Patent Publication Number: US-2009236351-A1

Title: Hangers, package assemblies and methods of readying packages for display

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/069,967 filed on Mar. 18, 2008, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/072,693 filed on Apr. 1, 2008. The complete disclosures of all of the above applications are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety and for all purposes. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Hangers, package assemblies, and methods of readying packages for display are used to package, ship, and display products. Hangers are used to suspend packages from rods or other support members. Package assemblies are used to house products in a package that can be displayed, such as from display rods at retail stores. Further, package assemblies find application in the shipment of packages from one location to another. Methods of packaging a product are used to package a product for shipment and/or for display. 
     The following patents provide examples of devices and methods relevant to hangers, package assemblies, and methods of readying packages for display, and they are expressly incorporated herein by reference for all purposes: U.S. Pat. No. 2,403,834, U.S. Pat. No. 3,065,946, U.S. Pat. No. 3,085,725, U.S. Pat. No. 3,132,742, U.S. Pat. No. 3,215,385, U.S. Pat. No. 3,695,418, U.S. Pat. No. 3,755,859, U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,977, U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,930, U.S. Pat. No. 4,349,102, U.S. Pat. No. 4,368,865, U.S. Pat. No. 4,385,722, U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,655, U.S. Pat. No. 5,013,004, U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,957, U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,284, U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,378, U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,351, U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,528, U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,118, U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,087, U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,760, U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,833, U.S. Pat. No. 6,508,357, U.S. Pat. No. 6,905,024, U.S. Pat. No. 6,920,979, U.S. Pat. No. 7,004,629, U.S. Pat. No. D278291, U.S. Pat. No. D342613, U.S. Pat. No. D447877, U.S. Pat. No. D480566, and U.S. Pat. No. D517917, U.S. Pat. No. D533362, EP454521, GB2032512, and JP2001002123. 
     SUMMARY 
     A hanger may include a body for supporting a package from a rod. A support portion may extend from the body and may define a gap to receive the rod. The body may define a slot for receiving the tab and may include a first major face that fully encloses the slot. The body may also include a living hinge defining a fold axis. The living hinge may extend across the first major face on opposite sides of the slot and extend inline with the slot. In some examples, the support portion includes a J-hook. In some examples, the hanger is incorporated into a package assembly including a package configured to house a product and including a tab, wherein the tab extends through the slot to support the package from the rod with the hanger. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a product package assembly including a hanger having a foldable body. 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the product package assembly of  FIG. 1 , with a portion of a lid removed to show internal components. 
         FIG. 3  is a side elevation cross-sectional view of the product package assembly of  FIG. 1  taken along the line  3 - 3  in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is an isometric view of a hanger including a J-hook for hanging a package from a rod. 
         FIG. 5  is a plan view of the hanger of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a side elevation cross-sectional view of the hanger of  FIG. 4  taken along the line  6 - 6  in  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a plan view of an alternative example of a hanger including a planar face defining a closed gap. 
         FIG. 8  is a flow chart of a method of readying a package for display. 
         FIG. 9  is a more detailed flow chart showing examples the method of  FIG. 8 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Hangers, product display assemblies, and methods of readying a package for display as disclosed in the present disclosure will become better understood through review of the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings and the claims. The detailed description, drawings, and claims provide merely examples of the various inventions described herein. Those skilled in the art will understand that the disclosed examples may be varied, modified, and altered without departing from the scope of the inventions as defined in the claims, and all equivalents to which they are entitled. Many variations are contemplated for different applications and design considerations; however, for the sake of brevity, each and every contemplated variation is not individually described in the following detailed description. 
     Throughout the following detailed description, a variety of examples of hangers, product display assemblies, and methods of readying a package for display are provided. Related reference numbers (e.g.,  12 ,  112 ,  212 ) are used for related features in each example. Related features may be identical, similar, or dissimilar in different examples. For the sake of brevity, related features are not redundantly explained in each example. Instead, the use of related numbers shall cue the reader that the feature with a related number may be similar to the related feature in an example explained previously. Features specific to a given example are described in that particular example. The reader should understand that a given feature need not be the same or similar to the specific portrayal of a related feature in any given figure or example. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1-3 , a product display assembly  10  for displaying a product will now be described. Product display assembly  10  may include a hanger  11  and a package  12 . Hanger  11  may be configured to suspend package  12  from a rod (not shown). Product display assembly  10  may find application in retail shopping environments, manufacturing and shipping settings, and home storage or display of personal memorabilia. 
     Package  12  may define a cavity  14  for housing a product and an opening  16  that provides access to cavity  14 . In the example shown in  FIG. 1 , package  12  includes clear portions  18  and opaque portions  20 . Clear portions  18  allow the contents of cavity  14  to be seen. Either clear portions  18  or opaque portions  20  may provide a surface on which product descriptions, marketing content, labels, and other text or symbols may printed. In some examples, package  12  may be entirely opaque or entirely transparent. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , package  12  may include a lid  22 . Lid  22  may be disposed adjacent to opening  16  and pivot between an open position (shown in dashed lines in  FIG. 1 ) and a closed position (shown in solid lines in  FIG. 1 ). Cavity  14  of package  12  is accessible when lid  22  is in the open position and inaccessible when lid  22  is in the closed position. 
     Package  12  may include a tab  24  for securing lid  22  in a closed position that covers opening  16 . As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , lid  22  may define a lid slot  26  for receiving tab  24  to secure lid  22  in the closed position. As can be seen in  FIGS. 1-3 , tab  24  may project from package  12  adjacent opening  16 . and be configured to insert into lid slot  26  when lid  22  is in the closed position. 
     Tab  24  may be sized larger than lid slot  26  and, accordingly, may be formed of a material that can be readily bent or folded. Bending or folding tab  24  may allow a user to manipulate tab  24  into lid slot  26 . 
     For example, tab  24  may bend or fold relative to a face  27  of package  12  at the tab&#39;s point of attachment to face  27 . Additionally or alternatively, portions of tab  24  may bend or fold relative to other portions of tab  24 . For instance, tab  24  may bend to insert it through lid slot  26  when lid slot  26  has a given dimension that is smaller than the same dimension of tab  24 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , tab  24  defines a trunk  28  having a length D 5  and shoulders  30  having a longer length D 6  extending from trunk  28 . If a length dimension is defined to extend from left to right in  FIG. 2 , tab  24  has a tab length that is longer at shoulders  30  than at trunk  28 . The length of lid slot  26  may be smaller than the length of tab  24  at shoulders  30 . Accordingly, bending or folding shoulders  30  may be necessary to pass tab  24  through lid slot  26 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , shoulders  30  may include a curved leading edge  32  to facilitate inserting tab  24  into the lid slot  26 . Additionally or alternatively, shoulders  30  may include a rectilinear trailing edge  34  to restrict removing tab  24  from lid slot  26 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the length of shoulder  30  may decrease from a maximum length D 6  at the outer end of trailing edge  34 . Similarly, the greater length D 6  of tab  24  at the outer ends of the rectilinear trailing edges  34  relative to the smaller length D 5  of trunk  28  may restrict removing tab  24  from lid slot  26 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , hanger  11  may include a body  40  and a support portion  42  extending from the body. Hanger  11  may also include a living hinge (not pictured in  FIGS. 1-3 , but substantially to living hinges  154  and  254  shown in  FIGS. 4-7 ). The living hinge defines a fold axis about which body  40  may fold. 
     With continued reference to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , body  40  may define a hanger slot  48 . Hanger slot  48  may be aligned with the living hinge such that the fold axis passes across the slot. As shown in  FIG. 1 , hanger slot  48  may be configured to receive tab  24 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , support portion  42  may define a gap  58  to receive a rod. Additionally or alternatively, support portion  42  may define a recess  60  configured to secure hanger  11  to the rod. Thus, the rod may be inserted into gap  58  and seated into recess  60 . 
     Hanger slot  48  may be configured to selectively receive tab  24  to secure hanger  11  to package  12 . In some examples, length D 1  of hanger slot  48  is less than length D 6  of tab  24  at shoulders  30 , which functions to restrict removing tab  24  from hanger slot  48 . In such examples, tab  24  can be rotated relative to hanger slot  48  and a shoulder  30  can be inserted first to fit tab  24  through hanger slot  48 . Additionally or alternatively, tab  24  may be bent or folded to fit tab  24  through hanger slot  48 . 
     In some examples, length D 1  of hanger slot  48  is less than length D 6  of tab  24  that it receives. Hanger slot  48  having a length D 1  less than length D 6  of tab  24  may restrict removal of tab  24 , such as when translating tab  24  through slot  48  is attempted. The lengths of tab  24  and slot  48  may be complementarily configured such that tab  24  must be rotated relative to slot  48  in the plane of tab  24  to pass tab  24  through slot  48 . Restricting removal of tab  24  from slot  48  may be useful to reduce inadvertent removal of tab  24  from slot  48 , while also allowing tab  24  to be intentionally removed when desired. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , hanger slot  48  may be oriented to align with lid slot  26  when lid  22  is in the closed position. Aligning hanger slot  48  with lid slot  26  allows tab  24  to extend through both slots concurrently. Aligning the slots may provide enhanced structural rigidity to product display assembly  10  by further linking the components of product display assembly  10  together. Additionally or alternatively, aligning the slots may help maintain hanger  11  in a given position by sandwiching hanger  11  between lid  22  and package  12 . 
     Shifting attention to  FIGS. 4-6 , a hanger  111  will be described in further detail. As with product display assembly  10  described above, hanger  111  may function to hang or suspend a package from a rod, such as rod  144  shown in dashed lines in  FIG. 5 . Rod  144  may be any structure known in the art for supporting a package assembly. As is well known, rods for supporting package assemblies are used in retail stores to make accessible and display packages. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4-6 , hanger  111  may include a body  140  and a support portion  142  extending from body  140 . Body  140  and support portion  142  may be joined together, and may be formed unitarily of a suitable single continuous material, such as plastic, cardboard, pressboard, or the equivalent. 
     Body  140 , shown in  FIGS. 4-6 , defines a hanger slot  148  extending through body  140 . Hanger slot  148  may be configured to receive a tab of a package such that the tab extends through body  140 , similarly to tab  24  extending through hanger slot  48  in  FIGS. 1-3 . In the examples shown in  FIGS. 4-6 , hanger slot  148  is elongate and has a major dimension extending across a body length D 4 . 
     Body length D 4  extends across body  140  (from left to right in  FIG. 5 ) and in line with the major dimension of hanger slot  148 . As can be seen in  FIG. 5 , length D 1  of slot  148  may be several times as long as its height D 2 , where the height dimension is defined to extend from top to bottom in  FIG. 5 . For completeness, a thickness dimension D 3  extends into the page in  FIG. 5 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , body  140  may include a first major face  150  that fully encloses hanger slot  148 . Fully enclosed means that hanger slot  148  is completely and continuously bound on all sides by body  140 . However, hanger slot  148  may be open through the thickness D 3  of body  140 . As can be seen in  FIGS. 4-6 , body  140  may have a relatively small thickness D 3  compared to the length D 4  of body  140 . A second major face  152  opposite first major face  150  is shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4-6 , body  140  may include a living hinge  154  defining a fold axis  155  for folding body  140 . In the example shown in  FIGS. 4-6 , living hinge  154  allows body  140  to fold approximately 90 degrees about fold axis  155  between a hanging position (shown in solid lines in  FIGS. 4 and 6 ) and a stowed position (shown in dashed lines in  FIGS. 4 and 6 ). In the hanging position, hanger  111  may be configured to hang a package from rod  144 . In the stowed position, hanger  111  may more closely conform to the shape of the package to which it is attached for storage and/or shipping. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , living hinge  154  may include a channel  156 . Additionally or alternatively, living hinge  154  may comprise a perforation, a hinge, or a region of material that has been fatigued to a readily foldable condition. In some examples, living hinge  154  includes a distinct material having different properties than the material forming the rest of body  140 , such as a different stiffness. 
     In the example shown in  FIGS. 4-6 , fold axis  155  extends entirely across first major face  150  on both sides of and in line with the length of hanger slot  148 . In line with hanger slot  148  means that the line of fold axis  155  crosses hanger slot  148 . 
     Positioning fold axis  155  to be in line with hanger slot  148  may improve the folding characteristics of body  140  by reducing the amount of body material that must be folded. As is well known in the art, rigid and semi-rigid materials, such as plastic members, tend to resist being folded. The absence of material defined by hanger slot  148  tends to reduce the amount of body material that must be folded and thus tends to reduce the effort required to fold body  140 . Further, as shown above in  FIGS. 1-3 , when fold axis  155  is aligned with a package tab, support portion  142  may be positioned against an end of a package when in the folded position. 
     Moreover, the folding characteristics of body  140  may be enhanced by having length D 1  of hanger slot  48  longer than the length of fold axis  155  (hanger slot length D 1  is greater than half the body length D 4 ). The longer the length of hanger slot  48  the less the amount of body material that must be folded in examples where fold axis  155  is in line with hanger slot  148 . Accordingly, having a longer length of hanger slot  48  relative to the length of fold axis  155  may reduce the effort required to fold body  140 . 
     Support portion  142  of hanger  111  may extend from the body  140  and define a gap  158  configured to receive a rod  144 . In the example shown in  FIGS. 4-6 , support portion  142  is a J-hook. Support portion  142  may define a recess  160  for seating rod  144  and define an entryway portion  162  that provides a path for rod  144  to reach recess  160 . 
     An alternative example of a hanger  211  is shown in  FIG. 4 . Hanger  211  includes a body  240 , a support portion  242 , a hanger slot  248 , and a living hinge  254 . Body  240 , hanger slot  248  and living hinge  254  (defining fold axis  255 ) are similar to respective corresponding elements of hanger  111 . 
     Support portion  242 , however, differs from support portion  142  of hanger  111  shown in  FIGS. 4-5 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , support portion  242  is a planar member defining a gap  258  and a recess  260 . In the example of hanger  211  shown in  FIG. 7 , support portion  242  fully encloses gap  258 . Similar to slot  248 , gap  258  extends through support portion  242 . 
     Shifting focus to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , a method  300  of readying a package  12  for display on a rod with a hanger  11  is described. Method  300  may be applicable for use with package  12 , which includes a tab  24  and a lid  22  that pivots between an open position and a closed position. Lid  22  may include a lid slot  26  configured to receive tab  24  when lid  22  is in the closed position to selectively secure lid  22  in the closed position. Hanger  11  may include a body  40  and a support portion  42 . Body  40  may define a hanger slot  48 . Support portion  42  may extend from body  40  and include a recess  60  configured to receive the rod from which to hang package  12 . Hanger  11  may include a living hinge defining a fold axis aligned with hanger slot  48 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , method  300  may include inserting a tab of a package into a hanger slot at step  302  to link a hanger and a package together. Further, method  300  may include pivoting a lid of the package into a closed position at step  304 . Method  300  shown in  FIG. 8  may also include inserting a tab into a lid slot at step  306  to secure the lid in the closed position. Additionally or alternatively, method  300  may include folding the body about a fold line in step  308  to cause the hanger to lie flush with the lid for shipping. 
     As further detailed in  FIG. 9 , inserting a tab of a package into a hanger slot  302  may include manipulating the tab  310  to fit through the hanger slot. For example, manipulation  310  may be advantageous if the hanger slot has a length less than the length of the tab. Manipulating the tab  310  may include bending or folding the tab to fit the tab through hanger slot. Additionally or alternatively, manipulating the tab  310  may include rotating the tab through hanger slot. 
     Pivoting a lid of a package into a closed position  304  may restrict access to the contents of the package. That is, in the closed position, the lid may cover an opening providing access to an inner cavity of the package. To access the contents of the package, as shown in  FIG. 9 , the lid may be pivoted to the open position  312  where the lid does not cover the opening. 
     Inserting the tab into the lid slot  306  may include manipulating the tab  316  in a similar manner to manipulating the tab  310  when inserting the tab into the hanger slot  302 . Manipulating the tab  316  may include bending or folding the tab or rotating the tab to pass through the lid slot. In some examples, manipulating the tab  316  to pass the tab through the lid slot is different than manipulating the tab  310  to pass the tab through the hanger slot. However, it should be noted that manipulating the tab  310 ,  316  may not be required to insert the tab into the hanger slot  310  or into the lid slot  318 . 
     As further detailed in  FIG. 9 , method  300  may include aligning the hanger slot with the lid slot  314 . Aligning the slots  314  may simplify inserting the tab through the slots  302 ,  306 . For example, a user may be able to insert the tab through both slots in one motion when the slots are aligned. Further, aligning the slots  314  may enhance the structural rigidity of the package by allowing the tab to link together the lid and the hanger. 
     Folding the body of the hanger  308  may including folding the body about the hanger slot. For example, the fold line may be disposed through the hanger slot to facilitate folding the hanger  308  about the hanger slot. Folding the hanger  308  about the hanger slot  308  may reduce the effort required to fold the hanger  308 . Reduced effort to fold the hanger may result from the hanger slot providing an absence of body material to resist folding. 
     Folding the body of the hanger  308  may help increase the packing efficiency of the package by causing the hanger to more closely conform to the shape of the package. For example, the package may be in the shape of a polyhedron and folding the body of the hanger  308  could cause it to conform to two flat faces of the polyhedron. Folding the body of the hanger  308  may also help protect the hanger from becoming damaged during shipping. 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     The hangers, product display assemblies, and methods of readying a package for display described herein are applicable to the packaging, shipping marketing, and retail shopping industries. 
     The hangers, product display assemblies, and methods of readying a package for display described above may be alternatively described as follows: 
     A hanger for hanging a package having a tab from a rod, comprising a body for supporting the package, the body defining a slot through the body for receiving the tab and including a major face that fully encloses the slot, and a living hinge defining a fold axis for folding the body, the living hinge extending across the major face on opposite sides of the slot and extending inline with the slot, and a support portion extending from the body and defining a gap configured to receive the rod. 
     A product display assembly for displaying a product comprising a package defining a cavity for housing the product and an opening providing access to the cavity, the package including a lid that is disposed adjacent to the opening and that pivots between an open position where the cavity is accessible and a closed position where the cavity is inaccessible, the lid defining a lid slot, a tab extending from a side of the package adjacent to the opening, the tab being configured to extend through the lid slot when the lid is in the closed position to selectively secure the lid in the closed position, and a hanger configured to suspend the package from a rod and including a body that defines a hanger slot configured to selectively receive the tab to secure the package to the hanger for supporting package from the rod, and a support portion extending from the body and including a gap configured to receive the rod. 
     A method of readying a package for display on a rod with a hanger, the package including a tab and a lid that pivots between an open position and a closed position, the lid including a lid slot configured to receive the tab when the lid is in the closed position to selectively secure the lid in the closed position, the hanger including a body and a support portion, the body defining a body slot and including a living hinge defining a fold axis for folding the body, the support portion extending from the body and including a gap configured to receive the rod from which to hang the package, the method comprising the steps of: inserting the tab of the package into the hanger slot to link the hanger and the package together, pivoting the lid into the closed position, inserting the tab into the lid slot to secure the lid in the closed position, and folding the body of the hanger along the fold axis to lie flush with the lid for shipping. 
     It is believed that the disclosure set forth above encompasses multiple distinct inventions with independent utility. While each of these inventions has been disclosed in a particular form, the specific embodiments thereof as disclosed and illustrated herein are not to be considered in a limiting sense as numerous variations are possible. The subject matter of the inventions includes all novel and non-obvious combinations and subcombinations of the various elements, features, functions and/or properties disclosed herein, and equivalents of them. Where the disclosure or subsequently filed claims recite “a” or “a first” element or the equivalent thereof, it is within the scope of the present inventions that such disclosure or claims may be understood to include incorporation of one or more such elements, neither requiring nor excluding two or more such elements. 
     Applicants reserve the right to submit claims directed to other combinations and subcombinations that are directed to one or more of the disclosed inventions and are believed to be novel and non-obvious. Inventions embodied in other combinations and subcombinations of features, functions, elements and/or properties may be claimed through amendment of these claims or presentation of new claims in this or a related application. Such amended or new claims, whether they are directed to a different invention or directed to the same invention, whether different, broader, narrower or equal in scope to the original claims, are also regarded as included within the subject matter of the inventions of the present disclosure.