Patent Application
20130062483
None.
The invention relates to a display holder attached to the interior of a vehicle windshield that allows placement, display and storage of different shaped and sized items
Vehicle drivers require a convenient and accessible means for storing and displaying a wide variety of printed items such as parking receipts, especially “pay and display” coupons and receipts.
Also, radio frequency identification tags (RFID) are becoming commonplace and often require ready access to be read properly.
The subject device provides a convenient and useful storage and display tool. These improvements will be appreciated by drivers and will work successfully in both private and commercial vehicles.
A display holder is affixed to the interior side of a vehicle windshield, the display holder comprises a left side wall and a corresponding right side wall where the left side wall is essentially parallel to the right side wall; a back wall positioned between the left side wall and the right side wall; a front wall which includes a left portion and a corresponding right portion, the left portion being essentially parallel to the right portion; and a bottom wall which connects the front wall to the back wall which creates a container for one or more items to be displayed therein.
The invention further includes a method for using the display holder. This method may include affixing the display holder to the interior side of the windshield. This can include use of a fastener such as an adhesive or hook-and-loop fastener. Secondly, one or more items may be positioned within the display holder, where at least one item is capable of being viewed from (and through) the exterior side of the windshield. When affixed to the windshield, the most-current item may be placed and displayed first through the windshield. As yet a third step, these items may be arranged through use of an aperture or simply removed for accounting purposes or for disposal. These three steps may be repeated to display and organize the various items as needed.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent when the detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiments of the invention are considered with reference to the accompanying drawings, which should be construed in an illustrative and not limiting sense as follows.
The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
Conventional suction cups can be utilized in conjunction with display holder 10 as well as other fasteners such as hook-and-loop fasteners or adhesives such as glue, epoxy or the like.
Moreover, the display holder 10 is preferably manufactured out of a thermoplastic polymer resin or composite capable of being injection molded. It can also be manufactured of suitable paperboard, i.e., capable of maintaining the holder's shape.
A display holder was injection molded from polyethylene resin and had front and rear walls 2.375 inches high by 3.25 inches wide, opposite side walls 2.375 inches high by 0.375 inches wide and a bottom wall 3.25 inches long by 0.375 inches wide. Each opposite side wall had a fastener standoff having a round fastener boss approximately 0.24 inches high to which was attached a flexible plastic suction cup having a diameter of approximately 0.75 inches. The rear wall of the display holder had a 0.625 inch cutout at its top edge to facilitate insertion and removal of items therein. The front wall hade an opening aperture of approximately 2.75 inches by 2.0 inches. In other embodiments, the aperture opening can be covered with a transparent film window. In operation, the display holder was affixed to the interior surface of a vehicle windshield and proved effective for displaying or storing a plurality of items therein.
The invention now being fully described, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many changes and modifications can be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention set forth herein.
