Signals and indicators – Flags and flagstaffs
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-21
2003-09-23
Fulton, Christopher W. (Department: 2859)
Signals and indicators
Flags and flagstaffs
C040S218000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06622649
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to the field of flags and other display devices; more particularly, it relates to a wind accessory for a tethered display device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Flags and display banners of some type have probably flown, unchanged, for over 5000 years. The conventional flag and banner design has two serious flaws: at low wind velocities, the flag or banner hangs limp or flutters listlessly around its pole; at higher wind velocities, the flag pops and snaps disagreeably, and frays and tatters the end of the flag, promoting relatively short useful life.
So far as I am aware, no one has ever adequately addressed either of these two problems. While there exist a variety of flag hanging apparati, and numerous approaches to dealing with flag drape and tangle problems, there has been no solution proposed for the problems identified above.
What is needed is an improved flag or banner device that, when tethered to an appropriate pole or other anchor, catches or makes use of low velocity wind to fly the device out fully and majestically, while it also stands up to higher velocity winds without snapping or fraying. For low wind conditions, or conditions where there is no natural wind, what is also needed is an air delivery system that automatically directs air from a supplemental wind generator to the banner or tethered display device until a sufficiently strong natural wind blows again.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved flag or display banner device that, when tethered to an appropriate pole or other anchor, catches or makes use of low velocity wind to fly the device out fully and majestically.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an air delivery system that, when connected between the flag pole and the banner, directs a generated wind to the banner to fly the device out fully and majestically in an absence or insufficiency of natural wind.
It is another object of the invention to provide an automatic means of switching between a “natural” wind when available and a generated wind when “natural” wind is not available, or not sufficient to “fly” the device.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved flag or display banner device that, when tethered to an appropriate pole or other anchor, flies in higher velocity winds without snapping or appreciable fraying.
It is another object of the invention to provide a tethered display device, such as a flag or banner, that makes use of a tubular channel integral to the device and made of vertical panels and top and bottom seams that catches and directs low velocity wind to fly the device.
It is another object of the invention to provide a tethered display device, such as a flag or banner, that makes use of a relatively soft airfoil in a tubular channel, both integral to the device that provides lift to the device so that it flies in low winds.
It is yet another object of the invention to meet any or all of the needs summarized above.
These and such other objects of the invention as will become evident from the disclosure below are met by the invention disclosed herein.
The invention addresses and provides such a system. The invention represents the first tethered flag or display device that will fly in very low winds, or, with optional windpole, no wind at all.
Application of the invention to the needs expressed above is especially beneficial in that the invention is the only system that effectively provides both low wind flyability and high wind stability.
The invention provides in one embodiment a tethered display device with at least two vertical panels connected at a top seam and a bottom seam. The panels are preferably cloth or other soft and flexible material. The panels and seams define at least one tubular channel through which air can flow. The two panels can simply be sewn at top and bottom edges to create the channel, or optionally the panels can be connected, such as by sewing, by a top panel and a bottom panel of some suitable width. Because the vertical panels, and top and bottom panels if any, are soft, the device can still “flutter” in a breeze. Preferred devices will take care that they do not therefore become “engorged” with wind (like a conventional windsock), and so eliminate or undermine their ability to so flutter. One way to avoid such engorgement is to fashion the devices without appreciable taper, or other like end attenuation, so as not to “trap” the wind.
In preferred embodiments there are multiple channels in each device. Preferred embodiments will also have at least one soft airfoil horizontally disposed between, and connected to, the two vertical panels. In the simplest airfoil embodiment, the airfoil defines two tubular channels, the one above the airfoil and the one below it; in each airfoil embodiment, an airfoil so defines in part at least one of the tubular channels.
One embodiment has a soft wing-like airfoil that is curved so that a mid portion of the airfoil is closer to the top of the device than are the end portions of the airfoil. A flow of air across and beneath the airfoil thus produces an aerodynamic lift on the airfoil.
In some embodiments there are multiple airfoils. The multiple airfoils can take the form of a single layer of multiple horizontal airfoils, arrayed more or less in “waves” from opening to outlet of the device. In other embodiments, a plurality of horizontally disposed airfoils may be vertically stacked (like a biplane's wings) with respect to each other.
In some embodiments, an airfoil is otherwise unsupported and is air filled (like a sail), and may optionally and advantageously have a permanent ‘attack angle’ ‘sewn in’ or otherwise fixed. In other embodiments, there are airfoil fasteners at one or both edges of the airfoil, and the fasteners connect the airfoil to the vertical panels so that the airfoil shape is determined by its fasteners, regardless of whether the foil is ‘filled’ or not. This fixation and connection helps spread out the lift imparted to the device and prevents an ‘end lift only’ phenomenon, which can cause undue bending of the foil itself and so cause collapse of the foil and loss of lift.
The airfoil may be directly fastened to the vertical panels such as by sewing or stitching, or by use of grommets or the like, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. Alternatively, the airfoil may be indirectly fastened so that the airfoil has at least one edge connected to a vertical panel by a plurality of strings, threads, or other soft connectors as will occur to those skilled in the art, each string having differential lengths cut in advance to suit the filled shape of the foil.
Optionally, the vertical panels themselves are cut with a fullness that allows them to serve as foils themselves so as to provide a ‘lift’ effect normal to the panels, thus to spread the panels and to laterally tension the horizontally disposed airfoils. This may be necessary in specialty higher wind applications, where high velocities through the channels tend to so reduce channel internal pressure, so that the panels might otherwise tend to collapse inwardly on themselves and the airfoil(s). In such embodiments, the horizontal airfoils may be cut so they are full (filled) only when the vertical panels are full (filled).
In such specialty applications, lateral stiffeners may alternatively be employed to hold the vertical panels apart to prevent vertical panel inward collapse at higher internal air velocities.
The display invention may advantageously and optionally be employed in combinations with some kind of artificially enhanced windsource, such as a funneling device for directing ambient wind into or onto the display device. Optionally, the windsource may be artificially induced, such as by the windpole invention described herein.
The invention also provides a windpole comprising a vertical hollow pole, at least one duct, and at least one port. This windpole may be used as a tether for the display device of the invention and in combination with it. I
Dwyer Patrick M.
Electronic Programming and Design, Inc.
Fulton Christopher W.
Smith R. Alexander
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