Patent Publication Number: US-8123031-B2

Title: Hang tag system

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/955,853 filed Aug. 14, 2007. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to an improved merchandise display tag system, and more particularly, to a merchandise display tag system by which merchandise, such as a pair of gloves, can be removably attached to a hanging display tag. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Merchandise display tags are a well known device for hanging articles of merchandise from display racks and many ways have been developed to attach merchandise to display tags including, for example, adhesives, straps, tags, chains, bindings, staples, pins, clasps, clips and screws. A display tag not only holds the item of merchandise being displayed but generally presents useful information to a consumer about the product. Sometimes, however, display tags can unduly interfere with close examination or inspection of the merchandise. For example, display tags are commonly attached to a pair of gloves, like many articles of clothing, with plastic T-barb or loop fasteners that must pass through a portion of the glove material. This has two disadvantages. First, many gloves are constructed using a combination of elastic material and a rugged, wear-resistant material, e.g., leather, suede, or a durable nonwoven polymer. Passing the fastener through the rugged material creates an unwanted permanent hole. Second, since elastic materials are generally comprised of a mesh of woven fibers, each of which fibers is relatively weak, passing or pushing the fastener through the elastic material when initially attaching the fastener can result in damage to the material. In addition, normal handling of the glove by consumers and retail personnel can result in the fastener tearing out of and damaging the material. In particular, this may happen when a customer tries on a glove. Doing so can cause the loop or T-barb fastener to catch when pulled, resulting in stress on the material and unintended damage to the product. There is, therefore, a need for a display tag system that does not damage the goods when being attached, and that reduces or avoids entirely damage to the goods from handling while the product is being merchandised. Particularly, with respect to gloves, there is a need for a display tag system that facilitates a consumer trying on a displayed glove without interference from attached the display tag. In some circumstances it may be beneficial to be able to remove merchandise temporarily from a display tag in order to reduce consumer frustration and improve the shopping experience. 
     Commonly, display tags are attached to merchandise in such a way that the tag or a connecting element of the tag must be destroyed to separate the tag from the merchandise. Thus, if after detaching the tag from the merchandise the consumer chooses not to purchase the merchandise, or if the display tag accidentally becomes separated from the merchandise, the display tag may be reattached only with makeshift methods. Merchandise without an originally attached display tag may not meet consumer expectations for new and undamaged goods and, therefore, can be more difficult to sell. A substantial amount of time is spent by retail personnel reattaching removed display tags to merchandise and redisplaying the merchandise, all at considerable cost and frustration to the retailer. 
     It is beneficial to present an orderly display of goods and still be able to detach and reattach an item of interest from its display tag, especially when many items of merchandise are crowded into limited space on a display rack. Limiting the twisting and swinging movement of displayed merchandise helps to maintain order and organization on the display rack and prevents merchandise and display tags from becoming separated. 
     Accordingly, when a customer will be directly examining merchandise on display, there is a need for a reattachable merchandise display tag, especially one which avoids collateral damage to the merchandise incurred from attaching the display tag. A further need exists for a display tag system that limits twisting and swinging movement of items of merchandise hung from display tags. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a hang tag system according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the hang tag system shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded side elevation view of the hang tag system shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the hang tag system taken along line  4 - 4  as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT 
     An improved merchandise display tag system  10  comprising a display card or tag  12 , flap  14  and fastener  16 , is generally indicated in  FIG. 1 . The fastener  16  is used to removably attach the flap  14  to the display tag  12 . Referring to  FIG. 2 , the fastener  16  includes a screw  18  and a nut  20 , both of which may be constructed from a wide range of materials including various metals and plastics. The screw  18  comprises a cylindrical threaded post  22  and a substantially flat head  24 . 
     The nut  20  is substantially planar, preferably having a generally circular shape. A knurled outer surface  26  of the nut  20  serves as a gripping surface for holding and turning the nut  20  about the threaded post  22 . A threaded hole  28  in the nut  20  is sized for mating engagement with the threaded post  22  of the screw  18 . In one embodiment not illustrated, the nut  20  is shaped as a cap which, when engaged with the screw  18 , covers the distal end surface of the post  22 . 
     According to the invention, the flap  14  may be attached to virtually any article of merchandise to be displayed from a display tag. In the illustrated embodiment, an attachment flap  14  is attached to each one of a pair of gloves  30 . Each flap  14  has an opening  32  sized to receive the post  22  of the screw  18 . A lower attachment edge  34  of the flap  14  is attached to the anterior portion of the glove&#39;s hand opening edge  36 . While it is possible to attach the flap  14  to any part of the glove  30 , it is generally preferable to attach it to that portion of the glove constructed of the more durable materials discussed above, rather than to portions of the glove made from elastic materials. It should be noted that some styles of gloves have a band or cuff of elastic material extending away from the hand opening edge  36  for hugging the wrist. In those glove styles, which are not here illustrated, it is preferable to attach the flap  14  to the more durable material, such as at the edge of the durable material surrounding the wrist immediately adjacent the elastic cuff, to provide a more secure attachment of the display tag  12  to the glove  30 . However, it is intended that this invention embrace attachment of the flap  14  anywhere on the glove  30  or other item of merchandise. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the flap  14  is sewn to the glove  30  at seam  38 . As will be readily appreciated, the flap  14  may be attached to the glove  30  by numerous other means familiar to those skilled in the art. In the illustrated embodiment, the shape of the flap  14  is substantially elliptical, but it will be understood that the flap  14  may be constructed of any suitable material in any size and shape appropriate for use with a particular item of merchandise and the display tag  12 . It may be particularly desirable to construct the flap with the same material used in the construction of the merchandise for maximum integration of the flap with the merchandise. 
     The tag  12  includes an aperture  40  sized to receive the post  22 . The head  24  and nut  20  each have a diameter larger than the aperture  40 . In the illustrated embodiment, the aperture  40  is located in the middle of the tag  12  such that a substantial bottom portion  42  of the tag  12  extends below the aperture  40  to the bottom edge  44  of the tag  12 . In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the top of the tag  12  has a hook shaped opening  46  which serves as a hanging part or portion from which to hang the tag  12 . It will be readily understood that numerous other configurations and parts may serve as a hanging portion including clips, clamps, pins, hooks, clasps, latches and links. The display tag  12  may be made in any desired shape and size and of any suitable material such as metal, plastic, paper and, frequently, paperboard which has favorable lightness and rigidity characteristics. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2-4 , the components of the hang tag system  10  are disposed so that each of the flaps  14 A,  14 B lays flat against the one of the surfaces  48 ,  50  of the tag  12 , with the flap opening  32  of each flap aligned with aperture  40 . When fully assembled the post  22  of the fastener  16  extends through the flap opening  32  of each flap  14 A,  14 B and the tag aperture  40 , and the nut  20  is fastened onto screw  18 , thereby capturing flaps  14 A and  14 B in the gaps between the tag  12  and the head  24  and the tag  12  and nut  20 , respectively. In this configuration, the bottom portion  42  of the tag  12  extends substantially below the aperture  40  and is interposed between the pair of gloves  30  providing thereby a rigid lateral backing for the upper parts of the adjacent gloves  30  and minimizing any twisting and swinging movement of the gloves  30 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment a first flap  14 A is adjacent to the front surface  48  of tag  12  and a second flap  14 B is adjacent to the back surface  50  of tag  12 . Since each tag  12  is attached to the anterior portion of the hand opening edge  36 , the anterior sides  52  of the gloves are brought into facing relation and the posterior sides  54  of the gloves, which generally carry more aesthetic interest, are presented outwardly for display. This arrangement has the additional advantages that it forces the gloves  30  to lay flat against the tag  12  for an orderly presentation, and that the bottom portion  42  of the tag  12  minimizes any potential swinging or flapping motion of the gloves  30  relative to the tag  12 . Furthermore, the flap  14 , rather than the glove  30 , tends to absorb any damage which may be caused by the fastener  16 , thereby preserving the glove. This is because only the flap  14 , not the glove  30 , is in contact with the fastener  16 . Moreover, since the fastener  16  attaches to the flap  14 , not the glove  30 , there is no need to make a hole in the glove  30  to attach the tag  12 . 
     The hang tag system  10  may be quickly assembled at a manufacturing facility by aligning the opening  32  of each flap  14  with the aperture  40  of the tag  12  as shown in  FIG. 2 . The post  22  is inserted through the flap openings  40  and tag aperture  40 . If the screw  18  or nut  20  are fabricated from a suitably flexible material, the nut  20  may be pressed over the threaded post  22  of the screw  18  for a secure snap-fit attachment. In the illustrated embodiment the flat head  24  of screw  18  provides a pressable surface  56  disposed perpendicular to the post  22  which facilitates finger-tip snap-fitting of the screw  18  into the nut  20 . As seen in  FIG. 4 , the post  22  is short enough that it does not interfere with press-fitting of the nut  20  onto the screw  18 . Inwardly projecting annular ridge  58  on nut  20  has a diameter smaller than aperture  40  of tag  12 . Ridge  58  constrains movement of the nut  20  and screw  18  in aperture  40  and will compress portions of flap  14  immediately adjacent post  22  into aperture  40  when screw  18  and nut  20  are fully tightened, holding product firmly on the tag  12 . 
     The hang tag system  10  may be disassembled by gripping the knurled outer surface  26  of the nut  20  and unscrewing it from the threaded post  22 . By completely removing the nut  20  from the post  22 , the flaps  14  and the tag  12  may be separated from each other and the post  22 . Consequently, the merchandise attached to the flaps  14  may be fully removed from the display tag  12 , or vice versa, without destroying the fastener, such that the merchandise is fully accessible for inspection and trial use by a customer. Placement of the flaps  14  on the anterior side of the hand opening edge  36  of the gloves  30  also has the advantage that access by a consumer to the hand opening is completely unrestricted. Moreover, since the flap is flexible, the body of the glove can pull away from the display tag just enough that a customer may try on one or the other of the gloves  30  with no interference from the display tag or fastener. 
     Another advantage of the present hang tag system  10  is that the tag  12 , flaps  14 , and fastener  16  are all reusable after disassembly. Thus, separation of a display tag from merchandise need not be irreparable because the hang tag system  10  is capable of being quickly and easily restored to its original configuration. 
     While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described and disclosed, it will be recognized by those with skill in the art that modifications are within the true spirit and scope of the invention.