GB2318726A

GB2318726A - Garment hanger with information display

Info

Publication number: GB2318726A
Application number: GB9622795A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Henry James Emblem
Original assignee: Ferguson
Current assignee: Ferguson
Priority date: 1996-11-01
Filing date: 1996-11-01
Publication date: 1998-05-06
Anticipated expiration: 2016-11-01
Also published as: GB2318726B; GB9622795D0

Abstract

An information display block 11 which slides over the hook 7 of a garment hanger is prevented from rotation on the hook by engagement of a raised oval boss 9 on the hanger with a corresponding recess in the block. The block may grip the hook by way of resilient fingers (13, Fig 3) and it may engage positively with the boss to prevent disengagement.

Description

GARMENT HANGERS This invention relates to garment hangers, and in particular to an information display block for use with a garment hanger.

Well known garment hangers include a pair of outwardly and downwardly extending arms and a hook engaging the arms, or a shoulder region therebetween, for supporting the garment hanger from a rail or the like. Many various forms of such garment hangers are known.

It is also known to include a size indicator block on the garment hanger to help to indicate the size of the garment on the hanger. Such indicator blocks often have different colours for different sizes, and also include a numerical indication of the size of the garment on a display surface of the indicator block.

In the past, size indicator blocks have been simple cubes or circular forms having a central opening which enables the cube to be slid over the hook of the garment hanger such that the cube rests against the shoulder region of the garment hanger at the base of the hook. As a result, the cube (or round marker) is able to rotate about the shaft of the hook, thereby requiring the cube to have the numerical size indication marks on each of the four surfaces of the cube which could be displayed at the front of the garment hanger due to rotation of the cube. This has resulted in additional costs being incurred during the manufacturing of each cube.

Further, when using indicator blocks which are substantially cubic, it is possible that the block will extend past the front and/or rear of a garment hanger having very thin arms.

As a result, when hangers including the blocks are slid along a travelling automated warehouse rail system, for example, it is the indicator blocks which abut between adjacent hangers, rather than the hangers themselves. This can result in the indicator blocks riding up the shaft of the hook and looking messy or, in a worse scenario, it is possible that the block will actually crack and fail due to the striking force of an adjacent block.

With the foregoing in mind, the present applicant has developed a novel and inventive information display block for garment hangers which overcomes the problems mentioned above.

According to the present invention, there is provided an information display block for sliding over a hook of a garment hanger, wherein the display block includes means for retaining the block in a desired orientation on the garment hanger during use. As a result, rotation of the block about the hook of the garment hanger will not occur. Further, it is possible to use a non-cubic block, because the main display surface can always be retained in the correct orientation for display purposes.

Preferably the retaining means comprise a non-circular opening formed in the block with which a portion of a garment hanger engages to prevent rotation of the block during use.

Although the opening may be of any appropriate shape, it is preferably substantially oval. Alternatively, the opening could be substantially rectangular.

Preferably one side of the block has a length which is substantially shorter than the length of the main display surface of the block. As a result, the main display surface of the block can lie in the plane of the arms of the hanger for display purposes, whilst the shorter side or sides of the block can extend substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the arms of the hanger.

It is possible that the retaining means may comprise means for gripping a portion of a garment hanger during use. If this is the case, the gripping means may be a resilient plastics material, a rubber-like material, or any other appropriate material.

A lock means may also be included to prevent the block sliding off the hook of the garment hanger during use. This is particularly important to prevent a block from separating from a garment hanger, which separation could result in the block being picked up off the floor of a shop and swallowed by a young child. If a lock means is included, it may comprise a detent formed inside the block for engaging a portion of the garment hanger during use.

Although it is envisaged that an information display block according to the present invention will have a substantially rectangular cross section, in theory a block having a triangular cross section or any other suitable shape could, alternatively, be used.

The present invention further provides a combination of a garment hanger and an information display block, the garment hanger having a pair of arms defining a plane and a hooking device extending from the arms for supporting the hanger, during use, wherein, when the display block is in position on the hooking device of the hanger, the display block mates with a formation on the hanger to retain the block in a desired orientation on the hanger.

As will be appreciated, the hooking device of the hanger may be a simple hook of known type, a shaft with a bulbous end for engaging a rail device, or any other appropriate hooking means.

The formation on the hanger is preferably a male part which is received in a complementary female formation in the display block. More particularly, the formation on the hanger is preferably a non-circular boss.

The boss may define the point of engagement of the hooking device with the arms of the hanger.

Preferably the display block includes a recess or opening which is shaped to receive the formation on the hanger with a tight fit.

The formation on the hanger is preferably oval in crosssection. Other appropriate cross-sectional shapes can, of course, be used without departing from the invention.

The block may include a detent for engaging a groove in the formation on the hanger to prevent accidental removal of the block from the block during use.

Preferably the block defines a display surface in the plane of the arms of the hanger. Further, the sides of the block perpendicular to the plane of the arms of the hanger are preferably significantly shorter in length than the length of the display surface in the plane of the arms of the hanger. In this way, a much narrower display block is provided, thereby avoiding the possibility of display blocks on adjacent hangers clashing as the hangers are moved along a rail, for example.

A specific embodiment of the present invention is now described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front view of a garment hanger with an information display block according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a section on the line A-A shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is an underneath view of the information display block shown in Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a plan view of the information display block of Figure 3.

With reference to the drawings, a garment hanger 1 comprises a pair of outwardly and downwardly extending arms 3, a shoulder region 5 between the arms 3 and a hook 7. The hook 7 is of metal wire and is threadedly received in the shoulder region 5 via a boss 9 which extends from the shoulder region 5.

An information display block 11 according to the present invention is shown in Figure 1 during installation of the block 11 on the garment hanger 1. As mentioned previously, the block 11, which includes a central aperture 13 (see Figures 3 and 4), is mounted on the hook 7 of the garment hanger 1 by passing the hook 7 through the aperture 13 and sliding the block 11 down the shaft 15 of the hook 7. Four slits extend from the aperture 13 in the block 11 to facilitate mounting of block 11 on the hook 7.

As can be seen in Figure 2 of the drawings, the boss 9 has a substantially oval cross-section. The longer axis of the oval lies in the plane defined by the arms 3 of the garment hanger. A complementary oval recess 17 is formed in the underside of the display block 11, as shown in Figure 3.

Hence, as the display block 11 moves down the shaft 15 of the hook 7, the boss 9 enters the recess 17 of the block 11 and holds the block 11 in a desired orientation on the garment hanger 1. In particular, a main display surface 19, which is shown in Figure 1, is held facing forwards from the garment hanger 1.

Although the boss 9 may be received in the recess 17 of the block 11 with a tight fit, this is not essential provided that the block 11 is prevented from rotating about the shaft 15 of the hook 7. Further, although the block 11 is shown provided with a defined recess 17, a plurality of simple fins (not shown) could be included within the block 11 to engage the boss 9 and prevent the block 11 from rotating about the boss 9.

It will also be noted that the length of the main display surface 19 is significantly longer (almost twice as long) than the side surfaces 21 of the block 11. As a result, although sufficient display area is provided by the display surface 19, the block 11 should not be so wide that it hangs over the front or rear surfaces of the shoulder region 5 of the garment hanger. Accordingly, during stacking of a plurality of garment hangers on a rail, for example, display blocks 11 of adjacent hangers 1 should not clash.

Although not shown in the drawings, a detent may be provided within the display block 11 for engaging a groove or other formation formed on the boss 9. In this way, the display block 11 can effectively be locked in position on the garment hanger 1, thereby avoiding the possibility of the display block 11 riding up the shaft 15 of the hook 7 during use.

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

Claims

1. An information display block for sliding over a hook of a garment hanger, wherein the display block includes means for retaining the block in a desired orientation on the garment hanger during use.

2. A block as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retaining means comprises a non-circular opening formed in the block with which a portion of a garment hanger engages to prevent rotation of the block during use.

3. A block as claimed in claim 2, wherein the opening is substantially oval.

4. A block as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the retaining means comprise means for gripping a portion of a garment hanger during use.

5. A block as claimed in claim 4, wherein the gripping means is a resilient plastics material.

6. A block as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the block has a substantially rectangular cross-section with one pair of sides substantially shorter than the other pair of sides.

7. A block as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein lock means are included to prevent the block from sliding off the hook of the garment hanger during use.

8. A block as claimed in claim 7, wherein the lock means comprise a detent formed inside the block for engaging a portion of the garment hanger during use.

9. An information display block substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

10. A combination of a garment hanger and an information display block, the garment hanger having a pair of arms defining a plane and a hooking device extending from the arms for supporting the hanger, during use, wherein when the display block is in position on the hooking device of the hanger, the display block mates with a formation on the hanger to retain the block in a desired orientation on the hanger.

11. A combination as in claim 10, wherein the formation on the hanger is a male part which is received in a complementary female formation in the display block.

12. A combination as claimed in claim 10 or claim 11, wherein the formation on the hanger is a non-circular boss.

13. A combination as claimed in claim 12, wherein the boss defines the point of engagement of the hooking device with the arms of the hanger.

14. A combination as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the block includes a recess which is shaped to receive the formation on the hanger with a tight fit.

15. A combination as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein the formation on the hanger is oval in crosssection.

16. A combination as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 15, wherein the block includes a detent for engaging a groove in the formation on the hanger to prevent accidental removal of the block from the hanger.

17. A combination as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 16, wherein the block defines a display surface in the plane of the arms of the hanger.

18. A combination as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 17, wherein the block has a substantially rectangular crosssection and two sides of the block are substantially shorter in length than the other two sides of the block.

19. A combination of a garment hanger and an information display block, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.