GB2577242A

GB2577242A - Vehicle registration plates

Info

Publication number: GB2577242A
Application number: GB1812990.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nigel Daykin Adrian
Original assignee: Modula X Ltd
Current assignee: Modula X Ltd
Priority date: 2018-08-09
Filing date: 2018-08-09
Publication date: 2020-03-25
Anticipated expiration: 2038-08-09
Also published as: GB201812990D0; GB2577242B

Abstract

A housing 1 for a vehicle registration plate, such as a number plate or licence plate, comprises a frame 2 to hold the registration plate in the housing, a recess 7 adjacent the frame, and a display panel 9 adapted to detachably fit within the recess. The registration plate may be made to a smaller width than conventional plates, so that a changeable display panel and the recess can be accommodated within the width of a conventional sized housing. The display panel may be clipped into the recess, and the registration plate may be secured within the frame by means of lugs 5. The side of the recess adjacent the registration plate may comprise a removable separator (10, figure 2). The housing may have two separators and display panels.

Description

Vehicle Registration Plates This invention relates to vehicle registration plates and in particular to a housing for attaching a registration plate to a vehicle.

Motor vehicle registration plates, sometimes known as number plates, identification plates, or licence plates are a way of identifying vehicles. Most countries regulate the properties and format of the plates, including the material of the plate as well as the size, font and colour of the characters.

The plates are usually mounted onto the front and the rear of a vehicle.

Some vehicle registration plate holders comprise a backing member to attach to a vehicle and a frame to hold the registration plate.

It is also common for an additional display bar to be positioned below the registration plate, to be used for advertising purposes, for example by the vehicle manufacturer, a sales dealership, or a vehicle-hire company. Typically, such a display bar is removably attached either to the registration plate, or to a backing member, so that the advertising material can be readily changed.

There is an increasing demand for further changeable information to be displayed around the registration plate, but there is limited space on the narrow display bar beneath the registration plate.

US patent application 2015/0353032 describes a decorative license plate frame having two windows, one on either side of the license plate with detachable graphic cards connecting to each window. Such an arrangement, although suitable for the U.S. market, is not appropriate for many other countries, including the U.K., because of space restrictions on the front and rear of vehicles. The majority of cars are designed to fit a standard size of registration plate. There is insufficient space on the sides to accommodate two display cards and still be ineffective. -2 -

The present invention solves this problem by constructing a narrower registration plate within a standard sized housing to enable one display panel to be detachably fitted alongside the registration plate.

The size of a registration plate is generally not regulated. Instead, the font, size and spacing of the alphanumeric characters are regulated. Although a conventional registration plate is about 520mm wide, in fact the maximum space needed to accommodate all the possible characters is 460mm. This leaves up to 60mm for a detachable display panel.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a housing for a vehicle registration plate comprising a frame to hold the registration plate in the housing, a recess adjacent the frame, and a display panel adapted to detachably fit within the recess.

Suitably, the housing is of a size to fit into a space on a vehicle which space is the same or similar to that of known registration plates. Preferably the housing is about 520mm wide. The height of the housing is preferably from 20 104mm to 111mm.

The frame for the registration plate is suitably from 460mm to 490mm wide, for example from 475mm to 485mm, preferably about 479mm wide.

The housing may be mounted onto the vehicle using any known method. Suitably the housing comprises holes through which screws, or other fastening means, can be passed, to secure the housing to the vehicle. Alternatively, the housing may be secured to the vehicle by adhesive, The display panel is held in place within the recess by detachable means, such as clips or screws. If screwed in place, the screws may also represent -3 -the means to secure the housing to the vehicle. Preferably, however, the display panel clips into the recess.

The side of the recess adjacent the registration plate may comprise a removable separator. In this way, a standard sized housing may be used and adapted to form a recess to accommodate a display panel. Furthermore, if the registration of the vehicle contains fewer than the maximum number of characters, the registration plate may be narrower, so that the housing may contain two recesses having removable separators, to accommodate two display panels.

The display panel, which fits into the recess, suitably alongside the registration plate, may be used to display information which is temporary in nature, or may change if the vehicle is sold to another owner. For example, a car hire company may wish to display that the care is hired from that company, or a manufacturer's logo may be displayed. Other information that may be displayed include a country designation, such as GB, in the event the vehicle is driven abroad; or a disabled badge; or a 'P' mark signifying that the driver has recently passed a driving test; or any other form of advertising.

Furthermore, the display panel may be used to accommodate an RFID chip and may additionally hold a battery to power a long-range RFID transmitter.

A vehicle registration plate for inclusion in frame of the housing of this invention may be a of conventional construction, such as a transparent plastics panel bonded to a retroreflective sheet. Alphanumeric characters may be applied, for example printed, onto the face of the reflective sheet, before it is bonded to the plastics panel, so the characters are visible through that transparent panel. Other types of registration plate are also suitable for use in the frame of this invention. The vehicle registration plate may be secured within the frame of the housing by screw means. -4 -

Alternatively, the registration plate may be secured by adhesive to the frame. Preferably, the registration plate is secured within the frame by means of lugs positioned around the edge of the frame, so that the registration plate clips into the frame.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig 1 is a schematic representation of a housing and a display panel according to this invention.

Fig 2 shows a second embodiment wherein the side of the recess comprises a removable separator.

In Fig 1, a housing 1 contains a frame 2 designed to hold a registration plate (not shown) in the housing. The frame is bounded by walls 3 and 4. The frame contains tabs 5 to hold the registration plate in place.

The housing is attached to the vehicle by means of screws fitted through the holes 6 in the rear of the housing. Adjacent the frame 2 there is formed a recess 7, bounded by the walls 3 and 8. A display panel 9 is shaped to fit into the recess 8 and held by clips (not shown).

In use, the display panel is printed with the desired information and clipped into the recess 8. The panel may be removed when desired to interchange with a different display panel.

In Fig 2, a removable separator 10 contains tabs 11 on the top and base portions thereof. The tabs 11 complement slots 12 in the inner surface of the housing 1.

As the separator 10 is moved in the direction of the arrow, the tabs 11 clip into slots the housing, thereby forming a recess to accommodate a display panel adjacent a registration plate. -5 -

Claims

CLAIMS1. A housing for a vehicle registration plate comprising a frame to hold the registration plate in the housing, a recess adjacent the frame, and one display panel adapted to detachably fit within the recess.
2. A housing as claimed in claim 1 wherein the housing is about 520mm wide.
3. A housing as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the display panel clips into the recess.
4. A housing as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the display panel holds a battery to power a long-range RFID transmitter.
5. A housing as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the registration plate is secured within the frame by means of lugs positioned around the edge of the frame.
6. A housing as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the frame is from 475mm to 485mm wide.
7. A housing as claimed in claim 6 wherein the frame is about 479mm wide.
8. A housing for a vehicle registration plate comprising a frame to hold the registration plate in the housing, a recess adjacent the frame, and a display panel adapted to detachably fit within the recess, wherein the side of the recess adjacent the registration plate comprises a removable separator.
9. A housing as claimed in claim 8 wherein the housing contains two recesses having removable separators, to accommodate two display panels.