Card – picture – or sign exhibiting – Signs – Automotive vehicle carried
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-19
2001-08-21
Davis, Cassandra H. (Department: 3628)
Card, picture, or sign exhibiting
Signs
Automotive vehicle carried
C116S309000, C116S02800A, C040S643000, C040S484000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06276081
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an improvement in the methods used to display identification placards such as handicapped placards on the sun visor of a typical automobile. More specifically, this invention relates to a method of displaying such placards that allows them to be easily moved into a visible position for display purposes when parking the automobile when necessary and also to be moved and stored up out of view when not in use.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the past, people who were required to identify themselves and their automobiles in parking situations as being handicapped or as having special parking privileges have often used a hanging placard device to make such identifications. Such placards are made of a relatively thin plastic or cardboard-like material having the appropriate identification insignia printed on either side. These placards are generally about twice the size of an average playing card and are constructed with an integral hook-like apparatus built into the upper portion of the body of the placard. The hook is used to hang the placard over the horizontally extending mirror post that is commonly used to mount the interior rear view mirror to the inside of a vehicle windshield. This placement of the placard on the rearview mirror post positions it in a manner that is highly visible from the exterior of the vehicle allowing parking enforcement workers to easily identify it as belonging to a specific authorized class of vehicle operators.
One problem with this method of vehicle identification is that the positioning of the placard on the mirror post can interfere with a driver's line of sight during vehicle operation. This occurs because, in order for the placard to be clearly visible from the exterior of the vehicle, its body must hang down near the center of the vehicle's windshield. The placement of the placard in this position creates a blind spot in a driver's field of vision. This blind spot can be extremely dangerous to the safe operation of a vehicle as objects such as pedestrians and small vehicles can be hidden from the driver which creates especially dangerous conditions in right turn situations.
The most common way to deal with this problem is to remove the placard during vehicle operation. While the placard's removal is an effective way to resolve the problem of the blind spot, it creates additional problems of its own. The first of these is that an operator that is in a hurry very often forgets to properly position the placard prior to leaving his vehicle in a restricted parking spot. This can lead to unnecessary and expensive parking tickets. Additionally, the removal of the placard during vehicle operation can, and very often does, result in its loss. Again, this can lead to expensive and unnecessary parking tickets and the expense and aggravation of replacing the placard.
From the forgoing discussion it can be seen that it would be advantageous to provide a method of displaying parking identification placards which allows them to be easily recognized from the exterior of the vehicle. Additionally, it would be advantageous to provide such a method that would allow the placard to be easily stored out of sight during vehicle operation in a manner which allows it to be quickly and easily deployed when parking in restricted spots.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a method by which a vehicle identification placard can be displayed in a manner which allows it to be easily recognized from the exterior of a parked vehicle.
It is an additional objective of the present invention to provide such a method of displaying a placard which will allow for its easy identification from the exterior of the vehicle in a manner that will not interfere with the driver's field of vision during vehicle operation.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide such a method of displaying an identification placard which will allow for its quick and easy storage out of the driver's line of sight during vehicle operation.
It is a still further objective of the present invention to employ such a method of displaying a placard which provides a means of storage that ensures it will always be in a place that it can easily be retrieved and displayed in a restricted parking situation.
These objectives are accomplished by the use of a placard mount that can be attached to the flat inner surface of a driver's side vehicle sun visor. The placard mount is equipped with a base which is attached to the visor, such as by the use of a plurality of hook and loop strips (i.e. Velcro™ or other similar attachment device or devices).
A retaining body is pivotally mounted to the base and provides the point at which a placard is attached to the present invention by the use of a pair of attachment clips that grasp and hold the placard within the retaining body. The pivotal mounting of the placard retainer to the base is preferably accomplished by the use of a screw and collar attachment assembly which allows the retainer to rotate independently with reference to the position of the base. Therefore, the pivotal nature of the attachment of the retaining body to the base allows the placard to be moved from a visible to a non-visible position simply by rotating the retaining body around the pivotal mount.
Thus, when a vehicle operator wishes to employ the present invention to display his vehicle's status as being eligible to park in certain restricted parking spaces, he simply lowers the driver's side sun visor which contains the invention attached to its back side. Once the visor is in the proper position, he then rotates the placard from its stored horizontal position downward to its vertical display position. In this position the placard is clearly visible from the exterior which conveys to the appropriate individuals that the vehicle is properly parked in the restricted space.
Conversely, when the vehicle operator leaves the restricted parking space, he only has to rotate the placard back to its stored horizontal position on the back of the driver's side sun visor and the visor can then be rotated up out of the way or left down to perform its intended function. In this stored position, the placard is kept neatly out of the way and clear of the driver's field of vision. Additionally, the present invention keeps the placard in a place that it is always easily located and accessible, especially for the handicapped.
For a better understanding of the present invention reference should be made to the drawings and the description in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the present invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 937264 (1909-10-01), Philbrick
patent: 2025151 (1935-12-01), Brillinger
patent: 2610604 (1952-09-01), Edwards
patent: 5230174 (1993-07-01), Reed
patent: 6163997 (2000-12-01), Deralas
Davis Cassandra H.
Heisler & Associates
LandOfFree
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