GB2288904A - Vehicle locator - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides that a removable flag display device is mounted on a vehicle to enable the owner to see his vehicle or at least its location in an area holding a large number of cars. The device preferably has a bracket (14, Fig. 3) which fits on the top of the door window and by winding the window up, the bracket is trapped against the door frame preventing unauthorised removal. Alternatively, the device is attachable by means of an adhesive pad, to the vehicle body. <IMAGE>

Description

Improvements Relating to Devices for Locating Motorcars and the Like This invention relates to a locating device, which is especially but not exclusively designed for use with motorcars. As everyone will know, there are times when, after a person has parked his or her car, he or she forgets where the car is parked because of the surrounding environment. Thus, when a car is parked at an airport or supermarket or a football match where the car park is vast, and many cars are parked along with the car to be located, the person often has difficulty in finding his or her parked car.

This can not only be irritating and time consuming, but it also can be worrying, because if the person looking for the car, cannot find it, they may develop the fear that the car has in fact been stolen, or will be stranded.

The present invention provides simple and yet clever device which will not only provide a ready location indicator for the car, but will enable the user of the device to provide a display means whereby the user can display for example an allegiance to a football team, or to a country or to some other organisation of society.

In accordance with the present invention, a car location device comprises a signal means adapted to extend above the level of the roof of the car, the device being adapted to be securely connected to the car in a simple manner.

The simple manner which is preferred for the connection of the device to the car is to provide the car with a bracket/mast which can be trapped on the top edge of one of the car windows when it is closed, preventing unauthorised removal of the device, while at the same time permitting easy removal by the user of the car when inside the car by lowering the window and removing the device.

Extending from the bracket there may be a mast which projects above the car roof, and the mast may be provided with a flag or other bunting which is readily visible by a person looking for his or her car when parked alongside a vast number of other cars in a large car park.

To use the device when the user for example visits a football match, he or she simply places the device on the top edge of the window when the window is lowered, and then raises the window to trap the device with the mast sticking upwards, and the flag or bunting extending therefrom. The car will be apparatus clearly identifiable from a long distance off, and the user will find the car without difficulty.

Even if a number of cars in a large car park use similar devices, the different markings on the flags or bunting will enable each person to recognise his car readily, and he will be able to identify his car as long as he is in the vicinity of the position in which the car is parked. Most people are aware generally of the location where the car is parked, but cannot always remember the specific car parking space location.

The bracket may comprise a simple plastic moulded block of Ushaped cross section which is used in inverted configuration so that one leg of the cross section will lie inside the window, the other leg will lie to the outside, and the bridge for the legs will be trapped between the car frame and the top edge of the window when the window is raised to the closed position. The block may have ribs and other formations and/or the slot may be curved to cater for car windows of different thicknesses and to ensure the accurate and firm locking relationship between the car frame, the window edge and the window sides to prevent unauthorised removal.

The height of the mast may vary within reasonably wide limits from several centimetres to one metre, and to ensure that the mast extends substantially vertically from the block when in use, the mast may extend at an angle from the block corresponding to the angle at which the car window top edge lies to the vertical.

The flags or bunting may be in various shapes and various materials. For example it could be of polystyrene or other plastics material or woven materials, and could be white or any of various other colours with lettering and patterns and the shape of the flags can be varied providing infinite variation.

The block may alternatively be designed instead to be fitted between the door and door frame or in the case of a hatchback vehicle, to fit on the rear hatch door.

The top half of the mast may be ribbed externally in order to receive rib rings which locate and carry the flag or pennant to keep the flag or pennant in a particular disposition, and also enabling the rings readily to be removed from the top of the mast. These rings may form sliding clips to secure the flag.

The mast may be long enough if required to take two or more flags depending upon the requirements of the user.

An extendable mast may also be produced.

The device may be sold in a pack with a single or multiple flags for each mast, and typically there may be six flags in each pack.

Any type of flag or designation may be utilised, and the flags may include country flags, county badges, insignia of football clubs or other sports teams, indicia of organisations such as animal and bird organisations, the flags may be striped horizontally diagonally or vertically or any mixture, the flags may contain city coats of arms or insignia of historic houses, and the flags may be chequered or coloured or may be provided with motorcar symbols. The flags may be of any configuration such as square, half round and may be provided with any lettering as desired. For official vehicles, the flags may comprise the coat of arms of particular cities. It can be used for electioneering and endless other purposes.

Instead of using a fitting block as described the device may be attached by means of an adhesive pad or adhesive pads having adhesive coated faces protected by release paper which is removed to enable the device to be applied to a vehicle.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a motorcar with a device according to the invention attached thereto; Fig. 2 shows how the device provides its useful function when the motorcar is parked in a large car park along with other cars; Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation showing how the device is fitted to a car window edge; and Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the window of the car raised to trap the device in position; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged view showing how the flag is held in position on the mast.

Referring to the drawings, in Fig. 1 a motorcar 10 of conventional construction is provided with a device 12 according to the embodiment of the invention.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the device 12 comprises a bracket or block 14 of inverted U-shape of which the limbs 16, 18 are on opposite sides of a slot 19 in which is recessed the window 20 when in the lowered position. The base 22 of the device overlies the top edge of the window, and a rib or bead 24 is provided thereon so as to locate in the window recess 26 of the top edge of the door frame.

Device 12 as shown in Fig. 1 also comprises a mast 28 on the top of which is a flag 30 or pennant of the type hereinbefore described. The mast meets the block 14 at an angle corresponding to the angle of the top edge of the window to ensure that the mast extends substantially vertically in use.

The slot 19 preferably curves from end to end and the blade 14 is of resilient plastics material so that it can be sprung over the top edge of the window and will fit cars having windows of different structures.

As shown in Fig. 4 the device is locked in position simply by raising the window 20 to cause the bead 24 to locate and lock in the door recess. The mast 28 extends vertically above the roof 32 of the car so that as shown clearly in Fig. 2, when the car 10 is parked in a large car park along with other cars, the pennant 30 will in fact project above the other cars, and the owner of the car will be able to locate it readily. The trapping of the device in the top of the window will prevent unauthorised removal.

The mast has ring grooves 70 as shown in Fig. 5 which retain holding collars 72 preventing the pennant 30 from being removed from or sliding down the mast 28.

It is appreciated from the description herein that modifications of the invention are possible in that the device can be fixed to the car in another position, for example on the gutter rail of the roof or between a hatchback panel and the bodyframe. Indeed any suitable configuration or bracket may be adopted for enabling the pennant to project above the car roof for the purposes hereinbefore described.

Instead of using a fitting block as described the device may be attached by means of an adhesive pad or adhesive pads having adhesive coated faces protected by release paper which is removed to enable the device to be applied to a vehicle.

Claims (13)

1. A car location device comprising a signal means adapted to extend above the level of the roof of the car, the device being adapted to be securely connected to the car in a simple manner.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the device has a bracket which can be trapped on the top edge of one of the car windows when it is closed, providing said secure connection to the car.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein extending from the bracket, there is a mast which projects above the car roof, and the mast is provided with a flag or other bunting which is readily visible by a person looking for his or her car when parked alongside a vast number of other cars in a large car park.

4. A device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the bracket comprises a simple plastic moulded block of U-shaped cross section which is used in inverted configuration so that one leg of the cross section will lie inside the window, the other leg will lie to the outside, and the bridge for the legs will be trapped between the door frame and the top edge of the window when the window is raised to the closed position.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein the block slot is curved to cater for car windows of different thickness.

6. A device according to claim 3, 4 or 5, wherein to ensure that the mast extends substantially vertically from the bracket when in use, the mast extends at an angle from the bracket corresponding to the angle at which the car window top edge lies to the vertical.

7. A device according to claim 1, wherein the device has a bracket which is adapted to be fitted between the door and door frame of a vehicle.

8. A device according to claim 3 or any claim dependent thereon, wherein the top half of the mast is ribbed externally in order to receive rib rings which locate and carry the flag or pennant to keep the flag or pennant in a particular disposition, and also enabling the rings readily to be removed from the top of the mast.

9. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the mast is long enough to take two or more flags.

10. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the mast is extendable.

11. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the device is attachable by means of an adhesive pad or adhesive pads.

12. A device according to claim 11, wherein the pad or pads has or have adhesive coated faces protected by release paper which is removed to enable the device to be applied to a vehicle.

13. A car location device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.