Reinforced hanger and associated packaged product assembly

A hanger comprising:

• a body including:
• an upper crossbar,
• a lower crossbar spaced from and extending substantially parallel to the upper crossbar,
• a first sidebar extending between the upper crossbar and the lower crossbar, and
• a second sidebar extending between the upper crossbar and the lower crossbar opposite the first sidebar;
• wherein:
• the upper cross bar includes a substantially linear intermediate section, an upper reinforcement section extending above the substantially linear intermediate section, a lower reinforcement section extending below the substantially linear intermediate section, a first rib extending between and bordering each of the substantially linear intermediate section and the upper reinforcement section, and a second rib extending between and bordering each of the substantially linear intermediate section and the lower reinforcement section,
• each of the first rib and the second rib have a thickness greater than each of the substantially linear intermediate section, the lower reinforcement section, and the upper reinforcement section, and
• each of the upper reinforcement section and the lower reinforcement section define a substantially planar rear surface and an opposite substantially planar front surface;
• a third rib extending along a bottom edge of the lower reinforcement section opposite the second rib, wherein:
• the second rib and the third rib are each at least about 25% thicker than the first rib, and
• the third rib extends a distance from the second rib that is greatest at a centerline of the hanger and tapers toward the second rib on both sides of the centerline;
• and
• a hook coupled with and extending upwardly from a center of the upper cross bar.

A hanger comprising:

• a body including:
• an upper crossbar,
• a lower crossbar spaced from and extending substantially parallel to the upper crossbar,
• a first sidebar extending between the upper crossbar and the lower crossbar, and
• a second sidebar extending between the upper crossbar and the lower crossbar opposite the first sidebar,
• wherein:
• the upper cross bar includes a substantially linear intermediate section, an upper reinforcement section extending above the substantially linear intermediate section, a lower reinforcement section extending below the substantially linear intermediate section, a first rib extending between and bordering each of the substantially linear intermediate section and the upper reinforcement section, and a second rib extending between and bordering each of the substantially linear intermediate section and the lower reinforcement section,
• each of the first rib and the second rib have a thickness greater than each of the substantially linear intermediate section, the lower reinforcement section, and the upper reinforcement section, and
• each of the upper reinforcement section and the lower reinforcement section define a substantially planar rear surface and an opposite substantially planar front surface;
• a third rib extending along a bottom edge of the lower reinforcement section opposite the second rib, wherein:
• the second rib and the third rib are each at least about 25% thicker than the first rib,
• the third rib extends a distance from the second rib that is greatest at a centerline of the hanger and tapers toward the second rib on both sides of the centerline,
• the lower reinforcement section and the upper reinforcement section each extend along at least about 60% of a total length of the substantially linear intermediate section,
• the upper reinforcement section extends away from the substantially linear intermediate section with a height,
• the height is greatest near the centerline of the hanger and tapers toward the substantially linear intermediate section on both sides of the centerline as the upper reinforcement section extends away from the centerline of the hanger, and
• the upper crossbar is substantially solid characterized by an absence of voids formed through the upper crossbar between an uppermost edge and lowermost edge of the upper crossbar;
• and
• a hook coupled with and extending upwardly from a center of the upper cross bar.

A packaged product assembly comprising:

• a hanger including a rectangularly shaped body having a centerline and a hook extending upwardly from the rectangularly shaped body, wherein:
• the rectangularly shaped body includes a reinforced segment and an article support segment opposite the reinforced segment,
• the reinforced segment includes a middle portion, a first strengthening portion, and a second strengthening portion,
• the first strengthening portion extends in a first direction from the middle portion with a first strengthening portion height having a maximum value at the centerline and tapering toward the middle portion to a minimum value of the first strengthening portion height as the first strengthening portion extends away from and on both sides of the centerline,
• the second strengthening portion extends in a second direction, opposite the first direction, from the middle portion with a second strengthening portion height having a maximum value at the centerline and tapering toward the middle portion to a minimum value of the second strengthening portion height as the second strengthening portion extends away from and on both sides of the centerline,
• the rectangularly shaped body further includes opposing side segments,
• the article support segment extends substantially parallel to the reinforced segment,
• the hanger further includes:
• a first rib, which extends between and borders each of the substantially linear middle portion and the first strengthening portion,
• a second rib, which extends between and borders each of the substantially linear middle portion and the second strengthening portion wherein each of the first rib and the second rib have a thickness greater than each of the substantially linear middle portion, the first strengthening portion, and the second strengthening portion, and each of the first strengthening portion and the second strengthening portion define a substantially planar rear surface and an opposite substantially planar front surface, and
• a third rib extending along an edge of the second strengthening portion opposite the second rib, wherein:
• the second rib and the third rib are each at least about 25% thicker than the first rib, and
• the third rib extends a distance from the second rib that is greatest at the centerline of the hanger and tapers toward the second rib on both sides of the centerline;
• and
• an article folded over and hung from the article support segment of the rectangularly shaped body.

A method of forming packaged product assembly for retail display, the method comprising:

• providing an article folded for retail display;
• suspending the article from the retail display using a hanger, the hanger including:
• a reinforced segment,
• a lower segment spaced from and extending substantially parallel to the reinforced segment,
• opposing side segments each extending between the reinforced segment and the lower segment, and
• a hook coupled with and extending upwardly from a center of the reinforced segment;
• wherein:
• the reinforced segment includes a substantially linear intermediate section, an upper strengthening section extending above the substantially linear intermediate section, a lower strengthening section extending below the substantially linear intermediate section, a first elongated protrusion extending between and bordering each of the substantially linear intermediate section and the upper strengthening section, and a second elongated protrusion extending between and bordering each of the substantially linear intermediate section and the lower strengthening section,
• each of the first elongated protrusion and the second elongated protrusion have a thickness greater than each of the substantially linear intermediate section, the lower strengthening section, and the upper strengthening section,
• each of the upper strengthening section and the lower strengthening section define a substantially planar rear surface and an opposite substantially planar front surface,
• the lower strengthening section defines a lower strengthening section height having a maximum value at the center of the reinforced segment and a lowermost edge curving toward the substantially linear intermediate section as the lowermost edge extends away from and on both sides of the center of the reinforced segment toward the substantially linear intermediate section to a minimum value of the lower strengthening section height.