Since the late 1980s, vehicle-mounted advertising signs have been used by various businesses, particularly the pizza and other fast food businesses, for advertising and increasing notoriety and name recognition. The use of these signs can be particularly beneficial for businesses that deliver products to their customers, such as pizza delivery services, to make potential customers aware of the business, its presence in the area and that the business offers a delivery service.
Advertising signs have generally been mounted to vehicles by securing the sign to the roof of the vehicle or securing the sign by positioning it between a window and the window frame, and then rolling the window completely up. An example of one of these types of signs is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,084,994, issued to Elmer.
Vehicle window-mounted advertising signs have generally used one or more suction cups to attach to the outer surface of the window, a brace and a hook portion to pass across the top of a vehicle window. In order for the prior window-mounted advertising signs to be securely fastened to the vehicle window while the vehicle is moving, the window must be completely rolled up such that the advertising sign is pinched between the window and the window frame of the vehicle. The window thereby pinched the hook portion of the mounting brace between the window and the door frame, thereby securely holding the sign to the vehicle, providing the necessary securement while the vehicle was moving.
With changes in automotive design such as frame-less windows and with changes in the angle or slope of the windows, existing sign braces and mechanisms for attaching the advertising sign to the window of the vehicle have become less effective or cannot be used on certain types of vehicles and windows.
Furthermore, even when existing window-mounted advertising signs are used, the driver of the vehicle is generally unable to roll the window down while the vehicle is moving because the advertising sign would not be sufficiently secure to be sure the sign would not come off when the vehicle is moving at higher vehicle speeds.
The need for effective and secure attachment of advertising signs to vehicle windows without the need to pinch part of the means to attach the sign to the vehicle between the window and the window frame has been recognized, but has not heretofore adequately been fulfilled by prior known attachment means.
Advances in vehicle design and shaping have further created varying and exaggerated angles at which windows are sloped. When a window-mount advertising sign is at a fixed angle relative to the means by which it is attached to the vehicle, while the vehicle windows are at varying angles, the advertising signs end up at varying slopes and angles relative to the ground and the effect of the advertising is diminished. Prior window-mounted advertising signs have utilized a mechanical screw mechanism which the operator must turn and which gradually changes the angle of the sign.
The need for an angularly adjustable window-mounted advertising sign which can more easily be adjusted by the operator merely grabbing the sign and manipulating it, but which is secure on the vehicle from wind forces while moving, has thus been recognized, but has not been adequately fulfilled.
FIG. 1 shows a rear view of a prior art window-mounted advertising sign mounted between the vehicle window and the vehicle frame member 3, including a vehicle door 1, a vehicle window 2 with an inner window surface 2a and an outer window surface 2b, upper window frame 3, brace 4, a support 5, an advertising member 6 and a suction cup 7. The upper portion of the brace 4a must be pinched between the window 2 and the upper window frame means 3 in order for the advertising sign to be secure while the vehicle is moving.
The forenamed recognized needs have not heretofore been sufficiently fulfilled by existing vehicle-mounted advertising signs.
The present invention solves the problems associated with the inability to mount advertising signs on vehicle windows unless the window is of a certain type or rolled completely up by providing a means by which the signs can be securely mounted to the window and need not necessarily be pinched between the window and the window frame.
The present invention fulfills this recognized need in a way that has the advantage of allowing advertising signs to be mounted merely on the window of the vehicle without the requirement that the window be completely rolled up and has the further advantage of being mountable on vehicles having different types of window frames and frameless windows.
The present invention solves the problems associated with varying angles and slopes of vehicle windows in a way that allows the advertising sign portion to be easily adjusted by the operator to accommodate the angle or slope of any vehicle window while still maintaining an upright and presentable advertising sign. The present invention provides for easy manipulation of the advertising sign by physically handling it and adjusting its relative angle in a relatively quick and simple way without the need to make slower mechanical adjustments.