Card – picture – or sign exhibiting – Signs – Automotive vehicle carried
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-27
2001-10-09
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3629)
Card, picture, or sign exhibiting
Signs
Automotive vehicle carried
C040S593000, C040S643000, C040S644000, C040S652000, C040S658000, C024S563000, C224S482000, C224S277000, C211S089010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06298590
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to means for temporarily securing a textual and graphic display against the interior of an auto window that has a “raise/lower” capability, whereby such a display is easily readable from the auto exterior. It is further directed toward means for securely positioning such a display on the inside of such window. It is further directed to carrier means for holding such display and most particularly for spring means for engaging the top of such auto window while the window is partially lowered and for pressing the carrier means securely and substantially flush against the interior of the auto window when the window is fully raised.
BACKGROUND
2. Prior Art
Textual and graphic displays are most commonly secured against the interior of driver-side windows by adhesive applied to all or part of the periphery of the display. Another method employs adhesive tape that is positioned to engage the display around its periphery by half the tape width and the window interior by the other half of the tape width. A third method requires the insertion of the display in a clear plastic envelope held in place on the window interior by suction cups. A variation of the third method hangs the plastic envelope from the rear view mirror, thereby allowing the graphics sheet to be observed through the windshield. A variation of this method employs a textual displays printed on heavier tag-weight material adapted to be hung directly from the rear-view mirror or sun shade visor. A fourth method uses a thin specially coated plastic sheet called “static cling” that is substantially larger in each dimension than the display. The display is held against the window interior and the static cling material is applied over the display, holding the display to the window interior by the propensity of the static cling to adhere to the glass where the cling contacts the glass directly around the edges of the display. Such “Buyers' Guides” or “Odometer Disclosure Statements” and several of the above described types of holder devices are available from MBR Marketing, 1-800-443-4333 as Catalog numbers BG-24, BG-2, HG-100 and BGP.
BACKGROUND
3. Discussion of Prior Art
While the above described first method securely holds the edges of the display material against the window interior, the center portion of the display material tends to bend away from the window, thereby rendering the textual material difficult to read. Further, when such tape-secured graphics must be removed to allow a prospective purchaser to test drive the auto, the displayed material is almost never properly resecured and eventually is damaged or destroyed, thereby making it necessary for the seller to recreate the material at additional cost, should the auto not be sold to that prospective purchaser.
Further, when the material so adhesive secured has remained in place for en extended period and subjected to the sun's rays, the adhesive tends to polymerize, thereby making its removal extremely difficult and requiring time-consuming action by the seller with solvent or scraper or both to remove the tape residue to the satisfaction of the purchaser. Further, when the adhesive has been applied over a tinted overlay or after-market tinting, the chance of damage to the tinted layer is especially high. Further, textual material is frequently not readable though factory or aftermarket tinted glass, and unreadability of this material may constitute a violation of state or federal laws.
Displays are sometimes simply left text-upwards on the dashboard of the auto but the text is difficult to read and such position may not satisfy some legal requirements.
Textual material hung from the rear-view mirror and intended to be read through the windshield are very difficult to read, especially since the material is not held directly against the glass of the windshield.
Static Cling material does not retain its dinginess for more than a few uses. Further, once removed, some skill is required to replace it properly. Further, detailers or others who clean cars frequently apply wax or silicone coatings to the windows. Neither Static Cling nor adhesives stick reliably to these contaminated surfaces.
BACKGROUND
All used cars sold in the USA by automobile deals must, by law, have a “Buyers' Guide” or “Odometer Disclosure Statements”. These are printed forms found on all used cars for sale at auto dealerships. These forms must generally be approved by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). They must be placed in a conspicuous location on the car for easy viewing by a prospective purchaser. These forms typically measure 7⅜ inches wide by 11 inches high. The form must indicate the automobile make, model, VIN number and other descriptive information such as whether or not there is a warranty and if so, the nature of the warranty. The name for this form in the industry is “sticker.”
In recent years auto dealers have been offered by vendors a so-called “Customized Buyers' Guide.” or sticker. This custom sticker is a computer printout in an attractive format designed to resemble a New Car Buyers' Guide. This Buyers' Guide has clearly imprinted on one half its face all the FTC required information plus, on the other half, one or more sales blurbs plus a listing of most of the options with which the car is equipped. Since most new car buyers do not retain the original sticker listing these options which came with their new car, the information must be searched out by the sticker vendor when the original car owner sells his car to a dealer years later. These vendor functions save the dealer much time and he pays the vendor for preparing each custom sticker. The custom buyers' guide is approximately 14½ inches wide by 11 inches high. Dealers have found the custom “sticker” to provide the required information in an attractive format and have almost universally adopted it.
Typically a dealer places a hand written required FTC form on each “new” used car when it is placed on his lot for sale. The vendor of the custom sticker regularly visits each dealer, removes the handwritten FTC form, types out the required FTC information on one side of the sticker and the relevant merchandising information on the other.
The sticker is substantially always attached to the inside surface of a driver's side window by a pressure sensitive adhesive or tape positioned on the perimeter of the sticker. In hot weather the adhesive softens and the sticker often drops off onto the car floor. Sometimes dealers' efforts to clean a used car result in wax that has been deposited on the window interiors. Such wax provides a poor base for adhesive, preventing reliable attachment of the sticker.
Further, the adhesive method of attachment is badly flawed and costs the auto dealer frustration, time, and costs of replacement stickers as described above. A prospective purchaser must remove the sticker before test driving the auto or s/he will be in violation of the law that requires windows to be unobstructed. She cannot lower the window without the high possibility of damaging the sticker or, worse, getting it stuck in the window elevator mechanism, thereby imposing substantial repair cost on the dealer.
Removing the sticker almost always results in its destruction. Further, even if the sticker is not destroyed on removal, it cannot be successfully glued back neatly and intact on the inside surface of the window. Therefore, after a single demonstration ride the sticker may wind up wrinkled, torn and laying on the car seat or the floor or simply destroyed or lost.
Sometimes a cautious prospective buyer requests a copy of the sticker, imposing on the dealer the requirement for spending time to remove it undamaged. Finally, the sticker with integral pressure sensitive adhesive costs more than a plain paper “sticker.”
The present invention totally and simply solves the problem of instantly attaching and removing both the Buyers' Guide and the Customized Sticker flush to any lowerable side auto window, such
Browne Lynne H.
Hutton Doug
Kramer Daniel
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