Patent Publication Number: US-2003222107-A1

Title: Garment hanger

Description:
[0001] This application is a continuation of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29/157,009 filed Mar. 12, 2002. 
    
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] The present invention relates to hangers generally, and more particularly to hangers having removal-resistant information tabs.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003] Garment hangers with information markers or tabs are known. Such information markers are used to associate a hanger with a particularly sized garment, i.e., small, medium, large, extra large and so on. The distinguishing features on the markers may be words that designate a size, or a different color used for each size, or a combination of words and colors as the case may be.  
       [0004] For ease of manufacture and assembly, an information marker is usually shaped like a clip that is slipped onto an information marker holder formed on the hanger. The information marker is secured to the information marker holder usually through a combination of the design of the information marker holder and the information marker. In other words, barriers are designed into the hanger near the attachment location of the information marker to prevent a so-called “finger purchase” of the information marker, which would allow someone to easily remove the information marker from the hanger.  
       [0005] Much effort has been directed to designing hangers and information markers that are child-resistant, wherein the information marker is difficult to remove by a child without at least the use of a tool. Because the information markers are relatively small and usually brightly colored, there is always a concern that a child will attempt to remove an information marker from a hanger and swallow and/or choke on the same. Thus, there is a need to insure that a hanger designed to accommodate an information marker is designed to prevent inadvertent or unintentional removal of the information marker. The present inventors have fulfilled such need with the unique hanger design of the present invention.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006] A garment hanger comprises a first support for hanging the garment hanger, a second support provided for the placement of garments, an information marker holder extending between the first and second supports for the placement of an information marker thereon, a web provided between the first and second supports and extending in a direction toward the information marker holder, and at least one raised member extending across the web for preventing finger purchase of an information marker when such information marker is attached to the information marker holder. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0007]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a garment hanger of the present invention.  
     [0008]FIG. 2 is a front view thereof.  
     [0009]FIG. 3 is a right side view thereof.  
     [0010]FIG. 4 is a front view thereof with an information marker installed thereon.  
     [0011]FIG. 5 is a front view of an alternative embodiment of a garment hanger of the present invention.  
     [0012]FIG. 6 is a front view of a further alternative embodiment of a garment hanger of the present invention.  
     [0013]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of yet a further alternative embodiment of a garment hanger of the present invention.  
     [0014]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of yet a further alternative embodiment of a garment hanger of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
     [0015] The following detailed description is of the best mode or modes of the invention presently contemplated. Such description is not intended to be understood in a limiting sense, but to be an example of the invention presented solely for illustration thereof, and by reference to which in connection with the following description and the accompanying drawings one skilled in the art may be advised of the advantages and construction of the invention. In the various views of the drawings, like reference characters designate like or similar parts.  
     [0016] FIGS.  1 - 4  illustrate one embodiment of a garment hanger  50  of the present invention comprising a first preferably hook-shaped support  60  having a free end  62  and a base  64 , and a second support  70  having a pair of second support arms  72  and  74 . The first support  60  is provided for hanging said garment hanger  50  from a closet rod (not shown), wall hook (not shown) or the like, while the second support  70  is provided for support garments thereon. A web  80  is defined between said first and second supports  60 ,  70  respectively and is preferably bounded between an upper surface  66  defined along said first support  60 , a lower surface  76  defined along said second support  70  and an intersection  82  defined between said first and second supports  60 ,  70  near the base  64  of the first support  60 . An information marker holder  90  extends between said first and second supports  60 ,  70  for supporting an information marker  100  (FIG. 4) thereon and, in the embodiments shown in the figures provided herein, is spaced from the web  80  by a gap  110 , which gap  110  is bounded by the upper and lower surfaces  66 ,  76  of the first and second supports  60 ,  70 , and edges  84 ,  94  of the web  80  and information marker holder  90  respectively. The presence of a gap  110  between the web  80  and information marker holder  90  is not a critical feature of the present invention, but is merely reflective of the embodiments described herein. For instance, the garment hanger of the present invention could be configured so that the web terminates at the information marker holder as is known in the art (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,583 to Zuckerman).  
     [0017] The discussion above reflects the basic elements of prior art hangers having information marker holders. Using FIGS.  1 - 4  as an example, in prior art hangers, once the information marker  100 , usually in the shape of a clip, is attached to the information marker holder  90 , the edge  84  of the web  80  is configured to prevent finger purchase of the free ends (not shown) of the information marker  100 . This is usually accomplished by providing a raised ridge (not shown) along the edge  84  of the web  80  on each side of the hanger  50 , which prevents access to the edges of the information marker  100  (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,101 to Norman et al.). Such raised ridge (not shown) usually extends along the edge  80  from the first support  60  to the second support  70  along the same direction as the information marker holder  90 , and is usually positioned parallel to the information marker holder  90 .  
     [0018] In the garment hanger of the present invention as shown in the embodiments of FIGS.  1 - 8 , at least one raised member  120  (FIGS.  1 - 4 ) is provided on the web  80  extending across the web  80  and preferably in a direction that is generally perpendicular to the information marker holder  90 . In other words, the at least one raised member  120  extends in a direction from the base  64  of the first support  60 , or the intersection  82  of the first and second supports  60 ,  70 , toward the information marker holder  90 . In the embodiments of FIGS.  1 - 4 , the raised member  120  extends from the lower surface  76  of the second support  70  (near the intersection  82 ) to the edge  84  of the web  80  on either side of the hanger  50  (FIG. 3). Since an information marker  100  is usually clipped around both sides of the information marker holder  90 , it preferable to have a raised member  120  on both sides of the web  80  as shown in FIG. 3. The termination of the raised member  120  along the edge  84  of the web  80  functions to prevent a finger purchase of an information marker  100  attached to the information marker holder  90 , at least along the center of the web  80 . For purposes of illustrating the remaining embodiments, it will be understood that the raised member(s) are provided on at least one, and preferably both sides of the described garment hangers.  
     [0019]FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a garment hanger  52  of the present invention, wherein two raised members  130 ,  140  extend along the web  80  toward the information marker holder  90  to prevent finger purchase of an information marker (see FIG. 4) secured thereto. Raised member  130  extends from the upper surface  66  of the first support  60  to the edge  84  of the web  80 , while raised member  140  extends from the lower surface  76  of the second support  70  to the edge  84  of the web  80 . In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the raised members  130 ,  140  are situated in a generally parallel configuration and are both substantially perpendicular to the information marker holder  90 . The plurality of raised members  130 ,  140  prevent a finger purchase of an information marker at least along the upper and lower sections of the web  80 .  
     [0020]FIG. 6 illustrates a further alternative embodiment of a garment hanger  54  of the present invention, wherein three raised members  150 ,  160  and  170  extend along the web  80  toward the information marker holder  90  to prevent finger purchase of an information marker (see FIG. 4) secured thereto. Raised member  150  extends from the upper surface  66  of the first support  60  to the edge  84  of the web  80 , raised member  160  extends from the intersection  82  to the edge  84  of the web and raised member  170  extends from the lower surface  76  of the second support  70  to the edge  84  of the web  80 . In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the raised members  150 ,  160  and  170  are also situated in a generally parallel configuration and are substantially perpendicular to the information marker holder  90 . The plurality of raised members  160 ,  170  and  180  prevent a finger purchase of an information marker along a majority of the edge  84  of the web  80 .  
     [0021]FIG. 7 illustrates yet a further alternative embodiment of a garment hanger  56  of the present invention, wherein three raised members  180 ,  190  and  200  extend along the web  80  toward the information marker holder  90  to prevent finger purchase of an information marker (see FIG. 4) secured thereto. Each of said three raised members  180 ,  190  and  200  extends at a different angle relative to the intersection  82  between the first and second supports  60 ,  70 . Raised member  180  extends substantially parallel to the upper surface  66  of the first support, raised member  200  extends substantially parallel to the lower surface  76  of the second support  70  and raised member  190  extends substantially perpendicular to the information marker holder  90 . In the embodiment of FIG. 6, each of the raised members  180 ,  190  and  200  extends between an origin region  210  and the edge  84  of the web  80 .  
     [0022]FIG. 8 illustrates yet a further alternative embodiment of a garment hanger  58  of the present invention, wherein an asterisk-shaped raised member  220  extends along the web  80  to prevent finger purchase of an information marker (see FIG. 4) secured to the information marker holder  90 . Raised member  220  is provided with arms  221 - 226  that originate near the center of the web  80  and extend to the upper and lower surfaces  66 ,  76  of the first and second supports  60 ,  70  and the edge  84  of the web  80 . Of course, while six arms are illustrated, more arms or fewer arms may be provided as desired.  
     [0023] While the present invention has been described at some length and with some particularity with respect to the several described embodiments, it is not intended that it should be limited to any such particulars or embodiments or any particular embodiment, but it is to be construed with references to the appended claims so as to provide the broadest possible interpretation of such claims in view of the prior art and, therefore, to effectively encompass the intended scope of the invention. For instance, which various configurations of raised members are illustrated, it will be understood that other configurations are contemplated to prevent figure purchase of an information marker secured to an information marker holder. Furthermore, the foregoing describes the invention in terms of embodiments foreseen by the inventor for which an enabling description was available, notwithstanding that insubstantial modifications of the invention, not presently foreseen, may nonetheless represent equivalents thereto.