GB2222904A

GB2222904A - Improved licence plate assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2222904A
Application number: GB8917754A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Keith Joseph Thacker
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-08-03
Filing date: 1989-08-03
Publication date: 1990-03-21
Also published as: GB8917754D0; GB8818410D0

Abstract

The invention relates to an improved licence plate assembly 10 displaying at least information relating to the licence issuing authority 12, the term of validity 20 and the identity of the vehicle to which the plate is to be attached 22. In order to reduce the possibility of such information being changed or amended the assembly is formed on an opaque backing layer (24, Figure 2) adhered to a clear protective layer (26) with the information 12, 20, 22 sandwiched therebetween. The clear protective layer is preferably hermetically sealed to the backing layer and is of a material such that it will break or shatter when subjected to an applied force of less than that force required to separate it from the backing layer thus destroying the information carried on the protective layer. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVED LICENCE PLATE ASSEMBLY This invention relates to an improved licence plate assembly especially for attachment to a passenger carrying vehicle such as a private car or a Hackney cab.

It is known for an issuing authority such as a borough or town council to provide a licence plate for each passenger carrying vehicle operating within its boundaries. These licence plates are intended to be affixed to the vehicle, usually by means of bolts or similar, and usually indicate the licence number and the identity of the issuing authority. The licence plate may be issued to the driver only after the vehicle has been tested to ensure the vehicle's road safety. The vehicle may then be required to be re-tested on an annual, or other regular basis, to prove its continued safety. If the vehicle fails the test then its licence is withdrawn.

Such licence plates and their issuance are open to abuse however. Firstly the licence does not indicate date on which it was issued and so it is impossible to ascertain whether a vehicle has passed its last safety check without consulting council records. Secondly the licence plate can easily be transferred from one vehicle to another. In order to overcome this second problem it is known to include the vehicle's registration number on the licence plate. However, this could be tampered with to alter the registration number and does not overcome the first identified problem.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved licence plate assembly which will provide information as to the expiry date of the licence, the registration number of the vehicle to which the licence is issued and display this information in such a way that it which cannot easily be tampered with in order to falsify or alter the said information.

With this object in view the present invention provides an improved licence plate assembly for attachment to a vehicle comprising a backing layer adhered to a protective layer characterised in that the protective layer carries information relating at least to the licence issuing authority, to the term of validity and the identity of the vehicle to which the plate is to be attached, the protective layer being such as to break or shatter under an applied force of less than that force required to separate it from the backing layer, thus destroying the protective layer and the information carried by it.

Preferably the protective layer is clear and is of a plastics material advantageously a plastic sold under the trade name Makrolon The backing layer is preferably of metal or rigid plastics and is advantageously coloured so as to make the information carried by a transparent protective layer more easily readable.

The information may be printed onto one face of the clear protective layer by screen printing or a similar method such that the information is thereby inseparable therefrom. The information is preferably printed in reverse on that face of the protective layer which is to be adhered to the backing layer so that it is effectively sandwiched therebetween.

Alternatively the infcrn. & - - individual letters, words or numerals, of G coloured, preferably opaque, material, which are suspended or sealed within the protective layer during its production.

A second aspect of the invention is a method of forming an improved licence plate assembly comprising the steps of providing a backing layer pre-cut to a desired shape, forming a protective layer of the same size and shape as the backing layer, providing thereon information relating at least to the licence issuing authority and to the term of validity and identity of the vehicle to which the plate is to be attached and bonding said protective layer to the backing layer.

The invention will be described further by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:- Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a preferred embodiment of the invention; and Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken along the line I-I of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in Fig. 1 an improved licence plate assembly 10 for attachment to a vehicle (not shown) is depicted with diagrammatically defined areas illustrating the position of various pieces of information relating to the licence. In area 12, for example, would be placed information on the issuing authority for example the town or borough name and possibly the department concerned. Area 14 would contain the town or borough coat of arms as an identifying badge or mark. The number of passengers which the vehicle is licensed to cary would be indicated in area 16 and the licence number in area 18. Area 20 would include the date on which the licence expires and area 22 the registration number of the vehicle to which the licence is to be attached.

It will be appreciated that this information will enable the status and legality of the vehicle to which the plate 10 is attached to be easily ascertained by way of a visual inspection. Furthermore if the licence has expired this will be readily apparent to anyone looking at the plate 10.

The construction of the licence plate 10 according to the invention is detailed in Fig. 2. The plate 10 is formed of an opaque rigid backing layer 24, which is preferably of metal, and a clear or transparent protective layer 26 of a plastics material which is shattered or otherwise broken when subjected to a predetermined under an applied force. In the preferred embodiment the plastics used is tb% tha: ms being the trade name Makrolon. The inform: various areas 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 is screen printed in reverse onto one face of the protective layer 26.

The printing is in an opaque colour contrasting with the coloured backing layer 24 to make the information easily readable. The protection layer 26 is then hermetical sealed to the backing layer 24 with the information sandwiched therebetween. The plastics material, of which the protective layer 26 is formed, is selected such that it will shatter or break up if an attempt is made to forcibly separate that layer 26 from the backing layer 24. In this way it is impossible to alter the information on the licence plate 10 without destroying it.

It will be understood that the invention is not confined to the foregoing examples and variations may be made thereto. For example the pieces of information which are itemised are only relevant to a licence for a passenger carrying vehicle and variations to the type of information used may be made according to the type of licence covered. Some of the information is not essential and may be omitted for example, the town or borough coat of arms 14 and the number of passengers 16 the vehicle is licenced to carry. The placement of the information may be varied from that described according to necessity or desirability. The backing layer 24 need not be of metal but can be of any suitable material and need not be of itself rigid or opaque. The protective layer 26 can be of any material having the desired physical properties of transparency and frangibility.

The information can be applied to the protective layer by any other suitable method and need not be screen printed as described. The information could be formed from individual letters or numbers which are then suspended in the plastics layer which may be clear or opaque as desired. Other variations are also possible.

Claims

1. An improved licence plate assembly for attachment to a vehicle comprising a backing layer adhered to a protective layer characterised in that the protective layer carries information relating at least to the licence issuing authority, and to the term of validity and the identity of the vehicle to which the plate is to be attached, the protective layer being such as to break or shatter under an applied force of less than that force required to separate it from the backing layer, thus destroying the protective layer and the information carried by it.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which the protective layer is of a plastics material.

3. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 o im 2 in which the backing layer is of metz:

4. An assembly as claimed in claim l or c1aD which the backing layer is of a rigid plastic.

5. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim in which the protective layer is clear or transparent.

6. An assembly as claimed in claim 6 in which the information is printed onto one face of the clear protective layer by a screen printing process such that the information is thereby inseparable therefrom.

7. An assembly as claimed in claim 5 in which the information is printed in reverse on that face of the protective layer which is to be adhered to the backing layer so that it is effectively sandwiched therebetween.

8. An assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4 in which the information is provided as individual letters, words or numerals, of a coloured, opaque, material, which are suspended or sealed within the protective layer during its production.

9. A method of forming an improved licence plate assembly comprising the steps of providing a backing layer pre-cut to a desired shape, forming a protective layer of the same size and shape as the backing layer, providing thereon information relating at least to the licence issuing authority and to the term of validity and identity of the vehicle to which the plate is to be attached and bonding said clear protective layer to the backing layer.

10. An improved licence plate assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

11. A method of forming an improved licence plate assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.