Garment anti-theft device

• US 5,160,048 A
• Filed: 12/30/1991
• Issued: 11/03/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Se-Kure Controls Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Se-Kure Controls Incorporated
• Inventors: Surma, Terrance, Leyden, Roger J.
• Primary Examiner(s): GIBSON, ROBERT W
• Application Number:
  US07/814,483
• Time in Patent Office: 309 Days
• Field of Search: 211/4, 211/7, 211/124, 70/58, 70/59, 70/62
• US Class Current: 211/7
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 7/24 Clothes racks A47G25/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 69/006 Lockable hangers or hanger racks
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1463 Physical arrangements, e.g. housings devices to prevent theft or loss of purses, luggage or hand carried bags A45C13/18
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5013 Canes, umbrellas, apparel

Abstract

A garment anti-theft device for captively receiving at least one clothes hanger of the type having a hook with a free distal end for receiving a support arm of a garment rack to suspend the hanger therefrom. The garment anti-theft device includes a body having at least one opening therein of a size large enough to receive a free distal end of a hook of a hanger introduced by movement of the hanger free end in a first direction into the opening. A cover is attached to the body for movement selectively between an open position and a securing position. The cover, in its position, allows the free distal end of the hanger to be directed in a first direction into the body opening so that the hanger is supported in an operative position on at least one of the support arm on a clothes rack and the body and out of the opening by movement of the free distal end of the hanger oppositely to the first direction. The cover, in its securing position, locks a hanger in an operative position, preventing the free distal end of the hanger from being moved oppositely to the first direction out of the body opening. A lock is provided for locking the cover in its securing position. The cover is of a size preventing the mouth of a hanger from receiving the cover when the cover is in the securing position. The cover can be in the securing position only when the lock is in a locked position.

Claims

1. A garment anti-theft device for captively receiving at least one clothes hanger of the type having a hook with a free distal end, the hook being configured to receive a support arm of a clothes rack to suspend the hanger in an operative position, the anti-theft device comprising:

a body having a top and bottom and a wall with at least one opening extending vertically therethrough of a size large enough to receive a free distal end of a hook of a hanger introduced by movement of the hanger free distal end in a first direction into the opening;

a cover;

means for attaching the cover to the body for movement selectively between an open position and a securing position,

the cover, in its open position, allowing the free distal end of a clothes hanger to be directed a) in a first direction into the body opening so that the hanger is supported in an operative position on at least one of a support arm on a clothes rack and the body and b) out of the opening by movement of the free distal end of the hanger oppositely to said first direction,

the cover in its securing position blocking a hanger in its operative position so as to prevent a free distal end of a hanger in the operative position from being moved oppositely to the first direction out of the body opening; and

means for locking the cover to the body in its securing position.

11. The garment anti-theft device of claim 1 wherein the hook has a mouth to receive a support arm, the cover has a width, and with the cover in a securing position, the hooked mouth of a hanger cannot receive the width of the cover.

20. The garment anti-theft device of claim 1 wherein said first direction is vertically downwardly.

2. A garment anti-theft device for captively receiving at least one clothes hanger of the type having a hook with a free distal end, the hook being configured to receive a support arm of a clothes rack to suspend the hanger in an operative position, the anti-theft device comprising:

a body having at least one opening therein of a size large enough to receive a free distal end of a hook of a hanger introduced by movement of the hanger free distal end in a first direction into the opening;

a cover;

means for attaching the cover to the body for movement selectively between an open position and a securing position,

the cover, in its open position, allowing the free distal end of a clothes hanger to be directed a) in a first direction into the body opening so that the hanger is supported in an operative position on at least one of a support arm on a clothes rack and the body and b) out of the opening by movement of the free distal end of the hanger oppositely to said first direction,

the cover in its securing position blocking a hanger in its operative position so as to prevent a free distal end of a hanger in the operative position from being moved oppositely to the first direction out of the body opening; and

means for locking the cover to the body in its securing position,

wherein the body has an elongate bottom wall, an open top, and a peripheral side wall defining a trough-like structure, the opening being in the bottom wall of the body, the cover, when in its securing position, covering at least part of the open top to prevent lifting of a hanger out of the body opening.

4. The garment anti-theft device of claim 2 wherein the peripheral side wall has a slot being spaced from the opening a distance such that a hook of a hanger can rest in the slot with a distal end of the hook received in the opening.

5. The garment anti-theft device of claim 2 wherein the bottom wall is rectangular and the peripheral side wall comprises two pairs of opposing side walls.

6. The garment anti-theft device of claim 5 comprising a plurality of openings in the bottom wall spaced along the elongate dimension of the body, a side wall corresponding to the elongate dimension of the body having a slot corresponding to each opening, each slot extending downward from the open top of the body and spaced from its corresponding opening a distance such that a hook of a hanger can rest in each slot with a distal end of the hook received in the corresponding opening.

7. The garment anti-theft device of claim 5 wherein the cover is connected to the side wall along a portion of the side wall corresponding to the elongate dimension of the body.

8. The garment anti-theft device of claim 7 wherein the cover comprises a cover plate with a downwardly extending flange for overlapping a portion of the side wall opposite the portion of the side wall to which the cover is connected when the cover is in the securing position, the flange preventing lifting of a hook of a hanger, thereby preventing movement of a hook of a hanger inserted in a hole through the bottom of the body oppositely the first direction.

9. The garment anti-theft device of claim 8 wherein the slots are in the portion of the side wall opposite the portion of the side wall to which the cover is connected, the flange blocking at least a portion of each slot thereby preventing lifting of the hook and movement of the free distal end of the hanger oppositely to the first direction.

3. A garment anti-theft device for captively receiving at least one clothes hanger of the type having a hook with a free distal end, the hook being configured to receive a support arm of a clothes rack to suspend the hanger in an operative position, the anti-theft device comprising:

a body having at least one opening therein of a size large enough to receive a free distal end of a hook of a hanger introduced by movement of the hanger free distal end in a first direction into the opening;

a cover;

means for attaching the cover to the body for movement selectively between an open position and a securing position,

the cover, in its open position, allowing the free distal end of a clothes hanger to be directed a) in a first direction into the body opening so that the hanger is supported in an operative position on at least one of a support arm on a clothes rack and the body and b) out of the opening by movement of the free distal end of the hanger oppositely to said first direction,

the cover in its securing position blocking a hanger in its operative position so as to prevent a free distal end of a hanger in the operative position from being moved oppositely to the first direction out of the body opening; and

means for locking the cover to the body in its securing position,

wherein the attaching means comprises a hinge facilitating pivotable movement of the cover between its open and its securing positions.

10. The garment anti-theft device of claim 3 wherein the lock comprises a cam pivotable between a locked and an unlocked position,

the cover being able to assume the securing position only when the cam is pivoted into the locked position.

12. A garment anti-theft device for captively receiving at least one clothes hanger of the type having a hook with a free distal end, the hook being configured to receive a support arm of a clothes rack to suspend the hanger in an operative position, the anti-theft device comprising:

a body having at least one opening therein of a size large enough to receive a free distal end of a hook of a hanger introduced by movement of the hanger free distal end in a first direction into the opening;

a cover;

means for attaching the cover to the body for movement selectively between an open position and a securing position,

the cover, in its open position, allowing the free distal end of a clothes hanger to be directed a) in a first direction into the body opening so that the hanger is supported in an operative position on at least one of a support arm on a clothes rack and the body and b) out of the opening by movement of the free distal end of the hanger oppositely to said first direction,

the cover in its securing position blocking a hanger in its operative position so as to prevent a free distal end of a hanger in the operative position from being moved oppositely to the first direction out of the body opening; and

means for locking the cover to the body in its securing position,

there being in combination with the garment anti-theft device a clothes rack having a support arm suspended above a support surface, the garment anti-theft device further comprising double-sided tape for connecting the body to the support arm.

13. A combination hanger and garment anti-theft device for captively receiving the hanger, said combination comprising:

a hanger having a garment support portion and a hook defining a mouth for suspending the hanger in an operative position in which the garment support portion depends from the hook;

means on the garment anti-theft device receivable within the mouth of the hanger for supporting the hanger in an operative position; and

means for securing the hanger on the supporting means operatively associated with the supporting means, the securing means being selectively positionable between a) an open position wherein the mouth of the hanger may freely receive and disengage the supporting means and b) a securing position wherein the mouth of the hanger receiving the supporting means is prevented from disengaging the supporting means,

the supporting means and the securing means, with the securing means in the securing position, being of a size such that the mouth of the hanger cannot receive either of the securing means and supporting means so as to maintain the hanger in its operative position.

14. A combination hanger and garment anti-theft device for captively receiving the hanger, said combination comprising:

a hanger having a hook defining a mouth for suspending the hanger in an operative position;

means receivable within the mouth of the hanger for supporting the hanger in an operative position; and

means for securing the hanger on the supporting means operatively associated with the supporting means, the securing means being selectively positionable between a) an open position wherein the mouth of the hanger may freely receive and disengage the supporting means and b) a securing position wherein the mouth of the hanger receiving the supporting means is prevented from disengaging the supporting means,

the supporting means and the securing means, with the securing means in the securing position, being of a size such that the mouth of the hanger cannot receive either of the securing means and supporting means and be suspended thereby in an operative position,

wherein the supporting means comprises an elongate bottom wall, an open top and a peripheral side wall defining a trough-like structure, the bottom wall having at least one opening of a size large enough to receive a free distal end of the hook of the hanger introduced by movement of the hanger free distal end in a first direction.

15. The combination of claim 14 wherein the means for securing comprises:

a cover;

means for attaching the cover to the body for movement selectively between an open position and a securing position wherein the cover covers the open top blocking movement of the hanger free distal end of the hanger received in the opening in a direction opposite to the first direction.

16. A garment anti-theft device for preventing removal of a hanger from a support arm of a clothes rack, the garment anti-theft device comprising:

a body for engaging a portion of a hanger to support the hanger in an operative position;

means for securing the hanger to the body in an operative position on the body, the securing means being selectively positionable between a) an open position wherein the hanger is engageable with and disengageable from the receiving body and b) a securing position wherein the hanger is not disengageable from the body;

a lock selectively positionable between a) a locking position for locking the securing means in the securing position and b) an unlocked position independently of the securing means; and

cooperating means on the body and lock for allowing the securing means to assume the securing position only with the lock in the locking position.

17. A garment anti-theft device for preventing removal of a hanger from a support arm of a clothes rack, the garment anti-theft device comprising:

a body for engaging a portion of a hanger to support the hanger in an operative position;

means for securing the hanger to the body in an operative position operatively associated with the body, the securing means being selectively positionable between a) an open position wherein the hanger is engageable with and disengageable from the receiving body and b) a securing position wherein the hanger is not disengageable from the body;

a lock selectively positionable between a) a locking position for locking the securing means in the securing position and b) an unlocked position; and

cooperating means on the securing means and lock for allowing the securing means to assume the securing position only with the lock in the locking position,

wherein the body comprises an elongate bottom wall, an open top and a peripheral side wall defining a trough-like structure, the bottom wall having at least one opening of a size large enough to receive a free distal end of a hook of the hanger introduced by movement of the hanger free distal end in a first direction.

18. A garment anti-theft device for preventing removal of a hanger from a support arm of a clothes rack, the garment anti-theft device comprising:

a body for engaging a portion of a hanger to support the hanger in an operative position;

means for securing the hanger to the body in an operative position operatively associated with the body, the securing means being selectively positionable between a) an open position wherein the hanger is engageable with and disengageable from the receiving body and b) a securing position wherein the hanger is not disengageable from the body;

a lock selectively positionable between a) a locking position for locking the securing means in the securing position and b) an unlocked position; and

means for the securing means to assume the securing position only when the lock is in the locking position,

wherein the mans for securing comprises a cover, and a hinge attaching the cover to the body for pivotable movement selectively between an open position and a securing position, the cover covering the open top in the securing position thereby blocking movement of a free distal end of a hanger received in the opening in a direction opposite to the first direction.

19. The garment anti-theft device of claim 18 wherein the means for the cover to assume the securing position only when the lock is in the locking position comprises a cam on the lock pivotable between a locked and unlocked position, the cam, in an unlocked position, preventing the cover from assuming the securing position by striking the bottom wall of the body before the cover can be pivoted into the securing position.