Supports: racks – Special article – Apparel
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-14
2004-04-27
Novosad, Jennifer E. (Department: 3634)
Supports: racks
Special article
Apparel
C053S256000, C211S196000, C211S205000, C211S207000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06726033
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of display racks, more specifically to a clothes bagging and hanging rack.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Within a retail store, customers often purchase clothing items on hangers. For example, typically when a customer purchases a suit, sport coat, winter coat, etc., the item is left on the hanger to be carried out of the store, not only making it easier for the customer to carry the item, but also maintaining the integrity of the clothing item.
To protect the clothing item, typically a retail store will provide a protective bag to be placed over the clothing item. Some retail stores may provide a protective suit bag having a zipper front, but often times a plastic bag, bearing the store's logo, is placed over the clothing item, so the customer can safely transport the newly purchased clothing item out of the store.
The protective bag typically consists of a long bag having an open bottom end and a small opening at the top end for a hanger hook to extend therethrough. Typically, these bags are disposed on a roll, wherein a store clerk unrolls and separates, via a perforated edge, a single bag from the roll. The clerk must then guide the clothing item through the opened bottom end of the bag, such that the hanger hook emerges through the small opening at the top of the bag.
Properly inserting the clothing item within the protective bag is difficult due to several complications. One disadvantage is that it is not uncommon for the plastic bag to be subject to static cling, making it difficult to get the clothing item inside the bag. Another disadvantage is that bagging the clothing item may be time consuming, causing the customer, and other subsequent customers, to wait for the clerk to place the bag over the clothing item.
One attempted solution to overcome the disadvantages of placing the protective bag over the clothing item is to hang the item on a rack and pull the bag over both the clothing item and the rack. This technique allows the clerk to quickly bag the clothing item. Although, when removing the bagged clothing item, the clerk must then lift the bagged clothing item up and over the rack, which may provide further complications due to the possible length of the clothing item, the height of the clerk, and the ability of the clerk to lift the clothing items safely over the bar.
Therefore, another attempted solution is a retractable rack, wherein the rack holds the clothing item while it is being bagged. Once the bag has been properly secured over the clothing item, the rack is retracted. For example, one such rack embodiment provides for a foot pedal, whereupon the clerk may step on the foot pedal, causing the rack to retract. The clerk may then simply lift the bag over a bottom portion of the rack and present the bagged clothing item to the customer.
The single retractable rack has several disadvantages for the clerk, in that it may prove to be unstable if the clerk bags a plurality of clothing items or a single heavy clothing item, such as a thick winter coat. Another disadvantage is that the single retractable rack requires the clerk to find a place to hang other clothing items, bagged or un-bagged. It is not uncommon for a clerk to hold clothing items behind the counter for a customer, for convenience, such that the customer does not have to carry the items while further shopping. Also, a clerk is often engaged with several customers at once, and when there are multiple clerks, a need exists for a place to safely store clothing items, bagged and un-bagged.
Therefore, there exists a need for a clothes bagging and hanging rack which allows for a stable retractable bagging rack as well as a hanging rack capable of holding a plurality of clothing items disposed on hangers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an improved clothes bagging and hanging rack. Coupled to a front edge of a base is a bagging rack having both a bagging rack lower cylinder and a bagging rack upper tube. The bagging rack upper tube is extendable relative to the bagging rack lower cylinder to a first operative position and retractable to a second operative position. In the first operative position, the bagging rack upper tube extends to a maximum position relative to the bagging rack lower cylinder. In the second operative position, the bagging rack upper tube downwardly retracts within the bagging rack lower cylinder.
The bagging rack also has a clip having a C-shaped hook disposed on top of the bagging rack upper tube. The bagging rack further has a foot pedal coupled to the front of the base. The bagging rack may be retracted to the second operative position, from the first operative position, through depressing the foot pedal. Also, the bagging rack may be extended from the second operative position to the first operative position by a user lifting the bagging rack upper tube to the maximum position relative to the bagging rack lower cylinder, where it is locked in place by an internal latch coupled to the foot pedal.
The present invention also has a hanging rack coupled to the back edge of the base. The hanging rack has a hanging rack lower cylinder and a hanging rack upper tube wherein the position of the hanging rack upper tube relative to the hanging rack lower cylinder is adjustable. The hanging rack includes a load spring, having an outer tab, disposed within the hanging rack upper tube, wherein the hanging rack upper tube is disposed relative to the hanging rack lower cylinder through the outer tab of the load spring engaging one of a plurality of apertures disposed on the hanging rack lower cylinder.
A crossbar is disposed on the hanging rack, extending perpendicularly from the hanging rack, and parallel with the base. The cross bar has a first end disposed in the direction of the bagging rack and a second end disposed away from the bagging rack. The clothes bagging and hanging rack further has a box holding wire coupled to the base disposed substantially between the bagging rack and the hanging rack.
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Gioia Vincent
Sparkowski Robert P.
Chicago Display Marketing Corporation
Vedder Price Kaufman & Kammholz
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