GB2203639A

GB2203639A - Footwear display hanger

Info

Publication number: GB2203639A
Application number: GB08709509A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Sydney James Harris
Original assignee: Phineas Products Ltd
Current assignee: Phineas Products Ltd
Priority date: 1987-04-22
Filing date: 1987-04-22
Publication date: 1988-10-26
Also published as: GB8709509D0

Abstract

A hanger for a pair of shoes comprising a stem (1) having means (3) at one end thereof for engaging a support for the hanger and having clip means (6) at or towards the other end thereof extending at an angle to the stem, the clip means having two cooperable portions (11, 12) which are insertable into the respective foot openings of the pair of shoes to be displayed so as to engage respective side walls of the uppers (17) thereof and thus clip the shoes together. Further support may be provided by arcuate members (15). <IMAGE>

Description

FOOTWEAR DISPLAY RANGER This invention relates to a footwear display hanger.

It is becoming increasingly popular to display articles of clothing and footwear on hangers which enable the articles to be displayed in a compact manner and yet be capable of being handled by the customer. As far as footwear is concerned, it is known to display slippers, for example, by a hanger which comprises a central stem having means at one end for engaging the hanger with a generally horizontal display arm and means at the other end for engaging within the toe portions of respective ones of a pair of slippers. This known hanger is generally satisfactory for relatively light-weight footwear, such as slippers, but is not suitable for heavier footwear such as outdoor shoes in general and sports shoes in particular in as much as the pair of shoes to be displayed is not stable on such a banger.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved footwear display hanger which enables a pair of shoes to be displayed in a desired manner and also in a stable manner such that they will remain on the hanger whilst being handled by a customer.

According to the present invention there is provided a hanger for a pair of shoes comprising a stem having means at one end thereof for engaging a support for the hanger and having clip means at or towards the other end thereof extending at an angle to the stem, the clip means having two co-operable portions which are insertable into respective foot openings of the pair of shoes to be displayed so as to engage respective sidewalls of the uppers thereof and thus clip the shoes together.

The clip means may comprise a pair of arms extending substantially at right angles from the stem, with the two co-operable portions of the clip means being provided on the arms. Preferably, the two arms are composed of a resilient material so as to provide the "clipping" or gripping action of the clip means. The co-operable portions of the clip means may be provided on extensions from the ends of the two arms, which extensions may be substantially parallel to the stem although in a plane displaced from the plane of the stem. Preferably, two pairs of co-operable portions are provided so as to engage the inside walls of the respective uppers of the pair of shoes at spaced locations so as to aid in the stability of the shoes on the display hanger.

The or each pair of co-operable portions of the clip means may be provided with ramp means arranged so that as the display hanger is positioned on a pair of shoes, the upper edges of the adjacent side walls of the respective uppers to be clipped together ride up the ramp means and are thus directed inbetween the co-operable portions so as to facilitate the assembly of the display hanger on the shoes.

In order to aid further the stability of the shoes on the display hanger, means may be provided to engage within the interior of the respective shoes. These means may be in the form of arcuate members which conveniently are arranged to engage the interiors of the respective heel portions of the uppers of the shoes, whereby the shoes are hung with the toes extending downwardly.

However, the display hanger according to the present invention may be used to display shoes with the heels extending downwardly.

To facilitate removal of a display hanger from a pair of shwes a pair of tabs may be provided by which the clip means can be displaced apart in order to effect removal.

The means provided at one end of the stem for engaging a support for the hanger may be in the form of a hook or aperture and the stem may also be provided with means for receiving a label by which the product can be identified as to price, size, etc.

A display hanger for a pair of shoes in accordance with the present invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front view of the hanger, Figure 2 is a side view of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a plan view from below of Figure 1, and Figure 4 is a front view of the hanger as fitted to a pair of sports shoes.

Referring to the drawings, the footwear display hanger comprises a stem 1, the rear of which is provided with a strengthening rib 2 and one end of which is provided with a hook 3 by which the hanger can removably engage a generally horizontal display arm or the like (not shown). The stem 1 also comprises a portion 4 adapted to receive a label providing information such as size, price, etc. of the footwear concerned and this portion has a peripheral raised rim 5 so as to protect any label which is adhered to the portion 4.

At the other end of the stem 1 there is provided clip means indicated generally at 6 and comprising a pair of arms 7 extending from a bridge piece 8 at the end of the stem 1 and being splayed slightly apart from this bridge piece. Each arm 7 is provided at its end remote from the bridge piece 8 with an extension 9 which extends generally parallel to the stem 1 in a plane spaced from the plane of the stem by a distance equal to the length of the arms 7. The extensions 9 extend from the arms 7 in a direction opposite to that in which the stem 1 extends from the bridge piece 8. The extensions 9 are provided with two pairs of facing co-operable portions or members 11 and 12 in the form of projections with rounded ends as seen in the front view of Figure 1.The members 11 and 12 are provided with inclined ramp means 13 on the rear or undersurface thereof as seen in Figure 3 for a purpose to be described. Two tabs 14 are provided at the ends of the extensions 9, again for a purpose to be described.

Also provided at the ends of the arms 7 are respective curved members 15 of generally semi-circular form but having their ends turned inwardly.

The hanger is preferably moulded in one piece from a synthetics plastics material which is resilient so as to provide the "clipping" or gripping action of the clip means 6 and also to assist in the insertion and removal of the arcuate members 15 as will be described.

Referring now to Figure 4 of the drawings, a pair of shoes 16 (sports shoes being illustrated in Figure 4) are hung and displayed using the hanger according to the present invention in the following manner. Although the precise method of placing a pair of shoes on the hanger may be varied, the following description is that of the preferred manner.The shoes are first placed side-by-side and the clip means 6 pushed over the upper edges of the adjacent side walls of the respective uppers 17, the ramps 13 serving to displace the extensions 9 apart so that the memberS 11 and 12 can be inserted inside the respective shoes and once the members 11 and 12 have ridden over the seams or padded upper edges 18 of the uppers 17 of the shoes, the arms 9 spring back together so as to engage the members 11 and 12 with the respective inside walls of the uppers of the two shoes beyond the seams or padded edges 18 and thus clip the latter together. The arcuate members 15 are then flexed so as to b able to insert them within the heel portions of the uppers 17 of the shoes 16, these members springing back once released so as generally to tension the heel portions of the shoes and locate the hanger therein. The shoes 16 can now be lifted by the stem portion and the hook 3 engaged with a generally horizontal support arm on a display fixture (not shown). The reinforcing rib 2 on the stem 1 allows the shoes to be removed from, and replaced on, the supporting arm by a customer without the weight of the shoes breaking the hanger. Furthermore, the fact that the adjacent sidewalls of the respective uppers 17 of the shoes 16 are clipped together by the clip means 6 at two spaced locations determined by the spacing of the pairs of members 11 and 12 results in the shoes being very stable on the hanger. This stability is augmented by the curved member 15. Also, the location of the members 11 and 12 beneath the seam or padded edges 18 means that the clip means are not levered off the uppers if the shoes are held by the stem 1 and displaced out of a generally vertical plane.

When a hanger is to be removed from a pair of shoes, the tabs 14 are conveniently grasped and the arms 7 pulled apart so as to release the clip means 6 from the shoes.

Thus, the present invention affords a relatively simple but highly effective hanger for footwear which may be used so as to display the shoes with the toes pointing downwardly as shown in Figure 4, or with the toes pointing upwardly. The hanger is readily assembled and removed.

Claims

CLRIMS

1. k hanger for a pair of shoes comprising a stem having means at one end thereof for engaging a support for the hanger and having clip means at or towards the other end thereof extending at an angle to the stem, the clip means having two cooperable portions which are insertable into respective foot openings of the pair of shoes to be displayed so as to engage respective side walls of the uppers thereof and thus clip the shoes together.

2. x hanger according to claim 1, wherein the clip means comprise a pair of arms extending substantially at right angles from the stem, with the two cooperable portions of the clip means being provided on respective arms.

3. R hanger according to claim 2, wherein the arms are composed of a resilient material so as to provide the clipping or gripping action of the clip means.

4. x hanger according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the cooperable portions of the clip means are provided on extensions from the ends of the two arms1 which extensions are substantially parallel to the stem although in a plane displaced from the plane of the stem.

5. R hanger according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the clip means comprise two pairs of cooperable portions operable to engage the inside walls of the respective uppers of the pair of shoes at spaced locations so as to aid in the stability of the shoes on the hanger.

6. 9 hanger according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the or each pair of cooperable portions of the clip means are provided with ramp means arranged so that as the display hanger is positioned on a pair of shoes, the upper edges of the adjacent side walls of the respective uppers to be clipped together ride up the ramp means and are thus directed inbetween the cooperable portions so as to facilitate the assembly of the display hanger on the shoes.

7. q hanger according to any of the preceding claims, wherein further means are provided to engage within the interior of the respective shoes.

8. x hanger according to claim 7, wherein the further means are in the form of arcuate members arranged to engage the interiors of the respective heel portions of the uppers of the pair of shoes, whereby the shoes are displayed with the toes extending downwardly.

9. 9 hanger according to any of the preceding claims, wherein means are provided for releasing the clip means in order to facilitate removal of a pair of shoes from the hanger.

10. k hanger according to claim 9, wherein the clip release means are in the form of a pair of tabs provided on respective ones of the cooperable portions of the clip means.

11. k hanger according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the means provided at one end of the stem for engaging a support for the hanger is in the form of a hook or aperture.

12. k hanger according to any of the preceding claims, wherein means are provided on the stem for receiving a label or the like.

13. k hanger according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the stem is provided with reinforcing means.

14. 9 hanger according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the clip means are arranged to engage the respective side walls of the uppers of the shoes at locations spaced from the respective edges of the foot openings of the shoes.

15. 9 hanger for a pair of shoes substantially as herein particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings.