Patent Publication Number: US-6216884-B1

Title: Fabric bolt hanger

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/097,481, filed Aug. 21, 1998. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to the art of displaying and handling fabric bolts. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a portable hanger and a method of using the same for the convenient handling of fabric bolts and for the efficient display of fabric bolts from conventional store fixtures. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Fabric is typically sold at retail in the form of a fabric bolt, wherein the fabric is rolled on a hollow tube having closed ends. Such fabric bolts are often displayed in retail outlets either flat on tables or on wire frames. However, these types of display fixtures do not efficiently use the available merchandising space in that the space underneath the table or frame is unused. The use of such fixtures for the display of fabric bolts also makes the fabric bolts difficult for the consumers to view, select, and handle. Finally, because fabric bolts can be awkward to handle, such display fixtures can be difficult to load and unload. 
     Specialized display racks have also been suggested for merchandising fabric bolts. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,222,190; 3,272,345; 3,739,918; and 4,018,340 each disclose racks wherein an upstanding loop of wire is attached to a horizontal support means such as a shelf or a pair of bars. A fabric bolt is slipped over the loop of wire so as to be supported and displayed in a generally vertical orientation. 
     Such display structures lack flexibility, however, in that the means for attaching the upstanding loop to the support is dependent on the type of rack that is used. For example, the cloth bolt holder of U.S. Pat. No. 3,739,918 includes a pair of feet which slidably engage the pair of bars that supports the upstanding loop. The shape and separation of the feet thus depend on the shape and separation of the pair of bars. As a result, the disclosed attachment means may not be useable with existing display racks. For example, these references do not disclose means for displaying fabric bolts from standard fixtures used to display hanging merchandise. The references also fail to disclose means for facilitating the loading and unloading of fabric bolts onto display racks. 
     Other fabric displays require the fabric to be wrapped around a support. For example, Ullman U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,281 discloses a fabric hanger having a generally rectangular frame that is provided with piercing hooks. To display a length of fabric, one end of the fabric is hooked onto the piercing hooks, the fabric is wrapped around the frame, and the trailing end of the fabric is also hooked on a piercing hook. Such structures do not efficiently display fabric bolts where the fabric is already rolled on a support such as a hollow tube. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The principle object of the present invention is to provide a fabric bolt hanger to allow for the display of fabric bolts in retail outlets in a manner that makes efficient use of available merchandising space. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a fabric bolt hanger that allows fabric bolts to be displayed from conventional store fixtures. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a portable fabric bolt hanger that allows for the convenient handling of fabric bolts, including the loading and unloading of fabric bolts onto display fixtures. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide a fabric bolt hanger which can accommodate fabric bolts of varying length. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a fabric bolt hanger having space for the affixation of a label identifying the fabric bolt. 
     A still further object of the present invention is to provide a method for displaying fabric bolts from display racks. 
     In accordance with the present invention, a fabric bolt hanger is provided which can be inserted into the hollow tube of a fabric bolt, thereby allowing the fabric bolt to be supported by the hanger and hung from a conventional display rack. The fabric bolt hanger includes a handhold so that the fabric bolt hanger supporting a fabric bolt may be easily handled. Hinges formed into the hanger allow for portions of the fabric bolt hanger to be folded, thereby adjusting its length. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front plan view of a fabric bolt hanger in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a right side plan view of a fabric bolt hanger in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a right side plan view of a fabric bolt hanger folded to reduce its length in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a fabric bolt hanger being inserted into a fabric bolt in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a fabric bolt display unit in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 is a pair of fabric bolt display units hung from a display rack in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a fabric bolt hanger  10  in accordance with the present invention preferably comprises a substantially planar frame  12  having a generally rectangular shape. Fabric bolt hanger  10  is most conveniently made out of a single piece of injection molded plastic. Frame  12  has an upper portion  14 , a body portion  16 , and a base  18 . Body portion  16  includes a left vertical member  20 , a right vertical member  22 , and crosspieces  24 ,  26 , and  28 , arranged so that the vertical members  20  and  22  are parallel to one another and are perpendicular to crosspieces  24 ,  26 , and  28 . 
     Upper portion  14  includes a label affixation area  30  with sufficient space for affixing a bar code, a tag, a label, or other such indicia (not shown) which may be used to identify the fabric bolt being merchandised. Extending upwardly from affixation area  30  is a hanging member  32 . Hanging member  32  preferably takes the form of a hook which includes a vertical portion  34 , a horizontal portion  36 , and a downward tip  38 . Other forms of hanging member  32  could be used, such as a hole (not shown) located in upper portion  14 . 
     Upper portion  14  also includes a handhold, shown in FIG. 1 as an opening  40 . Opening  40  is sized so as to receive the user&#39;s fingers, thus allowing the user to conveniently grip and carry the fabric hold hanger  10 . Other forms of handhold could also be used, such as a handle (not shown) formed into upper portion  14 . 
     Along the edges of upper portion  14  runs a reinforcement lip  42 , wherein the material of upper portion  14  is made somewhat thicker. Reinforcement lip  42  also runs along the edge of opening  40 . Preferably, reinforcement lip  42  is three times thicker than the rest of upper portion  14  and serves to add strength to upper portion  14 . 
     Base  18  is wider than upper portion  14  and body portion  16 , the widths of upper portion  14  and body portion  16  preferably being the same. A reinforcement lip  44  runs along the top and side edges of base  18 , wherein the material is made thicker. A substantially planar surface  45  is defined by the portion of reinforcement lip  44  along the top of base  18 . Preferably, reinforcement lip  44  is four times thicker than the rest of base  18 . 
     Running from the left side to the right side of crosspieces  24 ,  26 , and  28 , are hinges  46 , 48 ,  50 , and  52 , as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Hinges  46 ,  48 ,  50 , and  52  may be formed by providing notches in the material of fabric bolt hanger  10 . As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, hinges  46  and  50  have notches cut into the front side of fabric bolt hanger  10 , and hinges  48  and  52  have notches cut into the back side of fabric bolt hanger  10 . Hinges  46 ,  48 ,  50 , and  52  allow fabric bolt hanger  10  to be folded and its length adjusted thereby, as shown in FIG.  3 . 
     Fabric bolt hanger  10  is intended to support a fabric bolt  60 , as shown in FIG.  4 . Fabric bolt  60  comprises a length of fabric  62  rolled on a hollow core tube  64  having a rectangular cross-section. section. Upper portion  14  and body portion  16  are sized to fit inside hollow core tube  64 . However. base  18  is wider than hollow core tube  64  and will not fit therethrough. 
     As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, fabric bolt hanger  10  is slipped inside hollow core tube  64  until fabric bolt  60  rests against substantially planar surface  45  of base  18 , resulting in fabric bolt display unit  70 . With reference to FIG. 4, arrows A show the general direction in which fabric bolt hanger  10  is inserted into fabric bolt  60 . Typically, the ends  72  (one of which is shown in FIG.  4  and the other identical is identical to the one shown in FIG. 4) of core tube  64  are closed, in which case the ends  72  must be opened prior to inserting fabric bolt hanger  64 . For example, if core tube  64  is made out of cardboard, as is typical, then ends  72  may be slit using a utility knife (not shown) or such other sharp object. 
     In fabric bolt display unit  70 , fabric bolt  60  rests atop base  18 , and upper portion  14 , including label space  30 , hanging member  34 , and handhold  40 , protrudes above the level of fabric bolt  60 . In this way, handhold  40  is accessible and may be gripped for the easy lifting and handling of fabric bolt display unit  70 . Hanging member  34  is also accessible so that fabric bolt display unit  70  may be hung therefrom. 
     As shown in FIG. 6, fabric bolt display units  70  may be hung from a display rack  80 , which may be any standard fixture used for displaying hanging merchandise. Display rack  80  includes an upright  82  and a horizontally extending bracket  84  which supports hang rod  86 . Display rack  80  may be easily loaded with merchandise by lifting fabric bolt display unit  70  by handhold  40  and engaging hanging member  34  onto hang rod  84 , so that fabric bolt display unit  70  is hung from hang rod  86  for display. 
     As shown in FIG. 6, display rack  80  may support multiple levels of fabric bolt display units  70 . In this way, the space adjacent floor  88  may be used, leading to greater utilization of available merchandising space. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the width of base  18  is approximately the width of fabric bolt  60 , so that fabric bolt display units  70  may be displayed adjacent one another and close to upright  84  of display rack  80  for more efficient utilization of space. 
     The above described preferred embodiment is merely illustrative of the features and advantages of the present invention. Other arrangements and advantages may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the invention should not be deemed to be limited to the above detailed description but only by the claims that follow.