GB2191988A

GB2191988A - Document mounting means

Info

Publication number: GB2191988A
Application number: GB08615413A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christopher Paul
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-06-24
Filing date: 1986-06-24
Publication date: 1987-12-31
Anticipated expiration: 2006-06-24
Also published as: GB8615413D0; GB2191988B

Abstract

A document holder (10) for mounting for example a vehicle tax disc (22) or licence on the windscreen (16) of a vehicle comprises a thin, flexible, transparent mounting member (12) having (a) one side (14) thereof (or at least a peripheral part thereof) capable of releasably adhering to the smooth surface of a windscreen (16) (when pressed into contact therewith) in such manner that the mounting member (12) may be subsequently removed without damaging the windscreen surface and (b) at least a central part of the other side (18) of the mounting member capable of adhering permanently to a said tax disc (22) (when pressed into contact therewith) in such manner that the tax disc (22) cannot be removed subsequently from the mounting member (12) without damaging the tax disc (22) so as to indicate tampering, the vehicle and other data disposed on the face (24) of the tax disc (22) being visible outside the vehicle through the transparent mounting member (12), the transparent adhesive (20) and the windscreen (16). In a modification (Figure 4), the mounting member (28) is rigid or semi-rigid and is releasably adhered to the windscreen (34) by an annulus (32) of a releasable adherent material or adhesive. The holder may include a permanently adhered cover 40. The invention may also be applied to mounting a photo, picture, etc., on a door, cupboard, fridge, etc. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Document mounting means Technical field This invention relates to a means for mounting a document on a smooth-surfaced member in such mannerthatthe document can be readily removed subsequently without damaging the surface ofthat member; and more particularly to such a meansfor mounting a document on a smooth-surfaced, transparent member in such a manner that information on one side of the document can be readily perceivedthrnugh the transparent member.

Background art One example of such a documentcomprisesa motor vehicle licensing disc (commonly referred to as a 'tax disc'), which in the case of a closed vehicle is required to be displayed on the vehicle in such mannerthatthe data given on the tax disc can be readiiy read from outside the vehicle.

Conventionally, such a tax disc is secured within the vehicle, against unauthorised removal, on the front (or a side) windscreen by means of a holder which is usually self-adherentto the windscreen, and in which the tax disc is readily and removably received.

In some cases, the holder has to be released around at least a part of its periphery from the windscreen so as to permit removal of an expired tax disc and insertion of a replacement tax disc. In some such holders the tax disc is enclosed within a pouch comprising transparent front membrane which lies against the windscreen and a rear membrane which is usually of an opaque material and which is secured permanentlytothe periphery of the front membrane.

Such tax disc holders are intended to remain secured on the windscreen (at least for a number of years), the tax disc being replaced at least once a year on renewal ofthevehicle licence by paymentof the appropriate tax or fee.

Since vehicle licence discs are obtained only against the payment of a specified fee, they have monetary value. This has led to the unauthorised removal of such tax discs from unattended vehicles, and the unauthorised alteration ofthe data inscribed on the face of the tax disc, so as to representfalsely that a vehicle tax has been paid in respect of some other vehicle, and to the subsequent display ofthe altered tax disc on that other vehicle.

Such fraudulent activities represent a substantial loss of vehicle tax revenue to the vehicle licensing authorities, so that it is desirable that it should be made as difficult as possible for such activities to continue.

Disclosure ofthe invention According to the present invention, a document holder for removably mounting a document (e.g. a tax disc) on a transparent member (e.g. a windscreen) comprises a thin mounting member having (a) at least a part of one side thereof capable of releasably adhering to a smooth surface, when pressed into contact therewith, in such manner that the mounting member may be subsequently removed without damaging said smooth surface, and (b) at least a part of the other side thereof capable of permanently adhering to a said document, when pressed into contact therewith, in such mannerthat the document cannot be removed subsequentlyfromthe mounting memberwithout damaging the document.

Where it is required that said document is to be viewed through said mounting member (as in the case of a vehicle tax disc), said mounting member is transparent.

In one convenient embodiment of the present invention, said mounting member comprises a flexible plastics sheet material, which sheet material preferably has (as said one surface) a smooth surface which is self-adherent to a said smooth surface withoutthe interposition of an adhesive.

Alternatively, said mounting member may compriseasemi-rigidora rigid moulding of a plastics material.

The present invention also provides a kit of parts comprising a document mounting means according to the present invention, and a cover for sealing permanently over a said document when adherent to said mounting member.

The present invention also extends to a document mounting means according to the present invention, having a said document (e.g. a vehicle licence disc) permanently adherent to said other surface of said mounting member, with or without a said cover permanently enclosing said document.

Otherfeatures of the present invention will appear from a reading of the description thatfollows hereafter, and ofthe claims appended at the end of that description.

One vehicle tax disc holder according to the present invention, and various modifications thereof, all according to the present invention,will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

Briefdescription ofthe drawings Figure 1 shows a rear view of the holder, i.e. a view aswould be seen from the inside of a vehicle on which it is mounted; Figure2 shows a vertical cross sectional view taken on the diametral plane Il-Il of Figure 1, in which section the transverse dimensions of the constituent parts have been greatly exaggerated for the sake of clarity; Figure 3 shows a vertical cross sectional view similarto that ofthe Figure 2, but showing a vehicle tax disc permanently secured to the holder and the holder releasably secured on a vehicle windscreen; and Figure 4 shows a vertical cross sectional view similartothatofthe Figure 3, but showing a modified form of the tax disc holder of the Figures 1 to3.

Modes of carrying out the invention Referring now to the Figures 1 to 3, the vehicle licence or tax disc holder 10 there shown comprises a circular, transparent membrane 12 of a suitable, smooth-surfaced, flexible, plastics sheet material.

One surface 14 (the mounting surface) ofthe membrane is plain, smooth-textured and capable of becoming releasably adherentto a vehicle windscreen 16 when pressed firmly into contact therewith. The othersurface 18 (the document carrying surface) of the membrane carries on a predetermined, central, circular area thereof a uniform layer 20 of a transparent adhesive which is capable of adhering permanently (i.e.

non-releasably) to a vehicle tax disc 22 (or any other document of the same or smal ler size) when the latter is pressed firmly into contact therewith.

Thus, it is intended thatthetax disc issuing authority, aftercompletingthevehicle and other data on the face side 24 of the tax disc, should press the face side of the tax disc firmly into contactwith the layerofadhesive 20, soto causethetaxdisoto become permanently adherent to the transparent membrane 12 (by virtue of the adhesion ofthe adhesive layer 20 to both the transparent membrane 12 and the tax disc 22), and so that the data on the face side ofthe tax disc is clearly visible and readable through the adhesive layer 20 and the transparent membrane 12.

By the expression 'permanently adherent' used above (and in this specification generally) is meant adherent to the extent that any attempt to separate the tax disc 22 from the transparent membrane 12 would inevitably result in a defacing of or other damage to the tax disc, sufficient to indicate thatthe tax disc had been tampered with after issue bythe issuing authority.

The recipient of the united tax disc 22 and transparent membrane 12 has onlyto position that composite unit adjacent the vehicle windscreen on which it is to be mounted, with the mounting surface 14facing thewindscreen, and then to pressthe composite unitfirmly against the windscreen so as to cause that mounting surface to become releasably adherent to the windscreen. The composite unit will then remain firmly adherent to the windscreen, displaying its data-bearing face side through the windscreen, until such time as the tax disc, on its expiry, needs to be replaced by a new one.

To replace the tax disc, the composite unit needs only to have a part of its periphery lifted by means of a sharp implement such as a knife blade, and then the whole ofthe composite unit may be readily removed from the windscreen by peeling it back upon itself from the lifted edge portion, with no damage to the windscreen.

Whilstthetransparentmounting member of the embodimentjust described has comprised a piece of a smooth-surfaced,flexible sheet material, in an alternative construction the mounting member comprises a rigid (ora semi-rigid) transparent moulding of a suitable plastics material.

Furthermore, that moulding may be rendered releasablyadherentto awindscreen material over a peripheral, annular portion only, and if desired that peripheral portion is rendered releasablyadherentto the windscreen by means of a thin layer of a suitable adhesive.

Such an alternative construction is shown in the Figure 4, wherethetransparentmounting member comprises a semi-rigid transparent plastics moulding 28 having a peripheral annular border portion 30to which is applied a thin layer 32 of a releasable adherent material oradhesivefor releasably securing the mounting member on a windscreen 34. The rear face ofthe mounting member 28 carries a thin layer 36 of an adhesive by means of which a tax disc38 or other document is permanently retained thereon.

The external shape ofthetransparent mounting member of the embodiments described above may alternatively have different forms, e.g. square with rounded corners. If desired, the mounting member may be made ofthe same size as the document to be secured thereon, so that the layer of adhesivefor securing the document to its rear surface covers the whole of that rear surface.

If desired, afurther, self-adhesive membrane 40 may be sealed permanently over the rear surfaces of the tax disc and mounting member so as to totally enclose the tax disc. Such rear membrane may be transparent so asto enable information given on the rear surface of the tax or other disc two be read; otherwise, it may be opaque.

With vehicle tax disc holders as described above, in which the tax disc is permanently sealed to its mounting member, the unauthorised removal oftax discs from unattended vehicles becomes pointless, since the tax discs cannot be separated from their mounting members without defacing the discs or without leaving signs oftheirforced and unauthorised removal. Hence, the traffic in stolen tax discs should greatly diminish, and the losses of revenue to the authorities should fall noticeably.

The document holders described above with reference to the drawings may be used to display otherforms of official document that need to be displayed on a vehicle in such a way that they may be read from outside the vehicle, for example, a 'plating' disc, a 'heavy goods vehicle' disc, or an 'insurance' disc. Furthermore, such holders be may made in any other size and/or shape suitable for mounting any other form of document on a windscreen or on any otherform of transparent member, such as a house or cupboard window.

Document holders according to the present invention may be used for other display purposes where the display motive is different. Thus, instead of displaying a tax disc in the holders described above, a documentwhich needs to be seen from inside a vehicle may be secured to the mounting member by its rear surface; such a document may comprise, for example, a photograph or otherform of picture, or a document conveying information that may be required by a vehicle driver, such as a conversion table relating gallons of fuel to litres of fuel. In such case, the transparent rear covering membrane may be used to preserve the document from becoming fingered or dusty. The releasable adhesion ofthe mounting member to the windscreen facilitates the ready removal ofthe composite unitwhen it has served its intended purpose.

Various different sizes of document mounting means having constructions similarto those described above may be made to suit different sizes of document that need to be displayed, and if desired sheets of a transparent sheet material having a 'releasable' adhesive on one side thereof, and a 'permanent' adhesive on the other side thereof, may be made and sold with (if necessary) releasable cover sheets temporarily applied to the respective sides of the transparent mounting medium, forthe purchaserto cut out mounting members ofthe size required by him for specific purposes.

Mounting members in accordance with the present invention may be used in the hometo releasably secure for example, photographs, pictures, illustrations, texts such as recipes, and lists of addresses and/ortelephone numbers, to smooth surfaces of, for example, doors, cupboards, and domestic appliances such as refrigerators.

By the term 'document' as used in this specification is meant any piece of sheet material (e.g. of paper, card, plastics materials, or metals) which bears on at least one side thereof printed, typed or handwritten matter, or otherwise, a picture, illustration or photograph, any ofwhich items needs to be conveniently displayed.

Document holders as described above may be stacked ready for use in piles one directly against the other with no intervening separatorsprovidedthat the releasable surface 14 of the mounting member 12 of each document holder is capable of releasing from the permanent adhesive layer 20 of an adjacent document holder when one such document holder is being separated from the next.

Although in the embodiment ofthe Figures 1 to 3 the flexible mounting member 12 has a mounting surface 14 which is inherently capable of releasably adhering to a windscreen, if desired, in other embodiments,aflexiblemounting memberofthe same or a different material may be provided with a layer of a suitable releasable, transparent adhesive on its mounting surface 14.

Any feature disclosed in relation to any one ofthe above described embodiments may be used wherever appropriate in any other one ofthose embodiments, if desired.

Claims

1. A document mounting means comprising a thin mounting member having (a) at least a part of one side thereof capable of releasably adhering to a smooth surface, when pressed into contact therewith, in such mannerthatthe mounting member may be subsequently removed without damaging said smooth surface, and (b) at least a part ofthe other side thereof capable of permanently adhering to a document, when pressed into contact therewith, in such mannerthatthe document cannot be removed subsequently from the mounting member without damaging the document.

2. Adocumentmounting meansaccordingto claim 1,whereinthewhole of said one surfaceis capable of releasably adhering to a said smooth surface in said manner.

3. A document mounting means according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the whole of said other surface is capable of permanently adhering to a said document in said manner.

4. A document mounting means according to claim 2, wherein the said part of said other side comprises a central part.

5. A document mounting means according to any preceding claim, wherein said part of or said whole of said other surface is capable of permanently adhering to a said document by virtue of a layer suitable adhesive carried on said part of or said whole of said other surface.

6. A document mounting means according to any preceding claim, wherein said mounting member comprises a flexible plastics sheet material.

7. A document mounting means according to claim 6, wherein said flexible plastics sheet material has as said one surface a smooth surface which is self-adherentto a said surfacewithoutthe interposition of an adhesive.

8. Adocumentmounting means according to any one of the claims 1 to 5, wherein said mounting member comprises a semi-rigid or a rigid moulding ofa plastics material.

9. A document mounting means according to any preceding claim, wherein said mounting member is transparent.

10. A kit of parts comprising a document mounting means according to claim 2 or any one of the claims 3 to 9 when dependent directly or indirectly on claim 2, and a coverforsealing overa said document when adherent to said mounting member, said cover being capable of adhering permanentlyto at least a border portion of said other surfaceofsaid mounting member so as to permanently enclose a said document secured to said mounting member.

11. A document mounting means according to any one of the claims 1 to 9 having a said document permanently adherent to said part of or said whole of said other surface of said mounting member.

12. Adocument-mounting meansaccordingto claim 11,wherein said document comprises a vehicle licence disc.

13. A document mounting means according to claim 11 or 12, including a cover permanently enclosing said documentand being permanently adherent to at least a border portion of said other surface of said mounting member.

14. Adocumentmouriting means comprising any combination of features that are disclosed herein other than a combination that has been specifically claimed above in any one ofthe preceding claims.

15. A document mounting means substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by any single figure or group of associated figures ofthe accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

16. Adocumentmounting meanshavinga document permanently adherentthereto, substantially as herein before described with reference to and as illustrated by Figure 3 or Figure 4 of the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

17. Sheet material suitable for making document mounting means according to any preceding claim, which sheet material has (a) one sidethereofcapable of releasably adhering to a smooth surface, when pressed into contacttherewith, in such mannerthata said mounting member made from such sheet material may be subsequently removed from a said smooth surface without damaging said smooth surface, and (b) the other side thereof capable of permanently adhering to a document, when pressed into contact therewith, in such mannerthat a said document cannot be removed subsequently from a said mounting member made from said sheet material without damaging the document.

18. Sheet material according to claim 17, which sheet material is flexible.

19. Sheet material according to claim 18, which sheet material is transparent.