U.S. patent application number 11/408721 was filed with the patent office on 2007-11-01 for footwear hanger.
This patent application is currently assigned to Sanuk USA, LLC. Invention is credited to Thomas Jeffrey Kelley.
Application Number | 20070251894 11/408721 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38647351 |
Filed Date | 2007-11-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070251894 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kelley; Thomas Jeffrey |
November 1, 2007 |
Footwear hanger
Abstract
A hanger for storing footwear and/or for displaying footwear for
sale at a retail establishment is comprised of a frame having an
upright stem with a hanging hook at its upper end and a crossbar at
its lower end, and a pair of footwear supporting members extending
upwardly from opposite ends of the crossbar, and a pair of footwear
receiving footpads mounted respectively on the supporting members.
Each hanger is adapted to receive and store or to receive and
display a pair of footwear products. In a retail establishment, a
plurality of the footwear bearing hangers may be hung on a display
rack for displaying to customers a plurality of footwear products
of different styles and/or different sizes. The mode of display
promotes self service and impulse sales, especially of economical,
mass produced footwear products.
Inventors: |
Kelley; Thomas Jeffrey; (San
Diego, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
GREER, BURNS & CRAIN
300 S WACKER DR
25TH FLOOR
CHICAGO
IL
60606
US
|
Assignee: |
Sanuk USA, LLC
|
Family ID: |
38647351 |
Appl. No.: |
11/408721 |
Filed: |
April 21, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
211/34 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47F 7/08 20130101; A47G
25/005 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
211/034 |
International
Class: |
A47F 7/08 20060101
A47F007/08 |
Claims
1. A footwear hanger comprising a frame having an upright stem, a
crossbar at the lower end of the stem extending substantially equal
distances to opposites sides of said stem and a pair of footwear
supporting members extending upwardly from said crossbar on
opposite sides of said stem.
2. A footwear hanger as set forth in claim 1, including a footpad
on each of said supporting members.
3. A footwear hanger as set forth in claim 2, said footpads
comprising simulations of a pair of human feet.
4. A footwear hanger as set forth in claim 2, said footpads being
comprised of a foam or foam-like material.
5. A footwear hanger as set forth in claim 2, said footpads being
pressed onto said supporting members and said supporting members
having barbs thereon resisting removal of said footpads from said
supporting members.
6. A footwear hanger as set forth in claim 1 wherein said
supporting members are offset to the sides and forwardly from said
stem.
7. A footwear hanger as set forth in claim 1 wherein said stem is
of a generally L-shape having a vertical leg and a horizontal leg
extending forwardly from the lower end of the vertical leg, said
crossbar extending across the forward end of said horizontal leg
and said supporting members being offset from said vertical
leg.
8. A footwear hanger as set forth in claim 1 including a hanger
hook at the upper end of the stem.
9. A footwear hanger comprising a frame of generally inverted
T-shape having an upright stem of generally L-shape including a
vertical leg and a horizontal leg extending forwardly from the
lower end of the vertical leg, a crossbar on the forward end of the
horizontal leg extending substantially equal distances to opposite
sides of the stem and a pair of footwear supporting members
extending upwardly from the opposite ends of the crossbar, and a
pair of footwear receiving footpads mounted respectively on said
supporting members.
10. A footwear hanger as set forth in claim 9, said footpads being
comprised of a foam of foam-like material and simulating the feet
of a human.
11. A footwear hanger as set forth in claim 9, said footpads being
pressed onto said supporting members, said supporting members
having barbs thereon resisting removal of said footpads from said
supporting members.
12. A method of displaying footwear for sale in a retail
establishment comprising the steps of providing a display rack,
providing a plurality of footwear hangers, each of said hangers
comprising a frame having an upright stem, a crossbar at the lower
end of the stem extending substantially equal distances to opposite
sides of the stem and a pair of footwear supporting members
extending upwardly from the crossbar on opposite sides of the stem,
and a pair of footwear receiving footpads mounted respectively on
the supporting members, mounting a pair of footwear products on
each of said hangers, and hanging the plurality of hangers bearing
a plurality of pairs of footwear products on the display rack.
13. A method as set forth in claim 12, wherein said footpads are
comprised of a foam of foam-like material and simulate the feet of
a human.
14. A method as set forth in claim 12, wherein said footpads are
pressed onto said supporting members and said supporting members
have barbs thereon resisting removal of the footpads from the
supporting members.
15. A method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the footpads are
offset to the sides and forwardly from the stem for displaying the
footwear to best advantage.
16. A method as set forth in claim 12, including the step of
hanging on the display rack a plurality of pairs of footwear
products of different styles and/or different sizes.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to hangers for storing
footwear and/or for displaying footwear for sale at a retail
establishment.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] In retail footwear stores it is customary to display a
single pair of each style and brand of footwear products available
for sale and for the store clerk to retreat to a back storeroom to
retrieve a pair of products of the style and size desired by a
customer.
[0003] This involves an amount of personal attention from a clerk
which may not be economically warranted in the case of low priced,
mass produced footwear products such as beachwear, sandals and the
like.
[0004] It would be advantageous to have a mode of displaying such
products in a manner promoting self service and impulse sales.
[0005] Also, in homes, shoes are frequently strewn randomly on the
floor in a closet or stored in boxes on a shelf, and it would be
convenient to have a better mode of storing footwear.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] It is the object of the invention to provide an improved
mode of storing shoes and of displaying shoes for sale at
retail.
[0007] It is in particular an object of the invention to provide
hangers for hanging pairs of footwear products, e.g., pairs of
shoes and pairs of sandals, on the clothes bar in a closet or on a
display rack in a retail store.
[0008] In a retail shoe store, a plurality of footwear bearing
hangers may be hung on a display rack for displaying to customers a
plurality of pairs of footwear products of different styles and/or
different sizes. This mode of display promotes self service sales
and impulse sales, and minimizes the amount of time a store clerk
is required to spend with the customer.
[0009] In accordance with the invention, the footwear hanger of the
invention is comprised of a frame having an upright stem with a
hanging hook at its upper end and a crossbar at its lower end, and
a pair of footwear supporting members extending upwardly from
opposite ends of the crossbar, and a pair of footwear receiving
foot pads mounted respectively on the supporting members. Each
hanger is adapted to receive and store or to receive and display a
pair of footwear products. The foot pads are preferably comprised
of a foam or foam-like material and are shaped to simulate the feet
of a human for attractive display.
[0010] The hangers are effective to retain footwear in matched or
mated pairs and may be made sufficiently economically to
accommodate their inclusion in the selling price of the
footwear.
[0011] The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the
invention will become apparent to those of reasonable skill in the
art from the following detailed description, as considered in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a front view of the footwear hanger of the
invention shown displaying a pair of sandals;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the footwear hanger of the
invention;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a front view of the footwear hanger with one of
the foot pads removed and its position depicted in dot dashed
lines;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a side view of the footwear hanger with a foot pad
removed and its position depicted in dot dashed lines;
[0016] FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the hanger with the foot pad
depicted in dotted lines; and
[0017] FIG. 6 is a detailed perspective view of one of the foot pad
supporting members.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0018] The following is a detailed description of an embodiment of
the invention presently deemed by the inventor to be the best mode
of carrying out his invention.
[0019] Referring to the drawings, the footwear hanger of the
invention is comprised of a frame 10 and a pair of footwear
receiving footpads 30.
[0020] The frame 10 is preferably a one piece, unitary member
molded from an economical, disposable/recyclable plastic material.
The frame is generally in the form of an inverted T having an
upright central stem 12 and a horizontal crossbar 14 located at the
lower end of the stem. A conventional hanging or hanger hook 16 is
provided at the upper end of the stem.
[0021] The crossbar 14 extends equal distances to opposite sides of
the stem 12 and carries at its ends a pair of upstanding footwear
supporting members 18, each adapted to support a respective one of
a pair of footwear products.
[0022] The stem 12 is preferably of L shape in side elevation
having a vertical leg 20 and a forwardly extending horizontal leg
22. The crossbar 14 is located at the forward end of the horizontal
leg 22 and extends sidewardly and rearwardly from the leg 22 so
that the upwardly extending footwear supporting members 18 are
spaced sidewardly and forwardly from the vertical leg 20 of the
stem 12. The spacing is such that a pair of footwear products
mounted on the supports 18 will have their soles substantially
aligned with the vertical leg of the stem. Also, the point of
juncture of the forwardly extending horizontal leg 22 of the stem
with the horizontal crossbar 14 provides a convenient location for
a brand name or logo placard 24.
[0023] To complete the frame 10, reinforcing ribs 26 and 28 are
provided at strategic junctures of the elements of the frame, as
shown in the drawings.
[0024] The footpads 30 are preferably comprised of a stiff, shape
retaining, but semi-resilient foam or foam-like material. Each pad
is of a length, width and thickness and is so shaped as to
replicate or simulate respective ones of a pair of human feet,
i.e., a left foot and a right foot. Simulation of toes is
desirable, particularly for the display of open toe sandals as
illustrated in FIG. 1.
[0025] The two footpads 30 illustrated in the drawings are actually
identical and simple reversely mounted on the frame.
[0026] Each footpad has a longitudinal mounting hole therein
extending inwardly from the heel of the pad toward the toe of the
pad, which is of a length and diameter equal approximately to that
of a supporting member 18 so that the footpads can conveniently be
slipped onto the members 18. To resist or deter inadvertent removal
of the footpads from their supports, each of the supporting members
18 is provided with laterally extending footbed engaging barbs 18a.
Each barb has a sloping upper face to facilitate slipping the pads
onto the supports and an abrupt or sharp lower face engagable with
the pad to resist displacement of the pad relative to the support
when displayed items of footwear are slipped onto and off of the
pad.
[0027] Each hanger of the invention is adapted to receive and store
or to receive and display a pair of footwear products, for example,
a pair of sandals as illustrated in FIG. 1. The footwear products
may be of any style, for example, dress shoes, athletic shoes,
sandals, beach and surf wear, etc., and may also be of
substantially any size.
[0028] In a home, pairs of shoes can be stored in an organized and
compact fashion by simply hanging the shoes in respective pairs on
a clothes pole in a closet using the hanger of the invention.
[0029] In a retail establishment, a plurality of hangers bearing a
plurality of pairs of footwear products, e.g., shoes, can be hung
on one or more conventional display racks for convenient access and
self help service by customers. The pairs of shoes displayed on a
given display rack may, for example, be comprised of shoes of a
single style and different sizes or shoes of a single size and
different styles. In any event, the pairs of shoes are attractively
displayed for point of purchase impact and impulse sales,
particularly for mass produced, economical footwear products.
[0030] The objects and advantages of the invention have thus been
shown to be obtained in a convenient, economical, practical and
facile manner.
[0031] While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been
herein illustrated and described, it is to be appreciated that
various changes rearrangements and modifications may be made
therein without departing from the scope of the invention as
defined by the appended claims.
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