GB2296859A

GB2296859A - Adjustable garment hanger

Info

Publication number: GB2296859A
Application number: GB9600121A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nick Andrew Lewis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-01-12
Filing date: 1996-01-04
Publication date: 1996-07-17
Also published as: GB9600121D0

Abstract

An Adjustable Garment Hanger has extendable arms that can be adjusted to match the size of the garment. The arms 12 extend concurently when the cylindrical section 11 in the middle is rotated, working on the basis of a rack and pinion, There is also provided a means on one or both of the extending arms which displays the size of the garment, according to the span of the extending arms. The sizes are pre printed on the extending arm or alternatively a label can be stuck to the extending arm with preprinted sizes.

Description

ADJUSTABLE GARMENT HANGER This invention relates to an Adjustable Garment Hanger.

Garment Hangers are used by multiple retailers, medium and smaller retailers. They are also sold in various shapes and forms to consumers. Increasingly, multiple retailers are re-using hangers but are finding it very labour intensive and costly to sort the vast number of different sized hangers used and remove the adhesive size labels.

Moreover, there is further cost in reprinting size labels to be used on these recycled hangers.. This invention overcomes this problem by providing a generic adjustable garment hanger which can be reused without adjusting or indeed incurring the cost of relabeling.

According to the present invention there is provided an Adjustable Garment Hanger which has extendable arms that can be adjusted to match the size of the garment. The arms extend concurently when the cylidrical section in the middle is rotated, working on the basis of a rack and pinion, where teeth in the cylindrical section engage with teeth in the track part of the extending arms. There is also provided a means on one or both of the extending arms which displays the size of the garment, according to the span of the extending arms. The sizes are pre printed on the extending arm or alternatively a label can be stuck to the extending arm with preprinted sizes.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 - shows a front end view Figure 2 - shows a cross section of the centre part of the first section showing the cylindrical adjustment mechanism Figure 3 - shows a view from underneath, again of the central section, Figure 4 - shows a front view, demonstrating how an outer shell can be applied to the hanger removing the need for retention plates.

Figure 5 - shows one of the extending arms, with the triangular grooves cut along the bottom allowing the track part of the arm to flex and move in line with the shape of the hanger Fig 6 - shows the front of one of the extending arms demonstrating how the size panel would look Fig 7 - showsa cross section and demonstates how the outer case could be welded to the first section removing the need for a retention plate.

Fig 8 - shows a plan view of the extending arm demonstrating the traingular recesses in the track and the shelve which holds the cylindrical adjuster in place.

Fig 9 - shows another way of applying the rack and pinion device and in the cylindrical adjustment mechanism was turned on its side.

Fig 10 - shows the cylindrical adjuster used in a side on format Fig 11 - shows how the tracks on the extending arms could actually be attached to the cylindrical adjuster Fig 12 - shows how the sizing could be applied to the bottom part of the cylinder Fig 13 - is a plan view Fig 14 - is a plan view on one embodiment Fig 15 - is a side view of one embodiment Fig 16 - shows the apertures in the first section necessary for the sizing mechanism Fig 17 - shows how the sizes would show through the aperture, having been applied to the track part of the extending arm Fig 18 - is a plan view showing the sizing aperture in the first section Referring to the drawings the Adjustable Garment Hanger comprises a first main section (Fig 2, 1) which is covered by an optional outer sleeve (Fig 2. 3), which is spot welded to the first section (Fig 2, 6).

There are two second sections (Fifg 1 & 2, 2) comprising adjustable arms and tracks (Fig 5, 2) which run inside the first section The track parts of the arms engage with a third section, cylidrical in shape with teeth on its upper part( Fig 2, 5). These teeth engage with teeth on the extending arms so that when the cylinder is rotated both arms extend outwardly to the same length. When the cylinder is rotated in the other direction the arms move inwards, thereby reducing the overall span of the arms.

The cylinder is held in place by the U shape of the first section squeezing inwards and by the shelf/lip on each of the second section tracks on the extending arms. It is ultimately held in place by a lip on its bottom part, extending the full circumference of the cylinder, which clips over protrusions on either side of the first section, when originally inserted up into the hollow cavity of the centre of the first section.

The sizes are pre printed or labelled on the extending arm track section (Fig 6, 14) and appear through the aperture in the first section (Fig 1, 8).

Claims

Claims

1. An Adjustable Garment Hanger which has two extending arms which can be adjusted to the desired length, concurrently, by either applying a force to the extending arm (pushing or pulling) or turning a pinion mechanism, wherein the two extending arms have tracks with teeth which engage with teeth in the pinion mechanism so that when one arm is moved in either direction the other arm automatically moves in the same direction by exactly the same length.

2. An Adjustable Garment Hanger wherein a cylindrical mechanism has a lip on its bottom end, extending the full circumference of the cylinder, and a recess inside the lip, which engages with a protrusion on either side of the first section, in order to retain the cylindrical section in place (ie. from moving downwards).

3. An Adjustable Garment Hanger wherein there is a cylidrical section which has a recess to hold the track section of each extending arm in place.

4. An Adjustable Garment Hanger wherein there are protrusions on the inner surface of the first section to ensure the track sections of the extending arms move in the right direction and do not buckle.

5. An Adjustable Garment Hanger wherein there is an optional outer section or sleeve which can be spot welded to the first section.

/ffiA garment hanger, as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein there is a means, separate from the main section but attached in some way, which can be moved either forwards, backwards, longitudinally, rotationally or diagonally, so that information pnnted on the surface of this separate section, can be displayed individually on the face or top of the main section.

'A garment hanger, as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a separate cylindrical section, has coloured printed information on raised areas on its outer surface, including sizes, which form part of this cylinder. and which engage with one or more apertures on the front or rear sides, close to the base of the hoook, on the main section.

,: A garment hanger, as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein 8 the main section has one or more apertures cut in the central front and rear sides, close to the base of the hook, which engage with the raised areas on the cylinder, thereby retaining the cylinder inside the main section.

i?B(A garment hanger, as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the front side wall of one of both of the extending arm sections, extends in parallel with the front side wall of the main section, to near the base of the hook, and have printed information on a coloured background. along part of the exterior front side wall.

/0 A garment hanger, as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the information on the front side wall of the extending arm section is displayed through an aperture on the main section, and where the displayed information can be changed by moving the extending arm in or out of the main section.

,. A garment hanger, as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein as the extending arm is moved outwardly the size information appearing through the aperture corresponds to the size of the span of the extending arm, so that for example, where the size 46 shows, the extending arm is at it's maximum.

garment hanger, as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein @@ the cylindrical section has two protrusions extending from its core, in opposite directions which can be attached to each extending arm, by a snap fit, so that when the cylinder is turned one way the extending arms move in an outwards direction and when it is turned in an opposite direction the extending arms move inwards.

13. Zapgarment hanger, as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cylindrical section is secured in positlon, bv the raised areas engaging with the aperture on the front face of the main section, which in turn prevents the extending arms from moving, and where by turning the cylindrical section, using the grip at the bottom of this section, the extending arms can be adjusted.

14. A garment hanger. as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the main section has guiding channels which surround either side of the protrusions that extend from the cyiidrical section In order to maintain rigidity when forced to move the extending arm outwardly, following rotational movement of the grip on the base of the cylidrical section.

15. A garment hanger, as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a cylidrical solid protrusion moulded as part of the first section extends downwardly from the base of the hook and inserts into the centre portion of the other main cylindrical section.