Patent Abstract:
A product hanger system includes a hanger rail and at least one hanger. The rail has retainers on lateral ends thereof defining grooves for retaining the at least one hanger. The at least one hanger has a mounting tab disposed on one side thereof. The mounting tab has a short dimension selected to fit between the retainers, and a long dimension selected to provide friction fit between the grooves.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Priority is claimed from U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/717,668 filed on Oct. 24, 2012 and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not applicable. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    This disclosure relates generally to the field of retail product displays. More particularly the disclosure relates to hook type hangers for retail product displays and rails for movably securing the hangers. 
         [0004]    Retail product displays include hook type hangers for retail product packages. The hook type hanger holds product packaging through a suitable opening in the packaging. Hook type hangers are made in various designs by which the hangers may be secured to a display device, rack, peg board or other means. Typically, the hook type hangers may be positioned only in certain positions with respect to the securing means, for example, holes at spaced apart locations in a peg board. 
         [0005]    There is a need for a more flexible device for securing product display hooks. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    One aspect is a product hanger system including a hanger rail and at least one hanger. The rail has retainers on lateral ends thereof defining grooves for retaining the at least one hanger. The at least one hanger has a mounting tab disposed on one side thereof The mounting tab has a short dimension selected to fit between the retainers, and a long dimension selected to provide friction fit between the grooves. 
         [0007]    Other aspects and advantages will be apparent from the description and claims which follow. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is an oblique view of an example hanger rail and hook type product hangers secured thereto. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the hanger rail and hangers of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is an end view of an example hanger rail. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a view proximate a bottom end of the example hanger rail. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a view proximate an upper end of the example hanger rail. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is an oblique front view of one of the hangers. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is an oblique front view of one of the hangers. 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a rear view of one of the hangers. 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  shows inserting a hanger into a rail. 
           [0017]      FIG. 10  shows securing the hanger in the rail at a selected position. 
           [0018]      FIG. 11  shows an example of the rail being suspended at a selected distance from a shelf support using an adjustable length support arm. 
           [0019]      FIG. 12  shows an example of an adjustable length support arm. 
           [0020]      FIGS. 13 and 14  show examples of a hook at one end of the support am. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]      FIG. 1  shows an example hanger rail  10  including two hook type retail product hangers  12 , one mounted on each side of the hanger rail  10 . The hangers  12  may include a hook  12 A of any selected length for holding retail product packaging. In the present example, hangers  12  may be mounted on each side of the rail  10 .  FIG. 2  shows the rail  10  and the hangers  12  in side view. 
         [0022]    The example hanger rail  10  is shown in end view in  FIG. 3  to illustrate some of the features thereof. The rail  10  may include a center bar  10 A which supports spaced apart retainers  10 C. The retainers  10 C may be generally “C” shaped and define a groove  10 B between the retainer  10 C and the center bar  10 A. The retainers  10 C may be generally disposed at the lateral ends of the center bar  10 A and on each side thereof so that the grooves  10 B may be defined on both sides of the center bar  10 A. 
         [0023]      FIG. 4  shows a view proximate the bottom of the hanger rail  10 , wherein the retainers ( 10 C in  FIG. 3 ) may be bent inwardly to create stops  10 D. The stops  10 D limit movement of the hangers ( 12  in  FIG. 1 ) so that they cannot fall out of the bottom of the hanger rail  10 . 
         [0024]    An example hanger rail  10  shown in  FIG. 5  may include an opening  11  for insertion of a hook or other device to suspend or mount the hanger rail  10  to a product display, shelf or other device. It is contemplated that the hanger rail  10  will be mounted so that both sides thereof will be accessible, such that retail product packaging may be accessed from both sides of the hanger rail  10 . 
         [0025]      FIGS. 6 and 7  show oblique views of the front of one of the hangers  12 . The hanger  12  may include a faceplate  12 B that covers substantially the entire area of the hanger rail ( 10  in  FIG. 4 ) when the hanger  12  is mounted to the hanger rail. 
         [0026]      FIG. 8  shows a rear view of the example hanger  12 . The rear face of the faceplate  12 B may include a generally rectangular mounting tab  12 C. The mounting tab  12 C may be secured to the faceplate  12 B at a short spacing, such as by a post or similar device (not shown). The hanger  12  as shown may be molded as a single unit from, for example, plastic, or may be assembled from separate components. The mounting tab  12 C has a short dimension that enables free movement thereof into the space between the retainers ( 10 C in  FIG. 3 ) on the hanger rail, and a long dimension that enables a friction or interference fit between the mounting tab  12 C and the grooves ( 10 B in  FIG. 3 ) in the hanger rail. 
         [0027]    As shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , to mount a hanger  12  to the hanger rail  10 , the hanger  12  is inserted into the hanger rail  10  between the retainers oriented transversely to its position in use. To lock the hanger  12  in position, the hanger may be rotated 90 degrees so that the long dimension of the mounting tab ( 12 C in  FIG. 8 ) is disposed across the hanger rail  10  and is friction or interference fit in the grooves ( 10 B in  FIG. 3 ). 
         [0028]      FIG. 11  shows an example of a hanger rail  10  as described with reference to  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  5  suspended a selected distance in front of a shelf support bracket  14 . The shelf support bracket  14  may be of types known in the art that suspends supports using notched tabs on a back side thereof to engage slots  15  in the front face of the shelf support bracket  14 . The support bracket  14  may be affixed to any structure in a manner well known in the art. In the present example, a support arm  16 , such as an adjustable length arm may engage at one end thereof the shelf support bracket  14  at any selected vertical position corresponding to the position of selected ones of the slots  15 . The support arm  16  may be further secured to the shelf support bracket  14  with a threaded fastener  13 . The other end of the support arm  16  may have a hook  18  or similar device attached to or engaged therewith to suspend the hanger rail  10 . An example hook  12  as explained above with reference to  FIGS. 6-10  may be engaged to the hanger rail  10  at a selected axial position. Other examples may include more than one such hook as explained above. 
         [0029]      FIG. 12  shows an example of an adjustable length embodiment of the support arm  16 . A first arm section  16 A may include an elongated slot  16 C to slidingly engage a pin or rivet  19  disposed proximate one end of a second arm section  16 B. The second arm section  16 B may include at its other end notched tabs  21  to engage selected ones of the slots ( 15  in  FIG. 11 ) on the shelf support bracket ( 14  in  FIG. 11 ). A screw and lock nut or wing nut  17  may also be disposed proximate the one end of the second arm section  16 B. Tightening the lock nut or wing nut  17  will fix the position of the first arm section  16 A with respect to the second arm section  16 B, thus fixing the length of the adjustable length embodiment of the support arm  16 . In other examples the support arm  16  may be fixed length. 
         [0030]      FIG. 13  shows a hook  18  affixed to the one end of the support arm, in the present example the support arm being an adjustable version including a first arm section  16 A as explained with reference to  FIG. 12 . The hook  18  may be welded proximate the end of the first arm section  16 A.  FIG. 14  shows another example in which the hook  18  is configured to pass through an opening proximate the one end of the first arm section  16 A. The hook  18  may suspend the hanger rail ( 10  in  FIG. 11 ) as explained with reference to  FIG. 11 . The examples shown in  FIGS. 13 and 14  are equally applicable to both fixed length and adjustable length support arms. 
         [0031]    A hanger and rail combination as described herein may enable more dimensional choices in mounting of product hangers than hangers mounted in fixed positions. 
         [0032]    In other examples, the faceplate ( 12 B in  FIG. 8 ) may be omitted entirely, and the hanger may include only the hook and mounting tab. 
         [0033]    While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments can be devised which do not depart from the scope of the invention as disclosed herein. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be limited only by the attached claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6