Abstract:
A placard holder device that removeably holds for display an informational placard that can be viewed through the windshield of a parked vehicle, and which enables simple and quick manual repositioning into a stored position that does not obstruct the line of sight through the windshield. Only a single action step is needed to make the placard visible or invisible. The device features: a frame that removeably holds the placard for display, a mounting body having a hinged connection to the frame, a clasp distal to the hinged connection for releasably clasping the frame to the body, and a clip for removable attachment to a visor of the vehicle. Examples of informational placards include: handicapped or parking passes; identifications of a parked vehicle of a member of the media/press, or of a delivery service; placards that display information about a vehicle at a car show or dealership.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to placard holders for use in vehicles and, more particularly, for said holders which are removeably attached to a visor, releasably hold the placard, and which enable positioning the placard either in view or not in view according to the desire of the user. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Currently, many informational placards are required to be displayed and easily viewed through the windshield of parked vehicles for various reasons. Some placards, such as handicapped parking permits, are required by law to be displayed in a visible and easy way to identify the vehicle as being legally parked in its designated space. Other placards, such as media/press and delivery, are used to identify the purpose of a parked vehicle, and some other placards, such as in car shows and car lots, are used to display features of a parked vehicle. 
   In such cases, these placards are temporarily displayed, and since most of them are hung onto the post of the rearview mirror, they are required by law to be removed while the vehicle is in operation due to the danger associated with blocking the driver&#39;s line of sight. Since most of these placards are made from thin, rather fragile materials, displaying and removing them frequently will cause damage to them, especially under extremes of hot and cold that can be present throughout the seasons of the year. Also, removing a placard before driving may cause it to be lost since the driver may lay it down or store it in various places about the vehicle. 
   Prior art devices are exemplified by a Placard Support For Vehicle Visor disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,081 (Shedd; 2001) which requires that a base ( 16 ) be attached to a surface of a visor, for example using adhesively applied hook and loop attachment strips ( 18 ). Shedd&#39;s device also includes a pivot connection ( 24 ) between a corner of the base and a corresponding corner of the placard or preferably a placard retainer body ( 34 ) having one or more clips ( 22 ) which grasp the top portion of the placard. Thus there are two steps for displaying the placard: one is to pull down the visor, and a second step is to rotate the placard around the pivot. 
   Several disadvantages of devices such as Shedd&#39;s are apparent. Either the base or at least one side of the base attachment strips are permanently attached to the visor marring its appearance, and complicating installation of the device as well as requiring base attachments on every visor to which the user may wish to mount the placard while moving the placard from one car to another or from the driver&#39;s visor to the passenger&#39;s visor. Such an attachment is not practical for use in borrowed or leased vehicles, and adhesive attachment likely will not work on visors having uneven and/or fabric surfaces. Placards such as handicapped signs tend to curl and to become brittle under hot and cold conditions, thereby interfering with pivoting the placard across the parallel surface of the base. Shedd&#39;s retainer body grips only the top portion of the placard, thereby making it likely that the placard will slip from the retainer clips as the placard is pushed around the pivot. Also, the retainer body covers the view of the top portion of the placard, which may be a problem for placards that display information all the way to the top of the placard. Finally, the two step operation of positioning the placard for display is inconvenient. 
   Therefore it is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive, easy to use placard display device for vehicles. The device should be easily moved from one vehicle or visor to another. Ease of use should involve only one action step to either display or hide the placard. The holder should enable easy insertion/removal of a variety of placard sizes and shapes. The placard should be removeably held in a transparent frame that will help prevent placard deterioration and that will display the informational graphics on at least one face of the placard. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   According to the invention, a placard holder for mounting on a visor in a vehicle is disclosed wherein the holder comprises a mounting body hingedly connected to a display frame that holds a placard; and wherein the mounting body comprises: an elongated base extending from a hinge to a frame clasp that is spring biased to releasably clasp the display frame against the base when the display frame is swung on the hinge into the frame clasp; and a visor clip on the opposite side of the base from the frame clasp, the visor clip being spring biased toward the base for spring clipping the mounting body onto the visor, thereby removeably mounting the placard holder on the visor. 
   Further according to the invention, the frame clasp is located at an end of the elongated base distal to the hinge and is oriented for clasping an end of the display frame distal to its hinge connection. In a preferred embodiment, the mounting body is made of formed wire; and the hinge comprises a hinge loop formed at the hinge end of the elongated base and a mating hinge hole formed at the hinge end of the display frame such that the hinge loop loosely passes through the mating hinge hole. 
   Further according to the invention, the display frame comprises a planar front, a planar back, and a spring biasing the front against the back for removeably holding the placard between the front and the back; wherein the front is transparent such that information on the placard is displayed through the front. Even further, the display frame is a single sheet of material that is folded over on itself such that one folded edge is the bias spring of the display frame. In a preferred embodiment, the front and back are elongated such that the back extends beyond one elongated end of the front; the hinged connection is between the extended portion of the back and the mounting body; and an edge of the front is curved away from the back for easing insertion of the placard into the display frame. 
   According to the invention, the placard holder further comprises a single length of springy material that is formed into a clasp at a first end, then extends to form a planar base, then is looped to form a body portion of the hinge, and then finally is curved back to form a spring clip at a second end, opposite the first end, of the springy material. In a preferred embodiment, the single length of springy material is metal; and the display frame is a single length of transparent plastic sheet material that is folded over on itself to form a front and a back that are springingly held together by a folded edge. 
   According to the invention, a placard holder for mounting on a visor in a vehicle is disclosed wherein the holder comprises: an elongated mounting body having an elongated base with a frame clasp at a first end of the base and a first portion of a hinge at a second end of the base distal to the first end; a visor clip for removeably mounting the holder on the visor, the visor clip positioned on a first side of the plane of the base, opposed to the frame clasp which extends away from the opposed second side of the plane of the base; a display frame with a back, a front, and a spring that biases the back against the front for removeably holding the placard; and a second portion of the hinge at an end of the display frame, the second portion mating with the first portion of the hinge for hingedly connecting the display frame to the mounting body. 
   Further according to the invention, the display frame is shaped and positioned such that it can hingedly swing into the frame clasp for releasably clasping the display frame against the second side of the base; and the frame clasp has a spring that biases the display frame against the base when the display frame is pushed into the frame clasp, and that opposes pressure which can be applied by a user to the frame clasp for unclasping the display frame. 
   Further according to the invention, the display frame front is transparent for displaying information on a placard that is removeably held in the display frame. 
   Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent in light of the following description thereof. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Reference will be made in detail to preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing figures. The figures are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Although the invention is generally described in the context of these preferred embodiments, it should be understood that it is not intended to limit the spirit and scope of the invention to these particular embodiments. 
     Certain elements in selected ones of the drawings may be illustrated not-to-scale, for illustrative clarity. The cross-sectional views, if any, presented herein may be in the form of “slices”, or “near-sighted” cross-sectional views, omitting certain background lines which would otherwise be visible in a true cross-sectional view, for illustrative clarity. 
     Elements of the figures can be numbered such that similar (including identical) elements may be referred to with similar numbers in a single drawing. For example, each of a plurality of elements collectively referred to as  199  may be referred to individually as  199   a ,  199   b ,  199   c , etc. Or, related but modified elements may have the same number but are distinguished by primes. For example,  109 ,  109 ′, and  109 ″ are three different elements which are similar or related in some way, but have significant modifications. Such relationships, if any, between similar elements in the same or different figures will become apparent throughout the specification, including, if applicable, in the claims and abstract. 
     The structure, operation, and advantages of the present preferred embodiment of the invention will become further apparent upon consideration of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a placard holder in an opened state, all according to the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a front view of the opened holder of  FIG. 1  wherein the holder is removeably attached to a vehicle visor and showing a placard being removed from the holder, all according to the invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of the holder of  FIG. 1  but in a closed state and wherein the holder is removeably attached to a vehicle visor, all according to the invention; and 
       FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of two of the holders of  FIG. 1 , illustrating two exemplary methods of displaying a placard using the holder according to the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring now to the drawings, the Figures show various views of one embodiment of the inventive placard holder  100 , wherein the illustrated embodiment implements features of the invention using a formed wire body  10  and a thermoformed transparent plastic display frame  20 . Given the teachings of the present disclosure it will become apparent that functional equivalents of the inventive features described herein can be implemented in many different shapes and forms and materials, all of which are intended to be within the scope of the present invention. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1-3  and particularly to  FIG. 1 , the inventive placard holder  100  is seen to have a mounting body  10  hingedly connected to a display frame  20 . In this embodiment, the body  10  is made of formed wire  11  that is somewhat springy (e.g., spring steel wire). The mounting body  10  includes an elongated base  18 . At one end of the base  18  the body&#39;s portion of a hinge  32  is provided by forming a pair of hinge loops  14  that extend downward a short distance determined by the thickness of the display frame  20 . Above the base  18  a clip portion  12  is formed in such a way that there is a downward spring bias sufficient to grip (clip onto) a common range of thicknesses for a visor  2  (not part of the invention) as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , thereby gripping the visor  2  between the clip portion  12  and the base  18 . At the end of the base  18  distal to the hinge  32 , a clasp portion  16  is formed at a distance determined by the length of the display frame  20  such that when the holder  100  is in a closed state as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , an edge (e.g., folded end  24 ) of the display frame  20  is clasped by the clasp portion  16 . The clasp portion  16  extends downward a short distance determined by the thickness of the display frame  20 , and has a spring bias toward the hinge  32  such that when folded up, the display frame  20  is spring clasped between the clasp portion  16  and the hinge  32 . Also because of the springy nature of the clasp portion  16 , it is a simple matter to release the display frame  20  by pushing the clasp portion  16  upward and/or outwards, thereby allowing the frame  20  to hingedly swing down to change the holder  100  from a closed state as in  FIG. 3  to an opened state as in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . It should be noted that an equivalent clasping functionality could be achieved, for example, by a spring biased clasp portion that engages with a side edge (e.g., open edge  29 ) of the display frame  20  and therefore would not require as long a base  18 . 
   Still referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , the display frame  20  has a back  22  and a front  26  that are joined by a spring biased edge  24  such that the back  22  is biased against the front  26  in order to grip a placard  4  (not part of the invention) that is inserted between the front  26  and the back  22 . In this embodiment the display frame  20  is made of plastic, for example transparent thermoformed acrylic sheet material that is folded over on itself along one edge  24 . If formed properly, there will be enough space allowed between the front  26  and back  22  to accommodate a typical range of placard thicknesses. The plastic material should have enough flexibility to provide a spring bias at the folded edge  24 . Although preferably a fold at the bottom edge as shown, the spring bias edge  24  could be, for example, along part or all of any of the display frame&#39;s edges, or for example, it could take the form of a separate spring clip  24  (not a fold) that provides the desired functionality of biasing the front  26  against the back  22 . The front&#39;s top edge, for example, can have an optional insertion lip  28  that diverges outward for easing insertion of a placard  4  between the front  26  and the back  22 . The frame&#39;s portion of the hinge  32  is provided by forming hinge holes  30  at the top edge of the back  22  in positions corresponding to the positions of the hinge loops  14  such that each hinge loop  14  can loosely pass through the corresponding (mating) hinge hole  30 . In other words, the hinge hole  30  is bigger than the wire  11  of the hinge loop  14  by enough of a margin to enable easy, nonbinding movement of the display frame  20  around the hinge loop  14 . 
   At least the front  26  and preferably also the back  22  is transparent such that information  8  (graphics, possibly including text) on at least a front side  6  of the placard  4  will be visible when the placard  4  is placed in the display frame  20 , i.e., pushed through an open edge  29  between the front  26  and the back  22  as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . It is desirable to have a transparent back  22  because that allows more flexibility in the use of the holder  100 . For example, a placard  4  having display information  8  on both sides  6  could be simultaneously viewed from both the front and the back of a vehicle. For example, the holder  100  can be clipped (removeably attached) with the hinge  32  being at either the front (pivot) edge or the back (free) edge of the visor  2 . When the hinge  32  is at the front edge of the visor  2 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , then the placard information  8  will be visible through the transparent front  26 . When the hinge  32  is at the back edge of the visor  2  (not shown) then the placard information  8  will be visible through the transparent back  26  providing that the holder  100  is opened to let the display frame  20  hang down from the back edge of the visor  2 . Of course the “transparent” functionality of the front  26  and/or the back  22  can also be provided, for example, by using an opaque picture frame-like rectangle with a cutout open center (e.g., sheet metal with a center portion cut out to be an open window). 
     FIG. 2  shows the inventive placard holder  100  in an open state with the clip portion  12  clipped over the visor  2  and the display frame  20  hanging down from the hinge  32 . 
     FIG. 3  shows the inventive placard holder  100  in a closed state with the clip portion  12  clipped over the visor  2  and the display frame  20  held against the base  18  under the visor  2  by the clasp portion  16 . 
     FIG. 4  shows two examples of usage for the inventive placard holder  100 . On the driver&#39;s visor  2   b  the holder  100  is removeably attached to the visor  2   b  by means of the clip portion  12  shown passing over the top of the visor  2   b  which is raised into its normal stored position, and the display frame  20  has been unclasped and allowed to hingedly swing down to an open state hanging from the hinge  32  and displaying the placard  4  in the display frame  20  such that the placard  4  is viewable through the front windshield of the car. To take the placard  4  out of view, the display holder  20  would be swung up and pressed into the clasp portion  16 . On the passenger&#39;s visor  2   a , the holder  100  is similarly attached to the visor  2   a , but the display frame  20  is clasped between the clasp portion  16  and the hinge  32 , thereby holding the display frame  20  against the underside of the visor  2   a . In this case, the visor  2   a  has been lowered to an un-stored (in use) position, thereby positioning the display frame  20  such that the placard  4  is viewable through the front windshield of the car. To take the placard  4  out of view, the visor  2   a  would be raised to its stored position. 
   It should be apparent that the inventive placard holder  100  is very easy to use. A placard (e.g.,  4 ) can be changed or moved between holders  100  by simply sliding it into any of the open (unfolded) edges  29 , especially one that has the optional insertion lip  28 . The placard holder  100  can be removeably attached to any visor  2  (e.g., passenger&#39;s visor  2   a  or driver&#39;s visor  2   b ) simply by pushing the clip portion  12  onto any edge of the visor  2 . To move a placard  4  from one vehicle to another, the holder  100  with the placard  4  in it can be simply pulled off of the visor  2  in the one vehicle and pushed onto any one of the visors  2  in the other vehicle. When the placard holder  100  is removed from a visor  2 , there won&#39;t be any unsightly attachment means left on the visor  2 , such as adhesive or Velcro or a screw hole, etc. as with prior art holders. Finally, use of the placard holder  100  after it has been removeably attached to a visor  2  involves a quick and simple single step method. To display a placard  4  that is in the holder  100 , either push on the clasp portion  16  to allow the display frame  20  to swing down, or lower the visor  2 . To hide the placard  4  that is in the holder  100 , either swing up the display frame  20  into the clasp portion  16  (if the visor  2  is raised), or raise the visor  2 . 
   Thus it can be seen that the inventive placard holder  100  as disclosed herein has a number of advantages including:
         Inexpensive.   Easy, simple, low effort usage.   Can be moved from one car to another easily.   One action to display placard, and one to store it out of sight.   Placard is enclosed in a frame that accommodates a variety of placard sizes.   Placard is enclosed in a frame that helps prevent placard warping, curling, or embrittling due to temperature variations and sunlight exposure.   A handicapped permit, parking permit, press pass, delivery identifier, car feature listing, for sale sign, and any other temporarily displayed placard can be easily displayed and easily stored into an invisible location (note legal requirement that a handicapped placard must be removed while driving so that the placard doesn&#39;t interfere with the driver&#39;s view).       

   These and possibly other advantages of the placard holder  100  are attained through the use of novel features in combination as disclosed, the inventive features including: a mounting body  10  with a frame clasp (e.g.,  16 ), a first portion (e.g.,  14 ) of a hinge (e.g.,  32 ), and a visor clip (e.g.,  12 ); plus a display frame  20  with a spring bias (e.g., folded edge  24 ) that biases a back  22  against a front  26 , and a mating second portion (e.g.,  30 ) of the hinge (e.g.,  32 ) that hingedly connects the display frame  20  to the mounting body  10 . 
   Although the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character—it being understood that only preferred embodiments have been shown and described, and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected. Undoubtedly, many other “variations” on the “themes” set forth hereinabove will occur to one having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention most nearly pertains, and such variations are intended to be within the scope of the invention, as disclosed herein.