U.S. patent application number 11/390817 was filed with the patent office on 2007-10-04 for hang tag device.
Invention is credited to Chi-Feng Kao.
Application Number | 20070228240 11/390817 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38557407 |
Filed Date | 2007-10-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070228240 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kao; Chi-Feng |
October 4, 2007 |
Hang tag device
Abstract
A hang tag device includes a hanger having a top hanging part
defining a shank-display aperture, and a bottom holder connected to
the top hanging part. The bottom holder includes a front panel, top
and bottom walls extending rearwardly and respectively from top and
bottom ends of the front panel, and a substantially vertical groove
extending through the top and bottom walls and rearwardly of the
front panel. A sleeve is insertable fittingly into the vertical
groove, and has a sleeve wall which defines a substantially
vertical passage adapted for insertion of an elongated article. The
sleeve is compressible to extend into the vertical groove.
Inventors: |
Kao; Chi-Feng; (Tainan
Hsien, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FROMMER LAWRENCE & HAUG
745 FIFTH AVENUE- 10TH FL.
NEW YORK
NY
10151
US
|
Family ID: |
38557407 |
Appl. No.: |
11/390817 |
Filed: |
March 28, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
248/317 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 73/0064 20130101;
A47F 5/0006 20130101; B25H 3/04 20130101; B25H 3/006 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
248/317 |
International
Class: |
A47H 1/10 20060101
A47H001/10 |
Claims
1. A hang tag device comprising: a hanger having a top hanging part
defining a shank-display aperture, and a bottom holder connected to
said top hanging part, said bottom holder including a front panel,
top and bottom walls extending rearwardly and respectively from top
and bottom ends of said front panel, and a substantially vertical
groove extending through said top and bottom walls and rearwardly
of said front panel; and a sleeve insertable fittingly into said
vertical groove, and having a sleeve wall which defines a
substantially vertical passage adapted for insertion of an
elongated article, said sleeve being compressible to extend into
said vertical groove.
2. The hang tag device of claim 1, wherein said sleeve has a cross
section that is larger than that of said vertical groove before
being compressed.
3. The hang tag device of claim 1, wherein said bottom holder
further includes a rear side, said vertical groove being open at
said rear side.
4. The hang tag device of claim 3, wherein said sleeve has a cross
section that is substantially C-shaped.
5. The hang tag device of claim 4, wherein said bottom holder
further includes a groove wall defining said vertical groove, and a
protrusion projecting from said groove wall into said vertical
groove to abut against a bottom end of said sleeve when said sleeve
is inserted into said vertical groove.
6. The hang tag device of claim 1, wherein said vertical groove has
a cross section that tapers gradually from said top wall to said
bottom wall.
7. The hang tag device of claim 1, wherein said bottom holder
further includes a rear side, said vertical groove being closed at
said rear side, said sleeve having a cross section that is
substantially oval-shaped and that is larger than that of said
vertical groove.
8. The hang tag device of claim 7, wherein said cross section of
said sleeve has a long width and a short width, said passage of
said sleeve being elongated along said long width and having a
wider central portion and two opposite narrower end portions.
9. The hang tag device of claim 3, wherein said bottom holder
further includes a groove wall defining said vertical groove, said
groove wall having a substantially U-shaped cross section and
including two spaced-apart end plate portions proximate to said
rear side, and at least one through hole formed in each of said end
plate portions.
10. The hang tag device of claim 9, wherein said sleeve is formed
integrally with a rear panel to close said vertical groove at said
rear side of said bottom holder, said rear panel having two clamp
arms that project forwardly from said rear panel on two opposite
sides of said sleeve, respectively, and that respectively have
barbed ends, each of said end plate portions extending in between
said sleeve and one of said clamp arms, each of said barbed ends
engaging one of said through holes.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The invention relates to a hang tag device, more
particularly to a hang tag device that facilitates hanging of an
elongated article, such as a screwdriver, for display.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional hang tag device 1
for hanging a screwdriver 10 is shown to include a top display wall
11 and a bottom holder 12. The top display wall 11 has a display
face 111 for providing a picture(s) or lettering thereon. The
bottom holder 12 is connected to the top display wall 11, and
includes two sidewalls 122, and two pairs of clamping walls 14
interconnecting the sidewalls 122 and cooperating with the same to
define two shank-display apertures 15 that are arranged vertically.
The clamping walls 14 are made of soft and resilient materials,
such as rubber. Each pair of the clamping walls 14 defines a
clamping groove 13 for extension of a shank portion 101 of the
screwdriver 10 therethrough.
[0005] In use, the shank portion 101 of the screwdriver 10 is
inserted into the shank-display apertures 15 via the clamping
grooves 13 in the pairs of the clamping walls 14, as best shown in
FIG. 2, and is clamped by the pairs of the clamping walls 14.
Hence, the screwdriver 10 is secured on the conventional hang tag
device 1, and is ready for display.
[0006] Although the conventional hang tag device 1 can achieve its
intended purpose, the overall length of the assembly of the hang
tag device 1 and the screwdriver 10 is very long because of the
additional length provided by the top display wall 11 which is
located above the bottom holder 12. Consequently, the assembly
occupies a large space, which may be disadvantageous for display
and packing purposes. Further, the screwdriver 10 is easily pulled
out of the conventional hang tag device 1 because it is weakly
clamped by the clamping walls 14. Moreover, the conventional hang
tag device 1 is prone to undergo deformation after long use so that
it is unreliable and inconvenient to use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide
a hang tag device that is capable of overcoming the aforementioned
drawbacks of the prior art. According to this invention, a hang tag
device comprises a hanger and a sleeve. The hanger has a top
hanging part defining a shank-display aperture, and a bottom holder
connected to the top hanging part. The bottom holder includes a
front panel, top and bottom walls extending rearwardly and
respectively from top and bottom ends of the front panel, and a
substantially vertical groove extending through the top and bottom
walls and rearwardly of the front panel. The sleeve is insertable
fittingly into the vertical groove, and has a sleeve wall which
defines a substantially vertical passage adapted for insertion of
an elongated article. The sleeve is compressible to extend into the
vertical groove.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] Other features and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent in the following detailed description of the
preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings,
of which:
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional hang tag
device;
[0010] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the conventional hang tag
device in a state of use;
[0011] FIG. 3 is an exploded front perspective view of the first
preferred embodiment of a hang tag device according to the present
invention;
[0012] FIG. 4 is an exploded rear perspective view of the first
preferred embodiment;
[0013] FIG. 5 is an exploded schematic top view of the first
preferred embodiment;
[0014] FIG. 6 is an assembled schematic view of the first preferred
embodiment in a state of use;
[0015] FIG. 7 is a sectional top view of FIG. 6;
[0016] FIG. 8 is an exploded schematic rear view of the second
preferred embodiment of a hang tag device according to the present
invention;
[0017] FIG. 9 is an exploded rear perspective view of the third
preferred embodiment of a hang tag device according to the present
invention;
[0018] FIG. 10 is an assembled sectional top view of the third
preferred embodiment in a state of use;
[0019] FIG. 11 is an exploded rear perspective view of the fourth
preferred embodiment of a hang tag device according to the present
invention; and
[0020] FIG. 12 is an assembled sectional top view of the fourth
preferred embodiment in a state of use.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0021] Before the present invention is described in greater detail,
it should be noted that like elements are denoted by the same
reference numerals throughout the disclosure.
[0022] Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, the first preferred embodiment of
a hang tag device according to the present invention is adapted to
hang an elongated article 2, such as a screwdriver, and is shown to
comprise a hanger 3 and a sleeve 4. The article 2 includes a handle
portion 21, and a shank portion 22 located above the handle portion
21 and having an operating end 221.
[0023] The hanger 3 is made of plastic, and has a top hanging part
31 and a bottom holder 32. The top hanging part 31 has left and
right spaced-apart sidewalls 311, and a top wall 313
interconnecting the sidewalls 311. The top wall 313 and the
sidewalls 311 cooperatively define a shank-display aperture 312.
The top wall 313 has an indentation 314 in spatial communication
with the shank-display aperture 312 to facilitate hanging of the
hang tag device of the present invention for display.
[0024] The bottom holder 32 is connected to the top hanging part
31, and includes a rectangular front panel 33, top and bottom walls
341, 342 extending rearwardly and respectively from top and bottom
ends of the front panel 33, and a substantially vertical groove 343
extending through the top and bottom walls 341, 342 and rearwardly
of the front panel 33. The front panel 33 has a display face 331,
on which a picture(s) or lettering can be printed or adhered.
[0025] The bottom holder 32 further includes a rear side 345
opposite to the front panel 33, and a groove wall 344 defining the
vertical groove 343. In this embodiment, the vertical groove 343
opens at the rear side 345 of the bottom holder 32. The groove wall
344 has a substantially U-shaped cross section. A protrusion 346
projects from the groove wall 344 into the vertical groove 343.
[0026] The sleeve 4 is insertable fittingly into the vertical
groove 343 of the hanger 3, and has a sleeve wall 42 defining a
substantially vertical passage 41 which is adapted for insertion of
the elongated article 2 therethrough. The sleeve 4 is made of a
compressible and deformable material, such as plastic, rubber,
silicone plastic, etc. In this embodiment, the sleeve wall 42 has a
vertically extending cutout portion 421 in spatial communication
with the vertical passage 41 such that the sleeve 4 has a cross
section that is substantially C-shaped. Prior to insertion of the
sleeve 4 into the vertical groove 343 of the hanger 3, the cross
section of the sleeve 4 is larger than that of the vertical groove
343, and the cross section of the vertical passage 41 is larger
than or equal to a diameter (D4) of the shank portion 22 of the
article 2. After the sleeve 4 is inserted into the vertical groove
343, a bottom end of the sleeve 4 abuts against the protrusion 346,
and a top end of the sleeve 4 is flush with the top wall 341 of the
hanger 3.
[0027] Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, to use the hang tag device of
the present invention, the shank portion 22 of the article 2 is
first inserted through the vertical groove 343 of the hanger 3 so
that the operating end 221 of the shank portion 22 faces upwardly,
after which the sleeve 4 is sleeved on the shank portion 22
proximate to the operating end 221 thereof. The sleeve 4 together
with the shank portion 22 is then pressed downwardly into the
vertical groove 343 until the bottom end of the sleeve 4 abuts
against the protrusion 346 (see FIG. 4). The article 2 is now
securely assembled on the hanger 3 of the hang tag device of the
present invention.
[0028] Since the cross section of the sleeve 4 is larger than that
of the vertical groove 343 prior to assembly, the sleeve wall 42 is
compressed by the groove wall 344 when the sleeve 4 extends into
the vertical groove 343 so that the cross section of the sleeve 4
is reduced, thereby resulting in the sleeve wall 42 tightly
embracing the shank portion 22 of the article 2 after assembly. As
a result, it is hard to separate the article 2 from the hanger 3 of
the hang tag device of the present invention.
[0029] When the article 2 is hung on the hang tag device of the
present invention for display, only the operating end 221 of the
shank portion 22 extends into the shank-display aperture 312 of the
hanger 3. Since a large portion of the shank portion 22 overlaps
with the front panel 33, the overall length of the assembly of the
hang tag device of the present invention and the article 2 is
shorter, as compared to that of the assembly of the conventional
hang tag device 1 and the screwdriver 10 (see FIG. 2). Although in
this embodiment the protrusion 346 is used to position the height
of the sleeve 4 after assembly, the protrusion 346 can also be
omitted from the configuration.
[0030] It should be noted that for packing purposes, the handle
portion 21 of the article 2 is pushed upwardly so that the shank
portion 22 of the article 2 can be slid further into the
shank-display aperture 312 and the handle portion 21 can be located
proximate to the bottom holder 32 of the hanger 3, as shown by
phantom lines in FIG. 6. This reduces not only the entire length of
the assembly of the article 2 and the hang tag device of the
present invention, but also its packing volume.
[0031] Referring to FIG. 8, the second preferred embodiment of the
hang tag device according to the present invention is shown to be
similar to the first preferred embodiment. However, in this
embodiment, the vertical groove (343a) of the bottom holder (32a)
of the hanger (3a) has across section that tapers gradually from
the top wall (341a) to the bottom wall (342a) of the bottom holder
(32a). When the sleeve 4 is pushed into the vertical groove (343a),
the sleeve wall 42 of the sleeve 4 is similarly compressed by the
groove wall (344a), so that the shank portion 22 (see FIG. 3) of
the article 2 (see FIG. 3) can be embraced tightly and stably by
the sleeve wall 42 of the sleeve 4. The secure embracing of the
shank portion 22 of the article 2 is enhanced by the tapering of
the vertical groove (343a).
[0032] Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, the third preferred embodiment
of the hang tag device according to the present invention is shown
to be similar to the first preferred embodiment. However, in this
embodiment, the vertical groove (343b) is closed at the rear side
(345b) of the bottom holder (32b), and has a cross section that is
substantially oval-shaped. The sleeve (4b) also has a cross section
that is substantially oval-shaped, but that is larger than that of
the vertical groove (343b). The cross section of the sleeve (4b)
has a long width and a short width. The passage (41b) is elongated
along the long width, and has a wider central portion 411 and two
opposite narrower end portions 412. The cross section of the
central portion 411 of the passage (41b) is smaller than the
diameter of the shank portion 22 of the article 2.
[0033] In use, the shank portion 22 of the article 2 is first
inserted through the vertical groove (343b) of the bottom holder
(32b), after which the sleeve (4b) is sleeved on the shank portion
22 through the central portion 411 of the passage (41b). The sleeve
(4b) together with the shank portion 22 is then pressed downwardly
into the vertical groove (343b). Because of the presence of the
narrower end portions 412 in the passage (41b) and because the
cross section of the central portion 411 of the passage (41b) is
smaller than the diameter of the shank portion 22 of the article 2,
the sleeve wall (42b) of the sleeve (4b) can embrace tightly and
resiliently the shank portion 22 of the article 2. The vertical
groove (343b) may be tapered as in the previous embodiment. If this
is the case, as the sleeve (4b) gradually extends downwardly into
the vertical groove (343b), the sleeve (4b) is compressed even more
tightly by the groove wall (344b), and is stably mounted on the
hanger (3b).
[0034] In this embodiment, the vertical groove (343b) is closed at
the rear side (345b) of the bottom holder (32b) so that the hanger
(3b) has an increased robustness and may be made of a softer
material. The configuration of the sleeve (4b) can be varied in
many ways so as to be compressible and resilient. The sleeve wall
(42b) may be provided with a cutout like the cutout portion 421 of
the sleeve wall 42 in the first preferred embodiment (see FIG. 3).
The cutout may be provided along one of the sides of the sleeve
(4b) forming the long width or forming the short width of the
sleeve (4b).
[0035] Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, the fourth preferred
embodiment of the hang tag device according to the present
invention is shown to be similar to the first preferred embodiment.
However, in this embodiment, the sleeve (4c) is formed integrally
with a rear panel 5 to close the vertical groove (343c) at the rear
side (345c) of the bottom holder (32c). The rear panel 5 is
detachably connected to the bottom holder (32c), and has two
spaced-apart clamp arms 52 that project forwardly from a front face
511 of the rear panel 5 on each side of the sleeve (4c). Each of
the clamp arms 52 has a barbed end 521.
[0036] The groove wall (344c) includes two spaced-apart end plate
portions 347 proximate to the rear side (345c) of the bottom holder
(32c), and two spaced-apart through holes 349 formed in each of the
end plate portions 347. Each of the end plate portions 347 is
provided with a notch 348 formed at the rear side 345 of the bottom
holder (32c). The rear panel 5 has a thickness equal to the depth
of the notch 348. The material of the rear panel 5 and the sleeve
(4c) may be different. For example, a hard plastic material may be
used for the rear panel 5, and a soft material may be used for the
sleeve (4c).
[0037] When the integrally formed rear panel 5 and sleeve (4c) are
engaged to the rear side (345c) of the bottom holder (32c) of the
hanger (3c), the sleeve wall (42c) of the sleeve (4c) is compressed
by the groove wall (344c) so that the shank portion 22 of the
article 2 is embraced tightly by the sleeve wall (42c). At this
time, each of the end plate portions 347 of the groove wall (344c)
extends in between the sleeve (4c) and the clamp arms 52 at the
corresponding side of the sleeve (4c), the rear panel 5 extends
into the notches 348 at the rear side (345c) of the bottom holder
(32c), and the barbed ends 521 engage correspondingly the through
holes 349. Since the sleeve (4c) is inserted into the vertical
groove (343c) through the rear side (345c) of the bottom holder
(32c), and since the vertical groove (343c) is sealed by the rear
panel 5, the bottom holder (32c) is not likely to deform due to an
external force. Hence, the shape of the vertical groove (343c) can
be stably maintained, thereby preventing separation of the article
2 from the hang tag device of the present invention.
[0038] From the aforementioned description, it is apparent that the
hang tag device of the present invention not only facilitates
hanging of the article 2 having the shank portion 22, but also can
permit shortening of the length of the entire assembly of the hang
tag device and the article 2 so that display space and packing
volume can be minimized. Furthermore, by altering the cross section
of the sleeve 4, the article 2 can be stably secured on the hang
tag device of the present invention.
[0039] While the present invention has been described in connection
with what is considered the most practical and preferred
embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to
the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various
arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest
interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and
equivalent arrangements.
* * * * *