Patent Grant
9672761
The disclosure relates, generally, to ornamental displays, and more particularly, to the display of flags or banners on motor vehicles and elsewhere.
Flags are typically displayed using one of three types of flag pole. A first type of flag pole is moveable, such as a flag pole supported by a weighted base, used during school assemblies. A second type of flag pole is permanently affixed to the ground, such as a conventional flag pole set into concrete outside of a government building. A third type of flag pole is mounted using a bracket, such as may be used to hang a flag from the side of a building.
Attaching a flag to some locations, including motor vehicles, can be desirable but problematic. The display of a national flag attached to a motor vehicle can show the driver's or owner's support, affiliation, or pride. Other flags that drivers seek to display include collegiate and professional sports team flags. Banners displaying custom messages are another type of flag that a driver might wish to exhibit. However, conventional methods of flag and banner display have drawbacks.
For example, although a driver of a motor vehicle desiring to display a flag on his or her motor vehicle may choose to hang a flag in a window (e.g., rear window) of the vehicle, display of a flag in this manner can obstruct the driver's vision. Other vehicle mounts include a fender mount or bumper mount on the rear of a motorcycle, as well as mounts for flags flown from a pole extending out of a “post hole” formed in the rear of a pickup truck bed. However, these arrangements all require driving with a flag pole protruding from the vehicle. Factors such as flag weight, travel speed, and wind and other weather conditions can all contribute to the flag pole breaking, detaching, splintering, deteriorating, or otherwise degrading, resulting in potential personal and property damage.
On “Flag Day,” Jun. 14, 1923, the National Flag Code was adopted by the Army and Navy and about 66 other national organizations, in order to provide unified guidance for the display and other handling of the American flag. On Jun. 22, 1942, Congress passed a joint resolution to enact nationwide laws for use and display of the flag, codified at 36 U.S.C. §§173-178. These laws include 36 U.S. Code §175, entitled “Position and manner of display,” which prohibits, among other things, the display of a flag over the hood, top, sides, or back of a vehicle, and requires, whenever a flag is displayed on a car, the use of a staff that is either fixed firmly to the chassis or clamped to the right fender.
Notwithstanding these national laws, and despite much interest in flag display among vehicle owners and drivers, no significant innovation has taken place to address the foregoing problems associated with displaying a flag on a motor vehicle.
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a system for displaying flags, banners, and the like on motor vehicles, including cars, trucks, and boats. In one embodiment, the system includes a mounting sleeve configured for secure attachment to the vehicle, and a detachable flag adapted to securely attach to the mounting sleeve by means of a zipper. In one embodiment, different flags and/or banners may be quickly and easily interchanged onto the mounting sleeve. In one embodiment, different mounting sleeves may be used for different vehicles and mounting arrangements, e.g., to permit one or more flags or banners to be quickly and easily interchanged among vehicles. Embodiments of the disclosure include mounting sleeves adapted for attachment to various cylindrical or elongated portions of a vehicle, including, e.g., a roll bar of an open-top off-road vehicle, truck, or sport-utility vehicle, a vehicle antenna, or a railing on a boat, train, or bus.
In one embodiment, the present invention provides a flag system including a mounting sleeve and a flag. The mounting sleeve is adapted for attachment around a rod. The flag is adapted to be releasably fastened to the mounting sleeve.
In another embodiment, the present invention provides a mounting sleeve. The mounting sleeve includes: a section of material adapted for attachment around a rod; one or more fastening devices for releasably fastening a flag to the mounting sleeve; and one or more fastening devices adapted to attach the section of material around the rod.
In a further embodiment, the present invention provides a flag. The flag includes an ornamental portion, a zipper tape, and a transition strip. The transition strip has first and second sides. The first side of the transition strip is coupled to the ornamental portion. The second side of the transition strip is coupled to the zipper tape.
Detailed illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure are disclosed herein. However, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative for purposes of describing example embodiments of the present disclosure. Embodiments of the present disclosure may be embodied in many alternative forms and should not be construed as limited to only the embodiments set forth herein. Further, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments of the disclosure.
As shown, in this embodiment, mounting sleeve 100 includes a fabric wrapper 101 having an inner flap 102 and an outer flap 103. Fabric wrapper 101 is desirably an open-weave, military-grade, outdoor mesh fabric, and may include one or more of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) mesh, a vinyl-coated synthetic fiber (e.g., polyester) mesh having ultraviolet (UV) resistance, another durable and weatherproof material, or the like.
A zipper tape 104 forms a first side of an external zipper chain disposed between the two flaps 102, 103 by means of a seam (not shown). Zipper tape 104 includes a row of teeth 105, a pin 106 at one end, and a stop 110 at the other end. Finished edges 107 are formed at the top portion 108 and bottom portion 109 of mounting sleeve 100. A loop portion 111 of hook-and-loop fastener is disposed at the edge of inner flap 102.
A zipper tape 113 disposed at the edge of inner flap 102 forms a first side of an internal zipper chain, while another zipper tape 114 disposed at the edge of outer flap 103 forms a second side of the internal zipper chain. Zipper tape 113 includes a row of teeth 115, a pin 116 at one end, and a stop 117 at the other end. Zipper tape 114 includes a row of teeth 118, a stop 119 at one end, a pin box 120 at the other end, a slider 121 slidably disposed on teeth 118, and a puller 122 coupled to slider 121.
A hook portion 123 of hook-and-loop fastener is disposed at the edge of outer flap 103 and is adapted to releasably attach to loop portion 111, which is disposed at the edge of inner flap 102.
Flag 400 also includes a zipper tape 402 along one end, as well as a transition strip 403 (e.g., plain white or black) connecting ornamental portion 401 to zipper tape 402, e.g., by means of seams (not shown). Zipper tape 402 includes a row of teeth 404, a stop 405 at one end, a pin box 406 at the other end, a slider 407 slidably disposed on teeth 404, and a puller 408 coupled to slider 407. Zipper tape 402 forms a second side of the external zipper chain with zipper tape 104 disposed on mounting sleeve 100 and has approximately the same length as zipper tape 104. Ornamental portion 401 is desirably a durable nylon material, such as a 200 to 1000 denier nylon material having a UV-inhibitor coating and a flame-retardant finish, but may alternatively be constructed from polyester, another durable and weatherproof material, or the like. Transition strip 403 is desirably sized so that only a small portion of transition strip 403 is visible while flag 400 is attached to mounting sleeve 100.
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As shown, in this embodiment, mounting sleeve 900 includes a fabric wrapper 911 folded onto itself to form an upper layer 940 and a lower layer 950. Layers 940 and 950 are sewn together using a prayer seam along dashed line 920 so as to form an aperture 930 within mounting sleeve 900 suitable for receiving antenna 901. Fabric wrapper 911 is desirably an open-weave, military-grade, outdoor mesh fabric, and may include one or more of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) mesh, a vinyl-coated synthetic fiber (e.g., polyester) mesh having ultraviolet (UV) resistance, or the like.
A zipper tape 904 forms a first side of an external zipper chain disposed between upper layer 940 and lower layer 950 of fabric wrapper 911 by means of a seam (not shown). Zipper tape 904 includes a row of teeth 905, a pin 906 at one end, and a stop 910 at the other end.
Mounting sleeve 900 is installed onto antenna 901 by inserting the end of antenna 901 into one end of aperture 930 and then sliding mounting sleeve 900 onto antenna 901 until the end of antenna 901 emerges from the other end of aperture 930. Aperture 930 is desirably sized to create a friction fit with antenna 901 that permits mounting sleeve 900 to remain in place snugly at a desired location along the length of antenna 901. In this configuration, zipper tape 904 protrudes from mounting sleeve 900 along its length, and mounting sleeve is oriented so that pin 906 is at the top of zipper tape 904.
The process for fastening flag 400 to mounting sleeve 900 proceeds in like manner to that by which flag 400 is fastened to mounting sleeve 100. First, slider 407 is engaged with pin 906, and then puller 408 is grasped to manipulate slider 407 along zipper tapes 904 and 402, so as to engage and mesh together zipper tape 904 and zipper tape 402 to form the external zipper chain.
In alternative embodiments, a single variably-sized mounting sleeve may be used, such as a mounting sleeve without an internal zipper chain and having a larger loop portion of hook-and-loop fastener that permits releasable attachment of the hook portion at various locations to provide an adjustable circumference.
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In the embodiments shown, the mounting sleeve and flag have particular sizes, shapes, dimensions, and other visual characteristics. However, it should be understood that a flag system consistent with embodiments of the disclosure can alternatively be made to have various other sizes, shapes, dimensions, and visual characteristics.
Although embodiments of the disclosure are described as being used in connection with motor vehicles and the like, it should be understood that a flag system consistent with embodiments of the disclosure may alternatively be attached to other items that are elongated or cylindrical, whether mounted vertically, horizontally, or in other orientations. Embodiments of the present disclosure may be used with automobiles, motorcycles, boats, recreational vehicles, snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, and other vehicles, as well as non-vehicle and/or stationary elements on which it is desirable to display a flag, a banner, or both.
The term “rod,” as used herein, should be construed to include a bar, a roll bar, a roll cage element, an antenna, a rail, a pole, a post, a stick, a staff, and any structural member of a vehicle or stationary element around which a mounting element, as described herein, may be wrapped, slid, or otherwise disposed, to serve as a base for a detachable flag, as described herein. Although the term “rod” suggests an elongated member, in certain embodiments, the rod is not necessarily elongated but is appropriately dimensioned so as to permit a mounting element to be wrapped around or slid onto the rod and secured to the rod.
The zipper components described herein may be, e.g., heavy-duty plastic No. 10 zippers, as well as metal zippers and zippers of other sizes and types. Although embodiments are described herein as employing both hook-and-loop fastener and zippers to secure a mounting sleeve around a rod, other fastening devices are possible in alternative embodiments, including, e.g., one or more of: a buckle, a button, a clip, a catch, a clasp, a latch, a lock, a hook, a loop, an eye, an aperture, a carabineer, a tie, an elastic or non-elastic strap, or a snap. Some alternative embodiments employ only a zipper, and other alternative embodiments employ only hook-and-loop fastener as fastening devices. Certain alternative embodiments employ a zipper that is covered only partially by hook-and-loop fastener. Accordingly, the term “fastening devices” should be construed as including one or more of the foregoing, as well as other fastening devices not specifically mentioned herein.
Fastening devices other than a zipper, including one or more of the foregoing, may be used, in alternative embodiments, to fasten a flag to a mounting sleeve. In some embodiments, a zipper may be used in conjunction with other fastening devices for this purpose. In other embodiments, a fastening device may be disposed only on the mounting sleeve, or only on the flag. For example, in one alternative embodiment, clips disposed on the mounting sleeve are used to fasten a flag that includes no fastening devices. In another alternative embodiment, clips disposed on the flag are used to fasten the flag to a mounting sleeve that includes no fastening devices.
It should be understood that the locations and types of seams shown and described herein are merely exemplary, and that other locations and types of seams may be used in alternative embodiments.
It should be understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of the parts which have been described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of this disclosure may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the disclosure.
Reference herein to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments necessarily mutually exclusive of other embodiments.
Although the disclosure has been described using relative terms such as “front,” “back,” “side,” “top,” “bottom,” “over,” “above,” “under” and the like in the description and in the claims, such terms are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing permanent relative positions. It is understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the disclosure described herein are, for example, capable of operation in other orientations than those illustrated or otherwise described herein. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the terms “top” and “bottom,” when describing a flag herein, specifically refer to the top portion and bottom portion of the flag, respectively, when the flag is observed in its normal, typical, and/or correct visual orientation.
Although the disclosure is described herein with reference to specific embodiments, various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure. Any benefits, advantages, or solutions to problems that are described herein with regard to specific embodiments are not intended to be construed as a critical, required, or essential feature or element of any or all the claims.
It should be understood that the steps of the exemplary methods set forth herein are not necessarily required to be performed in the order described, and the order of the steps of such methods should be understood to be merely exemplary. Likewise, additional steps may be included in such methods, and certain steps may be omitted or combined, in methods consistent with various embodiments of the disclosure.
Although the disclosure has been set forth in terms of the exemplary embodiments described herein and illustrated in the attached drawings, it is to be understood that such disclosure is purely illustrative and is not to be interpreted as limiting. Consequently, various alterations, modifications, and/or alternative embodiments and applications may be suggested to those skilled in the art after having read this disclosure. Accordingly, it is intended that the disclosure be interpreted as encompassing all alterations, modifications, or alternative embodiments and applications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this disclosure.
It will be further understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of the parts which have been described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of this disclosure may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the disclosure as expressed in the following claims.
The embodiments covered by the claims in this application are limited to embodiments that (1) are enabled by this specification and (2) correspond to statutory subject matter. Non-enabled embodiments and embodiments that correspond to non-statutory subject matter are explicitly disclaimed even if they fall within the scope of the claims.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/883,353, filed Sep. 27, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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