The technical field relates to devices and methods for receiving and exhibiting a display, and more particularly, to a disability parking certificate enclosure for a vehicle.
Different types of displays are commonly exhibited in transportation devices, such as cars, trains, buses, and the like. These displays can include advertisements, parking permits, and the like. Parking permits can be government issued or privately issued permits. Government issued parking permits can include handicapped or disabled, residential or business area, commercial, delivery, messenger service, maintenance, angle loading, and media parking permits, and the like. Privately issued parking permits can be issued for privately owned parking lots for privately owned businesses or residential complexes.
An embodiment of the invention is a unique holder for placards such as a disability parking certificate that can easily be converted from a placard display position and a placard storage position. Thus, when the vehicle is not in motion, the display position may be used to display a placard, for instance a handicapped parking permit, so that it is easily visible from outside the vehicle. When the vehicle is in motion, the display can be in the storage position, which is a position in the vehicle that is non-obstructive with respect to driving requirements. A variety of placards can be positioned in placard to permit viewing by the public or private or public enforcement authorities. The ability to quickly and conveniently change from display to storage position is an important safety feature and a significant convenience. In contrast, the driver conventionally is required to remove a placard when preparing to put the vehicle in motion and re-position it when the vehicle is not in motion or otherwise must be shown. A driver can easily forget to either remove or reattach the display as appropriate, resulting in a citation. Also, the placards tend to become fragile after prolonged exposure to light and high heat in a vehicle and can be damaged, or even lost by being blown out of the vehicle by a gust of wind or while the windows are down and the vehicle is moving.
The advantages of the display for the placard are, in fact, considerable. For instance, many households have more than one car, and persons within the household may switch from using one vehicle to another. The handicapped driver who has been issued a placard will need to bring the placard to the appropriate vehicle. Accordingly, one embodiment of the invention is to provide a detachable and easily accessed holder so either the display alone or the holder containing the display can be easily located and transferred from one vehicle to another.
Placards, such as parking permits, often come with a hook portion to suspend the placard from the rearview mirror of the vehicle. However, in some vehicles, the post portion of the rearview mirror has increased in size for purposes of design, accommodating the ONSTAR system, or the like, such that the placards do not fit the post, or are a poor fit that results in a poor display or damage to the placard. Additionally, displays break easily with several transfers between different vehicles, frequent repositioning, or adverse weather conditions. Accordingly, one embodiment of the invention is to provide a sturdy holder that can display a placard without being suspended from the rearview mirror and withstand frequent handlings and other adverse conditions.
The term placard as used herein is broad, and refers to a sign that provides visual information to a reader, either by way of text or symbol. Examples of placards are: plastic parking permits and paper permits. A parking placard is a term that refers to a placard with signage indicating permission to park in a location, e.g., a handicapped parking space. A parking placard may have a length of less than about 10 inches and a width of less than about 5 inches, although other sizes may be used. A parking placard may have a thickness of less than about one-eight of an inch, although other sizes may be used. A parking placard may be a plastic, although paper or other materials may be used. A type of parking placard is a disability parking certificate; artisans and members of the public are familiar with such certificates and will immediately recognize the same.
To achieve these and other advantages in whole or in parts, certain embodiments of the invention relate to a device for displaying a placard while other embodiments relate to a method of using the device to display the placard. The device may comprise a housing with a receptacle for receiving the placard, a mounting unit joined to the housing, and a joint between the housing and the mounting unit. The mounting unit may have a fixed or reversible fastener for mounting to the dashboard or the windshield, an may be sized and configured to fit at or near the intersection therebetween. In certain embodiments, the receptacle comprises a fastener for attaching to a windshield, and the mounting unit comprises a first fastener or attachment member. The joint may comprise a bendable member, a pivotable member, or bearing. The device can be manipulated between a first position (storage position) and a second position (display position). In either position, the mounting unit may be mounted to a vehicle's dashboard or windshield by a first fastener.
One embodiment of the invention relates to a device for displaying a placard from within a vehicle comprising a dashboard, a windshield, and an intersection between the dashboard and the windshield. The receptacle comprises a receptacle, a mounting unit, and a joint connecting the receptacle with the mounting unit. The mounting unit is mountable in a fixed position onto the dashboard, the windshield, or the intersection therebetween by a first fastener. The receptacle can be pivotable about the joint relative to the mounting unit. The receptacle can be fastened to the windshield by a second fastener.
Another embodiment of the invention relates to a method for displaying a placard from within a vehicle comprising a dashboard, a windshield, and an intersection between the dashboard and the windshield. The method comprises providing a device as described herein, mounting the mounting unit onto the dashboard, the windshield, or the intersection therebetween, resting the receptacle on the dashboard in a storage position, and pivoting the receptacle about the joint to a display position in which the second fastener is fastened to the windshield. The placard is visible through the windshield in both the storage position and the display position.
Referring to
The receptacle 14 comprises a housing 13 and an optional shaft 22 connecting the housing with the mounting unit 12 via joint 16. Housing 13 and the mounting unit 12 are located on opposite ends of device 10. In
Referring to
Optionally, either or both the front 11 or back 17 of the housing portion comprises an open area or window 24 to provide viewing of the placard. If only the front of the housing portion comprises the open area or window 24, back 17 can be used as advertising space or to otherwise provide information. Some embodiments of the invention are providing advertising or information for advertising in such a fashion.
The mounting unit 12 comprises a base portion 21 for reversible or fixed mounting. Either the front or back side of the base portion can be used to reversibly attach the mounting unit 12. The base portion can have a sufficient size for a fastener or attachment member to accomplish the reversible mounting. The base portion may have the same width as shaft portion 22 or be larger or smaller.
The mounting unit 12, the receptacle 14, and shaft portion 22 can have any suitable geometry, shape, and design. The mounting unit 12, the receptacle 14, and optional shaft portion can have the same or different geometry from each other. Referring to
The receptacle 14 and mounting unit 12 may comprise a second fastener for attaching to a vehicle's front windshield and a first fastener or attachment member for attaching to a vehicle's dashboard, front windshield, or at the intersection between the dashboard and front windshield, respectively. The joint 16 may comprise a pivotable or bendable member or a bearing that pivots the holding device 10 into a first display position when either the car is parked or the placard must be displayed or a second non-obstructive or storage position when the car is in motion.
In use, a placard is placed in the housing. The mounting unit is mounted permanently or reversibly to either the dashboard, front windshield, or at or near the juncture between the dashboard and front windshield by a first fastener. The device may rest on the dashboard in the storage position. A user moves the device to the display position by articulating the receptacle relative to the mounting unit and fastening the receptacle to the windshield by a second fastener.
The first or the second fastener may have all or a portion of the fastener permanently affixed to a vehicle. In the case of a fastener that requires to mating members for fastening, one mating member may be on the device and the other on the vehicle. For instance, one mating member may be a hook material and the other a loop material, as in VELCRO hook-and-loop fasteners. A variety of fasteners are available. Typically, these fasteners or attachment members should be able to withstand extreme conditions within the car (e.g. temperatures from about −20 degrees Fahrenheit to about 200 degrees Fahrenheit). These fasteners can be translucent or optically clear for optimal visibility through the windshield and aesthetic purposes. These attachment members include fasteners using VELCRO (e.g. 3M DUAL LOCK Fastener), magnets, adhesive (e.g. 3M Double Sided Tape), mating hook portions, or the like. These fasteners may be adhesive-backed for attaching to the dashboard, front windshield, or at their intersection. Alternatively, one or more of the mating surfaces can be permanently affixed to the device or to the vehicle. The receptacle and the mounting unit can use the same or different type of fasteners.
One advantage of using a shaft is that it may be sized to avoid interfering with air vents on or near the dashboard, with the shaft connecting the mounting unit to the housing, with the housing being commensurate in size to the placard and the shaft being relatively narrower. For instance, the shaft may be sized from about 3 inches to about 24 inches; artisans will immediately appreciate that all the ranges and values within the explicitly stated ranges are contemplated. The shaft may be, e.g., from about 0.1 inches to about five inches in maximum width; artisans will immediately appreciate that all the ranges and values within the explicitly stated ranges are contemplated, e.g., from about 0.5 to about 2 inches. In some embodiments, a telescoping shaft is used to provide a range of shaft lengths selectable by a user.
As is evident from the forgoing description, once the mounting unit is mounted in a fixed position, the receptacle is pivotable relative to the mounting unit to reversibly fasten to the windshield. The mounting unit can be mounted anywhere on the dashboard, the windshield, or the intersection therebetween. For example, the mounting unit can be mounted at or near the intersection of the dashboard and the windshield from about 0 to about 6 inches from the intersection on the dashboard or windshield; artisans will immediately appreciate that all the ranges and values within the explicitly stated ranges are contemplated, e.g., from about 1 to about 3 inches.
As is evident from the Figures, the mounting unit can be mounted on its “front” or “back” side. For instance, if the mounting unit is mounted using its front on the dashboard, the mounting unit can rest on the dashboard behind the receptacle or its shaft portion in the storage or non-obstructive position. Or, if the mounting unit is mounted using its front on the windshield or the intersection between the windshield and the dash, the receptacle can suspend from the mounting unit and rest on the dashboard. In the display position, the device may thus be configures to likely attach flush to, or substantially parallel to, the windshield.
The dashboard or dash is a control panel located under the windshield of a transportation device. The intersection between the dash and the windshield can comprise of a small space from about 0 to about 3 inches, and some embodiments place the mounting unit in this zone.
A variety of joints are available to move the mounting unit between the positions, and may include hinges (e.g. living hinge, door hinge, butler tray hinge, carpenter joint, floating hinge) or the like. There are many types of door hinges, and they include but are not limited to pivot hinges, butt/mortise hinges, continuous hinges, concealed hinges, butterfly or parliament hinges, strap hinges, H hinges, HL hinges, counterflap hinges, flush hinges, coach hinges, rising butt hinges, double action spring hinges, tee hinges, friction hinges, security hinges, cranked or stormproof hinges, lift-off hinges, self-closing hinges, and butt hinges. The joint may alternatively be a bendable member, e.g., a flexible plastic.
The holding device 10, 54 can have suitable dimensions to accommodate different placards. To hold a parking placard, the housing portion can be, in some embodiments, about 4½ inches in width and about 10 inches in length, and the pocket can be about 3¾ inches in width and about 9⅜ inches. The pocket can have about a 0 inch clearance from the upper edge of the housing portion, about a 7/16 inch clearance from the side edges of the housing portion, and about a ⅝ inch clearance from the bottom edge of the housing portion. An optional shaft portion can be about 1 inch in width and 4 inches in length. The base portion can be about 2¼ inches in width and about 1 inch in length. The optional open area or window 24 can be about 3¼ inches in width and about 6⅞ inches in length. The optional open area or window 24 can have about a 1¾ inch in clearance from the upper edge of the housing portion, about a 11/16 inches in clearance from the side edges of the housing portion, and about a 1⅜ inches in clearance from the bottom edges of the housing portion. The open area or window can be sufficiently large to provide viewing of the placard but afford sufficient clearance from the side edges on the front of the receptacle (including the housing portion and shaft portion) for advertisements or sponsors. Including the shaft portion, the total length of the holding device is about 15 inches. The dimensions above can vary by 0 to ¼ inches or 0 to 1/16 inches.
The holding device can be made using different methods including molding (e.g. injection molding) or the like. The holding device can be made in one-piece or by putting together several pieces. The holding device can comprise two mating pieces. The first and second pieces can each comprise a receptacle and a mounting unit, and the receptacles of each of the pieces can mate with each other while the mounting units of each of the pieces can mate with each other. Alternatively, one of the first and second pieces can comprise both a first and mounting unit while the other piece can comprise only a mounting unit with only the mounting units of the pieces mating. The mating structure between the pieces can be a snap type (e.g. bayonet snap) with the mounting unit of one of the pieces comprising a protrusion while the mounting unit of the other piece comprises a depression with the protrusion and depression mating to form the assembled device. The pieces can also be fused together by sonic welding. Other mating structures or methods will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. The optional open area(s) or window(s) can be produced during the molding process or cut into the pieces after the molding has been complete.
The holding device can be constructed from a variety of flexible, durable materials, including plastics, metals, woods, or the like. Alternatively or additionally to the open area or window, the plastic can be transparent to allow viewing of the placard that is contained. The plastic can also be sufficiently pliable or flexible to accommodate a living hinge. Suitable plastics include polypropylene, polymethylmethacrylate, polyethylene, polycarbonate, polystyrene, composites thereof, or the like. Different parts of the holding device can be constructed of different materials. For example, the receptacle and the mounting unit can be made of a more rigid material (e.g. polycarbonate) than the living hinge (e.g. polyethylene).
The foregoing embodiments are merely exemplary and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. Certain features have been described in particular embodiments; in general, such features may be mixed-and-matched as guided by the requirement of making a functional device.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/958,896 filed Jul. 10, 2007, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
60958896 | Jul 2007 | US |