Patent Abstract:
A tire display placard includes a belt, a bracket and a graphic holder panel. The bracket is adapted to be secured to a tire by the belt. The panel is releasably connected to the bracket. The panel may be rotatably connected to the bracket to allow written indicia on the panel to be rotatable around.

Full Description:
[0001]     The present invention relates to a tire display placard. Specifically the invention is an apparatus that mounts to a tire and includes a display panel.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Wholesale and retail display of tires for sale is historically very unsophisticated. Typically, tires are stacked or displayed in different fashions. Those tire displays may be accompanied by a written description, specification, price, etc. displayed on a proximate wall plaque or stand-alone cardboard poster. In some cases, there may be sticker or decal on the tire itself displaying information regarding the tire or its price. Unfortunately, the tires themselves can be a difficult substrate on which to adhere a decal or other written material.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Accordingly, it is object of the present invention to overcome the drawbacks with prior tire display systems. The present invention is a simple solution wherein a display panel is connected to a bracket that is further attached and mounted directly onto a tire with a belt. In this way, information regarding a specific tire can be mounted on the tire itself.  
         [0004]     In one embodiment, a tire display placard comprises a belt having a fastening device. A bracket comprises a slot adapted to allow the belt to be threaded therethrough and also comprises a mounting aperture. A graphic holder panel comprises a front surface adapted to display written indicia and a back surface comprising a male extension adapted to be removably inserted into the mounting aperture of the bracket. The tire display placard may further include a plug adapted to engage the male extension of the panel and releasably secure the panel to the bracket. The male extension of the panel and the mounting aperture may be substantially round so that the panel is rotatably connected to the bracket by the male insert&#39;s engagement with the portion of the bracket defining the aperture. The fastening device may comprise a hook secured to one end of the belt and a plurality of holes in the opposite end of the belt from the hook. In this way, the length of the belt may be varied by inserting the hook into different ones of the holes. The bracket may further comprise a plurality of prongs on the side of the bracket opposite the side of the bracket onto which the graphic holder panel is mounted. The belt may be comprised of a rubber strap or an elastic strap.  
         [0005]     In an alternative embodiment, a tire display placard comprises a belt having a means for fastening. The display placard may further include a bracket comprising means for receiving the belt, the bracket further comprising means for mounting a graphic holder panel. A graphic holder panel may comprise a front surface adapted to display written indicia and a back surface comprising means for connecting the panel to the mounting means. The mounting means and connecting means may be substantially round. The belt may be comprised of an elastic strap and it may further be comprised of means for adjusting its length. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]      FIG. 1  is an exploded, perspective view of an embodiment of a tire display placard in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0007]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  are bottom and side views respectively of a graphic holder panel in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0008]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  are bottom and side views respectively of a bracket in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0009]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  are top and side views respectively of a plug in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0010]      FIG. 5  is a side elevation, cross sectional view of an assembly including a graphic holder panel, bracket and plug in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0011]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a tire display placard in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention as mounted onto a tire.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0012]      FIG. 1  displays a perspective view of a tire display placard comprised in primary components of a belt  10 , a bracket  11 , a graphic holder panel  12 , and a plug  13 . Bracket  11 , graphic holder panel  12  and plug  13  are shown in more detail in  FIGS. 2A-5 . The like numbers reference the like aspects and components of those primary features of the tire display placard.  
         [0013]     The belt  10  is the component which effectively attaches the entire placard assembly to a tire. The belt  10 , in one embodiment, is made of an elastic material such as rubber. The belt  10  includes a fastening device that, as shown in  FIG. 1 , is a hook  20  attached to one end of the belt and holes  21  formed in the other end of the belt. The belt  10  is wrapped around a tire and the hook  20  is inserted into a correct hole  21  that is appropriate for the given diameter of the tire about which the placard assembly will be mounted. Other fastening devices may be used to adjust the length of the belt including, for instance, a hook and loop type fasteners, or snaps, or any other similar device for fastening. In one embodiment, the belt is approximately one inch wide and is made of {fraction (3/32)} of an inch thick rubber.  
         [0014]     The bracket  11  serves two primary purposes. The bracket  11  includes a slot  25  or slots to receive the belt  10  in order to secure it around a tire. The bracket  11  further is the base onto which a graphic holder panel  12  is removably attached. As shown, the bracket  11  includes two slots  25  that receive the belt  10 . As noted, only one, or alternatively, three or more slots could be used in order to receive the belt  10  and secure the bracket  11 . The bracket  11  further defines a mounting aperture  26 . As shown, the aperture  26  is substantially circular; however, it could be made of any shape. The overall bracket  11  is shown in this embodiment as being generally rectangular. However, the bracket  11  could be any shape. The bracket  11  includes a first surface  28  that is adjacent the graphic holder panel  12 . A second surface  29  is adjacent a tire when mounted onto a tire. Prongs  27  are molded or fixed into the bracket  11  along the face of the second surface  29  in order to securely grip onto the surface of a tire.  
         [0015]     The graphic holder panel  12  is made up of a front surface  34  and back surface  33 . The front surface  34  is adapted to display written indicia, typically an advertisement, specification, or other written material regarding the tire onto which the apparatus is mounted. The front surface  34  is shown as rectangular in shape in this embodiment, but it may be any shape. The front surface  34  is shown as being flat in this embodiment, but it may alternatively be curved or textured in order to impart any desirable marketing or advertising effects. The written indica may include simple written terms, or it may include more involved graphics detail. The back surface  33  of the panel  12  includes a male extension  31  that is adapted to be removably inserted into the mounting aperture  26 . The extension  31  includes an annular lip  35  which provides a friction fit and locking effect with the aperture  26 . An exemplary interconnection between the male extension  31  and the aperture  26  is demonstrated in  FIG. 5 . Bumps  32  are also molded into the back surface  33  of the panel  12 . These bumps  32  will come into contact with the front surface  28  of the bracket  11  and prevent the free rotation of the panel  12 .  
         [0016]     The plug  13  is shown as being circular in shape. Of course, any shape that locks the plug  13  with the panel  12  into the bracket  11  may be used. The plug  13  has an extension  40  that includes an annular lip  41  that locks the plug  13  into place with the extension  31  of the graphic holder panel  12 . Again, an example of the interconnection of the plug  13  with the graphic holder panel  12  and bracket  11  is shown in  FIG. 5 .  
         [0017]     As demonstrated in the embodiment shown, the aperture  26  and male extension  31  are circular to allow the rotation of the graphic holder panel  12 . In this way, the panel  12  may be rotated around with respect to the tire onto which the entire apparatus is mounted. In other words, in the example of a rectangular panel  12  as shown, the panel  12  may be rotated into a generally horizontal or a generally vertical position. Other shapes of the graphic holder panel may also be used and the circular interconnection allows for that free rotation for display purposes.  
         [0018]      FIG. 6  illustrates a display placard as it would appear on a tire shown in broken lines. The graphic holder panel  12  is visible to a potential purchaser. The belt  10  is sized according the dimensions of the tire  50 .  
         [0019]     While the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that numerous variations, modifications and additional embodiments are possible, and accordingly, all such variations, modifications, and embodiments are to be regarded as being within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6