GB2257353A

GB2257353A - Hangers

Info

Publication number: GB2257353A
Application number: GB9213589A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Michael Woodworth
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-06-26
Filing date: 1992-06-26
Publication date: 1993-01-13
Also published as: GB9213589D0; GB9113900D0

Abstract

A hanger (10) for a garment comprises hanger support means (24), garment engaging parts (16) having upper and lower ends and having a first position (Figure 1A) and a second position (Figure 1B), means for moving said parts to said second position comprising means (20) connecting said support means (24) and said garment engaging parts (16), which means has a component (22) which passes through a plane including said upper ends (15), whereby in said second position the garment engaging parts apply a retaining force to a garment on the hanger. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: Hangers DESCRIPTION This invention concerns hangers suitable for suspending garments.

Hangers of the type used in shops for display purposes of various types are known. Each type of hanger has usually been designed for a particular type of garment for example, for a skirt, for a jacket or for trousers.

An object of this invention is to provide a hanger for a garment that can prevent the garment from slipping off the hanger.

According to this invention there is provided a hanger for a garment comprising hanger support means, garment engaging parts having upper and lower ends and having a first position and a second position, means for moving said parts from said first position to said second position comprising means connecting said support means and said garment engaging parts, which means has a component which passes through a plane including said upper ends, whereby in said second position the garment engaging parts apply a retaining force to a garment on the hanger.

In one preferred embodiment the garment engaging parts are in their first position relatively retracted but in their second position are urged outwards to apply a retaining force to a garment on the hanger. That urging outwards may be of an entire garment engaging part or may involve inclination of a garment engaging part, whereby one end is urged outwards relative to the other end of the garment engaging part.

The hanger support means may be or incorporate a hook, whereby the hanger may be hung from a rail or the like.

In one specific embodiment garment engaging parts are connected hingedly at their lower ends to opposite ends of a bar and at their upper ends each to one of a pair of arms. The arms are connected to hanger support means by flexible members, whereby pulling the hanger support means up between free ends of the arms raises the arms to urge the upper ends of the garment engaging parts outwards. Thus, when a garment is on such a hanger, the weight of the garment will tend to pull the hanger downwards relative to the hanger support means and urge the upper ends of the garment engaging parts outwards to retain the garment.

In a second specific embodiment, the garment engaging parts have their upper ends hingedly connected to a bar and their lower ends connected by pivotable linkages to a hanger support means, whereby pulling said support means upwards acts on the linkages to urge the lower ends of the garment engaging parts outwards.

Again the weight of a garment on the hanger will contribute to its effectiveness.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the garment engaging parts are included in a system that is under tension when those parts are in their second position, whereby there is a counteraction urging those parts outwards.

In a specific preferred embodiment the garment engaging parts are connected at their upper ends to a bar and at their lower ends to the hanger support means by flexible members. The hanger support means is pulled upwards, preferably through the bar or a passageway of or associated with the bar to create the required tension.

In such embodiments the effect of a garment on a hanger will be to increase that tension and hence the counteraction of the garment engaging parts to retain the garment on the hanger.

In yet another preferred embodiment, the garment engaging parts are arms movable relative to each other in opposite directions to engage a garment and the hanger support means is coupled to the garment engaging parts, whereby downwards force on the hanger support means due to the weight of a garment urges the arms further apart. Preferably the hanger support means has a toothed rack formed thereon which engages a pinion, which itself engages the arms, whereby downward movement of the hanger relative to the rack is converted into horizontal movement of the arms away from each other. Preferably once the pinion is engaged with the rack return movement of the arms is prevented.

Hangers of the invention will ideally occupy as small as a space as possible for packaging/ transportation purposes. The hangers may occupy less space in either their first or their second position.

If it is the latter, means may be provided to maintain the hanger in its second position, if required. It is envisaged that hangers of this invention will be moulded from plastics material possibly in some cases from two different types of plastics material depending on the requirements of resilience, flexibility or rigidity for parts of the hanger. To increase tension in a hanger of the invention it may be possible to incorporate nonplastics material such as metal spring members, in suitable positions Such non-plastics materials may be incorporated during moulding of a hanger.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1 A and B show a first hanger before and in use respectively; Figures 2 A and B show a second hanger before and in use respectively; Figures 3 A and B show a third hanger before and in use respectively; Figures 4 A and B show a fourth hanger before and in use respectively; Figures 5 A and B show a fifth hanger before and in use respectively; Figures 6 A and B show a sixth hanger before and in use respectively; Figures 7 A and B show a seventh hanger before and in use respectively; Figures 8 A, B, C and D show various cross sections for parts of the hanger of Figure 6 or of Figure 7; and Figures 9A and B are respectively side and plan schematic views of an eighth garment hanger.

Referring to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, a garment hanger 10 moulded from plastics material comprises a relatively rigid cross bar 12 having a generally central slotted aperture 14. At each end of the bar 12 are garment engaging parts 16 having profiled surfaces for grip connected by resilient hinges 15. At their other ends the parts 16 are connected to a relatively flexible, resilient thinner member 20 having at is mid-point a shield or boss to which is connected a hook 24. The shield or boss 22 will usually bear garment size information in the form of a printed sticker. In Figure 1A the hanger is not in use. In Figure 1B the hanger is shown in its in use position where the shield or boss 22 has been pulled through the aperture 14 in order to pull in the garment engaging parts 16 under tension.A garment, such as a skirt, it then fitted around the parts 16 and the resilience of the hinges 15 and the member 20 will urge the parts 16 outwards to apply a retaining force to the garment.

Turning to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings, a garment hanger 30 moulded of plastics material has a cross bar 32 with garment engaging parts 34 connected thereto at their lower ends by resilient hinges 36.

Each part 34 is connected at its upper end to an arm 38.

The arms 38 extend towards each other but do not meet leaving a space 40 between their free ends.

Approximately midway along each arm 38 there is connected a relatively thin flexible member 2 which is in turn connected to shield or boss 44. The flexible member 42 may be connected to the arms 38 at any other suitable positions along their length. The shield or boss 44 has a hook 46 attached.

When the hanger is not in use, the arms 38 are close to the bar 32 with the shield or boss 44 below the space 40 between the arms 38. In this position the garment engaging parts 34 are generally vertical. In use the shield or boss 44 is pulled through the space 40 which action raises the arms 38 which in turn causes the upper ends of the parts 34 to move outwards to apply retaining forces to a garment on the hanger.

The greater the weight of the garment on the hanger, the greater the extent of movement of the arms and hence the extent of outward movement of the parts 34. Thus, a heavier garment will induce a greater retaining force. The hanger of Figures 2 may be suitable for use with jackets or with skirts as well as other garments.

In Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings a hanger 50 has a central section 52 with a pair of generally rigid arms 54 extending linearly therefrom. The central section 52 has a shield or boss portion 54, a vertical through hole 56 and a pair of depending limbs 58.

At opposite ends of the arms 54 are connected by resilient hinges 60 upper ends of garment engaging parts 62. Lower ends of the parts 62 are connected to relatively thin flexible members 64 which are in turn connected to a block 66 which is slidable between the limbs 58. The block 66 has a hook 68 attached thereto.

The parts 62 when the hanger is not in use are angled outwards and the block 66 is at its lowest point. When the hanger is in use, the block 66 is pulled up relative to the hanger and the lower ends of the parts 62 are pulled inwards in consequence under tension. The parts 62 are, therefore, urging towards in reaction in order to provide a retaining force on a garment as the hanger.

In Figure 4 a hanger 70 has a fairly rigid cross bar 72 having at each end an upper end of a garment engaging part 74 connected thereto by a resilient hinge 76. Lower ends of the parts 74 are connected via pivotable links 78, 80 to the lower end of a hook member 82. Central pivots 84 of the link 78, 80 have slides 86 that are movable along the cross bar 72. The pivotable links may be achieved by any suitable means. Rivets are shown as forming the pivots but flexible hinges may be a suitable alternative. Thus, as the hook is raised relative to the cross bar, the lower ends of the parts 74 are urged outwards to apply a retaining force to a garment on the hanger, the weight of the garment actually contributing to that force.

Turning to Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings, a hanger 90 which may be moulded of resilient plastics material in one piece has a cross bar 92 which has at its ends garment engaging sections 93 that are shown profiled for grip. The cross bar 90 has a central aperture 94. The other ends of the sections 92 are connected by relatively thin flexible members 96 that join at shield 98. A hook will usually be attached to the shield 98 but is not shown here. In use the shield is pulled through the aperture 94 to pull the sections 93 inwards under tension to fit a garment on the hanger.

The sections 93 will, due to the tension, exert outward forces on the garment in seeking to return to their nonuse positions.

In Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings, a hanger 100 comprises a flexible cross bar 102 that is split along much of its length and has its ends formed as garment engaging parts 104. The inner ends of the parts 104 are connected by thin flexible members 106 that join at a shield 108. In use the shield 108 is pulled through the cross bar 102 to bend the ends of the bar upwards to present the engaging parts to a garment.

Clips 110 are fitted onto the bar 102 to prevent it splaying.

The embodiment of Figure 7 is similar to that of Figure 6 and like parts have been given the same reference numerals for ease of reference with the suffix "a". Figures 8 A, B, C and D show alternative cross sectional shapes for the cross bar 102 and the clip or clips 110.

Referring now to figures 9 A and B, of the accompanying drawings a hanger 130 has a hollow rectangular section body 132. Slidable within the body and extending from opposite ends thereof are arms 134 and 136. Upper arm 134 has T-ending and lower arm 136 has an L-ending. The lower and upper edges of arms 134 and 136 respectively have a rack formation and the arms are separated by a pinion 138. The pinion 138 is mounted on a carrier 140 which is slidable along the top of the body 132 and is connected to the pinion through slots 142 in the sides of the body 132. Centrally of the body is a hook 144 which has a rack 146 formed along its lower end which can engage with the pinion 138. The pinion can be engaged with or disengaged from the rack 146 by moving the carrier 140. On engagement of the pinion with the rack inwards movement of the arms is prevented, say by a ratchet mechanism associated with the pinion.

In use, the hanger is presented to a garment with the arms 134 and 136 in their innermost positions with the pinion 138 disengaged from the rack 146. The arms are then pulled out to fit the garment and the pinion engaged with the rack of the hook. Then when the hanger is suspended by the hook, the downwards pull of the garment will cause the rack of the hook to move upwards and hence to rotate the pinion in a direction that will urge the arms outwards to hold the garment more firmly.

Claims

1. A hanger for a garment comprising hanger support means, garment engaging parts having upper and lower ends and having a first position and a second position, means for moving said parts from said first position to said second position comprising means connecting said support means and said garment engaging parts, which means has a component which passes through a plane including said upper ends, whereby in said second position the garment engaging parts apply a retaining force to a garment on the hanger.

2. A hanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hanger support means comprises a hook.

3. A hanger as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the garment engaging parts are in their first position relatively retracted but in their second position are urged outwards to apply a retaining force to a garment on the hanger.

4. A hanger as claimed in claim 3, wherein said urging outwards is of an entire garment engaging part.

5. A hanger as claimed in claim 3, wherein said urging outwards involves inclination of a garment engaging part, whereby one end is urged outwards relative to the other end of the garment engaging part.

6. A hanger as claimed in claim 5, wherein garment engaging parts are connected hingedly at their lower ends to opposite ends of a bar and at their upper ends each to one of a pair of arms, the arms being connected to the hanger support means by flexible members, whereby pulling the hanger support means up between free ends of the arms raises the arms to urge upper ends of the garment engaging parts outwards.

7. A hanger as claimed in claim 5, wherein the garment engaging parts have their upper ends hingedly connected to a bar and their lower ends connected by pivotable linkages to hanger support means, whereby pulling said support means upwards acts on the linkages to urge the lower ends of the garment engaging parts outwards.

8. A hanger as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the garment engaging parts are included in a system that is under tension when those parts are in their second position, whereby there is a counteraction urging those parts outwards.

9. A hanger as claimed in claim 8, wherein the garment engaging parts are connected at their upper ends to a bar and at their lower ends to the hanger support means by flexible members, whereby pulling the hanger support means upwards through a passageway of or associated with the bar creates the required tension.

10. A hanger as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the garment engaging parts are arms movable relative to each other in opposite directions to engage a garment and the hanger support means is coupled to the garment engaging parts, whereby downwards force on the hanger support means due to weight of the garment urges the arms further apart.

11. A hanger as claimed in claim 10, wherein the hanger support means has a toothed rack formed thereon which engages a pinion, which itself engages the arms whereby downward movement of the hanger relative to the rack is converted into horizontal movement of the arms away from each other.

12. A hanger substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in any one of the accompanying drawings.