GB2218329A

GB2218329A - A hanger

Info

Publication number: GB2218329A
Application number: GB8808937A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Neil Simon Owen
Original assignee: Pendy Plastic Products Ltd
Current assignee: Pendy Plastic Products Ltd
Priority date: 1988-04-15
Filing date: 1988-04-15
Publication date: 1989-11-15
Anticipated expiration: 2008-04-15
Also published as: GB2218329B; GB8808937D0

Abstract

A hanger is provided for hanging an article having a strap, such as a handbag. It comprises a hanging member 1 (e.g. a hook), a support part 2 below the hanging member, having a space therethrough for receiving the strap and a retaining member 3 below the support part. The retaining member is not in the same plane as the rest of the hanger. The strap of the article is hung on the hanger as shown in Figure 1 and is held there by friction. <IMAGE>

Description

A HANGER This invention relates to a hanger for hanging an article having a strap, such as a handbag.

It is normal for a retailer to display a handbag or similar article having a strap by simply hanging the article by its strap on a hook or bar. In so doing, however, it is frequently necessary to shorten the strap, by tying a knot in it or by other means, so that the article hangs at a height at which it can clearly be viewed by a propective customer, yet is not hung from a point so high as to be out of reach. This problem exists in particular with shoulder bags, which have long straps.

Tying a knot in the strap can permanently distort the strap. Moveover tying and untying the knot each time the article needs to be hung or inspected by a customer, creates a drain on the retailer's labour resources. In addition, hanging handbags in such a manner does not lead to a neat and orderly display, because the height and angle at which a bag hangs is difficult to adjust for uniformity. Tidy appearance of goods is of primary importance in the retail trade.

Hangers which are known in other areas of the retail trade, but which are not suitable for hanging handbags or the like, include the trouser hanger of pending European application No. 85308256.8, of the present Applicants, which comprises a garment hanger having a support bar over which a pair of trousers may be folded in use, a hook, and a friction bar arranged substantially parallel to the support bar and spaced therefrom on the side of the support bar remote from the hook, wherein the friction bar is not in the same plane as the support bar and the hook.

Known hangers also include tie hangers in the form of a flat plastic member having a hook at the top and two bars at the bottom. The tie hangs over the upper bar and is tucked behind the lower bar. The hook and bars are all in the same plane.

The present invention seeks to satisfy the need for a method of hanging articles of haberdashery having straps, in a neat and convenient fashion.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a hanger is provided for hanging an article of haberdashery having a strap, the hanger comprising a hanging member, a support part immediately below the hanging member (with the hanging member uppermost), the support part having a space therethrough for receiving the strap and a support surface confined to a region immediately below the hanging member for supporting the strap, and further comprising a retaining member below the support part and spaced therefrom, for retaining the strap by friction, wherein the retaining member is not in the same plane as the support part and the hanging member.

In use, the strap of an article, such as a handbag, extends through the space in the support part, is draped over the support surface and passed around the retaining member, so that the various parts of the strap hang on the side of the support member which is remote from the plane of the support part and/or the hanging member.

Because the support surface is confined to a region immediately below the hanging member, there is very little room for variation of the point on the support member where the strap is hung. For this reason, the point of hanging of the hanging member, the centre of gravity of the hanger and the centre of gravity of the item are caused to lie on substantially the same vertical line.

This provides a neat appearance.

It is preferred that the space in the support part is a hole having a width substantially equal to its height. The retaining member may be a bar which is removed from the plane of the rest of the hanger by a distance approximately equal to the thickness of the support part.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the drawing, in which Figure 1 is a front view of the hanger, with the strap of a handbag positioned as in use, and Figure 2 is a cross-section on the line A-A of Figure 1.

In the Figures there is shown a hanger having a hanging member in the form of a hook 1, a support part 2 and a retaining part 3. The support part 2 has a hole therethrough and a support surface 4 at the lower side of the hole.

The entire hanger is formed as a unitary piece of plastics material, of uniform thickness. The retaining member 3 is off-set from the plane of the hook and support part by a distance approximately equal to the thickness of the hanger. The retaining member 3 is spaced from the support part 2 by a distance equal to approximately two to four times the thickness of the support part 2.

The hanger is used as follows. The strap S of a handbag is doubled over and passed through the hole in the support part 2 from the side on which the retaining member 3 is situated (the front side) through to the other side.

From there it is doubled back underneath the support part 2 and passed around the retaining member 3, so that it passes on the front side thereof. The retaining member 3 is hook-shaped, having an upturned end 5 to prevent the loop of the strap from falling off the retaining member.

The weight of the handbag is supported by support surface 4, and is prevented from slipping off the hanger by friction between the support surface 4 and the strap.

This friction force is maintained, because the retaining member 3 retains the loop of the strap in a position whereby the strap is wrapped around the support part 2 through about 180 or more.

The support part 2, and indeed the rest of the hanger, has squared edges. These edges help to grip the strap at the points where the strap is wrapped around the support part. Likewise, the edges of the retaining member 3 are squared and grip the strap. These edges may alternatively be provided with gripping ribs, knurled sufaces, or other gripping surfaces.

It will, of course, be understood that the above description has been given by way of example only, and that modifications of detail can be made within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A hanger for hanging an article having a strap, the hanger comprising a hanging member, a support part immediately below the hanging member (with the hanging member uppermost), the support part having a space therethrough for receiving the strap and a support surface confined to a region immediately below the hanging member for supporting the strap, and further comprising a retaining member below the support part and spaced therefrom for retaining the strap by friction, wherein the retaining member is not in the same plane as the support part and the hanging member.

2. A hanger according to Claim 1, wherein the space for receiving the strap is a hole enclosed and defined by the support part.

3. A hanger according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the retaining member is a retaining bar having a thickness substantially equal to the thickness of the support part and being removed from the plane of the support part by a distance substantially equal to the thickness thereof.

4. A hanger according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support bar, is removed from the support part by a distance between about two and about four times the distance that the retaining member is removed from the plane of the support part.

5. A hanger according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the retaining member is a bar having an up-turned free end.

6. A hanger according to any one of the preceding claims and an article in combination, wherein the article has a strap which is doubled over in a loop, the loop passing through the space in the support part, the free part of the loop passing between the support part and the retaining member and over the retaining member, whereby both parts of the loop of the strap pass on the side of the retaining member remote from the plane of the support part and/or the hanging member.