Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This patent application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/310,962, filed Mar. 21, 2016, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Vehicle owners, such as individuals, businesses, and other entities, often desire to modify the appearance of their vehicle to have desired aesthetic features not provided by the vehicle manufacturers. For example, individuals may desire to add logos or symbols representative of their favorite sports team to their vehicle; businesses may desire to add the name or logo of their business to the vehicle; and/or the like. Moreover, individuals may periodically desire to remove or change the aesthetic features added to their vehicle, for example, to support a different sports team. 
         [0003]    Accordingly, a need exists for aesthetic features that may be removed, modified, and/or replaced from a vehicle to provide a desired aesthetic feature for vehicle owners. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0004]    Various embodiments are directed to a vehicle insignia that may be secured relative to a vehicle body panel or other planar surface. The vehicle insignia comprises an easily replaceable aesthetic feature that enables a user to quickly and easily change the look and feel of the insignia by replacing the aesthetic features secured therein. For example, a user can quickly change the insignia from advertising their personal business to advertising their favorite sports team by simply replacing the aesthetic feature within the insignia. 
         [0005]    In various embodiments, the vehicle insignia comprises an insignia base (e.g., a plastic insignia base) having a planar base surface configured to be secured to a vehicle body panel and an opposite top surface, wherein the top surface is circumscribed by a base frame extending away from the top surface to define an inset portion within the base frame; an attachment plate secured within the inset portion of the top surface, wherein the attachment plate comprises a ferrous metal plate; and a detachable aesthetic insert comprising a magnet, wherein the detachable aesthetic insert is magnetically secured to the attachment plate. The base surface of the insignia base may comprise a fastener, such as an adhesive sheet, configured to secure the insignia base to the vehicle body panel. Accordingly, the aesthetic insert may be quickly and easily replaced while the insignia base remains secured relative to the vehicle body panel. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  shows various components of a replaceable vehicle insignia in a disassembled configuration according to one embodiment; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  shows various components of a replaceable vehicle insignia in an assembled configuration according to one embodiment; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  shows an insignia base according to one embodiment; and 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  shows a cross-sectional view along lines A-A of the insignia base illustrated in  FIG. 3 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. 
         [0012]    Various embodiments are directed to a vehicle insignia having an interchangeable aesthetic insert that may be secured relative to a base. The base may be secured relative to a support surface, such as a vehicle body panel (e.g., a trunk lid, a tailgate, a hood, and/or the like). In various embodiments, the base may be secured to the support surface via a non-removable fastener (e.g., glue, attachment pins, double-sided tape, and/or the like). The aesthetic insert may be secured relative to base via a detachable fastener (e.g., a magnet) such that the aesthetic insert may be quickly and easily interchanged with other aesthetic inserts. 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  illustrates a vehicle insignia  1  in a disassembled configuration according to various embodiments. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the vehicle insignia  1  comprises an insignia base  10  and an aesthetic insert  20 . In the illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the insignia base  10  defines a planar base surface (visible in the cross-sectional view of  FIG. 4 ) and an opposite top surface. The top surface comprises a base frame  11  circumscribing the top surface and defining an inset portion (visible in  FIG. 4 ) within the base frame  11 . In the illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the vehicle insignia  1  comprises an attachment plate  12  secured within the inset portion and surrounded by the base frame  11 . The attachment plate  12  may be configured to be secured relative to the aesthetic insert  20 . With reference briefly to  FIG. 4 , the insignia base  10  may additionally comprise a support attachment fastener  13  (e.g., an adhesive sheet) secured relative to the planar base surface of the insignia base  10  configured to secure the insignia base  10  relative to a support surface (e.g., a vehicle body panel). 
         [0014]    In the illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the base frame  11  comprises a non-magnetic material (e.g., a plastic material) and the attachment plate  12  comprises a magnetic material (e.g., a ferrous metal, such as iron). The base frame  11  may comprise a light-weight plastic material in order to limit the overall weight of the base frame  11 . Moreover, the base frame  11  may have any desired aesthetic appearance, such as a reflective (e.g., chrome-like) surface, a matte surface, a gloss surface, and/or the like. Moreover, the attachment plate  12  may comprise one or more coatings in order to increase the durability of the attachment plate  12 . For example, the attachment plate  12  may comprise a rust-inhibiting coating in order to prevent the attachment plate  12  from rusting. 
         [0015]    In various embodiments, the aesthetic insert  20  may be configured to be secured relative to the attachment plate  12 . The aesthetic insert  20  may have a size and shape corresponding to the attachment plate  12 , such that the aesthetic insert  20  at least substantially covers the entirety of the attachment plate  12  while remaining within and/or aligned with the inset portion of the insignia base  10 . Accordingly, in various embodiments, the aesthetic insert  20  may comprise an aesthetic layer (illustrated in  FIG. 1  as having a printed, painted, or otherwise indicated star shape) and an attachment layer secured relative to the aesthetic layer. For example, the aesthetic insert  20  may comprise a magnetic layer configured to removably engage the attachment plate  12  such that the aesthetic insert  20  is secured relative to the insignia base  10 . The magnetic layer may define a back surface secured relative to the insignia base  10  and an aesthestic surface on which the aesthetic layer is secured (e.g., by directly printing the aesthetic layer onto the magnetic layer, by painting the aesthetic layer onto the magnetic layer, by adhering the aesthetic layer onto the magnetic layer, and/or the like). Although the aesthetic insert  20  is shown as having a two-dimensional aesthetic feature, various embodiments may comprise an aesthetic insert  20  having a three-dimensional aesthetic feature, for example a logo having one or more features protruding from the surface of the aesthetic insert  20 . 
         [0016]    The aesthetic insert  20  may be configured to be secured to the attachment plate  12  of the insignia base  10  such that the aesthetic insert  20  does not undesirably move relative to the insignia base  10  when the insignia  1  is subject to external forces, such as those associated with movement of a motor vehicle upon which the insignia  1  is secured. Moreover, the aesthetic insert  20  may be configured to remain secured to the attachment plate  12  regardless of orientation of the insignia  1 . For example, the aesthetic insert  20  may remain secured to the attachment plate  12  while oriented at least substantially vertically (e.g., while secured to a tailgate of a vehicle), and/or while oriented horizontally such that the aesthetic insert  20  is below the attachment plate  12  (e.g., while secured to an open tailgate of a vehicle). 
         [0017]    Moreover, the size and shape of the aesthetic insert  20  (e.g., the shape and surface area of the attachment layer) may be at least substantially equal to the size and shape of the attachment plate  12 . Accordingly, when the aesthetic insert  20  is secured relative to the insignia base  20 , the attachment plate  12  is not visible (as shown in  FIG. 2 ). Thus, the resulting insignia  1  may provide an appearance that the aesthetic insert  20  is a continuous portion of the insignia base  10 . 
         [0018]      FIG. 3  illustrates the insignia base  10  without a corresponding aesthetic insert  20 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the insignia base  10  may comprise a base frame  11  having a raised edge surrounding the attachment plate  12 . The raised edge surrounding the attachment plate  12  may facilitate placement of the aesthetic insert  20  relative to the attachment plate  12  such that the aesthetic insert  20  at least substantially covers the entirety of the attachment plate  12 . 
         [0019]      FIG. 4  illustrates a sectional view of the insignia base  10  illustrated in  FIG. 3  along section lines A-A. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the raised edge of the base frame  11  may comprise an at least substantially triangular ridge extending around the entirety of the perimeter of the attachment plate  12  however the raised edge of the base frame  11  may have any of a variety of cross-sectional shapes. The base frame  11  may be hollow, having an open bottom surface aligned with the base surface of the insignia base  10 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . In various embodiments, the hollow interior of the base frame  11  may define a plurality of support ribs spaced (e.g., equally spaced and/or irregularly spaced) along the length of the base frame  11  (measured around the perimeter of the insignia base  10 ). However, it should be understood that the base frame  11  may be solid in various embodiments. Moreover, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the base frame  11  may define an inset portion within the raised edges, the inset portion configured to accept the attachment plate  12  therein. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the attachment plate  12  is positioned and secured (e.g., fastened with glue, double sided tape, and/or the like) within the inset portion of the base frame  11 . Moreover, as mentioned previously, the insignia base  10  comprises a support attachment component  13  configured to secure the insignia base  10  relative to a support surface (e.g., a vehicle body panel). As shown in  FIG. 4 , the support attachment component  13  is secured to a bottom surface of the base frame  11 , opposite the attachment plate  12 . As mentioned previously, the support attachment component  13  may comprise a non-removable fastener (e.g., glue, attachment pins, double-sided tape, and/or the like). 
         [0020]    Moreover, although the insignia  1  and associated components are illustrated as being at least substantially circular, the insignia  1  may have any of a variety of shapes. As a variety of non-limiting examples, the insignia  1  may have an elliptical shape, a rectangular shape, an oval shape, a bow-tie shape, a triangular shape, a shield shape, and/or the like. In various embodiments, the shape of the aesthetic insert  20  may correspond with the shape of the insignia base  10  and corresponding attachment plate  12 . For example, a rectangular shaped insignia  1  may have a rectangular shaped attachment plate  12 , and a corresponding rectangular shaped aesthetic insert  20 . 
         [0021]    In various embodiments, the insignia  1  may be installed relative to a support surface by engaging the support attachment component  13  of the insignia base  10  relative to the support surface. For example, in embodiments in which the support attachment component  13  is embodied as double-sided tape, the support attachment component  13  may be pressed against the support surface to thereby secure the insignia base  10  relative to the support surface. The aesthetic insert  20  may then be secured relative to the attachment plate  12  of the insignia base  10 . For example, in embodiments in which the aesthetic insert  20  is magnetically secured relative to the attachment plate  12 , the aesthetic insert  20  is placed against the attachment plate  12  to secure the aesthetic insert  20  thereto. The aesthetic insert  20  may later be removed and interchanged while the insignia base  10  remains secured to the support surface. 
       CONCLUSION 
       [0022]    Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

Technology Category: b