Patent Abstract:
A crown-type sizer for mounting on a hanger includes a body and a hook extending from a mid-point of the body. The sizer includes a pair of parallel walls and a pair of non-parallel walls, each wall of the non-parallel walls being joined to each wall of the parallel walls, the pairs of walls defining a lower open base and an open base in an upper part of the sizer for passing over the hook. Each of the parallel walls has a single boss disposed in a corner of the respective parallel wall and each non-parallel wall is shorter in height than at least one parallel wall.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. Ser. No. 13/402,183 filed Feb. 22, 2012, which is pending and which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. 
     U.S. Ser. No. 13/402,183 is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. Ser. No. 12/586,253 filed Sep. 18, 2009, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,141,756, and which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. 
     U.S. Ser. No. 12/586,253 claims priority to Italian Application VI2009A000091 filed Apr. 27, 2009, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a crown-type sizer to be mounted onto a hanger. More particularly, this invention relates to the combination of a hanger, preferably for underwear, lingerie and similar items, with a crown-type sizer. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     The use of crown-type sizers is particularly widespread in many sectors, in particular in the large-scale retail trade to identify the products on sale. 
     In the current state of the art, many known crown sizers have the drawback of being easily detachable from their positioning seat. Such easy removal involves the risk of hangers having missing crown sizers and therefore the risk of having some products exchanged with others by ill-intentioned people during warehouse management or in the stores where the goods are on sale. This negative circumstance can happen in particular when the crown sizer is applied onto clothes hangers for garment size identification marking. 
     Moreover, since the clothes hangers are normally present in domestic environments, a further risk exists that, since the sizers can be attractive to children due to their reduced size and to their color, they can in particular be mistaken for candy and thus be swallowed, precisely because they are easily detachable. 
     In the state of art, such as shown in U.S. Design Pat. No. D528,807, in order to prevent such negative possibilities, crown-type sizers have been devised, which are assembled onto a hanger in an integral manner, making them much more difficult to detach and remove; moreover, the possible removal compromises the integrity of the support to the point of making re-use of the hanger for different sized garments impossible. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,240,813 and U.S. Design Pat. No. D510,198 as well as published US 2006/006204 describe examples of crown-type sizers for use with hangers having a metal hook that extends perpendicularly from a clothes hanger body. However, these sizers can not easily be applied onto a hanger made entirely from plastic, as far as the body as well as the hook are concerned, as the hook extends at an angle other than 90.degree. with respect to the body, before taking on the rounded shape of the hook itself. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a crown-type sizer for use on hangers for garments, which can be positioned in a corresponding seat so that the sizer becomes very resistant to possible removal attempts. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a crown-type sizer that can be applied onto a hanger entirely made from plastic and which has a plastic hook which extends from a body of the clothes hanger at an angle other than 90.degree. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a crown-type sizer for hangers, which is aesthetically pleasing when is applied onto a plastic hanger. 
     Briefly, the invention provides a crown-type sizer that can be applied onto a plastic hanger having a body and an integral hook extending upwards from the body itself, which consists of a peripheral wall which defines an open base at a bottom end and an open base in the upper part to allow the sizer to pass over the hanger hook. 
     Moreover, on one of the walls of the sizer there is at least one protrusion boss for engaging the sizer onto the hanger and to ensure that the sizer remains blocked on the hanger itself. 
     Specifically, the peripheral wall of the sizer includes a pair of, preferably trapezium-shaped, longitudinal sides and a pair of, preferably rectangle-shaped, transverse sides, to form a prism-shaped encasing structure with both bases open and thus to form a sizer which is different and opposite the so called “side” sizer or the classic sizer inserted from the top, as known in the state of art. 
     Moreover, the longitudinal sides of the peripheral wall have a greater height than that of the transverse sides so as to form a recess or undercut suitable for receiving the body of the hanger; all of this imparts stability to the sizer with respect to the possibility of twisting on the hook of the hanger. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the hook of the hanger has a groove or cavity that extends along one side and a protrusion inside the groove, whereas the sizer has a protrusion boss on each of the two opposite sides of the peripheral wall to selectively lock into the groove and for engaging with and under the protrusion in the groove to secure the sizer onto the hanger. The presence of the double protrusions on the two sides of the peripheral wall allows the sizer to be placed over the end part of the hook of a hanger that can be indifferently oriented in either one of two possible directions. 
     In the embodiment in which the hook of the hanger extends from the body of the hanger by an angle other than 90.degree. before taking on the shape of a hook, the protrusion bosses on the peripheral wall allow the sizer to correctly “fit” the hanger, being kept in the correct position by the protrusion located inside the groove of the hook of the hanger. 
     Moreover, the hook of the hanger is tapered at the free end part so that the free end part of the hook has a thickness which is smaller than the space between a protrusion boss and the opposite side of the peripheral wall of the sizer. 
     In this embodiment, in order to be able to mount the sizer onto a hanger, the aforementioned sizer is positioned above the tapered end part of the hook and then moved along the hook itself. As the sizer moves along the hook, a protrusion boss of the sizer enters into the groove located on the hook thereby limiting the side-to-side movement of the sizer with respect to the hook. 
     Continued movement of the sizer brings the protrusion boss on the sizer into abutment with the protrusion of the hook. At that time, the sizer is forced toward the body of the hanger to allow the protrusion boss of the sizer to snap under the protrusion in the groove of the hook, with a “click”, typical of a snap-in locking. 
     In order to facilitate such an operation, each protrusion boss on the sizer is tapered to facilitate the sliding above the protrusion of the hook towards the body of the hanger and, at the same time, to resist a reverse movement, which must be activated in order to detach the sizer from the hook. 
     The dimensions of the sizer and of the hanger are such that when a protrusion boss of the sizer snaps-in under the protrusion located in the groove of the hook, the rectangular transverse sides of the peripheral wall of the sizer come to rest on the cross bar of the hanger, arranged in the recess defined in the upper part of the sizer. 
     Moreover, the upper surface of each protrusion boss of the sizer is flat, as well as perpendicular to the plane of the peripheral wall of the sizer and is therefore opposite the surface of the protrusion on the hook of the hanger. This blocks the sizer from coming off the body of the hanger after having being applied through the aforementioned snap-in operation. 
     The sizer is particularly useful on a plastic hanger having a hook which extends in a direction opposite the body with an angle other than 90.degree., before taking on the typical hook shape. With such a configuration of the hook, the width of the sizer must be significantly greater than the width of the filiform body which forms the hook, so as to form a space inside of which the hook can extend, with its particular angle. Such a considerable width of the sizer provides a relatively large area for size indicia or other advertising script on the longitudinal walls. 
     Finally, the offset and asymmetric arrangement of the protrusion bosses inside the sizer allows the sizer to be positioned on the body of the hanger from the moment in which the sizer engages under the protrusion located in the groove of the hook which is arranged laterally with respect to the point in which the hook merges with the body of the hanger. 
     In another embodiment, a sizer is provided where the protrusion, bosses are spaced apart at a greater distance than the width of the hook of a hanger so that when the sizer is initially slid over the hook, the protrusion bosses are disposed outside of the hook. Once the sizer is seated onto the hanger body, the sizer is slid laterally, i.e. sideways, to slide one or the other of the protrusion bosses into the groove of the hanger hook and under the protrusion of the hook thereby snapping the sizer into place. 
     In a third embodiment, a sizer is provided that can be slid onto a hook of a hanger and blocked in place as in the first embodiment or that can be slid onto a hook of a hanger and laterally moved into place as in the second embodiment. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a front view of a hanger at the time a crown sizer in accordance with the invention is to be mounted on the hook thereof; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a front view of the hanger of  FIG. 1  with a crown sizer in accordance with the invention in place; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a part perspective view of the hanger and sizer of  FIG. 1  during sliding of the sizer over the hook of the hanger in accordance with the invention; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a view similar to  FIG. 3  with the sizer blocked onto the hook of the hanger in accordance with the invention; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a perspective side view of the sizer of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a top view of the sizer of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a view of the sizer and hanger taken on line VII-VII of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a part perspective view of a hook with a second embodiment of a sizer according to the invention; 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a front side view of the sizer and hanger of  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 10  illustrates a view taken on line X-X of  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 11  illustrates a perspective view of the sizer of  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 12  illustrates a top view of the sizer of  FIG. 11 ; 
         FIG. 13  illustrates a broken longitudinal front side view of the sizer of  FIG. 11 ; 
         FIG. 14  illustrates a transverse side view of the sizer of  FIG. 11 ; 
         FIG. 15  schematically illustrates the manner of sliding the sizer of  FIG. 8  onto a hanger hook in accordance with the invention; 
         FIG. 15A  illustrates a view taken on line XV-XV of  FIG. 15 ; 
         FIG. 16  illustrates the position of the sizer of  FIG. 8  on the hanger immediately prior to snapping into place; 
         FIG. 16A  illustrates a view taken on line XVI-XVI of  FIG. 16 ; 
         FIG. 17  illustrates the position of the sizer of  FIG. 8  on the hanger after being snapped into place in accordance with the invention; 
         FIG. 17A  illustrates a view taken on line XVII-XVII of  FIG. 17 ; and the position of the sizer of  FIG. 8  on the hanger immediately prior to snapping into place; and 
         FIG. 18  illustrates a perspective view of a further embodiment of a sizer in accordance with the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As can be seen in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the hanger  1  consists of a monolithic structure of an item made from plastic suitable for its purpose including a body  2 , equipped at the two ends with a clip structure  2 . 1 , suitable for holding one or more lingerie, underwear and similar clothing items, and a hook  3 , which extends upwards from the mid-point of the body  2  and with a lower portion  3 . 1  oriented with an angle to the body  2  which is less than 90.degree. 
     The hook  3  has a rear portion which is smooth and coplanar with the rear part of the body  2  and a front part where there is a channel-shaped groove  4 , which extends for the entire longitudinal length of the hook  3 . The groove also extends for the entire length of the body  2 . 
     A tab  5  in the form of an integral protrusion is disposed in the groove  4  at the inclined portion  3 . 1 . The tab  5  extends across the entire width of the channel-shaped groove  4  and is positioned parallel to the body  1  with a lower wall  5 . 1  and, possibly also an upper wall  5 . 2  flat (see  FIG. 7 ). 
     A sizer  10  is fitted onto the hook  2  and blocks itself on the body  1  being kept in position by the tab  5 , in a manner described hereafter. 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 5 , the sizer  10  comprises a peripheral wall which defines an open base “B 1 ” in the lower part and a further open base “B 2 ” in the upper part to allow the hook  3  of the hanger  1  to pass inside the sizer  10 . 
     The peripheral wall of the sizer  10  is defined by two preferably trapezium-shaped longitudinal walls  11  and by two rectangle-shaped transverse walls  12 , the longitudinal walls  11  having a greater height than the two transverse walls  12 , so as to define a recess  13  suitable for receiving the body  2  of the hanger  1  through lock coupling, when the sizer is positioned. 
     The sizer  10  is equipped with two protrusion bosses  14  and  15  protruding inside the two longitudinal walls  11  which are in contact with the tab  5  of the hook  2 , when the sizer  10  is in position, ensuring, in such a way, that the sizer  10  is blocked onto the hanger. The two protruding bosses  14  and  15  are on the upper part of the two longitudinal walls  11  and are arranged opposite one another and symmetrically with respect to the mid-point “K” ( FIG. 6 ) of the upper opening “B 2 ”. 
     Each of the two bosses  14  and  15  has a profile which is tapered towards the lower base “B 1 ” in order to facilitate the sliding of the sizer  10  over the sides of the hook  3  into the groove  4  as well as over the tab  5  of the hook  2  during the movement towards the body  2  of the sizer  10 . 
     In order to mount the sizer  10  onto the hanger  1 , the open lower base “B 1 ” of the sizer is positioned above the free tapered part  3 . 2  ( FIG. 3 ) of the hook  3 , which has a thickness which is less than the distance between the projections of the two bosses  14  and  15  of the sizer, which is thus free to move sideways. 
     Once a boss  14  of the sizer  10  is positioned inside the channel-shaped groove  4  of the hook  3 , the sizer  10  is guided by the channel-shaped groove  4 . 
     With the continuous movement along the hook  3 , the sizer  10  comes into contact, slides and snaps under the tab  5 , which crosses the channel-shaped groove  4 . In such a final position, the upper surface  14 . 1  of the boss  14  of the sizer is positioned below the lower wall  5 . 1  of the tab  5  of the hook; in such a way the sizer  10  cannot be moved backwards any longer due to the presence of the tab  5 , which is in the groove  4  and which blocks any upward movement of the sizer  10 . 
     Moreover, when the sizer  10  has been snapped into its location, as indicated in  FIG. 4 , the body  1  of the hanger is arranged inside the recess  13 , i.e., the sizer  10  is locked or mounted “astride” over the body  1  thus impeding any twisting and/or rotation relative to the aforementioned body  1 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 8 to 17 , in a second embodiment, the sizer  20  is constructed so as to be slid over the hook  3  of a hanger  1  and then slid laterally into a blocked condition on the hanger. 
     Referring to  FIG. 14 , the sizer  20  is made up of a peripheral wall defined by two, preferably trapezium-shaped longitudinal walls  21 , and two, rectangular-shaped transverse walls  22 , the two transverse walls  22  having a shorter height than the two longitudinal walls  21 , so as to define a lower recess  23 . 1 , suitable for receiving through lock coupling the body  2 , as shown in  FIG. 8 , and an upper recess  23 . 2 , to allow the inclined portion  3 . 1  of the hook  3  to come off, as shown in  FIG. 8 , all whilst the sizer  20  is snapped into position. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 8 to 10 , the sizer  20  is equipped with two bosses  24  and  25  protruding inside the two longitudinal walls  21 . When the sizer  20  is in position, one or the other of the two protruding bosses  24 ,  25  is in contact with the underside of the tab  5  of the hook  2 , as shown in  FIG. 10 , ensuring in such a way that the sizer  20  is blocked onto the hanger body  2 . 
     The two protruding bosses  24  and  25  are on the upper part and at the ends of the two longitudinal walls  21  and are arranged opposite one another and symmetrically with respect to the mid-point “K” of the upper opening “B 2 ” (see  FIG. 12 ). As indicated in  FIG. 8 , the protrusion bosses  24  and  25  are spaced apart at a greater distance than the width of the hook  3  of the hanger so that when the sizer  20  is initially slid over the hook  3 , the protrusion bosses  24  and  25  are each disposed outside of the hook as indicated in  FIG. 15 . 
     Each of the two bosses  24  and  25  has a profile which is tapered in opposite directions to facilitate the sliding on the side of the hook  3  during the side movement of the sizer  20 . 
     As can be seen in  FIGS. 15 to 17 , in order to mount the sizer  20  onto the hanger  1 , the free end of the hook  3  is fitted onto the sizer, between the two bosses  24  and  25 ; for such a purpose the inner distance between the two longitudinal walls  21  is slightly greater than the thickness of the hook  3 , for which reason the sizer is guided during its sliding along the hook. 
     With the continuous movement along the hook  3 , the sizer  20  comes into contact and locks into the recess  23 . 1  on the body  1  ( FIGS. 16 and 16A ) and this prevents any twisting and/or rotation relative to the aforementioned body  1 . 
     With the subsequent horizontal sliding along the body  1 , the sizer  20  slides along the hook  2  and snaps into the tab  5 , which crosses the channel-shaped groove  4  ( FIGS. 17 and 17A ). In such a final position, the boss  24  is contained inside the channel-shaped groove  4  and its upper surface is positioned below the lower wall  5 . 1  of the tab  5  of the hook. In this way, the sizer  10  can no longer slide, due to the presence of the tab  5 , which blocks the sizer  20  from above and due to the channel-shaped groove  4 , which blocks the sizer  20  sideways. 
     Referring to  FIG. 18 , in another embodiment, the sizer  30  sizer is constructed so as to be slid onto a hook of a hanger and blocked in place as in the first embodiment or to be slid onto a hook of a hanger and laterally moved into place as in the second embodiment. 
     As illustrated, the sizer  30  is made up of a peripheral wall defined by two, preferably trapezium-shaped longitudinal walls  31  and made up of two, rectangle-shaped transverse walls  32 , the transverse walls  32  having a shorter height than the two longitudinal walls  31 , so as to define a lower recess  33 . 1  and an upper recess  33 . 2 . The sizer  30  is also equipped with two bosses  34  and  35  that protrude inside the two longitudinal walls  31  and that have a tapered profile  36  towards the lower base and a further tapered profile  37  with a reciprocally opposite direction to facilitate the sliding of the sizer  30  respectively, over the tab  5  of the hook  2 , during movement downward and on the side of the hook  2 , during lateral movement. 
     The invention thus provides a sizer with the preferably trapezium-shaped longitudinal walls  11 ,  21  or  31  that have a substantial width and therefore provide a surface that allows indicia thereon to show clearly the size of the garment hanging on the hanger. 
     The sizer  10 ,  20  or  30  can be made from any suitable material, preferably from plastic material and the thickness of the longitudinal walls  11 ,  21  and  31 , in particular at the bosses  14 ,  15  and  24 ,  25  as well as  34 ,  35  is such as to allow the walls to flex outwards, to allow the bosses to slide over the tab  5  or over the hook  2 , respectively, to snap into the channel-shaped groove  4  of the hook. 
     Moreover, since the sizer  10 ,  20 ,  30  has the bosses  14 ,  15  and  24 ,  25 , as well as  34 ,  35 , opposite each other, the sizer is able to slide above the portion  3 . 1  of the hook  3  which extends angularly from the body  1 , at an angle less than 90.degree. and, can be positioned on a hook in either of the two possible positions for display purposes. 
     Finally, from what has been described thus far it should be understood that once the sizer  10 ,  20 ,  30 , has been snapped into its foreseen position, the sizer cannot be easily removed from the hanger. In order to do so, a tool must be inserted inside the sizer, in order to allow the bosses  14 ,  15  and  24 ,  25 , as well as  34 ,  35  of the sizer itself to come out of the groove  4  of the hook  2 . 
     The sizer  10 ,  20 ,  30  is illustrated and described with respect to a lingerie or underwear hanger; however, the plastic hanger can be of any suitable construction for various types of garments. 
     The invention further provides a sizer that can easily be mounted on any type of hook or “nail”, which extends and takes on its form angularly from any plastic hanger body.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0