GB2041744A - Display hanger for elongate garments - Google Patents

Abstract

A display hanger for garments such as socks, has a hook 1 and a U-shaped portion having a lower branch 2 min sloping upwardly to its end 2 sec providing laterally extending support for the garment 6. Beneath the support is a retaining sleeve 4 through which at least one half of garment 6 passes. The sleeve 4 may have a resiliently and inwardly curving front wall which is urged against the garment thus resisting movement thereof. A label 7, 8 may be retained in the sleeve 4, a portion of the label being visible through a window 5 in the sleeve. The sleeve may have a detachable front wall allowing easy insertion of a garment which can then be gripped firmly. The sleeve may be articulated on the laterally extending support 2 min whereby the hanger is foldable. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Display hanger for elongate garments This invention concerns display hangers for transversely foldable elongate garments, e.g.

socks. The hangers are of a type which has a hook portion for suspending the hanger and a laterally extending support over which a garment or pair of garments may be hung so that a part of the or each garment, approximately a half thereof, hangs down each side. Such a hanger bearing garment(s) can be hung on a conventional display stand for sales purposes. Known hangers of this type support the garment loosely, so that it can accidently be displaced or become disarranged.

According to the present invention there is provided a display hanger for at least one elongate garment comprising: a hook portion for suspending the hanger; a support below said hook portion connected thereto and extending laterally to a free distal end, said support having an upper surface for a transversely folded garment to be hung over; and a retaining sleeve attached beneath the support by a connecting portion, the retaining sleeve being open at top and bottom and having upright walls, defining a vertically extending laterally elongate aperture for receiving, threaded therethrough, at least one depending portion of a said garment hung over the said support, whereby said sleeve acts to restrain movement of said garment off of said laterally extending support.

Preferably when the hanger is suspended by its hook portion, the upper surface of the laterally extending support is inclined upwardly from its point of connection to the hook portion to its free distal end. Preferably also the said connecting portion extends downwardly from the laterally extending support.

In one form of the invention a front or rear wall, of the sleeve is inwardly bowed so as to bear against the part of the garment located within the sleeve. In another form the sleeve is composed of two parts attachable together. Of course, such a composite sleeve could provide an inwardly bowed wall of the type mentioned above.

In one advantageous form of construction of the display hanger the sleeve is provided at the front with a large window. A preferred feature is the provision of a label which has: a first portion engaging in the front part of the sleeve and bearing a graphic design which is visible through the window; and a second portion which projects downwardly from the sleeve, and overlies the socks or the like; this second portion likewise may carry a suitabie graphic design.

In a preferred form of the invention where the sleeve is made in two parts, one part comprises the back wall and side walls, and is fast with the said connecting portion while the second part comprises a plate to form a detachable front wall.

The closure plate which forms this front wall may bear information or advertising matter, such as a representation of a trade mark relating to the garment.

The front plate can optionally be provided with means for holding a label for displaying commercial information this label being disposed between the plate and the garment and projecting from the sleeve.

The connecting portion carrying the back wall of the sleeve may be either fast with or articulated to the laterally extending support on which the garment is hung; the latter construction may facilitate the folding of the garment.

A display hanger embodying the present invention can provide the advantage over known hangers that it holds the socks or similar garments perfectly folded in position on the bottom branch of the U-shaped portion so that the garment(s) is/are held without creases and with a good appearance and thus can be displayed under excellent conditions. Furthermore, the display hanger may be constructed and arranged so as to hold a label, which can be applied very easily and in such a manner that it remains secured in the correct position adjacent the garment(s), thereby making it unnecessary for the label to be fastened direct to a garment. By this means the problem of the easy removal of the label, which exists with forms of display known hitherto, can be avoided.

Some preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a first embodiment of a display hanger according to the invention, having a sleeve provided with a front window and showing in broken outline an article suspended thereon.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a view in lateral cross-section of the retaining sleeve; Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of hanger carrying a pair of socks; Figure 5 shows a view in cross-section of the assembled hanger of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a front elevation thereof; Figure 7 is a sectional side view.

The embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 3 comprises a hook portion having a hook 1 and a lower part 2 which, as can be seen, is the upper branch of an inclined U-shaped section integral with the hook 1. The lower branch 2' of the Ushaped section is a laterally extending support which extends from its end where it connects with the lower part 2 of the hook portion to a second, distal, end 2". It is upwardly inclined frorn its first end to its free distal end 2". A connecting portion in the form of an arm 3 extends downwards from adjacent the first end of the laterally extending support 2'. In this embodiment the arm 3 is integral with the laterally extending support 2', and indeed with the whole U-shaped section and the hook 1.However, it is possible for the connecting arm to be articulated to the laterally extending support as is the case with the second embodiment (Figures 4-7) to be described hereinafter. The lower region of the arm 3 is contiguous with the back wall of a retaining sleeve 4 of narrow box section. This has an open top and bottom and in addition to the back wall has side walls and a front wall, all of which are upright, so as to define a vertically extending laterally elongate aperture. The front wall has a window 5 (Figure 1). An arm 3 extends downwards from adjacent the lower end of the lower branch of the U-shaped portion 2. In this embodiment the arm 3 is integral with the U-portion 2 whereas in the second embodiment (Figures 4 to 6) it is a separate member articulated thereto.The lower region of the arm 3 forms a flat clip 4, which is the form of a narrow box-section member, open at top and bottom, whose front wall has a window 5 (Figure 1).

In use, the item to be displayed, such as a pair of socks 6, is folded over the upper surface of the laterally extending support 2, and one of the folded-over halves is passed through the retaining sleeve 4, which acts as a clip thus preventing the folded garment(s) from coming out between the branches 2, 2' of the U-shaped section.

The display hanger includes a label which comprises an upper portion 7 and a lower portion 8, the former fitting neatly into the sleeve 4 behind the front wall thereof, so that the label is retained, with its lower portion 8 projecting beneath the sleeve 4. The two portions of the label bear written and/or pictorial information 9 referring to the commercial and practical characteristics of the garment(s), the information 9 on the upper portion 7 being visible through the window 5: that on the lower portion 8 can be see beneath the sleeve, the portion 8 lying against the garment(s) 6.

The front wall of the sleeve 4 is slightly bowed in its major (generaily horizonal) direction, the curvature being inward, as can be seen in Figure 3.

This wall is preferably elastic so that it is urged resiliently, with the interposition of the portion 7 of the label, towards the socks 6, which are thus gripped and held against, being displaced longitudinally and passing out of the sleeve 4. By these means the folded garment(s) are secured in position.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 4 to 7, the arm 3 is contiguous with a first sleeve-forming portion comprising a back plate 10 and side walls of the box-section sleeve. The side walls have respective flanges at intermediate regions of their front edges, these flanges being in the form of hooks 11 whose height is less than that of the said side edges.

A second sleeve-forming portion is provided by a front plate 12 whose side edges are provided with respective recesses 13 to be engaged by the hooks 11 so that the plate 1 2 is held to the first sleeve-forming portion by the hooks 11 gripping the side edges of the plate 12. Thus the two sleeve-forming portions are held together to form a sleeve which again is of narrow box-section open at top and bottom and having upright walls defining a laterally elongate aperture. This sleeve again functions as a flat chip. It surrounds the pair of socks 6 and holds them in position, folded over the laterally extending support 2'.

An inwardly-projecting pin 14 may be provided in a central region of the inner face of the plate 12, this pin being adapted to hold label 1 5 provided with a hole 1 6 engageable over the pin 14.

If desired, the plate 12 may bear a representation of, e.g. a trade mark relating to the garment; this may be in relief or impressed. The label 15, which projects beneath the plate 12, lies over the socks 6. It is secured in place and readily visible.

It may be convenient to hang garment(s) for display over the lower branch 2' of the U-shaped section before the front plate 12 is attached to the first sleeve-forming portion 10, 1 The action of subsequently fitting the front plate can then, in effect, assemble the sleeve around the garment(s).

Desirably the spacing between the front and rear plates 12, 10 is sufficiently small that the garment(s) are then gripped between them. This can avoid the need to thread the garment(s) through a narrow sleeve.

A display hanger according to the invention may be suspended, with garments secured in position as explained above, in any suitable place, for example in a conventional display stand, so that the garment is displayed under the best conditions, with a considerable advantage over known hangers used at the present time.

In this embodiment the upper part of the connecting arm 3 provides pivot means for the hinged attachment of the arm 3 (and with it the retaining sleeve) to the laterally extending support 2'. This articulation of the arm 3 makes it possible to pivot the hook 1 in relation to the sleeve which facilitates the packing of the garment(s) in a container.

Claims (11)

1. A display hanger for at least one elongate garment comprising a hook portion for suspending the hanger; a support below said hook portion connected thereto and extending laterally to a free distal end, said support having an upper surface for a transversely folded garment to be hung over; and a retaining sleeve attached beneath said support by a connecting portion, said retaining sleeve being open at top and bottom and having upright walls defining a vertically extending laterally elongate aperture for receiving, threaded therethrough, at least one depending portion of a said garment hung over the said support whereby said sleeve acts to restrain movement of said garment off of said laterally extending support.

2. A display hanger according to claim 1 wherein a front or rear upright wall of said sleeve is of inwardly bowed configuration whereby it can bear against the part of a said garment located within the sleeve.

3. A display hanger according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein when the hanger is suspended by said hook portion, said upper surface of said laterally extending support is inclined upwardly towards its free distal first end, and said connecting portion extends downwardly from said laterally extending support.

4. A display hanger according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the said front upright wall of said sleeve has a window therethrough to the interior of said aperture.

5. A display hanger according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising a label retained within said sleeve adjacent the front upright wall, said label having a portion which projects downwardiy from said sleeve so as to overlie a portion of the garment below said sleeve.

6. A display hanger according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said retaining sleeve comprises two sleeve-forming portions and attachment means for connecting them together.

7. A display hanger according to claim 6 wherein said retaining sleeve comprises a first sleeve-forming portion comprising a rear wall and a pair of side walls projecting therefrom, a second sleeve-forming portion comprising a front wall, and attachment means on at least one of said sleeve-forming portions for connecting the same together.

8. A display hanger according to claim 7 wherein the front wall carried information or advertising matter.

9. A display hanger according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said connecting portion comprises pivot means hingedly attaching said connecting portion to said laterally exteriding support.

10. A display hanger according to any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein said hook portion and said laterally extending support are provided by a single piece of planar material which includes an inclined U-shaped portion whose lower arm provides the laterally extending support.

11. A display hanger constructed and arranged substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 or Figures 4 to 7 of the accompanying drawings 8. A display hanger according to claim 7 wherein the front wall carries information or advertising matter.