Abstract:
A clipping display device for use on hats, comprising a base and a clip for suspending the device along the brim of a hat. The device further comprises a top or billboard element attached to the base for displaying advertisement, logos, messages and other visual indicia. A neck element may be provided to connect the billboard element to said base. A front panel provided at a front end of the base balances the device and may also incorporate visual indicia. The device may optionally include interlocking elements for stringing multiple clips for forming a larger or more extensive message.

Description:
[0001]     This application claims the priority date of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/784,530 filed on Mar. 21, 2006, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to a visual display for use on consumer products. More specifically, the invention relates to a hat clip that displays visual indicia.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     A primary object of the present invention is to provide a portable clip for displaying indicia.  
         [0004]     It is a further objection of the present invention to provide a hat clip that comprises a miniature billboard for displaying advertisement, logos, messages and other visual indicia.  
         [0005]     Additional objectives will be apparent from the description of the invention that follows.  
         [0006]     In its broadest aspects, the invention comprises a base and a clip attached to the base for clipping the device to hats, clothing, bags and/or other objects. When utilized as a hat clip, depicted as a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the device is typically attached to the brim or bill of a hat, i.e. a baseball hat, visor or any other suitable hat with a cap or a brim. The device further comprises a neck for connecting the base to a generally upward/vertically oriented top or billboard that carries the payload advertising, and a front panel attached to the base. Multiple hat clips, for example, for displaying indicia may also be attached to a hat to create a longer or more extensive message. The device may optionally comprise interlocking elements at the sides of the billboard and/or the base for this purpose. The front panel balances the weight and allows the device to stand on its own, which is desirable for placing the device on a surface such as a desk in an upright position. Furthermore, the front panel can be permanently emblazoned with the same type of indicia as the billboard of the device. Thus, the device has multiple possible uses in creative mobile advertising, including applications such as promotional giveaways. Likewise, the device may also be worn by restaurant clerks, delivery couriers and other commercial entities to advertise new products and/or services. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]     With reference to the figures,  
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the hat clip for displaying indicia of the present application;  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the hat clip of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is a rear (back) view of the hat clip of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  is a top view of the hat clip of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  is a bottom view of the hat clip of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0013]      FIG. 6  is a side view of the hat clip of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0014]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of the hat clip of  FIG. 4 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the billboard of the hat clip of the present application;  
         [0016]      FIG. 9  is a front view of the billboard of  FIG. 8 ;  
         [0017]      FIG. 10  is a top view of the billboard of  FIG. 8 ;  
         [0018]      FIG. 11  is a bottom view of the billboard of  FIG. 8 ;  
         [0019]      FIG. 12  is a rear (back) view of the billboard of  FIG. 8 ;  
         [0020]      FIG. 13  is a side view of the billboard of  FIG. 8 ;  
         [0021]      FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of the billboard of  FIG. 9 ;  
         [0022]      FIG. 15  is a perspective view of the hat clip showing the use of the hat clip on a hat;  
         [0023]      FIG. 16  is a front view of the hat clip showing the use of the hat clip on a hat;  
         [0024]      FIG. 17  is a rear (back) view of the hat clip showing the use of the hat clip on a hat;  
         [0025]      FIG. 18  is a top view of the hat clip showing the use of the hat clip on a hat;  
         [0026]      FIG. 19  is a bottom view of the hat clip showing the use of the hat clip on a hat;  
         [0027]      FIG. 20  is a side view of the hat clip showing the use of the hat clip on a hat;  
         [0028]      FIG. 21  is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of  FIG. 18  of the hat clip in use on a hat;  
         [0029]      FIG. 22  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the hat clip with a rotatable billboard; and  
         [0030]      FIG. 23  is a perspective view of one possible attachment of the billboard to the base. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0031]     With reference to  FIGS. 1-7  and  FIG. 23 , and as shown in use on a hat in  FIGS. 15-22 , a preferred embodiment of the hat clip  10  has a base  20  and a clip  30  connected to one side of the base  20  at the bottom surface thereof. The hat clip  10  is preferably flexible and adapted to retain a surface of a hat, such as an outwardly extending brim, between the base  20  and the clip  30 . The hat clip  10  is preferably flexible enough to accommodate a wide range of hat brims and the like having varying degrees of thickness. The hat clip  10  is capable of being physically relocated to different locations along a brim or bill without having to be removed or re-clipped.  
         [0032]     The hat clip  10  preferably includes a neck  40  connected to the upper surface of the base  20  which supports a top or billboard  50 . Alternatively, a clip may be provided on the opposite side of the base  20  at the upper surface thereof in addition to or instead of the clip  30  as depicted in the drawings such that a clip is provided on the same side of the base  20  as the neck  40 . The billboard  50  carries the payload of the hat clip, such as actual team logos, advertisements, peace signs, “smiley faces” and/or other markings, decorative grooves and visual indicia that may be provided in or on the billboard area. Visual image areas of the billboard  50  (and panel  60 , discussed below) may be decorated with printed stickers, spray painting, engraving, screen printing, pad printing and other methods known in the art. It should also be understood that the billboard  50  may be connected directly to the base  20  without a neck  40 . It should further be understood that other types of display elements and devices may be utilized in place of or in addition to the billboard depicted in the drawings. Some examples are provided below.  
         [0033]     The hat clip  10  preferably includes a front panel  60  connected at the front side of the base  20  opposite the opening between the base  20  and the clip  30 . The front panel  60  primarily serves to balance the weight of the hat clip  10  when it is clipped to a hat, and the front panel  60  likewise allows the hat clip  10  to stand or rest on its own for storage or decorative display when the hat clip  10  is placed on a generally even surface, such as a shelf or a desk. Although the front panel  60  primarily serves to balance the weight of the clip  10 , the panel  60  may also comprise markings, decorative grooves and visual indicia on its surface.  
         [0034]     The base  20  may include a cutout  70 , as most clearly illustrated in  FIGS. 4-5 ,  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 23 , to reduce the overall weight of the hat clip  10  and the amount of material necessary to manufacture it. In addition, the hat clip  10  preferably has no sharp edges in order to prevent injury and damage to the hat, other apparel or objects with which it is utilized. Providing a cutout  70  is also useful in reducing unwanted wear and tear and/or deformation of the hat or material in the location where the hat chip  10  is attached. Likewise, an alternative embodiment of the hat clip  10  with a cutout  70  may provide a portion of the clip  30  (such as the end thereof proceeding through the cutout  70  to create a more firm connection between the hat clip  10  and the brim or other surface to which it is attached.  
         [0035]     The billboard  50  of the hat clip  10  may be integrally molded or mounted on the neck  40  of the hat clip  10 , so that the billboard  50  is permanently attached to the base  20 . The hat clip  10  may be injection molded to achieve that result, or the respective parts may alternatively be attached together by sonic-welding, glue, heat fusion or other suitable methods of manufacture. The hat clip  10  is preferably manufactured from plastic, but any other durable, lightweight materials, and even metals, alloys and combinations of metals and non-metals, may also be used instead of or in addition to plastics.  
         [0036]     The top or billboard  50  is preferably permanently attached to the base  10  by a snapping connection. The top  50  can assume a rectangular, square, circular, oval or any other suitable geometric or non-geometric shape. The custom shapes include a shape of a football jersey, a ribbon for charity, an airplane, a three-dimensional figurine or object, or any custom image. The tops  50  could also be manufactured of varying sizes, where the base  20  and other parts of the clip  10  can be correspondingly enlarged to support the top  50 . Alternatively, the top  50  may be attached to the base by using bolts, pins, hinges, magnets, sonic welding, or any other attachment means well known in the art. The top may also slide in and out on rails.  
         [0037]     In an alternative embodiment, a different type of connection may be provided that allow for a selectively removable connection of the top to the base such that different/multiple tops may be utilized as desired by a user for increased versatility. In this embodiment, the top would be designed to be interchangeable or customized. This is accomplished by having the neck of the hat clip separate approximately in the middle. The top may have a male element and the base a cooperating female element for connecting the parts of the neck. The connection is preferably such that the top is rotatable around the vertical axis of the neck. In this embodiment, the top can display indicia on two sides of the top panel (front and back).  
         [0038]      FIG. 24  illustrates a preferred method of attachment of the billboard  50  to the neck  40 . The neck  40  has an opening  41  accepting a cooperating element  43  of the billboard  50 . The side of the base  20  where the clip  30  is located preferably has a slot  45  between the clip  30  and the front panel  60 , and the element  43  preferably has wings  47  received by the slot  45  to secure the billboard  50  to the base  20  by a “snap-in” connection. The element  43  may be rectangular, or it may be cylindrical in its cross-section so as to be able to rotate around its vertical axis, enabling the billboard  50  to be rotated by a user or even by the wind in instances where the connection creates less friction.  
         [0039]      FIG. 7  and  FIG. 23  illustrate another possible attachment of the billboard  50  to the neck  40 . The neck  40  has a recess  42 , cooperating with a protrusion  44 , as shown in  FIGS. 8-14 , extending from the billboard  50 . The recess  42  accepts the protrusion  44  to form the neck  40  with a uniform appearance. Alternatively, as illustrated in  FIG. 22 , the neck  40  positioned on the base  20  may have a receptacle that accepts a cooperating element  46  connected to the billboard  50  so that the billboard  50  is rotatably movable around the vertical axis of the neck  40  and the element  46 . An example of such a connection is a plug or a pin connected to or formed with the element  46  and inserted into a cooperating opening in the neck  40 .  
         [0040]      FIGS. 15-21  illustrate the attachment of the hat clip  10  to a hat and the use of the hat clip  10 . The hat clip  10  is typically attached to a hat by positioning the hat cap between the base  20  and the clip  30  of the hat clip  10 . The front panel  60  is therefore located in front of the hat cap as shown in  FIGS. 15-16 . The payload of the top or billboard  50  is then visible to the public. The hat clip  10  may also be attached on the sides of a hat with a bill or brim. In the embodiment of the present invention where a top or billboard  50  is rotatably attached to the base  20 , the position of the top or billboard  50  can be adjusted by rotating it left-to-right and right-to-left as shown in  FIG. 22 . In yet another embodiment of the hat clip  10 , the rotatable top  50  may be motorized, preferably actuated by a very small electric motor, thus being capable of rotating with the indicia displayed without user intervention.  
         [0041]     Although the invention has been described in terms of particular embodiments, the embodiments are merely illustrative of an application of the principles of the invention. Numerous modifications may be made and other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Such alternatives may include modification of the clip such that it may attach to other forms of clothing and consumer products.