Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
13l0l85
~AC~GROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
This invention is for an identification tag placed
inside a shoe.
Description of the Prior Art
Identification tags of various designs and con-
figurations are commonly used to identi~y children and adults
with medical problems such as allergies, diabetes, etc.
Environmental and safety considexations have
limited what identification tags are acceptable under human
engineering considerations.
The attachment of identification tags around the
neck or an extremity such as a wrist or ankle have been most
prominent. Howevex9 the attachment is usually by means of a
chain in contact with the sXin. The chain and tag must be
manufactured of a material which will not corrode. The usual
material chosen is silver or gold making this method of iden-
tification expensive~
Further, the wearing of chains around the neck,
; wrist or ankle introduce a ~afety hazard to the user. The
chain can become entangled in clothiny and machinery and is a
shock hazard in this age o~ the proliferation o~ elec~ronic
devices. In addition, the chain tag is ~isible to others and
subjects the user to the subtleties of overt or subliminal
discrimination against persons with a "medical condition"
such as AIDS. Finally, the user may forget to put on a chain
type ID.
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Some appro~ches have utilized microdots attached to
the dental surface o~ the user. A special reader not readily
available in the field is required to make use of this ar-
rangement.
Some approaches to solve the problems have been to
attach identification tags to articles of clothing. one such
approach utilizes a strong fiber paper with a hole through
which a shoe lace is threaded to attach the paper to the out-
side of the shoe.
This solves the problem of safety but does not
solve the problem of protecting the tag from the the wear and
tear of the elements and destruction by contamination.
Thus, there has long been a need for an arrangement
to identify a person and specify any particular medical needs
peculiar to that person.
It i5 desired that the identification tag be at
tachable to an accessible part of the person such as clothing
rather than around the neck or extremity of the personO ?
Further, it is desired that the identification tag
be protected from wear and contamination.
It is further desired that the identification tag
not publicly display confidential information as to the medi-
cal condition of the user.
SUMMARY OF T~E INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present inven-
tion to provide an improved identification tag attachable in-
side the shoe of the person to identify the person along with
a provision for notation of any medical needs of the person.
It is another object of the present invention to
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provide an improved identification tag which i~ protected
from wear as well as protected from contamination by mois~
ture.
It is yet another object of the present invention
to provide an improved identification tag which is private,
worn away from pu~lic view yet available to communicate vital
medical information should the user be unconscious.
The above and other objects of the present inven-
tion are achieved, according to a preferred embodiment
thereof, by providing an identification tag with a surface
which will accept written or typewritten notation. Protec-
tion of the identification tag is provided by a clear pla~-
tic overlay having one adhesively attachable surface. The
overlay adhesively adheres to the notation surface of the tag
and extends beyond the edge of the tag to form a border sur-
rounding ~he tag. The overlay proteats the notation on the
tag and the border attaches ~he tag to a preselected sur
face.
In the pref~rred embodiment~ the surface of the tag
opposite the notation surface is coated to be adhesively
removable from the adhesive side of the overlay.
The identification tag and overlay are of a
preselected size to accommodate the notation and to fit
within the heel portion of a shoe. The placement of the
identification tag inside the shoe heel area allows quick
accQss to the notation contained thereon in case of emer-
gency.
; The placement of the tag inside the shoe of the
user solves the problem of entanglement and shock hazard ex
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perienced with chain mounted identification tags.
With the tag containing vital yet confidential
medical inf~rmation inside the shoe, the user's privacy is
protected from inad~ertent exposure to the public.
Further, the overlay installation of the tag
protects the tag from being clislodged from its mounting as
experienced by the shoe lace identification tag.
The selection of ~he shoe as the mounting place for
the identification tag is sugge~ted as a shoe is usually worn
and is not likely to be forgotten as i9 the chain identifica-
tion apparatus~
BRIEP DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The above and other embodiments of the present in~
vention may be more fully understood from the following
detailed description, taken together with the accompanying
drawing, wherein similar reference characters refer to
similar elements throughout, and in which:
Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the iden-
tification tag arrangement;
Figure 2 represents a perspective view of the tag
removed from the overlay;
Figure 3 represents a top view of the identifica-
tion tag arrangement being assembled inside tha heel of a
shoe:
Figure 4 represents a perspective view of another
embodiment of the identification tag arrangemant;
Figure 5 represents a perspective view of the tag
and overlay :removed from the backing; and
Figur~ 6 represents a top view of the embodiment
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being assembled inside the heel of a shoe.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
_ _ _ _ _ _ .
RefPrring now to the drawing, there is illustxated
in Figure 1 a pexspective view of the identification tag ap-
paratus 10. The apparatu~ 10 ha~ two layers of sheet
material, an overlay 101 layer and the tag 102 layer.
The overlay 101 is fabricated of a clear plastic
sheet material. An adhesive layer is applied to one side of
the overlay 101.
The tag 102 is fabricated of paper sheet material.
The first side of the paper sheet material is smooth to be
adhesively removable from the adhesive layer on the over-
lay 101. The second side o~ the paper will accept writing or
typing. The tag 102 has a serration 107 a preselected dis-
tance from the perimeter of the tag 102. The serration 107
separates the tag 102 into a removable border 103 and a
notational strip lG40 The user may write or type upon ~he
surface of the second side of the notational strip 104.
The removable border 103 is a preselected width
detachable from the notational strip 104 along the serration
107. The configuration depicted in Figure 1 shows the remov-
able border 103 on the periphery of the identification tag
arrangement 10. The removable border 103 may be configured
along only two or three of the edges of the identification
tag arrangement 10. The purpose of the removable border 103
is to cover and protect a portion of the overlay 101 during
distribution and preparation for use and to allow the con-
figuration of the notational strip 104 to be smaller than the
overlay 101. After removal, the removable border 103 is dis-
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carded. The preferred embodiment utilizes the exposed sur-
face of the removable border 103 for instructions for instal~
lation of the identification tag arrangement 10.
The user may write or type on the notational strip
104 a name, addr~s~, phone number and any pertinent personal
medical information such as allexgies, or medical conditions
such as being a diabetic.
Referring to Figure 2, the overlay 101 has one sur-
face containing an adhesive layer 105. There is depicted a
second surface 106 to the notational strip 104. The second
surface 106 is adhesively removable from the adhesive layer
105. The removable border 103 is also adhesively removable
from the adhesive layer 105, detachable from the notational
strip 104 along ~he serration 107 and is discarded by the
user.
The installation of the identification tag arrange-
ment 10 inside the shoe of the user is depicted in Figure 3.
After removal of the notational strip 104 from the adhesive
surface 105 of the overlay 101 as shown in Figure 2, the user
places the notational s~rip 104 on the inside surface of an
accessible portion of the shoa. The overlay 101 is then
placed on top of the notational strip 104 with tha adhesive
layar 105 in contact with the notational strip 104. Because
the configuration of thç notational strip 104 is smaller than
the overlay 101, the overlay 101 can be placed on top of the
notational strip 104 creating an adhesive border surrounding
the notational strip 104 whereby the notational strip 104 is
held in place.
If the user prefers, the user may attach the nota-
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tional strip 104 to the adhesive layer 105 of the overlay 101
and then place the combination in an accessible portion of a
shoe or other article.
The overlay 101 is fabricated of clear plastic and
the adhesive layer 105 is preselected to be transparent. The
user supplied information on the surface of the notational
strip 104 is readable through the overlay 101.
The adhesive border surrounding the notational
strip 104 protects the notational strip 104 ~rom direct con-
tact with the user's foot, seals the nptational strip 104
from the moisture pervasive within the shoe environment and
keeps the notational strip 104 in place.
Figure 4 shows another embodiment of the invention.
The identification tag device 20 has two layers of sheet
material, a bacXing sheet 209 and a clear sheet 210. The
clear sheet 210 is perforated along line 202 to form the nota-
tional strip 204 and along line 203 to form the overlay 201.
The dimensions of the overlay 201 are preselected to be larger
than the dimensions of the notational trip 204 so that the
overlay 201 will completely cover the notational strip 204.
The clear sheet 210 is uniformly covered by an
adhesive layer 205 on the side facing the backing sheet 209.
The backing sheet 209 is smooth to be adhesively removable
from the adhesive layer 205.
Because the upper sur~ace of the clear sheet 210 may
not accept writing by ball point pen or similar instrument
without costly treatment to create a rough surface, the side
of the notational strip 204 opposits the adhesive layer 205
may be covered with an opaque layer 207, shown in Figure4,
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which readily accepts ball point pen ink.
The notational strip may be imprinted with lines and
suggestions for identification information ~uch as name, emer-
gency phone numbers, doctor's phone number, allergies, etc.
Referring to Figure 5, the overlay 201 with adhesive
layer 205 is shown removad from the backing ~09 along overlay
perforations 203. In a similar manner, after the identifica-
tion data is ~ntered by the user on the opaque layer 207, the
notational strip 204 with the opaque layer 207 on one side
and the adhesive layer 205 on the other side is shown removed
from the backing 209 along notational strip perforation~ 202.
Figure 6 shows how the identification tag is as-
sembled on the inside sole of a shoe 211. First the nota-
tional strip 204 is positioned and adhesively attached to the
sole of the shoe 211. The clear plasti~ overlay 201 is posi-
tioned over the notational strip 204 and adhesively attached
to the upper layer of the notational strip 204 and the inside
sole of the shoe 211~ The overlay 201 protects the user en-
tered identification date written on the upper surface of the
notational strip 204. Normal wear, washing, sweat, dirt,
etc., do not destroy the identification data wxitten on the
notatiQnal strip 204.
- This conclude~ the description of a preferred em-
bodiment of the present invention. Those skilled in the art
may find many variations and adaptations falling within the
scope of this invention, and the appended claims are intended
to cover all such variations and adaptations falling within
the true scope and spirit o~ the invention.
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