GB2042468A - Bag hanging hook - Google Patents

Abstract

A hanging hook suitable for use with plastics bags comprises a member (1) having a hook part and a fastening lug (2) adapted to be glued or fused to at least one wall (4) of a bag (3). The lug (2) is arranged to be below the hook part when the hook is hung from a suitable support and to extend substantially symmetrically relative to a vertical line passing through the suspension point (6) of the hanging hook, and has means (7) allowing the hook to be re-fastened to at least one wall of the bag in the event that the original glueing or fusing fails. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Hanging hook, particularly suitable for a plastics bag This invention relates to a hanging hook particularly suitable for a plastics bag, which comprises a fastening lug to be fused or glued to at least one bag wall.

Hooks of the above-defined kind are widely used in combination with plastics bags containing products to be displayed in self-service shops, said products being usually packed where they are manufactured.

Even if this procedure is advantageous for the distributors of such products by relieving them of any handling regarding the product packaging, it does have the main drawback for said distributors that a large number of such packages at the disposal of the customers on display units where the bags hang by the hooks thereof are damaged due to the handling they undergo at the hands of the customers, the main type of damage to said packages being the separation of a hook from the bag it belongs to.

Now any packaged product which can no longer be hung from the appropriate display unit tends to lose some commercial value, such products being usually collected to be the object of special sales where they are sold at a price which is substantially lower than their normal selling price.

To obviate such drawback, there had already been considered joining to packaged products empty bags provided with a hook to replace the damaged packages. Such a solution is however not satisfactory due to the variety of the products sold in self service shops which are also multiple-branch shops in which the costs resulting from a suitable distributing of the empty packages, the stock management thereof, etc. could be higher than the loss resulting from said special sales.

The invention is therefore concerned with avoiding the above drawback and providing a bag-hanging hook which can be originally fastened to a bag by fusing or glueing and subsequently may be fastened back onto the bag when the usual fastening thereof has failed, the hook according to the invention having the further advantage of being fastenable approximately in the original fastening position even if the bag has been torn by the separation of the hook from the bag due to the failure of the original fusing or glueing.

For this purpose according to the invention, there is provided a hanging hook particularly suitable for a plastics bag, comprising a member having a hook part and a fastening lug adapted, in use, to be fused or glued to at least one wall of a plastics bag, the member being such that said lug is located below the hook part and extends substantially symmetrically relative to a vertical line passing through the hook part hanging point when the hook part is hung on a suitable support, there being provided means for allowing re-fastening of the lug to at least one bag wall.

In one embodiment of the invention, said means serves, in use, to fasten the lug to at least one bag wall, said means is arranged either on said vertical line, or symmetrically thereto.

Preferably said means comprise at least one bore- in said lug extending through the thickness thereof, and means for securing in the or each bore at least one wall of a bag. Said securing means may comprise a part separate from said member and provided to cooperate with said lug, said part having one or more projections thereon of which the cross-section substantially corresponds to the cross-section of the bore or of a respective one of said bores in the lug, the length of the or each projection being at least equal to the length of the bore or of the respective one of the bores in the lug, whereby, in use when a bag wall or walls is disposed between the lug and said part and said part is moved towards the lug so that said projection or projections are introduced into said bore or said respective bores, said projection or projections act to lock to the lug the bag wall or walls between the lug and said part.

There follows a description of various embodiments of the invention, given by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hook according to the invention and a bag with which it is associated, the hook and bag being shown in an unassembled condition; Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the hook and bag from Fig. 1 in an assembled condition; Figure 3is an elevation view on a larger scale of a detail from the hook as shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Figures 4, 6 and 8 are perspective views of variations of the hook according to the invention as shown in Fig. 1; Figures 5, 7 and 9 are part views in perspective showing the hooks from Figs. 4, 6 and 8 as associated with a bag; and Figures 10 and ii are plan views showing hooks according to the invention as joined together to form a strip thereof.

In the various Figs. the same reference numerals pertain to similar elements.

A hook 1 according to the invention as shown in the drawings comprises a fastening lug 2 to be fused to at least one wall 4 of a bag 3 to enable the bag to hang same from a display unit. The unit may be fastened either adjacent the bag opening, or adjacent the bag bottom. The hook lug 2 which lies below the hook proper and which extends substantially symmetrically relative to a vertical line 5 (see Fig. 3) that passes through the hook suspen sion point 6, is provided with means 7 which are so arranged as to let the hook be fastened outside bag 3 to at least one wall thereof, the means 7 being advantageously arranged on said lug 2 in such a way as to be located either on said vertical line, or symmetrically thereto.

The lug 2 of the hook 1 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 has at least one, but in this instance two bores 8 formed therein which extend completely through the lug. The re-fastening of hook 1 to the bag once it has been separated therefrom is obained by means of a part 9 which is independent from the hook and so designed as to cooperate with the lug 2 as shown in Fig. 2. The part 9 is provided with two projections 10 of which the spacing corresponds to the spacing of the bores 8.

Each projection 10 has a cross-section sub stantially corresponding to the cross-section of the bores 8 and a length which is at least equal to the thickness of lug 2. The projections 10 are adapted such that when at least one bag wall 4 is located between the lug 2 and the part 9 and the part 9 is moved towards lug 2 so that the projections are introduced inside the respective bores 8, the projections lock the bag wall or walls 4 relative to lug 2 and thereby to hook 1, and thereby clamp the bag wall or walls to the hook 1. To prevent the projections 10 being subsequently released from the bores 8, said projections have, as shown in Fig. 3, ring-like barbs 10' which let the projections enter the bores 8 but prevent their release therefrom.

In order to re-fasten to the bags those hooks which have become detached therefrom, it is only necessary to provide the shops with a supply of the parts 9 which can be used to fasten the loose hooks to any bag.

The hook and the part as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 thus allow with one and the same part 9 to repair packages containing various products, which is a substantial advantage over that which has already been proposed, that is to provide replacement packages for every product sold.

However it is not absolutely essential according to the invention to associate to the hook a part 9 which is independent therefrom in order to re-fasten the hook to the bag. For instance, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, hook lug 2 may be provided with two bores 11 which extend through the lug and a plurality of slits 1 2 regularly distributed about the circumference of each bore, the slits 1 2 likewise extending through the lug and constitute said means 7. In this instance, the slits are radially orientated with respect to each bore.To fasten the bag to the hook lug, it is only necessary to force the bag wall or walls 4 into the bores 11, using a suitable object which has a crosssection somewhat larger than the bore crosssection and thus tends to open the slits 1 2. In this way, the bag wall or walls 4 is or are retained inside the slits 1 2 which re-close once the object is removed from the bore 11 due to the resiliency of the material compris ing lug 2.

According to the invention, it is also possi ble to provide, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, means 7 which comprise at least one but in this instance two cut-outs 1 3 made in lug 2, each being shaped so as to form over a part of its height (i.e. that dimension parallel to vertical line 5) a projection 14. The end 1 5 of each projection 14 has a triangular shape of which the apex 1 6 faces the hook proper, the other end of the projection which is opposite the apex 1 6 thereof, being constituted by a tapered potion 1 7 which is connected to lug 2.

To lock a bag relative to hook lug 2, it is merely necessary to force the bag wall or walls 4 to enter the cut-outs 1 3 and to impale the wall or walls on the projections 14, the wall or walls then being retained thereon by means of the barbs formed by the junctions between the tapered portions 1 7 and the triangular ends 1 5 of the projections 14.

Instead of cut-outs in hook lug 2, it is possible also according to the invention and as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, to provide a lug having two projections 18 directed towards the hook proper and extending substantially in parallel relationship with said vertical line 5.

Each projection 1 8 is of similar shape to the projections 14 of Figs. 6 and 7, having an end 1 9 of triangular shape and a tapered portion 20 which is connected to lug 2.

To fasten a bag to hook lug 2, it is merely necessary to cause the projections 1 8 to piece the bag wall or walls 4, the wall or walls 4 being retained thereon by the barbs formed by the junctions between the triangular projec tion ends 1 9 and the tapered portions 20 of the projections 18.

The hooks 1 according to the invention may either be made as discrete parts, or joined together as a strip as shown in Figs. 10 and 11, by means of releasable or frangible con necting elements 21.

It must be understood that the invention is in no way limited to the above embodiments and that many changes can be brought therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended

Claims (10)

claims. CLAIMS

1. A hanging hook particularly suitable for a plastics bag, comprising a member having a hook part and a fastening lug adapted, in use, to be fused or glued to at least one wall of a plastics bag, the member being such that said lug is located below the hook part and extends substantially symmetrical relative to a vertical line passing through the hook part hanging point when the hook part is hung on a suitable support, there being provided means for allowing re-fastening of the lug to at least one bag wall.

2. A hook as defined in claim 1, in which when said means serves, in use, to fasten the lug to at least one bag wall, said means is arranged either on said vertical line, or symmetrically thereto.

3. A hook as defined in claim 1 or claim 2, in which said means comprise at least one bore in said lug extending through the thickness thereof, and means for securing in the or each bore at least one wall of a bag.

4. A hook as defined in claim 3, in which said securing means comprises a part separate from said member and provided to cooperate with said lug, said part having one or more projections thereon of which the cross-section substantially corresponds to the cross-section of the bore or of a respective one of said bores in the lug, the length of the or each projection being at least equal to the length of the bore or of the respective one of the bores in the lug, whereby, in use when a bag wall or walls is disposed between the lug and said part and said part is moved towards the lug so that said projection or projections are introduced into said bore or said respective bores, said projection or projections act to lock to the lug the bag wall or walls between the lug and said part.

5. A hook as defined in claim 4, in which the or each projection provided on the said independent part has a side surface provided with barbs which are so arranged as to let the projection enter the respective bore in the lug but prevent the subsequent release of the projection therefrom.

6. A hook as defined in claim 3, in which said securing means comprise a plurality of slits in the lug which extend outwardly of the circumference of the or each bore therein, said slits extending through the lug and being regularly distributed about the bore circumference.

7. A hook as defined in claim 1 or claim 2, in which said means comprise at least one cut-out provided in said lug, the edges of said cut-out being so arranged as to form, over part of the cut-out height, a projection of which one end is of triangular shape with the apex of the triangle facing the hook part of said member and the end of the projection opposite said apex is constituted by a tapered portion which is connected to the lug.

8. A hook as defined in claim 2, in which said means comprises two projections provided on said lug and facing the hook part, the free end of each projection having a substantially triangular shape of which the apex faces the hook part, whilst the end of each projection opposite said apex is constituted by a tapered portion connected to the lug.

9. A hook as defined in any one of claims 1 to 7, which is part of a strip of aligned hooks arranged in the same direction relative to one another and separated from one another by releasable connecting elements.

10. A hanging hook substantially as herein before described above with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.