1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an antenna flag system and more particularly pertains to slidably positioning a flag on a vehicle antenna and then raising and lowering the flag in response to the speed of the vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of flag assemblies of known designs and configurations is known in the prior art. More specifically, flag assemblies of known designs and configurations previously devised and utilized for the purpose of positioning flags through known methods and apparatuses are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which has been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,439,644 issued Dec. 19, 1922 to Scharek relates to a Flag Ornament. U.S. Pat. No. 6,748,683 issued Jun. 15, 2004 to Schultz relates to a Boat Antenna Flag System. Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 7,017,510 issued Mar. 28, 2006 to Nair relates to a Artificial Wind Producing Flag Pole Assembly.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe an antenna flag system that allows slidably positioning a flag on a vehicle antenna and then raising and lowering the flag in response to the speed of the vehicle.
In this respect, the antenna flag system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of slidably positioning a flag on a vehicle antenna and then raising and lowering the flag in response to the speed of the vehicle.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved antenna flag system which can be used for slidably positioning a flag on a vehicle antenna and then raising and lowering the flag in response to the speed of the vehicle. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of flag assemblies of known designs and configurations now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved antenna flag system. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved antenna flag system and method which has all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises an antenna flag system. First provided is a vehicle. The vehicle is adapted to move horizontally. The vehicle has an essentially vertical antenna. The antenna has a free upper end. The antenna has a lower end. The antenna is attached to the vehicle with an intermediate extent. The intermediate extent is between about 12 and 36 inches in length. The antenna has a generally cylindrical configuration between the upper and lower ends. The upper end is formed with a sphere.
A slidable assembly is provided. The slidable assembly is integrally formed with a cylindrical section and a support section. The cylindrical section has an upper end. The cylindrical section has a lower end. The cylindrical section also has an intermediate extent. The intermediate extent is between about 4 and 8 inches. The intermediate extent is located between the upper and lower ends. The cylindrical section has an interior surface. The cylindrical section has an exterior surface. The cylindrical section also has an axial slit. The axial slit is adapted to be separated. In this manner a space for positioning the slidable assembly onto the antenna and for removing the slidable assembly from the antenna is formed. The axial slit is adapted to be closed. In this manner a closed upper cylindrical passageway for allowing movement of cylindrical section along the antenna is formed.
The support section has a planar upper male strip. The support section has a planar upper female strip. The planar upper female strip extends from the exterior surface adjacent to the upper end of the cylindrical section. The support section has a planar lower male strip. The support section also has a planar lower female strip. The planar lower female strip extends from the exterior surface adjacent to the lower end of the cylindrical section. The male strips have three laterally spaced projections. The laterally space projections have enlarged heads. The female strips have three laterally spaced apertures. The apertures are adapted to receive and frictionally retain the enlarged heads when the axial slit is closed. In this manner the enlarged heads and apertures are separated when the axial slit is opened.
The upper strips and lower strips are axially separated to form a rectangular space between the upper and lower strips. A flag is provided. The flag has an upper edge. The upper edge is formed with three laterally aligned upper slits. The upper slits receive the projections of the upper male strip. The flag has a lower edge. The lower edge is formed with three laterally aligned lower slits. The lower slits receive the projections of the lower male strip. The flag has an inner edge with a loop. The loop slidably receives the antenna.
Provided last is a liftable assembly. The liftable assembly has a laterally extending wing shaped component. The liftable assembly has an arcuate upper surface and an essentially flat lower surface. The liftable assembly further has a centrally oriented lower cylindrical passageway there through between the upper and lower surfaces. The liftable assembly has a short cylindrical projection. The short cylindrical projection extends upwardly from the upper surface press fit into the lower end of the cylindrical section of the slidable assembly. The liftable assembly has an intermediate cylindrical passageway. The intermediate cylindrical passageway is formed as a coupling between the lower cylindrical passageway between the upper and lower surfaces and the upper cylindrical passageway. In this manner increased motion of the vehicle is adapted to exert an increased aerodynamic lifting force to the liftable and slidable assemblies. Further in this manner the flag is raised and decreased motion of the vehicle is adapted to exert a decreased aerodynamic lifting force to the liftable and slidable assemblies for lowering the flag. The liftable assembly includes a magnet. The magnet is removably positioned upon the sphere of the antenna. The magnet is of a size greater than that of the upper cylindrical passageway. In this manner movement of the slidable assembly and flag upwardly from the antenna is precluded.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved antenna flag system which has all of the advantages of the prior art flag assemblies of known designs and configurations and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved antenna flag system which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved antenna flag system which is of durable and reliable constructions.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved antenna flag system which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such antenna flag system economically available to the buying public.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide an antenna flag system for slidably positioning a flag on a vehicle antenna and then raising and lowering the flag in response to the speed of the vehicle.
Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved antenna flag system. A slidable assembly is provided with a cylindrical section and a support section. The cylindrical section has an upper passageway and an axial slit. The support section has an upper strip extending from the upper end of the cylindrical section and a lower strip extending from the lower end of the cylindrical section. A flag has upper and lower edges. The flag is supported by the strips. A liftable assembly has a wing shaped component and a central passageway. A short projection extends upwardly press fit into the lower end of the cylindrical section of the slidable assembly. An intermediate cylindrical passageway is formed as a coupling between the lower and upper passageway.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.
The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
The same reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the various Figures.
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
The present invention, the antenna flag system 10 is comprised of a plurality of components. Such components in their broadest context include a slidable assembly, a support section, a flag and a liftable assembly. Such components are individually configured and correlated with respect to each other so as to attain the desired objective.
First provided is a vehicle 14. The vehicle is adapted to move horizontally. The vehicle has an essentially vertical antenna 16. The antenna has a free upper end 18. The antenna has a lower end 20. The antenna is attached to the vehicle with an intermediate extent 22. The intermediate extent is between about 12 and 36 inches in length. The antenna has a generally cylindrical configuration between the upper and lower ends. The upper end is formed with a sphere 24.
A slidable assembly 28 is provided. The slidable assembly is integrally formed with a cylindrical section 30 and a support section 32. The cylindrical section has an upper end 34. The cylindrical section has a lower end 36. The cylindrical section also has an intermediate extent 38. The intermediate extent is between about 4 and 8 inches. The intermediate extent is located between the upper and lower ends. The cylindrical section has an interior surface 40. The cylindrical section has an exterior surface 42. The cylindrical section also has an axial slit 44. The axial slit is adapted to be separated. In this manner a space for positioning the slidable assembly onto the antenna and for removing the slidable assembly from the antenna is formed. The axial slit is adapted to be closed. In this manner a closed upper cylindrical passageway for allowing movement of cylindrical section along the antenna is formed.
The support section has a planar upper male strip 48. The support section has a planar upper female strip 50. The planar upper female strip extends from the exterior surface adjacent to the upper end of the cylindrical section. The support section has a planar lower male strip 52. The support section also has a planar lower female strip 54. The planar lower female strip extends from the exterior surface adjacent to the lower end of the cylindrical section. The male strips have three laterally spaced projections 56. The laterally space projections have enlarged heads 58. The female strips have three laterally spaced apertures 60. The apertures are adapted to receive and frictionally retain the enlarged heads 62 when the axial slit is closed. In this manner the enlarged heads and apertures are separated when the axial slit is opened.
The upper strips and lower strips are axially separated to form a rectangular space between the upper and lower strips. A flag 66 is provided. The flag has an upper edge 68. The upper edge is formed with three laterally aligned upper slits 70. The upper slits receive the projections of the upper male strip. The flag has a lower edge 72. The lower edge is formed with three laterally aligned lower slits 70. The lower slits receive the projections of the lower male strip. The flag has an inner edge with a loop 74. The loop slidably receives the antenna.
Provided last is a liftable assembly 76. The liftable assembly has a laterally extending wing shaped component 78. The liftable assembly has an arcuate upper surface 80 and an essentially flat lower surface 82. The liftable assembly further has a centrally oriented lower cylindrical passageway 84 there through between the upper and lower surfaces. The liftable assembly has a short cylindrical projection 88. The short cylindrical projection extends upwardly from the upper surface press fit into the lower end of the cylindrical section of the slidable assembly. The liftable assembly has an intermediate cylindrical passageway 90. The intermediate cylindrical passageway is formed as a coupling between the lower cylindrical passageway between the upper and lower surfaces and the upper cylindrical passageway.
In this manner increased motion of the vehicle is adapted to exert an increased aerodynamic lifting force to the liftable and slidable assemblies whereby the flag is raised. With decreased motion of the vehicle, there is a decreased aerodynamic lifting force to the liftable and slidable assemblies for lowering the flag.
The liftable assembly includes a magnet 92. The magnet is removably positioned upon the sphere of the antenna. The magnet is of a size greater than that of the upper cylindrical passageway. In this manner movement of the slidable assembly and flag upwardly from the antenna is precluded.
An alternate embodiment of the invention appears in
A final alternate embodiment is illustrated in
As to the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
1439644 | Scharek | Dec 1922 | A |
5816187 | Jimmie | Oct 1998 | A |
6278408 | Segovia, Jr. | Aug 2001 | B1 |
6748683 | Schultz | Jun 2004 | B1 |
7017510 | Nair | Mar 2006 | B1 |
20050263060 | Armstrong | Dec 2005 | A1 |