Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02462069 2004-03-24
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GARMENT 8ET DOUBLE HANGER AND METHOD OF HANGING
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
l.Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a garment set double~hanger aad
method of
hanging which are suitable for hanging and displaying together . a set of
matched or
coordinated top garments such as a matched or coordinate set of sport or dress
shirts.
For instance, a promotional sale might offer a matched set of striped shirts,
a first sport
or dress shirt having red .and white stripes and a second sport or dress shirt
having blue
and white stripes. ,The ~garment,.set double hanger is designed to, display
the set of
matched or coordinate garments together and to convey to a consumer the
impression
that the garments are designed to be purchased together as a matched or
coordinate set.
2.Discussion of the ~'rior Art . . .
It can be appreciated that many garments are designed to be sold
as.coordinated
matched sets. For example, a promotional sale might offer a matching set of
top
garments, such.as dress shirts, sports shirts, blouses or svsreatcrs of an
identical style and
cut but of different colors; or other. garment- setcombinations as are
frequently
specifically manufactured to be sold as matched sets. -In the sale of such
garment
matched sets, it is desirable to display the garments together to convey to
the consumer
the impression that the garments are indeed a set to be purchased together. To
that end
the separate garmeats may be hung on separate hangers and displayed alongside
or next
to each other, or the garments may be hung on a single hanger. The drawbacks
in such
display methods are that in the first example of separate hangers, some frame
or support
is required to display the separately hung garments together, and in the
second example
of a single hanger, sharing a single hanger may obscure from display one of
the
individual garments that make up the garment matched set, or make it difficult
to mount
the garment matched set on the single hanger.
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It can also be appreciated that a further benefit iu displaying such garment
matched sets
together, or in displaying garments of a similar style and color together, is
that the
amount of required display space can be reduced significantly. A still further
benefit of
displaying such coordinate garment matched sets together is to make it easier
for the
consumer to find and purchase such coordinate garment matched sets. This
economy of
space and ease of organization may also extend to the transportation and
storage of such
coordinate garment matched sets.
Moreover, in many cases it has long been a practice to utilize hanger
structures in which
two hangers are ganged together, with a lower hanger being suspended from.a
top
hanger. In other cases, attachmeats have been designed with the attachment
constructed
to be temporarily or permanently connected to a supporting hanger.
These arrangements have often not been satisfactory because they have normally
required the hangers to be of such a design that they do not have utility
other than as
ganged hangers for simultaneous multiple garment display and transport.
Moreover,
when hangers of conventional construction have been modified to permit
ganging, they
have involved either a difficult and complex structure for attaching one
garment hanger
to the other, or they have not been satisfactory in transportation because the
vibration
20' and jostling incident to transportation has frequently caused the hangers
to become
disconnected, allowing one of the garments to fall to the floor or bottom of
the transport
container. This same lack of security of attachment has also been a pxoblem at
the point
of display unless the hangers are handled carefully.
It is also an important requirement that the cost of manufacturing and selling
the
hangers be maintained as low as possible to meet the necessities of the
garment
manufacturing and merchandising field.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a garment set double hanger and method of
hanging
which are suitable for hanging and displaying a set of matched or coordinated
garments
together, such as a matched set of mess or ladies top garments, which does not
obscure
from display either of the individual garments that make up the coordinate
garment set,
and which is designed to make it easy to mount the coordinate garment matched
set on
the single hanger. The garment set double hanger includes, a top hanger which
is
designed to support a first garment of the matched set of garments and a
bottom hanger
which is designed to support and display a second garment of the matched set
of
garments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TIIE DRAWINGS
The foregoing objects and advantages of the present invention for a garment
sat double
hanger may be more readily understood.by one skilled in the art with reference
being
had to the following detailed description.of several e~mbodinients thereof,
taken in
conjunctiori with the accompanying drawings wherein, like elements are
designated by
identical reference numerals throughout the several views, and in which:
Figure 1 is a front elevational view of ono embodiment of a garment set double
hanger
. pursuant.to the present invention which includes a top hanger hook, a top
garment
hanger depending from the top hanger hook, and a bottom garment hanger
depending
from the top garment hanger.
Figure 2 is a sectional view through the top and bottom garment hangers of
Figure 1,
taken along sectional arrows 2-2 in Figure 1, and particularly illustrates
details of the
construction of the frame members of the,top and bottom garment hangers of the
garment set hanger:
Figure 3 illustrates a preferred method of hanging and displaying a pair of
garments
such as sports shirts on a front facing garment set double hanger of the
present
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invention wherein the fair of front~facing garrrclts are tiered from front to
rear with the
bottom front garment being hung and displayed on the bottom hanger in front of
the top
rear.garment which is hung and displayed on the top hanger.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The garment set double hanger of the present invention provides a rather large
garment ,
hanger designed to display a matched or coordinated set of top garments, as
might be
offered in a promotional sale, while displaying the garments without unduly
obstructing
the view of either garment. In that regard, one designed embodiment of the
garment set
double hanger had a width of 41 centimeters, a total height of 31.5
centimeters, and a
vertically extending and elongated rectangular frame member of 6.2 by 1.2
centimeters,
with the lower hanger being mounted approximately 10.2 centimeters below the
tap
hanger. The above defined dimensions are of one designed embodixnent,.and
other
embodiments with different. dimensions are equally within the scope of the
present .
invention.
With such a large garment set hanger structure, designed to provide full
support and ,
visibility for the matched set of garments, the garment set hanger must be
designed with
a sturdy structural design, as described hereinbelow.
Figure 1 is a front elevational view of one embodiment of a garment set double
hanger
pursuant to the present invention which includes.a top hanger hook 12, a top
garment
hanger 14 depending from the top hanger hook, and a bottom garment hanger 16
depending from the top garment hanger.
The garment set double hanger includes a top centrally located hanger means,
such as
an inverted U shaped hanger hook 12 or an enlarged knob or a cross member
structure
designed to engage a slot, by which the garment hanger is suspended when the
hanger
means engages and hangs from a support such as a clothes rack. The top
centrally
located inverted U shaped hanger hook might or might not incorporate a
releasable
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indicator tag to indicate to a consumer a size or ocher descriptive detail'of
a garment
attached to a neck portion by an attachment means 18 or to a top portion of
the top
hanger hook, or to both the neck and top portions.
The hanger hook has a general I-beam construction wherein the hanger hook is
provided with an enlarged thickness peripheral flange 20 extending entirely
around the
outermost edge of the hanger hook, with opposite peripheral side flanges 20
being
connected by a reduced thickness central web 22. The peripheral flange also
extends
around the inner peripheral edge of the attachment means 18 for a releasable
size
indicator. The flange has an enlarged thickness which is substantially greater
than.the
reduced thiclaiess of the central vertical web of the hanger hook and
reinforces the ~ '
construction strength of the garment hanger hook. v .
The embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2 is designed with an attachment means
18 to
receive a releasable indicator at a neck pordon.betareen the top hanger hook
12 and the
top garment hanger 14 of the garment set haager. The releasable indicator is
attached to
a rounded triangular, reduced thickness; indicator, receiving portion which
terminates ~ '
near a curved edge flange 24 formed where it joins the peripheral flange 20
around the
hanger hook and also around the top hanger 14. A small triangular locking tab
26 is
ZO centrally located in the reduced thickness portion, and has a wedge shaped
side profile,
increasing in thickness in the direction of insertion of a releasable
indicator thereon and
terminating at edge 28, to secure a releasable indicator in place on the
reduced thickness
portion, the structure arid details of which are described in greater detail
in U.S. Patent
6,264,075.
Figure 2 is a sectional view through the top and bottom garment hangers of
Figure 1,
taken along sectional arrows 2-2 in Figure 1, and particularly illustrates
details of the
construction of the frame members of the top and bottom hangers of the garment
set
double hanger.
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The enlarged thickness flange 20 around the inveried U shaped hanger hook 12
extends
integrally into an enlarged thickness flange 20 around the top hanger 14,
which is
formed centrally below the inverted U shaped hanger hook. The top hanger
is.designed
to support and display a first top garment of the matched set of garments and
has a
central body portion 30 and coplanar left and right downwardly sloping arms
32, which
are symmetrically identical, extending from the central body member in left
and right
lateral directions. A garment/strap receiving opening and slot 34 is defined
in the top of
each of the left and right arms as is generally known in the art.
The central body portion defines an enlarged width neck portion 36, such that
a collar of
the first garment is designed tv fit around the enlarged width neck portion,
with the '
shoulder portions of the $rst garment being supported' on the left and right
downwardly
sloping arms. The left and right downwardly sloping arms terminate in
downturned .
distal rounded ends 38 to facilitate mounting of the first garment on the top
hanger.
A vertically extending and, elongated rectangular frame member 40 extends
vertically
downwardly from the central body portion of the top hanger to the bottom
hanger 16
which is centrally suspended below the top hanger and is designed to support a
second
garment of the matched set of garments. .
The top hanger 14 and the vertical rectangular frame member 40 have a general
I beam
construction similar to the hanger hook 12 wherein the top hanger body and the
rectangular frame member are provided with an enlarged thickness peripheral
flange 20
extending around their peripheral edges with opposite peripheral side flanges
being
connected by a reduced thickness central web 22. The flange has an enlarged
thickness
which is substantially greater than the reduced thickness of the central
vertical web
which reinforces the constiruction strengths of the top hanger and the
vertical
rectangular frame member.
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The enlarged thickness flange 20 extends entirely around the left and right
downwardly
sloping arms 32, including the garment/strap receiving opening and slot 34.
The
enlarged thickness flange 20 extends along a common boundary 42 with
the.central .
body portion, and at the location where the enlarged width neck portion 36 of
the
central body curves into the left and right downwardly sloping arms, the
enlarged
thickness flange continues straight across the common boundary 42 and joins
the v
enlarged thickness flange beneath the central body portion and the enlarged
flange E
beneath the dovmwardly sloped arm. .
The enlarged thickness flange 20 extends substantially entirely around the
central body
portion 30 of.the top hanger including the common boundary 32, with the
exception of
an opening 44 into the vertical rectangular frame member 40.
The bottom hanger 16 is a substantial duplicate of the top hanger, and is
designed to
support and display a second garment of the matched set of garments. Tlie
enlarged
thiclaiess flange 20 around the elongated rectangular flame member 40 extends
integrally into an enlarged thickness flange around the bottom hanger 16
formed
. centrally below the top hanger 14. The bottom hanger has a central body
portion SO and .
coplanar left and right downwardly sloping arms 52, which are symmetrically
identical, '
extending from the central body member in left and right lateral directions. A
, .
garment/strap receiving opening and slot 54 is defined in the top of each of
the left and
y
right arms as is generally known in the art.
The central body portion defines an enlarged width neck portion 56, such that
a collar of
the second garment is designed to fit around the enlarged width neck portion,
with the
shoulder portions of the second garment being supported on the left and right
downwardly sloping arms. The left and right downwardly sloping arms terminate
in
downtumed distal rounded ends 58 to facilitate mounting of the second garment
on the
bottom hanger.
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The bottom hanger 16 has a general I beam construction similar to the.top
hanger 14
and is provided with an enlarged thickness pczipheral flange 20 extending
around its
peripheral edges with opposite peripheral side flanges being connected by a
reduced
thickness central web 22. The flange has an enlarged thickness, which is
substantially
greater than the reduced thickness of the central vertical web, which
reinforces the
construction strength of the bottom hanger.
.
The enlarged thickness flange 20 extends entirely around tha left and right
downwardly
sloping arms 52, including the garrrient/strap receiving opening and slot 54.
The
enlarged thickness flange extends.along a common boundary 62 with the central
body i
portion, and at the location where the enlarged width neck pofion 56 of the
central .
body curves into the left and right downwardly sloping arms, the enlarged
thickness
flange continues straight across the common boundary 62 and joins the enlarged
~ ,
thickness flange beneath the central body portion and the enlarged flange
beneath the
dowriwardly sloped arm:
The enlarged thickness flange extends substantially entirely around the
central body
portion 50 of the top hanger including the common boundary 62, with the
,exception of.
an opening 64 into the vertical rectangular frame member 40.-
. .
As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2; to maximize strength while using a minimum
amount
of plastic material, the central hanger hook, the top garment hanger, the
elongated
vertically~extending frame member connecting the top and bottom garment
hangers, and
the bottom garment hanger are constructed with an I shaped cross section
having a first
~ peripheral flange connected by a central vertically extending web to a
second opposed
peripheral flange.
However, in alternative embodiments the different components of the garment
set
double hanger may be constructed with a curved M-shaped cross-section, an E-
shaped
cross-section, a C-shaped cross-section, or any suitable cross-section which
may
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improve the strength to weight ratio for particular applications to resist
flexing due to
the weight of the garments hanging from the garment set double hanger of the
present
invention and to assist in maintaining the hanger upright when in use.
S The garment hanger hook, top hanger, rectangular frame member and bottom
hanger are
preferably formed as one integrally molded plastic piece frog a suitable
plastic material
as is known in the art.
Figure 3 illustrates a preferred method of hanging and displaying a pair of
garments
such as sports shirts on a front facing garment set double hanger of the
present
irivention wherein the pair of front facing garments. are tiered from front to
rear with the
bottom front garment being hung and displayed on the bottom hanger in front of
the top
rear garmeat which is hung. and displayed on the top hanger.
The method of hanging the garments tiered from front tb rear as shown in
Figure 3
preferably includes inserting a first arm of the top hanger of the front
facing double
hanger into a first arm of the front facing top garment until the neck of the
top garizrent
abuts against the neck of tile top hanger, with the bottom hanger being
positioned in
front of the top garment,.and then displacing, and if necessary stretching,
the neck of the
top garment to enable a second arm of the top hanger to be inserted into a
second arm of
the top garment, such that the top garment is hung on the top hanger, with the
bottom
hanger being positioned in front of the top garment, and then inserting a
first arm of the
bottom hanger into a first arm of a front facing bottom garment until the neck
of the
bottom garment abuts against the neck of the bottom hanger, with the bottom
hanger
being positioned in front of the top garment, and then displacing, and if
necessary
stretching, the neck of the bottom garment to enable a second arm of the
bottom hanger
to ~be inserted into a second arm of the bottom garment, such that the bottom
garment is
hung on the bottom hanger. The method results in the front facing bottom
garment
being hung and displayed in front of and beneath the front. facing top garment
on the
front facing double hanger.
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A pair of garments could also be hung on a front facing double hanger of the
present
invention wherein the pair of front facing garments are tiered from front to
rear with the
top front garment being hung and displayed on the top hanger in front of the
bottom rear
garment which is hung and displayed on the bottom hanger.
The method of hanging the front facing garments on the front facing double
hanger
tiered from front to rear with the tvp front garment being hung and displayed
on the top
hanger in front of the bottom rear garment which is hung and displayed on the
bottom
hanger preferably includes inserting a first arm of the top hanger of a rear
facing double
hanger into a first arm of a rear facing top garment until the neck of the top
garment
abuts against the neck of the top hanger, with the bottom hanger being
positioned in
front of the top garment, and then displacing, and if necessary stretching,
the neciC of the
top garment to tnable a second arm of tha top hanger to be inserted into a
second arm of
the top garment, such that the rear facing top garment is hung on the top
hanger of the
rear facing double.hanger, with the bottom hanger being positioned in front of
the top
garment, and then inserting a first arm of the bottom banger into a first arru
of a rear
facing bottom garment until the neck of the bottom. garment abuts against the
neck of
the bottom hanger, with the bottom hanger being positioned in front of the top
garment,
and then displacing, and if necessary stretching, the neck of the bottom
garment to
~ enable a second arm, of the bottom hanger to be inserted into a second arm
of~the bottom
garment, such that~the bottom garment is hung on the bottom hanger, with the
bottom
garment. being hung in front of and beneath the top garment, and then fuming
around
the double garment hanger and hung garments, such that the front facing top
garment is
hung and displayed above the front facing bottom garment on the front facing
double
hanger.
While several,embodiments and variations of the present invention for a
garment set
double hanger and method of hanging are described in detail herein, it should
be
apparent that the disclosure and teachings of the present invention will
suggest many
alternative designs to those skilled in the art.
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