Patent Application
20180283446
Product identification is an essential tool in any industry. From supply chain tracking to inventory management to brand protection, it is often necessary for a user to have access to identifying information about a product. Such identifying information may include a unique serial number, a product model name, a part number, a product brand, an IP address, product safety information, or any other useful information for identifying a product. The identifying information is typically placed on a label that is attached or connected to the product. The label may be visible in plain sight or discoverable to a user of the product. For example, a computer may have a serial number displayed in a label affixed in its back, a smart phone may have a serial number discoverable by a user by accessing a menu, a car may have a vehicle identification number on its dashboard, and so on. Whether visible or discoverable, the product identification label must be accessible by a user to be able to identify the product.
Accessibility of a product identification label often depends on the type of product. In complex machinery or large product equipment, the product identification label may be placed in a cumbersome location that is difficult to access. A user may have to move heavy equipment or navigate through a web of cables before obtaining the desired information from the product identification label. In some products, the product identification label may protrude out of the product by a pull tab. The pull tab may be placed in front of the product, making it less cumbersome for a user to access it. However, if not properly secured in place, the tab may fall out of the product all together. Frequent pulls of the tab may also damage it over time. The tab may break and become unusable for providing product identification information.
The present application may be more fully appreciated in connection with the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout, and in which:
A flexible living hinge for an identification pull tab is disclosed. The identification pull tab connects two sturdy materials with a portion of flexible material to provide flexibility in bending while keeping it durable and robust over time. The identification pull tab may be manufactured with a two-shot overmold process to ensure that the materials are held together with a chemical bond. A mechanical interlock is incorporated into the identification pull tab to further its durability. The flexible material effectively creates a living hinge at which the identification pull tab may be bent up and down for easy viewing and accessibility of product identification information. The product identification information may be placed in a top and/or a bottom label affixed to the identification pull tab.
Referring now to
Identification pull tab 100 has a first shot area and a second shot area that are formed in a two-shot overmold process. The first shot area is divided into a first portion 105 and a second portion 110. First portion 105 is made of a sturdy plastic material, such as, for example, a polycarbonate resin, to ensure that the identification pull tab 100 will be securely attached in place to a product. Second portion 110 is also made of a sturdy plastic material, such as, for example, a polycarbonate acrylonitrile butadiene styrene thermoplastic. The material used for the first portion 105 may be chosen to be stronger than the material used for the second portion 110 to allow for the identification pull tab 100 to be durable and resistant to any damage made by extending it out of the product. As shown in
Attachment to a product is made with spring tails 120-125, with spring tail 120 having a longer dimension than spring tail 125 and an adjacent undercut 130 to facilitate rotation or other movement of the identification pull tab 100 when it is extended out of a product. It is appreciated that spring tails 120-125 may be designed according to the product that the identification pull tab 100 is to identify. In the example later described with reference to
The identification pull tab 100 is also designed to be flexible to allow for it to be bent repeatedly up or down during use. A user may choose to bend the identification pull tab 100 up or down as desired to view any identification information that is displayed in a label affixed to the second portion 110 of the first shot area. Flexibility and robustness are introduced with the second shot area 115, which may be made of a flexible, rubber-like material. For example, second shot area 115 may be made with a thermoplastic elastometer material that is at the same time bendable but robust to repeated bents. It is appreciated that the materials used for first portion 105, second portion 110 and second shot area 115 may be chosen to meet any safety requirements for the product identified by the identification pull tab 100.
As illustrated, the second shot area 115 is molded between the first portion 105 and the second portion 110 of the first shot area. Doing so enables the second shot area 115 to be held in place with a strong chemical bond.
Attention is now directed to
Referring now to
Attention is now directed to
It is appreciated that the previous description of the disclosed examples is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present disclosure. Various modifications to these examples will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other examples without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.
