Apparel apparatus – Garment hangers
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-06
2001-02-20
Mohanty, Bibhu (Department: 3741)
Apparel apparatus
Garment hangers
C040S322000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06189746
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a garment hanger having a side sizer indicator, and a method and apparatus for removing the side sizer indicator from the hanger.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
For purposes of displaying garments suspended on hangers in an orderly manner to the retail customer, certain retail stores desire to affix an indicating means on the side of the hook of the hanger where the hook meets the hanger body. The indicating means identifies some attribute of the garment suspended from the hanger, such as size, quality, color, manufacturing data, or pattern.
To accommodate the various types of hangers available in the industry, numerous indicating means have been developed in a variety of shapes, sizes and materials. Similarly, hangers have been developed to accommodate a variety of different indicating means.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,115,940 discloses a side sizer indicator for a garment hanger, having a removable indicia carrying tab. The indicia is attached to a web contiguous to the hanger body which is joined to both the body and the hook.
The small size and the removable nature of this indicia generated concern on the part of some garment hanger manufacturers that prompted the development of non-removable or child proof indicia for garment hangers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,101 and 5,199,608 disclose garment hangers with locking or irremovable information tabs, which hangers use a rib or thickened body portion to surround the indicia and block access to the underside of the indicia.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,182 also discloses a garment with a locking information clip having hook like elements or a raised platform to seat the clip, each of which prevents easy removal of the clip.
Environmental concerns have also generated a desire for hangers having information indicia which are essentially unremovable for the average consumer, but removable with the appropriate tooling for reuse and recycle purposes. Inasmuch as the indicators are generally colored plastic, it is highly desirable in any recycling program to remove the indicator before grinding the hangers for reuse. Further, in a reuse program, it is necessary to remove the old size indicia before fitting a new one.
An example of a garment hanger with a child proof size indicator and a special tool for removing the indicator is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,099. As taught is in this patent, the hanger may be molded with cuts in the protective rib which surrounds the clip to enable manual access by a special tool. This system however does not enable automated removal of the size indicia as necessary for commercially viable reuse or recycle programs.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,469 discloses a Hanger With Identification Clip having a through opening in the attachment web between the attachment rib and the childproof safety rib. However, once the indicator is mounted, the opening is covered and cannot be used to provide entry of an indicator detachment tool.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved garment hanger having an indicator detachment opening which allows an indicator to be attached to a hanger in one or more of the foregoing ways, but which permits removal of the indicator in an automated operation that reduces the likelihood of damage to the indicator or to the hanger.
The invention therefore provides a molded plastic hanger having a modified indicator attachment area or tab holder integrally formed as part of the hanger, with a ridge on the tab holder which surrounds the tab to prevent a consumer from obtaining a “finger purchase” on the tab to remove the tab. The modified tab holder includes at least one through opening in the web and ridge which enables an automated wedge tool to be inserted through the opening and engage the indicator on one side and a reaction surface on the other to remove the indicator from the hanger.
In another embodiment of the invention, the indicator attachment area includes a raised area for seating the indicia which prevents unauthorized or inadvertent removal, since the raised area causes a finger nail or other sliding tool to “jump” when it engages the raised portion. In this embodiment, the indicator attachment area includes a through opening which also extends through the raised area, and any locking ridges formed on the indicator attachment area. This opening enables an automated wedge tool to be inserted through the opening and engage the indicator on one side and a reaction surface on the other to remove the indicator from the hanger.
In use, as will be described more fully below, the indicator or side sizer is disengaged from the indicator attachment area by inserting a wedge through the opening or aperture to thereby release the indicator from the garment hanger.
The method and apparatus of the present invention provide an extremely versatile arrangement which can accommodate virtually all types of side sizer indicators mounted on a garment hanger. The method and system can also accommodate a wide variety of hanger and indicia types.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a system which includes: a first means for securing the hanger for removal of the indicator; an automated actuating means for driving a wedge through an opening or aperture in the hanger; and means for collecting and disposing of the indicator.
In operation, the reciprocal wedge is actuated to engage the indicator and the reaction surface in the indicator attachment area to remove the indicator from the hanger while the hanger is secured by in a reference position.
The hangers with side sizer indicators affixed thereto can be lined up on a feeding rail which is slanted such that the force of gravity feeds the hanger into position against an automated means for manipulating and securing the hangers, as described in U.S. Ser. No. 08/908,210, entitled Indicator Detachment Mechanism And Method And Apparatus For Removing Indicator From Hangers, which application is assigned to the assignee of the present invention, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto.
The first means of the present embodiment may also include a milled out portion or template defining a recess substantially corresponding to the shape and dimensions of the hanger to be received such that when the hanger is received in the recess, the through opening is correctly positioned for the automatic wedge mechanism. When the indicator engages the recess of the first plate the indicator detachment mechanism is positioned to remove the size indicator from the hanger. Thus, the system of the present invention is easily adapted to accommodate a variety of hanger configurations.
To remove the indicator from the hanger the wedge is driven transversely to the first means by, for instance, a pneumatic cylinder means, while the hanger is resting in the recess of the first means.
The system further contemplates forceful ejection of the indicator from the hanger, which ejection may direct the indicator into a vacuum capture plenum.
A vacuum collection system can be attached to said vacuum capture plenum such that upon ejection, the indicator is removed from the detaching apparatus and collected in a separate device.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a device for manually removing an indicator from a hanger with an indicator attachment mechanism. In a preferred embodiment the device includes a wedge tool for manual insertion into the through opening formed in the indicator attachment web of the hanger.
The device for manually removing the indicators from hangers can include a bench mounted wedge and a hanger guide mounted to a support such that the operator need not handle the device while manually removing the indicator from the hangers.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for removing an indicator from a hanger by inserting a wedge mounted on a first means into the though opening in the hanger to displace the indicator from the indicator attachment area on the hanger. The method can be performed
Mohanty Bibhu
Scully Scott Murphy & Presser
Spotless Plastics Pty Ltd.
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