Apparatus for securely retaining a plurality of garment hangers

Details Apparatus for securely retaining a plurality of garment hangers Apparatus for securely retaining a plurality of garment hangers

1999-02-16

2001-05-01

Stodola, Daniel P. (Department: 3634)

Supports: racks

Horizontal rod type

With article gripping means

C211S007000, C211S204000, C403S297000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06223915

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to apparatus for securely retaining a plurality of garment hangers for transport or storage such as those used, for example, in commercial settings relating to manufacturing, transporting, selling and distributing garments.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many garments are finished, transported, distributed and sold while mounted upon a hanger. Management of these hangers, particularly at the store distribution center and garment sales point is time consuming, distracting, and often creates a difficult storage problem. The typical triangular-shaped hanger, including a top hook, is simply an awkward article to handle. In quantity, the hangers tend to become entangled and are difficult to stack in any organized manner. Many stores handle a variety of shapes and sizes of hangers, further adding to the inconvenience.
It is known to use hanger storage assemblies for retaining and managing quantities of empty hangers. For example,
FIG. 1
shows an existing hanger storage assembly disclosed by Hall et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,355. The main components of this device include a hanger bar
11
that receives and supports a plurality of hangers
12
, and a retainer bar
13
. The retainer bar
13
is positionable adjacent to the hanger bar
11
to engage and secure a plurality of hooks
12
a
along the length of the hanger bar
11
. The retainer bar
13
is typically a rigid channel member fitted with a strip
21
of resilient material (shown in
FIG. 2
) to accommodate and secure hangers
12
having differing diameters or configurations. Adjacent ends of the hanger bar
11
and the retainer bar
13
are coupled together by a vertical support member
15
.
As best shown in
FIG. 2
, each vertical support member
15
includes a guide pin
16
that is rigidly fixed to the hanger bar
11
by means of a threaded bolt
16
a
that passes through apertures
17
in the hanger bar
11
and threads into internal threads in the guide pin
16
. A spring
18
is disposed on the guide pin
16
between the hanger bar
11
and the retainer bar
13
. The spring
18
biases the retainer bar
13
away from the hanger bar
11
to provide sufficient access to easily and conveniently load the hanger bar
11
. A cap nut
20
is fitted to the guide pin
16
above the retainer bar
13
to limit travel of the retainer bar
13
away from the hanger bar
11
.
The retainer bar
13
of the prior art hanger storage assembly is held into securing, hanger clamping engagement with the hooks
12
a
by means of a pair of latches
22
, each of which includes a resilient tab
23
fixed to end caps
24
mounted on the hanger bar
11
. The resilient tab
23
is biased against the end of the retainer bar
13
by a biasing force provided by the resilient characteristic of the tab material. The tab
23
engages the retainer bar with sufficient tension such that it holds the retainer bar
13
in position in opposition to, and overcoming the biasing spring
18
which tends to urge the retainer bar
13
away from the hanger bar
11
. As best seen in
FIG. 1
, each end cap
24
is engaged by a bracket clip
27
that is mounted on a bracket base
28
. The clips
27
match the polygonal shape of the end caps
24
, preventing the hanger bar
11
from rotating out of useful alignment.
Although desirable results have been achieved, the prior art hanger storage assembly has several disadvantages. Inadvertent bumping or striking of the resilient tab
23
or the vertical support member
15
during use often causes the resilient tab
23
to unintentionally disengage from the retainer bar
13
, thereby releasing the hangers. Also, because the vertical support member
15
penetrates through the hanger bar
11
, manufacturing costs are increased because the apertures
17
must be drilled through the hanger bar
11
. Manufacturing time and costs are further increased due to the need to threadedly engage the threaded bolt
16
a
and the cap nut
20
with the guide pin
16
. Furthermore, the aesthetic appearance of the prior art assembly sometimes does not meet the standards of customers in the fashion-conscious garment industry.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is directed toward apparatus for securely retaining a plurality of garment hangers. One embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with the invention includes a hanger bar, a retainer bar, and a pair of end assemblies. Each end assembly is coupled to an end of the hanger bar and has a pair of guide walls projecting away from the hanger bar to form a guide channel. The retainer bar is slideably disposed and moveable within the guide channel between a position away from the hanger bar (i.e. an open position) and a position near the hanger bar to engage and secure the hangers to the hanger bar (i.e. a clamping position). A latching mechanism is attached to each end assembly and is preferably at least partially disposed between the guide walls. The latching mechanism is engageable with the retainer bar when the retainer bar is in the clamping position. Manufacturing costs are reduced because there is no need to drill or machine the hanger bar, and because there are no threadedly engaging components to assemble. Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, the end assembly protects the latching mechanism from accidental bumping, thereby reducing unintentional disengagement of the latching mechanism from the retainer bar.
In an alternate embodiment, an apparatus includes at least one biasing member that urges the retainer bar into the position away from the hanger bar to facilitate loading or unloading of the hanger bar. The biasing member permits the apparatus to be operated with one hand while the other hand handles the hangers.
In another alternate embodiment, an apparatus includes latching tabs that are resiliently biased against the retainer bar. The resiliently biased latching tabs promote ease of operation of the device.
In another alternate embodiment, an apparatus includes an end assembly having a top wall extending between the guide walls. The top wall forms a mechanical stop that limits the upward travel of the retainer bar away from the hanger bar, and provides additional protection for the latching tab against accidental disengagement.
In yet another alternate embodiment, an apparatus includes a coupling member attached to each end of the retainer bar. The coupling members slideably move between the guide walls of the end assemblies, escorting the retainer bar between the clamping position and the open position. Each coupling member is engageable with a latching mechanism to engage and secure the retainer bar in the clamping position.


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