Patent Publication Number: US-11393362-B2

Title: Flooring sample tagging system

Description:
CLAIM FOR PRIORITY 
     This application claims the priority of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/629,190, filed Feb. 12, 2018, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated into the present application by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Technical Field 
     This disclosure is directed to apparatus and systems for tagging carpet samples and similar flooring items so that they may be cataloged and easily located. Such taggers could be conveniently made from plastic or metal. Such items are referred to generally in this application as “taggers.” 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
       Non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure are described by way of example in the following drawings, which are schematic and are not intended to be drawn to scale: 
         FIGS. 1A and 1B  show perspective views of a first embodiment of a tagger.  FIG. 1C  is a side view of the same embodiment. 
         FIGS. 2A and 2B  show perspective views of a label window for the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B .  FIG. 2C  is a side view of the same window. 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  show perspective views of a second embodiment of a tagger. 
         FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C  show plan views of the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B . 
         FIGS. 5A and 5B  show perspective views of a third embodiment of a tagger. 
         FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C  show plan views of the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 5A and 5B . 
         FIGS. 7A and 7B  show perspective view of fourth embodiment of a tagger. 
         FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C  show plan views of the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 7A and 7B . 
         FIGS. 9A and 9B  show perspective views of an embodiment of a label for a tagger. 
         FIGS. 10A, 10B, 10C and 10D  show plan views of an embodiment of a transparent label window for a tagger. 
         FIGS. 11A and 11B  show perspective views of an embodiment of a label assembly for a tagger, assembled from a label and a label window as shown in  FIGS. 9A, 9B and 10A-10D . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiments of the claimed improvements are described in the following description in this specification, along with corresponding drawings. The taggers depicted here may be made of plastic or metal, or some combination thereof. 
     A first embodiment  100  of a tagger is shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 . This first embodiment  100  is adapted for use with soft carpet samples, usually, a single layer of carpet.  FIGS. 1A-1B  depict the first embodiment  100  in perspective view, and  FIG. 1C  depicts the first embodiment  100  in side plan view. The first embodiment  100  comprises a body plate  110 , which body plate  110  is integral with an arcuate lip  120  that can curve about the carpet sample. Interior to the arcuate lip  120 , ridges  150  are disposed on the plate  110  for gripping a carpet sample. The body plate  110  preferably has a label window holder  130  recessed into the surface of the body plate  110 , wherein a transparent label window  1000  (described below) can be snap-fitted. The body plate  110  has at least one first indentation  160  along a first edge of recessed label window holder  130 , and at least one second indentation  170  along the opposite edge thereof for receiving a transparent label window  1000 , in the manner describe more fully below. 
     The arcuate lip  120  of the first embodiment also preferably has an outward-facing recess  140  to receive an identification marker  200 , preferably color-coded, so that the carpet sample held by the first embodiment can be identified when placed in a stack of similar samples. 
       FIGS. 2A and 2B  show the identification marker  200  associated with the first embodiment  100 . The identification marker  200  has a generally arcuate shape to correspond with the arcuate lip  120  of the first embodiment  100 , so that the arcuate lip  120  can receive the identification marker  200  in a snap fit. Such a snap fit may be enabled by grips  210  on the inward side of the arcuate curve of the identification marker  200 , as shown in  FIG. 2C . Preferably, the identification marker  200  may be color-coded so that particular samples held by the first embodiment may be identified and distinguished. 
     A second embodiment  300  of the tagger is shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . This second embodiment  300  is adapted to be placed about sections of wood flooring.  FIGS. 3A and 3B  show perspective views of the second embodiment  300 , and  FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C  show, respectively, top, side, and plan views of the second embodiment  300 . 
     The second embodiment  300  has generally a lower gripping arm  310 , and an upper gripping arm  320 , and a connecting arm  330  connecting the lower gripping arm  310  and the upper gripping arm  320 . The lower gripping arm  310  and the upper gripping arm  320  are spaced apart by the connecting arm  330  a distance to provide a snug fit with a typical wood flooring sample. Disposed on the upper gripping arm  320  of the second embodiment  300  is a label window connector  340 , for connecting a label window holder  900  (discussed below) to the upper gripping arm  320 . The label window connector  340  has a plurality of notches  350  about its substantially circular rim, for connecting with a label window holder  900 . (The label window connector  340  may have a recess  360  formed as part of a manufacturing process and shown in the figures, but the recess  360  is not relevant to the claims of this disclosure.) 
     A third embodiment  500  of the tagger is shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . This third embodiment  500  is adapted to be placed about samples of hard-surface flooring other than wood flooring.  FIGS. 5A and 5B  show perspective views of the third embodiment  500 , and  FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C  show, respectively, top, side, and plan views of the third embodiment  500 . 
     The third embodiment  500  has generally a lower gripping arm  510 , and an upper gripping arm  520 , and a connecting arm  530  connecting the lower gripping arm  510  and the upper gripping arm  520 . The lower gripping arm  510  and the upper gripping arm  520  are spaced apart by the connecting arm  530  a distance to provide a snug fit with a typical hard-surface flooring sample. Disposed on the upper gripping arm  520  of the third embodiment  500  is a label window connector  540 , for connecting a label window holder  900  (discussed below) to the upper gripping arm  520 . The label window connector  540  has a plurality of notches  550  about its substantially circular rim, for connecting with a label window holder  900 . (The label window connector  540  may have a recess  560  formed as part of a manufacturing process and shown in the figures, but the recess  560  is not relevant to the claims of this disclosure.) 
     A fourth embodiment  700  of the tagger is shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . This fourth embodiment  700  is adapted to be placed about samples of hard-surface flooring other than wood flooring, similar to the third embodiment above, but in this case where the sample is stored and displayed vertically.  FIGS. 7A and 7B  show perspective views of the fourth embodiment  700 , and  FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C  show, respectively, top, side, and plan views of the third embodiment  700 . 
     The fourth embodiment  700  has generally a lower gripping arm  710 , and an upper gripping arm  720 . The lower gripping arm  710  and the upper gripping arm  720  are spaced apart by a label window connector  740  a distance sufficient to provide a snug fit with a typical hard-surface flooring sample. The label window connector  740  is adapted for connecting a label window holder  900  to the fourth embodiment  700 . The label window connector  740  has a plurality of notches  750  about its substantially circular rim, for connecting with a label window holder  900  described next. (The label window connector  740  may have a recess  760  formed as part of a manufacturing process and shown in the figures, but the recess  760  is not relevant to the claims of this disclosure.) In this fourth embodiment, therefore, the plane of the label window holder  900  is perpendicular to the plane of the flooring held between the lower gripping arm  710  and the upper gripping arm  720 . 
       FIGS. 9A and 9B  show in perspective a label window holder  900  adapted to be connected to any of the second, third, or fourth embodiments described above. The label window holder has a holder plate  910 ; the holder plate  910  having a front side  920  and a rear side  930 . The rear side  910  of the holder plate  910  has fingers  940  sized to engage the notches  350  of the second embodiment  300 , or the notches  550  of the third embodiment  500 , or the notches  750  of the fourth embodiment, as the case may be, when the holder plate  910  is positioned against one of the label window connectors  340 ,  540 , or  740  described above and twisted to engage any of the respective notches  350 ,  550 , or  750  of the same. 
     The front side  920  of the label window holder  900  has a recess  950  for receiving a transparent label window  1000  (described following) by snap fit. The front side  920  of the label window holder  900  has at least one first indention  960  along a first edge thereof and at least one second indention  970  along the opposite edge thereof for receiving a transparent label window  1000 ). 
     In intended use, the label window holder  900  would be provided with a printed label describing the flooring which it holds, where the printed label (not shown) is placed within the recess  950  thereof. Preferably, the printed label is protected against damage by a transparent label window  1000 , as shown in  FIGS. 10A-10D .  FIG. 10A  shows a typical front surface  1010  of the transparent label window  1000 , and  FIG. 10B  shows the reverse side  1020  of the transparent label window  1000 . On the reverse side, along a first edge of the transparent label window  1000 , is at least one first protrusion  1030  for engaging with the first indentations  960  in the label window holder  900 . On the reverse side, along a second edge of the transparent label window  1000  is at least one second protrusion  1040 , for engaging with the second indentation  970  of the label window holder  900 , so that the transparent label window  1000  may snap fit into the label window holder  900  and cover any printed material therein. 
     Further, the transparent label window  1000 , scaled in size appropriately, may snap fit into the label window  130  described in connection with the first embodiment above. 
       FIGS. 11A and 11B  show an assembly  1100  of a label window holder  900  and a transparent label window  1000 , where  FIG. 11A  is a perspective view of the front side  1110  of such an assembly  1100  and  FIG. 11B  is the rear side  1120  of such an assembly  1100 . 
     None of the description in this application should be read as implying that any particular element, step, or function is an essential element which must be included in the claim scope; the scope of patented subject matter is defined only by the allowed claims. Moreover, none of these claims are intended to invoke 35 U.S.C. Section 112(f) unless the exact words “means for” are used, followed by a gerund. The claims as filed are intended to be as comprehensive as possible, and no subject matter is intentionally relinquished, dedicated, or abandoned.