Abstract:
A handle with advertising areas is an advertisement display device for use on the poles in bus, subway, and so on. The device can be installed on and removed from a handrail easily and can help people hold on easier and better than on handrail. This device has a fixing part and a handle part connecting by a knitting strip ring. The device has five gaps to hold advertisement sheets and dispensing tracts. Advertisement sheet and tracts can be removably inserted into a gap. Each tract has an exposed end outside the handle part for people to take it out. Fastening members are provided for clamping the multi-piece device onto a handrail.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to a handle with advertising areas which can be fixed on a handrail in places like subway and bus. In particular, this invention relates to a device allowing people to hold on more easily than on handrail while it relates a device to hold for both stable advertisements and dispensing tracts. 
         [0003]    2. The Prior Art 
         [0004]    When people take bus or subway, they usually feel bored and seek for anything can draw their attention, like advertisements. Also because of the huge amount passengers, advertisements in bus or subway become an effective and important way for companies to broadcast their desired information to customers and clients. Currently advertisements inside bus or subway are usually placed on window or in the corner of ceiling and wall. However, there are many drawbacks for current advertisement forms like this inside bus or subway. First of all, the advertisement area is limited to the places like windows or walls. Secondly, advertisements may be too far for people with visual defects to see. Thirdly, during the rush hour, most people cannot see the advertisement because other people may block their view. Last but not least, even when people are interested in the information conveyed by a particular advertisement, they are unlikely to put down any anything, like company name, phone number, and website; hence, usually people will not remember the advertisement they saw after they get off. Because of these reasons, current form of advertisements in bus or subway fails to be a strongly efficient way of transmitting information to passengers. 
         [0005]    Advertisement device clamping on pole has previously been seen. Prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,443, SHOPPING CART HANDLE ADVERTISING DISPLAY DEVICE, describes an advertising display device that can clamp onto the handle of a shopping cart. 
         [0006]    Bus handle or strip which can be fixed on handrail in a bus has also been utilized widely nowadays. When people hold on pole, sweaty palms may be slippery and cause danger. Also in winter, people feel cold when hold on pole. Pole handle has been seen previously. Current handrail handle can help standing people in bus to hold better and more comfortable. 
         [0007]    However, until now, there has not been seen a handrail handle device with advertising areas in a bus or subway, especially the idea of a device for holding both stable advertisements and dispensing tracts. Accordingly, there is a need for handles with advertising areas to be installed on handrail in bus or subway, because it realizes a more effective way of advertising comparing with the current advertisement forms, which have previous mentioned drawbacks, in bus and subway, while it enables people in bus or subway to hold on more easily and comfortably. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    It is an object of the invention to provide a better way for people to hold on than poles do. This invention contains an upper part, as the fixing part, and a lower part, as the handle part. The bottom portion of handle part has a shape fitting people&#39;s hand. Connecting by knitting strip ring, upper part and lower part can connect within any relative angle, so people can hold the handle part in any direction they prefer. 
         [0009]    It is another object of the invention to allow advertisements to display on an existing handrail in bus or subway. Accordingly, the present invention employs several parts which can clamp onto existing pole while allow both stable advertisements and dispensing tracts to be inserted into gaps. 
         [0010]    It is yet another objective of the invention to provide an advertisement device that is attractive and highly visible. Accordingly, the brackets are preferably made of transparent plastic, such as polycarbonate, so as to allow people to see the advertisement inserted inside the frame. Fixed on pole, this invention allows the advertisements inside to be presented to passenger in various directions. 
         [0011]    It is a further object of the invention to realize a more effective way of advertising. Besides stable advertisement, the present invention allows dispensing tracts to be placed inside and to be taken away by people. The tracts can be anything desired, as long as it can be inserted into gaps, such as coupons and business card of contact information. With a disposed end outside the frame, a tract can be taken out by people without disturbing other presenting advertisements inside. 
         [0012]    The invention is a handle with advertisement areas, for use in conjunction with an existing handrail inside bus or subway. The present invention comprises a multipiece body which, preferably, has a fixing part and a handle part that are connected by a knitting strip ring. The fixing part includes, in the preferred embodiment, two identical frames in complementary shapes fitting to a handrail. The two frames of a fixing part are fixed by three fasteners, one of which also connects to the knitting strip ring. The fixing part has to on gaps on each frame to hold advertisement sheets. The handle part, in preferred embodiment, has a double-side advertisement displacement area combines a handle portion at the bottom in the shape of fitting people&#39;s hands. At the middle top of the handle part, a hole allows the knitting strip ring to go through. The handle part, preferably, has three gaps in the advertisement area: the middle gap can be used for holding dispensing tracts, while the other two can be used for holding stable advertisement sheets. A dispensing tract has an exposed end, which allows people to take it out without disturbing other the advertisements inside or the handle device. 
         [0013]    To the accomplishment of the above and related objects the invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Attention is called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only. Variations are contemplated as being part of the invention, limited only by the scope of the claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    In the drawings, like elements are depicted by like reverence numerals. The drawings are briefly described as follows. 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  is a bottom view and front view of a preferred fixing frame, accompanying with left section views of the whole fixing part which comprises two identical fixing parts fitting together. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a right view, and front view of a preferred fixing part, accompanying with bottom section views of the whole fixing part with comprises two identical fixing parts fitting together. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a left view of the fixing part being selectively mounted onto a handrail and connected to a knitting strip ring and a handle part. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a top view of the fixing part being selectively mounted and connected to a knitting strip ring and handle part. 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the fixing part being selectively mounted onto a handrail and connected to a knitting strip ring and a handle part. 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a front view of the fixing part mounted onto a pole and connected to a knitting strip ring and a handle part. 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the whole present invention being used in conjunction with a handrail in bus or subway, while stable advertisements and dispersing tracts are placed inside frames. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0022]    The present invention is generally shown in  FIG. 5 . A fixing part has two identical fixing frames  30  and  50  placed in opposite direction with shape complementary to each other and fitting to the handrail  90 . The handle part  10  is an integrated part with a hole  12  for knitting strip ring  20  to go through. Both fixing part (frames  30 ,  50 ) and handle part  10  are molded from a suitable transparent material like plastic. 
         [0023]    Fixing frame  50  has two fastener receptacles  51 A and  52 B at the front face  1 A. Receptacle  51 A is located generally at upper left of front face  1 A. Receptacle  52 A is located generally at upper right of front face  1 A. A fastener receptacle has an internal receiving bore formed therein through which a fastener can be received. More specifically, fastener receptacle  51 A has receiving bore  51 B formed therein. A suitable fastener, such as screw  71 A, is passed through receptacle  51 A and receiving bore  51 B. A corresponding receiving bore  32 B and receptacle  32 A are formed in fixing frame  30 . Fastener  71 A is passed through receiving bore receiving bore  51 B and then into receiving bore  32 B and receptacle  32 A. A locking nut  71 B is used to lock fastener  71 A in place. Similarly, screw  72 A passes through receptacle  52 A and receiving bore  52 B into receiving bore  31 B and receptacle  31 A. A locking nut  72 B is used to secure screw  72 A in place. Because fixing frame  50  and  30  are identical but in opposite direction, the relative position of  31 A,  31 B,  32 A, and  32 B to fixing frame  30  is the same as  51 A,  51 B,  52 A, and  52 B to fixing frame  50 . 
         [0024]    Other type of fasteners may be used such as rivets, self-tapping screws and the like. 
         [0025]      FIG. 4  shows the top view (viewing down at top face  2 A and  2 B) of the present invention being mounted.  FIG. 4  further depicts the manner in which the fixing frames  50  and  30  are composed by fasteners  71 A,  72 A, and  73 A. Fastener  71 A goes through receptacle  51 A, bore  51 B in fixing frame  50  and then bore  32 B, receptacle  32 A in fixing frame  30 . Fastener  72 A goes through receptacle  52 A, bore  52 B in fixing frame  50  and bore  31 B, receptacle  31 A in fixing frame  30 . Fasteners  71 A and  72 A are secured by locking nut  71 B in receptacle  32 A and  72 B in receptacle  31 A respectively. 
         [0026]    After fixing frames  30  and  50  are clamped on pole  90 , receptacle  33 A, bores  33 B and  33 C in fixing frame  30  will be in the same line as receptacle  53 A, bores  53 B and  53 C in fixing frame  50 . Then fastener  73 A can go through receptacle  33 A and receiving bore  33 B in fixing frame  30 , bore  53 C in fixing frame  50 , knitting strip ring  20 , bore  33 C in fixing frame  30 , and receiving bore  53 B and receptacle  53 A in fixing frame  50 . A locking nut  73 B, placed in receptacle  53 A, will secure fastener  73 A. Notice that a small cylindrical shall (not drawn), in the material like plastic, can be placed between fastener  73 A and knitting strip ring  20  to reduce abrasion of knitting strip ring caused by long-term use. 
         [0027]      FIG. 3  shows the left-side view (viewing rightward at left face  3 A on fixing frame  50  and right face  4 B on fixing frame  30 ) of the present invention being mounted.  FIG. 3  further depicts the manner in which the fixing frame  50  and  30  are camped onto handrail  90 . With semicircular-like shape, groove  54  in fixing frame  50  and groove  34  in fixing frame  30  form an empty space similar to a cylinder between fixing frames  50  and  30 . This empty cylindrical space allow handrail  90  to go through, and further, frames  50  and  30  to be fixed on handrail  90 . In addition, a gasket (not drawn), such as grooved rubber gasket, can be placed between fixing part and handrail  90  to ensure that fixing part is fixed firmly and tightly on pole  90 . 
         [0028]      FIGS. 1 and 2  shows the shape of a fixing frame in detail and how two identical fixing frames,  30  and  50  in opposite direction, can be composed to each other.  FIG. 1  shows the bottom view and front-view of fixing frame  50  along with corresponding left view of cross sections S 1 A, S 2 A, S 3 A, S 4 A, S 5 A, S 6 A and S 7 A after composing fixing frames  50  and  30  together.  FIG. 2  shows the right view and front view of fixing frames  50  and  30  along with the corresponding bottom view of cross section S 1 B, S 2 B, S 3 B, S 4 B, and S 5 B after composing fixing frames  50  and  30  together. As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , fixing frame  50  has protruding parts  55 A and  55 B, and receding part  56 A,  56 B,  57  and  58 ; similarly, fixing frame  30  has protruding parts  35 A and  35 B, and receding part  36 A,  36 B,  37  and  38 . Notice that fixing frame  50  and  30  are identical but in opposite direction. So relative positions of  55 A,  55 B,  56 A,  56 B,  57 , and  58  to fixing frame  50  is the same as that of  35 A,  35 B,  36 A,  36 B,  37  and  38  to fixing frame  30 . When composed fixing frames  50  and  30  together, protruding part  55 A fits into receding part  36 B as shown in section views S 1 A, S 2 A, S 4 B, and S 5 B; receding part  56 A receives protruding part  35 B as show in section view S 3 A, S 4 B, and S 5 B; protruding part  55 B fits into receding part  36 A as shown in section views S 5 A, S 4 B, and S 5 B; and receding part  56 B will receive protruding part  35 A as show in section view S 5 A, S 6 A, S 4 B, and S 5 B. Receding parts  57  and  37  together form a cuboid space allow knitting strip ring  20  to go through and reach the cuboid space formed by receding parts  58  and  38 . In cuboid space formed by receding parts  58  and  38 , knitting strip ring  20  is went through by fastener  73 A as shown in  FIG. 6 . In addition, receptacles  54  and  34  will form an empty cylindrical like space to low pole  90  to for fixing flames  50  and  30  clamping onto it, as shown in SA 1  to SA 7  and SB 3 . Receptacle  51 A, bore  51 B, bore  32 B, and receptacle  31 A lay in the same line, as shown in S 3 A and S 2 B; Receptacle  52 A, bore  52 B, bore  31 B and receptacle  31 A lay in the same line, as shown in S 5 A and S 2 B; Receptacle  53 A, bore  53 B, bore  33 C, bore  53 C, bore  33 B, and receptacle  33 A lay in same line, as shown in S 4 B. Depicted previously, a shape of fixing frame like this allows two identical fixing frames,  50  and  30  in opposite direction, complementary fitting to each other, clamping onto handrail  90 , and connecting to knitting strip ring  20 . 
         [0029]    Gaps G 1  and G 2  are in fixing frame  50  and  30  respectively; Gaps G 3 , G 4  and G 5  are in handle part  10  ( FIG. 3 ). The present invention has gaps G 1  to G 5  to hold stable advertisement sheets and dispensing tracts. Because the fixing frames  50  and  30  and handle part  10  are made of transparent material, like plastic, advertisement sheets in gaps G 1 , G 2 , G 3  and G 5  can be viewed from outside. If advertisements are placed in Gaps G 3  and G 5 , gap G 4  is invisible form outside. G 4  is preferred to be used as a gap to hold dispensing tracts like coupons or business cards of contact information. The length of two dispensing tracts in same level is preferred to be longer than the length of handle part  10  so that people can hold the exposed end of tracts and take it out form handle part  10 . Notice that additional frame (not shown in FIGS), like a slice of plastic, can be placed into gap G 4  to better hold tracts in positions. In other applications, the gaps G 1  to G 5  can hold anything desired to be displayed or handed around. 
         [0030]    The entire present invention as assembled on the handrail  90  is shown in  FIG. 6  (with no advertisement sheets or tracts) and  7  (with advertisement sheets and tracts). Handrail  90  is part of the handrails in a bus or subway. As in  FIG. 7 , two stable advertisement sheets  80 As are placed in gaps G 1  and G 2 ; other two stable advertisement sheets  80 Bs are placed in gaps G 3  and G 5 . Dispensing tracts  80 Cs are placed in gap G 4  with exposed ends lying outside handle part  10 . In  FIG. 7 , one of the dispensing tracts  80 Cs with contact information is being taken out from handle part  10 . Notice that advertisement sheets and dispensing tracts should be produced fitting the size of gaps so that they can be easily placed in and replaced from gaps G 1  to G 5 . People can hold on handhold portion  15 , which has been shaped fitting people&#39;s hands, in any direction because handle part  10  and fixing part are connect by knitting strip ring  20 . 
         [0031]    The present invention is provided which may be easily adopted to any handrail in buses or subways by simply clamping the two fixing frames  50  and  30 , and be easily inserted the advertisement sheets and tracts as desired into gaps. Advertisements sheets and tracts can be changed regularly without disturbing the device. The present invention allows people to read advertisements in it and take tracts away if desired, which allows a more effective way of transmitting information from advertisements to people. 
         [0032]    While we have illustrated and described a present preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto and may be otherwise variously practiced within the scope of the following claims.