Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
GARMENT HANGER
~ his invention relates to a garment hanger, and in
particular to a hanger of the type comprising a middle
section with 8 hanging member such as a hook mounted
thereon and two end sections with means for engaging a
garment, at least one of the end sections being arranged
for sliding movement relative to the middle section
between a retracted position and an extended position, and
being biased towards the extended position.
Xnown hangers of this type generally employ a
compression spring to urge the or each end section to the
extended position. Examples of such hangers are found in
UR patent applications published as Nos. 2021402A and
2120542A.
~ angers employing springs such as are known in the
art suffer from a number of disadvantages. Foremost of
these is their expense. Steel springs on their own are
expensi~-e in comparison with the relatively cheap plastic
parts of the hanger. Moreover, they are notoriously
difficult to handle when loose. For example, they tend to
tangle with each other, and it is difficult to load the
springs on a machine in a manner that will enable the
springs to be presented to a hollow middle section of the
hanger for insertion in an automated process. This adds
to the expense of employing coil springs.
A further factor which adds to the expense of using
coil springs lies in the manufacture of a hollow middle
section. There are two principal ways in which this
section can be made. The hollow inside can be formed
around a core which is inserted longitudinally into the
mould from one end of the middle section, or it can be
made, as in UK patent application No 2120542A, by a number
of mould projections which are inserted from the sides of
the hanger to form alternate openings to each side of the
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hanger, so that the openings ~oin together to create a
continuous channel down the middle. This latter method of
manufacture is much cheaper than the former but is not
very s~itable for use with coil springs. This is because
if a coil spring is inserted in the channel and
compressed, the individual coils of the spring catch on
the edges of the openings and the operation of the spring
is uneven and noisy.
Apart from the cost of manufacturing hangers with
coil springs, these hangers have other disadvantages. The
extent to which such a hanger can be compressed is limited
by the presence of the spring in the hollow middle section
because, at its maximum compression, the spring still
occupies a finite length of the channel. In practice, it
is found that this limitation on the variation of width of
the hanger means that more than one size of hanger needs
to be made to accomodate the range of garment sizes
normally required to be hung. If the range over which the
hanger could be compressed was increased, then only one
size of hanger would have to be used. This could cut down
on manufacturing costs and moreover would be of benefit to
the trader using the hanger, because he would r.ot have to
concern himself with the sizes of the garment and of the
hanger.
While it has been proposed to use rubber bands in
hangers, rather than coil springs, as in German Patent
Application No. DE 3530380 Al and German Gebrauchsmuster
No. 7620036, these hangers have not met with substantial
commercial success.
According to one aspect of the present invention
there is crovided - - -
a garment hanger comprising a middle section with ahanging member mounted thereon and two end sections with
means for engaging a garment, at least one of th~ end
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sections being arranged for sliding movement relative to
the middle section between a retracted position and an
extended position, and an elastomeric band which, when the
said end section is in the retracted position, extends over
a length greater than the length of overlap between the
said end section and the middle section, but which is
trained in such a path as to urge the said end section
towards the extended position.
According to another aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a garment hanger comprising a
middle section with a hanging member mounted thereon and
two end sections with means for engaging a garment, at
least one of the end sections being arranged for sliding
movement relative to the middle section, between a
retracted position and an extended position, and an
elastomeric band which urges said end section towards the
extended position, the elastomeric band being trained in a
path such that, as the end section is retracted, an
increasing proportion of the material of the band extends
between the end section and the middle section to urge
those sections apart.
A further aspect of the invention provides a
garment hanger comprising: a middle section with a hanging
member mounted thereon; two end sections with means for
engaging a garment at least one of the end sections being
arranged for sliding telescopic movement relative to the
middle section, between a retracted position and an
extended position; an elastomeric band arranged to urge
said slidable end section towards the extended position, a
section of said elastomeric band extending from the
vicinity of the end of the end section to the vicinity of
the end of the middle section and back along the middle
section towards the middle thereof; and guide means around
which the elastomeric band is guided in a non-linear path
such that, as the end section is retracted, the material of
the band slidingly moves around the guide means, along the
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length of the band, so that an increasing proportion of the
material of the band extends between the one section and
the middle section, thereby reducing the rate of increase
of tension forced to said end section towards the extended
position.
A still further aspect of the invention provides
a garment hanger comprising a middle section with a hanging
member mounted thereon and two end sections with means for
engaging a garment, at least one of the end sections being
arranged for sliding movement relative to the middle
section between a retracted position and an extended
position, and an elastomeric band which urges said end
section towards the extended position, wherein in the
extended position a first portion of the elastomeric band
extends from the vicinity of the end of the end section to
the vicinity of the end of the middle section and a second
portion of the elastomeric band extends from the end of the
middle section towards the middle of the middle section,
such that as the end section is retracted an increasing
proportion of the second portion of the band augments the
first portion between the end of the end section and the
end of the middle section.
The middle section may be hollow, with the or each
end section telescopically mounted within the middle
section, or the or each end section may be hollow, with the
middle section telescopically mounted therein.
The invention has the advantage of being able to
expand and contract over such a great range, that a single
hanger can be used to hang any garment within the normal
range of sizes available. It also has the advantage of
reducing creep in the elastomeric band. Elastomeric
material undergoes creep when stretched and particularly
when exposed to heat or ultra-violet light. The hanger of
the present invention is intended to be used with the
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elastomeric band or bands ~n a stretched condition for
long periods of time while garments are being hung for
display. The reduction of creep is therefore a
significant advantage, as otherwise.it could lead to the
tension in the band relaxing and the garment falling off
the hanger.
Preferably the elastomeric band is made of natural
rubber and preferably it is coated or impregnated with a
lubricant such as a silicone. The band may be
double-ended, and it may be formed such that the molecules
of elastomer extend longitudinally along the band. It may
be generally circular in cross-section, and may have a
diameter of from about 2mm to about 6mm, but preferably
from about 3mm to about 4mm. It will be appreciated,
however, that the band may have other ~ross-sectional
shapes, such as a generally rectangular section.
Preferab~y the elastomeric band is trained around a
rounded guide, having a radius of curvature of between
about 2mm and lOmm, and preferably between about 3mm and
5mm. There is preferably one such guide at each end of
the middle section.
With the e~astomeric band described above and the
rounded guides described above, the friction between the
~and and the guides is kept low, so that the band is able
to slide around the guides, thereby allowing the tension
in the band to be distributed to some degree over its
entire length. In this way, the maximum force exerted by
the band on the end sections preferably does not exceed
2kg, and more preferably lies in the approximate range of
0.75kg to 1.5kg. It is found that this range of forces
holds the garment satisfactorily on the hanger, without
causing bnttons to come undone.
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The band may pass ~long the underside of the middle
section, between guides at the ends thereof and the middle
section may have side walls which extend downwards to form
flanges which flank the band, so as to conceal it when the
hanger is viewed from the sides.
The middle section preferably has a generally
rectangular hollow cross-section and has two walls which
have alternating gaps and slots, so that the section can
be moulded by means of mould elements which extend through
the slots to mould the hollow interior.
Snap-fit retaining means may be provided to retain
the end sections in the middle section.
Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be
described by way of example with reference to the
accompanying drawings, as follows:-
Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of a hangeraccording to the invention in side elevation.
Figure 2 shows a first arrangement of anchoring
means for anchoring the end of the rubber band to the end
section. The anchoring means are shown in exploded
perspective view in Figure 2a, a sectioned cap part is
shown in perspective view in Figure 2b and the anchoring
means are shown assembled and in cross-section in Figure 2c.
Figure 3 shows a second, alternative arrangement of
anchoring means.
Figure 4a shows a third arrangement of anchoring
means and Figure 4b shows a modification of the means
shown in Figure 4a.
Figure 5 shows a fourth arrangement of anchoring
means.
Figures 6a and 7a are perspective views of fifth and
sixth arrangements of anchoring means, while Figures 6b
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and 7b are cross-sections of those arraDgements
respectively.
Figure 8 is a side elevation of a second embodiment
of a hanger according to the invention.
~ igure 9 is a sectional view of the hanger of Figure
8 along the line A-A.
Figures 10a and 10b are cross sectional views of the
hanger of Figures 8 and 9along the lines B-B and C-C
respectively.
Figure 11 is a side elevation of the end of end
section 114 of ~igure 8.
Referring to Figure 1, the hanger comprises a middle
section 20, ~wo end sections 21 and a hanging member 22
mounted on the middle section 20. The hanging member is
in the form of a hook, but a stud can be provided instead,
for hanging from a slotted rail, or any other hanger
member can be used. On the end of each end section, there
is a member 23 designed to engage the inside of a garment,
for example at the waist band of a pair of trousers or a
skirt.
The middle section 20 is hollow and the end sections
21 extend into the middle section in a telescopic manner.
A rubber band 25 extends from the inward pointing end of
one end section 21 to the inward pointing end of the other
end section 21. Each end of the rubber band 25 is
attached to its respective ends section 21 by anchoring
means 26, to be described in more detail below.
The rubber band is made of natural rubber, which has
been extruded in the direction along the length of the
band, so that the molecules of the rubber lie
longitudinaly along the band. The band has circular cross
section, having a thickness of 3mm. The rubber is coated
by immersion in silicone.
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The middle section 20 has a box section formed of
slats 27, with gaps 28 therebetween. The side walls
formed by these slats 27 extend downwards in the form of
two side flanges 29. At each end of the middle section,
the floor of the box section (not shown) has a rounded end
30. ~he rounded end has a radius of 4mm. Immediately
inward of the rounded end 30, there is an inward facing
step 32 formed in the floor of the box section. On the
inward facing end of each end section 21, there is a
tongue 33 projecting inwardly, having an abutment 34
pointing downwards.
In use, the two end sections are inserted into the
hollow middle section, in a telescopic manner. The tongue
33 of each end section passes over the corresponding step
32 in the end of the middle section, causing the tongue 33
to bend resiliently upwards, until the abutment 34 passes
over the step 32, thereby loc~ing the end section 21 into
the middle section 20. The rubber band 25 extends from
its anchoring means 26 around the rounded edge 30 and
between the flanges 29, passing along the length of the
middle section 20, around the other rounded end 30 at the
other end of the middle section 20, and from there to its
anchoring means 26 on the opposite end section 21.
To mount a garment on a hanger, the members 23
mounted on the ends of the end sections 21 are pushed
inwards. This action causes the elastic band 25 to
stretch. The stretching of the elastic band 25 first
occurs in the section of the band between the anchoring
means 26 and the rounded end 30, at either end of the
band. A point is reached at which the tension in the
section of the band 25 which is stretched exceeds the
friction between the band 25 and the rounded end 30 of the
middle section. At this point, the band 25 slides around
the rounded and 30, and is ~paid out, so that an
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increasing proportion of the remaining section of the band
gradually becomes stretched too. The consequence of this
operation is that the tension in the band ~5 is not able
to increase to the same extent as would be the case if the
band were not able to slide around the rounded end 30, but
instead were permanently attached at a point at the end of
the ~iddle section 20. With the members 23 in this
retracted position, those members are inserted on the
inside of the waist band of a garment, such as a skirt or
a pair of trousers, and they are released. The tension in
the band 25 causes the end sections 21 to expand again, so
that the members 23 grip the inside of the waist band of
the garment.
The feature of ~paying out n the band 25 means that
the retraction/force characteristic of the hanger (that is
to say the graph of the force exerted by the band on the
end section, plotted against the degree of retraction of
the end section) is non-linear. In fact, the force rises
quickly initially and, on increased retraction of the end
sections, the rate of rise of the force tails off. The
force exerted on the end sections reaches a maximum of
about 1.5 kg at full compresslon of the end sections.
This rètraction~force characteristic is found to be very
suitable for garment hanging.
It is found, with the embodiment of the invention
described above, that, because the rubber band stretches
over a length which is greater than the length of overlap
between the middle section and the end sections, the
strain in the band is less, for a given displacement, than
would be the case if a separate band was used at each end
of the hanger, extending only between the end of the end
section and the end of the middle section. Since creep is
strain-dependent, this means that the creep is reduced.
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Referring now to Figure 2, particular anchoring
means 26 are shown for anchoring the end of the band 25 of
the end sect~on 21. The anchoring means comprise a pin
40, which is integrally moulded on the end sectlon 21, and
a cap part 41. The pin 40 has a central slot, with a
serrated end wall 42, and has a lip 43 around its end.
The cap part 41 is cylindrical and has a hole through its
centre. The cap has two diametrically opposite notches 44
on its underside, adjoining the hole.
The anchoring means is assembled by placing the band
25 in the slot in the pin 40 and press-fitting the cap
part 41 over the pin 40. The band is pinched between the
end wall 42 of the slot in the pin ~0 and the notches 44
in the cap. Tbe serrated end wall 42 grips the cord. The
lip 43 holds the cap part 41 securely in place.
Figure 3 shows, in perspective view, an alternative
pin-type anchoring means comprising a pin 45, having a
central slot and a lip 46 surrounding the end of the pin
adjacent the slot. In the end section 21, there is formed
a gripping platform 47, having a trough-like groove with
serrations across it. On either side of the platform 47,
there is a segment of a hole, for receiving the parts of
the pin 45 on either side of the slot. The anchoring
means is assembled by placing the cord 25 across the
platform 47 so that it lies in the trough-shaped groove,
and press-fitting the pin 45 into the segment-shaped
holes, so that the lip 46 passes through the holes to make
a snap-fit. The band 25 is then gripped between the
platform 47 and the end wall of the slot.
Figure 4 shows an alternative method of anchoring
the end of the band 25. A button 50 is secured on the end
of the band 25 by adhesive. A longitudinal middle rib 51
is provided in the end section 21, with a slot 52 formed
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across the rib. The cord is simply inserted in the slot
52 and the button 50 is unable to pass through the slot
52, thereby holding the band 25 in position. A flange 53
is provided in a position to prevent dislodgement of the
band 25 ~n the direction out of the ~lot 52. As shown ir.
Figure 4b, the button 50 can have a cut-out to facilitate
insertion of the cord into the button.
Turning to Figure 5, another two-piece anchoring
means 26 is shown, comprising a pair of moulded flaps 55,
forming a pair of ~aws. The inward-facing surfaces of the
flaps 55 are serrated. On the opposite face of each flap,
there is a groove 56, formed across the flap. A clip 57
is provided, having two opposite, inward facing ri~s 58.
The band 25 is inserted in the jaws formed by the flaps
55, and the clip 57 is clipped over the flaps, so that the
ribs 5~ are located in the grooves 56. The clip 57 holds
the flaps firmly together, so that they grip the band.
Referring to Figure 6, a one-piece anchoring means
is shown, having a single flap 60 integrally moulded to
the end piece 21, adjacent a wall 61 of the end piece.
The flap 60 is connected to the end section 21 by a thin
flexible web 62. Near the edge of the flap, remote from
the web 62, there is formed in the wall 61 a hook 63. The
band 25 is anchored by placing it between the flap 60 and
the wall 61 and pressing the flap against the wall, until
the edge of the flap passes under the hook 63, and is held
thereby. In order to facilitate the moulding of the
mounting means, there is a shut-off, 64 corresponding to
the flap 60 and the hook 63, which allows the moulding
tool access to the flap and hooX.
Figure 7 shows anchoring means similar to those of
Figure 6, but instead of having a hook 63, the edge of the
flap 60, remote from the web 62, is shaped so as to
7~ -
contact the side wall 61, when the band 25 is squeezed in
position. The edge of the flap 60 $s then welded to the
side wall 61, by ultrasonic welding. The opposing faces
of the flap 60 and the wall 61 are serrated.
The mounting means of ~igures 6 and 7 have the
advantage of requiring only a single moulded piece. This
substantially reduces the cost of manufacture of the
hanger.
Referring to Figures 8 to 11, a hanger is shown
according to an alternative embodiment of the invention.
The hanger comprises a middle section 113 and two end
sections 114 and 115. Mounted on the middle section is a
hanging member in the form of a hook 112. On each end
section, there is a member 116 designed to engage the
inside of a garment, for example at the waistband of a
pair of trousers or a skirt.
The middle section 113 is hollow and the end
sections 114 and 115 extend into the middle section in a
telescopi~ manner, best seen in Figure 9. A rubber band
118 or other elastomeric band extends along opposite
longitudinal sides of the middle section 113 and protrudes
into the middle section in the form of loops 118' at
either end thereof. These loops pass around the ends of
the end sections 114, 115 where they extend into the
middle section 113. The band 11~ can be coated with a
silica-based coating to allow it to slide more freely
around the end of middle section 113.
The middle section 113 has slats 7 20 with gaps 121
therebetween. Each slat 12~ is positioned opposite a gap
121 on the opposite side of the hanger. These gaps
provide a two-fold advantage: they enable the middle
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6ection 113 to be hollowed out during moulding by use of
mould elements which approach from the 6ides, and they
reduce the overall weight of the hanger and the amount of
plastic required to make it.
From ~igure 11 it can be seen that the end of the
end section 114 has a pair of fingers 125 and 126
extending longitudinally therefrom. The upper finger 125
has a barb-like profile providing an outward facing
abutment 127. Prom ~igure 8 it can be seen that the
hollow channel along the inside of middle section 113 has
a smaller height over a short length at the ends, than in
the centre. This means that an edge 128 is provided at
each end, where the channel changes from the greater
height to the lesser height.
The hanger is assembled as follows. The elastic
band 118 is first stretched around the slats 120 forming
the middle section 113. One end section 114 is inserted
into the end of the middle section so that the elastic
band 118 locates itself between the fingers 125 and 126.
As the end section 114 is inserted, finger 125 bends
resiliently downwards until the abutment 127 passes over
the edge 128, whereupon the finger springs upwards and the
section 114 is locked against remova 7 . The other end 115
is inserted in the same manner. Numerous other ways of
securing the end sections within the middle section can be
employed.
The hanger is used by compressing the end sections
towards each other, inserting the hanger into the
waistband of a garment, e~g. a skirt, and releasing the
end sect~ons, 8110wing them to spring apart, so that the
members 116 engage the inside of the waistband, whereupon
the skirt will stay suspended wheD the hanger is hung up.
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It ls found, ~ith the embodiment of the invention
described above, that, because the elastic band stretches
all the way around the middle section 113 and therefore
stretches over a long length, the strain in the band is
less, for a given displacement, than would be the case if
two separate bands ~ere used, one at either end. Since
creep is strain-dependent, this means that the creep is
reduced.
A longitudinal recess (not shown) may be formed in
each side ~all of the hanger to receive the length of
elastomeric band that extends from one end of the middle
section to the other on each side, and/or vertical side
flanges may be provided to cover those lengths of the band
and hide them from view when viewed from the side.
Because there is no compression spring inside the
middle section of either of the hangers decribed, the end
sections can in each case be compressed until their ends
meet inside the hanger. Indeed, their ends could even be
made to overlap. This allows for a great variation in
size of garment that can be hung.
~ angers according to the invention have the
following additional advantage in their ease of
manufacture. Elastic bands can be made one-by-one by
cutting them off a continuous tube of elastic. A pair of
fingers is inserted into the tube and spread apart,
pulling the elastic taut. A short length of the tube is
cut off the end and this provides the band. This band is
also held by fingers and these are used to transfer the
band to the hanger. By this means, the process can be
easily automated and it is much better than a process
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which involves handling loose springs or loose bands.
Flat bands with anchoring means in the form of end-toggles
can be made in a similar way.
It will, of course, be understood that the above
description has been given by way of example only and
modifications of detail can be made within the scope of
the invention.
