Side size marker for a garment hanger

Abstract

The present invention provides a garment hanger and size marker combination, which comprises a garment hanger having at least one marker mounting means located at a juncture between a hanger body and a hook portion, and a side size marker mounted on said means in a self-locking manner. The marker mounting means includes a web formed between the hanger body and the hook portion, a projecting edge which extends slopingly between the hanger body and the hook portion and has a notch, and a stop formed on each of two opposite sides of the web. The size marker includes a pair of substantially parallel spaced apart side walls, a top wall connecting the pair of side walls to define a channel for receiving the web, and a pair of the opposite flanges structured and arranged to engage the stops on the web to secure the size marker to the garment hanger.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the field of garment hangers and, more particularly, to a garment hanger and size marker combination that displays information about the size of the garment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the area of retail garment sales, a specified hanger program (also referred to as GOH (garment on hanger)) is becoming more popular. The GOH program provides the retailers with garments which have been hung on the hangers and ready for distribution and display at stores, thus offering the advantages of transport, distribution and operational efficiencies as well as reduced cost. In the GOH program, there is a need to have information regarding the garments shown on the hangers.

Size markers or sizers are provided on garment hangers to displaying information about the garment including the size. There are basically three types of size markers which attach to the hangers, one being fitted atop the hook of a hanger, a second which is side mounted and a third having a through cavity that allows the hook of a hanger to pass therethrough.

While a variety of size markers are known in the art, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,101, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0006204, and European Patent Application Publication No. 1338226, none are available which provide the user with the ease and simplicity of manipulation of size marker, such as is the subject of the present invention.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,101 discloses a garment hanger having a tab holder formed at a hanger body and an information tab coupled to said tab holder. However, the information tab requires a substantial amount of effort to secure it with the hanger and prevents removal of the tab from the hanger after being secured thereon.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0006204 illustrates crown sizers which are mounted over the hook of a hanger and positioned coaxially about a post extending from the hanger body, however, are not laterally engaged with the hook of the hanger.

European Patent Application Publication No. 1338226 discloses a size marker provided with a recess adapted for containing, either partly or totally, the post protruding from the plastic body of a hanger. The size marker must be held around and abut against the hook of a hanger. It is rocking after being secured on the hanger.

These size markers fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, but these markers and the known products on the market exhibit disadvantages such as deformation of the size marker after use over a period of time, difficulty in advancement and removal of the size marker after being locked, lack of feasibility of recycling or reuse of the size marker. In addition, they usually horizontally protrude beyond the hanger such that the fabric of smoothly textured garments such as silk, rayon, etc., when hung on the hanger, could be damaged during shipment or storage in a stacking manner.

Consequently, there would be greatly advantageous to address the problems outlined above by providing a garment hanger and size marker combination that

• • possesses a rigid and simple design such that the size marker is easily removed from and returned to its working position while satisfying the childproof requirement,
  • is capable of surely and safely holding smoothly textured garments such as silk, rayon, etc, during shipment or storage in a stacking manner,
  • allows recycling and reprocessing of the size marker, and
  • is inexpensive to manufacture, susceptible of widespread use and provides an aesthetic advantage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been developed to fulfill the needs noted above and therefore has a principle object of the provision of a garment hanger and size marker combination, comprising:

a garment hanger having a hanger body, a hook portion and at least one marker mounting means located at a juncture between the hanger body and the hook portion, said marker mounting means including a web formed between the hanger body and the hook portion, a projecting edge which extends slopingly between the hanger body and the hook portion and has a notch, and a stop formed on each of two opposite sides of the web; and

a size marker mounted on the web via the edge in a self-locking manner, including a pair of substantially parallel spaced apart side walls, a top wall connecting the pair of side walls to define a channel for receiving the web, and a pair of opposite flanges which are structured on the side walls and arranged to engage the stops on the web to secure the size marker to the garment hanger.

Preferably, the web is substantially triangle shaped and the projecting edge is positioned along the hypotenuse of the web and unitarily formed with the web.

The notch arranged on the projecting edge is of a length such that the size marker is laterally advanced to the marker mounting means via the notch.

The stop provided on the web preferably has a sloping surface for facilitating advancement of the size marker to the marker mounting means.

Referring to the size marker, its side walls each preferably terminates by the flange that extends inwardly and upwardly. With such a flange design and the transversely projecting edge, the size marker may be firmly positioned on the marker mounting means.

In according to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the marker mounting means is shaped to substantially completely be received in the channel defined by the side walls and the top wall of the size marker with the upper portion of the projecting edge being abutting against an inner face of the top wall of the size maker.

The garment hanger used in the present invention is advantageously of a type having a plastic post integral with the hanger body and a hook made of metal and received in the post.

To have a better understanding of the invention reference is made to the following detailed description of the invention and embodiments thereof in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a garment hanger attached with a size marker constructed in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial view of the garment hanger and the size marker of FIG. 1 showing the size marker before attachment to the garment hanger.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a marker mounting means of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the marker mounting means of FIG. 2 when viewing from the rear side of the mounting means.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged front elevational view of the marker mounting means of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the mounting means of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a view looking in the direction of arrows B-B of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of a size marker of FIG. 2.

FIG. 9 is a side view of the size marker of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the hanger with the size marker in place.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line of A-A of FIG. 10.

In the various figures of the drawings, like reference numbers are used to designate like parts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

While this invention is illustrated and described in a preferred embodiment, the device may be produced in many different configurations, forms and materials.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 provides a plastic molded garment hanger 1 having a hanger body 2 integral with a plastic post 4, and a hook portion 3 made of metal 3 and received in the post. The garment hanger 2 has a marker mounting means 5 at the junction between the post 4 and the hanger body 2 for engagement with a side size marker 11 in self-locking relation. The marker mounting means 5 is typically formed of a molded plastic material and is molded unitarily with the garment hanger.

FIG. 2 illustrates the marker mounting means 5 and the size marker 11 before insertion on the marker mounting means.

FIGS. 3-7 collectively illustrate views of the marker mounting means 5. The size marker 11 is further discussed below with reference to FIGS. 8-9. FIGS. 3-4 are perspective front and rear views of the marker mounting means 5, respectively. This marker mounting means includes a web 6 of substantially triangular configuration, a stop 9 arranged on each side of the web 6 and a transversely projecting edge 7 extending between the post 4 and the hanger body 2.

The profile shape of the web 6 is matched to a predetermined size marker that is to be placed on the marker mounting means.

The stop 9 is of substantially rectangular in cross-section and has a sloping surface 10 to ease the size marker 11 into place, as clearly shown in FIGS. 4 and 6-7. When the size marker 11 is laterally slid onto the web 6, the sloping surface 10 provides easily assembly of the size marker 11 and the hanger. The stop 9 is located so that the size marker 11 fits onto and locks in the marker mounting means 5. In this embodiment, the stop 9 has a thin end extending proximal to the notch 8 and a thick end having thickness matching the flange 15 so that their firmly interlocking action is obtained.

In this embodiment of the invention, the projecting edge 7 is positioned along the hypotenuse of the web 6 and transversely projects from the web 6 in opposite directions. There is a notch 8 in the intermediate portion of the edge 7, through which the size marker 11 is laterally advanced onto the marker mounting means 5. The edge 7 is of a width mating with the spacing between the inner surfaces of side walls 12 of the size marker 11, further ensuring the interlocking nature of the marker mounting means 5 into the size maker 11.

Referring now to FIGS. 8-9, there is illustrated the size marker 11 to be attached to the marker mounting means 5. The size marker 11 is made of plastic and dimensioned to fit over and engage the marker mounting means of the hanger.

In this embodiment, the size marker 11 takes a profile shape which is substantially triangular. The size marker 11 has a pair of substantially triangular parallel side walls 12, a rectangular top wall 13 connecting the side walls 12 to define a channel 14 for receiving the marker mounting means 5.

Each side wall 12 has at its free end a flange 15 integrally formed with and flexing inwardly and upwardly from the free end. The flange 15 is resilient and dimensioned to catch the stop 9 on the web 6 thereby locking the size marker 11 in place on the marker mounting means 5, while maintaining the child-proof standards. With this locking action and the abutment of the projecting edge 7 against the inner face of the top wall 13, the size marker 11 substantially eliminates the possibility of being removed from the garment hanger.

The side wall 12 provides a visible surface which is easily viewable carrying but not limited to the printed size of the garment on the hanger 1. The color of the size marker itself may also provide indicative purpose.

Preferably, the marker mounting means 5 is shaped to substantially completely be received within the channel defined by the side walls 12 and the top wall 13 of the size marker 11. When the size marker 11 is held in place on the marker mounting means, the upper portion of the projecting edge 7 is abutting against an inner face of the top wall of the size maker for the purpose of enhancing the attachment of the size marker 11.

In order to attach the size marker 11 onto the marker mounting means 5 in place, the size marker 11 is forced manually to advance into the marker mounting means 5 through the notch 8 in the direction as shown in FIG. 2. To attain this, the flanges 15 of the size marker 11 first are impressed to slightly splay outwardly via contact with the thin ends of the stops 8 structured on the web 6. Then, a force is applied to the size marker 11 so that the flanges 15 slide along the sloping surfaces 10 of the stops. With advancement of the size marker 11, the flanges 15 and the side walls 12 gradually expand outwardly until the flanges 15 snap or lock onto the stops 9 for releasably secure attachment. In this way, the marker mounting means 5 is fully inserted into the channel 14 of the size marker 11, as shown in FIG. 10.

FIG. 11 illustrates the locking operation of the size marker 11. The engagement of the flanges 15 with the stops 9 ensures the close fitting nature of the size marker 11 and the marker mounting means 11. There is no movement permitted between the size maker 11 and the marker mounting means 11 once it is snapped into place onto the marker mounting means, as a result, the size marker 11 is not easily removable from the marker mounting means.

In order to remove the size marker 11, no special tool or means is required for the invention. The size marker 11 may be grasped by hand for applying an outward and upward force to the size marker 11 so that the flanges 15 and the side walls 12 expand outwardly to offset the stops 9 thereby enabling disengagement of the flanges 15 from the locked positions.

It should be appreciated that two size markers may also be arranged oppositely at the junctions of the hanger body and the hook portions of the garment hanger.

The invention thus provides a garment hanger and size marker combination with a simple design which is inexpensive to produce and allows recycling/reuse of the size markers. Because of the simple design of locking members, manipulation of removal or attachment of the size marker can occur without substantial amount of effort, for example through the less finger pressure exerted against the size marker. In addition, the size marker in accordance with the invention, once it is snapped in place, does not horizontally substantially protrude beyond the hook portion of the hanger, allowing the garment hangers having garments suspended therefrom to flat stack while substantially bring no damage to smoothly textured garments such as silk, rayon, etc. during shipment and storage.

The simple construction of the invention also offers the adaptability of the size marker and the marker mounting means to mass-manufacture using molding with uncomplicated molds, the combination of the invention thus being manufactured at very low cost which should contribute to its popularity and usefulness. The bulk of material used in the invention compared to the products in existence is reduced. In addition to cost savings, assembling and disassembling the size may be more user-friendly.

While the embodiment described herein are intended as an exemplary garment hanger and size marker combination, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment illustrated. Those skilled in the art will envision many other possible variations within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A garment hanger and size marker combination, comprising:

a garment hanger having a hanger body, a hook portion and at least one marker mounting means located at a juncture between the hanger body and the hook portion, said marker mounting means including: a web formed between the hanger body and the hook portion, said web having a sloping upper edge that extends between the hanger body and the hook portion, a projecting flange disposed along the sloping edge of said web, and which transversely projects out over said web at a right angle thereto, so that a cross-section of said web and said protecting flange forms a T-shape, a central region of the sloping edge of said web being free of the protecting flange to define a notch, and a pair of stops, the stops being formed on each of two opposite sides of the web and in alignment with the notch; and

a size marker mounted on the web in a direction from the projecting flange in a self-locking manner, including a pair of substantially parallel spaced apart side walls, a top wall that is configured to rest upon the Projecting flange and which connects the pair of side walls to define a channel for receiving the web, and a pair of opposite flanges which are structured on the side walls and arranged to engage the stops on the web to secure the size marker to the garment hanger.

2. A combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the web is substantially triangle shaped and the projecting flange is positioned along the hypotenuse of the web.

3. A combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the notch is of a length such that the size marker is laterally advanced to the marker mounting means via the notch.

4. A combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stop has a sloping surface for facilitating advancement of the size marker to the marker mounting means.

5. A combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flange of said size marker flexes inwardly and upwardly from a free end of the side wall to catch the stop on the web thereby locking the size marker in place on the marker mounting means.

6. A combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the size marker is substantially triangular in profile shape.

7. A combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the marker mounting means is shaped to substantially completely be received in the channel defined by the side walls and the top wall of the size marker with the upper portion of the projecting flange abutting against an inner face of the top wall of the size maker.

8. A combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the garment hanger is of a type having a plastic post integral with the hanger body and a hook made of metal and received in the post.