Special receptacle or package – For apparel
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-04
2001-02-06
Weaver, Sue A. (Department: 3727)
Special receptacle or package
For apparel
C223S085000, C383S023000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06182824
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to hangers for garments and pertains more particularly to hangers for plastic envelopes containing articles, such as garments.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
U.S. Pat. No. 3,123,331 shows an example of a type of hanger in widespread use in hanging plastic envelopes or bags containing, e.g., folded shirts. The '331 hanger comprises a one-piece plastic body having a hook portion having a lower end portion from which a projection extends forwardly. Upwardly of the lower end portion is a foldable strap defining a detent for the projection. In use, the projection is inserted through a cardboard header, a lower portion of which is secured to the top of the front and rear walls of a plastic envelope containing the folded shirt. The strap is then folded and the projection is secured in the detent.
The garment industry has come to provide such hangers without the header of the '331 patent, i.e., holes are provided directly in the front and rear walls of a plastic envelope and the projection is inserted through both of the front and rear walls and the detent and projection securement is forwardly of the front wall. The securement is a releasable one, such that a purchaser may open the envelope to inspect the contained article, e.g., to gain a sense of its texture.
A serious problem attending the hanger described immediately above is that the hangers tend to separate from the plastic bag during the inspection of the article. When this occurs, and a customer does not reassemble the envelope and hanger, as is customary, the hangerless envelope is left on a counter and the efficacy of the original hung display of the article is lost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide improved hangers of the types above discussed.
In attaining this and other objects, the invention provides a hanger comprised of a one-piece body having a central portion including a main body part and a hook part extending upwardly of the main body part, the main body part defining a forwardly extending projection, and first and second arm parts extending outwardly from the main body part and extending to respective first and second free arm part ends with respective first and second openings being formed at the first and second free arm part ends. The main body part supports the first and second arm parts for folding movement for registry of the first and second openings with the projection.
In use of the hanger, the projection is inserted through only the envelope rear wall opening. The first arm part is then folded and its opening is forced over the projection to be non-releasably retained by the projection. The projection is now inserted through the envelope front wall opening. The second arm part is then folded and its opening is forced over the projection to be releasably retained by the projection. By the term “releasably” is meant that a customer can manually release the second arm part from the projection. By the term “non-releasably” is meant that a cutting or like operation is necessary to release the first arm part from the projection.
A customer, in inspecting an article, need only release the engagement of the second arm part and the projection to gain access to the article. During the inspection, the hanger is retained with the envelope by virtue of the non-releasable engagement of the first arm part and the projection.
More broadly, the invention will be seen to provide a hanger having first and second diverse securements with an openable article-containing envelope, one being releasable and the other being non-releasable. The first and second securements comprise openings at ends of arm parts foldable relative to the hanger and a detent extending outwardly of the hanger.
In another aspect, the invention will be seen to provide, in combination, an openable article container having front and rear walls and a hanger comprised of a one-piece body having a central portion including a main body part and a hook part extending upwardly of the main body part, the main body part defining a forwardly extending projection, and first and second arm parts, the main body part being disposed rearwardly of the container rear wall, the projection extending through the container front and rear wall openings and through the first and second arm part openings, the first arm part being disposed between the container front and rear walls, the second arm part being disposed on a front surface of the container front wall.
The invention will be further understood from consideration of the following description of preferred embodiments thereof and from the drawings where like reference numerals identify like parts throughout.
REFERENCES:
patent: 593346 (1897-11-01), Baehn
patent: 2078438 (1937-04-01), Baxter
patent: 2215139 (1940-09-01), Uhlmann
patent: 3376618 (1968-04-01), Schwarzkopf
patent: 3495763 (1970-02-01), Schmidt et al.
patent: 3550838 (1970-12-01), Hart
patent: 3987958 (1976-10-01), Kamins et al.
patent: 4714156 (1987-12-01), Kolton et al.
patent: 5556014 (1996-09-01), Kolton et al.
patent: 5799843 (1998-09-01), Hsu
patent: 6012573 (2000-01-01), Kurimoto
patent: 2142623 (1973-03-01), None
patent: 2260505 (1975-09-01), None
patent: 9314985 (1993-08-01), None
Kolton Chester
Norman Michael
B&G Plastics, Inc.
Robin Blecker & Daley
Weaver Sue A.
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