GB2415282A - Windsock, flag or banner and connector. - Google Patents

Abstract

A display product comprises an air-catching item such as a windsock 2, flag 4 or banner 6 and which is mounted via mounting means X on an anchoring means. The mounting means comprises a connector element having a primary aperture for direct or indirect mounting on the anchoring means and at least one, preferably plurality of secondary apertures via which the connector element is attached to the air-catching item e.g. via one or more strings 10, cords or struts.

Description

1 2415282

DISPLAY PRODUCT AND CONNECTOR THEREFOR

This invention relates to a display product, more particularly to an aircatching item such as a windsock, flag or banner which carries publicityrelated indicia and which is mountable on a variety of anchoring means. More specifically the invention is concerned with a connector element for mounting the air-catching item onto the anchoring means.

In the fields of advertising, public promotion and demonstration of allegiance or lo support to a cause, organization, brand, product and such like there are numerous known examples of products bearing indicia indicative of whatever it is that is being supported, promoted, advertised or otherwise publicised. Such display products include items such as windsocks, flags and banners which catch moving air in an outside environment and thus when anchored to a suitable mounting, ea. on a vehicle, display the indicia in question to anyone who chooses to look. Examples of such known products include those disclosed in GB-A-2343981, FR-A-2622299 (Certificate of Utility application), US-A- 5320061 and US-A-4989356.

to These known proposals for air-catching display products are however limited in their practicality, in particular with respect to how they are to be mounted on the intended anchoring means. Either there is no teaching at all about what such mounting means will actually comprise, or else what is disclosed in the way of mounting means is inadequate to provide optimum simplicity of assembly and removal of the product from what may be any of a wide variety of possible anchoring means in a variety of display contexts.

Thus, there is a need for a simple and versatile mounting means for such air- catching display products which meets the above shortcomings of the prior art, a' and it is the object of this invention to meet this need.

Accordingly, in a first aspect the invention provides a display product comprising an air-catching item, such as a windsock, flag or banner, which carries publicity- related indicia and which is mountable via mounting means on a selected anchoring means, wherein the mounting means comprises a connector element s having a primary aperture for direct or indirect mounting on the selected anchoring means, and at least one, preferably a plurality of, secondary aperture(s) via which the connector element is attached to the air-catching item.

In a second aspect the invention provides a connector element for mounting an lo indicia-carrying air-catching item, such as a windsock, flag or banner, of a display product on a selected anchoring means, wherein the connector element comprises a primary aperture for direct or indirect mounting on the selected anchoring means, and at least one, preferably a plurality of, secondary aperture(s) via which it is attachable to the air-catching item.

The air-catching item whose special form of mounting is the main subject of this invention may be a windsock, flag or banner, each of which may be made from any suitable material as is well known in the art, ea. fabric, synthetic material, and such like. By a windsock is meant a conical, frustoconical or similarly JO tapered-cross-sectional tube of material that fills with air to render it inflated.

Flags or banners (which can be thought of as elongated flags) do not require any further definition since they are so well known.

If desired or as necessary the windsock may be supported or strengthened at its mouth with a loop of substantially rigid material incorporated in its structure.

Likewise a flag or banner may be similarly supported or strengthened at its secured end by a rod or strip of substantially rigid material.

The indicia carried by the air-catching item may be any sort of publicity, so promotional, advertising or other visual indicia, ea. names, logos, designs, artwork or anything else indicative of the cause, organization, brand or product that is to be publicised, for example: sports teams, clubs, venues or competitions; national or bespoke (ea. of a particular organization) flags, emblems or logos; celebratory events, such as religious, national or cultural days, events, festivals or functions; musical or other artistic events or venues; or anything else that it is desired to promote publicly. Such indicia may be applied to the item by any conventional technique, ea. printing, inherent incorporation during its manufacture or post-manufacture surface application.

The anchoring means on which the display product of the invention is mounted lo via the primary aperture of the connector element may be any of a wide variety of things. For example, the primary aperture may be placed directly over an anchoring means constituted by an aerial or other protruding feature of a motor vehicle, boat, bicycle or any other environmental or domestic item or apparatus, including for example a branch of a tree, a plant, a fence, a household appliance (ea. a domestic fan). In this form the primary aperture of the connector element simply fits around and snugly and securely grips the anchoring means in question.

Alternatively the primary aperture of the connector element may be used as a to mounting means for mounting the display product indirectly on any of the above-mentioned anchoring means via a string, tie, band or other clipor clamp- type arrangement.

As a further alternative, the primary aperture of the connector element may be used as a means of mounting, by either of the above two principle methods, to a hand-held pole or stick.

As an even further alternative, the primary aperture of the connector element may constitute a means of attachment to one end of an intermediate mounting device comprising a support arm of substantially rigid material, the other end of which support arm comprises a clip or clamp device which is attachable to a partially open window or an exterior structural feature of a motor vehicle, so that the display product can be anchored thereto.

The mouth of a windsock or the side edge of a flag or banner as the aircatching item may be attached to the connector element of the invention by any suitable means, in particular preferably by either a plurality of flexible strings or cords or a plurality of substantially rigid struts ea. of metal or plastics material.

Such strings, cords or struts may be attached to the air-catching item by a lo variety of means. For example: an end portion of a string, cord or strut may be passed through a respective aperture in the peripheral region of the mouth or side of the air-catching item and then folded back on itself and clamped thereto by a suitable clip or other clamping device. Alternatively, the end portion of the string, cord or strut may have an appropriately dimensioned ball element fixedly attached thereto which prevents the string, cord or strut that is passed through the respective aperture being withdrawn therefrom.

Such strings cords or struts are attached to the connector element of the invention via its one or more secondary apertures. This attachment to the to connector element may be simply by means of tying or threading through the strings, cords or struts to or through the appropriate secondary aperture(s) of the connector element, or alternatively it may be by means of a ball or other anchoring element fixedly attached to the end of the string, cord or strut that is passed through the respective secondary aperture of the connector element and thus prevented from being withdrawn therefrom. As a further alternative, any other suitable type of clip or clamp device may be used.

Turning now to the main feature of the invention, namely the connector element via which the air-catching item is mountable on the selected anchoring means, so this connector element may take a variety of practical forms, each of which constitutes an embodiment of this aspect of the invention. It is preferably formed from synthetic plastics material, either as a one-piece moulding or alternatively as a two-part unitable construction, depending on the design as exemplified in the various embodiments described further below.

In one practical form the connector element comprises a unitary moulding of rubber (ea. natural rubber) or elastomeric plastics material (ea. a silicone-based polymer, EDPM, or similar material preferably with a Shore hardness of from about 20 to about 100) having a centrally located primary aperture extending therethrough which is dimensioned to fit snugly over the anchoring means lo (whatever it may be), plus at least one other, preferably at least one pair, of secondary apertures for accommodating the strings, cords or struts which secure the air-catching item to it.

The connector element in this embodiment is thus preferably a unitary cylindrical moulding, with the one or more secondary apertures formed in its outer wall. In any practical example the secondary aperture(s) will be appropriately sized, shaped and positioned to accommodate the respective means of attachment of the connector to the air-catching item. There may even be provided a plurality of, even a plurality of pairs of, such secondary apertures, to optionally at different orientations with respect to one another, for the purpose of such attachment of the connector to the air-catching item in a variety of configurations.

If appropriate, one of these pairs of secondary apertures may even be used instead of the primary aperture for indirect connection of the connector element to the anchoring means via an intermediate tie, band, clip or clamp element.

In a second practical form the connector element may comprise a one-piece moulding, ea. of substantially rigid plastics material, comprising a central portion so defining a central primary aperture, and a pair of diametrically opposed radially outwardly extending secondary portions each defining a secondary aperture, the primary and secondary apertures having the same various possible functions as discussed above.

In a third practical form the connector element may be of the same general s definition as the second practical form, but constructed as a two-part plastics moulding with the two parts being securable together, especially for encapsulating the attachment means (ea. a ball mounted on the end portion of a string, cord or strut) via which the air-catching item is attached thereto.

lo Preferred embodiments of the connector element and display product of the invention will now be exemplified in further detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1 (a), (b) and (c) are schematic perspective views of, respectively, a windsock, a flag and a banner for displaying publicity indicia and embodying Is the present invention; Figures 2(a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) are various perspective views of a first embodiment of the connector of the invention in isolation and in combination with the air-catching item of the display product; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a variant first embodiment of the to connector of the invention, corresponding to the Example shown in Figure 2(d); Figure 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the connector of the invention; Figure 5 is a perspective view of an alternative second embodiment of the connector of the invention, including one way in which it may be attached to the as air-catching item of the display product; Figures 6(a) and (b) are, respectively, assembled and exploded perspective views of the connector element of the embodiment in Figure 5 but with an alternative way in which the connector element may be attached to the air-catching item of the display product; Figure 7 is a perspective view of the mouth of a windsock (as the air- catching item) with an example of its means of attachment to the connector element via supporting struts; Figures 8(a) and (b) are, respectively, assembled and exploded perspective views of the connector of the second embodiment in combination with an intermediate support arm for mounting the air-catching item on the partially open window of a vehicle; Figure 9(a) is an exploded perspective view of a third embodiment of the invention, which comprises a two-part connector element; lo Figures 9(b) and (c) are, respectively, an alternative perspective view of the support arm shown in Figure 8(b) and a side view of a ball- mounted-on-the end-of-a-string arrangement, by means of which the connector element of Figure 9(a) may be anchored to the relevant anchoring means; Figures lO(a) and (b) are, respectively, rear and front perspective views of a slightly modified construction of the second embodiment of connector element; Figure 1 1 is a perspective view corresponding to Figure 2(b), but showing an alternative design of the first embodiment connector element of the invention; JO Figure 12 is a perspective view of an alternative design of the second embodiment connector element of the invention; Figure 13 is a perspective view of an alternative design of the first embodiment connector element of the invention; and Figure 14 is a perspective view of another alternative design of the second embodiment connector element of the invention, this time incorporating integral struts via which it is attached to the air-catching item.

Referring firstly to Figure 1, here there is shown schematically the display product of the invention in three alternative forms: a windsock 2 (Figure 1 (a)), JO a flag 4 (Figure 1 (b)) and a banner 6 (Figure 1 (c), each anchorable to a selected anchoring means (ea. a motor land vehicle, boat, bicycle or even an environmental item such as a tree, plant, fence, or a domestic appliance such as an electric fan) via a connector element X which is attached to the air-catching item 2, 4, 6 via attachment means 10. The latter may be in the form of flexible strings or cords, ea. of natural or synthetic material, or substantially rigid struts, ea. of metal or plastics material. The means of connection 13 (which may be of any suitable number) of the attachment means 10 to the air-catching item 2, 4, 6 may be any suitable form of clip or clamp arrangement, including the possibilities of some sort of knot or crimp arrangement or even a ball element securely mounted on the end of the attachment means and passed through a lo respective aperture in the peripheral region of the aircatching item so as to be non-withdrawable therefrom. However, a clip as the means of connection 13 is probably the most preferred, practical examples of which are widely available.

The connector element X constitutes the main feature of the various embodiments of the invention which will now be referred to in combination with the remaining drawings, most of which will be self-explanatory requiring little in the way of further written explanation in light of the foregoing more general

description.

to In a first main embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the connector element X comprises a unitary moulded cylindrical body 20 of synthetic plastics material comprising a primary aperture 22 for placement over the relevant anchoring means in a snug and secure fitting manner. The body element 20 also includes at least one, preferably at least one pair of, secondary aperture(s) 24 for connection to the air-catching item 2, which in this case is a windsock, by ball- and-loop connection means 29. There may even be provided a further, tertiary, one or more or even one or more pairs of apertures 26, 28 for this purpose or for assistance in anchoring the connector to the anchoring means, ea. by tie device 2 1. 3)

Figure 3 shows an alternative, simpler, connector element 20', this time with just three secondary apertures 24' for accommodation of the connector means to the air-catching item, in addition to the main primary aperture 22' for nachoring to the anchoring means.

Figure 4 shows an example of the second embodiment of the connector element, which in this case is a one-piece plastics moulded component 40 comprising a centrally-located portion defining a circular primary aperture 42 and diametrically to either side each of a pair of secondary apertures 44 through lo which the strings, cords or struts 10 pass. Again a tie device 21 may be used to indirectly anchor the connector to the anchoring means, or else it may be attached directly thereto.

Figures 5 and 6 show an alternative design of connector element 60, this time, i5 in addition to its primary aperture 62, with two pairs of secondary apertures 24 through which the strings, cords or struts 10 are passed for the purpose of connection to the air-catching item 2. In Figure 5 a tie device 21 may again be used for anchoring of the connector 60 to the relevant anchoring means, whilst in Figure 6 an alternative anchoring means comprising a ball element 67 fixedly to mounted on the end portion of a string, cord or rod 66 may be used instead.

Figure 7 shows one example of the clip elements 13 via which a pair of rigid metal or plastics struts 10 are connected to the windsock 2, the struts 10 each having a ball element 1 1 fixedly mounted on the end thereof for location in the respective secondary apertures of the connector element.

In Figure 8 there is shown an example of how an intermediate support arm 80 may be used to anchor the connector element 60 to a partially open window of a motor vehicle, or even a domestic window. The support arm 80 comprises a lo main elongate body portion 82, with an attachment element 86 (ea. an enlarged terminal portion) at one end for location within the primary aperture of the connector element 60, and at its opposite end a spring-biased clamp device 84 for anchoring to the window.

Figure 9(a) shows an example of a connector element comprising two moulded parts 90a and 90b which clip (or snap-fit) together to clamp therebetween the relevant component which serves to anchor it to the relevant anchoring means, ea. by means of the enlarged terminal portion 86 of support arm 82 (Figure 9(b)) or the ball element 92 mounted on the end of a string or cord 94 (Figure 9(c).

Figure t O shows an alternative design of moulded connector element 100 formed from snap-fit-together left- and right-hand moulded sections 90a and 90b, this time with its primary aperture 102 bounded by a first pair of equatorially located secondary apertures 104 and a further pair of polarly located secondary apertures 106.

Figure 11 illustrates an alternative design of connector element 100 with primary aperture 112 and two pairs of secondary apertures 104, 106. Again a tie device 101 is shown by way of example for anchoring of the connector to to the relevant anchoring means and again, as before, an example 129 of the connection of the strings, cords or struts to the air- catching item 2.

In Figure 12 there is shown yet another design of the connector element 120, but still with a primary aperture 122 and a pair of diametrically opposed secondary apertures 124.

Figure 13 shows an even yet further alternative design of connector element, this time with a dome-shaped main body 130, still with the same type of primary aperture 132 and secondary apertures 134, but now with a rearwardly extending collar portion 138 for anchoring to or over the relevant anchoring means (which latter feature can be considered to be an alternative to the rearwardly extending wings 108 of the embodiment connector shown in Figure 10).

Figure 14 shows yet another version of the connector element of the invention, s this time essentially combining in a unitary moulded component the design of connector element shown in Figure 13 (with its primary aperture 142, secondary apertures 144 and rearwardly extending anchoring portion 148), but now with integrally formed arcuate struts 145 which provide the means for connection to the air-catching item via the integrally formed looped end lo connection portions 149, whilst at the same time providing a means of supporting the windsock, flag or banner in an open condition without the need for additional support means.

It is to be understood that the above description of preferred embodiments and features of the invention has been by way of non-limiting examples only, and various modifications may be made from what has been specifically described and illustrated whilst remaining within the scope of the invention as claimed.

Claims (7)

1. A display product comprising an air-catching item, such as a windsock, flag or banner, which carries publicity-related indicia and which is mountable via mounting means on a selected anchoring means, wherein the mounting means comprises a connector element having a primary aperture for direct or indirect mounting on the selected anchoring means, and at least one, preferably a plurality of, secondary aperture(s) via which the connector element is attached to the air-catching item ea. via one or more strings, cords or struts.

2. A connector element for mounting an indicia-carrying air-catching item, such as a windsock, flag or banner, of a display product on a selected anchoring means, wherein the connector element comprises a primary aperture for direct or indirect mounting on the selected anchoring means, and at least one, preferably a plurality of, secondary aperture(s) via which it is attachable to the air-catching item.

3. A connector element according to claim 2, comprising a unitary moulding of rubber or plastics material having a centrally located primary aperture extending therethrough which is dimensioned to fit snugly over the anchoring means, plus at least one other, preferably at least one pair, of secondary aperture(s) formed in its outer wall for accommodating at least one, preferably a plurality of, strings, cords or struts for attachment of the air- catching item thereto.

4. A connector element according to claim 2, comprising a two-part moulding, the two parts being securable together to define therebetween the said primary aperture, and wherein each part comprises a respective one or more of said secondary apertures.

5. A connector element according to claim 2, comprising a unitary moulding having a central portion defining the primary aperture, and a pair of diametrically opposed radially outwardly extending secondary portions each defining one of a pair of said secondary apertures.

6. A connector element according to any one of claims 2 to 5, further comprising at least one tertiary aperture for assisting the direct or indirect attachment thereof to the anchoring means and/or the aircatching item.

7. A display product or connector element substantially as described herein with reference to any of the accompanying drawings.