting fold members 6 extend from respective outer ends of the body member 1 and the ends of the fold member 6 remote from the body member are joined by means of a base member 7.

Referring to Figure 1b, the knitwear frame is mounted to a pullover 8 by inserting the outwardly projecting legs 2 into the neck portion of the pullover 8 (generally by stretching the neck portion) to hold the knitwear frame in position. The rest of the knitwear frame is located on the rear outside of the pullover as shown in Figures 1b and 1c. The laterally outer regions of the pullover 8 are then folded inwardly around respective fold members 6 and are held in position by means of clamping portions 3 as shown in the right hand part of Figure 1d and Figure 1e. Finally, as shown in Figure 1f, the lower portion of the pullover 8 folded upwardly around base member 7 and is then held in place by means of clamping members 5 so that the pullover has a neat, folded appearance at the point of sale.

Although this known type of knitwear frame is generally neat in appearance, such frames suffer from the drawback that the frame is difficult to remove from the garment at the point of sale. In order to remove a garment when purchased by a customer, the frame needs to be unwrapped, removed from the garment and then the garment must be refolded. This procedure is found to be extremely cumbersome and time consuming. In addition, mounting of the frame to and removal of the frame from the pullover generally causes undesirable stretching of the neck portion of the garment.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention seek to overcome the above disadvantages of the prior art.

According to the present invention there is provided a display frame for knitwear or the like, the display frame comprising:-

a body member having a pair of engaging members, wherein each said engaging member comprises an engaging portion adapted to extend laterally outwards to engage the interior of a garment via a neck portion thereof to mount the body member to the exterior of the garment;

a pair of fold members extending from respective lateral outer portions of the body member to enable respective lateral outer portions of the garment to be folded around each said fold member;

clamping means arranged adjacent each end of the body member for receiving respective lateral outward portions of the garment when folded around the fold members and/or a bottom portion of the garment when folded upwards; and

means for enabling said engaging members to be moved towards each other to enable the display frame to be removed from the garment.

By providing means for enabling the engaging members to be moved towards each other, this enables the engaging portions to be easily removed from the neck portion of the garment. This gives the advantage of avoiding undesirable stretching of the neck portion of the garment. By suitable construction of the clamping means, this provides the further advantage of allowing the display frame to be removed from the garment without the necessity of unfolding the garment, which in turn provides the advantage of enabling rapid removal of the display frame from the garment at a point of sale without detriment to the presentation of the garment.

In a preferred embodiment, each said engaging member comprises an attachment portion extending substantially transversely to the body member and attaching the respective engaging portion thereto.

By providing attachment portions extending generally transverse to the body member, this provides the advantage of enabling easy manipulation of the frame to move the engaging portions towards each other from externally of the garment.

Each said engaging member may be integrally formed with the body member.

In a preferred embodiment, said means for enabling the engaging members to be moved towards each other comprises a flap pivotally attached to the body member and a plurality of hinges provided in the body member and flap and extending substantially transversely thereto, wherein the flap is pivotable between locked and unlocked conditions such that the body member can be folded along said hinges only when the flap is in an unlocked condition.

In another embodiment of the invention, the said means for enabling the engaging members to be moved towards each other comprises a flexible portion of the body member arranged between the engaging members.

In a further embodiment, said means for enabling the engaging members to be moved towards each other comprises a first member slidable within a second member and forming part of the body member between the engaging members.

In a further embodiment, said means for enabling the engaging members to be moved towards each other comprises a first member fastenable to a second member to prevent the engaging members from being moved towards each other and forming part of the body member between the engaging members.

In a further embodiment, each said engaging portion is pivotable between a first position in which the engaging portion extends
laterally outwardly and a second position, and said means for enabling the engaging members to be moved towards each other comprises a fastener having a first condition in which said engaging member is locked in said first position and a second condition in which said engaging member is released from said first position.

Each fastener may comprise a flap having engagements adapted to be received in corresponding holes in the corresponding engaging member.

In a preferred embodiment, each said fold member comprises a substantially straight edge extending from a lateral outer extremity of the body member.

The fold members may be interconnected by means of a base member at the ends thereof remote from the body member.

In a preferred embodiment, each said clamping means comprises a generally coplanar first portion and a second portion adapted to resiliently clamp a portion of garment to said first portion.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only and not in any limitative sense, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figures 1a to 1f show a prior art knitwear frame;

Figures 2a(i) and (ii) show respective elevational and plan views of a knitwear frame of a first embodiment of the invention in a locked condition;

Figures 2b(i) and (ii) show respective elevational and plan views of the knitwear frame of Figure 2a in an unlocked condition;

Figures 2c(i) and (ii) show respective elevational and plan views of the knitwear frame of Figure 2b in a collapsed condition;

Figure 3 shows a second embodiment of the invention ;

Figure 4 shows a third embodiment of the invention;

Figure 5 shows a fourth embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 6 shows a fifth embodiment of the invention.

Referring in detail to Figure 2a, in which parts common to the prior art hanger of Figures 1a to 1f are denoted by like reference numerals but increased by 100, a knitwear frame is shown which would generally be moulded as a single piece of plastics material. The knitwear frame has a body member 101 comprising a frame member 110 and a locking flap 111 fastened thereto by means of a hinge 112. The frame member 110 and locking flap 111 are provided with three transversely extending hinges 113 to enable the body member 101 to be collapsed when the locking flap 111 is in the open condition shown in Figure 2b but not when in the closed condition shown in Figure 2a. As can be seen from Figures 2c(i) and (ii), the middle hinge 113 acts in the opposite direction to outer hinges 113 to enable the frame member 110 and locking flap 111 to be collapsed along their length to cause legs 102 to move closer to each other.

The operation of the knitwear frame shown in Figures 2a to 2c will now be described. When the locking flap 111 is in the locked condition shown in Figure 2a, the body member 101 is generally rigid and the knitwear frame behaves in a similar manner to the prior art frame shown in Figures 1a to 1f. A pullover (not shown) can be mounted to the hanger by either stretching the neck portion of the pullover as in the case of the prior art, or by moving the locking flap 111 to the open condition shown in Figure 2b to enable the body member 101 to be collapsed as shown in Figure 2c. As a result, the transverse legs 102 can be moved towards each other and inserted into the neck portion of the pullover (not shown) without stretching of the pullover. The body member 101 can then be extended and made generally rigid by returning the locking flap 111 to its locking condition as shown in Figure 2a. The pullover is then folded around the frame and mounted thereto in a manner analogous to that described with reference to Figures 1a to 1f.

To remove the frame from the pullover, the locking flap 111 is moved to its open condition as shown in Figure 2b to allow the body member 101 to collapse. This moves the legs 102 towards each other and enables the legs 102 to be pulled out of the neck portion of the pullover in the direction of arrow A in Figure 2c. At the same time, the lateral edges and/or the bottom portion of the pullover are disengaged from the clamping portions by the upward movement of the knitwear frame, so that the frame can be removed without the necessity of unfolding the pullover.

Referring to Figure 3, in which parts common to the embodiment of Figure 2a are denoted by like reference numerals but increased by 100, the legs 202 can be moved towards each other by means of a flexible bar 201 forming part of the body member. It will be appreciated by the person skilled in the art that the operation of the knitwear frame of Figure 3 is similar to that of Figures 2a to 2c.

Referring to Figure 4, in which parts common to the embodiment of Figure 3 are denoted by like reference numerals but increased by 100, the body member 301 comprises a first member 320 slidable within a second member 321 to vary the distance between legs 302.

Referring to Figure 5, in which parts common to the embodiment of Figure 4 are denoted by like reference numerals but increased by 100, body member 401 comprises a pair of

members

420, 421 which are attachable to each other by means of a pop fastener 422. When the members 420,421 are fastened to each other, the body member 401 is relatively rigid to prevent legs 402 from moving towards each other.

Finally, referring to Figure 6, in which parts common to the embodiment of Figures 2a to 2c are denoted by like reference numerals but increased by 400, the knitwear frame comprises a generally rigid body member 501 interconnecting clamping portions 503 from which respective folding members 506 extend. Engaging legs 502 are provided adjacent to the ends of the body member 501, and each engaging leg 502 is pivotable about a hinge 540 in the direction of arrow B in Figure 6 between a locked position as shown in the right hand portion of Figure 6, and a release position as shown in the left hand portion of Figure 6. In the release position, the engaging leg 502 is accommodated within a recess 530 located between the corresponding clamping portion 503 and the end of the body member 501. In the locking position, the leg 502 extends laterally outwards above the associated clamping portion 503.

The leg 502 is lockable in the locking position by means of a locking flap 531 which is pivotable about a hinge 532 to bring fasteners 533 on the locking flap 531 into engagement with corresponding holes 534 in the leg 502 and body member 501. In order to remove the knitwear frame from a garment such as a pullover, each locking flap 531 is pivoted to its release position to enable the legs 502 to be pivoted about hinges 540 into the cooperating recess such that the legs 502 no longer extend laterally outwards to the same extent. As a result, the legs 502 no longer prevent withdrawal of the frame out of the neck portion of the pullover.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the above embodiment has been described by way of example only and not in any limitative sense, and that various alterations and modifications are possible without departure from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

A display frame for knitwear or the like, the display frame comprising:-

a body member having a pair of engaging members, wherein each said engaging member comprises an engaging portion adapted to extend laterally outwards to engage the interior of a garment via a neck portion thereof to mount the body member to the exterior of the garment;

a pair of fold members extending from respective lateral outer portions of the body member to enable respective lateral outer portions of the garment to be folded around each said fold member;

clamping means arranged adjacent each end of the body member for receiving respective lateral outward portions of the garment when folded around the fold members and/or a bottom portion of the garment when folded upwards; and

means for enabling said engaging members to be moved towards each other to enable the display frame to be removed from the garment.
A display frame according to claim 1, wherein each said engaging member comprises an attachment portion extending substantially transversely to the body member and attaching the respective engaging portion thereto.
A display frame according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each said engaging member is integrally formed with the body member.
A display frame according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said means for enabling the engaging members to be moved towards each other comprises a flap pivotally attached to the body member and a plurality of hinges provided in the body member and flap and extending substantially transversely thereto, wherein the flap is pivotable between locked and unlocked conditions such that the body member can be folded along said hinges only when the flap is in an unlocked condition.
A display frame according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said means for enabling the engaging members to be moved towards each other comprises a flexible portion of the body member arranged between the engaging members.
A display frame according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said means for enabling the engaging members to be moved towards each other comprises a first member slidable within a second member and forming part of the body member between the engaging members.
A display frame according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said means for enabling the engaging members to be moved towards each other comprises a first member fastenable to a second member to prevent the engaging members from being moved towards each other and forming part of the body member between the engaging members.
A display frame according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each said engaging portion is pivotable between a first position in which the engaging portion extends laterally outwardly and a second position, and said means for enabling the engaging members to be moved towards each other comprises a fastener having a first condition in which said engaging member is locked in said first position and a second condition in which said engaging member is released from said first position.
A display frame according to claim 8, wherein each said fastener comprises a flap having engagements adapted to be received in corresponding holes in the corresponding engaging member.
A display frame according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each said fold member comprises a substantially straight edge extending from a lateral outer extremity of the body member.
A display frame according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fold members are interconnected by means of a base member at the ends thereof remote from the body member.
A display frame according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each said clamping means comprises a generally coplanar first portion and a second portion adapted to resiliently clamp a portion of garment to said first portion.