Abstract:
A garment hanger comprising pinch grip clips has a unique molded beam design for added strength and stability. The cross-section of the hanger beam comprises an “S”-shaped design extending along the beam between the pinch grip clips. The “S”-shaped construction reduces warping in the beam body that may be caused by heavy clothing material or frequent use. Alternatively, a “Z”-shaped design may also be used.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This is application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application 60/535,660 filed on Jan. 9, 2004, which is herein incorporated by reference. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of Invention 
   The present invention relates generally to the field of beam construction for a hanger. More specifically, the present invention is related to a beam construction having increased strength and stability with reduced warping and material requirements. 
   2. Discussion of Prior Art 
   Pinch grip garment hangers are typically used to hold clothing and garments such as pants or skirts or undergarments. Therein, a garment hanger requires strength and stability to hold clothing of all weights and sizes. Garment hangers may be molded in one complete design or comprised of several parts, for example the hook or clips, attached to a molded body. 
   The strength and stability of the hanger comes from its beam design. Unfortunately, the hanger body or beam portion is subject to a substantial amount of wear and tear due to the heaviness or weight of the clothing material and frequent use. Particularly, a substantial amount of warping in molded hangers occurs in the beam. The designs currently used in the art do not provide a strong structure and therefore do not sufficiently address this problem. 
   Therefore, what is desired is a garment hanger having a beam construction that increases the strength of the beam to deter warping as well as to reduce the amount of material needed for construction. For example, a curved or inclined construction connecting a top and bottom part of a hanger beam is not described in the prior art and is desired. More specifically, what desired is a clothes hanger beam having a structural cross-section in the form of an “S” or “Z” shape. 
   It is known to use hanger beams of different designs. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,045 appears to disclose a standard “channel-back” design with a generally inverted U-shaped cross section. However, a curved, inclined, “S”- or “Z”-shape cross-section is not disclosed. 
   U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,785,216; 6,085,950; 6,435,387; and 6,588,634 and U.S. Patent Application Publication 2003/0155387 appear to describe “M”-shaped cross-sections. The use of a curved, inclined, or an “S”- or “Z”-shaped cross section, however, is not disclosed. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,714 appears to show a double “I” cross-section. U.S. Pat. Des. 187,092 appears to disclose a similar double “I” cross-section that is separated by a gap. Neither reference, however, discloses a curved, inclined, “S”- or “Z”-shaped cross-section. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A garment hanger comprises a hook member and pinch grips as well as a body member comprising a molded beam with an “S”- or “Z”-shaped cross section. The “S”- and “Z”-shaped cross sections provide greater strength and stability to the beam and body member to reduce warping and reduce the use of material. The cross sections generally comprise a curved shape with a top, bottom, and middle section. The middle section may comprise at least two bends or an incline connecting the top and bottom sections. The garment hanger may have a separately attached hook or be of one-piece, molded construction. The beam design may also be used on an insert that is attached to the hook of another hanger. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIGS. 1   a ,  1   b  and  1   c  illustrate a profile view with left and right end views of a pinch grip garment hanger incorporating the preferred beam construction. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates the cross-section A—A of  FIG. 1  showing the preferred “S”-shaped cross beam. 
       FIG. 3   a  illustrates an insert that is used on a hanger. 
       FIG. 3   b  illustrates a profile view of a 12- or 14-inch pinch grip garment hanger. 
       FIG. 3   c  illustrates a profile view of an 8- or 10-inch pinch grip garment hanger. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates the cross section B—B of  FIGS. 3   b  and  3   c  showing an alternative “S”-shaped cross beam. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates an “S” shape for a cross beam design. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates an alternative “Z” shape for a cross beam design. 
   

   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. There is depicted in the drawings, and will herein be described in detail, a preferred embodiment of the invention, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and the associated functional specifications for its construction and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. 
     FIGS. 1–6  illustrate “S”- and “Z”-shaped designs that may be in a forward-facing or reversed direction without changing or having an affect on the scope of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will envision many other possible variations within the scope of the present invention. 
     FIGS. 1   a ,  1   b  and  1   c  illustrate one embodiment of a hanger of the present invention. Therein,  FIG. 1   a  illustrates a profile view;  FIGS. 1   b  and  1   c  left and right end views, respectively, illustrate a pinch grip garment hanger  100  incorporating the preferred beam construction shown in cross-section in  FIG. 2 . Hanger  100  comprises hanger beam  102 , pinch grips or clips  104 , and hook  106 . The hanger is representative of styles  7112  and  7114  of the assignee, Randy Hangers, LLC, of the present invention. Typically, these hangers include a molded body and metal hook. Hanger  100 , for example, may have a profile of 12 to 14 inches. 
     FIG. 2  is an end view taken through the cross section line A—A of  FIG. 1   a . Shown is cross-section  200  of hanger beam  102  with “S”-shaped cross section  202  and a side profile of end clip  204 . The “S”-shaped cross section is provided with preferred dimensions for thickness  206 , extensions  208 , edge radius  210 , overall width  212 , height of the bend or curve  214 , and overall height  216 . Preferably, shaped cross section  202  has thickness  206  between 0.035 and 0.045 inches. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the top and bottom of the shaped cross section have extensions  208  preferably 0.080 inches from the “S”-curve. The edges preferably have radius  210  of 0.030. The bend or curve in the “S” is preferably formed at a height  214  of 0.490 inches with slope  215  of a 2 degree. Finally, the overall width  212  and overall height  216  may be any dimension but are preferably 0.375 inches and 0.875 inches, respectively. 
   Advantageously, “S”-shaped cross section  202  imparts strength and stability to the longitudinal axis of the hanger, reduces warping relative to known “I”-beam cross-sectional designs, and enables a reduction in hanger material without sacrificing overall hanger strength. 
   Although a pinch-grip garment hanger is illustrated and described in the preferred embodiment, it should be noted that the cross-sectional design for the hanger beam should not be limited to pinch grip hangers. For example, the design may be applied to garment hangers having traditional, extended arms, such as those used to hold shirts and jackets, or other hanger designs comprising cross sections designed to increase strength and reduce warping or wear and tear. 
     FIG. 3   a  illustrates one embodiment of the present invention of an insert comprising part of the beam construction of a hanger beam. Therein, insert  350  may replace a hook and is generally a part of a molded hanger beam with pinch grips or clips. Insert  350  may be attached to the hook of another hanger such as a garment hanger with extended arms and without pinch grips. Insert  350  may grip pants such that it can be attached to the hook of another hanger for example by inserting the hook of the other hanger through the opening of the insert with extended arms holding a jacket.  FIG. 3   a  may use the described “S”-shaped design below in its beam construction. 
     FIGS. 3   b  and  3   c  illustrate pinch grip hanger and may be styles  6008 ,  6010 ,  6012 , and  6014  assigned to Randy Hangers, LLC, which generally comprise a one-piece hanger with a molded body and molded hook member.  FIG. 3   b  illustrates a profile view of a larger pinch grip garment hanger  300 ; for example, a 12 to 14 inch pinch grip garment hanger. Hanger  300  of  FIG. 3   b  comprises hanger beam  302 , pinch grips or clips  304 , and hook  306 . 
     FIG. 3   c  illustrates a profile view of a smaller pinch grip garment hanger  312 , for example, an 8- or 10-inch pinch grip garment hanger. Hanger  312  of  FIG. 3   c  comprises a hanger beam  320 , pinch grips or clips  308 , and hook  310 . 
     FIG. 4  is an end view taken through the cross section line B—B of  FIGS. 3   b  and  3   c . Shown is cross-section  400  of hanger beams  300  and  312  with “S”-shaped cross section  402  and a side profile of end clip  404 . “S”-shaped cross section may have any dimensions, but is provided with preferred dimensions for thickness  406 , extensions  408 , edge radius  410 , overall width  412 , height of the bend or curve  414 , and overall height  416 . Preferably, shaped cross section  402  has thickness  406  between 0.035 and 0.045 inches, extensions  408  preferably 0.080 inches from the “S”-curve, and an edge radius  410  of 0.030. The bend or curve in the “S” is preferably formed at a height  414  of 0.490 inches with a 2-degree inclination or slope. However, in this alternative design, the overall width  412  of “S” shape  402  is preferably 0.312 inches and overall height  416  is preferably 0.750 inches. 
   As noted above, “S”-shaped cross section  400  is designed to impart strength and stability to the longitudinal axis of the hanger, reduce warping relative to the current, prior art “I”-beam cross-sectional designs, and enable a reduction in hanger material without sacrificing overall hanger strength. 
   Illustrated in  FIG. 5  is an “S”-shape  500  used for the hanger beam construction. Therein, the S shape  500  may comprise top and bottom flanges  502  and  504 , respectively, that are parallel or substantially parallel to each other. S shape  500  includes a web  506  that is disposed between flanges  502  and  504  and comprises a plurality of portions  506   a ,  506   b ,  506   c . A first portion  506   a  is joined perpendicularly, or substantially perpendicularly, to one side of a “vertical” plane Y—Y passing through the center of gravity of a hanger, such as hanger  102 ,  202  or  302 , to the top flange  502 . A second portion  506   c  is joined perpendicularly, or substantially perpendicularly, to the other side of the “vertical” plane Y—Y to the bottom flange  504 . A medial portion  506   b  is disposed to join the first and second segments  506   a ,  506   c.    
   As shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  4 , and  5 , the medial portion  506   b  is inclined at an angle to a horizontal plane and is joined by unequal half-curves to the first and second portions  506   a ,  506   b . The half-curves are so disposed where the transition of the curves occurs at an angle to the horizontal. 
   Advantageously, the design of S shape  500  prevents warping and offers superior torsional resistance than similar I beam construction. 
   Although the “S”-shaped cross sections shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  4 , and  5  illustrate preferred cross-sectional embodiments, other cross sectional shapes may also be used. For example, an “S”-shape with equal half-curves may be used for the beam construction (not shown). Furthermore, an “S”-shape with equal half-curves with or without an angular inclination or declination (not shown) may be also used. Additionally, as shown in  FIG. 6 , other cross-sectional shapes may be used. 
     FIG. 6  illustrates an alternative “Z”-shape  600  for the beam construction. Therein, the Z shape  600  may comprise top and bottom flanges  602  and  604 , respectively, that are parallel or substantially parallel to each other. Z shape  600  includes a web  606  that is disposed between flanges  602  and  604  and comprises a plurality of portions  606   a ,  606   b ,  606   c . A first portion  606   a  is joined perpendicularly, or substantially perpendicularly, to one side of a “vertical” plane Y—Y passing through the center of gravity of a hanger, such as hanger  102 ,  202  or  302 , to the top flange  602 . A second portion  606   c  is joined perpendicularly, or substantially perpendicularly, to the other side of the “vertical” plane Y—Y to the bottom flange  604 . A medial portion  606   b  is disposed to join the first and second portion  606   a ,  606   c.    
   Advantageously, the design of Z shape  600  prevents warping and offers superior torsional resistance than similar I beam construction. 
   Other shapes, such as “W”, “N” and other “letter” shapes (not shown) may also be used. 
   CONCLUSION 
   A system and method has been shown in the above embodiments for the effective implementation of a hanger beam construction. While various preferred embodiments have been shown and described, it will be understood that there is no intent to limit the invention by such disclosure, but rather, it is intended to cover all modifications and alternate constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims. For example, the present invention should not be limited by size, dimensions, materials, or specific manufacturing techniques.