Lightweight pinch grip hanger

Abstract

In a lightweight and environmentally friendly pinch grip hanger, the height of the hanger body is reduced to have the upper ends of the jaws of the pinch grip to extend beyond the upper flange of the hanger body. This configuration reduces the weight of the hanger and saves the raw material used to mold the hanger. The hanger is environmentally friendly. The hanger further has an elevated portion formed below a lower neck region of the hanger where the hook of the hanger mounted to the hanger body. The hanger body further has a raised rib extending throughout the entire length of the hanger body.

1 . A pinch grip hanger comprising:
 a hook member;   a body connected to the hook, comprising a first arm extending from a centerline of the body to a first end of the body and a second arm extending from the centerline to a second end of the body; and   a first pinch grip connected to the first end of the body, comprising a fixed jaw connected to the first end and a movable jaw mounted to the fixed jaw through a pivot shaft, the movable jaw comprising an upper end which is moved toward an upper end of the fixed jaw when the movable jaw is actuated to open the pinch grip,   wherein the body further comprises an upper flange, a lower flange and a connecting web between the upper flange and the lower flange, and the upper end of the movable jaw and the upper end of the fixed jaw extend upwardly beyond the upper flange of the body.   
   
   
       2 . The pinch grip hanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the hanger body further comprises an elevated portion formed substantially in the middle of the hanger body. 
   
   
       3 . The pinch grip hanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the first pinch grip is dimensioned to have a narrowed width compared to that of a standard prior art hanger. 
   
   
       4 . The pinch grip hanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper flange and lower flange of the hanger body are substantially horizontal and parallel to each other and the connecting web is substantially vertical to the upper and lower flanges. 
   
   
       5 . The pinch grip hanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the connecting web comprises an upper straight portion, a lower straight portion, and a curved portion connecting the upper straight portion and the lower straight portion. 
   
   
       6 . The pinch grip hanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the first pinch grip comprises a spring for applying a biasing force, against which the upper end of the moveable jaw and the upper end of the fixed jaw are moved toward each other to open the pinch grip. 
   
   
       7 . The pinch grip hanger according to  claim 6 , wherein the spring comprises a cutout. 
   
   
       8 . The pinch grip hanger according to  claim 1 , further comprising a second pinch grip connected to the second end of the body, comprising a fixed jaw connected to the first end and a movable jaw mounted to the fixed jaw through a pivot shaft, the movable jaw comprising an upper end which is moved toward an upper end of the fixed jaw when the movable jaw is actuated to open the pinch grip. 
   
   
       9 . The pinch grip hanger according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one supporting web integrally molded with the hanger body and the fixed jaw of the first pinch grip. 
   
   
       10 . The pinch grip hanger according to  claim 8 , further comprises a first supporting web integrally molded with the hanger body and the fixed jaw of the first pinch grip and a second supporting web integrally molded with the hanger body and the fixed jaw of the second pinch grip. 
   
   
       11 . The pinch grip hanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the body of the hanger is dimensioned to have a narrow height compared to that of a standard prior art pinch grip hanger. 
   
   
       12 . The pinch grip hanger according to  claim 11 , wherein the height of the hanger is in the range of 40-90% of the height of a standard prior art pinch grip hanger. 
   
   
       13 . The pinch grip hanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the hanger body further comprises: a post extending upward from the body for receiving the hook member; and a pair of reinforcing flanges disposed angularly between the post and the upper flange of the body. 
   
   
       14 . The pinch grip hanger according to  claim 13 , further comprising a size indicator operatively engaging the post and/or the reinforcing flanges to mount the indicator onto the hanger body, the size indicator capable of being actuated to release the engagement between the indicator and the hanger body. 
   
   
       15 . The pinch grip hanger according to  claim 1 , further comprising a size indicator operatively engaging the upper flange of the hanger body to mount the indicator onto the hanger body, the size indicator capable of being actuated to release the engagement between the indicator and the hanger body. 
   
   
       16 . A pinch grip hanger comprising:
 a hook member;   a body connected to the hook, having a first arm extending to a first end of the body and a second arm extending oppositely to a second end of the body, wherein the body comprises an upper flange and a lower flange connected by a middle web and the middle web comprises an upper straight portion, a lower straight portion and a curved portion between the upper straight portion and the lower straight portion;   an elevated portion arranged between the hook member and the body;   a first pinch grip, having a first fixed jaw integrally molded to the first end of the body, a first movable jaw mounted to the first fixed jaw through a first pivot shaft, and a first biasing member against which the first movable jaw is actuated to selectively open the first pinch grip, wherein the first fixed jaw comprises an upper end positioned vertically above the upper flange of the body and the first moveable jaw comprises an upper end positioned vertically above the upper flange of the body; and   a second pinch grip, having a second fixed jaw integrally molded to the second end of the body, a second movable jaw mounted to the second fixed jaw through a second pivot shaft, and a second biasing member against which the second movable jaw is actuated to selectively open the second pinch grip, wherein the second fixed jaw comprises an upper end positioned vertically above the upper flange of the body and the second moveable jaw comprises an upper end positioned vertically above the upper flange of the body.   
   
   
       17 . A combination of hanger and size indicator, the combination comprising:
 a hanger comprising:
 a hook member; 
 a body connected to the hook, comprising a first arm extending from a centerline of the body to a first end of the body and a second arm extending from the centerline to a second end of the body; 
 a first pinch grip connected to the first end of the body, comprising a fixed jaw connected to the first end and a movable jaw mounted to the fixed jaw through a pivot shaft, the movable jaw comprising an upper end which is moved toward an upper end of the fixed jaw when the movable jaw is actuated to open the pinch grip, 
 wherein the body further comprises an upper flange, a lower flange and a connecting web between the upper flange and the lower flange, and the upper end of the movable jaw and the upper end of the fixed jaw extend upwardly beyond the upper flange of the body; and 
 wherein the body further comprises a post extending upward from the body for receiving the hook member and a pair of reinforcing flanges disposed angularly between the post and the upper flange of the body; and 
   a size indicator, operatively engaging at least one of the post, the reinforcing flanges and the upper flange of the body, to mount the indicator onto the hanger body, the size indicator capable of being actuated to release the engagement between the indicator and the hanger body.