Patent Application
20160210887
1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to the fields of flag systems and flag supports. More particularly, the invention pertains to a post flag system for a vertical post and with a substantially horizontal section to attach to the flag.
2. Description of Related Art
Flag support posts are conventionally permanent structures dedicated to supporting a flag. Flag support posts are conventionally oriented vertically, with the flag being supported along its side. Since flags are conventionally made of a fabric or another flexible material, the flag merely hangs from the vertical pole in a heap in the absence of a strong wind, so that most of the flag surface is not visible.
A post flag system includes a mounting tube and a flag. The mounting tube includes a post section and a mounting section separated by a bend. The post section has an annular cross section of constant inner diameter greater than an outer dimension of a vertical post to receive the vertical post. The bend orients the mounting section at a mounting tube angle with respect to the post section. The flag includes a surface displaying indicia and having an edge coupled to the mounting section of the mounting tube. The mounting tube angle is in the range of 90 to 100 degrees. In some embodiments, the flag further comprises a sleeve along the edge of the flag sized to fit over the mounting section of the mounting tube. In some embodiments, the system further includes a clip having a first arm received in a mounting end of the mounting section of the mounting tube and a second arm flexibly connected to the first arm to extend along an outer surface of the mounting section to hold the edge of the flag against the mounting section.
A method of assembling a post flag system including a mounting tube and a flag includes attaching an edge of the flag to a mounting section of the mounting tube. The mounting tube includes a post section and the mounting section separated by a bend. The method also includes inserting an upper end of a vertical post into a post end of the post section of the mounting tube. The post section has an annular cross section of constant inner diameter greater than an outer dimension of the vertical post to receive the second end of the vertical post. The bend orients the mounting section at a mounting tube angle with respect to the post section. The post flag system is assembled such that the mounting section of the mounting tube is in a horizontal orientation.
In a preferred embodiment, the post flag system includes a mounting tube and a flag. In some embodiments, the post flag system further includes a vertical post. In some embodiments, the post flag system further includes a clip.
The vertical post may be removably inserted into the ground or may be part of a moving structure or a structure more permanently mounted in the ground. Vertical posts include, but are not limited to, a fence post, a telephone pole, a car antenna, a golf hole flag post, and a snow pole. In some embodiments, the post flag system uses a vertical post conventionally used for another purpose and temporarily or permanently repurposes the vertical post as a support for the post flag system in order to display a flag at the site of the vertical post.
The vertical post preferably has a circular cross section of substantially constant diameter along most, if not all, of the length of the vertical post. The cross section of the vertical post, however, may have any shape within the spirit of the present invention, including, but not limited to, circular, square, rectangular, oval, triangular, or irregular, but preferably the maximum outer dimension of the cross section does not change significantly along the length of the vertical post at the top portion.
In embodiments with a removable vertical post, the first end of the vertical post is preferably inserted into the ground or a support opening on the ground and may taper toward the first end to allow easier insertion into the ground or the support opening. The second end of the vertical post may be any shape, including, but not limited to, flat or rounded. A removable vertical post is preferably made of fiberglass.
The mounting tube preferably has an annular cross section of constant inner and outer diameters along most of the length of the mounting tube. The mounting tube may be transparent, translucent, or opaque. In some embodiments, the mounting tube is transparent, so that certain features of or on the vertical post are still visible through the mounting tube. Preferred materials for the mounting tube include, but are not limited to, plastic, preferably acrylic, and metal, preferably copper or aluminum. The mounting tube preferably includes a bend between a post section and a mounting section of the mounting tube. In some embodiments, the bend is formed by bending an otherwise straight piece of tube. In some embodiments, the section of the tube to be bent is heated prior to bending, bent, and then allowed to cool once the bend is formed. The bend in the mounting tube prevents the mounting tube from completely sliding down the vertical post. The bend also permits a flag to be attached so that the flag hangs downward freely from the post without wrinkles in the flag verbiage.
The post section of the mounting tube slides over the vertical post by way of the opening in the post end. The inner diameter of the post section of the mounting tube is larger than the outer dimension of the vertical post. The inner diameter of the post section of the mounting tube is preferably about 10% to about 25% larger than the outer dimension of the vertical post. The flag is attached to the mounting section of the mounting tube.
The flag may be made of any conventional flag material, including, but not limited to, cloth, plastic, or metal. The flag material is preferably flexible. The flag preferably has a rectangular shape, although any shape that may be attached to the mounting end of the mounting tube may be used within the spirit of the present invention. The flag more preferably has a square shape or nearly square shape. In a preferred embodiment, the length of the flag and the width of the flag are within about 25% of each other.
The bend is preferably located about 3/5 to about 4/5 from the post end of the mounting tube. The bend is more preferably located about 2/3 to about 3/4 of the way from the post end of the mounting tube. In some embodiments, the bend is located about 2/3 of the way from the post end of the mounting tube. In other embodiments, the bend is located about 3/4 of the way from the post end of the mounting tube. The post section of the mounting tube is preferably longer than the mounting section of the mounting tube so that the mounting tube does not blow off the vertical post in high winds.
The mounting section of the mounting tube is preferably in a horizontal orientation in the assembled post flag system. A horizontal orientation, as used herein, is within five degrees of horizontal or level. The mounting section is preferably within three degrees of horizontal. The mounting section is more preferably within one degree of horizontal. In a preferred embodiment, the vertical post is mounted in the ground in a vertical orientation (90 degrees from horizontal) and the bend in the mounting tube is a 90-degree bend. In other embodiments, however, the vertical post may be mounted at an angle less than 90 degrees from a horizontal plane. In such embodiments, the angle between the mounting section and the post section is preferably greater than 90 degrees. The sum of the vertical post angle and the mounting tube angle is preferably 180 degrees so that the mounting tube is horizontal regardless of either individual angle measurement. The vertical post angle is preferably at least 80 degrees and the mounting tube angle is preferably in the range of 90 to 100 degrees. The vertical post angle is more preferably at least 85 degrees and the mounting tube angle is more preferably in the range of 90 to 95 degrees.
The flag preferably includes a design or indicia on at least one of the two sides of the flag. In some embodiments, the design or indicia is an advertisement. The flag may be of any dimensions, but the length of the flag is preferably less than the length of the post section of the mounting tube, so that the flag does not contact the ground in the post flag system. The width of the flag is preferably less than or equal to the length of the mounting section of the mounting tube.
The flag may be attached or coupled to the mounting section of the mounting tube in any of a number of different manners. In some embodiments, the flag includes a sleeve along one edge, where the sleeve is sized to slide over the outside of the mounting section. In other embodiments, an adhesive attaches the flag along one edge of the flag to the mounting section. The adhesive may be a strip of tape or may be applied directly to the edge of the flag or the mounting section. Alternatively, the adhesive may be a glue, preferably silicone. In other embodiments, a fastener attaches the flag to the mounting section. In some embodiments, the fastener is a clip that insert into the mounting end of the mounting tube and clips the flag to the mounting section. The clip may be attached to the flag or may merely press the flag against the mounting section to couple the flag to the mounting section. Other methods of attachment or securing the flag to the mounting section of the mounting tube include, but are not limited to, stapling, cementing, wrapping tightly, plastic welding, heat shrinking, screwing, and bolting.
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In some embodiments, the post flag system is only temporarily displayed at a particular location. In some embodiments, the post flag system is only temporarily displayed on a vertical post that otherwise serves another regular function. The post flag system may be easily assembled, disassembled, and re-assembled, so one or more of the components of the post flag system may be re-used as part of a post flag system displayed at a different location at a different time.
Accordingly, it is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention herein described are merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Reference herein to details of the illustrated embodiments is not intended to limit the scope of the claims, which themselves recite those features regarded as essential to the invention.
