WO2002019300A2

WO2002019300A2 - Identification tag

Info

Publication number: WO2002019300A2
Application number: PCT/AU2001/001100
Authority: WO
Inventors: Maria-Eniko Brizuela
Original assignee: Brizuela Maria Eniko
Priority date: 2000-09-01
Filing date: 2001-08-31
Publication date: 2002-03-07
Also published as: WO2002019300A3; NZ525060A

Abstract

An identification tag formed from sheet like material in two areas (1 and 2) divided by a fold line (3). Information relating to the user of the tag is contained in zones (6) located within the tag when folded while the outside of the folded tag has a zone adapted to display information such as a logo or trademark. The folded tag has aligned apertures (9 and 10) engageable with an article of clothing and the tag is typically configured to be engaged with a shoe lace such that the logo is displayed outwardly on the shoe.

Description

"IDENTIFICATION TAG" TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to an identification tag and has been devised particularly, though not solely, for providing identification and contact details of young children. BACKGROUND ART

There are many occasions where it is desirable to be able to readily provide contact details for young children, secured to the child in such a manner that should the child become, lost or separated from it's carer, a responsible third party is readily able to identify the child and make contact with the carer or other suitable person. In the past various devices have been proposed to enable the identification of children in this manner, such as sewing embroidered labels into clothing, tying or pinning luggage labels to the clothing of a child, writing telephone numbers on the back of a child's hand, or attaching an identification bracelet or similar device around the wrist or ankle of a child. Such devices are either difficult to implement or have only limited reliability, as labels easily become detached, written numbers rubbed off, and identification bracelets and similar devices removed by the child as they form a source of irritation or can even be regarded as toys to be "swapped". Furthermore, the presence of sewn-in labels is not always readily apparent.

There are also many other instances where it is desirable to provide reliable identification details on other persons such as the elderly or infirm e.g. details relating to ailments affecting memory such as Alzheimer's disease, and medical conditions requiring quick identification such as a diabetes, asthma, allergies, blood disorders etc.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention therefore provides an identification tag adapted to provide information relating to a user of the tag, said tag including a first zone adapted to contain display information, a second zone adapted to contain the information relating to the user, and a plurality of apertures adapted to be engaged with an article of clothing worn by the user.

In one form of the invention, the tag is formed from sheet like material, adapted to be folded so as to contain the second zone within mutually facing portions of the tag and present the display information on the exterior of the folded tag, the apertures comprising two pairs of apertures, each said pair being aligned when the label is folded and engageable with the article of clothing by threading a portion of the article of clothing through the aligned apertures. Preferably, the tag is elongate when folded, and the aligned pairs of apertures are located toward either end of the elongate tag, the tag being sized and the apertures positioned to facilitate engagement with a shoe lace by threading the shoe lace through the aligned pairs of apertures between oppositely located eyelets on a shoe, thereby presenting the first zone of the tag outwardly across the lace up zone of the shoe. In one form of the invention the apertures are elongate and sized to be engaged with a belt or strap.

In an alternative form of the invention the tag is formed from two moulded halves hingedly connected so as to contain the second zone within mutually facing portions of the tag when folded together and present the display information to the exterior of at least one of the halves.

Preferably the tag is elongate in configuration and the apertures are provided by loops protruding from either end of the elongate tag.

Preferably at least one end of each loop is disengageable from the tag when the halves are hinged apart, allowing each loop to be hooked over the article of clothing and reengaged with the tag. Preferably at least one end of each loop is provided with an eyelet engageable over a post moulded within one of the halves, the posts and eyelets being configured so as to be held securely engaged with each other when the two moulded halves are hinged together. Typically the information relating to the user is provided in any one or more of the forms selected from the group comprising; pre-printed indicia, embossed indicia, zones configured to receive handwriting, microchips, fingerprint panels, passive radio frequency ID tags, active radio frequency ID tags, magnetic strips and bar codes. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Notwithstanding any other forms that may fall within its scope, one preferred form of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a frontal view of an identification tag according to the invention when folded with the display information facing outward; Fig. 2 is a view of the tag shown in Fig 1 when unfolded to display the identification details;

Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig 1 showing an alternative form of the invention suitable for engagement with an article clothing having a strap.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an alternative form of ID tag according to the invention in an open and exploded position.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the tag shown in Fig. 4 in the closed position. Fig. 6 is a similar view to Fig. 5 showing an alternative shape of the tag.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION In the preferred form of the invention, an identification tag is provided which is readily engageable with a shoe lace on a shoe of the wearer, although it will be appreciated that the invention can be applied to similar tags of other configurations, for engagement by other articles of clothing which are adapted to be threaded through apertures provided in the tag.

The tag may be formed from any suitable sheet like material, such as plasticised cardboard or thin metal, but is preferably formed from a suitable thin sheet plastics material which is resiliently deformable and also able to be folded and written on.

The sheet plastics material is configured as shown in Fig 2 into two areas 1 and 2 separated by a fold line 3. The areas 1 and 2 are preferably symmetrical about the fold line 3 so that they lie neatly on top of one another when folded together on the fold line. The portions of the tag which are exposed to the outside when the tag is folded on fold line 3 as shown in Fig 1 make up a first zone 4 adapted to contain display information such as a trade mark or other indicia. The portions of the tag which become mutually facing when the label is folded on fold line 3 form a second zone or zones 6 adapted to contain identification details. The identification details, in the case of an identification tag for a young child, may typically comprise the child's name, and the contact telephone number and/or address of the child's carer. Where thought desirable, the identification details could also include information relating to any medical conditions that are critical to the child's well-being or survival, and can be used to indicate a willingness to participate in organ donation.

The identification details may be pre-printed or embossed in place, or the tag may be designed with the zones 6 provided in a suitable configuration to allow handwriting in pen or pencil.

When the tag is intended for use with an adult, and particularly with an elderly or infirm person, details relating to ailments affecting memory and medical conditions requiring quick identification such as diabetes, asthma, allergies, blood disorders etc. may be incorporated in the second zone 6.

The tag is further provided with a plurality of apertures 7 adapted to be engaged with an article of clothing worn by the user. The tag may be so engaged by threading the article of clothing through sequential apertures in the tag which may be adopted for fastening to any suitable elongate item of clothing, or part of an item of clothing, such as a belt, lace up tie, or strap. Fig. 3 shows an alternative shape of tag with elongate apertures 8 particularly adapted to be engaged with a belt or strap.

In the preferred form of the invention however, the apertures are substantially circular in shape as shown in Figures 1 and 2 and comprise two pairs of apertures 9 and 10, each pair being aligned when the tag is folded to the configuration shown in Fig 1. The aligned apertures are then engaged with the article of clothing as previously described.

In one form of the invention, particularly suitable for the identification of young children, the tag is sized and shaped as shown in Figures 1 and 2 to be readily engageable with a shoe lace by threading the shoe lace through the aligned pairs of apertures 7 between oppositely located eyelets (not shown) on a shoe. When so engaged, the first zone 4 of the tag faces outwardly across the lace up zone of the shoe so that the trade mark or other indicia is clearly presented across the face of the shoe. The tag is formed so as to be elongate when folded as shown in Fig 1 and may be provided with off set end portions 11 designed to enable the tag to sit neatly on top of the lace up portion of the shoe when the shoe is securely laced in place on the wearer.

For a baby or toddler, the tag is typically 2 to 2.5 cm in length, and for an older child or adult approximately 2.5 to 4 cm in length. The width of the tag is typically 1 to 1.5 cm when closed. In this manner, an identification tag is provided which is able to be easily recognised by the trade mark or other indicia on the outside or first zone of the tag while holding information in a secure and protected position within the fold of the tag in the second zone 6. When a child or other person wearing the tag is lost, the tag may be readily loosened or removed from the clothing by a responsible person, unfolded about fold line 3 and the identification details used to track the carer or to provide relevant information relating to the medical condition of the wearer.

The embodiment shown in Figure 3 is also suitable for use on shoes which are fastened together by a strap secured either by a buckle or by a velcro (TM) type fastener.

In an alternative form of the invention as shown in Figures 4 and 5 the tag may be provided in the form of a case 12 typically injection moulded from a relatively hard plastics material. The case comprises a body portion 13 and a lid portion 14 integrally moulded and connected by a "living" hinge 15 which is a relatively thin portion of plastics material between the body 13 and the lid 14.

The lid may be hinged shut over the body to the closed configuration shown in Figure 5 by engaging a resilient integrally moulded snap shut catch 16 with a corresponding ledge 17 moulded into the body portion.

The inside of the body portion 13 and the lid portion 14 is typically flat providing the second zones 6 in a similar manner to the embodiment shown in Figures 1, 2 or 3, adapted to contain identification details.

The external face of the lid portion 14 similarly incorporates the first zone 4 adapted to contain display information such as a trade mark or other indicia.

The embodiment shown in Figures 4 and 5 is adapted to be attached to an article of clothing, and in particular to the shoe lace of the wearer by the use of loops 17 which are also typically moulded from a suitable plastics material. Although the loops may be moulded integrally with the body and lid portions 13 and 14, in the preferred form of the invention they are provided separately as can be clearly seen in Figure 4 and are formed with end eyelets 18 which engage over correspondingly located pegs 19 in the body portion 13. When so engaged, the loops 17 protrude outwardly through the edges of the body portion located in suitably aligned grooves 20.

The configuration shown in Figures 4 and 5 has the advantage over the embodiments shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 in that the identification tag can be engaged with an article of clothing via an element on that article which is already fastened in place. For example, to engage the identification tag with a shoe lace which is already tied up, the open tag in the configuration shown in Figure 4 may be placed adjacent the shoe lace, the loops 17 hooked under a portion of the shoe lace at either end of the label, and the eyelets 18 pushed into place over the corresponding pegs 19. The lid portion 14 may then be closed engaging the catch 16 with the ledge 17, not only closing the identification tag, but causing the eyelets 18 to be locked in place on the pegs 19 as the underside of the lid portion contacts the top of the pegs.

In a similar manner, the identification tag can be removed from the article of clothing without undoing the shoe lace and unthreading the lace from the tag as is necessary with the apertures 7or 8 shown in the embodiments of Figures 1 and 3. An alternative configuration of the tag shown in Figures 4 and 5 is shown in

Figure 6, where the overall methodology and operation of the tag is the same, but the shape and loops are more rounded as seen at 21. This configuration may be more suitable for use with different types of clothing.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 is also particularly suitable to be used with more sophisticated forms of identification or information, as the enclosed case formed between the lid 14 and the body 13 can be used to contain devices such as a microchip, fingerprint panel, or other technical devices such as passive or active tag tracing devices. (Devices of this type include passive radio frequency ID tags, and active (i.e. powered) radio frequency ID tags.) When devices of this nature are used, it may be possible to locate a lost child or other person in an area such as a concourse or arena by irradiating the area with radio waves of a suitable frequency designed to detect and identify the location of the passive tag or other device contained within the identification label.

Other forms of identification device may be incorporated either in the embodiment shown in Figures 4 to 6, or in the embodiment of Figures 1 to 3, such as magnetic strips, bar codes, and other forms of data storage.

Claims

CLAIMS:-

1. An identification tag adapted to provide information relating to a user of the tag, said tag including a first zone adapted to contain display information, a second zone adapted to contain the information relating to the user, and a plurality of apertures adapted to be engaged with an article of clothing worn by the user.

2. An identification tag as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tag is formed from sheet like material, adapted to be folded so as to contain the second zone within mutually facing portions of the tag and present the display information on the exterior of the folded tag.

3. An identification tag as claimed in either claim 1 or 2 wherein the apertures are formed from two pairs of apertures, each said pair being aligned when the tag is folded and engageable with the article of clothing by threading a portion of the article of clothing through the aligned apertures.

4. An identification tag as claimed in claim 3 wherein the tag is elongate when folded, and wherein the aligned pairs of apertures are located toward either end of the elongate tag, the tag being sized and the apertures positioned to facilitate engagement with a shoe lace by threading the shoe lace through the aligned pairs of apertures between oppositely located eyelets on a shoe, thereby presenting the first zone of the label outwardly across the lace up zone of the shoe.

5. An identification tag as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the apertures are elongate and sized to be engaged with a belt or strap.

6. An identification tag as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tag is formed from two moulded halves hingedly connected so as to contain the second zone within mutually facing portions of the tag when folded together and present the display information to the exterior of at least one of the halves.

7. An identification tag as claimed in claim 6 wherein the tag is elongate in configuration and the apertures are provided by loops protruding from either end of the elongate tag.

8. An identification tag as claimed in claim 7 wherein at least one end of each loop is disengageable from the tag when the halves are hinged apart, allowing each loop to be hooked over the article of clothing and reengaged with the tag.

9. An identification tag as claimed in claim 8 wherein at least one end of each loop is provided with an eyelet engageable over a post moulded within one of the halves, the posts and eyelets being configured so as to be held securely engaged with each other when the two moulded halves are hinged together.

10. An identification tag as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the information relating to the user is provided in any one or more of the forms selected from the group comprising; pre-printed indicia, embossed indicia, zones configured to receive handwriting, microchips, fingerprint panels, passive radio frequency ID tags, active radio frequency ID tags, magnetic strips and bar codes.