Abstract:
A banana hanger comprising a base member, supporting member, and hanging member wherein the base member contains a dovetail notch and the supporting member contains a connector piece that slideably connects into the dovetail notch such that assembly and disassembly by the end user is easily completed without the use of tools or additional hardware.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates generally to the field of banana hangers, and more specifically to a banana hanger having a base member slideably connected to a supporting member such that no additional hardware or tools are required to assemble or disassemble it.  
         BACKGROUND  
         [0002]    Banana hangers typically rest on a surface such as a table or counter and suspend a bunch of bananas above this surface. This generally results in all the bananas ripening at the same rate and prevents damage to portions of the banana resting on the surface. In addition, such hangers provide an aesthetically pleasing visual presentation of the fruit.  
           [0003]    A number of design patents and utility patents for banana hangers are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. D367,153 to Sturm, U.S. Pat. No. D369,482 to McArdle, and U.S. Pat. No. D419,034 to Sturm present designs for banana hangers involving a support arm connected to a base. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,843 to Sturm and U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,529 to Casutt each provide an apparatus for hanging bananas. As illustrated in the references, banana hangers come in one or more than one piece, in the latter case requiring assembly by the end user. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,529 to Casutt describes a one-piece banana hanger which is not self-contained, but rather must be hung from some other, unspecified suspension point. U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,843 to Sturm requires threading of a rod through a hollow imitation banana, then engaging threads on the rod with a threaded fastener that is connected to the base of the hanger. Such assembly is time consuming and may require the use of tools. Further, if sold in one piece to the end user, disassembly and storage of the hanger become more difficult. It is desirable that, if assembly by the end user is required, assembly be as simple as possible. It is also desirable that a banana hanger be easy to disassemble, which enables the end user to easily move and store the hanger without it occupying as much space and with a lesser chance of breakage.  
           [0004]    The present invention provides an easy to assemble banana hanger that does not require any additional tools or hardware. The invention provides a supporting member that slides onto a base member, such that no screws, nails, or other fasteners or tools are required by the end user to assemble the hanger. Due to the ease of assembly and disassembly, the amount of space required for moving and storage of the hanger and the likelihood of breakage of the hanger are reduced.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    The present invention relates to a banana hanger with a supporting member that slideably connects to a base member without any additional hardware or tools required. A base member made of wood or plastic, for example, has a dovetail-shaped notch cut into the top of it on one side. A supporting member has a connector piece that fits into the dovetail notch and is attached to one end of the supporting member. A hanging member extends from the end of the supporting member opposite the connector piece to hold bananas. The connector piece of the supporting member slides directly into the dovetail notch of the base member to complete assembly of the banana hanger.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the assembled banana hanger, using dashed lines to show how bananas are hung on the apparatus.  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 2 is an exploded parts view, separately showing the base member, supporting member, hanging member, and connector piece.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 3 is a detailed top view of the base member of the apparatus.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 4 is a rear view of the base member.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 5 is a detailed side view of the supporting member and hanging member of the apparatus.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the supporting member.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 7 illustrates how the banana hanger is to be assembled. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]    Referring to FIG. 1, a perspective view of the banana hanger is provided, having a base member  101 , a supporting member  102 , and a hanging member  103 . The supporting member  102  connects to the base member  101 , extends somewhat vertically from the base member  101  and bends toward the horizontal at the far or distal end where the hanging member  103  is attached.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 provides an exploded parts view of the banana hanger, illustrating the individual members and the connector piece  201 .  
         [0015]    Referring to FIG. 3, a square wooden base member  101  is provided, however it is understood that the base member  101  can be other shapes and constructed of other materials, such as metal. A dovetail notch  301  is cut into the top of the base member  101  on one side.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 4 shows a rear view of the base member  101  and notch  301 .  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 5 shows a side view of an arc-shaped wooden supporting member  102  however it is understood that the supporting member  102  can be constructed of other materials, such as metal or plastic. A connector piece  201  is attached to the end of the supporting member  102  that is proximal to the base member  101  when the banana hanger is fully assembled. The connector piece  201  is shaped to fit into the dovetail notch  301  on the top of the base member  101  by sliding. The connector piece  201  is attached to the supporting member  102  by any method that will securely fasten it to the supporting member  102  such that when fully assembled, the banana hanger is tight and sturdy and there is little to no wobbling of the supporting member  102 . Preferably, the connector piece  201  is constructed of plastic.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 also illustrates the hanging member  103  attached to one end of the supporting member  102 . The hanging member  103  is attached to distal end of the supporting member  102  using any method to securely attach it such that the weight of a banana bunch will be supported. The hanging member  103  is arc shaped, so that bananas are suspended on the hanging member  103  and do not touch the surface on which the base member  101  rests. Preferably, the hanging member  103  is shaped like a banana. The hanging member  103  can be constructed of any material that will keep its shape and support bananas, for example wood or plastic. Preferably, the hanging member  103  is constructed of metal.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 6 shows a bottom view of the supporting member  102  with the hanging member  103  and attached connector piece  201 . The connector piece  201  is shown attached using screws, but it is understood that any other method to securely attach the connector piece  201  to the supporting member  102  may be used.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 7 illustrates how the banana hanger is assembled by sliding supporting member  102  into base member  101 . The banana hanger is operably assembled by the end user by sliding the connector piece  201  into the dovetail notch  301  until the connector piece  201  comes into contact with the innermost edge of the dovetail notch  301 . Once the connector piece  201  is securely in place and cannot move farther into the dovetail notch  301 , the supporting member  102  and base member  101  are then properly positioned with respect to each other. In addition, the banana hanger is disassembled by sliding the supporting member  102  from the base member  101  to separate the two members.  
         [0021]    The foregoing description provides only an exemplary embodiment of the present invention for the purposes of illustration and not limitation. It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiment described herein may be modified or revised in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is to be measured by the appended claims.