Supports: racks – Special article – Stacked articles
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-14
2001-05-15
Gibson, Jr., Robert W. (Department: 3634)
Supports: racks
Special article
Stacked articles
C294S158000, C206S497000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06230904
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for packaging and displaying garment hangers. With this apparatus, a large number of hangers can be packaged and then displayed in its own packaging in an aesthetically pleasing manner.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Hangers are essential household items, and each year, large numbers of hangers are sold to consumers and thus packaged and shipped to retail stores. Due to their design, hangers are bulky and difficult to package for shipping and display in a store. Traditionally, hangers when sold to retail stores have been packaged in large cardboard boxes. A store worker then must take the hangers out of the boxes and hang them on rods for display in the store. This task is time-consuming and also creates the opportunity for unpleasant store conditions. For example, a box of hangers may be placed in an aisle for a worker to take the hangers out of the box for display. If the worker does not immediately remove all the hangers, or if the task of removing them is interrupted, hangers are left in the aisle in cardboard boxes. This can be unsightly and block the aisle from customer traffic.
The prior art shows a number of packages that include use of hangers. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,922 to Good, “Product Display Hanger”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,590,610 to Rhyne, “Hanging Product Display Packages”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,553 to Bennett, “Plastic Film Package with a Hanger”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,242, “Display Package Having a Retractable Hanger.” However, it appears that none of these patents address the drawbacks associated with in-store display of hangers for the sale of the hangers themselves, as discussed above. As may be appreciated, it would be advantageous to have a packaging assembly that addresses these drawbacks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Summarily described, the invention embraces an assembly for packaging and also displaying hangers. In one embodiment, the assembly comprises top and bottom platforms, preferably substantially planar platforms, and at least two spaced-apart rods vertically disposed between the platforms. Each of the at least two rods has a top end and a bottom end. The bottom end of each rod is mounted on the bottom platform; the top end of each rod is attached to the top platform, and preferably removably fitted to the top platform so that a consumer can easily remove the top platform from the display. The rods are spaced-apart from each other by a sufficient distance that when a hanger is placed along a plane aligned with the horizontal plane of symmetry of the bottom platform, the rods are situated in the framed-space of the hanger on opposite sides of the central longitudinal axis of the hanger. The two rods should be of sufficient height that a plurality of hangers can be stacked on the rods between the top and bottom platforms. Preferably, four rods are used and a plurality of differently-colored hangers are alternatively stacked on the rods to provide an aesthetically-pleasing display of hangers.
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patent: 5050738 (1991-09-01), McAdams
patent: 5833184 (1998-11-01), Scola
patent: 5871090 (1999-02-01), Doucette et al.
patent: 5924578 (1999-07-01), McKenzie
patent: 6109457 (2000-08-01), Dahnke
Basic Line
Gibson , Jr. Robert W.
Mathews, Collins Shepherd & Gould P.A.
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