Supports – Suspended supports
Reexamination Certificate
1997-12-23
2001-08-14
Ramirez, Ramon O. (Department: 3632)
Supports
Suspended supports
C024S709800, C206S296000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06273387
ABSTRACT:
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1.1. Technical Field
1.2. BACKGROUND ART
2. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
3. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
4. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
4.1. EXAMPLE 1
4.2. EXAMPLE 2
4.3. EXAMPLE 3
4.4. EXAMPLE 4
4.5. EXAMPLE 5
5. CLAIMS
6. ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
7. DRAWINGS
8. DECLARATION AND POWER OF ATTORNEY
9. VERIFIED STATEMENT (DECLARATION) CLAIMING SMALL ENTITY STATUS
1. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1.1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to hangers for trouser suspenders or braces and more particularly to hangers for suspenders of the type having three straps, each strap having a pair of stems connected therewith, and each stem having a slot extending therethrough for engagement with a garment button.
1.2. Background Art
Numerous inventions have been made in order to solve the problem of hanging trouser suspenders when they are not in use. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,156 and 4,718,546 relate to means for hanging of suspenders of the type having stems with slots therein for engageably receiving buttons disposed interiorly on a trouser waistband. Such hangers are in the from of a flat body having an upwardly extending hook portion. In the '156 patent, the hanger has a pair of foldable strips, each strip being configured compatibly with suspender stems to receive and retain the slotted ends thereof. In the '546 patent, the hanger has a pair of openings extending therethrough and an elongate member is cantilever-supported in each opening and configured compatibly with a pair of suspender stems and their button slots to retain the stems by releasable engagement with the slots.
The aforementioned prior art is directed to solving the problems of displaying suspenders at the point of purchase without need for removing the suspenders from their containers. The structures of the hangers disclosed in both patents and their objects determine that they are useful for marketing purposes only; their structural features preclude their use for domestic and personal purposes to suit the needs of fastidious wearers. The main reasons for this are that they are not adapted for frequent use in hanging and releasing suspenders simply and quickly. For instance, the foldable straps in U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,156 are easily broken after multiple use. In addition, opening and closing suspender-engaging members consume time and are an inconvenience. The hanger disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,546 is not capable of securely retaining the slotted stem under conditions of storage by the user. Thus, the personal and domestic use requirements for suspender hangers call for improvements in prior art versions.
In addition, materials suitable for use in fabricating hangers of the type disclosed in the above patents are determined by their purpose of service and the disclosed integral structure, particularly the foldable straps and the releasable engagement. In the case of plastic or similar synthetic materials, cost considerations in making moulds and cutting become problematic. For synthetic leather or other substitutes, experienced cutting skill is needed and the cost of appropriate cutting equipment is high. Therefore, the high cost and complex problems in manufacturing hangers needs to be addressed.
The present invention has as a primary object to provide simple and cheaply manufactured hangers for the hanging of the stem/slot type of suspenders to meet the needs of personal and domestic use, in addition to point-of-sale display requirements of haberdashers.
Another object of the invention is to provide hangers capable of being used very handily and quickly.
Yet another object of the invention to provide hangers capable of accurate engagement with the ends of stem/slot type suspenders.
2. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The foregoing objects and advantages are achieved according to the present invention which provides a hanger for suspenders of the type having three straps, each strap having a pair of stems connected therewith, and each stem having a slot extending therethrough for receipt of and engagement with a garment button. The hanger comprises an engaging means which, in an open or separated state, is adapted for receiving the slot of a stem and, in a closed or engaged state, is adapted for retaining the slotted end of a stem; a closing means for automatically closing the engaging means and automatically maintaining the engaging means in the engaged state; and a body portion for connecting the said engaging means and closing means and being capable of allowing the said engaging means to remain in either the separated state or the engaged state.
Typically, the closing means is formed of a resilient component to close the engaging means automatically and maintain same automatically in the said engaged state.
The free ends of the body portion form two ends of the said engaging means, and at least a portion of the body portion is capable of deforming by being manually forced to separate the two ends of the engaging means.
The body portion and closing means merge into a integral device, and at least a portion of the device is made of a resilient material which forms the resilient component.
The device is integrally formed of a resilient material of such shape that the device is both capable of automatically closing the said engaging means and automatically maintaining the same in the said engaged state and is capable of being manually forced to separate the said engaging means.
More typically, the resilient material is a continuous resilient wire, bent in criss-cross configuration into a substantially planar “FIG
8
” to form the device, two free ends of the wire forming the engaging means, and the upper lobe of the
FIG. 8
being manually compressible to cause the engaging means to separate. A portion of the length of the wire is slotted for the purpose of passing one end of the wire thereof and to permit movement of the wire therein.
As an alternative, the resilient material is a continuous resilient wire, bent into a substantially planar circle to form the said device, the two ends of the wire forming the said engaging means, and the circle being manually deformable to cause the said engaging means to separate.
In addition, the hanger of the invention may be such that the body portion thereof is formed by two mutually swingable parts hinged with each other at a hinge shaft; the said resilient component is mounted on these two parts respectively, and being in such form as to be capable of automatically closing the said engaging means and automatically maintaining the same in the said engaged state.
To facilitate the joining of the engaging means, the invention further provides that one end of the engaging means is pointed and the other end of the means is provided with a longitudinal recess to receive the pointed other end.
Additionally, the hanger of the present invention can feature a body portion that comprises a substantially planar concave with an arm perpendicularly extending from one upward, fixed sidewall thereof and a rod being movable in respect of the arm; the said resilient component is set between the rod and the fixed sidewall of the concave to press the rod against the other upward, free end of the concave, the free end of the rod and the free end of the concave forming the said engaging means. Typically, the arm is formed into a hollow pipe having a longitudinal slot thereon; the rod is set in the pipe and has a protuberance perpendicularly extending therefrom, and passing through the longitudinal slot and movable therein, and said resilient component is a spring.
To facilitate setting the hanger, the invention provides hangers further comprising a short rod perpendicularly extending from the hanger.
A hook part comprising an upper hook and a lower aperture corresponding to the short rod is further provided to achieve particular service and to widen the use.
As a consequence of the surprisingly versatile simplicity of structure of the hangers of the present invention, they can be obtained through very easy, quick and
Pennie & Edmonds LLP
Ramirez Ramon O.
Wood Kimberly
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