Garment hanger having an adjustable marker

Abstract

 A garment hanger (10, 100, 1000) in which a median portion (50, 500, 5000) of the hanger includes a window (21; 210; 2100) through which a rotatable disc (56; 560; 5600) may be viewed on which are printed size markings such that the disc can be rotated selectively to display any one of the markings through the window. A rear face of the disc and a facing surface of the median portion are provided with interengaging projection and recess configurations (5210, 5640) which are disengageable by flexing the disc in the window region, allowing rotation of the disc to display the other markings. Inadvertent rotation of the disc is prevented.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to a garment hanger having an adjustable marker.

[0002] Size markers for garment hangers for retail establishments are well known. One known type of marker is a tag which fits around a shank of a hook of a hanger, which must, however, be changed whenever the hanger is used, for example, for a different size of garment. Moreover, the tags are easily removed and small enough to be swallowed by children.

[0003] An adjustable marker that will selectively indicate more than one size of garment is known from GB-A-2309115, for fitting around a shank of a hook of a hanger. In this marker, a cylinder of hexagonal cross-section is coaxially located within a cylinder of circular cross-section having a window in a vertical wall thereof. One of a number of size indicia is written on each of the vertical faces of the hexagonal cylinder so that any of the indicia may be selectively viewed through the window by rotating the inner hexagonal cylinder with respect to the outer circular cylinder. However, this device is relatively complicated and also may be easily removed from the hanger. Other adjustable indicator devices for use with hangers are known from US-A-4756104 and GB-A-2342856, but are also complex devices with many parts.

[0004] EP-A-0670133 discloses a number of types of adjustable size markers for both fixed size and adjustable size hangers. One of these types of size marker for fixed hangers includes a rotatable disc housed within a central label area of the hanger, such that one of a number of indicia located on the disc is viewable through a window in the label area. The disc comprises an axle formed by bosses centrally located on opposed faces of the disc that are rotatably located in recesses in opposed inner walls of the label area of the hanger, respectively. The disc protrudes below the hanger to permit the disc to be rotated by a finger. Bosses may be provided on the disc and a corresponding recess on an inner wall of the hanger for selective engagement by one of the bosses to prevent accidental rotation of the disc. A spring may be provided to provide positive engagement of a boss in the recess. The marker is only suitable for a hanger of inverted "U" shape cross-section.

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide an alternative adjustable marker system.

[0006] EP-A-670133 discloses a garment hanger in accordance with the precharacterising portion of claim 1.

[0007] This arrangement tends to prevent inadvertent rotation of the disc which is a problem in the prior art.

[0008] A garment hanger in accordance with the present invention is characterised in that a face of said disc (56; 560; 5600) and a facing surface of said median portion (50; 500; 5000) have projection and recess configurations (5210; 5640) which interengage at a region of the disc proximate said window (21; 210; 2100) and are disengageable on flexing said region of said disc to allow rotation of said disc to bring other indicia (58; 580; 5800) into view through said window.

[0009] Preferably, said second-mentioned face of said disc (56; 560; 5600) is a rear face and said projection and recess configurations (5210; 5640) are disengageable on flexing said region of said disc forwardly.

[0010] Preferably, the median portion includes a label portion for accommodating a label and the window is located outside the label portion.

[0011] Conveniently, the median portion includes a portion of the suspension means and the window is located in the portion of said suspension means.

[0012] Conveniently, the cylindrical housing includes a central boss for engaging a central aperture in the disc for retaining the disc in the housing.

[0013] Alternatively, the cylindrical housing further comprises a cover for retaining the disc within the housing.

[0014] Conveniently, the cover is hingedly fixed to the hanger.

[0015] Alternatively, the cover forms a friction fit with the cylindrical housing.

[0016] Alternatively, engagement means are provided removably to retain the cover on or within the cylindrical housing.

[0017] Conveniently, the means for permitting a user to rotate said disc comprises a peripheral cut-away portion of the cover.

[0018] Advantageously, the garment hanger has a 'C' cross-section or an 'I' cross-section.

[0019] Advantageously, the disc is provided with indicia on a second major surface opposed to the first major surface and the cover is provided with a second window for selectively viewing any one of a second plurality of indicia provided on the second major surface of the disc.

[0020] Other preferred features are defined in the dependent claims.

[0021] Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 shows a front view of a first embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 shows a perspective view from the front and one side of the embodiment of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows a perspective view from the rear and one side of the embodiment of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4A shows a front view of a second embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 4B shows a rear view of the embodiment of Fig. 4A;

Fig. 4C shows an enlarged front view of a hook portion of the embodiment of Fig. 4A;

Fig. 4D shows a rear view of the hook portion and a median portion of the embodiment of Fig. 4A;

Fig. 5A shows a rear view of a third embodiment of the invention showing a rear face of a disc;

Fig. 5B shows a front face of the disc of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 5C shows a detail of the disc engagement means of Fig. 5A.

[0022] In the figures, like reference numerals denote like parts.

[0023] In a first embodiment of the invention there is provided a hanger 10 having a hook portion 20, two arm portions 30 and 40 and a median portion 50, as seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. As can best be seen from FIG. 3, the hanger is of a C-shape cross-section and is provided in the median portion 50 with a cylindrical housing 51 formed by a partial circular wall 52. The median portion 50 is divided from the arm portions 30 and 40 by an arcuate wall 53. The circular wall 52 is tangential to a first median wall 54 and to a second median wall 55 of the median portion 50 at respective tangents thereof and the circular wall 52 forms a common wall with a downwardly arcuate portion of the otherwise upwardly arcuate wall 53 separating the median portion from the arm portions. The cylindrical housing thereby divides the median portion 50 into a first median section 61 and a second median section 62, and has its boundary wall 52 contained substantially within the first median wall 54 and the second median wall 55.

[0024] The circular wall 52 is discontinuous between a junction with the wall 53 dividing the median portion 50 from the arm portions 30,40 and the portion of circular wall 52 tangential to the second median wall 55 to provide access to the cylindrical housing from the second median section 62 bordered by the dividing wall 53, the second median wall 55 and the cylindrical housing 51.

[0025] A disc 56 is rotatably housed in the cylindrical housing 51 and is rotatably retained in the housing by a cap 57 forming a friction fit within the cylindrical housing 51. It will be understood that the cap 57 may alternatively have, for example, engagement means for clipping the cap into place or be hinged either on the dividing wall 53 or on one of the median walls 54 or 55.

[0026] The disc 56 may alternatively be provided with a central aperture and the cylindrical housing provided with a corresponding central boss so that the disc may be held in place by passing the boss through the aperture, in which case, the cover 57 may be dispensed with.

[0027] As can be seen from FIGS. 1 or 2, a portion of the disc is visible through a window 21 in the hook portion so that any one of a number of indicia 58 printed or otherwise written or formed on the disc may be selectively viewed through the window 21.

[0028] The cap 57 is provided with a peripheral cut-away portion 59 bordering the second median section 62 so that a finger may be inserted in the second median section 62 to rotate the disc 56 to change which of the indicia 58 is viewable through the window 21.

[0029] The disc 56 is provided on one face (e.g. its rear face) with projections and/or recesses (not shown) which engage complementary recesses and/or projections in a facing surface of the median portion 50 to locate the disc in such a position that the any one of the indicia is registered with and remains centrally visible through the window 21 until the disc is flexed to disengage the projections and recesses and deliberately rotated. It will be appreciated this embodiment has an advantage over the prior art that because access to the disc is only provided from within the second median section 62, accidental movement of the indicia is much less likely than with the prior art.

[0030] A second embodiment of the invention is shown in Figs. 4A to 4D, in which a hanger 100 has a hook portion 200, arm portions 300 and 400 and a median portion 500. As best seen in Fig. 4D, a rear surface of the hanger is provided with a cylindrical housing 510 rotatably containing a disc 560. The cylindrical housing 510 is defined by a partial circular wall 520, the wall being discontinuous on the boundary between the cylindrical housing 510 and the hook portion 200. As shown in Fig. 4B, the cylindrical housing 510 divides the median portion 500 into a first median section 501 and a second median section 502, having its boundary circular wall 520 substantially contained within a first median wall 540 and a second median wall 550.

[0031] Any one of a plurality of indicia 580 located on the disc 560 is selectively viewable through a window 210 in a front surface of the hook portion 200. The disc is coverable by a hinged cover 570 which is hinged to the second median wall 550 bordering the median portion of one side thereof.

[0032] The disc 560 is provided on one face (e.g. its rear face) with projections and/or recesses (not shown) which engage complementary recesses and/or projections in a facing surface of the median portion 500 to locate the disc in such a position that the any one of the indicia is registered with and remains centrally visible through the window 210 until the disc is flexed to disengage the projections and recesses and deliberately rotated. It will be appreciated this embodiment has an advantage over the prior art that because access to the disc is only provided from within the second median section 62, accidental movement of the indicia is much less likely than with the prior art.

[0033] The hinged cover 570 is provided with a second window 590 through which any one of a plurality of indicia on an opposed side of the disc from that viewed through the window 210 may be selectively viewed. The hinged cover 570 is further provided with a cut-away portion 571 so that the disc 560 may be rotated by a finger inserted in the second median section 502 to access the disc at the cut-away portion. The cut-away portion borders the second median portion section 502 when the cover is closed.

[0034] This embodiment has the advantage over the prior art that the window 21, 210 on the front surface of the hanger 10, 100 is not in a label area of the median portion 50, 500, so that the label area may be used for a label carrying separate information, in a manner known per se.

[0035] In a third embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 5A to 5C, there is provided a hanger 1000 having a hook portion 2000 for suspending the hanger, arm portions 3000 and 4000 for supporting a garment and a median portion 5000. The hanger is of a 'C' shaped cross-section so that the median portion forms a housing defined by the front face of the hanger and walls of the hanger. A partial circular wall 5200 separates the median portion 5000 from the hook portion 2000.

[0036] A disc 5600 is rotatably housed in the median portion and retained therein in click-fit fashion by a boss 5610 passing through a central aperture 5620 in the disc. A portion of a front surface 5630 of the disc is visible through a window 2100 in the front surface of the median portion adjacent the wall 5200 so that any one of a number of indicia 5800 printed or otherwise written or formed on the disc may be selectively viewed through the window 2100. The disc 5600 is provided with substantially rectangular locating recesses formed in a peripheral portion of a rear face 5650 of the disc for engaging a registration lug 5210 formed on a surface of the wall 5200 facing the disc to locate the disc in a such a position that any one of the indicia remains centrally visible through the window 2100 until the disc is deliberately rotated. The lug 5210 is further provided with a stop member 5680 on the side of the lug remote from the disc extending in the direction of the wall 5200 either side of the lug 5210 to engage the rear surface 5650 of the disc 5600 when the engagement lug 5210 is in the recess 5640.

[0037] One or more additional fixing lugs 5660, 5670 may be provided in the median portion to engage the periphery of the rotatable disc 5600 either in addition to the central boss 5610 or in place of the central boss 5610. Where no lugs are provided the size of the central boss may be increased in compensation. The fixing lugs 5660, 5670 have a width tangential to the periphery of the disc sufficient to prevent their entering any of the recesses 5640.

[0038] In order to change the indicia 5800 viewable through the window 2100, a user pushes with a fingertip on an edge of the disc aligned with the window and adjacent the engagement lug 5210 to flex the edge of the disc towards and into the window to disengage the recess 5640 from the engagement lug 5210 and subsequently to rotate the disc until another recess 5640 is engaged by the engagement lug 5210. In this manner, an indicia 5800 is visible centrally within the window until the disc is deliberately rotated to display a different indicia and the disc is not accidentally rotated during other normal handling of the hanger.

[0039] The hangers described above are suitably formed of moulded plastics material. In particular the rotatable disc is suitably formed of moulded polypropylene.

[0040] It will be further understood that although the invention has been described in relation to a C-section hanger, it has equal applicability to an I-section hanger. This further differentiates the invention from some of the prior art, which only has applicability to an inverted U-section hanger.

[0041] The present invention also has the advantage over some of the prior art that the disc is easily interchangeable with another disc showing different information. Although the invention has been described in relation to size markers, it will be understood that the invention has equal applicability for displaying other types of information.

Claims

1. A garment hanger (10; 100; 1000) comprising garment support means (30; 40; 300; 400; 3000; 4000), a median portion (50; 500; 5000) attached to said garment support means and provided with a window (21; 210; 2100), suspension means (20; 200; 2000) attached to said median portion for suspending the garment hanger and a disc (56; 560; 5600) mounted for rotation in said median portion and having a plurality of indicia (58; 580; 5800) on a front face thereof, said indicia being selectively viewable through said window on rotating said disc, characterised in that a face of said disc (56; 560; 5600) and a facing surface of said median portion (50; 500; 5000) have projection and recess configurations (5210; 5640) which interengage at a region of the disc proximate said window (21; 210; 2100) and are disengageable on flexing said region of said disc to allow rotation of said disc to bring other indicia (58; 580; 5800) into view through said window.

2. A garment hanger (10; 100; 1000) according to claim 1 wherein said second-mentioned face of said disc (56; 560; 5600) is a rear face and said projection and recess configurations (5210; 5640) are disengageable on flexing said region of said disc forwardly.

3. A garment hanger (10; 100; 1000) according to claim 2 wherein said projection and recess configurations comprise a registration lug (5210) on a wall of said median portion proximate said window and a plurality of recesses (5640) on said rear face of said disc (56; 560; 5600) which are selectively engageable with said registration lug.

4. A garment hanger (10; 100; 1000) according to claim 2 or claim 3 wherein said rear face of said disc (56; 560; 5600) is exposed and said median portion (50; 500; 5000) includes retention means (5660, 5670) which releasably engage the periphery of said disc to retain it in position.

5. A garment hanger (10; 100; 1000) according to claim 4 wherein said retention means comprises one or more further lugs (5660; 5670) circumferentially distributed about said disc.

6. A garment hanger (10; 100; 1000) according to any of claims 2 to 5 which comprises a cover (57; 570) over said rear face.

7. A garment hanger (10; 100) according to claim 6 wherein said cover (57; 570) includes a peripheral cut-away portion (59; 571) to provide access to enable a user to rotate said disc (210).

8. A garment hanger (100) according to claim 6 or claim 7 wherein said disc (210) is provided with further indicia (580) on said rear face and said cover (570) is provided with a further window (590) for selectively viewing said further indicia.

9. A garment hanger (100) according to any of claims 6 to 8 wherein said cover (570) is hinged to said hanger.

10. A garment hanger (10; 100) according to any of claims 6 to 9 wherein said cover (57; 570) is frictionally engaged with said median portion (50; 500).

11. A garment hanger (1000) according to any of claims 6 to 9 wherein said median portion (5000) is provided with engagement means which retain said cover (570) in position.

12. A garment hanger (10; 100; 1000) according to any preceding claim wherein said median portion (50; 500; 5000) includes a label portion for accommodating a label on a outer surface of the median portion and said window (21; 210; 2100) is located outside said label portion.

13. A garment hanger (1000) according to any preceding claim wherein said median portion includes a central boss (5610) which engages a central aperture in said disc (2100) to retain it on the hanger.

14. A garment hanger (10; 100; 1000) according to any preceding claim which has a generally C shaped or I shaped cross-section.

15. A garment hanger (10; 100; 1000) according to any preceding claim wherein said median portion (50; 500; 5000) includes a portion of said suspension means (20; 200; 2000) and said window (21; 210; 2100) is located in said portion of said suspension means.

Drawing