GB2058001A - Shirt hanger and stiffening element - Google Patents

Abstract

The hanger consists of a small substantially rectangular plastics frame 1 provided with a neck stiffening element 5, to be inserted within the two folded rims of the neck, and a suspension hook which may be rotated through 180 DEG , and with a longitudinal median strap 9 provided with a series of button holes 10 engaging the buttons 20 of the shirt 3 folded and wrapped around the lower side 12 of the frame. In a further embodiment (Fig. 4 - not shown), the upper portion of each longer side of the frame is provided with two articulated rods, one of which is provided with a projection for snap engagement with holes provided in the frame side, thereby permitting display of the unfolded shirt. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Shirt hanger for display The present invention relates to a shirt hanger for display.

The shirts finished and ready for sale, are generally presented folded up many times, so as to obtain a practically rectangle shaped contour, with the neck centrally positioned, close to a minor side of the rectangle. To keep unspoiled such an outline for a reasonable period of time, the known shirts are generally provided with a stiffening element, having a rectangular or sub-rectangular contour, to which, to stiffen the neck, a strip can be associated, to be inserted within the folded rims of the neck. The known stiffening elements are generally formed from paste-board core, having the same size as the final shape to be given to the folded shirt, or from a small paste-board or plastic frame, having the same contour as the folded shirt. The shirt may be directly fixed to said core or frame by means of pins or metal clamps of known type.

On the other hand the neck stiffening element, which is generally separated from the frame (but in the case of a paste board core may be integral with it), does not require any fixing to the shirt neck, as it is kept in place by the folded rims of said neck.

The known stiffening elements, however, are not suitable for the current sales technique which, particularly in the department-stores, require the display of the articles offered to the customers.

Such known stiffening elements, in fact do not allow a convenient, long-term display of the shirts.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a shirt-hanger which can be used as a stiffening element and as a display element of the finished shirt, ready for the sale.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shirt-hanger of quick and easy use, which in particular may be applied to a shirt without spoiling it by means of pins, elastic clamps or similar fixing elements.

Such objects may be attained, according to the present invention, with a shirt hanger for display, comprising a small frame formed from plastics, substantially shaped as a rectangle, and provided with following elements, articulated to a minor side of the rectangle: a neck stiffening element to be inserted within the two folded rims of the neck, and a suspension hook, which in the resting position lies in the same plane of the frame, inside the latter, and in the working position, after a backwards rotation of 180 , lies in the same plane of the frame, but outside of the latter, the said a frame being furthermore provided with means to retain the folded shirt.

Advantageously the shirt hanger according to the invention may include a longitudinal median strap, bound to the frame by means of its upper end and provided with a series of buttom-holes engaging the buttons of the shirt, folded and wrapped around the lower side of the frame.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a frontal view of a shirt hanger for display. according to the invention; Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the shirt hanger applied to a shirt; Figure 3 is a perspective back view of the shirt hanger, also applied to a shirt; Figure 4 is a partial frontal view of a shirt hanger in a different embodiment.

As it can be appreciated from the figures, the shirt hanger according to the invention comprises a frame 1 having a substantially rectangular shape, with the upper shorter side consisting of two portions 2 slightly inclined according to the average inclination of a shirt 3 shoulders. To the said upper shirt side of the frame 1, are articulated a neck stiffening element 5, having a substantially rectangular curved shape, and a hook 6.

Both said elements 5 and 6 are articulated with respect to the frame 1, by means of a single thinning line 7, of the plastics material, forming the frame 1, to obtain an higher resilient deformability of the material, along said line.

To the same upper short side of the frame is attached, by means of two arms 8, the upper end of a longitudinal median strap 9, provided with a series of laterally open button holes 10.

To bind the shirt 3 to the shirt hanger according to the invention, the neck stiffening element 5, previously bent, has to be inserted, first of all, within the two bent rims of the neck 11. The shirt is then longitudinally folded so as to have its width equal to that of the frame, and subsequently folded up on around the lower side 1 2 of said frame.

The shirt is kept in such a shape by a button 20 engaging in one of the button holes 10, situated in front of it. The hook 6, turned backwards by 180 , becomes the element of suspension of the whole (see fig. 2).

The shirt hanger, with a shirt on it, may be protected by means of a small plastic transparent bag (non represented) provided with a hole for the passage of the hook.

Of course, if the shirt does not need to be suspended for display, the hook 6 may be kept in its resting position within frame 1 and in such a case the shirt may be put into a traditional paste board box.

From what has been said it clearly appears that the shirt hanger according to the present invention, is of easy and unexpensive manufacture, as it can be manufactured in one piece by an injection molding process, using an easily obtained plane mould.

The shirt-hanger can therefore be used as a throw-away element, to replace the traditional paste-board corn.

Furthermore the shirt hanger according to present invention plays the twofold function as stiffening element of the shirt and as element of suspended display.

The shirt hanger allows, furthermore, a very quick application to the shirt, without requir ing the use of pins, resilient clamps or any other fixing elements, which currently complicate the finishing operation of the shirts and are likely to spoil them.

In a different embodiment, particularly illustrated in fig. 4, the upper portion of each longer side 14, is molded in such a way as to form a pair of thin rods 14 and 14'.

The upper end of the upper rod 14 is bound to the end of the corresponding ele ment 2 of the frame, whereas its lower end is bound to the lower rod 14'. The rod 14 is articulated to the upper corner 2 of the frame and to the rod 14', by means of two short segments 1 5 and 1 6 respectively, where the thickness of the plastics material is thinner thus allowing the articulation of said rods.

The lower end of rod 14' is furthermore provided with a projection 17, snap-engaging into holes 18, existing along the correspond ing longer side 1 3 of frame 1.

When the frame is extracted from the mould the lower end of rod 14' is united to the corresponding side 1 3 of the frame by means of a film 19, which may easily be torn apart.

By means of this embodiment the shirt may be displayed also in an unfolded form, and this is particularly advantageous, to eliminate some undesirable folds, unavoidably created during the finishing of the shirt, to to have a "wash and wear" shirt dried.

Claims (9)

1. Shirt hanger for display comprising a small frame formed from plastics substantially shaped as a rectangle and provided with fol lowing elements articulated to a minor side of the rectangle: a neck stiffening element to be inserted within the two folded rims of the neck, and a suspension hook which in the resting position lies in the same plane of the frame inside of the latter, and in the working position, after a backards rotation of 180 , lies in the same plane of the frame, but outside of the latter, the said frame being furthermore provided with means to retain the folded shirt.

2. Shirt hanger according to claim 1, wherein there is provided a longitudinal me dian strap, bound to the frame by means of its upper end, provided with a series of button holes engaging the buttons of the shirt folded and wrapped around the lower side of the frame.

3. Shirt hanger according to claims 1 and 2, wherein the button holes of the median strap are laterally open.

4. Shirt hanger according to claims 1 and 2 wherein the median strap is bound to the upper side of the frame by means of a pair of arms, the hook lying therein between.

5. Shirt hanger according to claim 1, wherein the neck stiffening element and the suspension hook are articulated to the minor side of the frame along at least one line where the thickness of the plastics material is thinner.

6. Shirt hanger according to claim 1, wherein the neck stiffening element has a slightly curved rectangular shape.

7. Shirt hanger according to claim 1, wherein, along each longer side of the frame there is provided a pair of rods, of which the first one is articulated to the upper corner of the frame and to the second rod, the latter being provided with means vinculating it amovably to the said frame and of means blocking it in an inclined position, with respect to the resting position.

8. Shirt hanger according to claims 1 and 6 wherein the lower end of the rod is provided with a projection, snap-engaging into holes existing on the corresponding longer side of the frame.

9. Shirt hanger substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.