GB2180446A - Garment hanger and display means - Google Patents

Abstract

Garment hanging and display means comprise a frame having a first member (1) adapted to engage within a neck of a garment to be displayed, a second member (2) adapted to receive a tail portion of the garment, means (11; 16, 17) for attaching the first and second members together, whereby in use the lower part of the garment is folded up behind the upper part, and means (6) for hanging the frame. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Garment hanging and display means This invention relates to garment hanging and display means.

When shirts, blouses or knitwear are hung from traditional hangers, they occupy a relatively large amount of valuable merchandising space ofthe order of 4,000 sq. cms. which in most cases is unnecessary in as much as it is sufficient to display only the neck and central chest panel. To this end, garments have been folded and pinned orclipped in position and packaged in a transparent bag. The packaged garment is sometimes displayed vertically by providing it with someform of hanging means but is mostly placed with other similar garments on a shelf or counter.This form of display is undesirable from a numberof standpoints: the customer cannot feel the material from which the garment is made, which is a necessary part of merchandising, without disturbing the packaging; some material is sensitive to creasing on being tightly folded in a bag and become marked; and the display of packaged garments on a shelf or counter soon gets disarranged which detracts from the presentation.

The object of the present invention is overcome or mitigates some ofthese problems of known displays.

According to the present invention there is provided garment hanging and display means comprising a frame having a first memberadaptedto engagewithin a neck portion of a garment two be displayed, a second member adapted to receive a tail portion ofthe garment, means for attaching the first and second members together, whereby in use the lower part of the garment is folded up behind the upper part, and means for hangingtheframe.

Thefirstframe member is preferably in the form of a conventional clothes hanger in as much as it has two opposed arms for supporting the respective shoulder portionsofa garment, although in a preferred embodiment the outer end of each arm is provided with an extension which, in use, extends into the body ofthegarmentto help define the side boundaries of thefolded garment. Thefirstframe member may be provided with an area for carrying a label advising size, etc. ofthe garment.

The second frame portion preferably comprises a bar over which the tail ofthe garment is folded and the bar may be formed by providing a slot in a generally planar member, the garmenttail being fed through the slot in a direction such that the tail end lies between the upper and lower parts ofthe now folded garment. The slot may be open at one end so that the garment tail can be slid on to the bar.

The attachment means for securing the first and second front members may be permanent, for example in the form of a hinge, or may be releasable. In the latter case, the attachment means may be in the form of a hook and eye arrangement in the sense that a plurality of hooks may be provided on oneoftheframe members and a corresponding plurality of apertures formed in the otherframe member which, in use, receivethe respective hooks. It will be appreciated that otherforms of releasably fastening means may be employed.

A garment hanger and display means in accordance with the present invention will now be described in greater detail, byway of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure lisa plan view of a first embodiment, Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation ofthefirst embodiment in the operative position, Figure 3 is a front view ofthe first embodiment having a garment displayed thereon, Figure4is a side elevation of Figure 3, and Figure 5 is a side elevation of a second embodiment shown in the operative position.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4, the first embodiment comprises a frame having a first member 1 and a second member2 both injection mouldedfrom a synthetic plastics material although other materials and manufacturing methods may be used.Thefirst frame member 1 comprises a generally conventional clothes hanger portion by way of two opposed, downwardly inclined arms 3 which supportthe shoulders of a garment to be displayed. The end of each arm 3 is extended downwardly (as seen in Figure 1) at 4to provide a partial frame to define the side boundariesofthegarmentwhenfolded as will be described. A label areas is provided on the firstframe member 1, together with an integral hook 6 by which the entire frame can be hung vertically.The shape and size ofthe label area 5 and hook6 can be varied to suite retailer requirements.

The second frame member 2 is basically a planar member in which is formed a slot7to define a bar8. In this embodiment, thefirst and second frame members are permanently attachedtogether by hinge means comprising two spaced arms 9 which at the junction with the firstframe member 1 are of reduced thickness to provide flexible hinge portions Ii. It will be appreciatedthat other hinge arrangements can be employed.

Tadisplay a garment 12 (Figure 3) such as a shirt, blouse, or knitwear, for example, thefirstframe member 1 is placed within the neck portion 13 as shown in Figure 1 and then each side of the garment is folded rearwardlyto an extentto reducethewidth of the bodyto suitthe width of the frame which is of the order of 12.5 cms. and which can be standardised to accommodate both childrens' and adults' garments because oneonly has to adjust the extent ofthisfirst folding of the sides of the garment. This folding of the garment is aided bythe presence of the first frame member extensions4 against which the garment can befolded.Next, the tail 14 of the garment is taken up behind the body portion 15 and threaded through the slot 7 and folded overthe ba r 8 so that the tail extremity (preferably 10-15 cms. thereof) now lies, and is retained, between the upper and lower parts of the garment as best seen in Figure 4. The frame can now be lifted by the hook 6 and hung vertically to display the garment in avery compact manner but neverthelessto an extent such that a customer can appreciate any design or pattern on the body portion 15 and can feel the material from which the garment is made. Furthermore, the customer can examine the entire garment if necessary by taking it offtheframe which is readily accomplished as no clips or pins are involved. Equally, the garment is easily re-folded and re-hung by a customer.

The displayed garment occupies an area, as seen in Figure 1, of approximately 1,000 sq. cms. which is a saving of somme 75% on the conventional display of straightforward hanging on a clothes hanger. Thus the invention represents a simple but significant advance in the art of garmentdisplay giving the customerfull access to the garment without disturbing, and often damaging, any packaging, whilst minimising the display area pergarmentforthe retailer.

Whilstthe above described sequence of displaying a garment involved first locating the firstframe member 1, this is not essential and the second member can be loaded first if desired. Furthermore, the garment can be pre-folded off the frame if preferred.

Turning now to Figure 5, the second embodiment is generally similarto that of Figures 1 to 4,the only difference being the form of attachment ofthe first and secondframe members 1 and 2. In this second embodiment, the attachment is releasable and comprisestwo transversely spaced hooks 16 on the first frame memberwhich extend from the rearface thereof and are received by respective apertures 17 in the second frame member 2. It should be noted, however,thatthe hooks may be provided on the secondframe member2 and the apertures in the first frame member 1.

In use,thetwo parts oftheframecan be loaded separately andthenbroughttogetherandthe hooks 16engaged with the apertures 17.

In both illustrated embodiments, the slot 7 ca nbe open endedso that the garmenttail 14 can be slid on to the bar8.

Itwill be appreciated thatthe overall shape of the firstand secondframe members 1 and 2can be varied to suit requirements and thus need notto be as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Claims (12)

1. Garment hanging and display means comprising a frame having a first member adapted to engage within a neck portion of a garmentto be displayed, a second member adapted to receive a tail portion of the garment, means for attaching the first and second memberstogether,whereby in usethe lower part of the garment is folded up behind the upper part,and means for hanging the frame.

2. Garment hanging and display means according to claim 1,wherein thefirst member is in the form of a conventional clothes hanger.

3. Garment hanging and display means according toclaim 2, wherein the outer endof each armofthe clothes hanger is provided with an extension which, in use, extends into the body of the garment two help define the side boundaries of the folded garment.

4. Garment hanging and display means according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the frame is provided with an area for carrying a label.

5. Garment hanging and display means according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the second frame member comprises a bar over which the tail of the garment is folded.

6. Garment hanging and display means according to claim 5, wherein the bar of the second frame member is formed by providing a slot in a planar member.

7. Garment hanging and display means according to claim 6, wherein the slot in the planar member is open at one end, whereby the tail ofthe garment can be slid onto and offthe bar.

8. Garment hanging anddisplay means according to any ofthe preceding claims, wherein the attachment means for securing the first and second frame members together is permanent.

9. Garment hanging and display means according to claim 8, wherein the attachment means is in the form of a hinge connecting the first and second frame members together.

10. Garmenthanging and display meansaccord- ing to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the attachment means for securing the first and second member together is releasable.

11. Garment hanging and display means according to claim 10, wherein the attachment means is in theformofa plurality of hooks provided on one frame member and a corresponding plurality of apertures provided on the otherframe member.

12. Garment hanging and display means substan tially as herein particularly described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 orto Figures 5 ofthe accompanying drawings.