GB2377631A

GB2377631A - Garment hanger

Info

Publication number: GB2377631A
Application number: GB0117742A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William Joseph Hunt
Original assignee: Braitrim UK Ltd
Current assignee: Braitrim UK Ltd
Priority date: 2001-07-20
Filing date: 2001-07-20
Publication date: 2003-01-22
Also published as: GB0117742D0

Abstract

A garment hanger comprising an arm (2) for carrying a garment and a hook (7) for suspending the hanger either in a warehouse or in a shop is provided with a boss (8) extending from the lower end of the hook within the central region of the arm. The boss (8) is slidable between a raised position suitable for storing the garments in a warehouse and a lower position suitable for displaying garments in the shop or store. In the latter position, a barb (not shown) carried on the boss engages an aperture (not shown) in the central, collar portion of the arm.

Description

GARMENT HANGER The present invention relates to a garment hanger and particularly though not exclusively to a garment hanger for displaying garments in store.

Garment hangers for displaying garments in stores usually comprise a portion adapted to receive the garment to be hung from the hanger and means to suspend the portion from a support. The portion may comprise an arm or a pair of arms over which the garment e. g. a jacket is draped or the arms may each be provided with a clip to grip the garment e. g. a skirt or trousers. The means to suspend the portion may be a hook which is secured to the portion and which is engaged with a support usually in the form of a rail to display the garment item or to store the item in a warehouse.

When the garment is on display in the store or shop the arm or arms preferably need to be close to the rail from which the arm or arms are suspended by the hook so as to reduce the amount of display space in the store.

On the other hand, when the garment is stored in a warehouse more space between the arm or arms and the rail is needed so that the garments can be transported from place to place by, for example, an overhead rail system.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a garment hanger which overcomes the abovedescribed problem of conventional garment hangers.

According therefore to one aspect of the present invention, we provide a garment hanger comprising a portion adapted to receive the garment to be hung from the hanger and means for suspending the portion from a support, the

means being attached to the portion in such a way as to permit the means to be movable relative to the portion.

Preferably the portion comprises a pair of arms and a neck therebetween to which the means is attached.

Suitably the means is a hook having a boss attached to the portion. Conveniently the boss is movable in the neck to one of two positions.

Preferably the boss is movable between a first locked position and a second position, the portion being closer to the hook in the second position.

The means may be movable to one of two positions.

Suitably the means is movable between a locked position and a released position, the portion being closer to the means in the released position.

Embodiments of the invention will now be particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front view of the garment hanger in one position, with a hook in an uppermost position ; Figure 2 is a front view of the garment hanger of Figure 1 in another position, with the hook in a lowermost position; Figure 3 is a side view of a hook or boss ; Figure 4 shows the hook in Figure 3 in a second locked position in a collar; Figure 5 shows the hook in Figure 3 in a first locked position in the collar; Figure 6 is a back view of the hanger showing a section along line A of Figures 4 and 5.

Figure 7 is a back view of the hanger showing a section along line B of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings particularly Figures 1 and 2 the hanger comprises a portion 2 to receive the garment (not shown) to be hung from the hanger 1 and means 3 for suspending the portion 2 from a support (not shown) which may be a rail in a store of shop.

The portion 2 comprises a pair of arms 4,5 separated by a neck 6.

The means 3 comprises a hook 7 which may be of metal eg steel and which extends from and includes a boss 8 which in use is attached to the neck 6. The portion 2 and the boss 8 may be made of a suitable plastic such a polypropylene or polystyrene.

As conventional, the arms 4,5 may each include a slidable clip 9,10 each of which is slidable along an arm 4,5 and each of which is manually operated to grip and release garments of varying widths.

Referring particularly to Figures 4 to 7 the boss 8 which has an external diameter greater than that of the hook 7 is located in a rectangular collar 11 of plastic which is moulded into the neck 6 of the portion 2 while the base of the hook 7 is moulded into the boss 8.

As shown particularly in Figures 3,4 and 5 the boss 8 has a flexible barb or tooth 12 formed as part of its body projecting outwardly from the surface of the boss 8.

The collar 11 has an aperture 13 approximately midway along its length.

The barb 12 has a portion 14 which on suitable alignment of the boss 8 within the collar 11 and upward movement of the boss 8 engages with the aperture 13 to prevent further upward movement of the boss 8 and therefore hook 7. This position defines a first uppermost locked

position of the boss 8 as shown in Figure 1 and in detail in Figure 3.

On pushing the hook 7 downwardly the barb 12 is released from the aperture 13 and the boss 8 can be moved down to the position shown in Figure 4 where the barb 12 is released from engagement with the internal wall of the collar 11 but instead springs out and engages with the lowermost circumferential wall of the collar where it is locked in a position which defines a second lowermost locked position of the boss 8 as shown in Figure 2.

This arrangement therefore permits the hook 7 to assume two different vertical positions with the first uppermost position (Figure 1) being used for storing the garments in a warehouse and the second lowermost position (Figure 2) being used to display garments in the shop or store.

To move the boss 8 up again from the position in Figure 2, the barb 12 can be pressed inwardly to clear the lowermost circumferential wall of the collar 11 and then the boss 8 can be pushed upwardly, and pulled by the hook 7 into position into engagement with the aperture.

To facilitate the upward pushing the length of the boss 8 is longer than the collar 11 so that when the boss 8 is in the lowermost position, a lowermost part 15 of the boss 8 (see Figures 2,4, 6 and 7) projects beneath the collar 11 to provide access to the boss 8.

Referring to Figure 3, the hook 7 has a stem 16 which is moulded into the hook boss 8. The moulding is such that the hook 7 can be rotated by rotating its stem 16 within the moulding of the boss 8. However, the friction between the hook stem 16 and the boss 8 is selected so that the hook 7 is stiff and so that therefore the hook 7 can be

rotated to and retain any desired position while retaining most of the original friction. Conventional hooks will loosen. The hook stem 16 has an annular flange 17 which is held captive within a corresponding annular aperture within the boss moulding 8. This prevents the hook 7 from being withdrawn from the boss 8.

While only a two position ratchet-style hook and portion assembly has been shown, it will be appreciated that a three or more position ratchet assembly could be designed.

In addition it will occur to the skilled man that other types of connection between the boss and the collar other than a ratchet can be envisaged.

Claims

Claims 1. A garment hanger comprising a portion adapted to receive the garment to be hung from the hanger and means for suspending the portion from a support, the means being attached to the portion in such a way as to permit the means to be movable relative to and away from the portion.
2. A hanger as claimed in claim 1 in which the portion comprises a pair of arms and a neck therebetween to which the means is attached.
3. A hanger as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which means is a hook having a boss attached to the portion.
4. A hanger as claimed in claim 3 in which the boss is movable in the neck to one of two positions.
5. A hanger as claimed in claim 4 in which the boss is movable between a first locked position and a second locked position, the portion being closer to the hook in the second position.
6. A hanger as claimed in any of claims 1 of 3 in which the means is movable to one of two positions.
7. A hanger as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 in which the means is moveable between a first locked position and a second locked position, the portion being closer to the means in the second position.

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8. A garment hanger substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any of the Figures.