GB2291351A

GB2291351A - Tax disc holder

Info

Publication number: GB2291351A
Application number: GB9514163A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Green; Wayne Green
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1994-07-13
Filing date: 1995-07-12
Publication date: 1996-01-24
Also published as: GB9414148D0; GB9514163D0

Abstract

A display device adapted to hold a vehicle tax disc on a windscreen of the vehicle. The device comprises a cover member 12 and a base member 2 which are hinged together. A space for scented means is provided within the device, and holes 22 are provided in walls of the device allowing air to circulate through it. The base member is recessed to hold the tax disc. <IMAGE>

Description

DISPLAY DEVICE This invention relates to a display device and is particularly but not exclusively concerned with display devices for use on vehicles. Such a device may be used to display a tax disc.

Display devices in vehicles are known to serve a variety of functions, for example displaying tax discs, vehicle licences, parking permits or notices referring to disability.

According to a first aspect of the invention we provide a device comprising a region for displaying information and a scent emitting region.

Preferably the display region and the scent emitting region are separated by a wall.

Preferably the one or both regions are substantially planar. The regions may be separated by a planar wall.

Preferably the device comprises a base and a cover. The base and the cover may be attached by a hinge region. Alternatively the base and the cover may be wholly separable. Preferably locking means are provided to lock the cover onto the base. The locking means may be releasable.

A bottom face of the base may be adapted to be attached to a window, for example a vehicle windscreen. Preferably the bottom face is provided with adhesive present as a layer or region or as layers or regions. A peelable sheet may cover the adhesive until it is desired to adhere the base to a window.

The base may have a flange surrounding a raised region. The base may be in the form of a flattened top hat shape. The raised region may be adapted to receive an information bearing element to be displayed. The information bearing element may include one or more of a tax disc, a vehicle licence, a parking permit or a disability notice.

The cover may have a flange surrounding a raised region. The cover may be in the form of a flattened top hat shape. The raised region of the cover may be adapted to receive scent carrying and/or scent emitting means.

The base may be adapted to nest within the cover.

Preferably, in a nested configuration, the top of the raised region of the base may comprise a wall separating a first chamber from a second chamber. The first chamber may comprise a region adapted to hold an information bearing element. The first chamber may be the region for displaying information. The second chamber may comprise a region adapted to hold scent emitting means. The second chamber may be the scent emitting region.

In use, the information bearing element and the scent emitting means may lie one above the other, or be adjacent. Preferably the information bearing element and scent emitting means are separated by the wall.

The second chamber may have apertures allowing communication between the chamber and the outside air.

The apertures may be spaced around the edge of the second chamber.

Preferably the scent emitting means may be insertable into and removable from the scent emitting means. Scent emitting means, once used up, may be replacable by new scent emitting means.

The scent emitting means may be in the form of a porous pad impregnated with scent.

The scent emitting means may be in the form of a circular disc. A decorative pattern may be printed on a side of the disc.

Of course, the scent emitting and information displaying regions and the scent emitting means may be any shape such as triangular, square, polygonal, or oval.

In an alternative embodiment the device may comprise a body adapted to hold an information bearing element in which the body is impregnated with scent.

The body of the device itself may emit scent.

Only a region of the body may emit scent, for example a flange region or a disc region. A scent emitting region may be integrally moulded with the body or a part thereof, or it may be adhered to the body.

Once used, for example once the scent emitting capabilities of the device are diminishing, one or both of the body and the device may be discarded. Therefore this embodiment may comprise a disposable device.

Preferably the device is a tax disc holder.

According to the second aspect of the invention we provide a kit comprising scent emitting means and a holder for holding an information bearing element and the scent emitting means.

Preferably the kit also comprises a set of instructions. The holder of this aspect of the invention may be in accordance with the device set forth in the foregoing.

According to a third aspect of the invention we provide a method of freshening the interior of a vehicle comprising the steps of mounting in the vehicle an information display holder to display information, the holder carries scent emitting means, and allowing the smell from the scent emitting means to permeate to the air of the vehicle.

The holder of this aspect of the invention may be in accordance with the device set forth in the foregoing.

In its broadest aspect, the invention provides for a holder having a dual purpose of displaying information and delivering scent to freshen air.

The invention may not be solely applicable to vehicles. It may also be used as a domestic air freshener at home or in an office or other workplace, in any application in which display of information is part of the function of the holder or the device.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying Figures in which: Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a base for a tax disc holder; Figure 2 shows another side elevation of the base of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a side elevation of a cover of a tax disc holder; Figure 4 shows another side elevation of the cover of Figure 3; Figure 5 shows a side elevation of a tax disc holder; Figure 6 shows a plan view of the holder of Figure 5; Figure 7 shows the tax disc holder in use; and Figure 8 shows the tax disc holder fully assembled.

Figure 1 shows a base plate 2 for a tax disc holder 4. The base plate 2 comprises a raised circular portion 6 surrounded by a flange 8. The base is in the form of a flattened top-hat shape. A dimple 10 rises from a region of the flange 8.

Figure 2 shows another view of the base plate 2.

The raised circular portion 6 comprises a circular wall 26, which extends upwardly from the flange 8 and is terminated and covered by a disc 28.

Figure 3 shows a cover 12 comprising a raised circular portion 14 surrounded by a flange 16. A dimple 24 rises from a region of the flange 16. The shape of the cover is similar to the generally flattened top-hat shape of the base plate 2. The major difference is in the height of the raised circular portions 6 and 14 of each.

The raised circular portion 14 of the cover 12 is higher than that of the base plate 2. The raised circular portion 14 comprises a circular wall 18 which extends upwardly from the flange 16 and is terminated and covered by, a disc 20. Spaced around the upper region of the circular wall 18 is a series of apertures 22. These allow air to flow through the cover.

Figure 4 shows another view of the cover 12.

Figure 5 shows the assembled tax disc holder 4.

The raised circular portion 6 of the base plate 2 is nested within the raised circular portion 14 of the cover 12. The dimple 10 of the base plate 2 is nested within the dimple 24 of the cover 12. The nesting of the dimples 10 and 24 provides for a locking engagement between the base plate 2 and the cover plate. At a region of the flange diametrically opposed from the dimples is a hinge region 30. The hinge region 30 is formed by an adhesive connection between the base plate 2 and the cover 12 created by heat crimping of the flanges 8 and 16 together.

The lower face of the flange 8 is covered with a layer of adhesive 32. The layer of adhesive 32 is covered by a sheet of cover paper 38 in the form of an annulus which protects the adhesive 32 until adherence to a surface is desired.

The raised portion 6 of the base plate 2 extends about half way into the raised portion 14 of the cover 12. Accordingly the disc 28 of the raised portion 6 creates a compartment 34 above a compartment 36.

A plan view of the tax disc holder 4 is shown in Figure 6. A vehicle tax disc 21 is shown in outline by the dotted line.

In use a tax disc 42 is inserted into the compartment 36 such that its information bearing surface is visible from the bottom of the tax disc holder 4. The cover paper 38 is then peeled away to expose the adhesive layer 32, and the holder 4 is placed on a suitable surface, for example a windscreen 40 of a car or other vehicle. This would allow a tax disc to be viewed through the windscreen.

Once in place, a scented pad or air freshening pad 44 may be inserted into the holder 4. The cover 12 is pulled away from the base plate 2 so as to release the engagement of the dimples 10 and 24 as is shown in Figure 7. The hinge region 30 keeps the flanges 8 and 16 joined together, but allows the cover 12 to be pulled away from the windscreen 40. A scented pad 44 may now be inserted into the gap between the base 2 and the cover 12. Once a pad has been correctly located, the cover 12 is pressed onto the base 2 once again, and the dimples engage to lock the cover into place.

The scented pad may be a disc of porous material which is impregnated with scent. At ambient conditions, the scent may evaporate from the pad and diffuse into the surroundings of the holder 4 to freshen the surroundings.

Once the pad 44 has lost all of its scent, or otherwise needs replacing, the holder 4 may be opened and the used pad removed. A new, fresh, pad may be placed in the holder 4.

Figure 8 shows a fully assembled version of the holder 4. The tax disc 42 is located in the compartment 36 such that the information which it bears is visible through the windscreen 40. The scented pad 44 is contained in the compartment 34 and may serve to add scent to the atmosphere in the vehicle to freshen the atmosphere. Air is able to enter the apertures 22 pick up scent and distribute it throughout the vehicle.

A kit may be provided containing one or more holders 4 together with one or more scented pads 44.

The kit may include a set of instructions. Additional scented pads may be sold separately.

In another embodiment the plastics material of the tax-disc holder may be impregnated with material that releases a scent. This may remove the need to have a separate chamber for the scent-emitting means.

Claims

1. A device comprising a region for displaying information and a scent emitting region.

2. A device according to any preceding claim which is a tax disc holder.

3. A device according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the display region and the scent emitting region are separated by a wall.

4. A device according to any preceding claim in which one or both the display region and scent emitting region are substantially planar.

5. A device according to any preceding claim which comprises a base and a cover.

6. A device according to claim 5 in which the base and the cover are attached by a hinge region.

7. A device according to claim 5 in which the base and the cover are separable.

8. A device according to any of claims 5 to 7 in which a bottom face of the base is adapted to be attached to a window.

9. A device according to claim 8 in which the bottom face of the base is provided with adhesive presented as a layer or region or as layers or regions.

10. A device according to any of claims 5 to 9 in which the base has a flange surrounding a raised region.

11. A device according to claim 10 in which the raised region is adapted to receive an information bearing element to be displayed.

12. A device according to any of claims 5 to 11 in which cover has a flange surrounding a raised region.

13. A device according to claim 12 in which the raised region of the cover is adapted to receive scent carrying and/or scent emitting means.

14. A device according to any of claims 5 to 13 in which the base is adapted to nest within the cover.

15. A device according to claim 14 as it depends from claim 10 in which the raised region of the base comprises a wall separating a first chamber from a second chamber.

16. A device according to claim 15 in which the first chamber is adapted to hold an information bearing element.

17. A device according to claim 15 in which the second chamber is adapted to hold scent emitting means.

18. A device according to any of claims 15 to 17 in which the second chamber has apertures allowing communication between the chamber and the outside air.

19. A device according to claims 13, 17 or 18 in which the scent emitting means is replaceable.

20. A device according to any of claims 5 to 19 in which the cover is substantially the same shape as the base.

21. A device according to claims 20 in which the cover is of larger dimensions than the base.

22. A device according to claim 21 in which the base is frictionally fitted to the cover.

23. A device according to any of claims 5 to 22 in which at least the cover is transparent.

24. A device according to any of claims 5 to 22 in which both of the base and the cover are transparent.

25. A device according to any preceding claim which is transparent.

26. A device according to any preceding claim which is moulded from plastics material.

27. A kit comprising scent emitting means and a holder for holding an information bearing element and the scent emitting means.

28. A kit according to claim 27 which also comprises a set of instructions.

29. A kit according to claim 27 or 28 in which the holder is in accordance with the device of claims 1 to 26.

30. A method of freshening the interior of a vehicle comprising the steps of mounting in the vehicle an information display holder to display information, the holder carries scent emitting means, and allowing the smell from the scent emitting means to permeate to the air of the vehicle.

31. A method freshening the interior of a vehicle according to claim 30 in which the information display holder is in accordance with any of claims 1 to 26.

32. A device substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

33. A method of freshening the interior of a vehicle substantially as described herein.

34. A kit substantially as described herein for holding scent and displaying information.