Patent Publication Number: US-9402487-B2

Title: Hanging device for belts

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to hanging devices which may be used in merchandising accessories. More particularly, the present invention relates to hang tags and hangers that may be used in the sale of belts. 
     2. State of the Art 
     In the sale of various items, it is common to use hang tags, hangers and other hanging devices. The hang tag allows a piece of merchandise to be attached to a display rack without penetrating the article and reducing the risk that sliding the merchandise back and forth on a post will damage the item. As shown in  FIG. 1 , it is common for the hang tag  4  to be made of plastic. The hang tag  4  has a body  8  which includes an upper end  12  which may include a hole or slot  16  which enables the hang tag to be suspended from a post on a display rack. The lower portion  22  of the body  8  of the hang tag  4  may be doubled over and the end  26  attached (commonly by a plastic rivet) to the body  8 . The loop formed by folding over the body holds the outer portion of the buckle  30  of the belt  34 . The body  8  may also have a hole or holes which received and holds the prong(s)  38  of the belt  34  to prevent it from interfering with or damaging adjacent belts. 
     One problem with such hang tags  4  is that they often require a knife or scissors to remove the hang tag from the belt  24 . This can be inconvenient if the belt is needed promptly (i.e. a businessman or woman who has forgotten their belt and is purchasing one on the way to a meeting). 
     Another problem is the hang tags  4  may be less convenient for use in other types of belts, such as hole-less belts. In hole-less belts, the belt lacks a prong which extends through holes in the belt. Rather, they rely on some other engagement mechanism for preventing a portion of the belt from being pulled out of the buckle. For example, in one such belt, the buckle includes a ratchet member which is biased into a closed position. The back side of the belt includes a plurality of teeth. As the teeth are slid past the ratchet mechanism, the belt can advance through the buckle to tighten the belt. The belt cannot be pulled back the other direction, however, because of the engagement of the teeth with the ratchet mechanism. Such belts are particularly advantageous because they tend to provide finer adjustment (i.e. every ¼ inch) than a regular belt (i.e. every inch). This makes the belt more comfortable for the wearer and reduces damage to the belt cause by the belt being too tight on the wearer. 
     Because the buckle lacks an outer buckle loop similar to a conventional buckle, the hang tag  4  shown in  FIG. 1  is less feasible. While a plastic clip may be placed about the base of the buckle to attach a hang tag, this often requires the clip to be cut and risks scratching or otherwise damaging the belt or buckle. 
     Hole-less belts also create a problem for storage. Many individuals store their belts by placing the hook of a hanger through the void in the buckle and allow the belt to be suspended from the hanger. Numerous belts can be held on such a hanger. In the alternative, a belt is often suspended from a hook on a tie valet. However, neither the hook of the tie valet nor the hanger is convenient for holding a hole-less belt because of the fundamental difference in the buckle. 
     Thus, there is a need for an improved hang tag for use with belts and the like. Likewise, there is a need for an improved hanger for storing or displaying belts. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to provide an improved hang tag. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved hanger for use with hole-less belts. It will be appreciated that the objects are complementary and aspects of the invention can be achieved by providing either a hang tag or a hanger and that the two do not need to be accomplished together. 
     The above and other objects of the present invention are achieved in a hang tag and or hanger which is configured for attachment to and removal from a piece of merchandise without damaging the merchandise. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the hang tag or hanger includes a body, at least a portion of which is sized for insertion into a belt buckle. The body engages the belt buckle to selectively hold the hang tag to the belt buckle to thereby allow the belt to be displayed from a display post. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the body includes one or more projections extending therefrom. The projections are configured to engage a ratchet mechanism on a belt buckle for a hole-less belt so that the body may be slid into and be retained by the belt buckle and thereby support the weight of the belt. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the body includes one or more depressions disposed therein which are configured to engage a ratchet mechanism on a belt buckle for a hole-less belt so that the body may be slid into and retained by the belt buckle and thereby support the weight of the belt. The depression may be formed into the body, may be formed upon formation of the body or may be a hole in the body which receives the ratchet. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the portion of the body which is insertable into the belt buckle is thicker than at least one other portion of the hang tag to thereby have a thickness similar to that of the belt. 
     In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, the hang tag may include a broader upper portion configured to engage a hanging post to hold the belt for display and to provide space for information about the belt to be displayed above the belt buckle. 
     In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a hanger may include one or more bodies having structures thereon for receiving the ratchet mechanism of the buckle of a hole-less belt so as to hold the belt for display or for storage. The belt hanger may include a single body for holding one belt, or may hold a plurality of bodies each configured to receive and hold the buckle of a hole-less belt. 
     These and other aspects of the present invention are realized in a hang tag as shown and described in the following FIGURES and related description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various embodiments of the present invention are shown and described in reference to the numbered drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  shows a front, fragmented view of a hang tag and belt as used in accordance with the teachings of the prior art; 
         FIG. 2  shows a front view of a hang tag made in accordance with principles of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2A  shows a side view of the hang tag of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 3  shows a front, fragmented view of a belt being suspended from the hang tag of  FIG. 2  in accordance with principles of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3A  shows a side, cross-sectional view of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 4  shows a front view of a hang tag made in accordance with the principles of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4A  shows a side view of the hang tag shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 4B  shows a cross-sectional view of the hang tag of  FIG. 4  disposed in a belt buckle; 
         FIG. 5  shows a side view of an alternate configuration of a hang tag made in accordance with the principles of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  shows a hanger made in accordance with principles of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  shows an alternate configuration of a hanger made in accordance with principles of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  shows still another embodiment of a hanger made in accordance with principles of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 9  shows another embodiment of a hanging device incorporated into a point of sale display. 
     
    
    
     It will be appreciated that the drawings are illustrative and not limiting of the scope of the invention which is defined by the appended claims. The embodiments shown accomplish various aspects and objects of the invention. It is appreciated that it is not possible to clearly show each element and aspect of the invention in a single FIGURE, and as such, multiple FIGURES are presented to separately illustrate the various details of the invention in greater clarity. Similarly, not every embodiment need accomplish all advantages of the present invention. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The invention and accompanying drawings will now be discussed in reference to the numerals provided therein so as to enable one skilled in the art to practice the present invention. The skilled artisan will understand, however, that the methods described below can be practiced without employing these specific details, or that they can be used for purposes other than those described herein. Indeed, they can be modified and can be used in conjunction with products and techniques known to those of skill in the art in light of the present disclosure. The drawings and descriptions are intended to be exemplary of various aspects of the invention and are not intended to narrow the scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that the drawings may show aspects of the invention in isolation and the elements in one FIGURE may be used in conjunction with elements shown in other FIGURES. 
     Reference in the specification to “one embodiment,” “one configuration,” “an embodiment,” or “a configuration” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment, etc. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places may not necessarily limit the inclusion of a particular element of the invention to a single embodiment, rather the element may be included in other or all embodiments discussed herein. 
     Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics of embodiments of the present disclosure may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided, such as examples of products or manufacturing techniques that may be used, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that embodiments discussed in the disclosure may be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, and so forth. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations may not be shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention. 
     Before the present invention is disclosed and described in detail, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to any particular structures, process steps, or materials discussed or disclosed herein, but is extended to include equivalents thereof as would be recognized by those of ordinarily skill in the relevant art. More specifically, the invention is defined by the terms set forth in the claims. It should also be understood that terminology contained herein is used for the purpose of describing particular aspects of the invention only and is not intended to limit the invention to the aspects or embodiments shown unless expressly indicated as such. Likewise, the discussion of any particular aspect of the invention is not to be understood as a requirement that such aspect is required to be present apart from an express inclusion of the aspect in the claims. 
     It should also be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, singular forms such as “a,” “an,” and “the” may include the plural unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a spring” may include an embodiment having one or more of such springs, and reference to “the layer” may include reference to one or more of such layers. 
     As used herein, the term “substantially” refers to the complete or nearly complete extent or degree of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result to function as indicated. For example, an object that is “substantially” enclosed would mean that the object is either completely enclosed or nearly completely enclosed. The exact allowable degree of deviation from absolute completeness may in some cases depend on the specific context, such that enclosing the nearly all of the length of a lumen would be substantially enclosed, even if the distal end of the structure enclosing the lumen had a slit or channel formed along a portion thereof. The use of “substantially” is equally applicable when used in a negative connotation to refer to the complete or near complete lack of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. For example, structure which is “substantially free of” a bottom would either completely lack a bottom or so nearly completely lack a bottom that the effect would be effectively the same as if it completely lacked a bottom. 
     As used herein, the term “about” is used to provide flexibility to a numerical range endpoint by providing that a given value may be “a little above” or “a little below” the endpoint while still accomplishing the function associated with the range. 
     As used herein, a plurality of items, structural elements, compositional elements, and/or materials may be presented in a common list for convenience. However, these lists should be construed as though each member of the list is individually identified as a separate and unique member. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 2 , there is shown a hang tag  104  made in accordance with principles of the present invention. The hang tag  104  includes a body  108  having a lower portion  112  sized and configured to be inserted into a belt buckle of a hole-less belt. The lower portion  112  includes one or more engagement structures, such as protrusions  116  extending outwardly from the body. As will be explained below, the protrusions  116  on the lower portion  112  are configured to engage a ratchet mechanism of a belt buckle. 
     The body  108  of the hang tag  104  also includes an upper portion  120 . The upper portion may have a slot or hole  124  formed therein for receiving a display post of a display rack, etc. to thereby allow the hang tag  104  to hang from the post. The upper portion  120  may be wider and/or longer than the lower portion  112  to facilitate the display of information about the product to which the hang tag  104  is attached. For example, the upper portion  120  may have a brand name  128  and product description  132  displayed thereon to facilitate merchandising of the product. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2A , there is shown a side view of the hang tag  104  of  FIG. 2 . The hang tag  104  may be formed so that it has one or more protrusions  116  (or other engagement members) on two sides or only on a single side. It will be appreciated, that having protrusions  116  on both sides will make insertion into the belt buckle easier, as no care need be provided to orientation. However, use of protrusions  116  on only one side of the body  108  would force one side of the upper portion  120  to be displayed, thereby allowing the hang tag  104  to have merchandising information on one “front” side and legal or other information on the back. It will be appreciated that the protrusions  116  may be made of different sizes, although they may commonly be approximately the same size as the teeth which are disposed on the back side of the belt to engage the ratchet mechanism when the belt is being worn. 
     While the hang tags  104  are shown with multiple protrusions or projections, it will be appreciated that a single engagement member may be used to engage the ratchet mechanism of a belt buckle on a hole-less belt. 
     The hang tag  104  may be made of a variety of materials including plastic, cardboard or other materials which will be strong enough to support the weight of the belt. The hang tag  104  may be injection molded or cut/punched from existing materials. In the alternative, all of part of the hang tag  104  can be made of a portion of a belt having the teeth which are engaged by the ratchet mechanism discussed below so that advancing the buckle on the hang tag  104  gives the appearance of a belt being fastened. 
     The hang tag  104  may be of a variety of sizes. However, it may be desirable to have the lower portion  112  of the hang tag  104  be of similar thickness to that of the belt with which it is being used. Thus, a common thickness of the lower portion, including the protrusions may be between 1/16th to ¼th of an inch thick. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 3 , there is show a front view of the hang tag  104  on a display post  140  with a belt  150  suspended therefrom. The belt  150  includes a belt strap  154  and a buckle  158  attached at one end. Rather than including a prong such as that shown in  FIG. 1 , the buckle  158  includes a ratchet mechanism  162  (shown in shadow) which is pivotably mounted within the casing  166  of the belt buckle. The ratchet mechanism  162  is biased into, but deflectable out of, a closed position such that inserting the belt strap  154 , or the hang tag  104 , deflects the ratchet mechanism and allows a belt or tag to advance. Once advancement ceases, the ratchet mechanism  162  is biased back into it original position and engages teeth (not shown) on the back side of the belt strap  154 , or the projections  116  on the hang tag  104 , to hold the belt strap or hang tag in the buckle. By pressing on a release lever  174 , the ratchet mechanism can be moved out of the biased closed position to allow the belt or hang tag  104  to be pulled out of the buckle  158 . 
       FIG. 3A  shows a side, cross-sectional view of the hang tag  104  and the casing  166  of the belt buckle  158 . The ratchet mechanism  162  is disposed in the normally closed position wherein it engages the protrusion  116  on the lower portion  112  of the hang tag  104 . This traps the lower portion  112  of the hang tag  104  between the ratchet mechanism  162  and a lower surface of the upper portion of the casing  166  of the buckle. The protrusion  116   a  engages the ratchet mechanism and prevents the lower portion  112  of the hang tag  104  from being pulled out of the buckle, thereby allowing the hang tag to hold and display the belt  150 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 4 , there is shown a front view of a hang tag  104  made in accordance with the present invention. The hang tag  104  includes body  108  a lower portion  112  configured for insertion into a belt buckle of a hole-less belt. The lower portion  112  has one or more engagement members, such as protrusions  116 , for engaging a ratchet mechanism in a belt buckle. 
     The hang tag  104  in  FIG. 4  also includes an upper portion  120  which includes a slot  126  by which the hang tag may be mounted on a display post similar to the hole  124  shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . As with the hang tag in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the hang tag in  FIG. 4  may have protrusions on both sides of the lower portion and may include branding  128  and other information  132  on the upper portion (and/or the lower portion) to facilitate merchandising of the product to which the hang tag is attached. For simplicity, the information  128  and  132  are shown on the same side as the projections  116  in  FIG. 4 . However, in some configurations, they will be disposed on opposite sides. 
       FIG. 4A  shows a side view of the hang tag  104  of  FIG. 4 . The lower portion  112  has been formed by taking an elongate lower portion, stamping the back side of the lower portion to form the protrusions  116 , and then folding the lower portion on itself to form a thicker lower portion with the protrusions  116  on the back side. The folding of the lower portion  12  allows for the lower portion to be a thickness that more resembles that of a belt (i.e. 1/16 th  to ¼ th  of an inch) without requiring the upper portion  120  to be made from so much material. The thicker lower portion  112  helps the lower portion to hold better in the belt buckle. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 4B , there is shown a cross-sectional view of the hang tag  104  of  FIG. 4  and the buckle end of a belt  150 . The lower portion  112  is inserted into the belt buckle  158  and one of the protrusions  116   a  is engaged by the ratchet mechanism  162  and thereby holds the lower portion  112  of the hang tag  104  between the ratchet mechanism and the casing  166  of the buckle unless the release lever  170  is activated to move the ratchet lever down and disengage the ratchet mechanism from the protrusion. 
     While there are minor differences between the hang tags shown in  FIGS. 2-3  and  FIG. 4 , it will be appreciated that either could be modified to have the features of the other. For example, the hang tag in  FIG. 4  could have protrusions  116  on both sides and could use a hole  124  instead of a slot. Likewise, the hang tag in  FIGS. 2-3  could have protrusions on only one side, could be made by folding the lower portion and/or could have a slot  126  rather than a hole  124 . 
     The hang tags  104  of the present invention provide several advantages. First, they are relatively inexpensive and easy to use. Second, no tools are required in order to insert the hang tag  104  into the belt buckle  158 . This may reduce handling. Third, the tags do not require scissors or the like to remove them from the belt  150 . This prevents the purchaser from accidentally scratching the belt strap or belt buckle trying to remove the tag. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 5 , there is shown an alternate configuration of a hang tag  104 ′ made in accordance with the principles of the present invention. Instead of using projections  116 , the hang tag has depressions  116 ′ which extend into the body  108  and thereby provide a surface for the ratchet mechanism on a belt buckle to engage the body and hold the belt buckle on the lower portion. As shown at  116 ″, the depression may form a hole all the way through the hang tag  104 ′. The hang tag  104 ′ works in the same manner as the hang tag  104  of  FIG. 2 , except that it is a surface defining the depression rather than a surface defining the projection which is engaged by the belt buckle and the ratchet mechanism of the belt buckle extends down into the depression. 
       FIG. 6  shows a hanger made in accordance with the principles of the present invention. The hanger  104 ″ includes body  108 ′ with an upper portion  120 ′ which forms a hook for hanging on a rail. It also includes a lower portion  112  which is formed in a similar manner to the lower portions  112  in  FIG. 2  or  FIG. 5  so that at least one engagement member, such as projections  116  or a depression or void, is configured to receive the ratchet mechanism of a belt buckle as discussed above. While the hang tags  104 ,  104 ′ discussed with respect to  FIGS. 2-5  are usable for display in a commercial environment, many people hang their belts in a closet using a hanger. Because a hanger often will not conveniently work with a hole-less belt, the hanger  104 ″ shown in  FIG. 6  is adapted to receive the belt buckle and to hold the belt buckle in place, thereby supporting the remainder of the belt. 
     It will be appreciated that in addition to cardboard, plastic and other materials, the lower portion  112  in  FIG. 6  can be made a piece of leather, etc., with an insert with teeth similar to the engagement mechanism which occurs on a hole-less belt to give a more luxurious appearance. The lower portion can be made from actual portions of a belt (e.g. portions of a defective belt being recycled) or made specifically for use as a hanger. 
       FIG. 7  shows an alternate configuration of a hanger  104 ′ made in accordance with the principles of the present invention. The body  108 ″ includes a plurality of lower portions  112  which include a plurality of engagement members, such as projections  116  or depressions (such as shown in  FIG. 5 ). The upper portion  120 ″ may be square, rectangular, circular or a host of other shapes to allow for a number of belts to be conveniently attached. The upper portion may include a hook  122  and a display portion  126  for advertising in the event that the hanger is used to display belts in a commercial setting. The hanger  104 ′″, however, can also be used for simply holding a number of belts in one&#39;s closet. 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , a belt  150  is attached to one of the lower portions  112  to hold the belt for storage. The belt can be removed by activating the release lever  170  of the ratchet mechanism (not show). The other lower portions  112  are empty and are capable of receiving additional belts. 
       FIG. 8  shows an alternate configuration of a hanger  104 ″″. The hanger  104 ″″ includes a body  108 ″ which has a plurality of lower portions  112  and an upper portion  120 ″. The lower portions  112  are similar to the lower portions shown and discussed in  FIGS. 2-5 , in that they may each have one or more engagement members for engaging the ratchet mechanism of the buckle of a hole-less belt. The hanger  104 ″″ in  FIG. 8  is different than that in  FIG. 7  in that it is generally flat, allowing a number of belts (such as 5 or more) to be stored side by side without taking much space along a closet rail. 
       FIG. 9  shows an alternate construction of a hanging device for displaying belts. In some point of sale configurations a hang tag, such as those discussed above, are used. In other situations, the actual product is boxed and a display is provided. Thus, the hanging device  200  shown in  FIG. 9  includes a body  208  with a lower portion  112  and an upper portion  120 . The upper portion  120  may be attached to for form part of a display container  210  which can hold a plurality of boxed belts  214  which are taken by customers. 
     The lower portions  112  may be formed in any of the manners discussed above and are designed with one or more engagement members—such as projections  116 —to receive and hold a buckle  158  of a belt  150  for display to customers. Thus, for example, a number of different belt colors or styles could be displayed to customers with the belts for sale being boxed and waiting for purchase behind the displays. Such a display would meet the requirements of most “big-box” retailers and would enable customers to see how the belts work—as many people are unfamiliar with hole-less belts. 
     There is thus disclosed an improved hang tag, hanger and other hanging device for use with hole-less belts. Those skilled in the art will appreciate numerous modifications which may be made in light of the teachings of the present invention. The appended claims are intended to cover such modifications.