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US 7,882,964 B2Granted
Apparatus and method for utilizing a gravity feed hanger
AssigneeFrito-Lay North America, Inc.
InventorJoe Battaglia
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for removably coupling a hanger to a latch at a first end of the hanger, removing the hanger from the latch while the latch remains coupled to a support member, threading an item of hanging stock onto the hanger via the first end, and recoupling the hanger to the latch while the latch remains coupled to the support member, wherein the hanger extends from the latch at an angle that is less than the horizontal, so that the hanging stock is urged by gravity toward a second end of the hanger.
Claims15
An apparatus, comprising:
- a latch comprising a base having a face;
- and
- a hanger detachably coupled to the latch wherein the hanger extends at an angle that is equal to or less than horizontal;
- wherein the hanger includes a first end of the hanger that allows an item to be threaded onto the hanger and a second end of the hanger that includes tip that retains the item on the hanger;
- wherein the first end of the hanger is substantially linear and substantially coplanar with the face of the latch;
- wherein the hanger comprises a member that extends horizontally and engages the latch to secure the hanger within the latch when the hanger and the latch are coupled;
- wherein the latch comprises a restraining tab extending upward from the front edge of the base and a load tab extending upward from the rear of the base;
- said restraining tab being bent to extend horizontally over a portion of the base;
- wherein the restraining tab engages the member and secures the hanger within the latch when the hanger and the latch are coupled.
6 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a latch comprising:
- a face;
- two side tabs, each side tab comprising a substantially vertical portion;
- a load tab comprising a substantially horizontal portion and a substantially vertical portion;
- a restraining tab comprising a substantially horizontal portion and a substantially vertical portion;
- and
- two mounting members;
- and
- a hanger detachably coupled to the latch wherein the hanger and the face are substantially coplanar and the hanger extends at an angle that is equal to or less than the horizontal, the hanger comprising:
- two substantially parallel hanger rods, each hanger rod engaging one of the side tabs so that lateral movement of the hanger is prevented when the hanger and the latch are coupled;
- a first end that is substantially linear and coplanar with a central portion of the hanger;
- a second end comprising a lip that joins the hanger rods and extends from the hanger at an angle that is substantially vertical so that the lip retains items that are threaded onto the hanger via the first end;
- an endpiece that joins the hanger rods at the first end and engages the load tab so that the hanger is secured within the latch and is prevented from moving vertically and longitudinally when the hanger and the latch are coupled;
- a crosspiece that extends between the hanger rods proximal to the first end and engages the restraining tab so that the hanger is prevented from moving vertically and longitudinally when the hanger and the latch are coupled;
- and
- a friction-reducing coating.
13 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a substantially vertical member;
- a substantially horizontal member comprising a substantially vertically oriented receptacle;
- a latch comprising:
- a face;
- a pair of latitudinal tabs;
- a pair of longitudinal tabs;
- and
- a mounting member;
- and
- a hanger comprising:
- two substantially parallel hanger rods;
- a substantially vertical upward lip joining the hanger rods at a first end of the hanger;
- an endpiece joining the hanger rods at a second end of the hanger;
- and
- a crosspiece extending between the hanger rods at a point between the first end and the second end;
- wherein the horizontal member is removably coupled to the vertical member;
- wherein the latch is removably coupled to the horizontal member by an engagement of the mounting member with the receptacle;
- wherein the latitudinal tabs engage the endpiece and the crosspiece and removably couple the hanger to the latch;
- wherein the longitudinal tabs engage the hanger rods and prevent lateral movement of the hanger;
- and
- wherein the hanger extends from the latch along a plane that is parallel to that of the face of the latch and at an angle that is less than horizontal.
18 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.