Patent Application
20110107634
This invention relates, generally, to a unique vehicle window attachment or holder and, more specifically, to a unique attachment or holder for vehicle windows for keeping window display materials in place and visible from the outside of the vehicle.
Due to safety and security regulations in place throughout the world, most vehicles (defined herein as including automobiles, trucks, boats, planes, and any other type of vehicle that has at least one framed or “trimmed” window) are required to display appropriate identification, licenses, or permits to access garages, parking lots, apartment building premises, airport waiting areas, handicap zones, public parks, campgrounds, etc. In addition, public events often require some type of “ticket” or “pass” that must be displayed such that it is visible from outside the vehicle. In many instances, flyers (such as “For Sale” signs and other advertisements) need to be visible from outside the vehicle while being kept inside, secure from the elements. These placards, tickets, passes, flyers, and other small items (hereinafter referred to as “window display materials”) include any type of informational, practical, ornamental, inspirational, or commercial message or design. Window display materials can be displayed in a vehicle window and (1) are substantially flat, (2) are relatively lightweight, and (3) are relatively small.
Some window display materials are attached to windows using adhesives. Users often dislike using adhesives (e.g. all or part of the window display materials are “stickers”) because of the permanence and/or mess they create. Adhesives, if they are semi-permanent or non-permanent, often do not remain attached to the window and fall off. This can result in costly citations, towing fees, etc., or at least inconvenience for the vehicle operator as he attempts to resolve the fees and citations.
Window display materials are sometimes presented as “hang tags” or similar appropriately labeled paper and/or plastic documents. Although hang tags that are designed to hang from mirrors are convenient, in many instances more than one is required. In addition, modern vehicles are often equipped with rear-view mirrors that are part of a communication system that, due to their bulk, have no place from which to hang a “hang tag.” As a consequence, many window display materials are simply placed on the dashboard or windowsill of the vehicle, where they are often missed by inspectors outside the vehicle, resulting in costly citations, towing fees, etc., or at least inconvenience for the vehicle operator as he attempts to resolve the fees and citations.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,572, issued to DeVito on Oct. 5, 1999, discloses a Toll Pass Holder. The DeVito toll pass holder has a housing having an open top compartment with a large open front window, so as to receive an electronic toll pass inserted therein. The DeVito device has structure for temporarily retaining the housing to an interior surface of a windshield in a motor vehicle. The large open front window in the housing faces the interior surface of the windshield, so that the electronic toll pass can operate therefrom. The DeVito holder is designed to encapsulate toll pass cards and, therefore, the size and thickness of the toll pass is restricted to the carrying capacity of the holder. Larger items such as “Handicap Hangtags” would not fit into the device. The DeVito holder is designed to attach to various surfaces of the vehicle using suction cups, which limit the carrying capacity of the device and the length of time the device will remain attached.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,670, issued to Minervini on Apr. 30, 1991, discloses an Automobile Window Display Apparatus. The Minervini display apparatus includes a display panel for carrying a message. The panel is pivotally mounted to the rear window molding for movement between a retracted position and a vertical display position in which the message is visible through the rear window. A cord attached to the lower edge of the display panel extends forwardly and is hooked onto the rear view mirror mount. This allows the driver to unhook the cord for rearward movement under the weight of the panel as the panel drops to its display position. The Minervini display apparatus appears to be limited to placement in the rear window of a vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,268, issued to Shubeck on Dec. 26, 1989, discloses an Automobile Window Card Holder. The Shubeck card display device for automobile windows includes a strip of material overlapped upon itself to form a series of pockets for holding cards or other advertising material. The top end of the strip is reversely turned to form a retaining flange for locking the strip on the top edge of an automobile window pane when closed. In the preferred embodiment, the strip extends beyond the flange perpendicular to the back of the strip, thereby forming a handle for carrying and positioning the card holder. The Shubeck card display device appears to be limited to placement in side windows of a vehicle.
Preferred embodiments of the window display materials holder solve the problems of the prior art by providing a convenient, secure, and removable (and re-positional) holder means to attach a wide variety of items, including placards, tickets, passes, flyers, and other small items (window display materials) to the inside of the windows of a vehicle so that the window display materials are readily visible from outside the vehicle. Preferred embodiments of the window display materials holder may be installed on the edges (sides, top, and bottom) of any window in the vehicle (exact locations will vary with individual vehicles). Preferred embodiments of the window display materials holder may be removed and repositioned at will and readily placed in alternate positions within the vehicle.
An easily installed window display materials holder for holding window display material (placards, tickets, passes, flyers, and other small items) for viewing from the outside of a vehicle. The holder includes a flexibly-rigid body having an insertion edge and a gripping edge. The insertion edge is designed to be inserted between a window and trim adjacent thereto. The gripping edge has gripping structure. The flexibly-rigid body is substantially coplanar to the window when the insertion edge is inserted between the window and the trim adjacent thereto. Preferred embodiments of the window display materials holder may be installed on the edges (sides, top, and bottom) of any window in the vehicle.
None of the prior art devices provide the benefits of the versatile, readily moved preferred embodiments of the window display materials holder to keep window display materials in place and visible from the outside of the vehicle. None of the prior art devices attach to the window of a motor vehicle in a manner equivalent to the preferred embodiments of the window display materials holder.
The foregoing and other objectives, features, and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate various exemplary embodiments.
Referring to
Preferred embodiments of the window display materials holder 101 may be removed and repositioned at will and readily placed in alternate positions between the window(s) and the trim. Using preferred embodiments of the window display materials holder 101, the window display material 100 can be easily removed and replaced. When a window display material 100 is in position between the window and the window display materials holder 101, it is held or supported therebetween because the flexibly-rigid body of the window display materials holder 101 is substantially coplanar (albeit sometimes on a curve) to the window and so the window display material is lightly gripped (with a minimal amount of pressure) therebetween.
Before describing the exemplary embodiments of the window display materials holder 101 and the figures depicting them, some of the terminology should be clarified. Please note that the terms and phrases may have additional definitions and/or examples throughout the specification. Where otherwise not specifically defined, words, phrases, and acronyms are given their ordinary meaning in the art. Exemplary embodiments may be better understood with reference to the drawings, but these embodiments are not intended to be of a limiting nature. In most instances, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and description in this document to refer to the same or like parts. The term “window display material 100” is defined as an item that can be displayed in a vehicle window. Window display materials 100 (1) are substantially flat (which is meant to include material that, for example, is textured or has small bumps, cut-outs, holes, and/or ridges), (2) are relatively lightweight (which is meant to include materials that are less than three (3) ounces), and (3) are relatively small (which is meant to include window display materials that cover less than 10% of the area of the vehicle window and in most cases are less than 4″×8″). Examples of window display materials are placards (handicap, parking, etc.), tickets, passes, flyers, and other small items that may include any type of informational, practical, ornamental, inspirational, or commercial message or design. The terms “interior window trim,” “interior trim,” “window trim,” and/or “trim” are defined as the structures surrounding a vehicle window and include, for example, the dashboard trim 130, the side trim 132, the roof trim 134, the door trim 136, or the rear window deck 138. In embodiments in which the window display materials holder 101 is used in the interior of the car, the “trim” is the “interior window trim.” Alternative embodiments could use exterior window trim if the window display materials holder 101 is to be positioned on the exterior of the vehicle. The term “coplanar” is used to describe the relationship between the positioned window display materials holder 101 and its adjacent window in that the window display materials holder 101 lies substantially adjacent to the window even if the window is curved.
The exemplary window display materials holders 101 (including the embodiments shown in
Although one preferred basic shape (from the top looking down, as shown in
The insertion edge 103 of an exemplary window display materials holder 101 is designed to be inserted into the gap between the window and the trim therearound. The insertion edge 103 is the edge that is inserted between window and trim therearound as shown in
Exemplary preferred embodiments of the gripping edge 105 (which can be thought of as the “outer edge” or the edge remote from the insertion edge 103) are shown in
Preferred embodiments of the window display materials holder 101 are flexibly-rigid. “Flexibly-rigid” can be defined as able to hold its shape but, with pressure, would flex. If the pressure were removed, the material would return to its original shape. In other words, devices constructed from the material basically hold their shape, but may bend under pressure. When the window display materials holder 101 is inserted between a window and the trim, a certain amount of pressure may cause the flexibly-rigid window display materials holder 101 to bend so that it holds a curve substantially coplanar with the curve of (lies substantially adjacent to) the window. This would help to hold a window display material 100 towards the window. Also, a bend held in one direction (e.g. longitudinally) would strengthen the rigidity in the other direction.
Preferred embodiments of the window display materials holder 101 are transparent or clear such that the window display materials 100 can be seen on both sides. On the other hand, even non-transparent materials would allow the window display materials 100 to be seen from the outside of the vehicle.
It should be noted that one preferred window display materials holder 101 is constructed from a transparent (or clear) and flexibly-rigid plastic (suitable materials include, but are not limited to, acrylic, polycarbonate, polyester, polystyrene, and polyvinyl chloride polymeric materials). Alternative preferred materials include, but are not limited to, alternative plastics, metals, woods, carbon fiber, or various composite materials. The use of other materials shall be considered within the scope of the invention.
Referring to
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It should be noted that multiple window display materials holders 101 may be used to hold larger window display materials 100.
It should be noted that relative terms (e.g. interior and exterior) are meant to help in the understanding of the technology and are not meant to limit the scope of the invention. Similarly, the term “top” is meant to be relative to the term “bottom” and the term “upper” is meant to be relative to the term “lower.” As the orientation of the body of the window display materials holder 101 is changed, the “top” and “bottom” edges could be, for example, on the sides or reversed (the “bottom” being on the “top and the “top” being on the “bottom”). As the orientation of the body of the window display materials holder 101 is changed, the “upper” and “lower” surfaces could be, for example, on the sides or reversed (the “lower” being on the “upper” and the “upper” being on the “lower”). It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the term “or” is used in its nonexclusive form (e.g. “A or B” includes A, B, A and B, or any combination thereof, but it would not have to include all of these possibilities). It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, “and/or” is used similarly (e.g. “A and/or B” includes A, B, A and B, or any combination thereof, but it would not have to include all of these possibilities). It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the term “includes” means “comprises” (e.g. a device that includes or comprises A and B contains A and B but optionally may contain C or additional components other than A and B). It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” refer to one or more than one, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
It is to be understood that the inventions, examples, and embodiments described herein are not limited to particularly exemplified materials, methods, and/or structures. Further, all publications, patents, and patent applications cited herein, whether supra or infra, are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The terms and expressions that have been employed in the foregoing specification are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and are not intended to exclude equivalents of the features shown and described. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the present invention. It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any arrangement that is calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiment shown. It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.
