GARMENT HANGER WITH A ROTATABLE HOOK

Abstract

A garment hanger in two parts of disclosed. There is a body for supporting a garment thereon which is made from a sheet material such as cardboard and has a non-circular aperture extending therethrough. There is also a suspension member which includes three parts. Firstly, a hook is for hanging the hanger from a rail. Secondly, a retainer sits in the non-circular aperture and it releasably and rotatably retains engagement between the suspension member and the body. The retainer also has an axle and feet. Finally, there is a rotation limiter having an edge engager for engaging an edge of the sheet material to limit rotation of the suspension member relative to the body.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of priority to United Kingdom Patent Application Serial No. 2406881.9, filed May 15, 2024, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a garment hanger with a rotatable hook and relates particularly, but not exclusively, to a cardboard hanger with a plastic rotatable or swing hook.

The use of cardboard hangers has in recent years become increasingly popular due to the case of recycling of cardboard materials. Plastic garment hangers have the disadvantage that they are formed from a variety of polymer materials not all of which can be successfully recycled. Furthermore, the shape of a hanger, with hooks and arms, tend to make them more likely to become fouled in a recycling sorting conveyor machine meaning that their domestic recycling is not encouraged. Although the recycling and reuse of hangers in a physical retail environment is straightforward more clothing is being bought online and hangers must be sufficiently versatile to be used in store whilst being lightweight enough to be transported for online purchases.

Cardboard hangers also have the disadvantage that they are structurally weaker and more prone to damage than equivalent plastic products, especially in the presence of moisture. The hook of such hangers is a point of particular vulnerability. This is particularly the case where cardboard hangers are being used and transported for online purchases. Typically, the packaging for online purchase of clothing is in plastic bags offering no protection to the hanger.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention seek to overcome or alleviate the above described disadvantages of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention there is provided a garment hanger comprising a body for supporting a garment thereon. The body comprises a sheet material and having a non-circular aperture extending therethrough. The hanger also has a suspension member comprising a hook for suspending the hanger and a retainer for engaging the non-circular aperture and releasably and rotatably retaining engagement between the suspension member and the body. The retainer has an axle and at least one foot. The suspension member also has a rotation limiter comprising a first edge engager, in use, engaging an edge of the sheet material to limit rotation of the suspension member relative to the body.

By providing a suspension member attached to a sheet material body by a retainer, the advantage is provided that a cardboard hanger can be provided with a robust, lightweight hanger that can be easily recycled in domestic or curbside recycling facilities. The retainer, with an axle and foot, can be easily released from engagement with the non-circular aperture to allow separate recycling of the components. Furthermore, the separate suspension member can be made from plastic materials and is therefore less inclined to be damaged. This protection of the hook, of the suspension member, is enhanced by the rotational connection of the hook on the sheet material which enables the suspension member to be rotated around the axle of the rotation but limited by the rotation limiter. This is particularly important where the hanger is used during the transportation of garments that have been purchased online for home delivery as the hook is protected less likely to be damaged nor is excessive force likely applied to the hook resulting in damage to the non-circular aperture.

In a preferred embodiment the suspension member further comprises a rotation controller having a second edge engager in use engaging the edge of the sheet material adjacent the rotation limiter and a flexible member allowing the second engager to control rotation of the suspension member.

By providing a rotation controller in combination with the rotation limiter on the suspension member the advantage is provided that the movement of the hook is controlled to allow some rotation of the suspension member but prevent free rotation. As a result, when the hanger is in normal use on a rail then each of the hangers will adopt the same position ensuring that the display of garments is uniform. When the hanger is not hung on a rail the rotation controller ensures that the suspension member remains in an upright, working condition, until it is deliberately moved into a storage or delivery condition. That is, if a garment is being packaged for delivery following an online purchase then the suspension member can be rotated so as to be adjacent to the sheet material body and therefore protected ensuring that the hanger arrives in a state which enables use.

In a preferred embodiment the suspension member further comprises a connector for joining the hook to the retainer.

In another preferred embodiment the connector comprises a label area.

Ideally the suspension member is formed as a single component.

In a preferred embodiment the connector comprises a planar portion with the retainer extending therefrom, the rotation limiter extending perpendicular from the planar portion.

In another preferred embodiment the connector is located in a first plane and the sheet material and the rotation limiter are in a second plane parallel to the first plane.

By having a planar portion as part of the connector with the retainer extending there from and with the sheet material and rotation limiter in another plane that is parallel to the plane of the connector, the advantage is provided that the components together form a compact hanger that is not any larger than equivalent hangers of the prior art.

In a preferred embodiment the sheet material comprises cardboard and the suspension member comprises an injection moulded thermoplastic material.

In another preferred embodiment the rotation limiter comprises a size marker.

In a further preferred embodiment the size marker extends over said hook.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments 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:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a garment hanger of the present invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are front and rear views of a suspension member used in the garment hanger of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are rear views of the garment hanger of FIG. 1 during the process of assembly;

FIG. 6B is a sectional view, along the line B-B, of the garment hanger of FIG. 6 (except that the hook portion of the hanger is one shown in FIG. 11);

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 are perspective views of the garment hanger of figure one during the process of disassembly;

FIG. 10 a front view of a garment hanger of an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a rear view of a suspension member very similar to the one used in the garment hanger of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a front view of a garment hanger of a further alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 13 and 14 are front and rear views of a garment hanger of another alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 15 and 16 are front views of a body used in the garment hanger of FIG. 13;

FIGS. 17 and 18 are rear views of a suspension member used in the garment hanger of FIGS. 13 and 14;

FIG. 19 is a side view of the suspension member used in the garment hanger of FIGS. 13 and 14;

FIG. 20 is side view of a size marker used in the garment hanger of FIGS. 13 and 14;

FIG. 21 is a top view of the size marker used in the garment hanger of FIGS. 13 and 14; and

FIG. 22 is a front view of the size marker used in the garment hanger of FIGS. 13 and 14.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring initially to FIGS. 1 to 3, a garment hanger 10 is formed from two components namely a body 12 and a suspension member 14. The body 12 is formed from a sheet material such as cardboard and is provided to support a garment. In the example shown the hanger 10 is for supporting garments known as tops, these include, but are not limited to, shirts, blouses, T-shirts, sweatshirts and lightweight knitwear. As a result, the body 12 has a pair of arms 16 which extend from a central portion 18 to which the suspension member 14 is attached. The cardboard of the sheet material must be sufficiently strong to support the garment and therefore this cardboard is typically between 1.5 mm and 5 mm thick. The sheet material forming the body 12 has a non-circular aperture 20 (see FIG. 9) extending therethrough. The non-circular aperture 20 is shaped to cooperate with a component of the suspension member 14. The aperture 20 has a circular central portion with two elongate portions extending there from.

The suspension member 14 is formed from a thermoplastic material by injection moulding. The suspension member 14 has a hook 22 for suspending the hanger from a rail or the like and a retainer 24 which engages the non-circular aperture 20 of the body 12. The retainer 24 has an axle 26 and a pair of feet 28 which extend from the axle in opposite directions. The hook 22 and retainer 24 are joined by a connector 30. The connector 30 is substantially planar having a front surface 30a and a rear surface 30b with the front surface 30a acting as a label area for displaying information about the garment hung on the hanger. The axle 26 extends from the connector 30 at one end and the feet 28 extend from the other end of the axle. The gap between the feet 28 and the connector 30 is sized to match the thickness of the sheet material of the body 12 (typically between 1.5 mm and 5 mm).

Also forming part of the suspension member 14 is a rotation limiter 32 which is located at the base of the hook 22 and the top of the connector 30 and extended in the same direction as the axle 26. A further element of the suspension member 14 is a rotation controller 34 which includes a biassing arm 36 and a protrusion 38 which extends from the biassing arm in the same direction as the rotation limiter 32 and the axle 26.

The suspension member 14 is not significantly thicker than the sheet material that forms the body 12. As mentioned above, the distance between the surface 30b of the connector 30 and the arms 28 is approximately the same as the thickness of the sheet material. Therefore, the only essential components extending beyond the thickness of the sheet material are the connector 30 and the feet 28 together with the portion of the axle 26 to which the feet are joined. Since the suspension member 14 is not a significantly thick item to be formed by injection moulding this is preferably achieved using a two-part tool with no sliding cores. In order to achieve this a pair of holes 40 are formed in the front surface 30a of the connector 30 and the centre of the axle 26 has a recess in order to reduce the volume of thermoplastic material required to produce the suspension member 14 and to avoid the formation of a small dip or indentation.

As can be seen in FIG. 6, the cardboard body 12 sits between the rear surface 30b and feet 28 and holes 40 are aligned with the feet.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 9, a size marker 42 is provided to carry additional information about the garment hung on the hanger 10.

With additional reference to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, operation of the garment hanger of the present invention, in particular the construction of the hanger, will now be described. Referring initially to FIG. 4, in order to start the construction of the hanger 12 the suspension member 14 is brought into engagement with the body 12 so as to align the retainer 24 with the non-circular aperture 20. As set out above, the shape of the non-circular aperture 20 matches the shape of the retainer 24, that is the shape of the axle 26 and feet 28 when viewed along the axis of the axle. When in this position with the retainer on one side of the body 12, the retainer 24 is pushed through the non-circular aperture 20 so that the feet 28 extend through to the other side of the sheet material. As can be seen from FIG. 4, part of the hook 22 and the size marker 42 are aligned behind the body 12 and it is therefore necessary for there to be a slight flexion of the connector 30 in order for the retainer 24 to extend through the non-circular aperture 20 so that the surface 30b of the connector 30 is able to contact the sheet material of body 12. The protrusion 38 of the rotation controller 34 also presses against the surface of the body 12 and this causes the flexion of the biassing arm 36 of the rotation controller 34. Once the retainer 24 is extending through the non-circular aperture 20 the suspension member 14 can be rotated, as seen in FIG. 5, so that the feet 28 are no longer aligned with the elongate portions of the non-circular aperture 20 which extend from the circular central portion of that non-circular aperture. The feet are now acting to retain the suspension member 14 an engagement with the body 12. Furthermore, the axle 26 of the retainer 24 allows rotation of suspension member 14 around the body 12 as the axle 26 is contained within the circular central portion of the non-circular aperture 20 because the diameter of the axel is larger than the width of the feet 28.

The hook 22 has now moved past the central portion 18 of the body 12 and the connector 30 no longer needs to flex in order to accommodate the extra thickness of the hook. As a result, surface 30b of the connector 30 engages and is parallel to the planar surface of the body 12. The suspension member 14 is free to rotate and does so until the rotation limiter 32, and in particular the first edge engager 45, that is the bottom surface of the limiter 32, engages the uppermost edge of the body 12, as shown in FIG. 6. This position is the working condition of the hanger 12 and the hanger is now ready for use. However, when the hanger is not hung on a rail the suspension member 14 is able to rotate between the working condition, as shown in FIG. 6, and a storage condition, as shown in FIG. 5. This storage condition is used particularly when purchases are made online and the hanger and garment hung there on are being packaged for delivery to the customer. The suspension member 14 is able to rotate through 90° and the end 44 of the rotation limiter 32 and the bottom edge of the hook 22 engage the uppermost edge of the central portion 18 of the body 12 on the other side of the non-circular aperture 20 to that engaged by the rotation limiter 32 when the hanger 10 is in the working condition.

With further reference to FIGS. 7 to 9, the removal of the suspension member 14 from the body 12 will now be described. This process is typically undertaken by a customer when a garment has been purchased and the hanger is taken home and allows the purchaser to separate the plastic and cardboard elements of the hanger 10 for recycling. As can be seen from FIG. 7 the protrusion 38 of the rotation controller 34 extends over the uppermost edge of the central portion 18 of the body 12. This protrusion 38 stops the free rotation of the suspension member 14 when the hanger is not hung from a rail ensuring that the hook remains upright in the working condition shown in FIGS. 1, 6 and 7. In order to move the suspension member from the working condition the protrusion 38 is pushed in the direction shown in the arrow on FIG. 7 against the force of the biassing arm 36 so that the protrusion is no longer engaging the uppermost edge of the body 12. The suspension member 14 can then be rotated, as shown in FIG. 8, so that the hook has passed through more than 90° and the feet 28 of the retainer 24 are aligned with the non-circular aperture 20. This requires slight flexion of the connector 30 as previously described. When correctly aligned the retainer 24 can be pushed, in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 9, through the non-circular aperture 20 to release the suspension member 14 from engagement with the body 12. The plastic suspension member 14 and cardboard body 12 can then be separately recycled.

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 various alterations and modifications are possible without departure from the scope of the protection which is defined by the appended claims. For example, the above embodiments are a type of hanger known as a tops hanger, that is one design to carry garments such as shirts, blouses, T-shirts and lightweight jackets. However, the present invention is equally suitable for use on other types of hangers including, but not limited to, bottoms hangers, lingerie hangers, footwear hangers, knitwear hangers and the like.

FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 show examples of alternative embodiments of the present invention. In these examples the same reference numerals have been used as those used to describe the previous embodiments. FIG. 10 shows a garment hanger 10 with a body 12 and a suspension member 14. In FIG. 11 only the suspension member 14 is shown and the only difference between the suspension members shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 is the shape of the hook. In both these examples, and therefore differing from the first embodiment set out above, there is no separate size marker for attachment to the suspension member 14. The garment hanger 10 shown in FIG. 12 is similar to that shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 except that the hook 22 is formed from metal and is inserted after the remainder of the suspension member 14 has been produced.

In the above embodiments the same form of non-circular aperture 20 and retainer 24 have been used. However, the shape of the retainer 24, with the axle 26 and a pair of feet 28 extending perpendicular to the axle and in opposite directions from each other, is not the only shape of retainer which would work in the present invention. For example, a single foot could be used or more than two feet and the spread of the feet around the axle can very. However, it is preferable that the hook is limited to rotation of 90° and that the non-circular aperture 20 and retainer 24 are arranged so that the retainer does not become aligned with the aperture during the rotation of the suspension member 14 through those 90°.

Although the body 12 has been described as being of cardboard, other sheet materials could be used in its place. Any sheet material that has the structural integrity to support a garment can be used including, but not limited to, plastics including thermoplastics and other polymers, metal, wood, fibreboard, hardboard and laminated products.

Referring now to FIGS. 13 to 23, in which components equivalent to those in FIGS. 1 to 9 have been identified with like reference numerals increased by 100, operation of the garment hanger 110 of the present invention will now be described. The garment hanger 110 is formed from two components a body 112 and a suspension member 114. The body 112, constructed from sheet material such as cardboard, is designed to support garments such as tops including but not limited to shirts, blouses, T-shirts and the like. The body 112 includes a pair of arms 116 extending from a central portion 118, to which the suspension member 114 is connected. The arms 116 also include a pair of curved first recesses 146 along an edge 148 of the body 112 of the sheet material. These curved recesses 146 are designed to hold garments with straps, such as swimming costumes or vests.

Referring additionally to FIGS. 15 and 16, located on the central portion 118 of the body 112 is a non-circular aperture 120 extending therethrough. The aperture 120 is shaped to cooperate with a component of the suspension member 114. The aperture 120 has a circular central portion and a single elongate portion extending there from.

Referring to FIGS. 17, 18 and 19 the suspension member 114 includes a hook 122 for suspending the garment hanger 110 from a rail and a retainer 124 for engaging the non-circular aperture 120 of the body 112. The hook 122 includes a curved portion 152 and a base portion 154. Following along the inner contour of the hook 122, along the curved portion 152 towards the base 154, are a pair of second recesses 150. These second recesses 150 are symmetrically positioned on opposing sides of the hook and are dimensioned to permit the insertion and passage of a size marker 142. The second recesses 150 enable guided engagement of the rotation limiter 132 along the hook 122 and secured at the base 154 by a pair of third recesses 156. The third recesses 156 are symmetrically positioned on opposing sides of the hook 122. The third recesses 156 could also be formed from an aperture extending through the sides of the hook 122.

The retainer 124, located below the base 154 of the hook 122, is positioned within the lower portion of a connector 130. The retainer 124 includes an axle 126 and a foot 128 which extends from the axle. In this embodiment, a single foot 128 is used instead of the two feet seen in the previous embodiments. The hook 122 and retainer 24 are joined by a connector 30. The connector 130 is substantially planar having a front surface 130a and a rear surface 130b with the front surface 130a acting as a label area for potentially displaying information about the garment hung on the hanger 110. The axle 126 extends from the rear surface of the connector 130b at one end and the foot 128 extends from the other end of the axel. The gap between the foot 128 and the connector 130 is sized to substantially match the thickness of the sheet material of the body 112 (typically between 1.5 mm and 5 mm).

Referring now to FIGS. 20 to 22 the size marker 142, when in use, is located at the base 154 of the hook 122 and the top of the connector 130. In this embodiment, a major difference from the previous embodiments is that the size marker 142 acts as a rotation limiter 132 having a pair of first edge engagers 145, that engage with the edge 148 of the body 112 when in use. The first edge engagers 145 are located at opposing sides 158 of the size marker 142. The first edge engagers 145 limit rotational movement of the suspension member 114 around the axle 126. Extending in between said first edge engagers 145 are a pair of protrusions 160. The gap between protrusions 160 is substantially equal to the thickness of the sheet material of the body 112 plus the thickness of the connector 130, such that the protrusions 160 further limit movement of the suspension member 114. These protrusions 160 allow this embodiment to operate with a single foot 128. Extending through the size marker 142 is an aperture 162. Located on opposing sides of the aperture 162 are a pair of guiding teeth 164. The aperture 162 and the guiding teeth 164 enable the size marker 142 to thread onto the second recess 152 of the hook 122, whereby one of each tooth is located either side of the second recess 150. The guiding teeth are substantially the same length and height as the second recess, allowing the size marker 142 to be accurately guided along the entire length of the recess on the hook.

Operation and assembly of the garment hanger of the present invention will now be described.

Firstly, the tooth 128 and axle 126 of the retainer 128, part of the suspension member 114, are inserted into the non-circular aperture 120 of the body 112, so that the planar surface of the body 112 contacts the rear surface 130b of the connector 130. The suspension member 114 is then rotated so as to position the hook 122 to extend upward from the edge 148 of the body 112.

Next, the size marker 142 is threaded onto the suspension member 114 by inserting the end of the hook 122 into the aperture 132 of the size marker. The guiding teeth 164 engage with both surfaces of the second recesses 150, on either side of the hook, allowing the size marker to be guided along the curved portion 152 toward the base portion 154. Once the size marker 142 has reached the base portion 154 the first edge engager 145 engages the edge 148 of the body 112. To lock the size marker 142 and therefore the suspension member into place the guiding teeth 164 each extend into the third recesses 156 of the hook 114, preventing the rotation and movement of the suspension member relative to the body 112 of the hanger 110.

Claims

1. A garment hanger comprising:

a body for supporting a garment thereon, said body comprising a sheet material and having a non-circular aperture extending therethrough; and

a suspension member comprising: a hook for suspending the hanger; a retainer for engaging said non-circular aperture and releasably and rotatably retaining engagement between said suspension member and said body, said retainer comprising an axle and at least one foot; and a rotation limiter comprising a first edge engager, in use, engaging an edge of said sheet material to limit rotation of said suspension member relative to said body.

2. The garment hanger according to claim 1 wherein said suspension member further comprises a rotation controller having a second edge engager in use engaging said edge of said sheet material adjacent said rotation limiter and a flexible member allowing said second engager to control rotation of said suspension member.

3. The garment hanger according to claim 1 wherein said suspension member further comprises a connector for joining said hook to said retainer.

4. The garment hanger according to claim 3 wherein said connector comprises a label area.

5. The garment hanger according to claim 3 wherein said suspension member comprises a single component.

6. The garment hanger according to claim 3 wherein said connector comprises a planar portion with said retainer extending therefrom, said rotation limiter extending perpendicular from said planar portion.

7. The garment hanger according to claim 3 wherein said connector is located in a first plane and said sheet material and said rotation limiter are in second plane parallel to said first plane.

8. The garment hanger according to claim 1 wherein said sheet material comprises cardboard.

9. The garment hanger according to claim 1 wherein said suspension member comprises an injection moulded thermoplastic material.

10. The garment hanger according to claim 1 wherein said rotation limiter comprises a size marker.

11. The garment hanger according to claim 10 wherein in use said size marker extends over said hook.