GB2485391A

GB2485391A - Garment hanger for items with belt loops

Info

Publication number: GB2485391A
Application number: GB201019159A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Edward Jones
Original assignee: Mainetti UK Ltd
Current assignee: Mainetti UK Ltd
Priority date: 2010-11-12
Filing date: 2010-11-12
Publication date: 2012-05-16
Anticipated expiration: 2030-11-12
Also published as: GB2485391B; GB201019159D0

Abstract

A garment hanger for use with items having a belt loop 18 or the like loop of material comprises a hook 12 for suspending the hanger from a support rail and an enclosure loop 16 for enclosing and retaining the belt or like loop within a ring of plastic material. The enclosure loop has a rigid garment engaging portion 22 for engaging the belt or like loop to support the weight of a clothing item by said loop. The enclosure loop further comprises a closure portion 24 that allows the belt loop to access and be removed from the enclosure loop. The closure portion may be resilient and is moveable between an open position allowing access and removal of the belt or like loop and a closed position where the enclosure loop forms a ring that prevents the jeans from being removed. A label area 14 may be provided between the hook and enclosure loop. In use, the garment hanger is especially suited for use with heavy items of clothing that tend to fall off conventional garment hangers such as jeans or trousers.

Description

Garment Hanger The present invention relates to a garment hanger and relates particularly, but not exclusively, to a garment hanger for hanging a garment by a loop of material, for example a pair of jeans by the belt loop.

It has become common practice to display garments, such as trousers, particularly jeans, in a retailer's display by hanging them on a rail using a simple double ended hook, sometimes referred to as a meat hook since they are commonly used in butcher's shops. This S-shaped hook provides a simple means for hanging the jeans in a different and therefore visually attractive way, whilst maintaining the standard fittings of the shop. As a result, an eye catching display can be created without the need for a significant change to the shop. However, such hooks are easily separated from the garment and can easily fall from a rail. The hooks are often engineered to carry a significantly greater weight than a pair of jeans and therefore can be heavy and potentially dangerous. Furthermore, the hooks can be fiddly to get into place on the belt loop and must be re-engaged with the belt loop each time the trousers are removed from the rail. Also these hooks are so strong that they will not give way under an excess pulling force being applied to the garment making the weakest component the garment (specifically the belt loop) and thereby causing it to tear.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention seek to overcome the above set out problems with the prior art.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a garment hanger comprising:-suspension means for suspending the hanger from a support; and enclosure means for enclosing and retaining a portion of a garment hung on the hanger within a substantially complete ring of plastic material, the enclosure means including:-a substantially rigid garment engaging portion for engaging a loop in a garment thereby supporting the weight of the garment by the loop; and a closure portion for allowing said loop to access and be removed from said enclosure means, said closure portion moveable between an open position allowing access and removal of said loop of garment and a substantially closed position in which said enclosure means has a substantially annulus form.

By providing enclosure means that substantially encircles the loop (generally the belt loop) of the garment in a plastic material with a rigid weight bearing portion and a moveable closure portion, the advantage is provided that a lightweight garment hanger is provided that can be easily connected to the belt loop of a pair of jeans but is not so easily removed. Furthermore, because the hanger is lightweight, small and can typically be attached to a rearmost belt loop of the jeans, a potential customer can try on the garment without having to remove the garment hanger from the trousers. This saves time and effort for people working in the shop since the garment can be easily rehung on -3..

the rail and because of the small and lightweight nature of the garment hanger, it is significantly less expensive than other hangers traditionally used for displaying trousers.

The hanger may further comprise at least one label area for displaying information.

In a preferred embodiment the label area is located between said suspension means and said enclosure means.

In another preferred embodiment at least a portion of a surface of said label area forms part of said ring of plastic material.

By using the label area to perform part of the ring of plastic material that encircles the belt loop, the advantage is provided that a large label area can be provided, allowing clear display of information such as size information, whilst also assisting in maintaining the rigidity of the garment engaging portion.

The enclosure means may further comprise guide means for guiding the loop of the garment into engagement with said closure portion, the loop of the garment then causing the closure portion to move the closure portion towards said open position, the ioop sliding along said closure portion until H it reaches a distal end thereby releasing the closure portion and allowing it to return to the closed position.

By forming a guide means as part of the enclosure means, the advantage is provided that the guide means assists in ensuring that the enclosure means is easily engaged with the belt loop, ensuring that the jeans can be easily connected to the garment hanger. This can either take place in a shop or be automated into the manufacturing process ensuring that the jeans are correctly size marked.

In a preferred embodiment the guide means is formed as part of said garment engaging portion.

In another preferred embodiment the guide means comprises a tapered portion.

In a further preferred embodiment the tapered portion is tapered in two dimensions.

By tapering the guide means in two dimensions and forming it as part of the garment engaging portion, the advantage is provided that the garment engaging portion of the enclosure means is easily inserted into the belt loop then allowing a simple sideways movement to ensure that the closure portion opens to allow the loop to access the space within the enclosure means before reclosing to capture the belt loop of the garment.

In a preferred embodiment the suspension means is formed from a metal material.

In a further preferred embodiment the garment hanger is formed together from a single piece of injection moulded plastic material.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of hanging a garment, having a loop of material from which the garment can be suspended, on a garment hanger, comprising the steps of:-taking a garment hanger as set out above; placing at least part of said enclosure means through a ioop in a garment; engaging said closure portion with part of said loop of said garment and using said loop to apply a force to said closure portion to open said closure portion; sliding said loop along said closure portion until said loop reaches a distal end of said closure portion; and sliding said loops past the end of said closure portion thereby releasing said closure portion and allowing it to return to a closed position.

By using the method of the present invention together with the apparatus set out above1 the advantage is provided that it is very easy to engage the garment hanger with the belt loop of the trousers thereby ensuring that the correct size indicator is easily visible to a potential customer.

Furthermore, the invention provides an aesthetically pleasing display and allowing the garment hanger to be maintained on the garment until the garment is purchased.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, and not in any limitative sense, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front view of a garment hanger of the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the hanger of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a front view of the hanger of Figure 1 in use; and Figures 4 to 7 are perspective views of the garment hanger of the present invention in use being engaged with a garment.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, a garment hanger 10 has suspension means, in the form of suspension hook 12, has a label area 14 and has an enclosure means or enclosure portion 16. The enclosure portion encloses and retains a looped portion, for example belt loop 18 of trousers 20. The enclosure portion 16 is formed from a plastic material and includes a substantially rigid garment engaging portion or I: garment hook 22 and a flexible closure portion 24. The V enclosure portion also includes a bottom surface 26 of label area 14 and a closure tab 28 that engages a distal end 30 of closure portion 24. The garment hook 22, closure portion 24, bottom surface 26 and closure tab 28 together create a substantially complete ring or annulus of plastic material within which the belt loop 18 of trousers 20 is enclosed and retained. The garment hook 22 includes a guide means, in the form of guide portion 32, which assists the easy engagement of the hanger with the belt loop of the trousers. The guide portion 32 is tapered in the same plane as label area 14 with two substantially straight sides 34 and 36 to a point 38.

The guide portion 32 is also tapered so that the thickness of the hanger, as measured perpendicular to the plane of label area 14, reduces as it reaches point 38.

The use of garment hanger 10 will now be described with additional reference to Figures 4 to 7. As shown in Figure 4, the belt loop 18 of trousers 20 is opened slightly to expose the centre of the loop. The point 38 of guide portion 32 is introduced into the space of belt loop 18, as seen in Figure 4, and the hanger 14 is brought into engagement with the trousers 20 such that the closure portion 24 engages the belt loop 18. The enclosure portion 16 is fed further into the space in belt 1oop 18 with slight pressure being applied from the belt 1oop 18 to closure portion 24. This causes closure portion 24 to move in direction D in Figure 2 away from closure tab 28 and towards the garment hook 22 thereby opening the enclosure portion and allowing belt 1oop 18 to enter the enclosure portion 16. As the belt 1oop 18 travels further along closure portion 24 it eventually reaches distal end 30 and becomes disengaged from the belt loop 18. The closure portion 24 then moves in the opposite direction to Direction D towards the closure tab 28, which is towards a closed position encircling the belt loop 18, see Figure 6. The hanger is then moved into the position shown in Figure 7 so that the belt loop 18 is engaged with garment hook 22 towards guide portion 32 and the hanger 10, together with trousers 20, can be hung on a rail by the suspension hook 12.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the above embodiments have been described by way of example only and not in any limitative sense, and that the various alterations and modifications are possible without departure from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. For example, suspension hook 12 can be formed as a separate metal hook or the whole hanger 10 could be moulded from a plastic material with the hook formed integrally with the remainder of the hanger in a single moulding. Similarly, the hanger 10 can be formed without a label area. Thus the enclosure portion 16 is formed as a loop that is directly connected to the hook portion. The closure portion 24 described above is formed with a taper towards the distal end that creates the flexibility that allows it to open and close. However, this flexibility can created in other ways by, for example, forming a resilient flexibly hinge at the junction with the garment hook 22 that allows the enclosure portion to open but maintains the resilience that encourages the closure portion towards the closed position. -.9-

Claims

Claims 1. A garment hanger comprising:-suspension means for suspending the hanger from a support; and enclosure means for enclosing and retaining a portion of a garment hung on the hanger within a substantially complete ring of plastic material, the enclosure means including:-a substantially rigid garment engaging portion for engaging a loop in a garment thereby supporting the weight of the garment by the loop; and a closure portion for allowing said loop to access and be removed from said enclosure means, said closure portion moveable between an open position allowing access and removal of said loop of garment and a substantially closed position in which said enclosure means has a substantially annulus form.
2. A hanger according to claim 1, further comprising a label area for displaying information.
3. A hanger according to claim 2, wherein said label area is located between said suspension means and said enclosure means.
4. A hanger according to claim 2 or 3, wherein at least a portion of a surface of said label area forms part of said ring of plastic material.
5. A hanger according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said enclosure means further comprises guide means for guiding the loop of the garment into engagement with said closure portion, the loop of the garment then causing the S closure portion to move the closure portion towards said open position, the loop sliding along said closure portion until it reaches a distal end thereby releasing the closure portion and allowing it to return to the closed position.
6, A hanger according to claim 5, wherein said guide means is formed as part of said garment engaging portion.
7. A hanger according to claim 5 or 6, wherein said guide means comprises a tapered portion.
8. A hanger according to claim 7, wherein said tapered portion is tapered in two dimensions.
9. A hanger according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said suspension means is formed from a metal material.
10. A hanger according to any one of claimsl to 8, wherein said garment hanger is formed together from a single piece of injection moulded plastic material.
11. A method of hanging a garment, having a loop of material from which the garment can be suspended, on a garment hanger, comprising the steps of:-taking a garment hanger according to any one of the preceding claims; placing at least part of said enclosure means through a loop in a garment; engaging said closure portion with part of said loop of said garment and using said loop to apply a force to said closure portion to open said closure portion; sliding said loop along said closure portion until said loop reaches a distal end of said closure portion; and sliding said loops past the end of said closure portion thereby releasing said closure portion and allowing it to return to a closed position.
12. A garment hanger substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
13. A method of hanging a garment, having a loop of material from which the garment can be suspended as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.