GB2206041A

GB2206041A - Garment hanger

Info

Publication number: GB2206041A
Application number: GB08811460A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Everett L Duester; Robert A Bredeweg; Russell O Blanchard
Original assignee: Batts Inc
Current assignee: Batts Inc
Priority date: 1987-05-13
Filing date: 1988-05-13
Publication date: 1988-12-29
Anticipated expiration: 2008-05-13
Also published as: DE3881891T2; EP0374329A1; AU605287B2; AU1552288A; EP0374329B1; GB2206041B; CA1286263C; GB8811460D0; KR880013507A; DE3881891D1

Description

F ,! 3, ' C l)' 2206041 1 Garment Hanger This invention relates to garment

hangers and particularly, but not exclusively relates to lightweight, one-piece hangers particularly designed for either display or home use with lightweight delicate garments such as items of intimate apparel.

For the purpose of effectively displaying lightweight garments of delicate fabrics, such as underwear and the like, there is a need for a hanger which will effectively and reliably hold the garment for the purpose of display without damage to the delicate fabrics involved. The hanger must also be capable of effectively gripping various types of garments. It is equally desirable to provide such a hanger which can be repeatedly used with the garments by the user without damage or wear on the garment itself. This is particularly true in connection with laundering the garments. Because of the nature of the garments with which these types of hangers are used, it is important that the hangers themselves be lightweight, easy to use and capable of gripping the garment without the use of means which would cut or injure any of the threads of the garment. It is also important that the hanger be inexpensive because, in the case of many retail facilities, the hangers either have a single u.

Se ort in some cases, are delivered to the customer with the hanger. From the viewpoint of the customer, particularly one who travels, it is important that the hanger be lightweight, capable of being tightly packed in luggage and transportable with a minimum of required space.

2 The specific embodiments of the invention to be described have various features which may be selected in other combinations than those described. Likewise various of these features have been selected for initial presentation in the claims but it will be apparent that these features may be considered individually or in different combinations.

The garment hangers described here provide improvements over the hangers described in USA-4623079 and 4629102. The garment hangers can be used to suspend a variety of garments, such as underwear, brassieres, slips or pantyhose, these being only exemplary of the broad spectrum of use of the invention. Certain preferred features enable garment hangers to provide a positive support for garments suspended from their straps which will ensure that the straps will not become detached from the hanger and, thereby, release the garment. Certain constructions provide the capability of hanging garments having wide support bands, as well as narrow support bands and provide security means for this type of garment which positively prevents inadvertent release of the garment by the hanger because the hanger's construction necessitates the positive intervention of an operator to effect garment release. The construction of the arms which clamp the garment to the hanger may be such that the arms can be flexed many times without danger of breakage due to fatigue and yet the arms may provide sufficient resistance to deflection to effectively and positively clamp the garment.

The invention may be carried into practice in various ways but two garment hangers and modifications 3 of the first of these, all embodying the invention, will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, In which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation view of the first 5 hanger; Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, front view of one end of the hanger; Fig. 3-is a sectional, elevation view taken along the plane III-III of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the plane IV-IV of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is an enlarged, sectional view taken along the plane V-V of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is an enlarged, sectional view taken along the plane VI-VI of Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary front view of a modified construction of the hanger shown in Figures 1 to 6; Fig. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary front view of a further modified construction of the hanger shown in Figures 1 to 6; Fig. 9 is an enlarged, fragmentary front view of a still further modified construction of the hanger shown in Figures 1 to 6; Fig. 10 is a sectional elevation view taken along the plane X-X of Fig. 9; 1 Fig. 11 is a front elevation view of the second hanger; Fig. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevation view of one end of the hanger shown in Fig.

11; and Fig. 13 is a sectional elevation view taken along 4 the plane XII1-XIII of Fig. 12.

The numeral 10 refers to a hanger having an elongated body 11 and an upstanding hook 12. The hook is centred midway between the ends of the body 11 and preferably is integral with the body. Preferably, the body and the hook and all structure which is integral with both is moulded of a suitable plastic as a single, integral unit. Suitable plastics for this purpose include polyethylene and polypropylene. As best seen in Fig. 5, to obtain maximum strength with minimum material, the body 11 is shaped as an I-beam with upper and lower flanges 14 and 15 connected by a vertical web 16.

The hook 12 is provided with a panel 17 for attachment of a size indicator. Such a panel and the size indicator system used with this panel is described in US-A-4450639.

The opposite ends of the body 11 are identical and each is designed to provide multiple means for engaging and supporting garments. Since the ends are identical, the description of one end will be considered to apply equally to the opposite end of the body. Referring now specifically to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the body terminates in a vertical web portion

19 from the top of which an arm 20 extends outwardly and downwardly to an outwardly curved end portion 21. The arm 20 forms a garment receiving slot or channel 22 which is open at its lower end. The shape of the arm 20 is such that the mouth or open end of the slot 22 is narrower than the upper or inner end 23, thus, providing a garment clamping zone. In addition, the surface of the body facing into the slot 22 is provided with a plurality of spaced projections or protrusions 24 which serve as grips for garments inserted into the slot 22 and pressed against the protrusions by the arm 20. The protrusions are smoothly rounded so that they will not cut or snag the delicate fabrics of the garments with which the hanger is designed to be used. It will be seen from Fig. 3 that the web 16 of the body is reinforced adjacent the slot 22 by a front to back extending flange 25. This flange is reinforced by a portion of the web which is integral with the outer face of the flange, forming an arm of T-shaped cross section. It will also be noted both from Figs. 2 and 4 that that portion of the flange which extends around the closed end of the slot 22 is thickened to improve its structural characteristics and to provide additional resistance to flexing. This structure is particularly important in providing the portion connecting the arm to the body itself with both the resilient but relatively stiff characteristics necessary to create an effective garment grip and also to provide the necessary resistance to fatigue resulting from frequent flexing. This latter is a serious problem with moulded plastics products which require a part of the body of the moulded product to be repeatedly flexed, particularly when the area in which the bending is to occur cannot be moulded of a plastics which is particularly suited to flexing because of the need for relatively high resistance to flexing. Also the thickened flange is reinforced by the outwardly extending web which provides substantial support and resistance to the joint as well as durability and strength.

6 The vertical portion 19 of the end of the body 11 from which the arm 20 extends has an inwardly extending portion forming an upper arm 30. The upper arm 30, like the outer arm 20, has a cross flange 31 at its inner face which is an extension of the upper flange 14. The flange 31 extends around and defines the slot 32 formed between the upper arm 30 and the upper face of the body 11. Again, the flange 31, where it passes around the blind end or outer end of the slot 32 is increased in thickness to provide the same type of resistance to flexing as is provided for the arm 20 and also serving the same purpose.

Like the slot 22, the slot 32 is narrowed adjacent its open end and in the narrow portion is provided with a plurality of protrusions 34 identical to the protrusions 24. outwardly, from the protrusions 34 and adjacent the blind end of the slot 32, the slot Is deepened to form a pocket 35 which is recessed downwardly into the body 11. At the entrance to the pocket, the upper flange 14 of the body is extended outwardly a short distance into the pocket 35 to provide a tongue 36 overlying a recess 37.

Spaced inwardly a short distance from the upwardly turned inner end of the upper arm 30, a finger 38 extends upwardly and outwardly at an angle from the upper flange 14 of the body 11. The outer end of the finger extends over a recess 39 between it and the upper flange 11. The outer end of the finger 38 in cooperation with the inner end of the upper arm 30 defines a restricted upwardly opening entrance 32a to the slot 32. This particular arrangement is effective in positively preventing unintentional release of 7 garments secured by havi ng a strap or the like seated in the slot from becoming detached from the hanger. This is in addition to the fact that the tongue 36 is also an effective restraint against accidental garment release.

Also, extending from the end of-the arm 11 is a lower finger 40 defining a slot 41 between it and the lower flange 15 of the body. The slot 41, for all practical purposes, is identical to the slot 22, except that it extends horizontally and its blind end is - toward the outer end of the body 11. It also has a plurality of protrusions 42 narrowing the entrance to the slot as well as the thickened portion of the flange in the hinge area where the arm joins the body. Both of the fingers 30 and 40 are stiffened and reinforced by the rib-like extensions of the web 16 extending outwardly from the slots 32 and 41, respectively.

By providing the three different slots, two of which extend lengthwise of the beam and one vertically, the hanger is equipped to handle a wide variety of garments. Because the hinge areas where the arms join the body 11 are thickened and reinforced, the fatigue failure which has been experienced in hangers of this construction in the past has been eliminated. Further, the stiffness of the hinge is increased and, therefore the hangers are successful in effectively gripping garments manufalptured of materials which provide surfaces having low friction surface characteristics, thus, materially reducing the chance that a"garment will be unintentionally released.

The construction of the upper arm with the upwardly opening entrance to the slot is particularly 8 desirable as a means of assuring the support of garments which are of a fabric having a slick or low friction surface or may be of a nature such that they cause the hanger to tilt about its centre hook creating a tendency to allow at least one side of the garment to be released from the pocket in which it is mounted. This will positively not occur in the case of this construction because the garment has to move upwardly, rather than simply laterally, to esdape the confines of the pockets 35. With the reinforced construction of the arms 20, 30 and 40, the garment clamping and holding effectiveness of the hanger is materially increased.

Figures 7 to 10 illustrate modifications of the hanger construction described above. In each case, the arms forming the slots remain the same cross-sectional design as the corresponding arms shown in Pigs. 3 and 4. In each of the modified constructions, the tongue 36a has been lengthened to prevent the garment from entering-the lower portion of the pocket 35. Also, protrusions-or projections 34a have been added to the upper surface of the tongue 36a adjacent its free end and a projection 34b has been added to the lower surface of the flange 31. As illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, the projections 34a and b are offset from each other lengthwise of the tongue but in the construction illustrated in Fig. 9 they are vertically aligned.

When they are offset, as in Figs. 7 and 8, they can be and preferably do vertically overlap.

In the construction illustrated in Fig. 7, additional projections 42a have been added to the walls of the slot 41.

c 1 9 In the construction illustrated in Fig. 8, the slot 41a has been modified to be similar to the pocket 35 and a tongue 60 similar to the tongue 36a is added. The tongues 36a and 60 are resilient and, by reason of their length, act in the manner of a leaf spring. Thus, they cause the projections 34a and b to grip the garments, further anchoring them against unintended release. Garments having not been passed around a projection into a recess having a partially closed entrance, removal of the garments is facilitated since they do not have to be lifted and passed around the guard or tongue as is the case with the construction illustrated in Fig. 2. At the same time, the construction provides a positive guard against accidental release.

Pigs. 11-13 illustrate another modification of the hanger's construction. In this construction, the body lla is similar in cross-section to the body 11 and is supported at its centre by a hook 12a. The hook 12a is the same as hook 12 except it is illustrated as modified by elimination of the panel 17. The body lla, like the body 11 has an I-beam type of cross-section, such as illustrated in Fig. 5. However, its ends 70 are vertically enlarged. This enlargement makes it possible to provide end clamps having greater vertical depth and, thus, more frictional contact with a garment. This also provides the hanger with the ability to handle a wider range of garment constructions, particularly those having wide waistbands.

As is best seen in Fig. 12, at each end of the body, an arm 71 extends downwardly. The arm Is spaced outwardly from the end wall 72 of the body to form a generally vertical slot-like pocket 73, open at the bottom and closed at the top. The lower end of the arm 71 is curved outwardly to provide a guide when garments are being mounted on the hanger. The lower edge of the body extends partially across the lower end of the pocket 73 providing a nexus 78 which supports an upwardly extending finger 74, the upper end of which is adjacent to but detached from the closed end of the pocket 73. The finger 74 divides the pocket into a relatively narrow garment receiving channel 75 between the finger 74 and the arm 71 and a wider chamber 76 between the arm 71 and the end wall 72 of the hanger body. The chamber 76 provides a space into which the finger can be deflected by a garment inserted into the channel 75. The finger 74 is as wide as the flange 76 which extends around the pocket 73 (Fig. 13). Preferably, the pocket 73 is wider at the top than at the bottom to provide the upper end of the finger adequate deflection room. The thickness of the finger is such as to resist deflection but not so great that it will not deflect before the necessary tension applied by the garment will cause injury to the garment or make use of the hanger difficult. The vertical member 77 of the arm which forms the lower horizontal clamp 81 extends under the nexus 78 supporting the finger 74. and provides a strength and support for the base of the arm where it is joined to the end of the hanger body. Also, the laterally outer end of this flange extends into the entrance of the channel 75 providing a smoothly rounded projection 79 serving as a positive restriction. This serves the dual purpose of 11 assuring the application of positive clamping pressure against the garment to hold it in the channel 75 and provide a ledge to seat under any hem or similar band at the top of the garment to further support it. Also, by so extending around the nexus supporting the finger, it further stiffens and strengthens it.

Horizontally extending garment clamps are provided on both the top and the bottom of the hanger adjacent the pocket 73. These clamps are identical 10 except for the fact that the lower pocket 80a is inverted with respect to the upper pocket 80. The upper pocket 80 is formed by an arm 82 which extends inwardly along the top of the hanger body forming an article receiving slot 83 between it and the top of the hanger body. Access to the slot is through the opening 84 between the hanger body and the curved end of the arm 82.

The pocket widens vertically and is divided by a tongue 85 which extends in cantilever fashion almost the entire length of the pocket. The outer end of the tongue 85 is spaced from the end wall of the pocket and above the bottom of the pocket whereby the tongue has space to reflect under pressure from a garment inserted in the slot 83.

Within the slot, the top of the tongue 85 forming the bottom of the slot 83 has a plurality of upwardly extending protrusions arranged in two groups. The first protrus ion 86 adjacent the entrance to the slot may be wedge shaped having an elongated, inclined surface facing the entrance to the slot to facilitate the introduction of garments into the slot. Four additional protrusions 87 and 87a, arranged in pairs,

12 are provided. The protrusions 87a are spaced further apart than the protrusions 87 creating a gap above which a protrusion 88 extending downwardly from arm 82 is provided to form an article grip. The slot formed by the lower arm 81 has the same pattern of protrusions. The protrusions 87, 87a and 88 have the same construction as the protrusions 34a and b illustrated in Fig. 10.

The fact that the arms 71, 81 and 82 are all T-shaped in cross-section is important. This construction not only provides the arms with the degree of resistance to deflection necessary to effectively grip and hold the garments it also strengthens the joinder of the arms to the hanger body to avoid breakage.

1 13

Claims

Claims:

1. A garment hanger having an elongate body and supporting hook means midway between the ends of the body, the opposite ends of the body being substantially identical and each comprising: a first arm at the body's outer and spaced from and overlying the top of and integral with the body, the arm forming a garment-receiving first slot between the arm and the body; an upwardly and outwardly inclined finger having an outer end spaced from the inner end of the arm for defining an upwardly opening entrance to the said slot; a downwardly extending second arm at the end of the body integral with the body at its upper end, the second arm forming a downwardly opening second garment- receiving slot; and a third arm extending toward the centre of the body adjacent the lower edge of the body, the third arm being integral with the end of the body and forming a third garment receiving slot extending along the body's lower edge; the entrances to the slots formed by the first, second and third slots each being narrower than the inner portions of the respective slot to cause clamping of garments seated in the slots.

j 2. A garment as claimed in Claim 1 which includes a tongue in the inner portion of the first slot, the inner end of sad tongue being integral with the body and the outer end extending substantially to the outer end of the first slot; the tongue being spaced from both the upper and lower surfaces of the slot and being resilient for clamping a garment seated between it and the upper surface of the first slot.

14 3. A garment hanger as claimed in Claim 2 which includes projections on the tongue adjacent its free end and on the surface of the first slots, the projections being adjacent each other and creating a garment-trapping passage between them.

4. A garment hanger as claimed in Claim 3 in which the said projections are offset from each other lengthwise of the pocket.

5. A garment hanger as claimed in Claim 3 in which the projections are vertically aligned.

6. A garment hanger as claimed in any of the preceding claims which includes a tongue in the inner portion of the third slot, the inner of the said tongue being integral with the body and the outer end extending substantially to the outer end of the third slot; the said tongue being spaced from both the upper and lower surfaces of the said slot and being resilient for clamping a garment seated between it and the upper surface of the said slot.

7. A garment hanger as claimed in Claim 6 which includes projections on the tongue in the inner portion of the third slot adjacent its free end and on the surface of the third slot, the projections being adjacent each other and creating a garment-trapping passage.

7 J 8. A garment hanger having an elongate body and supporting hook means midway between the ends of the body, the opposite ends of the body being substantially identical and each comprising; an arm at the body's outer end and spaced from and overlying the-top of and integral with the body, said arm forming a receiving slot between the arm and the body; the outer end of slot being enlarged downwardly to form a garment holding pocket recessed into the body adjacent the end of the arm integral with the body; the pocket at its entrance having a tongue extending outwardly into the pocket and spaced from the bottom of the pocket for dividing the pocket into upper and lower portions and providing a restricted entrance to the lower portion of the pocket, a plurality of upstanding projections on the upper face of the body in the slot directed toward the arm partially closing the slot; said body having a second arm, the second arm extending toward the centre of the body adjacent the lower edge of the body and forming a garment receiving slot along the body's lower edge, the outer end of the second arm being integral with the body; a downwardly extending third arm integral with the body at its upper end and with the end of the body and forming a downwardly opening garment receiving slot, the entrances to the slots formed by the first, second and third arms being substantially narrower than the inner portions of the slots to cause clamping of the garments seated in the slots.

16 9. A garment hanger having an elongate body and support means extending upwardly therefrom, the opposite ends of said body being substantially identical and each comprising: a downwardly extending arm at the body's outer end, the arm being spaced from the end wall of the body# the arm forming a vertically extending pocket between the arm and the body; a finger spaced from both the end wall and the arm extending upwardly within the pocket and dividing the pocket into a garment receiving channel open at its lower end and an elongate deflection chamber adjacent the said end wall closed at its lower end, the upper end of the finger being spaced from the upper end of the pocket whereby the finger can be deflected into the chamber by a garment inserted into the channel, and means at the entrance to the channel extending partially across the entrance and restricting the width thereof for positively gripping an article inserted in the channel, the finger being resiliently resistant to deflection to firmly press against an article inserted into the channel.

10. A garment hanger as claimed in Claim 9 in which the deflection chamber is wedge shaped, being wider at the top than at the bottom.

11. A garment hanger as claimed in Claim 9 or Claim 10 in which a nexus is provided at the lower end of the finger for connecting the finger to the said end wall.

the body having a dependent reinforcement flange integral with the nexus to support the finger, the outer end of the flange forming the entrance restricting means.

t I 17 12. A garment hanger as claimed in Claim 9 or Claim 10 or Claim 11 which includes a generally horizontally and inwardly extending second arm adjacent the body's outer end, the second arm being spaced from the upper edge of the body, the second arm forming a generally horizontally extending second pocket between the second arm and the top of the body; a second finger spaced from both the top of the body and the bottom face of the second arm extending outwardly into the second pocket and dividing the second pocket into a second garment receiving channel adjacent the arm and a second elongate deflection chamber below the second finger, the outer end of the second finger being spaced from the outer end of the second pocket whereby the second finger can be deflected downwardly into the second chamber by a garment inserted into the second channel, a plurality of first article gripping means projecting upwardly from the upper surface of the second finger into the second channel and second article gripping means projecting downwardly from the lower surface of the second arm between at least a part of the said first gripping means for positively securing an article inserted into the second channel, the second finger being resiliently resistant to deflection to firmly press against an article inserted into the second channel.

18 13. A garment hanger having an elongate body and support means extending upwardly therefrom, the opposite ends of the body being substantially identical and each comprising: a generally horizontally and inwardly extending arm adjacent the body's outer end, the arm being spaced from the upper edge of the body, the arm forming a generally horizontally extending pocket between the arm and the top of the body; a finger spaced from both the top of the body and the bottom face of the arm extending outwardly into the pocket and dividing the pocket into a garment receiving channel adjacent the arm and an elongate deflection chamber below the finger, the outer end of the finger being spaced from the outer end of the pocket whereby the finger can be deflected downwardly into the chamber by a garment inserted into the channel, a plurality of first article gripping means projecting upwardly from the upper surface of the finger into the channel and second article gripping means projecting downwardly from the lower surface of the arm between at least a pair of the said first gripping means for positively securing an article inserted into the channel, the finger being resiliently resistant to deflection to firmly press against an article inserted into the channel.

14. A garment hanger as claimed in Claim 13 in which the surfaces of the gripping means are rounded whereby fabrics may be passed over them without snagging.

t 19 15. A garment hanger as claimed in Claim 13 or Claim 14 in which the gripping means adjacent the entrance to the channel has an inclined surface facing the entrance forming a garment ramp to facilitate insertion of a garment into the channel.

16. A garment hanger as claimed in Claim 13 or Claim 14 or Claim 15 in which a horizontal arm and pocket formed thereby is provided along the lower edge of the body below each of arms at the top of the body, each of the pockets formed thereby having a tongue and article gripping means of substantially identical construction to that at the top of the hanger body.

17. A garment hanger as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the (or one or two or each of the) arms is T-shaped in cross section having an outwardly extending flange, the flange providing both a crack and fatigue resistant reinforcement and a stiffener for the juncture of the arm to the body.

18. A garment hanger substantially as described herein with reference to:

Figures 1 to 6, or Figures 1 to 6 modified as described herein with reference to Figure 7 or Figure 8 or Figures 9 and 10, or Figures 11Ato 13 of the accompanying drawings.

Published 1986 at The Patent Office, State House. C6171 High Holborn. London WC1R 4TP. Purther copies may be obtained from The Patent Offlce Sales Branch, St Mary Cray, Orpington. Kent BR5 3RD. Printed by Multiplex techniques ltd, St Mary Cray, Kent. Con. 1187.