Abstract:
A garment set double hanger and method are disclosed which are suitable for hanging and displaying a set of matched or coordinated top garments together, such as a matched set of mens or ladies top garments, which does not obscure from display either of the individual garments that make up the coordinate garment set, and which is designed to make it easy to mount the coordinate garment matched set on the hanger. The garment set double hanger includes a top hanger which is designed to support a first garment of the matched set of garments and a bottom hanger, supported below the top hanger by a depending vertical frame member, which is designed to support and display a second garment of the matched set of garments.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates generally to a garment set double hanger and method of hanging which are suitable for hanging and displaying together a set of matched or coordinated top garments such as a matched or coordinate set of sport or dress shirts. For instance, a promotional sale might offer a matched set of striped shirts, a first sport or dress shirt having red and white stripes and a second sport or dress shirt having blue and white stripes. The garment set double hanger is designed to display the set of matched or coordinate garments together and to convey to a consumer the impression that the garments are designed to be purchased together as a matched or coordinate set.  
           [0003]    2. Discussion of the Prior Art  
           [0004]    It can be appreciated that many garments are designed to be sold as coordinated matched sets. For example, a promotional sale might offer a matching set of top garments, such as dress shirts, sports shirts, blouses or sweaters of an identical style and cut but of different colors, or other garment set combinations as are frequently specifically manufactured to be sold as matched sets. In the sale of such garment matched sets, it is desirable to display the garments together to convey to the consumer the impression that the garments are indeed a set to be purchased together. To that end the separate garments may be hung on separate hangers and displayed alongside or next to each other, or the garments may be hung on a single hanger. The drawbacks in such display methods are that in the first example of separate hangers, some frame or support is required to display the separately hung garments together, and in the second example of a single hanger, sharing a single hanger may obscure from display one of the individual garments that make up the garment matched set, or make it difficult to mount the garment matched set on the single hanger.  
           [0005]    It can also be appreciated that a further benefit in displaying such garment matched sets together, or in displaying garments of a similar style and color together, is that the amount of required display space can be reduced significantly. A still further benefit of displaying such coordinate garment matched sets together is to make it easier for the consumer to find and purchase such coordinate garment matched sets. This economy of space and ease of organization may also extend to the transportation and storage of such coordinate garment matched sets.  
           [0006]    Moreover, in many cases it has long been a practice to utilize hanger structures in which two hangers are ganged together, with a lower hanger being suspended from a top hanger. In other cases, attachments have been designed with the attachment constructed to be temporarily or permanently connected to a supporting hanger.  
           [0007]    These arrangements have often not been satisfactory because they have normally required the hangers to be of such a design that they do not have utility other than as ganged hangers for simultaneous multiple garment display and transport. Moreover, when hangers of conventional construction have been modified to permit ganging, they have involved either a difficult and complex structure for attaching one garment hanger to the other, or they have not been satisfactory in transportation because the vibration and jostling incident to transportation has frequently caused the hangers to become disconnected, allowing one of the garments to fall to the floor or bottom of the transport container. This same lack of security of attachment has also been a problem at the point of display unless the hangers are handled carefully.  
           [0008]    It is also an important requirement that the cost of manufacturing and selling the hangers be maintained as low as possible to meet the necessities of the garment manufacturing and merchandising field.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    The present invention provides a garment set double hanger and method of hanging which are suitable for hanging and displaying a set of matched or coordinated garments together, such as a matched set of mens or ladies top garments, which does not obscure from display either of the individual garments that make up the coordinate garment set, and which is designed to make it easy to mount the coordinate garment matched set on the single hanger. The garment set double hanger includes a top hanger which is designed to support a first garment of the matched set of garments and a bottom hanger which is designed to support and display a second garment of the matched set of garments. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    The foregoing objects and advantages of the present invention for a garment set double hanger may be more readily understood by one skilled in the art with reference being had to the following detailed description of several embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like elements are designated by identical reference numerals throughout the several views, and in which:  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of one embodiment of a garment set double hanger pursuant to the present invention which includes a top hanger hook, a top garment hanger depending from the top hanger hook, and a bottom garment hanger depending from the top garment hanger.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a sectional view through the top and bottom garment hangers of FIG. 1, taken along sectional arrows  2 - 2  in FIG. 1, and particularly illustrates details of the construction of the frame members of the top and bottom garment hangers of the garment set hanger.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 illustrates a preferred method of hanging and displaying a pair of garments such as sports shirts on a front facing garment set double hanger of the present invention wherein the pair of front facing garments are tiered from front to rear with the bottom front garment being hung and displayed on the bottom hanger in front of the top rear garment which is hung and displayed on the top hanger. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]    The garment set double hanger of the present invention provides a rather large garment hanger designed to display a matched or coordinated set of top garments, as might be offered in a promotional sale, while displaying the garments without unduly obstructing the view of either garment. In that regard, one designed embodiment of the garment set double hanger had a width of 41 centimeters, a total height of 31.5 centimeters, and a vertically extending and elongated rectangular frame member of 6.2 by 1.2 centimeters, with the lower hanger being mounted approximately 10.2 centimeters below the top hanger. The above defined dimensions are of one designed embodiment, and other embodiments with different dimensions are equally within the scope of the present invention.  
         [0015]    With such a large garment set hanger structure, designed to provide full support and visibility for the matched set of garments, the garment set hanger must be designed with a sturdy structural design, as described hereinbelow.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of one embodiment of a garment set double hanger pursuant to the present invention which includes a top hanger hook  12 , a top garment hanger  14  depending from the top hanger hook, and a bottom garment hanger  16  depending from the top garment hanger.  
         [0017]    The garment set double hanger includes a top centrally located hanger means, such as an inverted U shaped hanger hook  12  or an enlarged knob or a cross member structure designed to engage a slot, by which the garment hanger is suspended when the hanger means engages and hangs from a support such as a clothes rack. The top centrally located inverted U shaped hanger hook might or might not incorporate a releasable indicator tag to indicate to a consumer a size or other descriptive detail of a garment attached to a neck portion by an attachment means  18  or to a top portion of the top hanger hook, or to both the neck and top portions.  
         [0018]    The hanger hook has a general I-beam construction wherein the hanger hook is provided with an enlarged thickness peripheral flange  20  extending entirely around the outermost edge of the hanger hook, with opposite peripheral side flanges  20  being connected by a reduced thickness central web  22 . The peripheral flange also extends around the inner peripheral edge of the attachment means  18  for a releasable size indicator. The flange has an enlarged thickness which is substantially greater than the reduced thickness of the central vertical web of the hanger hook and reinforces the construction strength of the garment hanger hook.  
         [0019]    The embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is designed with an attachment means  18  to receive a releasable indicator at a neck portion between the top hanger hook  12  and the top garment hanger  14  of the garment set hanger. The releasable indicator is attached to a rounded triangular, reduced thickness, indicator receiving portion which terminates near a curved edge flange  24  formed where it joins the peripheral flange  20  around the hanger hook and also around the top hanger  14 . A small triangular locking tab  26  is centrally located in the reduced thickness portion, and has a wedge shaped side profile, increasing in thickness in the direction of insertion of a releasable indicator thereon and terminating at edge  28 , to secure a releasable indicator in place on the reduced thickness portion, the structure and details of which are described in greater detail in U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,075.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 2 is a sectional view through the top and bottom garment hangers of FIG. 1, taken along sectional arrows  2 - 2  in FIG. 1, and particularly illustrates details of the construction of the frame members of the top and bottom hangers of the garment set double hanger.  
         [0021]    The enlarged thickness flange  20  around the inverted U shaped hanger hook  12  extends integrally into an enlarged thickness flange  20  around the top hanger  14 , which is formed centrally below the inverted U shaped hanger hook. The top hanger is designed to support and display a first top garment of the matched set of garments and has a central body portion  30  and coplanar left and right downwardly sloping arms  32 , which are symmetrically identical, extending from the central body member in left and right lateral directions. A garment/strap receiving opening and slot  34  is defined in the top of each of the left and right arms as is generally known in the art.  
         [0022]    The central body portion defines an enlarged width neck portion  36 , such that a collar of the first garment is designed to fit around the enlarged width neck portion, with the shoulder portions of the first garment being supported on the left and right downwardly sloping arms. The left and right downwardly sloping arms terminate in downturned distal rounded ends  38  to facilitate mounting of the first garment on the top hanger.  
         [0023]    A vertically extending and elongated rectangular frame member  40  extends vertically downwardly from the central body portion of the top hanger to the bottom hanger  16  which is centrally suspended below the top hanger and is designed to support a second garment of the matched set of garments.  
         [0024]    The top hanger  14  and the vertical rectangular frame member  40  have a general I beam construction similar to the hanger hook  12  wherein the top hanger body and the rectangular frame member are provided with an enlarged thickness peripheral flange  20  extending around their peripheral edges with opposite peripheral side flanges being connected by a reduced thickness central web  22 . The flange has an enlarged thickness which is substantially greater than the reduced thickness of the central vertical web which reinforces the construction strengths of the top hanger and the vertical rectangular frame member.  
         [0025]    The enlarged thickness flange  20  extends entirely around the left and right downwardly sloping arms  32 , including the garment/strap receiving opening and slot  34 . The enlarged thickness flange  20  extends along a common boundary  42  with the central body portion, and at the location where the enlarged width neck portion  36  of the central body curves into the left and right downwardly sloping arms, the enlarged thickness flange continues straight across the common boundary  42  and joins the enlarged thickness flange beneath the central body portion and the enlarged flange beneath the downwardly sloped arm.  
         [0026]    The enlarged thickness flange  20  extends substantially entirely around the central body portion  30  of the top hanger including the common boundary  32 , with the exception of an opening  44  into the vertical rectangular frame member  40 .  
         [0027]    The bottom hanger  16  is a substantial duplicate of the top hanger, and is designed to support and display a second garment of the matched set of garments. The enlarged thickness flange  20  around the elongated rectangular frame member  40  extends integrally into an enlarged thickness flange around the bottom hanger  16  formed centrally below the top hanger  14 . The bottom hanger has a central body portion  50  and coplanar left and right downwardly sloping arms  52 , which are symmetrically identical, extending from the central body member in left and right lateral directions. A garment/strap receiving opening and slot  54  is defined in the top of each of the left and right arms as is generally known in the art.  
         [0028]    The central body portion defines an enlarged width neck portion  56 , such that a collar of the second garment is designed to fit around the enlarged width neck portion, with the shoulder portions of the second garment being supported on the left and right downwardly sloping arms. The left and right downwardly sloping arms terminate in downturned distal rounded ends  58  to facilitate mounting of the second garment on the bottom hanger.  
         [0029]    The bottom hanger  16  has a general I beam construction similar to the top hanger  14  and is provided with an enlarged thickness peripheral flange  20  extending around its peripheral edges with opposite peripheral side flanges being connected by a reduced thickness central web  22 . The flange has an enlarged thickness, which is substantially greater than the reduced thickness of the central vertical web, which reinforces the construction strength of the bottom hanger.  
         [0030]    The enlarged thickness flange  20  extends entirely around the left and right downwardly sloping arms  52 , including the garment/strap receiving opening and slot  54 . The enlarged thickness flange extends along a common boundary  62  with the central body portion, and at the location where the enlarged width neck portion  56  of the central body curves into the left and right downwardly sloping arms, the enlarged thickness flange continues straight across the common boundary  62  and joins the enlarged thickness flange beneath the central body portion and the enlarged flange beneath the downwardly sloped arm.  
         [0031]    The enlarged thickness flange extends substantially entirely around the central body portion  50  of the top hanger including the common boundary  62 , with the exception of an opening  64  into the vertical rectangular frame member  40 .  
         [0032]    As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, to maximize strength while using a minimum amount of plastic material, the central hanger hook, the top garment hanger, the elongated vertically extending frame member connecting the top and bottom garment hangers, and the bottom garment hanger are constructed with an I shaped cross section having a first peripheral flange connected by a central vertically extending web to a second opposed peripheral flange.  
         [0033]    However, in alternative embodiments the different components of the garment set double hanger may be constructed with a curved M-shaped cross-section, an E-shaped cross-section, a C-shaped cross-section, or any suitable cross-section which may improve the strength to weight ratio for particular applications to resist flexing due to the weight of the garments hanging from the garment set double hanger of the present invention and to assist in maintaining the hanger upright when in use.  
         [0034]    The garment hanger hook, top hanger, rectangular frame member and bottom hanger are preferably formed as one integrally molded plastic piece from a suitable plastic material as is known in the art.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 3 illustrates a preferred method of hanging and displaying a pair of garments such as sports shirts on a front facing garment set double hanger of the present invention wherein the pair of front facing garments are tiered from front to rear with the bottom front garment being hung and displayed on the bottom hanger in front of the top rear garment which is hung and displayed on the top hanger.  
         [0036]    The method of hanging the garments tiered from front to rear as shown in FIG. 3 preferably includes inserting a first arm of the top hanger of the front facing double hanger into a first arm of the front facing top garment until the neck of the top garment abuts against the neck of the top hanger, with the bottom hanger being positioned in front of the top garment, and then displacing, and if necessary stretching, the neck of the top garment to enable a second arm of the top hanger to be inserted into a second arm of the top garment, such that the top garment is hung on the top hanger, with the bottom hanger being positioned in front of the top garment, and then inserting a first arm of the bottom hanger into a first arm of a front facing bottom garment until the neck of the bottom garment abuts against the neck of the bottom hanger, with the bottom hanger being positioned in front of the top garment, and then displacing, and if necessary stretching, the neck of the bottom garment to enable a second arm of the bottom hanger to be inserted into a second arm of the bottom garment, such that the bottom garment is hung on the bottom hanger. The method results in the front facing bottom garment being hung and displayed in front of and beneath the front facing top garment on the front facing double hanger.  
         [0037]    A pair of garments could also be hung on a front facing double hanger of the present invention wherein the pair of front facing garments are tiered from front to rear with the top front garment being hung and displayed on the top hanger in front of the bottom rear garment which is hung and displayed on the bottom hanger.  
         [0038]    The method of hanging the front facing garments on the front facing double hanger tiered from front to rear with the top front garment being hung and displayed on the top hanger in front of the bottom rear garment which is hung and displayed on the bottom hanger preferably includes inserting a first arm of the top hanger of a rear facing double hanger into a first arm of a rear facing top garment until the neck of the top garment abuts against the neck of the top hanger, with the bottom hanger being positioned in front of the top garment, and then displacing, and if necessary stretching, the neck of the top garment to enable a second arm of the top hanger to be inserted into a second arm of the top garment, such that the rear facing top garment is hung on the top hanger of the rear facing double hanger, with the bottom hanger being positioned in front of the top garment, and then inserting a first arm of the bottom hanger into a first arm of a rear facing bottom garment until the neck of the bottom garment abuts against the neck of the bottom hanger, with the bottom hanger being positioned in front of the top garment, and then displacing, and if necessary stretching, the neck of the bottom garment to enable a second arm of the bottom hanger to be inserted into a second arm of the bottom garment, such that the bottom garment is hung on the bottom hanger, with the bottom garment being hung in front of and beneath the top garment, and then turning around the double garment hanger and hung garments, such that the front facing top garment is hung and displayed above the front facing bottom garment on the front facing double hanger.  
         [0039]    While several embodiments and variations of the present invention for a garment set double hanger and method of hanging are described in detail herein, it should be apparent that the disclosure and teachings of the present invention will suggest many alternative designs to those skilled in the art.