Abstract:
A method of molding a clamping garment clip for use on a hanger comprising the steps of molding a pair of support clamp arms with a first plastic material, molding a pair of support pads to said pair of support clamp arms with a second plastic material and forming mechanical interlocks between said support arms and said support pads exclusively by molded mechanical connections between said first and second plastic materials.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates in general to a plastic clip molded onto a garment hanger and in particular to such a clip having soft resilient pads molded of a separate plastic material and aligned for planar interengagement. 
     2. Description of Prior Developments 
     Garment hangers having molded plastic clips are well known and available in numerous forms. An example of such a hanger and clip is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,516,014 wherein a hanger and clip are homogeneously molded of one plastic material and a gripping pad formed of second plastic material is subsequently fused to the clip. A U-shaped spring clip is used to manually lock and release the clip jaws about a garment. 
     Although such conventional clips perform adequately, they can and do slip off a garment. One reason for such slippage is believed to be the relatively limited gripping area between the pads on the garment clips and the garments. That is, conventional garment pads are formed with a uniform thickness and are mounted or bonded to their clips in the manner of a pair of pincers. 
     More particularly, the pads are typically spaced apart from one another at their upper ends and converge or taper toward each other and contact each other at their lower ends. This results in a single line of limited contact along the lower ends of the pads and provides a single line of gripping pressure on a garment. Accordingly, a need exists for a garment clip which provides an increased gripping area. A further need exists for a garment hanger clip which can be co-molded simultaneously with a resilient plastic gripping pad which is held to the clip with a mechanical connection. 
     Another need exists for a garment clip having gripping pads which do not taper toward one another and which, when closed, engage one another with a substantially planar contact surface or gripping interface. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been developed to fulfill the needs noted above and therefore has as an object the provision of a semi-rigid plastic garment hanger clip which is co-molded with gripping pads formed of a separate soft plastic material. 
     Another object of the invention is the provision of a garment hanger clip having a pair of gripping pads which engage one another with substantially planar contact. 
     Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a garment hanger clip having at least one wedge-shaped support surface for providing substantially planar alignment and contact between a pair of gripping pads. 
     Still another object of the invention is the provision of a tapered gripping pad for a garment clip. The pad includes a thick top portion and a thin bottom portion for providing substantially planar alignment and contact between a pair of gripping pads. 
     Another object of the invention is the provision of a garment clip co-molded with a gripping pad in such a manner that a purely mechanical, non-adhesive interlock is formed between the clip and pad without forming a bond or fused interface between the clip and pad. 
     These and other objects are met by the present invention which is directed to a garment hanger having a pair of plastic garment hanger clips which is simultaneously co-molded with two pairs of gripping pads formed of a separate plastic material. The pads are connected to the clips with a simple mechanical connection without the use of any adhesive and without forming a fused interface between the clips and pads. 
     Added gripping effectiveness is provided by aligning the gripping pads in such a manner that the pads, upon closing, engage one another with a substantially planar contact. This planar contact can be achieved either by forming the pads with a wedge-shaped or tapered profile or by forming one or both of the pads with a uniform profile and forming the clips with a pair of pad support surface which align substantially parallel with one another when the pads close together against each other. 
     The aforementioned objects, features and advantages of the invention will, in part, be pointed out with particularity, and will, in part, become obvious from the following more detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which form an integral part thereof. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the drawings: 
     FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a garment hanger having a pair of garment clips constructed according to a prior art design; 
     FIG. 2 is a view in section through line  2 — 2  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of a garment hanger having a pair of garment clips constructed in accordance with the invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a view in fragment of a garment clip constructed in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a left end view of the clip of FIG. 4 taken along line  5 — 5  of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a view of the inner face of the outer free clip arm of FIG. 5 taken along line  6 — 6  of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 is a view in section of the clamp arm of FIG. 6 taken through line  7 — 7  of FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the outer face of the pad of FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the inner face of the pad of FIG. 8; 
     FIG. 10 is a view in section through line  10 — 10  of FIG. 9; 
     FIG. 11 is a fragmental view of another embodiment of the invention having a pair of pads with interlocking ribs; 
     FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 5 depicting another embodiment of the invention; and 
     FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the pads of FIG.  12 . 
    
    
     In the various figures of the drawings, like reference characters designate like parts. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In order to better appreciate the advantages of the present invention, a brief discussion of the prior art garment hanger of FIG. 1 and 2 should be illustrative. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, a garment hanger  10  is formed as a plastic molding having a plastic hook  12 , a plastic support bar  14  and a pair of plastic garment clips  16 . Each garment clip  16  includes an inner clamp arm  18  fixedly molded to support bar  14  and an outer or free clamp arm  20  which is pivoted to arm  18  by a molded living hinge  22 . A U-shaped spring clip  21  slides up and down over arms  18 ,  20  to lock and release the arms around a garment. 
     As further seen in FIG. 2, each arm  18 ,  20  has a soft pad  24  molded, fused or bonded to it. Pads  24  are identical in size and shape, and due to the shape and construction of clips  16 , the pads engage one another at their lower end portions about a generally single line of contact  26 . In some cases, this limited contact or clamp line is insufficient for securely holding a garment between arms  18 ,  20 . 
     In order to overcome this drawback, the hanger  30  of FIG. 3 has been developed in accordance with the invention. Hanger  30  includes a wire hook  32  rotatably held within a plastic journal  34  which is integrally molded on plastic support bar  36 . A significant feature of the invention is the construction of plastic garment clips  38  which are integrally and homogeneously molded on the opposite ends of support bar  36 . 
     As shown in FIG. 3, each clip  38  includes a U-shaped spring clip  40  which functions the same as clip  21  noted above. Although the gripping pads are not seen in FIG. 3, their mounting nibs  42  are shown. As discussed in more detail below, nibs  42  form a purely mechanical connection between the pads and arms and thereby obviate the use of adhesives and relatively complex bonding, fusing and molding techniques to seat the pads on the arms. 
     FIG. 4 shows a clip  38  which is functionally the same as that shown in FIG. 3 except for minor surface design variations. As seen in FIG. 5, an inner clamp arm  44  is molded and fixed to support bar  36 . A free or outer clamp arm  46  is pivotally connected to the inner arm  44  and to support bar  36  by a living hinge  48 . 
     An inner or first pad support base  50  is molded and formed on the bottom or lower end of the inner arm  44  for receiving and holding a first or inner support pad  52 . An outer or second pad support base  54  is molded and formed on the bottom or lower end of the outer arm  46  for receiving and holding a second or outer support pad  56 . 
     Each clip  38  and preferably each support bar  36  is molded from a first plastic material such as a styrene type plastic. Each pad  52 ,  56  is preferably simultaneously co-molded with each clip and support bar with a second plastic material such as an olefin type plastic. By using this selection of plastic materials, the pads  52 ,  56  will not fuse or bond with the clips  38 . However, olefin and styrene plastics will flow with respect to one another and can therefore be simultaneously molded as separable components. 
     It should be appreciated that other combinations of plastic materials could also be used such as PVC or K Resin and others. 
     Since olefin and styrene plastics do not fuse or bond when co-molded, a supplemental connection in the form of a mechanical interlock is provided by nibs  42 . As seen in FIGS. 6,  7  and  8 , the second or outer pad  56  is molded into a shallow pocket  60  (FIG. 7) formed in the central portion of the outer support base  54 . The construction of the inner clamp arm, support base, and retention of the inner pad on the inner support base is essentially the same of that of the corresponding structure of the outer clamp arm, support base and outer pad retention. 
     An opening or lateral flow channel  62  is formed through the side wall  64  of the outer support base  54  to allow the olefin type plastic which forms pad  56  to flow through the side wall  64  and flow over its outer surface  66 . The olefin plastic which flows through opening  62  subsequently hardens into a neck or stalk  63  extending through opening  62 . 
     The flowing olefin plastic is constrained within a small circular or button shaped mold recess located around the flow channel  62  on the outer surface of side wall  64  so as to form a locking nib  42 . Flow channels are provided in the mold in the form of tubes to allow the olefin to flow through the styrene via openings  62  and form the nibs  42 . 
     Nib  42  may take any shape as long as it provides a resistance to the removal of pad  56  from support base  54 . In fact, flow channel  62  could be formed with an outwardly flaring or tapering cross section such as a triangular cross section so as to form nib  42  completely within a complimentary shaped flow channel. In the example shown in FIG. 7, nib  42  is formed as a circular cap similar to a nail head. 
     Although not shown, the inner pad  52  is tightly held to the inner support base  50  in the same manner as the outer pad  56  is tightly held to the support base  54 , i.e. with one or more co-molded mechanically interlocking nibs  42 . It should be noted that if the nibs or enlarged heads  42  of either pad  52 ,  56  are cut off, the remaining olefin pads can be easily removed from pockets  60  and may actually fall away by their own weight. This emphasizes the nature of the purely mechanical interlock provided by nibs  42 . 
     As seen in FIGS. 9,  10  and  11 , one or more gripping ribs  70  may be molded along the inner face  72  of one or both gripping pads  52 ,  56 . Ribs  70  provide increased gripping pressure and enhance the retention of a garment clipped between the pads. As seen in FIG. 11, the ribs on one pad can be offset from those on the other pad to create a tongue and groove or interdigitated interfit between the opposing ribs  70 . 
     Another significant feature of the invention is the substantially parallel alignment of the inner garment gripping surfaces of the garment pads when the clip  38  is closed by spring  40 . Such parallel alignment of the engaged pads provides a substantially planar contact surface between the opposed pads  52 ,  56  and between the pads and a garment clamped between them. 
     As seen in FIGS. 5 and 12, the vertical plane  74  which extends over the flat inner face  76  of the inner pad  52  is laterally or horizontally displaced or transversely offset from the generally parallel vertical plane  78  which passes through the pivot axis  80  of hinge  48 . This displacement, represented by spacing  82 , while advantageous for the clamping action of the clip  38 , can result in the generally undesirable single line contact  26  shown in FIG.  2 . 
     In order to reduce or prevent such limited single line contact, the present invention provides two separate solutions. The first solution is to form one of the support bases  50 ,  54  with a downwardly tapering cross section so that the top portion of the support base is wider or thicker than the bottom portion. This approach is taken with the clips  38  of FIGS. 5 and 11, wherein the upper portion  84  of the outer support base  54  is thicker or wider in a direction perpendicular to the inner face  86  of the outer pad  56 , than is the bottom portion  88  of support base  54 . 
     This particular tapered or wedge-shaped support base  54  is formed with its upper portion wider than its lower portion by an amount about equal to the spacing  82  noted above to bring the outer pad  56  into parallel and planar alignment with the inner pad  52 . 
     This parallel spacing or planar alignment between the inner and outer pads  52 ,  56  can also be achieved by forming the upper portion of at least one of the gripping pads with a greater transverse width or horizontal thickness than its bottom portion. This second solution is represented in FIGS. 12 and 13 wherein the top portion  90  of the outer pad  56  is formed wider than its lower portion  92  by an amount about equal to spacing  82 . This exact amount of spacing is not always required, as some compensation for misalignment between the pads can be achieved by the shape and contour of the outer arm  46 . In fact, a combination of the first approach or solution with this second approach or solution can provide satisfactory results. 
     This second design approach results in the outer pad  56  having a somewhat wedge shaped cross section with its outer surface  94  tapering downwardly towards its inner surface  86 . 
     There has been disclosed heretofore the best embodiment of the invention presently contemplated. However, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention.