GB2136684A

GB2136684A - Garment hanger

Info

Publication number: GB2136684A
Application number: GB08329144A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Kodet
Original assignee: LEKOD Pty Ltd
Current assignee: LEKOD Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1983-03-22
Filing date: 1983-11-01
Publication date: 1984-09-26
Also published as: DE8331294U1; AU2003583A; GB8329144D0; DE3339497A1

Abstract

A garment hanger for ladies' garments comprises a support engaging hook 2 extending upwardly from a central body portion 3 which has a clip assembly 5, and a pair of outwardly extending lateral arms 6 one from each side thereof, and each of said arms terminating in at least one hook 11, 26 located substantially level with or above said clip assembly. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Garment hanger This invention relates to garment hangers and more particularly provides an improved display hanger for women's clothing.

Garment hangers in present use typically com prise a hook for engagement with a clothing rack which extends up from the junction of two downwardly inclined lateral arms adapted for insertion through the shoulders of a garment. While these existing hangers are more or less suitable for use with conventional shirts or blouses other types of garments such as ladies dresses or brassieres having only relatively narrow shoulder bands or straps are not readily supported on the inclined lateral arms of the hanger and require additional fastening means such as pins or clips to secure the garment in place and prevent stretching or creasing of the fabric. This of course requires additional labour an in any event often results in an unnatural or distorted presentation of the garment.

It is therefore an object of this invention to ameliorate the aforementioned disadvantages and accordingly a garment hanger is provided comprising a support engaging hook extending upwardly from a central body portion which has a clip assembly and a pair of outwardly extending lateral arm members one from each side thereof and each of said arms terminating in at least one hook means located substantially level with or above said clip assembly.

The invention wil be further described with reference to the attached drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front view of one embodiment of a garment hanger according to this invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the Clip assembly along the line A-A of Figure 1; Figures 3 and 4 show the garment hanger of Figure 1 displaying a ladies' dress; Figures 5to 9 show the garment hanger of Figure 2 displaying a ladies' brassiere; Figure 10 shows a front view of a second embodiment of a garment hanger according to this invention; Figures 11 and 12 show the garment hanger of Figure 10 displaying a laides' brassiere and panties.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, the garment hanger according to one embodiment of the invention is shown generally as 1 and basically comprises an upstanding hook 2 adapted to engage a support rail (not shown) of a clothing rack, a planar body portion 3 with central cutout 4 and clip fingers 5, and a pair of outwardly extending side arms 6 terminating in one or more hooks. The hanger is preferably moulded as one piece from plastic and the arms 6 extend out from the central portion 3 at an upwardly directed angle of, for example, 45". Other inclinations including horizontally extending arm members may however also be used according to design preference.The hooks formed at the outer free ends of the arms comprise with this particular embodiment wedge shaped horizontal and vertical slots 8 and 9 each with an enlarged throat 10 for retaining a garment strap or band between the inwardly con verging walls of the slots. Both slots may have a common mouth 11 and the outer walls 12 of each mayterminate in flared lips 13to facilitate the insertion of a garment material into the slots.

The body portion 3 of the hanger may include a central cutout 4 with a set of three fingers 5 extending alternately from the top and bottom edges thereof. In profile as best shown in Figure 2 each of the fingers 5 is contoured to initially incline outward ly from the edge of the cutout and thence back towards the plane of the body portion to provide a discrete area of contact 15 to bear against the garment material inserted thereunder. The free ends 16 of the fingers are also flared outwardly to facilitate the insertion of the material underthe fingers.

The hook 2 may include a tongue member 16 to receive a coding tab as described in the applicant's copending Australian Patent Application PF7054.

In use as shown in Figures 3 and 4 the hanger is ideally suited for the display of, for example, a ladies' dress 18 with the hook assembly providing a convenient means of supporting the shoulder straps 18A of the garment at a level above the bust line comparable to their position on a wearer. A natural orientation of the bust and neck line as it would appear on a wearer is also achieved by virtue of the clip fingers 5 which secure the central portion 19 of the dress together with the shoulder straps 1 8A which cross at the rear as shown in Figure 3. The hanger consequently enables an enhanced presentation of the dress for sale purposes and also supports the garment in such a manner as to avoid or at least reduce creasing or stretching of the material during handling by a consumer.

The hanger may also provide a convenient display or storage medium for ladies' underwear as shown in Figures 5 to 9. In this case the shoulder straps 21 of a brassiere are similarly held in a naturally appearing position above the bust line and cups 22 are held by the clip fingers 5 which graps the central joining straps 23. As best shown in Figure 6,8 and 9 the shoulder straps 21 of the brassiere can also be neatly gathered at the rear together with the body strap 24 and held by the clip fingers 5.

In a further embodiment of a garment hanger according to this invention as shown in Figures 10 to 12 an additional set of hooks 26 may also be provided at a position substantially level with the clips 5 and these used to retain the waistband 27 of a pair of panties 28 which are then neatly presented below the brassiere.

It will thus be appreciated that this invention at least in the form of the bodiments described provides a novel and unique deveiopment in the display of women's clothing. Clearly, however, the particular examples disclosed are only two presently preferred forms of the invention and a wide variety of modifications may be made. For example the particular shape and configuration of the arms as well as the number, arrangement and type of the hooks and clip assembly may be varied to adapt the hanger to various sizes and styles of clothing. In particular it is contemplated that the incorporation of spring loaded hooks on the arms and central body portion in addition to or as an alternative to the arrangements described would improve the adaptability of the hanger.

Claims

1. A garment hanger comprising a support engaging hook extending upwardly from a central body portion which has a clip assembly and a pair of outwardly extending laterial arm members one from each side thereof and each of said arms terminating in at least one hook means located substantially level with or above said clip assembly.

2. The garment hanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein the clip assembly is formed by a cutout in the body portion and a set of fingers extends inwardly from the top and bottom edges thereof.

3. The garment hanger as claimed in claim 2 wherein each of the fingers is contoured to initially incline outwardly from the edge of the cutout and thence back towards the plane of the body portion to provide a discrete area of contact to bear against garment material inserted thereunder.

4. The garment hanger as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the at least one hook means comprise wedge shaped horizontal and vertical slots each with an enlarged throat for retaining garment material between the inwardly converging walls thereof.

5. The garment hanger as claimed in claim 4 wherein said horizontal and vertical slots have a common mouth and the outer walls of each slot terminate in flared lips.

6. The garment hanger as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein an additional set of hooks is provided on each of the arms at a position substantially level with the clip assembly.

7. The garment hanger as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the arms extend out from the central body portion at an upwardly directed angle of substantially 45 degrees.

8. The garment hanger as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the hook includes a tongue member adapted to receive a coding tab.

9. A garment hanger substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1 to 9 or 10 to 12.

10. A method of displaying an article of ladies' clothing using the garment hanger as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, the method including the steps of inserting the shoulder straps of the articles into the respective hook means of the hanger and engaging the central bust or neck line on the clip assembly so that the article of clothing is supported in a naturally appearing manner as it would appear on a wearer with the shoulder straps disposed level with or above the bust or neck line.

11. A method of displaying an article of ladies' clothing using the garment hanger as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, the method being substantially as described herein.