Patent Publication Number: US-10783812-B1

Title: Flag display device

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to flags and devices for displaying flags and more particularly to a flag display device that fully displays a flag regardless of the presence of wind and/or in the dark. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Conventional cloth and nylon flags are flown or displayed by attaching grommets of a flag to a vertical mast or flag pole via a rope and/or hooks. A flag, particularly the American flag, conveys a powerful message and provides an aesthetic beauty when wind is present and the flag is flying fully extended in all of its glory. 
     Unfortunately, conventional flags simply droop and fail to provide all of their intended benefits when wind is not present. An additional problem occurs at night when the flag is not visible due to darkness. Both wind and light are the two main requirements for properly displaying a conventional cloth flag. 
     Therefore, a need exists for a flag display device that fully displays a flag regardless of the presence of wind and/or in the dark. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary object of the present invention is to provide a flag display device that fully displays a flag regardless of the presence of wind and/or in the dark. 
     The present invention fulfills the above and other objects by providing a flag display device having a preferably teardrop-shaped vertical mast that is mountable to a surface, such as a surface of a boat, from where the vertical mast extends upward and terminates at a top end. A preferably teardrop-shaped top horizontal support arm extends perpendicularly from the vertical mast below the top end of said vertical mast. Likewise, a preferably teardrop-shaped bottom horizontal support arm extends perpendicularly from the vertical mast below the top horizontal support arm. 
     The top horizontal support arm and the bottom horizontal support arm are parallel to each other and are spaced apart to support at least one rigid or non-rigid display panel having a design located thereon wherein the design may be printed and/or at least one cutout forming said design. For example, the display panel may have an American flag printed on one or more surfaces. Likewise, the display panel may have an American flag design cutout so that negative spaces or cutout portions form the stars and stripes of the American flag. 
     The flag display device preferably has at least one display light source, such as an LED, located on a bottom surface of the top horizontal support and/or at least one display light source located on a top surface of the bottom horizontal support arm. The at least one display light source may be powered by a hard wired energy source and/or at least one rechargeable battery powered by at least one solar or photovoltaic panel. The at least one display light source may shine light onto an exterior surface of a display panel or shine light through the display panel from an interior space created when there are two display panels as described below. 
     The top horizontal support arm and bottom horizontal support arm may support two display panels that are spaced apart to provide space for at least one display light source to be positioned between the two display panels. The two display panels may be supported in positions that form a corresponding tear-drop shape with the top horizontal support arm and the bottom horizontal support arm. Said display panels may be translucent and/or have one or more cutouts to allow light pass through to illuminate the display panels at night. 
     The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention should become even more readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described illustrative embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the following detailed description, reference will be made to the attached drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of a flag display device of the present invention in use on a stationary boat with no wind present; 
         FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of the flag display device; 
         FIG. 3  is a rear perspective view of the flag display device thereof; 
         FIG. 4  is a right side view of the flag display device thereof; 
         FIG. 5  is a left side view of the flag display device thereof; 
         FIG. 6  is a front view of the flag display device thereof; 
         FIG. 7  is a rear view of the flag display device thereof; 
         FIG. 8  is a top plan view of the flag display device thereof; 
         FIG. 9  is rear perspective view of the flag display device further illustrating a display light source and engagement of at least one rigid panel thereto; 
         FIG. 10  is a sectional view along lines A-A of  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 11  is an exploded rear perspective view of the flag display device further illustrating a display light source and engagement of at least one rigid panel thereto; and 
         FIG. 12  is a right side plan view of the flag display device thereof. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     For purposes of describing the preferred embodiment, the terminology used in reference to the numbered accessories in the drawings is as follows:
           1 . flag display device, generally     2 . boat     3 . display panel     4 . vertical mast     5 . bottom end of vertical mast     6 . top end of vertical mast     7 . top horizontal support arm     8 . bottom horizontal support arm     9 . top edge of display panel     10 . bottom edge of display panel     11 . design     12 . bottom mounting plate     13 . top mounting plate     14 . top surface of top horizontal support arm     15 . bottom surface of top horizontal support arm     16 . distal end of top horizontal support arm     17 . top surface of bottom horizontal support arm     18 . bottom surface of bottom horizontal support arm     19 . distal end of bottom horizontal support arm     20 . attachment means     21 . channel     22 . display light source     23 . solar panel     24 . retaining means     25 . navigation light       

     With reference to  FIG. 1 , a side view of a flag display device  1  of the present invention in use on a stationary boat  2  with no wind present is illustrated. The flag display device  1  supports a preferably rigid rectangular-shaped display panel  3 , having a flag or other design thereon, regardless of the presence of wind and/or in the dark. A bottom end  5  of a vertical mast  4  is mounted to a surface of the boat  2  and extends upward prior to terminating at a top end  6  thereof. At least one display panel  3  is supported between a top horizontal support arm  7  and a bottom horizontal support arm  8  that engage a top edge  9  of the at least one display panel  3  and a bottom edge  10  of the display panel  3 , respectively. The at least one display panel  3  is preferably interchangeable to allow a user to select between multiple display panels  3  each having a unique flag, indicia or other design  11  being displayed thereon. As illustrated herein, the at least one display panel  3  comprises an American flag as the design  11  being presented. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 2-7 , multiple views of a flag display device  1  of the present invention are illustrated. The flag display device  1  comprises a preferably teardrop-shaped vertical mast  4  having a bottom end  5  and a top end  6 . A bottom mounting plate  12  is preferably located on the bottom end  5  of the vertical mast  4  to provide a means for mounting said vertical mast  4  to a mounting surface, such as a boat  2 . A top mounting plate  13 , such as a cap, is preferably located on the top end  6  of the vertical mast  4  to provide a means for mounting one or more accessories, to the top end  6  of the vertical mast  3 , as further illustrated in  FIG. 12 . 
     A preferably teardrop-shaped top horizontal support arm  7  having a top surface  14  and a bottom surface  15  extends perpendicularly from the vertical mast  4  below the top end  6  of said vertical mast  4  and terminates at a distal end  16  thereof. Likewise, a preferably teardrop-shaped bottom horizontal support arm  8  having a top surface  17  and a bottom surface  18  extends perpendicularly from the vertical mast  4  below the top horizontal support arm  7  and terminates at a distal end  19  thereof. 
     The top horizontal support arm  7  and bottom horizontal support arm  8  are parallel to each other and are spaced apart to support at least one display panel  3  having a design  10  thereon wherein said design may be printed and/or the design may be formed from at least one cutout. Said at least one display panel  3  is preferably interchangeable and secured to the top horizontal support arm  7  and bottom horizontal support arm  8  via at least one attachment means  20 , such as a channel  21  that engage the top edge  9  of the at least one display panel  3  and a bottom edge  10  of the display panel  3 , respectively, as illustrated in  FIG. 10 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 8 , a top plan view of a flag display device  1  of the present invention is illustrated. The vertical mast  4 , top horizontal support arm  7  and bottom horizontal support arm  8  are each preferably substantially teardrop-shaped when looking a top profile or bottom profile. The teardrop-shape provides decreased wind resistance when the flag display device  1  is in motion on a boat  2  or other moving object. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 9-11 , a perspective rear view and a sectional view of an illuminated flag display device  1  of the present invention are illustrated. The flag display device  1  comprises a vertical mast  4  having a bottom end  5  and a top end  6 . A bottom mounting plate  12  is preferably located on the bottom end  5  of the vertical mast  4  to provide a means for mounting said vertical mast  4  to a mounting surface, such as a boat  2 . A top mounting plate  13 , such as a cap, is preferably located on the top end  6  of the vertical mast  4  to provide a means for mounting one or more accessories, to the top end  6  of the vertical mast  4 , as illustrated in  FIG. 12 . 
     A preferably teardrop-shaped top horizontal support arm  7  having a top surface  14  and a bottom surface  15  extends perpendicularly from the vertical mast  4  below the top end  6  of said vertical mast  4  and terminates at a distal end  16  thereof. Likewise, a preferably teardrop-shaped bottom horizontal support arm  8  having a top surface  17  and a bottom surface  18  extends perpendicularly from the vertical mast  4  below the top horizontal support arm  7  and terminates at a distal end  19  thereof. 
     At least one display light source  22 , such as an LED, may be located on the top horizontal support arm  7  and/or on the bottom horizontal support arm  8 . The at least one display light source  22  is preferably located on the bottom surface  15  of the top horizontal support arm  7  and/or the top surface  17  of the bottom horizontal support arm  8 . The at least one display light source  22  may be powered by a hard wired energy source and/or a rechargeable battered powered by at least one photovoltaic solar panel  23 . 
     Said at least one display panel  3  is preferably interchangeable and secured to the top horizontal support arm  7 , bottom horizontal support arm  8  and/or vertical mast  4  via at least one attachment means  20 , such as a u-shaped channel  21  that engages the top edge  9  of the at least one display panel  3  and the bottom edge  10  of the display panel  3 , respectively. A retaining means  24 , such as a pin, bolt, screw, and do forth may be used to lock the at least one display panel  3  within the channels  21 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 12 , a right side plan view of the flag display device  1  of the present invention is illustrated. The flag display device  1  comprises a preferably teardrop-shaped vertical mast  4  having a bottom end  5  and a top end  6 . A bottom mounting plate  12  is preferably located on the bottom end  5  of the vertical mast  4  to provide a means for mounting said vertical mast  4  to a mounting surface, such as a boat  2 . A top mounting plate  13 , such as a cap, is preferably located on the top end  6  of the vertical mast  4  to provide a means for mounting one a navigation light  25  or other accessory, such as an antennae and so forth, to the top end  6  of the vertical mast  3 . The mast  4  is preferably hollow to allow wiring to be run to the navigation light  25  and/or to the at least one display light source  22 . 
     It is to be understood that while a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and drawings.