Patent Publication Number: US-7222399-B2

Title: Merchandising hanger

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/463,664 filed Apr. 17, 2003, which is incorporated herein by reference. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention generally relates to merchandising hangers, and in particular to merchandising hangers for portable electronic accessories. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   A merchandise hanger allows a retailer to efficiently display a suspended article while affording a customer an opportunity to handle the merchandise. The opportunity for a customer to come into physical contact with the merchandised article is especially beneficial in the context of portable electronic device accessories that must be compatible with a given device. Typically, a hanger is molded from synthetic plastic materials configured as a shallow profiled strip. Such plastic strips often integrate intermediate between the hanger portion and the merchandise engaging portion an identification display mounting card. While merchandising hangers are well suited to provide consumer interactivity, such hangers are particularly susceptible to theft and damage owing to the ease in which a stud is released from a securing aperture that together form the suspension loop for the merchandised article. Thus, there exists a need for a merchandising hanger that is resistant to tampering. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A merchandising hanger is described that has a planar surface adapted to receive printed indicia thereon and characterized by having a top and a base. The top of the planar surface is formed as a hook, cutout, or hole so as to allow the merchandising hanger to be suspended from a conventional merchandising rack. A tab extends from the base of the planar surface and includes a stud integral with the tab and a stud-receiving aperture in another portion of the tab. The aperture has a flange associated therewith. Intermediate between the stud and the aperture is a tab portion having a thickness less than the tab portion proximal to the planar surface. The relative thicknesses of tab portions and the interaction between the stud and complementary aperture afford a theft deterrent without compromising the merchandising function. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an inventive merchandising hanger; 
       FIG. 2  is a right side planar view of a hanger depicted in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a rear view of the hanger depicted in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the stud and securing aperture portions of an inventive hanger as depicted in  FIG. 1 ; and 
       FIG. 5  is a right side planar view of an alternate embodiment of an inventive hanger. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , an inventive hanger is shown generally at  10  formed of a one-piece body of plastic material having a planar surface  12  adapted to receive printed indicia thereon. The flat planar surface  12  has a top forming a hook or cutout  14  configured to receive a conventional merchandising rod therethrough. The planar surface  12  has a basal surface  16  with a tab  18  extending therefrom. The tab  18  has a stud  20  projecting from a first tab portion  22 . The stud  20  preferably has a cubo-hedral body  24  terminating in a conical head  26 . Preferably, the conical head  26  is hemispherical. A second tab portion  28  has a thickness less than the first tab portion  22  and interconnects the first tab portion with a third tab portion  30 . The third tab portion  30  has an aperture  32 , the aperture  32  adapted to pressure fit over the conical head  26  and thereby secure the third portion  30  against the first portion  22  and in the process forming a loop in which an article is connected. More preferably, the aperture  32  contains a deformable flange  34  shown in an enlarged view of  FIG. 4 . More preferably, the deformable flange  34  forms a pair of opposing portions  34   a  and  34   b  that are generally parallel with the elongate side  25  of stud body  24 . The flange  34  is intended to deform away from the conical head  26  upon the third tab portion being pressed against the stud  20 . Upon the head  26  being pressed beyond flange  34 , the flange  34  remains deformed as the body  24  of the stud  20  encompasses the aperture  32 . The flange  34  abuts the rearward face  36  of the head  26  in order to inhibit disengagement between the aperture  32  and the stud  20 . Optionally, the head  26  is heat stamped or pressure flattened after engaging the aperture  32  to preclude casual disengagement (not shown). 
   According to the present invention, the thickness of the tab portions has a ratio between first portion:second portion:third portion of 1.5–3.5:1:1.3–2.5. More preferably, the ratio of first portion:second portion:third portion of the tab  18  is between 2.0–3.0:1:1.3–2.0. The relative thickness of the planar surface  12  relative to the first portion  22  is between 0.5–2.0:1.0. Preferably, the planar surface  12  and the first portion  22  are of a thickness that varies between the two by less than 20%. More preferably, the thickness of the first portion  22  is between 1.5 and 3.0 millimeters in thickness. It is appreciated that strength characteristics of the injection moldable plastic from which an inventive hanger  10  is made dictate the optimal thickness of the hanger portions. Suitable thermoplastic materials from which an inventive hanger is formed illustratively include materials like or similar to polyethylene, polypropylene, polycarbonate and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. 
   Optionally, in the region where the body  24  of the stud  20  extends from the first tab portion  22 , at least one opening  38  is provided in the first tab portion  22  adjacent to the base  24  of the stud  20 . Preferably, there are two openings  38  on either side of base sides  25 . The openings  38  are preferably present in the instances where the thermoplastic melt has a viscosity that requires additional pressure to urge material into the form of the stud  20 . 
   It is appreciated that the relative location of the stud and securing aperture are readily reversed consistent with the present invention as shown in  FIG. 3  where an alternate embodiment of a hanger is shown generally at  50 . With respect to  FIG. 3 , like numerals denote portions as described previously with respect to the embodiment depicted in  FIGS. 1–4 . 
   Referring now to  FIG. 5 , a securing aperture  32  having a flange  34  internal thereto. The aperture  32  residing in a first tab portion  52  that extends from a planar surface  12 . A second tab portion  28  is intermediate between the first tab portion  52  and a third tab portion  60 . The third tab portion  60  having a stud  20  extending therefrom. The cross-sectional thickness ratio of the first portion:second portion:third portion of the hanger  50  and the relative portion thicknesses are those detailed with respect to the inventive embodiment detailed with respect to  FIGS. 1–4 . 
   Although the present invention has been described relative to preferred embodiments thereof, one skilled in the art will readily appreciate that other variations and modifications will be apparent that nonetheless remain within the spirit of the invention. It is intended that the present invention not be limited by the specific disclosure herein but only by the appended claims.