DEVICE FOR HANDLING CLOTHES PLACED ON A HANGER

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for handling garments placed on hangers or other supports intended for holding clothing items, comprising means for connecting it to the garments by one of its upper parts and means for allowing manipulation of the assembly and movement of the garment without having to remove it from the hanger. The device consists of a fixed part intended to remain permanently attached to the garment, and a removable part intended to be connected to the fixed part when it is desired to move the garment without removing it from its hanger. Figure for the abstract: 1

Description

Title of the invention: DEVICE FOR HANDLING CLOTHES PLACED ON A HANGER

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for handling clothes arranged on hangers or other supports intended for carrying clothing items.

[0002] The invention aims to enable a user to manipulate a hanger or support carrying a garment, in particular a high-end garment or one made of a fragile fabric, without any contact with that garment.

[0003] Suspension elements are already known which are adaptable to clothing supports such as hangers and which allow the handling of these supports.

[0004] An example is described for example in document FR2862197 which describes a hanger suspension element which includes a hook mounted on the back of a bar extending substantially horizontally and intended to support a garment which is to be moved from one point to another.

[0005] However, this modality is designed to allow the handling of the support itself in an automated sorting facility, and not that of the garment.

[0006] However, when clothes are displayed in a store, the user or potential customer may legitimately wish to remove the support containing the garment from its storage location in order to examine it at their leisure, and in particular under improved lighting conditions.

[0007] As a general rule, when it comes to clothes that are not made of precious or fragile materials, it is sufficient to remove the garment from the support to handle it by hand before putting it back in place.

[0008] However, for reasons of both hygiene and preservation of the garment, it may be desirable to avoid direct contact between the user and the garment when the user wishes to examine it, this is particularly the case in the high-end fashion design sector.

[0009] The invention takes the form of a substantially spherical device comprising on a fixed part means for connecting it to the garment by one of its upper parts, said garment being engaged on a hanger or other support, and on a removable part means for allowing the manipulation of the whole and the movement of the garment without having to remove it from the hanger.

[0010] The invention will be better understood through the following description of a non-limiting embodiment, and with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

[0011] [Fig-1] is an elevational view of the device according to the invention showing with the associated fixed and removable parts, respectively dissociated;

[0012] [Fig.2] is a cross-sectional view showing the device and its various parts. constituents;

[0013] [Fig.3] shows a device according to the invention positioned on an empty hanger;

[0014] [Fig.4] shows a device according to the invention positioned on a garment which is carried by a hanger.

[0015] In the example shown, the support is a classic coat hanger.

[0016] With reference to the attached figures, and in particular [Fig.1] and [Fig.2], the device according to the invention consists of a fixed part which is intended to remain permanently on the garment, and a removable part intended to be connected to the fixed part when it is desired to move the garment without removing it from its hanger.

[0017] The removable part consists of a ball (1) whose base (2) is flattened and includes a hollow housing (3) intended to cooperate with the fixed part of the device, which includes fixing means corresponding to said housing (3).

[0018] For this reason, the base (2) of the ball (1) has a curvature that is less pronounced than that of the upper part of said ball (1) which will be positioned opposite the garment.

[0019] The ball is preferably made of a material such as felt or a flexible plastic material.

[0020] The so-called fixed part of the device according to the invention consists of a clamp (4) comprising two arms (4a, 4b) arranged opposite each other and curved inwards, such that the distance (x) between the two arms at the level of their respective free ends is less than the distance (y) which separates them in their respective median parts.

[0021] In use, the open part of the clip (4) will be placed on a garment itself placed on a hanger (5).

[0022] The arms (4a, 4b) of the clip (4) are made of a flexible material having sufficient resilience characteristics to return to their starting position once the clip is inserted on the upper part of a garment, as can be seen in [Fig.3].

[0023] Preferably, the arms (4a, 4b) of the clamp (4) may be made of a natural elastomer material, without colouring or cadmium. The elastomer will have a density that allows the arms (4a, 4b) of the gripper (4) to remain flexible while allowing traction or manipulation by means of the ball (1) as will be described later.

[0024] Conventionally, the hanger (5) consists of at least one hook (5a) located in its central part and designed to engage a wardrobe rail (5b), and two lateral branches (5c) extending outwards from this hook to form a support which will allow it to position and hold a garment once the ends of each of the two lateral branches (5c) are engaged in the sleeves of the garment.

[0025] Also, and in a conventional manner, the two lateral arms (5c) of the hanger (5) are connected in their lower part by a horizontal bar (6) which will serve as a support to receive a garment which does not have sleeves, such as trousers.

[0026] Regardless of the type of garment that the hanger (5) is intended to receive, the device will position itself in the same way as described above, as shown in [Fig.2],

[0027] The upper part of the clamp (4), which is the part located opposite its open part, has a peripheral mushroom-shaped extension (7) whose dimensions correspond to those of the recessed housing (3) of the removable part of the base (2) of the device.

[0028] To join the fixed part and the removable part of the device according to the invention, the ball (1) is positioned so that its lower hollow housing (3) is in correspondence with the mushroom-shaped extension (7) of the clamp (4).

[0029] Then a slight pressure is applied to the upper part of the ball (1) to engage the mushroom (7) inside the housing (3).

[0030] Fig. 3 shows a device according to the invention which is positioned on a hanger on which a garment, here a jacket, has been placed.

[0031] The fixed part of the device engages the jacket at the level of one of its shoulders.

[0032] To move the hanger (5), for example to examine the garment but without detaching it or touching the fabric, which may be fragile, it is sufficient to pull upwards to move the entire assembly, examine it, and then put it back in place on the same wardrobe rail (5b) or on another

[0033] A measured upward pull is then applied to the ball (1) to detach it from the clamp (4).

[0034] By means of the device according to the invention, the garment can therefore be examined at leisure by manipulating it solely by means of the device, without any contact with the surface of the garment.

[0035] This has the particular advantage of avoiding, when handling fragile objects, having to put on protective gloves made of silk or other materials as is the case until now.

[0036] The device also makes it possible to perform additional functions which are not within the scope of the invention but which are nevertheless of interest to the fashion house which uses it.

[0037] Thus the surface of the ball can be personalized by means of the logo, the identifiers of the designer who made the garment that is presented, or the brands under which the garments are offered.

[0038] The ability to personalize the device also makes it possible to identify and distinguish the different brands from each other in multi-brand luxury stores.

[0039] Finally, the device may include one or more integrated sensors which will enable stock management tasks, keep statistics regarding the clothes which have been handled more by means of the device or prevent theft attempts.

[0040] List of numerical references

[0041] 1. Ball

[0042] 2. Flattened base

[0043] 3. Hollow housing

[0044] 4. Clamp

[0045] 4a, 4b: lateral arms of the gripper

[0046] 5. Hanger

[0047] 5 a. Hook

[0048] 5b. Wardrobe rail

[0049] 5c. Lateral arms of the hanger

[0050] 6. Horizontal bar of the hanger

[0051] 7. Mushroom-shaped extension

Claims

Demands

1. Device for handling clothes arranged on hangers or other supports intended for carrying clothing articles, comprising means for connecting it to the clothes by one of its upper parts and means for allowing the handling of the whole and the movement of the garment without having to remove it from the hanger, characterized in that the device is composed of a fixed part which is intended to remain permanently on the garment, and a removable part intended to be connected to the fixed part when it is desired to move the garment without removing it from its hanger.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the removable part consists of a ball (1) whose base (2) has a curvature which is less pronounced than that of its base and includes a hollow housing (3) intended to cooperate with the fixed part of the device, which includes fastening means corresponding to said housing (3).

3. Device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the fixed part of the device consists of a clamp (4) comprising two arms (4a, 4b) arranged opposite each other and curved inwards, such that the distance (x) between the two arms at their respective free ends is less than the distance (y) which separates them in their respective middle parts.

4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the arms (4a, 4b) of the clip (4) are made of a flexible material having sufficient resilience to return to their starting position once the clip is inserted onto the upper part of a garment

5. Device according to claim 3 or claim 4, characterized in that the upper part of the clamp (4), which is that located opposite its open part, has a peripheral mushroom-shaped extension (7) whose dimensions correspond to those of the recessed housing (3) of the removable part of the base (2) of the device.

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