HANGER WITH BAG CLOSURE SECTION
A gift bag includes aesthetically-covered opposing sides defining an opening, and a hanger attached to a side. The hanger is stamped from flat sheet material and includes a first section with adhesive for attaching to the side, a holding portion shaped to engage a support for display prior to being purchased, and a flexible closure portion with additional adhesive for attaching to the side. Thus the hanger both facilitates displaying the bag and also closing the bag to improve presentation of a gifted item in the bag (and to prevent the item from falling out of the bag). Methods related to same are also disclosed and claimed.
This is a utility application under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) claiming benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 61/144,830, filed Jan. 15, 2009, entitled HANGER WITH BAG CLOSURE SECTION, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety.
BACKGROUNDThe present invention relates to hangers for hanging products for display and that further is adapted to provide an added function, such as a closure.
A variety of different hangers exist for hanging product for display, including hangers with adhesive for adhering to the product, such as those shown in McMaster U.S. Pat. No. 3,884,443 and Miller U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,137. These hangers often have a minimum size and/or are made transparent to minimize visibility, so that the hangers do not detract from the overall appearance of the product in its “hung” displayed position. Historically, a focus of designers has been to optimize hangers for their intended use of holding products while on display, but to otherwise make the hanger essentially “invisible” after the product is removed from display for purchasing the product.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTIONIn one aspect of the present invention, a gift bag includes a bag with opposing sides defining an opening, and a hanger attached to one of the sides. The hanger has a holding portion with a feature shaped to engage a support for displaying the bag prior to being purchased and further has a closure portion for holding the opposing sides together to close the bag's opening after being purchased.
In another aspect of the present invention, a display hanger includes a flat flexible sheet having a first section with first adhesive adapted for attachment to a first side of a gift bag, and having a second section configured to engage a support while the gift bag is being displayed for purchase, and having a third section that is flexible and that has additional adhesive for attachment to a second side of the gift bag for holding the sides of the gift bag together to close the bag.
In another aspect of the present invention, a method includes steps of providing a bag with opposing sides defining an opening and a display hanger extending from one of the sides, and using the hanger to hold the opposing sides together to close the bag.
In another aspect of the present invention, a method of displaying and later holding closed a gift bag includes steps of providing a bag with opposing sides defining an opening, attaching a hanger to one of the sides, displaying the bag by engaging the hanger with a support, and using the hanger to hold the opposing sides together to close the bag.
These and other aspects, objects, and features of the present invention will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon studying the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.
A gift bag 20 (
Gift bags 20 are bags with aesthetically treated outer surfaces (such as with printed patterns 32, pictures, colors, etc.), so that the gift bags 20 make an attractive package for gifts without the need for separate wrapping paper. The bags 20 can be made of any material and can have many different shapes and handle formations, but, for example, they are commonly made from paper or plastic film and include a loop-shaped cord handle 21′ on each side. The appeal of gift bags is that they do not require separate wrapping, but instead they are “complete” as purchased. Further, they are easy to use, and the person receiving them appreciates the aesthetic bag as well as the gift. Still further, the gift bags 20 are flexible in use, and often are saved by the receiver of the gift for secondary use. However, it is desirable to hold the gift bag 20 closed until the gift is presented to the recipient, both so that the gift is not easily seen and also so that the gift does not fall out of the bag 20 when set on a resting surface.
The illustrated hanger 25 includes a body stamped from a flat plastic sheet of material, such as PVC, PETG, polyethylene, or polyethylene terephthalate of about 0.02 inches thickness. However, it is contemplated that the hanger body can be made from any material and with any thickness that is sufficiently stiff and strong enough to hold a bag 20 on a support 29. The illustrated adhesives 26′ and 31 are on opposite sides of the hanger 25, with adhesive 26′ being configured to engage an inside surface of the side 22 for minimum visibility when the bag 20 is being displayed on support 29. The adhesive 26′ is covered by release paper (item 51, see
The illustrated hanger 25 includes slits 35 between the second section 27 and the first portion 26, and further includes perforations 36 between the second section 27 and the third portion 30. The perforations 36 allow the second section 27 to be torn off and removed once its function of holding the bag 21 for display is completed. Removal of section 27 provides an improved appearance of the gift bag 20 when being presented to a recipient of a gifted item.
The illustrated third section 30 (
The holding feature 28 of the second section 27 in
It is noted that a scope of the present invention includes a variety of different shapes and configurations, as illustrated in the hangers of
To summarize, the present invention includes a display hanger 25 made from a flat flexible sheet having a first section 26 with first adhesive 26′ adapted for attachment to a first side 22 of a gift bag 20, and having a second section 27 configured to engage a support 29 while the gift bag 20 is being displayed for purchase, and having a third section 30 that is flexible and that has additional adhesive 31 for attachment to a second side 23 of the gift bag 20 for holding the sides of the gift bag 20 together to close the bag 20.
A method comprises steps of providing a bag 20 with opposing sides 22, 23 defining an opening 24 and a display hanger 25 extending from one of the sides, and using the hanger 25 to hold the opposing sides 22, 23 together to close the bag 20.
A method of displaying and later holding closed a gift bag 20 comprises steps of providing a bag 20 with opposing sides 22, 23 defining an opening 24, attaching a hanger 25 to one of the sides 22, 23, displaying the bag 20 by engaging the hanger 25 with a support 29, and using the hanger 25 to hold the opposing sides 22, 23 together to close the bag 20 well after purchase of the bag 20.
It is to be understood that variations and modifications can be made on the aforementioned structure without departing from the concepts of the present invention, and further it is to be understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims unless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise.
Claims
1. A gift bag comprising:
- a bag with opposing sides defining an opening; and
- a hanger attached to one of the sides and having a holding portion with a feature shaped to engage a support for displaying the bag prior to being purchased and further having a closure portion for holding the opposing sides together to close the bag's opening after being purchased.
2. The gift bag defined in claim 1, wherein the closure portion includes first adhesive.
3. The gift bag defined in claim 2, wherein the hanger includes a bag-attached portion having second adhesive on an opposite side of the hanger from the first adhesive.
4. The gift bag defined in claim 1, wherein the holding portion has perforations allowing the holding portion to be torn off.
5. The gift bag defined in claim 1, wherein the closure portion includes at least one narrow strip of material making the closure portion more easily bendable.
6. The gift bag defined in claim 1, wherein the holding portion defines one of a hook and aperture.
7. A display hanger comprising:
- a flat flexible sheet having a first section with first adhesive adapted for attachment to a first side of a gift bag, and having a second section configured to engage a support while the gift bag is being displayed for purchase, and having a third section that is flexible and that has additional adhesive for attachment to a second side of the gift bag for holding the sides of the gift bag together to close the bag.
8. The hanger defined in claim 7, wherein the first adhesive is on an opposite side of the sheet from the additional adhesive.
9. The hanger defined in claim 7, wherein the second section has perforations allowing the second section to be torn off.
10. The hanger defined in claim 7, wherein the third section includes at least one narrow strip of material making the third section more easily bendable.
11. The hanger defined in claim 7, wherein the first section has a rectangular shape.
12. The hanger defined in claim 7, wherein the second section is configured to mechanically engage the support.
13. The hanger defined in claim 12, wherein the second section has an aperture therein for receiving a bent wire support.
14. The hanger defined in claim 7, wherein the second section defines a hook.
15. The hanger defined in claim 7, wherein the third section extends above the first and second portions, and includes adhesive on terminal portions thereof for adhesive attachment to the bag for closing the bag.
16. A method comprising steps of:
- providing a bag with opposing sides defining an opening and a display hanger extending from one of the sides; and
- using the hanger to hold the opposing sides together to close the bag.
17. A method of displaying and later holding closed a gift bag, comprising steps of:
- providing a bag with opposing sides defining an opening;
- attaching a hanger to one of the sides;
- displaying the bag by engaging the hanger with a support; and
- using the hanger to hold the opposing sides together to close the bag.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 15, 2009
Publication Date: Jul 15, 2010
Inventor: Thomas R. Miller (St. Joseph, MI)
Application Number: 12/579,620
International Classification: B65D 33/14 (20060101); B65D 33/16 (20060101);