Abstract:
A lower neck sizer for a garment hanger and a combination of a turnable wire hook hanger and the lower neck sizer are disclosed. The sizer has a body dimensioned to surround a lower neck portion of the hanger, where a hook of the hanger joins a body of the hanger. The sizer also has an inwardly extending tab secured to the sizer body for engaging the hanger at the lower neck portion to resist removal.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This present application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/373,027, filed Mar. 10, 2006, and furthermore, the present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/661,588, entitled “Lower Neck Indicator for Wire Hook Hangers”, filed Mar. 14, 2005 by the present inventor and commonly assigned with the present application. The complete disclosure of these applications is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to the field of garment hangers, and more specifically to a lower neck indicator for use with a hanger having a wire metal hook. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     In the area of retail garment sales, so-called Garment-On-Hanger (GOH) programs have become preferred by retailers. In a GOH program, garments are delivered to retail merchants already suspended from hangers, whereupon arrival at the retail location they may immediately be placed on display for sale. Formerly, retailers accomplished this task with labor provided at their own expense. 
     In particular, retailers have specified particular hangers or hanger characteristics among their several suppliers in order to achieve a visually pleasing uniformity on their sales floors. To this end, standards as to hanger size, shape, performance characteristics, etc., are maintained, for example, by organizations such as the Voluntary Inter-industry Commerce Standards Association (VICS). One particular standardized hanger feature is extremely popular across several hanger models, namely a turnable wire hook mated to a plastic hanger. 
     Additionally, and interrelated to the promulgation of GOH programs, retailers and their customers desire to have the hanger itself display some indicia regarding the item carried upon it. Categories of indicia could include manufacturer, material and price, but most notably for garments, their size. Various means for accomplishing this have been developed, including those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,422 to Marshal, et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,260 to Gouldson, both of which are commonly assigned with the instant application, among others. Popular among these are the type disclosed in the latter patent just mentioned, i.e., those that secure to the hanger adjacent the intersection of the hook and the hanger body to one side of the hook, appropriately called side-sizer tabs, or simply side-sizers; lower neck sizers or indications. 
     However, such side-sizers heretofore known in the art require that the hanger be specifically manufactured to accept the particular indicator. Various other indicators could be made universally adaptable, for example those attached surrounding the wire hook of the hanger. These generally are free to slide along the length of the wire hook, and ordinarily come to rest at the base of the hook adjacent the hanger body. However, these do not securely engage with the hanger, nor achieve a desirable appearance. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, in order to overcome these and other deficiencies in the prior art, provided according to the present invention is a lower neck sizer for a garment hanger and a combination turnable wire hook hanger and lower neck sizer. The turnable wire hook hanger includes a body having a body flange surrounding the body, a cylindrical projection extending from the body beyond the flange, a pair of support flanges extending between the cylindrical projection and the body flange, and a wire hook rotably received in the cylindrical projection. The lower neck sizer includes a body dimensioned to generally surround the cylindrical projection and the support flanges adjacent to the body flange, and an inwardly extending tab secured to the sizer body, the inwardly extending tab configured to engage the hanger at a lower neck region to resist removal of the lower neck sizer. 
     In a more particular embodiment, the inwardly extending tab comprises a relief sized to accommodate the cylindrical projection and a finger directed towards the intersection between one of the support flanges with the cylindrical projection when the lower neck sizer is engaged with the hanger at a lower neck region. Alternately, the inwardly extending tab comprises an upward surface located to engage the body flange. The lower neck sizer may include a downward extension, the inwardly extending tab being carried by the downward extension. 
     In another embodiment, the inwardly extending tab comprises a plurality of substantially radial projections located at an upper surface of the lower neck sizer and dimensioned to engage the wire hook. Each of the plurality of substantially radial projections may, but need not, have a convex, concave, chamfered or sloped inward end. The lower neck sizer can have a discontinuity traversing the height of the body to facilitate mounting on the hanger. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features, aspects and benefits of the present invention will be made apparent with reference to the following specification and accompanying drawings, where like reference numerals refer to like features across the several views, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a partial cutaway view of a generic turnable wire hook hanger as is known in the art; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates, in perspective view, a lower neck sizer according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a top plan view of the lower neck sizer shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a cross sectional view taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates, in perspective view, a lower neck sizer according to a second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a side view of the lower neck sizer shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 6A  illustrates a perspective view of further embodiment of a lower neck sizer; 
         FIG. 6B  illustrates a elevation cross sectional view taken along line  6 B- 6 B of  FIG. 6A ; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates, in perspective view, a third embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8 . illustrates, in perspective view, a lower neck sizer according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a top plan view of the lower neck sizer shown in  FIG. 8 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , illustrated is a generic turnable wire hook hanger  10  as is known in the art. The hanger has a body  20 , and wire hook  30  rotably mated to the body  20  at a region of the hanger referred to as the lower neck  21 . The body  20  is generally planar and has a body flange  22  surrounding and defining it. Body flange  22  continues beyond body  20  to encircle and define left and right arms  24 ,  26 , respectively. At the junction of the wire hook  30  and the body  20 , a cylindrical projection  28  extends beyond the body  20  and body flange  22  to receive and capture the wire hook  30 . Projection  28  is supported by first and second support flanges  32 ,  34 , respectively. First and second support webs  36 ,  38 , extend between first and second support flanges  32 ,  34 , projection  28 , and body flange  22 , to fill the space and provide additional integrity. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , illustrated in perspective view is a lower neck indicator or sizer, generally  100 , according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The indictor is predominantly, but not exclusively, used to indicate the size of a garment to be suspended from the hanger the indicator is mounted on. Throughout the specification, the term sizer shall be used interchangeably with indicator, without regard to whether its indica relates to a size or any other characteristic. Lower neck sizer  100  has a body  101  including a generally trapezoidal anterior wall  102  and a generally trapezoidal posterior wall  104 . Lateral walls  106  and  108  connect the anterior wall  102  and posterior wall  104 . Lower neck sizer  100  has an at least partially open upper surface  110  and an at least partially open lower surface  112 , both to admit the hook  30  and at least the latter to admit lower neck  21  for mounting and use of the lower neck sizer  100 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , illustrated is a top plan view of the embodiment of the lower neck sizer  100  of  FIG. 2 . Seen through open upper surface  110  (not shown in  FIG. 3 ) are first and second engagement tabs  120 ,  122 , respectively. Generally, the engagement tabs on this and other embodiments serve to engage the hanger at a lower neck region. Each engagement tab  120 ,  122  has a relief  120   a ,  122   a , respectively, and fingers  120   b ,  120   c , and  122   b ,  122   c .  FIG. 4  illustrates a cross section of  FIG. 3 , taken along line  4 - 4 , illustrating the position of tabs  120 ,  122 . 
     In use, lower neck sizer  100  is passed over wire hook  30 , with the wire hook  30  passing through both lower surface  112  and upper surface  110 . Lower neck sizer  100  is brought to lower neck region  21 . As the lower neck sizer  100  is pressed into engagement with the lower neck region  21 , tabs  120 ,  122  deflect outward to admit projection  28  and first and second support flanges  32 ,  34 . Once tabs  120 ,  122  are pressed beyond first and second support flanges  32 ,  34 , tabs  120 ,  122  return to their original position. Relieves  120   a ,  122   a  cooperate to admit projection  28 , while pairs of fingers  120   b ,  122   b , and  120   c ,  122   c , each locate in the space adjacent the intersection of projection  28  with first support flange  32  and the intersection of projection  28  with second support flange  34 , respectively. 
     The first embodiment lower neck sizer  100  engages with lower neck region  21  at approximately the same level as or, slightly above body flange  22 . Optionally, either or both of anterior wall  102  and posterior wall  104  may extend beyond body flange  22 , at least to achieve a visual appearance consistent with further embodiments, below, or to combine additional features of those embodiments. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 5 , illustrated in perspective view is a lower neck sizer, generally  200 , according to a second embodiment of the present invention. A complete description of features in common with the first embodiment will be dispensed with. In contrast with the first embodiment, an upper surface  210  of lower neck sizer  200  is only partially open, and in this embodiment includes a round opening  211 . This may be provided for aesthetic reasons, or may be sized to prevent the projection  28  from passing through the upper surface  210 , to limit the downward movement of the lower neck sizer  200 . 
     Lateral wall  208  will be sized to locate its lower edge above the body flange  22  of hanger  10 , when positioned on a lower neck region  21 . Either or both of anterior wall  202  and a generally trapezoidal posterior wall  204 , in the second embodiment both, can have extensions  202   a ,  204   a , respectively, dimensioned to extend beyond the body flange  22  of hanger  10 , when positioned on a lower neck region  21 . Either or both of extensions  202   a ,  204   a , in the second embodiment both, can have inwardly directed tabs  242 ,  244 , respectively. Notwithstanding the extensions  202   a ,  204   a , anterior wall  202  and posterior wall  204  may still be considered generally trapezoidal. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 6 , illustrated is a side view of the second embodiment of a lower neck sizer  200  shown in  FIG. 5 . Tabs  242 ,  244  have an upward surface  242   a ,  244   a , respectively, and downward surface  242   b ,  244   b , respectively, either or both of which may be sloped relative to a transverse datum  250 . In the exemplary embodiment shown, tabs  242 ,  244  have a generally flat upward surfaces  242   a ,  244   a , relative to transverse datum  250 , which provides additional resistance to removal. Downward surfaces  242   b ,  244   b , are sharply sloped relative to transverse datum  250 , which reduces resistance and aids in ease of engagement with body flange  22 . Aversely, where upward surfaces  242   a ,  244   a  sloped downward, resistance to removal would be reduced. Sloping downward is considered as having a distal point of tabs  242 ,  244  below the point of attachment to extensions  202   a ,  204   a , respectively. Similarly, a reduced or eliminated upward slope of downward surfaces  242   b ,  244   b , would increase resistance to engagement with body flange  22 . 
     Tabs  242 ,  244  may be carried on an inward surface of extensions  202   a ,  204   a , respectively, or at an end of the extensions  202   a ,  204   a . In other words, extensions  202   a ,  204   a , may continue beyond the minimum necessary to position tabs  242 ,  244  for engagement with body flange  22 . Tabs  242 ,  244  may be coextensive with extensions  202   a ,  204   a , respectively, or may be intermittent anywhere along the length of either extension, irrespective of the length, size, shape, or even presence of a tab on the opposite extension. Moreover, two extensions  202   a ,  204   a , need not be provided. Alternately, the tabs  242 ,  244  may be provided in communication with anterior wall  202  and posterior wall  204  without any extension  202   a ,  204   a . Such an embodiment is illustrated with reference to  FIGS. 6A and 6B . 
       FIG. 6A  illustrates a perspective view of a lower neck sizer, generally  500 .  FIG. 6B  illustrates an elevation cross sectional view taken along line  6 B- 6 B of  FIG. 6A . A detailed description of features this embodiment has in common with the foregoing embodiments, or those are otherwise readily apparent, will be dispensed with. In this embodiment of the sizer  500 , fingers  570  extend horizontally from an end wall  514 , and may be dimensioned to engage with the wire hook  30 , or projection  28 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 6B , tabs  542 ,  544  extend from the inner surface of anterior wall  502  and posterior wall  504 , respectively, generally adjacent a lower extent thereof. In addition, rather than engaging a body flange  22  of the hanger  10 , a recess may be provided in projection  28  to receive and retain tabs  542 ,  544 . Recess  580 , if present, extends from an upper facing horizontal surface of the tabs  542 ,  544 , and is typically formed by a portion of the mold used in the process of fabricating indicator  500  from an injection molded plastic material. 
     For example,  FIG. 7  illustrates a third embodiment of the present invention in perspective view. A complete description of features in common with the first embodiment will be dispensed with. It will be seen that tab  344  is shorter in both height and width than extension  304   a . Also visible in  FIG. 7  is a recess  346  in posterior wall  304 . A similar recess may be present, but need not be, in the anterior or posterior walls of any embodiment of the present invention. For example a recess in anterior wall  104  is discernable through upper surface  110  in  FIG. 2 . It is formed by the intersection of mold halves, one of which may extend through the upper surface of the lower neck sizer during the molding process, when the lower neck sizer is formed of injection molded plastic. 
     In use, lower neck sizer  200  is passed over wire hook  30 , with the wire hook  30  passing through both lower surface  212  and upper surface  210 , through opening  211 . Lower neck sizer  200  is brought to lower neck region  21 . As the lower neck sizer  100  is pressed into engagement with the lower neck region  21 , tabs  242 ,  244  deflect outward to admit body flange  22 . Once tabs  242 ,  244  are pressed beyond flanges  22 , tabs  242 ,  244  return to their original position. Tabs  242 ,  244 , in cooperation with a lower extent of lateral walls  206 ,  208 , and optionally with material surrounding opening  211 , if present, hold the lower neck sizer  200  in engagement with lower neck region  21 . The embodiment of  FIG. 7  will be seen to operate similarly. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 8 , illustrated in perspective view is a lower neck sizer, generally  400 , according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. A complete description of features in common with the foregoing embodiments will be dispensed with. Upper surface  410  includes a generally cylindrical band  460 . The generally cylindrical band  460  can be circular, as in the illustrative embodiment, or another geometric cylindrical projection, including but not limited to rectangular, square, triangular, pentagonal, etc. In the fourth embodiment as shown, band  460  upwardly extends from the upper surface  410 . Alternately or additionally, band  460  may extend downward from the upper surface  410 , or may be eliminated altogether. Notwithstanding the presence, absence, or height of band  460  above or below upper surface  410 , projections  470  may themselves extend in whole or in part above or below upper surface  410 , or may be coplanar with it. 
     Lower neck sizer  400  also includes a plurality of substantially radial inwardly directed projections  470 . At their mutual inward ends, projections  470  engage the wire hook  30  of the hanger  10 . The inward ends  472  of projections  470  may be convex, as in the fourth embodiment, or may also be concave, or chamfered or sloped in any direction. With as few as two projections  470 , concave ends lend stability to the fit between the projections  470  and the wire hook  30 . Increasing numbers of projections aids stability and may obviate the need for concave ends. 
     Optionally, the lower neck sizer  400  can have a discontinuity  480  traversing the height of the tab body  401  to facilitate mounting to a hanger by admitting the wire hook  30 . The discontinuity  480  need be only as wide as necessary to allow the lower neck sizer  400  to admit the wire hook  30 , and in fact may be narrower than the wire hook  30  where the material selected for lower neck sizer  400  can elastically deform to admit the wire hook  30 . The ends of the discontinuity  480  may be radiused or chamfered to ease the insertion of the wire hook  30 . Notwithstanding the discontinuity  480 , the lower neck sizer  400  substantially surrounds the lower neck portion  21  of the hanger  10 .  FIG. 9  illustrates a top plan view of the fourth embodiment of a lower neck sizer  200  shown in  FIG. 8 . 
     Lower neck sizer  400  has extensions  402   a ,  404   a , extending below walls  402  and  404 , respectively, notwithstanding the absence of any tabs projecting from extensions  402   a ,  404   a . Regardless, both projections  470  and such tabs may be provided to more securely engage the lower neck sizer  400  with the hanger  10 . Similarly, a discontinuity  480  as included in the fourth embodiment may be incorporated into the previous embodiments to facilitate mounting the lower neck sizer to the hanger, regardless of the manner in which the particular lower neck sizer engages with the hanger. 
     In their preferred embodiments, lower neck sizers  100 ,  200 ,  300 ,  400  or  500  are integrally formed of a plastic material, more specifically, an injection molded plastic. The plastic can be flexible to accommodate resilient flexure for engagement with the hanger  10 . Materials contemplated that satisfy this criterion of flexibility include, without limitation, polypropylene in its various forms, and K-resin in its various forms, among others. 
     Lower neck sizers  100 ,  200 ,  300 ,  400 , or  500 , or any parts thereof, can be configured to carry indicia selected in advance to correspond to the item to be suspended from the hanger. Categories of indicia could include manufacturer, material and price, but most notably for garments, their size. The indicia can have the form of numbers, letters or symbols either applied to the lower neck sizer and/or molded into it. Alternately or additionally the color, size, shape or mere presence of the lower neck sizer itself may be the indicia. 
     The present invention has been described with respect to certain exemplary embodiments. Certain alterations and/or modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art, in light of the instant disclosure, without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention. These embodiments are offered as merely illustrative, and not limiting, on the scope of the invention, which is defined solely with reference to the following appended claims.