AU600387B2 - Vehicle number plate holder - Google Patents

Description

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA 60 0 Patents Act 1952-1969 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE: Class Ir Application Number Lodged Complete Application No. Specification Lodged Published Priority: Related art: 7 it, Class Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor: TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT JAMES TANNAHILL CAIN 6 Vogkop Stroot, Noordhouwol, Krugersdorp, Transvaal, Republic of South Africa JAMES TANNAHILL CAIN Address for Service: OLL t'1 CN PR',pnt Attorryn, i I. V4 Complete Specification for the Invention entitled: VEHICLE NUMBER PLATE HOLDER The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing It known to me: FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a holder which in use is fixed to a motor vehicle and to wlich a number plate is releasibly held.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Vehicle number plates generally have holes at their corners through which the plates are held to a vehicle by means of bolts or other suitable fasteners. Not only are the bolt holes unsightly but any misalignment of the plate holes or the mounting holes in the vehicle result in a skewed plate which detracts from the appearance uf the vehicle. Additionally, it is generally not possible to vary the location of the plate in a vertical direction on o' the vehicle while often such an adjustment would be aesthetically desirable.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is the object of this invention to provide a motor vehicle number plate holder which will overcome the above problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION J A motor vehicle number plate holder according to the invention includes a rectangular backing member which is adapted for attachment to a motor vehicle, a removable frame member which is made from a resilient plastics material and which is dimensioned to surround the periphery of a number plate located on the backing member, a framnu nmmber including at each corner an inwardly directed formation which in use bears on the front face of the plate and at least one locking formation which, by I uuu~-ut resilient deformation, is engageable with the backing member to trap the number plate between the backing and frame members.

Further according to the invention the number plate holder backing member includes a surface on which the plate is supported in use and recessed zones in the surface with the bases of at least some of the recessed zones including slots which are elongated in the horizontal direction of the holder in use and through which fasteners may be passed for securing the holder to a motor vehicle.

Still furtear according to the invention the recessed zones and their slots are arrarngd on the backing member in parallel rows which are spaced froni earch other in the vertical direction of the holder in use.

In one form of the invrention the holder backing membor includes an upstanding peripheral rim which surrounds the periphery of the plate and pruject t above the outer surface of the plate in use with each formatin' on the frame member which bears on the plate pasiirln over the rim and being downwardly directed from the rim ro that in use it bears under resilient pressure on the face of the plate and the or each Jocking member on the frame passing, by resilient deformation of the frame member rim, over the opposite edge of the rim to lock the frame and backing m-smbers together.

Conveniently the frame member formations which bear on the plate are lugs which carry formations which are directed towards and bear on the face of the plate in use.

L U~ L~ -4- BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS An embodiment of the invention is now described by way of example only with reference to the drawings in which: FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the number plate holder of the invention, FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectionpr side elevation across one corner of the number plate holder of Figure 1 illustrating the method of location of a plate in the holder, and FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectioned side elevation across the corner of the frame member of the number plate holder of Figure 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The number plate holder 10 of the invention is shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings to consist of a backing member 12 and a frame member 14.

The backing member is made from a rigid plastics material and includes an upstanding peripheral rim 16 and a plurality of recesses 18 which are arranged in a parallel spaced relationship over the face of the backing member.

Each of the 'recesses 18 carries an elongated slot 20 in its base.

The frame member 14 consists of a vertical frame 22 which closely surrounds the rim 16 of the backing member, four inwardly directed corner lugs 24 and two further lugs 26 which are spaced over its bottom edge. Each of the lugs carries a downwardly dependent nose 28 with the portion of the lug to which the nose is connected being downwardly dipped about what in effect in use is a hinge point 30 so that the tip of the nose when the frame 22 is not engaged with the backing member 12 is below the face of the backing member on which a number plate 33 rests in use.

The underside of the frame 22 carries a plurality of inwardly directed catch formations 32 which are spaced about the periphery of the frame member. The upper edge of the frame member 22 carries a decorative border 34 which is grooved and to which the lugs 24 are attached.

As is mentioned in the preamble to this specification the number plates 33 which are to be trapped in the holder generally include holes 36 at the corners with the noses 28 of the lugs 24 being positioned on their lugs to engage the edges of the holes as is seen in Figure 2.

In use, the number plate holder of the invention is attached to the vehicle which is to carry it by means of bolts or self tapping screws which are passed through the slots 20 in the recesses 18 to be engaged in holes in the vehicle body or bumper facias which are attached to the vehicle. Conveniently, the holes are drilled into the vehicle with pairs of vertically aligned holes being spaced by the distance separating the second recesses 18 from the top and the bottom of the base member so that the plate may be upwardly and downwardly adjusted on the vehicle merely by moving appropriate slots 20 into register with the pre-drilled holes in the vehicle body.

With the backing member 12 fixed to the vehicle the number plate 32 is placed on the face of the backing member 12 within the rim 16. The frame 22 is now pressed downwardly onto the rim 16 of the backing member with the caLches 32 causing the sides of the rim to flex resiliently outwardly over the outward surface of the rim until they clip under the rim, as shown in Figure 2, to lock the frame firmly to the backing member 12. The noses 28 of the lugs 24 and 26 -6are forced upwardly from the Figure 3 to the Figure 2 position in which the lugs are flush with the upper surface of the frame 22 to cause the noses to bear on the edges of the holes 36 under the bias of the material from which the frame 22 is made to press the plate 32 firmly onto the backing member and hold it in position against rattling and displacement.

To release the frame 22 from the backing member the outer under edges of the frame 22 are pulled outwardly until the catches 32 clear the outer surface of the backing member rim 16 and the frame 14 is then merely lifted from the backing member to release the plate 33.

Claims (4)

1. A motor vehicle number plate holder including a rectangular backing member which is adapted for attachment to a motor vehicle, a removable frame member which is made from a resilient plastics material and which is dimensioned to surround the periphery of a number plate located on the backing member, the frame member including at each corner an inwardly directed formation which in use bears on the front face of the plate and at least one lacking formation which by resilient deformation is engageable w itL the backinj member to trap the nriwber plate betwe the backing arid frame membhers.

2. A number plate holder as claimed in claim 1 in which the backing member includes a surface en which the plate is supported in use and recesed riunes in the suratce with the bases of at leant ,ome tof thie recessed nries; including slots which are elongated in the hor ii rital directil.n of the holder in use and thireugh whih fastener may hbe passed for securing the holder to a mtor vehicle.

3, A number plate holder as claimed in claLrni in Jhich the recessed zones and their slnts are arranged on the backing member in parallel rows which arfe spaced from each other in the vertical direction of the holder in uce,

4. At number plate holder as claimed in any one of Lhe upstndny peiheral frm [h imh suro tutnd the put heryo ther plaeiaint precsr aone the oaer of eat wth th pleinueteahformation o the frame member riwhirchoit domo berim toan the fte asin over heIn rmem and toJ he r. down whrdlh dcarry Fr t or h rim so hiif) UP te bar s~at uo~er on i h etc of he pn lte face ti f th! W wt h drecie h rn emberr tOr) th rm ta;ii by It'it ,i if f deformtoo thie f4t rary o mber 1988PI [)0-iPe~l' I the~ rimAIXI toCAINefrm n akiqmmo,; oltle' 51 numbe platehol Be hi LAIPti intcai Att ryhi, thoFrmem~lbe frmt~iifLWCJhoar &n C o p~tti ca r (ii~ i rW I'1O O d rk c eit wid n be r o h a'O O tlt1Ja '1Jti'