Abstract:
A locket for a hang tag is disclosed. The locket includes a first plastic face having a first peripheral edge and a second plastic face having a second peripheral edge. The locket has a through-hole of sufficient size to permit extension of a lanyard therethrough while preventing retraction of a hang tag enclosed therein when the locket is in the closed position. The second face is connectable to the first face.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to hang tags used in inventorying and merchandising. In particular, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus used to prevent damage to the tags once attached to an article of manufacture by such as a plastic lanyard. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Certain labels are applied to goods to provide pre-sale information to consumers, but are designed to be removable. With certain goods, it is either undesirable or impractical to apply such a label directly to the goods. For example, on textiles, a tag is often substituted for conventional adhesive labels to prevent residual adhesive from damaging or soiling the textile. These tags are attached to the textile by a lanyard (usually plastic or braided fibre such as a string) which is extended through the textile fibers or another unintrusive portion of the textile such as a button hole. 
     There has been an increased desire to protect the hang tags which accompany many collectibles, in particular those on plush animal toys. Because the value of some collectibles can decrease if there is damage to the accompanying tag or lanyard, it is of utmost importance to prevent damage to either the lanyard or the tag. 
     Plastic sheeting or coating is at times used to cover and protect certain hang tags. Such sheeting and coating are usually only expected to prevent soiling of the tag. However, such sheeting or coating is too flexible to prevent bending of the hang tag caused by ordinary handling and storage. At the same time, conventional rigid casement structures meant to secure and protect photos, keepsakes, badges and the like, would not be adequate to protect hang tags, especially hang tags on collectibles. Conventional casements generally require that either a portion of the tag protrude through the casement to accommodate connection of a lanyard thereto, or a separate member be mounted to or formed onto the exterior of the casement. 
     For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,215,497 to Levy proposes that identification indicia on an identification member be sandwiched between two plastic pieces. The design, however, leaves a portion of the identification member exposed and it utilizes that portion for connection to the lanyard. 
     Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,414,958 to Kudo proposes a casement-type device, configurable as either a badge or a pendant for holding a paper or plastic disc bearing indicia. The device has a loop member mounted to the top of the casement. The loop member is used for securing the casement to a chain, thereby defining a pendant. This construction is deficient as a hang tag protector. Such a construction would require attaching a lanyard to the casement directly rather than direct attachment to the tag. This would eliminate the cost, choice, and assembly advantages presently provided by hang tag technology. More importantly, where the manufacturer does not supply a protector for a hang tag, a protector would necessarily have to be applied by a consumer after the hang tag was already attached to a collectible item. With the Kudo device, either the original lanyard would have to be detached from the tag then reattached to the loop member, or an additional lanyard would have to be attached at one end to the collectible item with the other end being secured on the loop. Either re-attachment of the OEM lanyard to the loop or piercing the plush with another lanyard, would alter the product in a way which may lessen its value as a collectible. 
     Also, neither U.S. Pat. No. 4,215,497 nor U.S. Pat. No. 5,414,958 disclose a protective casement where indicia would be visible from more than one side. It would be desirable if a casement-type protector could display the hang tag from two sides, as OEM tags frequently provide information on both sides of the tag. It would also be advantageous to provide a casement-type protector which could be manufactured as a single unit with the ability to open and close the device around a swing tag. 
     The present invention is provided to solve these and other problems and to provide other advantages. A preferred embodiment will be disclosed and the novel aspects of the present invention will be particularly identified and discussed herein. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a locket having a first face with a peripheral edge, and a second face with a peripheral edge. The two faces are closed around a hang tag. The locket, in a closed position, further includes a through-hole of sufficient size to permit a lanyard connected to a hang tag to pass through the through-hole, but also to prevent the retraction of the hang tag therethrough. This configuration provides a protective locket for a hang tag, such as a hang tag for a collectible plush toy. Preferably, the locket is made of transparent plastic. 
     Other advantages and aspects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following description of the drawings and detailed description of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     In order that the present invention may be more fully understood, it will now be described by way of an exemplary embodiment, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a front view of the plastic locket in use, on a hang tag attached to a stuffed animal toy by a lanyard and inserted between the faces of the plastic locket, according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a front view of the plastic locket of FIG. 1, illustrating the plastic locket in an open position according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the plastic locket of FIG. 1, taken along lines  3 — 3  of FIG. 1; and, 
     FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the plastic locket of FIG. 1, taken along lines  4 — 4  of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     While this invention is susceptible to an embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail a preferred embodiment of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the embodiments illustrated. 
     FIGS. 1-4 disclose a locket  10  for a hang tag  12  constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. Specifically, the locket  10  provides a protective casement for the hang tag  12  attached to a stuffed animal toy  14 . 
     FIG. 2, shows the locket  10  in an open position and discloses that it includes a first transparent plastic face  16 , a second transparent plastic face  18 . The first face  16  has a first peripheral edge  20  and the second face  18  has a second peripheral edge  22 . The second face  18  is connected to the first face  16  by a living hinge  24 . Recessed portions  34   a  and  34   b  in the peripheral edges  20 , 22  form a through-hole  34 . The through-hole  34  is sized to permit entry of the lanyard  26  into the locket while at the same time preventing entry or retraction of the hang tag  12  through the through-hole  34  after the hang tag  12  has been confined between the faces  16 ,  18  of the locket  10 . 
     The open position allows for a consumer to place a hang tag  12  between the first and second faces  16 ,  18  of the locket  10 . In the closed position (FIGS.  1  and  3 ), the faces  16 ,  18  of the locket  10  are closed around the hang tag  12 . Additionally, the faces  16 ,  18  of the locket  10  form a compartment  15  in which the hang tag  12  is completely confined. When the locket  10  is in the closed position, a lanyard  26  which secures the hang tag  12  to the stuffed animal toy  14 , protrudes through the through-hole  34 , thereby, preventing bending and soiling damage to the tag  12 . Furthermore, when the locket  10  is in the closed position, the hang tag  12  can not be retracted from the compartment  15  unless the locket  10  is re-opened. 
     As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the preferred embodiment of the locket also includes a plurality of tab-like projections  28  extending outwardly from various predetermined positions on the first peripheral edge  20 . The peripheral edge on the second face  18 , on the other hand, includes a plurality of apertures  30  aligned with the tab-like projections  28 . The apertures  30  frictionally engage the tab-like projections  28  to secure the locket  10  in a closed position. The preferred embodiment further includes a plurality of protruding ridge members  32  disposed on the first peripheral edge  20 . The protruding ridge members  32  generally conform to the shape of the second peripheral edge  22 , and allow frictional engagement therewith. The protruding ridge members  32  assist in aligning the first face  16  with the second face  18 , and assist in maintaining the integrity of the locket  10  when the locket  10  is in the closed position. 
     The faces  16 ,  18  of the locket  10  are generally heart-shaped. However, it is contemplated that the faces according to the invention may be any geometric shape whether or not conforming to the shape of a particular hang tag to be confined within the locket. 
     Also, in the preferred embodiment, the locket  10  is a one piece construction. The first and second faces  16 ,  18  are hingeably connected by a living or molecular hinge  24  and both the first and second faces  16 ,  18  are preferably transparent. To achieve transparency in the faces  16 ,  18  while having a flexible living hinge, polymers of the nature of the one marketed by Philips 66 under the designation K-Resin are suitable. However, it is also contemplated that either or both of the faces  16 ,  18  of the locket be non-transparent. 
     While the specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of protection is only limited by the scope of the accompanying Claims. 
     For example, it is contemplated that the through-hole  34  may be a single aperture, that is formed by only one recess or any opening in the first or the second face  18 , or a combination of recesses in both the first and the second face  18 , so long as such structures permit entry of the lanyard  26  into the locket  10 , but prevent retraction of the hang tag  12  through the through-hole  34  after the hang tag  12  is confined between the faces of the locket  10 .