Garment hanger and clip

An integral plastic clip molded in a substantially H-shaped configuration, said clip comprising a pair of legs, each leg having an object engaging free end portion and an integral connecting portion, said legs further having a predetermined open position in which the free end portions of the legs are spaced apart and face toward each other and define an article receiving opening to receive an article to be gripped by the free end portions of the legs, each of said legs integrally connected in spaced relation at said connecting portion by a thin leaf of plastic defining a hinge means, said connecting portion substantially perpendicular to each leg to form said substantially H-shaped configuration, said hinge means constructed to allow said free end portions to move toward a closed position thereby deforming said hinge means in a manner so that said hinge means operates as a restoring spring to move said legs apart to, and to hold said free end portions in, said predetermined open position when released, said leaf of plastic having a transverse dimension which places the free end portions of the legs in a widely spaced apart relationship when said clip is open;

• said clip having a latching means molded above said leaf of plastic with at least one portion of said latching means substantially parallel to said leaf of plastic which is capable of engagement to hold said legs in at least one closed position and a reaction means adjacent said latching means, said reaction means being positioned to enable said reaction means and said latching means to be manually engaged and to enable said latching means to be manually released.

An integral plastic clip molded in a substantially H-shaped configuration, said clip comprising a pair of legs, each leg having an object engaging free end portion and an integral connecting portion, said legs further having a predetermined open position in which the free end portions of the legs are spaced apart and face toward each other and define an article receiving opening to receive an article to be gripped by the free end portions of the legs, each of said legs integrally connected in spaced relation at said connecting portion by a thin leaf of plastic defining a hinge means constructed to allow said free end portions to move towards a closed position thereby deforming said hinge means in a manner so that said hinge means operates as a restoring spring to move said legs apart to, and to hold said free end portions in, said predetermined open position when released;

• ratchet means extending from said connecting portion of one leg into generally overlying and parallel relationship with said thin leaf;
• pawl means extending upwardly and inwardly towards said overlying and parallel ratchet means and having a length selected to engage said ratchet means when said legs are moved to said closed position to hold said legs in said closed position;
• guard means at least partly surrounding said ratchet means, said ratchet means being manually movable relative to said guard means to release said pawl from said ratchet means.

A hanger for garments comprising a hook, a cross bar extending from either side of said hook and a clip means mounted on or formed integrally with said cross bar adjacent either end thereof, said clip means being an integral plastic clip molded in a substantially H-shaped configuration, said clip comprising a pair of legs, each leg having an object engaging free end portion and an integral connecting portion, each of said legs integrally connected in spaced relation at said connecting portion by a leaf portion having an elastic memory, said clip having latching means molded above said leaf portion which is capable of engagement to hold said legs in at least one closed position in which said free end portions of said legs are positioned adjacent each other so as to grip an object between said free end portions, said legs further having a predetermined open position in which the free end portions of the legs are spaced apart and face toward each other and define an article receiving opening to receive an article to be gripped by the free end portions of the legs, whereby said leaf portion is in a deformed state when said legs are held in said closed position, said leaf portion operating as a restoring spring to move said free end portions apart and to hold said free end portions in said predetermined spaced apart open position when said latching means is released so that an object may be readily inserted between said free end portions of gripping.