GB2408619A

GB2408619A - Vehicle registration plate cover

Info

Publication number: GB2408619A
Application number: GB0327591A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard John Gray
Original assignee: Keymite Ltd
Current assignee: Keymite Ltd
Priority date: 2003-11-27
Filing date: 2003-11-27
Publication date: 2005-06-01
Also published as: GB0327591D0

Abstract

A vehicle information plate (10) which in use covers an existing vehicle registration plate (50), the information plate having a planar body (11) with a front face (12) and a rear face (13), a peripheral lip (14) around the body extending rearwardly, and adhesive means (16) on the rear face (13) for attachment of the information plate (10) to the vehicle registration plate (50) which is accommodated within a recess (15) formed by the peripheral lip (14). The information plate (10) may be temporarily attached on vehicles in a vehicle showroom, or on a vehicle forecourt. The information plate (10) may display the price, model, etc, of the vehicle to be sold.

Description

A Vehicle Information Plate

Field

This invention relates to a vehicle information plate which is usable for temporary display of a information on a vehicle.

Background of the Invention

When new vehicles and nearly new used-vehicles are displayed for sale in vehicle showrooms or outside, the vehicle registration plate may be substituted by another information plate of similar dimensions which may for example carry the name of a vehicle dealer or the manufacturer's own approved programme. For new vehicles these information plates are then removed after sale of the vehicle and replaced by a new vehicle registration plate.

Frequently, the registration plates of used vehicles are temporarily removed when the vehicles are displayed.or sale and the info.mation plates are substituted in their place. The old plates may then be refitted or the vehicle provided with new replacement registration plates on being sold.

Typically, attachment of the information plate involves the use of fasteners such as screws and may necessitate drilling operations. The replacement of a registration plate by the information plate and subsequent fitting of the registration plate may involve other time consuming operations.

In order to over come this problem the information plate may be temporarily secured to overlie the vehicle registration plate. However this method also has a disadvantage in that the two plates are visible and the effect is not aesthetically pleasing.

The present invention provides a simple re-usable securing device which is readily usable on a vehicle for temporary attachment of an information plate.

Statements of Invention

According to the present invention there is provided a vehicle information plate in use covering an existing vehicle registration plate, the plate having a planar body with a front face and a rear face, a peripheral lip around the body extending rearwardly, and adhesive means on the rear face for attachment, preferably temporary attachment, of the information plate to a vehicle registration plate which is accommodated within the peripheral lip.

The information palate is preferably formed from a suitable plastics material such as UPVC (unplasticised polyvinylchloride, ABS (acrylonitrilebutadienestyrene, nylon, a polyester e.g PET ( polyethyleneteraphthallate), polycarbonate etc. The plate may be formed by any suitable method such as vacuum forming and injection moulding.

The adhesive means may comprise double sided tape having greater adhesion on one side, that adjacent the rear face, than on the other side, that adhering to the registration plate.

The lip has sufficient height 5-7mm to hide a registration plate within the information plate.

Description of the Drawings

The invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is an isometric view of an information plate according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is section of the plate taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is the section shown in Fig.2 in situ mounted on a registration plate mounted in situ.

Detailed Description of the Invention

With reference to Figs. 1 to 3, there is shown an information plate 10 which in use is temporarily mounted over a vehicle registration plate 50. The information plate may be rectangular as shown, square or any other required shape which substantially matches the specified shape of a registration plate 50 as specified by the vehicle regulating authorities.

The plate 10 comprises a planar body 11, which is substantially flat, with a front face 12, a rear face 13 and a peripheral lip 14 which extends rearwardly. In the present example, and for use with a UK registered vehicle front vehicle registration plate (520 mm x 110), the body 11 is about 524mm in length and about 115mm in width and the lip has a height of between 5-7mm. The body 11 and lip 14 form a rectangular recess 15 which is dimensioned to receive and snugly accommodate a vehicle registration plate 50. The free edge portion 18 of the lip 16 may be flared outwardly.

The information plate 10 is made from a suitable thermoplastics plastics material such as UPVC, PET, polystyrene, ADS, polycarbonate and may be made by moulding, preferably injection moulding, or by forming sheet plastics material (about lmm in thickness) by for example, press forming, or thermoforming, preferably by vacuum forming techniques.

Any information such as price, name of garage, model type etc will be displayed as alpha-numeric devices 19 on the front surface 12. Adhesive means 16 are arranged at spaced locations on the rear surface 13 for adhering the plate 10 to the registration plate 50.

The adhesive means 16 may comprise double sided adhesive tape having greater adhesion on one side, the side adhering to the rear surface 13, than the other side which adheres in use to the registration plate 50. The plate 10 should be easily removable from the registration plate 50 and to that end the adhesive should be peelable from the surface of the registration plate. The outwardly facing side 17 of the adhesive tape 16 will be covered in a removable non-stick layer which is removed immediately prior to mounting the information plate 10 over the vehicle registration plate 50.

Claims

Claims 1. A vehicle information plate which in use covers an existing

vehicle registration plate, the information plate having a planar body with a front face and a rear face, a peripheral lip around the body extending rearwardly, and adhesive means on the rear face for attachment of the information plate to a vehicle registration plate which is accommodated within the peripheral lip.
2. An information plate as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the free edge portion of the lip is flared outwardly.
3. An information plate as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the lip has sufficient height to accommodate a vehicle registration plate within the recess formed by said lip on the rear face of the body.
4. information plate as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the adhesive means may comprise double sided tape having greater adhesion on one side, that adjacent the rear face, than on the other side, that in use adheres to the registration plate.
5. An information plate as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4 and which is formed from a thermoplastics material.
6. A vehicle information plate substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.