Patent Publication Number: US-7905376-B2

Title: Snap in lower neck indicator

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the field of garment hangers, and more particularly, to an indicator securable to a lower neck region of a hanger and a combination of the indicator and the hanger. 
     DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART 
     In the area of retail garment sales, so-called Garment-On-Hanger (GOH) programs have become preferred by retailers. In a GOH program, garments are delivered to retail merchants already suspended from hangers, whereupon arrival at the retail location they may immediately be placed on display for sale. Formerly, retailers accomplished the task of suspending garments from hangers with labor provided at their own expense. 
     In particular, retailers have specified particular hangers or hanger characteristics among their several suppliers in order to achieve a visually pleasing uniformity on their sales floors. To this end, standards as to hanger size, shape, performance characteristics, etc., are maintained, for example, by organizations such as the Voluntary Inter-industry Commerce Standards Association (VICS). One particular standardized hanger feature is extremely popular across several hanger models, namely a turnable wire hook mated to a plastic hanger. 
     Additionally, and interrelated to the promulgation of GOH programs, retailers and their customers desire to have the hanger itself display some indicia regarding the item carried upon it. Categories of indicia could include manufacturer, material and price, but most notably for garments are their sizes. Various means for accomplishing this have been developed, including those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,422 to Marshal, et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,260 to Gouldson, both of which are commonly assigned with the instant application, among others. Popular among these are the type disclosed in the latter patent just mentioned, i.e., those that secure to the hanger adjacent the intersection of the hook and the hanger body to one side of the hook, appropriately called side-sizer tabs, or indicators. 
     However, such side-sizers heretofore known in the art require that the hanger be specifically manufactured to accept the particular indicator. Various other indicators could be made universally adaptable, for example those attached surrounding the wire hook of the hanger These generally are free to slide along the length of the wire hook, and ordinarily come to rest at the base of the hook adjacent the hanger body. However, these sizers do not securely engage with the hanger, nor achieve a desirable appearance. Particularly, these movable sizers may pose a safety issue to young children, who might inadvertently remove the sizers, and swallow or choke on the removable sizer. Therefore, a hanger having an indicator capable of securely engaging the hanger, especially as directly secured to the hanger body, is desirable. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, provided according to the present invention is a combination hanger and indicator. The hanger has a body and a hook extending upward from the body. The body includes at least one recess in a top surface thereof. The indicator has a top opening and a pair of opposite side walls connected by a pair of opposite end walls. Specifically, the indicator includes at least one resilient tab attached to a bottom surface thereof for engaging the recess in the top surface of the body. 
     The recess may be optionally a step-wise recess, a concave recess, or a chamfer, sized and positioned to receive the resilient tab of the sizer. Each recess may include a niche that is sized and positioned to receive a projection of the resilient tab. The niche may include a generally horizontal surface for engaging the projection of the indicator, so as to limit the motion of indicator once the indicator is mounted to the hanger. Optionally, the projection also includes a generally horizontal surface opposite to the horizontal surface of the niche for positively accommodating the projection into the niche. 
     The side walls of the indicator may be generally trapezoidal in profile. Optionally, the resilient tab is attached to a central portion of the bottom surface of the end wall. 
     In another embodiment of the invention, the hanger body comprises two recesses in the top surface and the indicator comprises two corresponding resilient tabs. Optionally, the two resilient tabs are located on the opposite end walls of the indicator. 
     Furthermore, provided according to another aspect of the present invention is an indicator for a hanger having a body and a hook attached to the body. The indicator includes a top opening, a pair of opposite side walls connected by a pair of opposite end walls. At least one resilient tab is attached to a bottom surface of the indicator for engaging a recess in a top surface of the hanger body. 
     Furthermore, provided according to another aspect of the present invention is a hanger including a hanger body having at least one recess in a top surface thereof. The recess is sized and positioned to engage a resilient tab of an indicator attached to the hanger. The hanger further comprises a hook extending upward from the body for suspending die hanger from a support. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features, aspects and benefits of the present invention will be made apparent with reference to the following specification and accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like features across the several views, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of a hanger and snap-in sizer indicator assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a cross section view through the hanger and snap-in sizer indicator assembly, taken along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3   a  illustrates a top view of the indicator according to an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 3   b  illustrates a side view of the indicator according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , illustrated in perspective view is a combined assembly  100  including a portion of a hanger  120  and a lower neck indicator hereinafter “indicator”)  110  according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The indicator  110  includes, but is not limited to, a size indicator for displaying the size of the garments supported by the hanger  120 . The hanger  120  optionally conforms to established industry standards of form, for example, as promulgated by VICS. 
     In this embodiment, the hanger  120  includes a body  140  and a hook  124  structurally connected to the body  140  at a lower neck region  130  of the hanger  120  where the hook  124  joins the body  140  for suspending the hanger  120  from a support (not shown). In  FIG. 1 , the hook  124  is shown as a turnable metal wire hook rotatably mated to the body  140 . However, it should be understood that any suitable type of hook, such as a plastic hook molded integrally with the hanger body, can be used depending on the application circumstances of the hanger. The body  140  has at least one recess  145  in a top surface  150  thereof for securing the indicator  110 . The indicator  110  generally surrounds the lower portion of the wire hook  124  at the lower neck region  130  where the wire hook  124  intersects the body  140 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , illustrated is a sectional view taken along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 . Although a variety of configurations are possible for securing the hook  124  to the hanger  120 , in the exemplary embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , the body  140  includes an opening  132  for receiving the turnable wire hook  124 . As also shown, the indicator  110  has a pair of opposite side walls  112  (only one sidewall shown in this view) connected by a pair of opposite end walls  114 . The sidewalls  112  of the indicator  110  are generally trapezoidal in profile, while the end walls  114  are generally rectangular in profile. However, it should be understood that the side walls and end walls of the indicator may assume any other suitable shape and configuration. 
     The indicator  110  also includes at least one resilient tab  122  attached to a bottom surface  126  thereof for engaging the recess  145  in the top surface  150  of the body  140 . The resilient tab  122  includes at least one projection  123  extending outwardly from the end wall  114 . In the shown exemplary embodiment, the indicator  110  includes a pair of resilient tabs  122  for engaging a pair of recesses  145  respectively. However, the number of resilient tabs contained by the indicator  110  is not limited to the shown embodiment. Furthermore, although it is shown that the pair of resilient tabs  122  are disposed at the two opposite ends of the indicator  110 , it should be understood that the resilient tabs  122  may be disposed at other suitable locations along the bottom surface  126  of the indicator  110 . 
     During operation, the recesses  145  are adapted to receive and secure the resilient tabs  122  in order to attach the indicator  110  to the top surface  150  of the hanger  120 . Each recess  145  is illustrated as a step-wise recess, but may be embodied as a concave recess, a chamfer or any other suitable receptacle. Moreover, each recess  145  includes a niche  146 , sized and positioned to receive the projection  123  and secure the indicator  110  to the hanger body  140 . Specifically, the niche  146  is designed to allow the indicator  110  to be forcefully snapped into the recesses  145  of the top surface  150 , under the resilient deformation of the tabs  122  of the indicator  110 . 
     The projection  123  has a first surface  147  and a second surface  149 . For example, the first surface  147  is generally horizontal to engage a generally horizontal surface  148  of the niche  146  to inhibit upward motion of the indicator  110  once the indicator  110  is snapped into the hanger  120 . Inversely, where the first surface  147  is sloped upward (not shown in  FIG. 2 ), resistance to removal would be reduced. For example, the second surface  149  is sloped relative to the upward surface  148 , which effectively reduces resistance and aids in ease of engagement with body  140 . 
     The degree of flexibility of the resilient tabs  122  can be manipulated by adjusting the material, thickness, and/or dimensions of each resilient tab  122 . Moreover, the dimensions of the resilient tabs  122  and/or the recesses  145  can be altered to increase or decrease the resistance to removing the indicator  110 . In a preferred embodiment, the indicator  110  is child resistant, as defined by relevant industry standards, e.g., those promulgated by Bureau Veritas Consumer Product Services, Inc. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 3   a - 3   b , the indicator  110  according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in further detail.  FIG. 3   a  shows a top view of the indicator  110 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the indicator  110  includes an opening  118  formed through a top surface  154  of the indicator  110 . In use, the indicator  110  passes over the wire hook  124 , with the wire hook  124  passing through the opening  118 . However, it should be understood that the opening of the indicator can assume any other suitable profile or configuration other than opening  118  in the top surface  154  of the indicator  110 , or even exclude the top surface. For example, the opening can be defined by the side walls  112  and the end walls  114 , connected to each other to provide a generally continuous wrap around the hook  124 . 
     As depicted, the resilient tabs  122  are attached to a central portion  156  of the bottom surface  126  of the sidewalls  114 . In this embodiment, indicator  110  has a generally hollow central cavity (not shown) defined by the side walls  112 , the end walls  114  and the top surface  154  of the indicator  110 . The bottom of the indicator  110  remains open in order to receive the hook  124  during assembly. As the lower neck indicator  110  is pressed into engagement with the hanger body  140 , the tabs  122  are deformed due to their resilience so as to be admitted by the recesses  145 . 
     Furthermore, without departing from the concept of the present invention, different variations, with respect to the location and configuration of the indicator  110 , are also applicable. For example, the indicator  110  does not necessarily pass over the hook  124  to rest around the hook  124 , but rather the indicator  110  may be assembled to the hanger body  140  at any suitable location to provide a best perspective for viewing the content on the indicator. Furthermore, the indicator  110  is not necessarily a closed structure to surround the hook  124 . For example, the indicator  110  may be a partially closed structure hugging the hook  124 , instead of surrounding the hook  124 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3   b , the indicator  110  may also have sizing indicia  158  printed or molded thereon. The indicia  158  may be printed on the sidewalls  112 , as shown, or on the end walls  114 . Additionally, the color of the indicator itself may be indicative. Moreover, the indicia  158  may refer to another characteristic of an article to be hung from the hanger, for example, manufacturer or color, among others. Such indicia  158  maybe combined to refer to multiple and/or independent characteristics. 
     The hanger  120  and/or indicator  110  of the present invention can be molded out of conventional thermoplastic materials via injection molding techniques known to a person of ordinary skill in the art. A typical injection molded plastic, for both the indicator  110  and the hanger  120 , may be one or more of polystyrene, SAN, ABS, PPO, nylon, polypropylene (PP), polyethylene, PET, polycarbonates (PC), acrylics, K-resin, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or others. 
     The present invention has been described herein with respect to certain exemplary or preferred embodiments. Certain alterations and/or modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art, in light of the instant disclosure, without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention. These embodiments are offered as merely illustrative, and not limiting, on the scope of the invention, which is defined solely with reference to the following appended claims.