Businesses concerned with parking or servicing vehicles have a problem of correlating the ignition key and the vehicle owner with a particular vehicle. Paper cards with three segments separated by perforations and carrying the same number have been previously provided by the inventor so that one segment serves as a claim check, a second segment is placed in the vehicle and a third segment has a key tag. One such vehicle identification card is shown in applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 7,373,749 issued May 20, 2008 for a Vehicle Identification Card with Removable Key Tag. Some businesses prefer to use key tags supplied by other suppliers. Thus there is a need to facilitate the customers use of such arrow shaped key tags from other suppliers when using the beforementioned three section vehicle identification card of inventors design.
A three segment automotive vehicle locator card is formed from a thick sheet of pliable paperboard material. The three segments are established by horizontally spaced perforations or slits which permit the segments to be easily separated from one another. A large upper segment of the card includes a punched out hole and a slit from the hole to the upper edge of the card which permits the upper segment to be attached to the rear view mirror bracket of the vehicle. A second segment is a customer's claim check or ticket. The third segment of the card includes a removable key tag, a removable vehicle identification label and a removable label with a space for entering the parking space location. The same vehicle identification number is printed on the first and second segments and on the removable key tag and the vehicle identification label of the third segment. The removable key tag, the vehicle identification label and the parking space label are held in place on the third segment by adhesive. Customers, who prefer to use a key tag other than that provided on the third segment, can place the vehicle identification label and the parking space identification label on the key tag of their choice. Instructions for applying the before mentioned labels to the customers key tag are included on the third segment.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:
The vehicle locator card 11 shown in the drawings includes a relatively thick pliable paperboard sheet 12 which is perforated along horizontal lines 13 and 14 to form an upper segment 16, an intermediate claim ticket segment 17 and a lower segment 18 in which a key tag 19, a vehicle identification label 20 and a parking space label 21 are formed. A rubber based permanent adhesive 25 is applied to the rear side of the third segment 18 and a 40 pound silicone coated translucent kraft liner patch 27 is attached to the rear side of the third segment 18. The upper segment 16 includes a punched out hole 22 near its upper edge and a slit 23 between the hole 22 and the upper edge 24 of the segment 16 permitting the upper segment 16 to be hung in the vehicle—such as on a rear view mirror support. The perforations along lines 13 and 14 permit relatively easy separation of the segments 16, 17, 18 from one another. The front of the upper and intermediate segments 16, 17 carry the vehicle identification number. The vehicle identification number is printed twice on the tail of the key tag 19 so that when it is folded in half to capture the head 28 that has been passed through the key ring, as shown in
The outline of the key tag 19, the outline of the identification labels 20, 21 and the outline of the oval shaped holes 41, 42 are formed by a die cuts punched through the card 12 but not through the patch 27. When the key tag 19 or the identification labels 20, 21 are removed, the permanent adhesive 25 releases from the smooth surface silicone coated translucent patch 27 and remains on the removed key tag 19 and identification labels 20, 21. The front of the upper and intermediate segments 16, 17 carry the vehicle identification number. The claim number and the vehicle identification number as the same. The vehicle identification number is printed twice on the tail of the key tag 19 so that when it is folded in half to capture the head 28 that has been passed through the key ring, as shown in
A business using the vehicle location card 11 may use the vehicle key tag 19 by attaching it directly to an ignition key or indirectly to an ignition key, such as by attachment to a key ring 36 as shown in
Many businesses purchasing the vehicle identification cards have branch facilities and a central administration which handles purchasing and stocking of supplies. This novel vehicle identification card permits the branch facilities to use key rings and key holders of their choice with the herein described standardized vehicle identification card, thereby retaining the economy of mass purchasing of the identification card. Providing designated places for entering the vehicle owners name and the parking space location on the vehicle key helps servicing personnel to quickly find and retrieve the vehicle for the customer.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2578548 | Histed | Dec 1951 | A |
4846501 | Del Grande | Jul 1989 | A |
4907359 | Berman | Mar 1990 | A |
5104148 | Neal | Apr 1992 | A |
5560657 | Morgan | Oct 1996 | A |
5782497 | Casagrande | Jul 1998 | A |
6250556 | Schneider | Jun 2001 | B1 |
6352287 | Casagrande | Mar 2002 | B2 |
6352608 | Garden | Mar 2002 | B1 |
6649238 | Chess et al. | Nov 2003 | B2 |
7246459 | Lewis | Jul 2007 | B2 |
7249432 | Lewis | Jul 2007 | B2 |
7316088 | Lewis | Jan 2008 | B1 |
7373749 | Lewis | May 2008 | B1 |
20030106250 | Best et al. | Jun 2003 | A1 |
20040026916 | Thompson et al. | Feb 2004 | A1 |
20050236832 | Best et al. | Oct 2005 | A1 |
20060163868 | Baumann | Jul 2006 | A1 |
20060236578 | Saint et al. | Oct 2006 | A1 |