Signals and indicators – Flags and flagstaffs
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-01
2003-08-26
Gutierrez, Diego (Department: 2859)
Signals and indicators
Flags and flagstaffs
C116S02800A, C040S591000, C040S607060, C403S389000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06609476
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to flags and pennants that are mounted temporarily or permanently to the radio antenna of an automobile or truck. These flags or pennants have typically been composed of either a flexible fabric material such as cloth or light plastic or of a substantially rigid material usually a plastic material. The location on the automobile radio antenna for the mounting of a flag or pennant is preferred because this location provides a prominent, elevated position which is readily visible by the public as the automobile or truck passes by on the street. The mounting of such flags or pennants on vehicle antennas is limited to fixed, vertical antennas and is not suitable for the retractable antennas or the angled non-vertical antennas.
The purpose of such flags or pennants may be merely decorative or for advertising some company, product or coming event. They are also used to designate cars as being part of a funeral procession or some other type of parade or procession. Whatever the purpose or type of use of an antenna mounted flag or pennant, it may be necessary or important to have a mounting which provides for easy installation and removal of the flag on the antenna. As a consequence of the damage likely to be caused to such flags or pennants in a commercial car wash, for instance, they should be readily removable to avoid such damage.
It should be understood that fabric or flexible antenna flags or pennants tend to flap or whip violently when the vehicle on which they are mounted is driven at elevated speeds. Thus, a flag made of inexpensive cotton material may disintegrate rapidly on a car traveling at 65 miles an hour. It has also been noted that the violent wind action even at lower speeds tends to whip the flag around so much that it is difficult to discern whatever is imprinted on the flag or pennant. In contrast, the rigid type of flag or pennant remains relatively fixed at any speed and is not subject to the problems of visibility and wear described above in connection with the flexible, fabric flags or pennants. However, it is important that even a rigid type of flag be secured to the antenna tightly enough so that it has no tendency to rotate as the wind swirls around the antenna. If the flag or pennant remains fixed in the direction of the vehicle travel, the image or message will be in the optimum position to be seen as the vehicle passes.
The radio antennas for automobile radios differ considerably in size and construction some being collapsible multi-section units and some being one piece constant cross section units. The metal rod or tubing used in fabricating the antenna is typically anywhere between ⅛ inch and ¼ inch in diameter. It would be desirable to provide a flag or pennant having a mounting which would be adapted for fastening to any automobile antenna having a rod or tubing diameter falling within the range noted above. The flag or pennant mounting means shown in the prior art are not adapted to mounting on antennas having various different diameter tubing.
The prior art patents to Solomon U.S. Pat. No. 2,856,891 and Martin U.S. Pat. No. 5,740,622 are noted of interest with respect to the present invention in showing rigid type antenna mounted flags or pennants. Both of these patents involve mounting means which are more complicated and less effective in fixedly mounting the flag or pennant than the structure of the present invention.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a rigid flag for mounting on the radio antenna of an automobile or truck. It is preferably fabricated of molded plastic having a thin flat rectangular body with a thickened mounting rib extending along one edge thereof. In order to achieve the desired rigidity of the flag and at the same time minimize the weight and bulk of plastic in the flag, it has been found that improved performance is achieved by tapering the thickness of the flag from the mounting edge or leading edge toward the trailing edge, the edge remote from the mounting edge. With the flag having a thickness two or three times as great at the leading edge as compared to the trailing edge, the amount of plastic used in the flag may be minimized while still achieving the objective of a flag which wears well and has no tendency to flap in the wind at high vehicle speeds. This tapering of the flag body reduces the air turbulence and the resulting movement as compared to flags having a body of constant thickness.
The flat rectangular body of the flag is imprinted or molded with the illustration of an American flag, for instance, or any other desired symbol, slogan, advertising material or public announcement. The mounting rib is coextensive with one of the short edges of the rectangular body and has mounting extensions or projections extending beyond the rectangular body. The mounting rib is formed with a channel which extends from end to end of the mounting rib and which has opposed, spaced walls. The mounting rib is designed to engage the tubing of an automobile antenna and restrain the flag from rotating with respect to the antenna. The spaced walls of the channel are spaced apart a distance slightly less than the diameter if the smallest antenna rod or tubing in use today which is ⅛ inch. The outer edges of the opposing channel walls are formed with sharp edges which engage the cylindrical surface of the antenna in its mounted position. The antenna mounting means includes resilient biasing means to urge the mounting rib channel against the antenna so that the channel wall edges engage the antenna to restrain the flag or pennant from rotating with respect to the antenna tubing. When the flag mounting means is applied to the largest antenna tubing in common use which is ¼ inch in diameter, the same sharp edges of the channel walls engage the tubing to restrain rotational movement of the flag or pennant.
In order to provide the biasing force to urge the mounting rib against the antenna to retain it in position, there is provided a pair of resilient tubular sections or rings which are first applied to the antenna After the flag is placed in the desired position with the mounting rib against the antenna and with the rings above and below the flag, the rings are forced over the mounting extensions. The mounting extensions are formed with laterally positioned bars that engage the resilient retaining rings and restrain their displacement from the assembled positions. The resilient rings have an elasticity so that they may apply sufficient tension between the antenna tubing or rod and the mounting extensions to attach the flag or pennant firmly to the antenna so that it will neither slide lengthwise of the antenna nor rotate with respect to the antenna. The elasticity of the rings is sufficient so that adequate tension is provided to secure the flag or pennant to either a ⅛ inch or ¼ inch diameter rod or tube. While the rings shown in the disclosed embodiment comprise sections of tubing having a length almost twice the diameter of the tubing, it is contemplated that an o-ring could also be used. The sections of tubing are preferred as they provide better frictional engagement with the mounting extensions than would an o-ring.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2168484 (1939-08-01), Loux
patent: 2856891 (1958-10-01), Solomon
patent: 2905140 (1959-09-01), Acklam
patent: 3075492 (1963-01-01), Winfrey
patent: 3500789 (1970-03-01), Keats
patent: 4110818 (1978-08-01), Hempsey
patent: 5363792 (1994-11-01), Petechik
patent: 5590621 (1997-01-01), Sectish
patent: 5740622 (1998-04-01), Martin
patent: 6334284 (2002-01-01), Provitola
Lorenzana Moises B.
Lorenzana Vance A.
Courson Tania C.
Gutierrez Diego
Rose Neil M.
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