Garment hanger

Abstract: A garment hanger (40) is comprised of a one-piece body having a hook portion (42) for the receipt of a display rod, a central portion (44) depending from the hook portion (42), the body defining in the central portion (44) an opening (48) therethrough and a garment support member (46) disposed in the opening (48) and movable relative to the body and a lower portion defining a fold line segment (54) depending from the central portion (44) and a flap segment depending from the fold line segment (54), the central portion (44), the fold line segment (54) and the flap segment jointly defining a slot (62) in the body which opens into a margin of the body.

Description: FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to hangers for garments and pertains more particularly to hangers for enhanced retention of garments, such as ties. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Figs. 1-3 depict a presently known commercial tie hanger 10, comprised of an integral plastic body having a first flap portion 12, having a generally trapezoidal cutout 14. Hanger 10 has a fold segment portion defined by fold line parts 16 and 18, each contiguous with flap portion 12 and of lesser depth than the depth of hanger 10 generally, as is seen particularly for fold line part 18 in Fig. 2. A second flap portion 20 is contiguous with fold line parts 16 and 18 and includes a hanger part 22 having slot 22A for receipt of a display rod and tie receiving openings 24, 26 and 28 and latching openings 30 and 32. On its rearward side, hanger 10 includes latching projections 34, each inclusive of shank 36, having a diameter somewhat less than that of openings 30 and 32, and having detents 38L(left side) and 38R(right side), respectively for forced passage through openings 30 and 32 and sized to be larger in diameter than the diameters of openings 30 and 32. In use of hanger 10, a tie is passed through opening 24 and the rearward course of the tie is then passed through opening 26 to meet with the forward course of the tie. Then, both courses of the tie are jointly passed through opening 28 to be dressed rearwardly jointly of hanger 10 and to extend therebelow. At that juncture, first flap portion 12 is folded about fold line parts 16 and 18 and detents 38L and 38R are forced into openings 30 and 32 to provide for capture of the two tie courses between flaps 12 and 20. A quite extensive amount of plastic material is involved in hanger 10, i.e., the folded flaps 12 and 20 are generally coextensive. DE-U-82 20 595 discloses a garment hanger according to the preamble of claim 1 and depicts an upstanding hanger comprised of a one-piece body having a central body portion 1, a hook portion 2 vertically above the central body portion, a portion 4 depending from the central body portion and therewith defining a slot 3, a fold line segment 5 contiguous with portion 4 and extending vertically and a horizontally outwardly extending portion 6 contiguous with fold line segment 5. In use of the hanger, after an item is introduced into slot 3 to depend downwardly on portion 4, portion 6 is folded horizontally over portion 4 and secured thereto. A hanger of this horizontal fold over type is also seen in FR-A-2 436 453 and in DE-A-37 25 097. DE-GM 80 20 113, while not having any foldable portions, discloses a hanger having a hook portion 2 and a lower portion 3 having a central opening 7 and a cantilever-supported member 5 disposed in the central opening. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has as its primary object the provision of a garment hanger which facilitates easy assembly with a garment. This object is solved according to the present invention by a garment hanger comprising the features of claim 1. Detailed embodiments are defined in the dependent claims. In attaining the above and other objects, the present invention provides a garment hanger comprised of a one-piece body having a hook portion for the receipt of a display rod, a central portion depending from the hook portion, the body defining in the central portion an opening therethrough and a garment support member disposed in the opening and movable relative to the body and a lower portion defining a fold line segment depending from the central portion and a flap segment depending from the fold line segment, the central portion, the fold line segment and the flap segment jointly defining a slot in the body which opens into a margin of the body. The central portion and the flap segment define coactive means for retaining the flap segment against the central portion on folding of the flap segment about the fold line segment. The fold line segment is disposed contiguously with an interior end of the slot and provides cantilever support for the flap segment. Assembly of the hanger with a garment is greatly facilitated by the configuration of the support member as a single member supported for movement outwardly of the plane of the hanger body for ready receipt of a loop of the garment and by the slot configuration, i.e., an extent of the garment depending from the loop is insertable sideways into the slot. The foregoing and other objects and features of the invention will be further evident from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof and from the drawings in which like components are identified by like reference numerals throughout. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a prior art hanger. Fig. 2 is a right side elevational view of the Fig. 1 hanger. Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the Fig. 1 hanger upon folding thereof. Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of a hanger in accordance with the subject invention. Fig. 5 is a left side elevational view of the Fig. 4 hanger. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the Fig. 4 hanger as would be seen from broken plane VI-VI of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a front elevational view of the Fig. 4 hanger assembled with a tie. Fig. 8 is a left side elevational view of the Fig. 7 assembly. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to Figs. 4-6, garment hanger 40 is comprised of a one-piece synthetic plastic body having a hook portion 42 with an opening 42A for the receipt of a display rod. A central portion 44 of hanger 40 depends from hook portion 42 and has a garment support member 46 disposed in opening 48 and cantilever-supported by the central portion. The central portion also includes latching openings 50 and 52 adjacent respective lateral margins thereof. A lower portion of hanger 40 has a fold line segment 54, depending from the central portion, constituted by thinning out the one-piece body to have a lesser thickness in fold line segment 54, and a flap segment, depending from the fold line segment and including a panel 56 with latching projections 58 and 60. The latching openings and projections constitute coactive structure for retaining the flap segment against the central portion on folding of the flap segment about the fold line segment. While the hanger may be constructed such that the retention is releasable, it is preferred that the retention not be releasable and that cutting is required to remove a hung garment from the hanger. The non-releasable projections and latching recess structure shown in Figs. 4 to 6 is described in detail in US-A-5,005,741. The hanger central portion, the fold line segment and the flap segment jointly define slot 62, which has an interior end with which the fold line segment is contiguous and opens into the left side margin of hanger 40. The fold line segment provides cantilever support for the flap segment. Referring to Figs. 7 and 8, hanger 40 is shown in assembly with tie 64, the tie having a first part 66 looped about support member 46 and a second part 68 extending through slot 66 and disposed between the central portion and the flap segment. In reaching the assembly of Figs. 7 and 8, an assembler forms a tie with looped first part 66 and displaces both support member 46 and panel 52 outwardly of the plane of the hanger body, e.g., rearwardly of the plane of Fig. 4. The looped first part 66 is then dressed over and about support member 46 and the second part 68 is then inserted into slot 62. Panel 52 is then folded about the fold line segment and projections 58 and 60 are forced into openings 50 and 52. Various changes to the particularly disclosed embodiments and practices may evidently be introduced without departing from the invention. By way of example, for smaller size hangers, the central portion may include a projection extending into its opening, shown in phantom at 70 in Fig. 4. The illustrated latching structure is used for applications in which high security is desired and may be replaced with other latching structure in other applications. Accordingly, it is to be appreciated that the particularly discussed and depicted preferred embodiments and practices of the invention are intended in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense. The scope of the invention is set forth in the ensuing claims.

Claims: A garment hanger comprising a one-piece body having a hook portion (42) for the receipt of a display rod and a central portion (44) depending from said hook portion, a garment support member (46), a lower portion defining with said central portion (44) a sidewardly open slot (62), and the lower portion defining a fold line segment (54) with a flap segment (56) and being contiguous with said body central portion, characterized in that said body defines in said central portion (44) an opening (48) therethrough and the garment support member (46) is movably disposed in said opening, said fold line segment (54) partially bounds said sidewardly open slot (62) together with said central portion (44) and said flap segment (56), and said flap segment (56) depends downwardly from said fold line segment (54). The hanger claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said central portion (44) and said flap segment (56) define coactive means (50, 52, 58, 60) for retaining said flap segment against said central portion on folding of said flap segment about said fold line segment (54). The hanger claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said fold line segment (54) is contiguous with an interior end of said slot (62) and provides cantilever support for said flap segment (56). The garment hanger claimed in claim 2, characterized in that said coactive means (50, 52, 58, 60) is comprised of at least one projection (58, 60) on said flap segment (56) and at least one latching opening (50, 52) in said central portion (44). The garment hanger claimed in claim 2, characterized in that said coactive means (50, 52, 58, 60) is comprised of first and second projections (58, 60) on said flap segment (56) adjacent respective lateral margins thereof and first and second latching openings (50, 52) in said central portion (44) adjacent respective lateral margins thereof. The garment hanger claimed in claim 1 and a garment (66, 68) having a first part (66) looped about said garment support member (46) and a second part (68) extending through said slot (62), said garment second part being disposed between said central portion (44) and said flap segment (56). The combination claimed in claim 6, characterized in that said central portion (44) and said flap segment (56) define coactive means (50, 52, 58, 60) for retaining said flap segment (56) against said central portion (44) on folding of said flap segment (56) about said fold line segment (54). The combination claimed in claim 6, characterized in that said fold line segment (54) is contiguous with an interior end of said slot (62) and provides cantilever support for said flap segment (56). The combination claimed in claim 7, characterized in that said coactive means (50, 52, 58, 60) is comprised of at least one projection (58, 60) on said flap segment (56) and at least one latching opening (50, 52) in said central portion (44). The combination claimed in claim 7, characterized in that said coactive means (50, 52, 58, 60) is comprised of first and second projections (58, 60) on said flap segment (56) adjacent respective lateral margins thereof and first and second latching openings (50, 52) in said central portion (44) adjacent respective lateral margins thereof.

Inventors: KOLTON CHESTER, SPATER STUART S, KOLTON, CHESTER, SPATER, STUART S.
Applicants: B & G PLASTICS INC, B&G PLASTICS, INC.
Application year: 1995
Main classification: A47G25
IPC codes: A47G25