GB2116141A

GB2116141A - Vehicle Licence Holder

Info

Publication number: GB2116141A
Application number: GB08200148A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Edward Starmer
Original assignee: METRO PRODUCTS
Current assignee: METRO PRODUCTS
Priority date: 1982-01-05
Filing date: 1982-01-05
Publication date: 1983-09-21
Also published as: GB2116141B

Abstract

A vehicle licence holder (1) is disclosed associated with means such as an adhesive pad or gasket (6) whereby the holder can be secured to a vehicle windscreen, the holder having a window (3) through which the licence can be read and including means such as a rear panel (2) which can be removed or opened to permit removal and replacement of the licence without removing the holder (1) from the windscreen. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Vehicle licence holder This invention relates to a vehicle licence holder.

Conventionally, vehicle licences, which are required by law to be displayed for inspection from outside the vehicie, are held against the inside of a vehicle window pane, usually the windscreen, by a piece of plastics material which is placed over the rear of the licence and adheres to the pane by its projecting margin.

The present invention provides a vehicle licence holder into which a vehicle licence holder can be inserted and which has a front opening or window through which the inserted licence can be read; the holder having or being associated with means for adhering it to a vehicle windscreen and being formed so that the licence can be removed from the holder and replaced without detaching the holder from the screen. Such a holder can of course be adhered to a pane other than a windscreen if so desired.

Because the holder can remain permanently on a windscreen the nuisance of adhesion deterioration, which occurs with repeated use of the customary adherent backing panels, is avoided.

Because the holder does not have to be periodically removed from the screen the way is open to employ a strong-acting adhesive material for securing the holder in position rather than relying on vacuum adhesion. Accordingly, in preferred embodiments of the invention the holder includes at least one adhesively coated or adhesively charged portion or bonding member for use in adhering the holder to a windscreen. Any said adhesively coated or adhesively charged bonding member may be fitted to the holder ab initio ready for marketing or a said member may be supplied as a separate component for fitting by the user.

The holder is preferably basically of substantially rigid construction. It is particularly suitable for it to consist wholly or mainly of one or more plastic mouldings.

For adhering the holder to a windscreen it is preferred to provide at least one bonding member bearing pressure-sensitive adhesive covered by a protective layer which can be easily peeled away immediately prior to installing the holder on a windscreen. If it is required to market the holder together with (an) unattached bonding member(s) it is very suitable for such member(s) to be formed of a so-called double-sided pressure-sensitive adhe sive material so that such member(s) can be easily adhesively secured to the holder.

The holder may for example be provided with a bonding member which is or can be fitted to the front of the holder so as to surround the licence display opening or window. Such member may be of inherently generally annular form or it may comprise a strip or ribbon which has or can be laid around said window or opening.

The holder preferably comprises one or more locating grooves or recesses in which a bonding member is or can be fitted.

It is an advantage to shape the holder with a convexly curved seating face for a bonding member surrounding the licence display opening or window so that less deformation of the bonding member is required for bringing its entire outer face into contact with the concave interior face of the windscreen.

An optional but potentially very important feature of the invention resides in the use of at least one bonding member comprising adhesively coated elastically compressible material e.g. a foamed or cellulated material. The advantage of using such a material is that because of its compressibility it can be pressed into conformity with a surface having a geometry different from its own without storing in the material strong elastic recovery forces tending to break the adhesive bond.

A specific recommended material for a said bonding member or members is closed cell polyurethane foam bearing UV-stabilized acrylic adhesive.

The holder may comprise any suitable means for retaining a licence. For example the retaining means may comprise a spring clip or a relatively stiff backing panel which is pushfitted into a licence-receiving rebate in the rear of the holder. Alternatively or in addition the holder may comprise front and rear components formed with inter-engaging fastening portions, the rear component being removable or openable to give access to the interior of the holder. In a preferred embodiment, the holder comprises a front component with means for locating a licence disc so that the licence is readable through a front opening or window of that component, and a rear component which makes sliding engagement with the component so that the holder can be opened by linear sliding motion of the rear component.An alternative form of fastening which can be used is a twist lock enabling the rear component to be released by twisting motion of that component relative to the front one.

An embodiment of the invention, selected by way of example, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a front perspective view of the licence holder, its main component parts being shown separated; Figure 2 is a fragmentary rear perspective view of one of those components and Figure 3 Is a plan view of the holder in position on a windscreen.

The holder comprises a front component 1 and a rear component 2, each being a sub stantially rigid plastics moulding. In the front component 1 there is a central opening 3.

The front of the component 1 has a recess surrounding an inner annular rib 4 which borders that opening. In this recess there is fitted a bonding member 5 forming a kind of gasket. The thickness of this member is such that it stands slightly proud of the front surfaces of the moulded component. The bonding member comprises a closed cell polyurethane foam pad 6 coated on both faces with pressure-sensitive acrylic adhesive. The pad is secured by its adhesively-coated rear face to the bottom surface 7 of the recess into which the pad is fitted. The top adhesively coated face of the pad is covered by a protective skin 8 shown partly broken away, which the purchaser of the holder can easily peel away preparatory to securing the holder to a windscreen. At the rear of the front component (see Fig. 2) there is a rebate 9 surrounding the central opening 3.This rebate serves to receive the margin of a standard venicle licence disc. The licence is thereby held located for being read through the central opening. It is preferred to provide a relatively stiff transparent plastics discs (not shown) for inserting into the rebate 9, in front of the licence disc so that it cannot bulge through the central opening.

The rear component 2 comprises a rectangular rear panel 10 with a peripheral rim 11 extending along three of its edges. At opposed sides of the component there are flanges 12, 1 3 projecting inwardly from the rim. The rear component is slidable along the front component into a position in which the panel 10 covers the rear of the front component and therefore encloses the licence disc.

In this sliding motion the flanges 12, 1 3 engage and travel along grooves such as 14 extending along opposed edges of the front component. The components are therefore held against separation except by reverse sliding motion.

Although not apparent from Figs. 1 and 2, the component 1 is shaped so that in planes normal to its rear face and normal to the direction of its side grooves 14, the front of the component is slightly convex as appears from Fig. 3. The bottom of the recess in which the bending member 5 is fitted has a similar convexity. Because of this convexity less deformation of the bonding member is required for conforming it to the concave profile of the inside face of a windscreen 1 5.

A disc, ring or other means can be provided if desired for insertion in the rebate 9 behind the licence disc.

In an alternative form of holder (not shown) according to the invention, it comprises a licence-holding component having two flexible tabs projecting from its periphery, the tabs having bonding pads or bonding tapes thereon for adhering to a windscreen. Such com- ponent can have a licence locating rebate in its rear side, and the holder can include a rear cover component which fastens to the licenceholding component in any suitable manner.

Claims

1. A vehicle licence holder into which a vehicle licence can be inserted and which has a front opening or window through which the inserted licence can be read; the holder having or being associated with means for adhering it to a vehicle windscreen and being formed so that the licence can be removed from the holder and replaced without detaching the holder from the screen.

2. A holder according to claim 1, and including at least one adhesively coated or adhesively charged portion or bonding member for use in adhering the holder to a windscreen.

3. A holder according to claim 2, wherein there is at least one said bonding member bearing pressure-sensitive adhesive covered by a protective layer which can be easily peeled away prior to installing the holder on a windscreen.

4. A holder according to claim 2 or 3, and having a bonding member which is or can be fitted to the front of the holder so as to surround the licence display opening or window.

5. A holder according to any preceding claim and comprising a licence holder component with a convexly curved seating face for a bonding member surrounding the licence display opening or window, said bonding member being of uniform thickness and standing proud of such said component.

6. A holder according to any preceding claim, and including at least one bonding member comprising adhesively coated elastically compressible material.

7. A holder according to claim 6 wherein said elastically compressible material is foamed or cellulated.

8. A holder according to any preceding claim, and comprising front and rear components formed with inter-engaging fastening portions, the rear component being removable or openable to give access to the interior of the holder.

9. A holder according to claim 8, wherein there is a front component with means for locating a licence disc so that the licence is readable through a front opening or window of that component, and a rear component which engages the front component so that the holder can be opened by linear sliding motion of the rear component.

10. A vehicle licence holder substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.