Patent ID: 7861443

Claim:
An identification tag that is adapted to be attached to a collar ring, comprising: a generally cylindrical molded tag body that defines two generally flat end faces and further defines a pair of closed-end recesses that are close to one another and generally parallel to the end faces and a generally flat, curved tag body side wall between the recesses, the recesses defining enlarged openings where they intersect at the sidewall and that are larger than the portion of the recess just below the opening, the tag body at least in part made from a thermoplastic elastomer; and a pliable plastic clip that is generally â€œUâ€ shaped, with a closed end that fits loosely over the collar ring and defines a continuous generally smooth and generally flat surface along the inside of the closed end and an open end defined between two generally flat, generally parallel, pliable arms that project from the closed end, the arms each defining a hook at its distal end, and an insertion stop along its length that is wider than the portion of the arm adjacent and distal to the insertion stop, the insertion stops located in the enlarged openings of the recesses to prevent further insertion of the arms into the recesses and thereby define the maximum insertion of the arms into the recesses, the insertion stops spaced from the closed end so as to leave sufficient space between the closed end and the tag body side wall when the arms are fully inserted into the recesses so as to capture the collar ring and provide free space between the collar ring and the closed end of the clip to loosely couple the tag body to the collar ring such that the tag body dangles freely from the collar ring, to releasably couple the tag body to the collar ring while allowing free movement of the tag body that is coupled to the collar ring via the clip; wherein the tag body recesses are generally slotted, and are slightly larger than the clip arms so that the clip arms can be moved laterally within the recesses during both coupling and decoupling of the clip to the tag body, and wherein the tag body defines two transverse cavities, one communicating with each slotted recess and complementary to the hooks on the clip arms and located such that when the clip arms are pushed into the body recesses up to the insertion stops, the hooks seat in the transverse cavities, to releasably lock the clip to the body; wherein the clip can be released from the tag body without damage to either the clip or tag body by simultaneously squeezing the arms together to thereby release the hooks structures from the transverse cavities and thus release the arms from the recesses, and pulling the clip and the tag body away from one another to withdraw the arms from the recesses.