Patent CA-2950258-A1 (CA)
Inventor: HEINZLMEIR DANNY M
IPC: F16N3/12
Filed: 2016-12-01
Abstract: Items, such as plastic cartridges, when inserted into their dispensing device, end up concealing the identity of the product, as the cartridge and the information printed on it is entirely enclosed within the dispensing device. As the product often remains in its dispensing device for days, weeks or even months, the end user can easily forget the type of product contained within the dispenser, especially when more than one person uses the dispenser. For example, grease guns (Fig 4); once the grease cartridge is inserted into its dispensing device, the grease gun, the cartridge is entirely concealed. Some mechanic shops have resorted to color coding their grease guns to help identify the product and avoid confusion and misuse. Also, with today's safety standards, legal liability, employee's right to know legislation and substantial variety of product chemistry, manufacturers and uses, it is important that product manufacturers, as well as employers using such products, convey as much information to the end user as possible. The present invention ends the confusion by conveying product information to the end user with an easy to use identification and information providing device called the Cartridge Split Ring Information Tag.  The Cartridge Split Ring Information Tag (Fig 1 and Fig 2, 1) is detachably attached to a cartridge (Fig 1, 4), as a removable extension of the cartridge (Fig 1, 5), for the purpose of providing product identification and information to users of the product. The Cartridge Split Ring Information Tag consists of an inner (8) and outer (9) circular plane surface in the form of a cylindrical ring (Fig 2), detachably attached to the cartridge by means of two thinner weakened areas molded into the plastic cartridge in the form of a line (Fig 1, 2 and 6). The first weakened line (Fig 1, 2) extends between top (Fig 1, 6) and bottom circular plane edge (Fig 1, 7) while the second weakened line (Fig 1, 6) extends around the circumference of the plastic cartridge to enable separation of the tag from the cartridge. Both weakened lines can be separated by tearing the weakened line (Fig 1, 2 and 6) by hand or cutting with mechanical appliance, to form a split across the circular plane surface (Fig 2, 10) and enable separation from the cartridge at figure 1, 6. Once the tag is removed from the cartridge, the split (Fig 2, 10) enables the tag to be expanded, allowing placement onto the larger dispensing device, as shown in figure 4. The tag is held in place by its natural tendency to return to its original molded shape, thereby gripping the dispensing device. The separable ring ensures the tag can be securely attached to the cartridge for shipment to the end user (Fig. 1) and is then able to be removed from the cartridge for placement onto the dispensing device (example, Fig 4). The contents of the dispensing device and any additional information required are now readily available to the user by referencing the information printed on the Cartridge Split Ring Information Tag. By producing the tag as part of the cartridge, extra manufacturing steps can be eliminated; the tag is made and printed at the same time as the cartridge. The Cartridge Split Ring Information Tag is a variation of the Split Ring Information Tag patent application 2,945,216; both wholly owned by the same applicant.