Back to results
US 11,266,259 B2Granted
Garment hangers and sizers and method for reusing the same
AssigneeProsperity Products (HK) Limited
InventorMichael Warren
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A garment hanger and a sizer that can be removably mounted to the hanger are provided. The sizer includes a pair of inwardly extending fingers for mounting the sizer to a hook or a body of the hanger. The sizer can be manually or automatically removed from the sizer by a tool, by inserting the tool into a space between the hanger and a respective inwardly extending finger. The hanger and the sizer enable a method of reusing hangers and sizers, by automatically removing the sizers from the hangers, processing the removed hangers and sizers to provide reusable hangers and sizers. The reusable hangers and sizers are distributed to remote garment manufacturers for providing garment-on-hanger products.
Claims28
A garment hanger comprising:
- a body for hanging and displaying a garment;
- a hook extending upright from the body for engaging a supporting means;
- and
- a sizer attachment structure configured to removably attach a sizer to the hanger, wherein the sizer is provided with indicia for displaying at least one characteristic of the garment;
- wherein the sizer attachment structure comprises:
- a web extending from a lower flange of the hanger, the web comprising a front side and an opposite rear side;
- a first slope formed at the front side of the web and extending toward the lower flange;
- a ledge formed at a lower terminus of the first slope and formed angularly with respect to the first slope at the front side of the web;
- and
- a second slope continuous with the ledge and extending toward the lower flange;
- and
- wherein:
- the first slope is configured to guide the movement of the sizer, the ledge is configured to engage the sizer for attaching the sizer to the sizer attachment structure,
- the second slope is configured to provide a space for removing the sizer;
- the first slope is configured to engage a first sloped surface of a first inwardly extending finger of the sizer so as to resiliently expand a space between a front panel and a rear panel of the sizer;
- upon expanding the space between the front panel and rear panel of the sizer, a movement of the first inwardly extended finger of the sizer is guided by the first slope of the sizer attachment structure;
- and
- the ledge of the sizer attachment structure is engaged with an engaging surface of the first inwardly extending finger once the first slope of the sizer attachment structure is admitted between the front panel and the rear panel of the sizer, to attach the sizer to the garment hanger in the secure yet removable manner and provide a space between the first slope of the sizer attachment structure and the first inwardly extending finger.
15 more elements
A sizer suitable for attachment to a portion of a hanger, the sizer comprising:
- a front panel and a rear panel substantially parallel to each other, each panel comprising a top edge and an opposite bottom edge;
- a middle panel connecting the top edge of the front panel and the top edge of the rear panel, wherein the front panel, the rear panel and the middle panel together form a sizer body for operatively receiving the portion of the hanger;
- and
- a first inwardly extending finger formed adjacent the bottom edge of the front panel, wherein the first inwardly extending finger operatively engages the portion of the hanger for attaching the sizer to the hanger in a secure yet removable manner,
- wherein the first inwardly extending finger is formed on an inner surface of the front panel and comprises:
- a first engaging surface formed angularly with respect to the inner surface of the front panel, and
- a first sloped surface formed angularly with respect to the first engaging surface;
- wherein the first sloped surface a of the first inwardly extending finger is configured to engage a first slope of the sizer attachment structure of the hanger to resiliently expand a space between the front panel and the rear panel of the sizer,
- wherein upon expanding the space between the front panel and rear panel of the sizer, the movement of the first inwardly extending finger of the sizer is guided by the first slope of the sizer attachment stricture;
- and
- wherein when the sizer is being attached to the sizer attachment structure of the hanger, the first engaging surface of the first inwardly extending finger engages a ledge of the sizer attachment structure to attach the sizer to the hanger in the secure yet removable manner and provide a space between the first inwardly extending finger and the first slope of the size attachment structure.
8 more elements
A combination of a garment hanger and a sizer suitable for attachment to the garment hanger,
- wherein the garment hanger comprises:
- body for hanging and displaying a garment;
- a hook extending upright from the body for engaging a supporting means;
- and
- a sizer attachment structure configured to removably attach the sizer to the hanger, wherein the sizer is provided with indicia for displaying at least one characteristic of the garment, and
- wherein the sizer attachment structure comprises:
- a web extending from a lower flange of the hanger, the web comprising a front side and an opposite rear side;
- a first slope provided at the front side of the web and extending toward the lower flange;
- ledge formed at a lower terminus of the first slope and formed angularly with respect to the first slope at the front side of the web;
- and
- a second slope continuous with the ledge and extending toward the lower flange, and
- wherein the sizer comprises:
- a front panel and a rear panel substantially parallel to each other, each panel comprising a top edge and an opposite bottom edge,
- a middle panel connecting the top edge of the front panel and top edge of the rear panel,
- wherein the front panel, the rear panel and the middle panel together form a sizer body for operatively receiving a portion of the hanger;
- and
- a first inwardly extending finger formed adjacent the bottom edge of the front panel,
- wherein, when the sizer is being attached to the sizer attachment structure, the first slope of the web guides the movement of the first inwardly extending finger to allow secure yet removable engagement between the first inwardly extending finger of the sizer and the ledge of the sizer attachment structure,
- wherein the first inwardly extending finger is formed on an inner surface of the front panel;
- wherein the first inwardly extending finger comprises:
- a first engaging surface formed angularly with respect to the inner surface of the front panel, and
- a first sloped surface formed angularly with respect to the first engaging surface;
- wherein, when the sizer is being attached to the sizer attachment structure of the hanger, the first slope of the web engages the first sloped surface of the first inwardly extending finger to resiliently expand the space between the front panel and the rear panel, thereby admitting the first slope of the web between the front panel and the rear panel;
- and
- wherein, once the first slope of the web is admitted between the front panel and the rear panel, the first engaging surface of the first inwardly extending finger engages the ledge of the web to attach the sizer to the hanger in a secure yet removable manner and a space is provided between the first sloped surface of the first inwardly extending finger and first slope of the sizer attachment structure.
22 more elements
A garment hanger comprising:
- a body for hanging and displaying a garment;
- a hook extending from the body for engaging a supporting means;
- and
- an attachment structure for a sizer formed in one of the body or the hook, wherein the sizer is provided with indicia for displaying at least one characteristic of the garment, the attachment structure comprising a narrowed web portion of the body or hook extending from an outer edge surface of the body or hook to an inner extent of greater thickness than the narrowed web portion, wherein:
- said web portion has a first side and a second side,
- the first and second sides each define a series of surfaces,
- the first side surfaces comprise:
- a first surface extending from the outer edge surface toward the inner extent at an obtuse angle with respect to the outer edge surface,
- a second surface extending from the first surface in a direction substantially perpendicular to the outer edge surface,
- a third surface extending from the second surface inward in a direction substantially parallel to the outer edge surface,
- a fourth surface extending outwardly from the third surface at an acute angle with respect to the third surface, and
- a fifth surface extending from the second surface in a direction substantially perpendicular to the outer edge surface toward the inner extent;
- and
- the second side surfaces comprise:
- a sixth surface extending from the outer edge surface toward the inner extent in a direction substantially perpendicular to the outer edge surface and substantially parallel to the fifth surface,
- a seventh surface extending outwardly from the sixth surface toward the inner extent at an obtuse angle with respect to the sixth surface, and
- an eighth surface extending from the seventh surface toward the inner extent in a direction substantially parallel to the fifth and sixth surfaces.
14 more elements
A garment hanger including an attachment for a sizer, the hanger comprising:
- a hanger body;
- a hanger hook extending from the body;
- and
- an attachment structure formed in one of the hanger body or the hanger hook, the attachment structure comprising a narrowed web portion of the body or hook extending from an outer edge of the body or hook to an inner extent of greater thickness than the narrowed web portion, wherein:
- said web portion has a first side and a second side on opposite sides of a central reference plane,
- the first and second sides each define a series of surfaces,
- the first side surfaces comprise:
- a first surface extending from the outer edge toward the inner extent at an acute angle with respect to the reference plane,
- a second surface extending from the first surface in a direction substantially parallel to the reference plane,
- a third surface extending from the second surface inward in a direction substantially perpendicular to the reference plane,
- a fourth surface extending outwardly from the third surface at an obtuse angle with respect to the reference plane, and
- a fifth surface extending from the second surface in a direction substantially parallel to the reference plane toward the inner extent;
- and
- the second side surfaces comprise:
- a sixth surface extending from the outer edge toward the inner extent in a direction substantially parallel to the reference plane and substantially parallel to the fifth surface,
- a seventh surface extending outwardly from the sixth surface at an acute angle with respect to the reference plane, and
- an eighth surface extending from the seventh surface toward the inner extent in a direction substantially parallel to the fifth and sixth surfaces.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.