GB2411110A

GB2411110A - Garment hanger suspension device

Info

Publication number: GB2411110A
Application number: GB0403848A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William Joseph Hunt; William Llewellyn Hunt
Original assignee: Braitrim UK Ltd
Current assignee: Braitrim UK Ltd
Priority date: 2004-02-20
Filing date: 2004-02-20
Publication date: 2005-08-24
Also published as: GB0403848D0

Abstract

A garment hanger suspension device 10 for suspending a plurality of garment hangers 20 from a support comprises a plurality of spaced apart engagement arms 12, 13, 14 for engaging and suspending the garment hangers therefrom. A hook 15 is provided for suspending the suspension device from the support, such that in use garments suspended from the respective garment hangers hang substantially vertically. The hook 15 may be connected to a base 11 linking the spaced apart engagement arms. At least one of the engagement arms may be hinged to the base 11 to facilitate loading garment onto, and unloading garments from, garment hangers attached to the suspension device. In use, suspended hangers lie in parallel planes. A hanger suitable for attachment to the suspension device is also disclosed.

Description

2411 1 10

GARMENT HANGER SUSPENSION DEVICE

This invention relates to a garment hanger suspension device.

There is a requirement in the garment retail industry to display, suspended together from garment hangers, more than one garment to be sold as a set, while making efficient use of display space. The set may comprise multiple items of different colours or sizes of the same garment or a complementary set of garments such as a jacket, shirt and trousers.

Suit hangers are known in which a jacket and trousers are suspended from arms and a trouser bar of a same hanger but as such have limited applicability in the types of garment which may be usefully suspended from the hanger and, moreover, on display the trousers are largely obscured by the jacket. Garment hangers with under-hooks on arms are also known for supporting a first garment from the arm and a second garment from the under-hooks. Again the second garment is to some extent obscured by the first garment and the hanger is not suitable for suspending more than one item of the same type of garment. Garment hangers are also known in which pairs of arms are located in use one above another joined by a joining strip. However, garments suspended from a first pair of arms cannot hang freely without interference from a second garment suspended from a second pair of arms because the garments are suspended in substantially the same plane and the garments are not individually well displayed. Moreover, there is no flexibility with such hangers as to the type of suspension arms or bars which may be used in combination.

It is an object of the present invention at least to ameliorate the aforesaid

shortcomings in the prior art.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a garment hanger suspension device for suspending a first plurality of garment hangers from a support comprising: a second plurality of spaced apart engagement arms for engaging and suspending the first plurality of garment hangers therefrom; and a suspension member joined to the second plurality of spaced apart engagement arms for suspending the suspension device from the support, such that in use garments suspended from the respective garment hangers are suspended in respective substantially parallel planes.

Conveniently, the first plurality is equal to the second plurality.

Advantageously, the suspension device comprises a base member joining the suspension member to the spaced apart engagement arms.

Preferably, at least a first engagement arm is hingedly fixed to the base member for hingedly moving the at least a first arm away from remaining engagement arms for facilitating loading and unloading of garments onto and from respectively garment hangers suspended from the respective engagement arms.

Preferably, an engagement arm includes locking means for locking a garment hanger to the engagement arm.

Conveniently, the locking means comprise a projection on the engagement arm for passing a portion of the engagement arm on which the projection is located through resilient channel means in a garment hanger by resiliently deforming a wall of the channel means and resiliently returning the wall when the projection has passed thorough the loop means to lock the garment hanger to the engagement arm.

Advantageously, the engagement arm includes stop means for limiting movement of the garment hanger along the engagement arm.

Conveniently, the engagement arms are elongate substantially planar arms which are dependent in use.

Preferably, at least a first of the dependent elongate arms comprises hinge means for hingedly moving the at least a first dependent elongate arm away from remaining dependent elongate arms for facilitating loading and unloading of garments onto and from respectively garment hangers suspended from the respective dependent elongate members.

Advantageously, a plurality of dependent elongate arms comprise hinge means for mutual separation of garment hangers suspended from the dependent elongate arms for facilitating loading and unloading of garments onto and from respectively garment hangers suspended from the respective dependent elongate arms.

Advantageously, the hinge means is a living hinge integrally moulded with the suspension device.

Advantageously, the suspension device is arranged to suspend the garment hangers in a tiered formation such that a portion of garments suspended from each of the garment hangers is visible from a front of the hanger.

Conveniently, the engagement arms are of differing lengths.

Advantageously, the suspension means is hook means.

Conveniently, the suspension device is of material which is at least sufficiently transparent to light to be translucent.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a garment hanger having attachment means arranged for attaching the garment hanger to the suspension device described above.

Conveniently, the garment hanger has attachment means for removably attaching the garment hanger to the suspension device.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a combination of the suspension device described above and a plurality of garment hangers for suspension therefrom.

Preferably, the garment hangers have engagement means for cooperating with engagement means on the engagement arms for attaching the garment hangers to the suspension device.

Advantageously, the plurality of garment hangers are of a plurality of types for suspending a plurality of types of garment.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a garment hanger suspension device according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of the garment hanger of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a rear perspective view of the garment hanger of Figure 1 showing portions of hangers that are suspended from the suspension device; Figure 4 is a front perspective view of the garment hanger suspension device of Figure 1 in an open position; Figure 5 is a front perspective view of the garment hanger suspension device of Figure 1 in an open position with garment hangers suspended therefrom; and Figure 6 is the front perspective view of Figure 5, with the suspension device in a closed position.

In the Figures like reference numerals denote like parts.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a garment hanger suspension device 10 according to the invention has a generally inverted U-shape having a substantially planar base portion 11 and a substantially planar front leg 12 longer than a substantially planar rear leg 13. There is also a substantially planar central leg 14 perpendicular to the base portion and intermediate in length between the length of the front leg and the length of the rear leg and located centrally between the front leg and the rear leg and parallel, in a closed position, thereto. The three legs are of a same width as the base portion.

The base portion 11 is provided centrally with a boss 111 rising above an upper, in use, surface of the base portion and extending into an upper, in use, portion of the central leg for receiving therein a lower end of a known garment hanger hook 15. Although a metal hook is illustrated it will be understood that a hook of plastics material may alternatively be used.

Upper, in use, end portions of the front and rear legs 12, 13 are upwardly convex and the front and rear legs are joined to the base portion 11 by respective live hinges 121, 131 transverse to a longitudinal axis of the base portion.

As shown in Figure 2, rear faces of the front, central and rear legs are provided proximate to their lower edges respectively with ramped projections 122' 132, 142 having a ramped lower face and an upper face substantially perpendicular to the respective rear faces. Equally spaced from the respective ramped projections each of the respective rear faces is also provided with a semi cylindrical stop projection 123, 133, 143 having a major axis perpendicular to a major longitudinal axis of the respective leg.

As illustrated in Figure 3, C-section garment hangers 20 to be suspended from the suspension device 10 are provided central of a rear face of a median portion 21 thereof, and proximate to an upper edge thereof, with a U-shaped projection 22 having a base portion thereof spaced from the rear face of the median portion by leg portions of the projection, thereby forming a channel between an inner face of the U-shaped projection and the rear face of a portion of the median portion 21 for receiving a lower portion of a leg 12, 13, 14 of the suspension device 10.

As illustrated in Figure 4, the front and rear legs 12, 13 may be hingedly rotated with respect to the base portion 11 on the respective hinges 121, 131 to angle the front and rear legs away from the central leg 14 which is fixed in relation to the base portion 11. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that where the suspension device is moulded, it is convenient to mould the suspension device in an open orientation.

As illustrated in Figure 5, with the suspension device in an open position and with garment hangers suspended from the suspension device, the garment hangers are mutually separated to facilitate the loading or unloading of garments to be suspended from the hangers.

As shown in Figure 6, which also illustrates an alternative translucent embodiment of the suspension device, in the closed position of the suspension device the garment hangers are in substantially parallel planes. Moreover, because of the progressively stepped lengths of the front, central and rear legs, the hangers are tiered so that at least the tops of garments suspended from each of the hangers are visible from the front of the hanger in use. It will be understood that when two adjacent garment hangers are loaded with garments having a combined thickness slightly greater than the spacing between the two adjacent garment hangers the two garment hangers will be slightly angled outwards from each other but the garments will hang in substantially parallel planes. Therefore the invention is suitable for supporting a range of thickness of garment on the suspended garment hangers. In fact, the resting of one garment against another may help to retain garments on the garment hangers. For relatively thicker garments, a double live hinge may be used to accommodate the additional thickness of the garment.

It will be understood that for supporting a garment with a collar a length of a portion of the legs 12, 13, 14 between the stop projection 123, 133, 143 and the base portion 11 must be sufficient to accommodate the collar between the top of the garment hanger and an under-surface of the base portion.

Although the invention has been illustrated using C-section hangers, it will be understood that garment hangers with other cross-sections, such as inverted U section hangers, may also be used. The invention is also suitable for use with, for example, clip garment hangers, shoe hangers and lingerie hangers.

To assemble the suspension device and hangers for use, lower portions of the legs of the suspension device are inserted in the channel formed by the U shaped projection 22 of a garment hanger 20 such that the U-shaped projection 22 is resiliently deformed by the respective ramp projection 122, 132, 142 until the ramp projection has passed completely through the channel and the U-shaped projection resiliently returns substantially to a former position thereof with the vertical face of the ramp projection engaging a lower, in use, face of the U-shaped projection to lock the hanger on the leg. The stop projection 123, 133, 143 limits further movement of the leg through the channel. It will be understood that the substantially planar shape of the portion of the leg in the channel and the conforming shape of the channel prevents rotation of the hanger about a vertical axis with respect to the suspension device.

Although a particular method of attaching garment hangers to the suspension device has been described, it will be understood that alternative methods of permanently or removably attaching the garment hangers may be used, including the additional or alternative use of an adhesive, provided that the garment hangers are so arranged that garments suspended therefrom hang in substantially parallel planes.

Although the invention has been described with respect to a suspension device having downwardly dependent, substantially parallel, legs in a closed position, it will be understood that other variations of engagement arms may be used. For example, generally downwardly dependent legs may be angled to each other provided the attachment means to the garment hangers allows the garment hangers to be arranged so that garments may be suspended from respective garment hangers in substantially parallel planes.

Alternatively the engagement arms may be arranged substantially horizontally in use or rising substantially upwards from a base portion.

It will be understood that the invention not only facilitates the sale of sets of garments to be sold together but also makes more efficient use of rail space on a rail from which the suspension device is suspended than would the use of separate garment hangers. This is particularly pertinent in the display of relatively short garments, such as lingerie.

It will be understood that different numbers of engagement arms may be supplied on embodiments of a suspension device, for example, two, four or five arms. Moreover, if different weights of garment are to be supported by different engagement arms the boss may be offset on the base portion towards the engagement arm supporting the heavier weight so that engagement arms are substantially vertical in use.

Claims

1. A garment hanger suspension device for suspending a first plurality of garment hangers from a support comprising: a second plurality of spaced apart engagement arms for engaging and suspending the first plurality of garment hangers therefrom; and a suspension member connected to the second plurality of spaced apart engagement arms for suspending the suspension device from the support, such that in use garments suspended from the respective garment hangers are suspended in respective substantially parallel planes.

2. A suspension device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first plurality is equal to the second plurality.

3. A suspension device as claimed in claims I or 2, wherein at least a first engagement arm comprises hinge means for hingedly moving the at least a first engagement arm away from remaining engagement arms for facilitating loading of garments onto, and unloading garments from, garment hangers suspended from the respective engagement arms.

4. A suspension device as claimed in any the preceding claims, wherein a plurality of the engagement arms comprises hinge means for mutual separation of garment hangers suspended from the engagement arms for facilitating loading garments onto, and unloading garments from, garment hangers suspended from the respective engagement arms.

5. A suspension device as claimed in claims 3 or 4, wherein the hinge means comprises a living hinge.

6. A suspension device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, comprising a base member connecting the suspension member to the spaced apart engagement arms.

7. A suspension device as claimed in claim 6, wherein at least a first engagement arm is hingedly fixed to the base member.

8. A suspension device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein an engagement arm includes locking means for locking a garment hanger to the engagement arm.

9. A suspension device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the locking means comprise a projection on the engagement arm for passing a portion of the engagement arm on which the projection is located through resilient channel means in a garment hanger by resiliently deforming a wall of the channel means, and resiliently returning the wall when the projection has passed thorough the channel means, to lock the garment hanger to the engagement arm.

10. A suspension device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the engagement arm includes stop means for limiting movement of the garment hanger along the engagement arm.

11. A suspension device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the engagement arms are elongate substantially planar arms, which are dependent in use.

12. A suspension device as claimed in any of the preceding claims arranged to suspend the garment hangers in a tiered formation such that a portion of garments suspended from each of the garment hangers is visible from a front of the suspension device.

13. A suspension device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the engagement arms are of differing lengths.

14. A suspension device as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the suspension means comprises hook means.

15. A suspension device as claimed in any of the preceding claims of material that is sufficiently transparent to light to be at least translucent.

16. A garment hanger having attachment means arranged for attaching the garment hanger to the suspension device claimed in any of the preceding claims.

17. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 16, having attachment means for removably attaching the garment hanger to the suspension device.

18. A garment hanger as claimed in claims 16 or 17, wherein the attachment means are channel means for receiving a portion of an engagement arm.

19. A combination of the suspension device of any of claims 1 to 15 and a garment hanger for suspension therefrom. q

20. A combination as claimed in claim 19, wherein the garment hanger has attachment means for cooperating with engagement means on the suspension device for attaching the garment hangers to the suspension device.

21. A combination as claimed in claims 19 or 20 comprising a plurality of garment hangers, wherein the plurality of garment hangers are of a plurality of types for suspending a plurality of types of garment.

22. A garment hanger suspension device substantially as described herein with reference to and as shown in the accompanying Figures.

23. A garment hanger substantially as described herein with reference to and as shown in the accompanying Figures.

24. A combination of a suspension device and a garment hanger substantially as described herein with reference to and as shown in the accompanying Figures.