AU2007101177A4 - A hook - Google Patents

Description

P/00/0 1 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Invention Title: A hook The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: 005066424 2 0 A hook Field of the invention The present invention relates to devices for suspending underwear, particularly for use in a retail environment.

5 It will be understood that the term underwear covers all forms of garments that are worn next to the skin, including socks, stockings, pantihose, brassieres, and briefs, to name a few.

Background of the invention It is well known for clothing hangers that are used in retail stores to include a size label that slides over the top of the hanger's hook. In most retail stores clothing hangs at chest level, and therefore the size labels are easily seen as they sit on the top of the rails and hooks.

For underwear, various types of devices for suspending garments are used. For socks there are typically three different types of devices used, commonly known as the springhook, the slide-hook and the J-hook. Each device has a portion that engages either the socks or the packaging surrounding the socks.

The packaging for underwear includes the size of the garment. The problem with the packaging including the size is that multiple packaging needs to be produced for each garment design to cover the multiple sizes for a particular range. Additionally, the small size of the packaging makes it difficult for consumers to easily identify their particular size from a distance.

There have been attempts to provide devices for suspending underwear that includes a size label. However, due to the way in which underwear is hung in retail stores, these attempts have not fully overcome the problem.

005066424 3 o It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved hook for use with socks.

Summary of the invention According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a device for suspending underwear garments from a rail or other support, including: Oa hook portion for engaging with said rail or other support for said suspension; an engagement portion below said hook portion for engaging either the garment or the packaging of the garment; and a display portion extending from a side of said hook portion and having an uppermost edge and a lowermost edge, the uppermost edge being not above the upper edge of the hook portion and the lowermost edge being above the engagement portion.

According to a second aspect, the present invention provides a device for suspending underwear garments from a rail or other support, including: a hook portion for engaging with said rail or other support for said suspension, the hook portion having proximal and distal ends; an engagement portion at or below said proximal end for engaging either the garment or the packaging of the garment; and a display portion extending from a side of said hook portion and having an uppermost edge and a lowermost edge, the uppermost edge being above the distal end of the hook portion and the lowermost edge being below the distal end of the hook portion.

Advantageously, the display portion creates a flag appearance, and preferably protrudes from the outer curved side of the hook portion. The display portion may be 005066424 O 4 U generally rectangular. Advantageously, when in a suspended position, the display portion sits generally horizontal. The display portion is positioned such that it preferably sits above the top of the garment and packaging.

Preferably, the device is used to suspend a pair of socks.

C 5 Advantageously, a sticker is attached to the display portion, the sticker bearing the size of the garment. It may also include additional information such as an age range. The 0 stickers are preferably colour coded for their size and/or gender. It will be appreciated that rather than a sticker, the display portion may be moulded to include raised lettering.

The display portion preferably includes a recessed area with a raised perimeter. The raised perimeter measurements are typically slightly greater than the perimeter of the sticker. The sticker is received within the recessed area.

The display portion will typically have a width in the range of 10-20mm. The height of the display portion will typically be in the range of 12-18mm.

According to a first embodiment of the invention, the shape of the device is what is commonly referred to as a spring-hook. An aperture is provided in the upper horizontal surface of the packaging. The spring-hook is resilient and when a portion is pushed through the aperture, a channel locks into the surfaces on the two sides of the apertures.

According to a second embodiment of the invention, the shape of the device is what is commonly referred to as a J-hook. The lower end of the engagement portion has an aperture. An I-shaped plastic tag pin is used to connect the J-hook to the garment.

According to a third embodiment of the invention, the shape of the device is what is commonly referred to as a slide-hook. The lower arm of the slide-hook slides through a loop made by the garment being folded over.

005066424 O Brief description of the drawings The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front view of a device for suspending underwear garments according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the device shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a front view of the device of Figure 1 engaged with a sock packaging; Figure 4 is a front view of a device for suspending underwear garments according to a second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the device shown in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a front view of the device of Figure 4 engaged with a pair of socks; Figure 7 is a front view of a device for suspending underwear garments according to a third embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 is a perspective view of the device shown in Figure 7; and Figure 9 is a front view of the device of Figure 7 engaged with a pair of socks.

005066424 6 Detailed description of the embodiments The Figures show three different embodiments of the invention and show a device for suspending underwear garments in the form of a pair of socks 112.

Figures 1 to 3 show a device 110 and, as seen in Figure 3, a section of the socks 112 are covered by packaging 114 that is a strip of cardboard folded over the toe of the socks 112 and secured to the socks by a tag pin (not shown).

c The device 110 includes a hook portion 116 having a proximal end 118 and a distal end 120. The hook portion engages over a rail 105 for suspending the socks. At or below the proximal end 118 there is an engagement portion 122 for engaging either the garment or the packaging of the garment. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3, the engagement portion 122 engages the packaging 114. The device illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 is what is commonly referred to as a spring-hook. The engagement portion 122 including a central post 124 and two legs 126 extending upwardly from the bottom of the post 124. The engagement portion 122 is resilient and the legs 124 can be forced towards the central post 124. The legs have channels 128 and once pushed through an aperture 130 in the top surface of the packaging 114, the legs return to their normal position and the surfaces of the packaging 114 lock into the channels 128.

Extending from the outer curved side 132 of the hook portion 116 is a display portion 134. The display portion 134 is generally rectangular in shape and has an uppermost edge 136 and a lowermost edge 138. As can be seen best in Figure 1, the uppermost edge 136 is above the distal end 120 of the hook portion. The lowermost edge 138 is above the engagement portion 122 and may be above or below the distal end.

As can be seen in Figures 4 to 6, another embodiment of the device 210 is illustrated.

The device 210 includes a hook portion 216, an engagement portion 222 and a display portion 234. The shape of the device 210 is what is commonly referred to as a J-hook.

The engagement portion 222 is the extension of the proximal end 218 of the hook portion 216, which engages with a rail 205. The lower end 240 on the engagement portion 222 includes an aperture 242. The engagement portion 222 is directly attached to the pair of socks 212 with a tag pin (not shown) inserted through the aperture 242 005066424 t"7 O and through at least one layer of material of the socks 212. The packaging 214 is wrapped around the socks 212.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 4 to 6, the uppermost edge 236 of the display portion 234 is not above the upper edge 244 of the hook portion 216. The lowermost edge 238 is above the engagement portion 222 and lies substantially in lie with or O slightly below the distal end 220 of the hook portion 216.

0 Another embodiment is illustrated in Figures 7 to 9, where the device 310 includes a hook portion 316, an engagement portion 322 and a display portion 334. The shape of the device 310 is what is commonly referred to as a slide-hook and includes a lower arm 346, which slides through a loop 348 made by the socks being folded over. Similar to the embodiment shown in Figure 6, the packaging 314 is wrapped around the pair of socks 312. The hook portion 316 engages with a rail 305 for suspending the socks 312.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 7 to 9, the uppermost edge 336 of the display portion 334 is above the distal end 320 of the hook portion 316. The lowermost edge 338 is below the distal end 320. The advantage of the display portion 334 being not above the upper edge 344 of the hook portion 312 is that the overall length/height of the device remains the same, and the complexity of manufacturing the product is not increased. It will however be appreciate that according to one aspect of the invention, the uppermost edge 336 may extend above the upper edge 344 of the hook portion 316.

As can be seen in Figures 3, 6 and 9, when engaged with either the socks or the packaging, the display portion sits generally horizontal and above the top of the garment and packaging. The display portion creates a flag appearance and makes it easy to display information such as sizing.

The display portion 34 includes a recessed area 50 with a raised perimeter 52. A sticker 54 is applied to fit within the perimeter 52 to display the size of the socks and also the age range. The raised perimeter 52 makes the application of the sticker easier and makes it more difficult to remove. The entire device may be moulded from 005066424 b 8 S polypropylene or any other suitable material. The stickers may be colour coded to make Sit easier for customers to identify their size.

One advantage of this device is that the size of the garment can now be eliminated from the packaging of the product. This means that packaging costs can be reduced, as a r"single print run of packaging can be done for all of the size ranges. The location of the C display portion means that when the garments are hung in a retail environment, the size of the product is visible and can be easily located. A uniform display can be used across a range of garments.

Claims (5)

1. A device for suspending underwear garments from a rail or other support, including: a hook portion for engaging with said rail or other support for said suspension; an engagement portion below said hook portion for engaging either the garment or the packaging of the garment; and N a display portion extending from a side of said hook portion and having an uppermost edge and a lowermost edge, the uppermost edge being not above the upper edge of the hook portion and the lowermost edge being above the engagement portion.

2. A device for suspending underwear garments from a rail or other support, including: a hook portion for engaging with said rail or other support for said suspension, the hook portion having proximal and distal ends; an engagement portion at or below said proximal end for engaging either the garment or the packaging of the garment; and a display portion extending from a side of said hook portion and having an uppermost edge and a lowermost edge, the uppermost edge being above the distal end of the hook portion and the lowermost edge being below the distal end of the hook portion.

3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the display portion creates a flag appearance.

4. A device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the display portion protrudes from the outer curved side of the hook portion. 005066424 0

5. A device according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein, when in a suspended position, the Sdisplay portion sits generally horizontal.