NZ238093A - Clothes hanger clip - Google Patents

Description

? 3 8 0 9 3 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION PATENTS ACT 1953 NEW ZEALAND AFTER PROVISIONAL NO: 238093 DATED: 9 May 1991 A HANGER CLIP I. BRENDAN JON LINDSAY, of 9 Newhaven Street, Ellerslie, Auckland, New Zealand, a New Zealand citizen, hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: ^38093 Background of^the Invention The present invention relates to improvements in and relating to clothes hangers and particularly to clips provided for such hangers.

Various proposals have been made in the past for clothes hangers which clip to the item of clothing rather than merely having the item of clothing suspended from the hanger.

Such clip-type hangers have included types where the item of clothing is merely slipped past a biassed projection where it is then held. A problem with such types of hanger clips is that when a customer wants to remove the item of clothing from the clip, the customer can become confused as to how this is to be achieved. There is therefore a tendency for customers to try and forcibly remove the item of clothing. This can frequently result in the item of clothing becoming torn.

The other main type of hanger clip at present is one where the customer merely has to press the clip to open a pair of jaws which allows the release of the item of clothing. A problem with such clips is in achieving a readily manufactured clip which has the hinged clip part biassed in some manner to achieve the necessary closing of the jaws about the item of clothing until release is required. Another problem with such clips is in their accidental opening when impacted by adjacent hangers. 23 3 - (followed by 3A) Objects of the Invention It is an object of the present invention to provide a clip for a hanger of the immediately above mentioned type which can avoid or at least obviate problems previously encountered or which at least will provide the public with a useful choice.

Further objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description.

Summary of the Invention According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a clothes hanger clip having at least first and second members pivotally connected together and with respective jaw portions being adapted to be ^ # biassed to a closed position to hold an item of clothing therebetween, an upper surface of said first member at an opposite end from its jaw portion being flattened about the pivot connection between said members, said flattened area being at an upper end of said jaw portion as it extends into an upper portion of said first member, said upper portion having a reduced prominence by it depending towards a substantially, in use, vertical, upper portion of said second member, said flattened area and said reduced prominence of said upper portion of said first member acting so as to reduce the tendency of the clip to be accidentally opened. 23 8 0 9 - 3A - Further aspects of this invention which should be considered in all its novel aspects will become apparent from the following description given by way of exeunple of possible embodiments thereof.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1: Shows a front view of a hanger provided with two clips according to one possible embodiment of the invention; Figure 2: Shows a view from above of the hanger of Figure 1; Figure 3: Shows a view in the direction of arrow A of the hanger of Figure 1; Figure 4; Shows a rear exploded perspective view of one of the clips of the preceding figures; Figure 5: Shows a front exploded view of one of the clips of the preceding figures.

Brief Description of Preferred Embodiments of the Invention Referring to the accompanying drawings, a hanger is referenced generally by arrow 1. This is suitably but not necessarily a plastics moulding. The hanger 1 is shown provided with a pair of clips 2 one at each end of a hanger bar 3. In the embodiment shown the hanger 1 has a hook for extending via a neck portion 5 into the hanger bar 3 and with an aperture 6 provided to accommodate a size indicator tab.

Each clip of the embodiment shown in the drawings includes a rear part 7 which is shown integrally moulded or formed with the hanger bar 3. A front part 9 is pivotally connectable with the rear part 7 as will now be described. // ^ f //■v v" 10MARS994 ? 3 8 u 9 3 The rear part 7 is shown provided with a pair of spaced apart upstands 8 each having a recess 14 which can accommodate a respective pin or projection 15 provided on the front part 9 so that the front part 9 can pivot relative to the rear part 7. A groove or the like 12 is shown provided for each upstand 8 so as to facilitate the entry of the respective projections 15 into the recesses 14.

A spring 11 is shown providing the biassed which will normally maintain the jaw portion 16 of the front member 9 in its closed position relative to the jaw portion 24 of the rear part 7. The jaw portions 16 and 24 on their opposing surfaces are each shown provided with transverse gripping members 21 to grip the clothes introduced therebetween. The lower edges 22 of the gripping members 21 are shown provided with an upward chamfer to assist the introduction of the clothing between the jaw members 16 and 24.

The spring 11 is shown accommodated between a projection 19 provided on an inner upper face of the part 9 and a recess 13 extending into the rear part 7 so as to form, see Figure 4, a depression 13A at the rear of the member 7. Reinforcing ribs 23 are also shown provided for the rear of the member 7.

The upper surface of the part 9 is shown having the jaw portion 16 at its lower end extending to a change in surface angle at area 18 leading into the 238093 6 upper part 17. When assembled the upper edge 9A of the front part 9 may be slightly shortened to be off-set relative to the upper edge of the rear part 7 which may lessen the chance of accidental opening of the clip 2 by reducing the area of the upper portion 17 and not having it protruding beyond the upper edge of part 7. More importantly however the change in angle of the front part 9 about its pivotal region provides a flattened area 18 and a less prominent upper area 17 acting so as to reduce the tendency for accidental opening of the clip 2. This could particularly happen with contact being made with, and pressure being applied by, adjacent hangers on a rack. A further advantage of the flattening of the upper portion 17 is to reduce the width taken up by each hanger and so as to increase the number of hangers able to be hung in a given width on a rack.

The assembly of the clips 2 utilising the embodiment as shown is made straightforward with the spring 11 being positioned between the recess 13 and the projection 19 and the projections 15 being then readily insertable into the respective recesses 14 assisted by the lead-in grooves 12.

While in the embodiment shown the clips 2 and in particular the rear part 7, are shown as integral with the hanger bar 3, it is to be appreciated that the clips 2 could be provided as entirely discrete members which ?38093 may for example be slid onto or otherwise associated with a hanger bar 2.

Where in the foregoing description reference has been made to specific components or integers of the invention having known equivalents then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth.

Although this invention has been described by way of example and with reference to possible embodiments thereof it is to be understood that modifications or improvements may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (8)

23 809 - 8 - WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A clothes hanger clip having at least first and second members pivotally connected together and with respective jaw portions being adapted to be biased to a closed position to hold an item of clothing therebetween, an upper surface of said first member at an opposite end from its jaw portion being flattened about the pivot connection between said members, said flattened area being at an upper end of said jaw portion as it extends into an upper portion of said first member, said upper portion having a reduced prominence by it depending towards a substantially, in use, vertical, upper portion of said second member, said flattened area and said reduced prominence of said upper portion of said first member acting so as to reduce the tendency of the clip to be accidentally opened.

2. A clothes hanger clip as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said upper portion of said first member has an upper edge off-set, so as to be lower, in use, than an upper edge of the upper portion of the second member. 23 80 93 9

3. A clip as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said bias is provided by a spring positionable between a projection and a recess provided for respective ones of said first and second members.

4. A clip as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein one of said members is provided with a pair of spaced apart upstands each having a respective recess to accommodate a respective pin or projection provided on the other said member for said members to pivot relative with one another.

5. A clip as claimed in Claim 4 wherein a lead-in means is provided on each of said upstands to facilitate the entry of a respective pin or projection into a respective recess.

6. A clip substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

7. A hanger incorporating a clip according to any one of the preceding claims. <?' t 23 8093 - 10 -

8. A hanger substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRENDAN JON LINDSAY g/s/682443(lh) IN T-3DECI993 >*.V