초록 ▼

A nestable hanger including: a support means for supportably hanging the hanger on a display; a body supported by the support means and having two pinch grips disposed thereon for retaining a garment therein; where the hanger nests in a stack of similar hangers such that the hanger interlocks with t

A nestable hanger including: a support means for supportably hanging the hanger on a display; a body supported by the support means and having two pinch grips disposed thereon for retaining a garment therein; where the hanger nests in a stack of similar hangers such that the hanger interlocks with the stack of similar hangers. The hanger can be in a plane substantially parallel with a plane of the stack of similar hangers, or alternatively, in substantially a same plane as the stack of similar hangers.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A nestable hanger comprising: a hook; a body joined to the hook, the body having two pinch grips disposed thereon for retaining a garment therein, the pinch grips each having first and second jaws, the first jaw being disposed on the body and the second jaw being pivotally di

What is claimed is: 1. A nestable hanger comprising: a hook; a body joined to the hook, the body having two pinch grips disposed thereon for retaining a garment therein, the pinch grips each having first and second jaws, the first jaw being disposed on the body and the second jaw being pivotally disposed with respect to the first jaw about an axis of rotation; and nesting means for nesting the hanger in a stack of similar hangers such that the hanger interlocks with the stack of similar hangers, wherein the hanger is in substantially a same plane as the stack of similar hangers wherein the nesting means comprises the two pinch grips positioned equidistant from the hook on opposite ends of the body in a first direction, the first jaw of each of the pinch grips further being offset in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction by an amount equal to a thickness of at least a portion of a corresponding hook in the stack of similar hangers; the nesting means further comprises a cut-out portion located on the body corresponding to at least a portion of a hook on the stack of similar hangers to accommodate the hook in the stack of similar hangers while nested together in the stack; the nesting means still further comprises a pinch grip arrangement wherein the each of the first and second jaws of the pinch grips are provided with a pinch end and an actuatable end, the pinch ends being biased together and being actuated apart by an actuation force applied at the actuation ends, the actuatable ends defining a pocket having a shape and size larger than a size and shape of the pinch ends such that the pinch ends are accommodated into a corresponding pocket of the similar hangers in the stack of hangers. 2. The nestable hanger of claim 1, further comprising means for preventing inadvertent actuation of the pinch ends while the garment is inserted between the pinch ends. 3. The nestable hanger of claim 2, wherein the means for preventing inadvertent actuation of the pinch ends comprises at least one guard member disposed on the actuation end of the first jaw, the at least one guard member projecting outwardly from the first jaw toward the actuation end of the second jaw such that an inadvertent actuation force is at least partially blocked from being applied to the actuation end of the second jaw. 4. The nestable hanger of claim 2, wherein the means for preventing inadvertent actuation of the pinch ends comprises at least one of the first and second jaws having a shape such that a widest portion of the pinch grip in a direction orthogonal to the axis of rotation is below the axis of rotation. 5. The nestable hanger of claim 4, wherein the means for preventing inadvertent actuation of the pinch ends comprises a first jaw provided with a bow shaped portion positioned between the pinch end and actuation end wherein the bow shaped portion is configured outward from the first jaw to an extent that exceeds the outer portion of the pinch end. 6. The nestable hanger of claim 5, further comprising a size indicator disposed on a transition portion between the hook and the body. 7. The nestable hanger of claim 1, wherein the hook is rotatably disposed in the body. 8. A nestable hanger comprising: a hook for supportably hanging the hanger on a display; and a body supported by the hook and having two pinch grips disposed thereon for retaining a garment therein; and wherein the two pinch grips being equidistant from the hook on opposite ends of the body in a first direction, the pinch grips further being offset in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction by an amount equal to a thickness of at least a portion of a corresponding hook in a stack of similar hangers, the second direction being to the same side of the body of an immediately upwardly adjacent hanger in the stack of similar hangers as the hook of the nestable hanger, for nesting the hanger in the stack of similar hangers such that the hanger interlocks with the stack of similar hangers; a cut-out portion located on the body corresponding to at least a portion of a hook on the stack of similar hangers to accommodate the hook in the stack of similar hangers while nested together in the stack; wherein the two pinch grips arrangement each comprise first and second jaws provided with a pinch end and an actuatable end, the pinch ends being biased together and being actuated apart by an actuation force applied at the actuation ends, the actuatable ends defining a pocket having a shape and size larger than a size and shape of the pinch ends such that the pinch ends are accommodated into a corresponding pocket of the similar hangers in the stack of hangers. 9. A plurality of hangers in a nested stack, comprising: first and second nestable hangers, the first and second nestable hangers each comprising: a support means for supportably hanging the first and second nestable hangers on a display; a body supported by the support means and having two pinch grips disposed thereon for retaining a garment therein; and nesting means for nesting the first and second nestable hangers in the nested stack such that the first and second nestable hangers interlock, and are in substantially a same plane as each of the other plurality of hangers in the stack of hangers, wherein the nesting means comprises: the pinch grips each having first and second jaws, the first jaw being disposed on the body and the second jaw being pivotally disposed with respect to the first jaw about an axis of rotation, the two pinch grips being equidistant from the hook on opposite ends of the body in a first direction, the first jaw of each of the pinch grips further being offset in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction by an amount equal to a thickness of at least a portion of a corresponding hook in the stack of hangers; the nesting means further comprised of a cut-out portion on the body corresponding to at least a portion of a corresponding hook on the stack of hangers; the nesting means still further comprised of an arrangement in which each of the first and second jaws have a pinch end and an actuatable end, the pinch ends being biased together and being actuated apart by an actuation force applied at the actuation ends, the actuatable ends defining a pocket having a shape and size larger than a size and shape of the pinch ends such that the pinch ends are accommodated into a corresponding pocket of the hangers in the stack of hangers. 10. The plurality of hangers in a nested stack of claim 9, wherein the support means comprises a hook. 11. The plurality of hangers in a nested stack of claim 9, wherein the first and second nestable hangers further comprise means for preventing inadvertent actuation of the pinch ends while the garment is inserted between the pinch ends. 12. The plurality of hangers in a nested stack of claim 11, wherein the means for preventing inadvertent actuation of the pinch ends comprises at least one guard member disposed on the actuation end of the first jaw, the at least one guard member projecting outwardly from the first jaw toward the actuation end of the second jaw such that an inadvertent actuation force is at least partially blocked from being applied to the actuation end of the second jaw. 13. The plurality of hangers in a nested stack of claim 11, wherein the means for preventing inadvertent actuation of the pinch ends comprises at least one of the first and second jaws having a shape such that a widest portion of the pinch grip in a direction orthogonal to the axis of rotation is below the axis of rotation. 14. The plurality of hangers in a nested stack of claim 9, wherein the support means for each of the individual hangers in the plurality of hangers is a hook integrally formed with the body. 15. The plurality of hangers in a nested stack of claim 14, further comprising a size indicator disposed on a transition portion between the hook and the body on each of the individual hangers in the plurality of hangers. 16. The plurality of hangers in a nested stack of claim 9, wherein the support means for each of the individual hangers in the plurality of hangers is a hook rotatably disposed in the body. 17. A stack of hangers comprising: a plurality of nestable hangers, each individual hanger in the plurality of nestable hangers being nested with at least one other individual hanger in the plurality of hangers, each individual hanger comprising: a hook for supportably hanging the individual hanger on a display; and a body supported by the hook and having two pinch grips disposed thereon for retaining a garment therein; and wherein the two pinch grips being equidistant from the hook on opposite ends of the body in a first direction, the pinch grips further being offset in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction by an amount equal to a thickness of at least a portion of a corresponding hook in the stack of hangers, the second direction being to the same side of the body of an immediately upwardly adjacent hanger in the stack of similar hangers as the hook of the nestable hanger, for nesting the individual hanger in the stack of hangers such that the hanger interlocks with a corresponding hanger in the stack of hangers; a cut-out portion on the body corresponding to at least a portion of a corresponding hook on the stack of hangers; the pinch grips each comprised of first and second jaws having a pinch end and an actuatable end, the pinch ends being biased together and being actuated apart by an actuation force applied at the actuation ends, the actuatable ends defining a pocket having a shape and size larger than a size and shape of the pinch ends such that the pinch ends are accommodated into a corresponding pocket of the hangers in the stack of hangers. 18. A container of hangers, the container comprising: walls defining an interior; and a plurality of stacks of hangers disposed in the interior, each of the individual stacks of hangers comprising a plurality of nestable hangers, each individual hanger in the plurality of nestable hangers being nested with at least one other individual hanger in the plurality of hangers, each individual hanger comprising: a support means for supportably hanging the individual hanger on a display; a body supported by the support means and having two pinch grips disposed thereon for retaining a garment therein; and nesting means for nesting the individual hanger in the stack of hangers such that the individual hanger interlocks with a corresponding hanger in the stack of hangers, wherein each of the individual hangers is in substantially a same plane as each of the other plurality of hangers in the stack of hangers, wherein the nesting means comprises the two pinch grips positioned equidistant from the hook on opposite ends of the body in a first direction, the first jaw of each of the pinch grips farther being offset in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction by an amount equal to a thickness of at least a portion of a corresponding hook in the stack of similar hangers; the nesting means further comprises a cut-out portion located on the body corresponding to at least a portion of a hook on the stack of similar hangers to accommodate the hook in the stack of similar hangers while nested together in the stack; the nesting means still further comprises a pinch grip arrangement wherein the each of the first and second jaws of the pinch grips are provided with a pinch end and an actuatable end, the pinch ends being biased together and being actuated apart by an actuation force applied at the actuation ends, the actuatable ends defining a pocket having a shape and size larger than a size and shape of the pinch ends such that the pinch ends are accommodated into a corresponding pocket of the similar hangers in the stack of hangers. 19. The container of hangers of claim 18, wherein the support means comprises a hook. 20. The container of hangers of claim 18 wherein each of the individual hangers further comprise means for preventing inadvertent actuation of the pinch ends while the garment is inserted between the pinch ends. 21. The container of hangers of claim 20, wherein the means for preventing inadvertent actuation of the pinch ends comprises at least one guard member disposed on the actuation end of the first jaw, the at least one guard member projecting outwardly from the first jaw toward the actuation end of the second jaw such that an inadvertent actuation force is at least partially blocked from being applied to the actuation end of the second jaw. 22. The container of hangers of claim 20, wherein the means for preventing inadvertent actuation of the pinch ends comprises at least one of the first and second jaws having a shape such that a widest portion of the pinch grip in a direction orthogonal to the axis of rotation is below the axis of rotation. 23. The container of hangers of claim 18, wherein the support means for each of the individual hooks in the plurality of hooks is a hook integrally formed with the body. 24. The container of hangers of claim 23, further comprising a size indicator disposed on a transition portion between the hook and the body on each of the individual hangers in the plurality of hangers. 25. The container of hangers of claim 18, wherein the support means for each of the individual hooks in the plurality of hangers is a hook rotatably disposed in the body. 26. A container of hangers, the container comprising: walls defining an interior; and a plurality of stacks of hangers disposed in the interior, each of the individual stacks of hangers comprising a plurality of nestable hangers, each individual hanger in the plurality of nestable hangers being nested with at least one other individual hanger in the plurality of hangers, each individual hanger comprising: a hook for supportably hanging the individual hanger on a display; and a body supported by the hook and having two pinch grips disposed thereon for retaining a garment therein; and wherein the two pinch grips being equidistant from the hook on opposite ends of the body in a first direction, the pinch grips further being offset in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction by an amount equal to a thickness of at least a portion of a corresponding hook in the stack of hangers, the second direction being to the same side of the body of an immediately upwardly adjacent hanger in the stack of similar hangers as the hook of the nestable hanger, for nesting the individual hanger in the stack of hangers such that the hanger interlocks with a corresponding hanger in the stack of hangers; a cut-out portion located on the body corresponding to at least a portion of a hook on the stack of similar hangers to accommodate the hook in the stack of similar hangers while nested together in the stack; the pinch grips each comprised of first and second jaws provided with a pinch end and an actuatable end, the pinch ends being biased together and being actuated apart by an actuation force applied at the actuation ends, the actuatable ends defining a pocket having a shape and size larger than a size and shape of the pinch ends such that the pinch ends are accommodated into a corresponding pocket of the similar hangers in the stack of hangers. 27. A method for transporting hangers, the method comprising: providing a nestable pinch-grip hanger of claim 1; nesting a plurality of the nestable pinch-grip hangers into at least one stack of hangers, wherein each of the individual hangers is in substantially a same plane as each of the other plurality of hangers in the stack of hangers; and transporting the at least one stack of hangers between destinations. 28. The method of claim 27, wherein the at least one stack of hangers comprises a plurality of stacks of hangers, wherein the transporting further comprises stacking the plurality of stacks of hangers in a shipping container and transporting the shipping container between the destinations. 29. A method for handling hangers, the method comprising: providing a nestable pinch-grip hanger as defined in claim 1; nesting a plurality of the nestable pinch-grip hangers into at least one stack of hangers, wherein each of the individual hangers is in substantially a same plane as each of the other plurality of hangers in the stack of hangers; feeding the at least one stack of hangers into a processing station of an automated hanger processing apparatus; and processing each of the plurality of nestable pinch-grip hangers in the at least one stack of hangers. 30. The method of claim 29, wherein the processing comprises inserting a garment on each of the plurality of nestable pinch-grip hangers in the at least one stack of hangers. 31. The method of claim 30, wherein the processing comprises inserting a size indicator on each of the plurality of nestable pinch-grip hangers in the at least one stack of hangers.