Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02390754 2002-06-14
TITLE: IDENTIFICATION TAG FOR A PERSON
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION:
This invention relates generally to identification tags, and more particularly
to an
identification tag that can be worn as a bracelet and readily customized for
use by
a particular individual.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART:
There has been a long-felt need for an identification tag that can be worn as
a
bracelet~or other jewelry and readily customized to display personalized data
such
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as emergency contact information and important medical information. Engraving
metal bracelets, as is well known in the art, is both expensive and time
consuming.
Various personal information packets, cards, and tags have also been attempted
in
the prior art. Stephens; U.S. 5,380,046, teaches a secured personal
information
packet that can be carried by a child to provide personalized identification
information about the child. The packet includes a paper information card that
is
filled out by the parents and sealed within a plastic envelope. Taft, U.S.
4,892,335, also teaches a card construction that is also useful for protecting
an
information-bearing card within a protective coating.
The use of oriented polystyrene that shrinks and hardens upon heating to
approximately 300 degrees Fahrenheit is also known in the art, and is
typically
used in arts and crafts. Such material has also been used to make pet tags, as
taught in Fascenelli, Jr. et al., U.S. 5,690,365, hereby incorporated by
reference in
full. However, the tags taught by Fascenelli, Jr. et al. are not practical for
use by
persons due to the insecure method of attaching the pet tags, which are
designed to
hang freely from a pet collar.
The prior art teaches identification tags of various sorts. However, the prior
art
does not teach an identification tag constructed of a sheet that shrinks and
hardens
upon heating, the sheet including first and second apertures, located at
opposing
first and second sides of the tag, that enable the sheet to be securely
attached to the
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wrist of a user by a bracelet band once the sheet has been shrunk and
hardened.
The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related
advantages
as described in the following summary.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which
give
rise to the objectives described below.
The present invention provides an identification tag for a person. The
identification tag includes a heat shrinkable plastic sheet having a top
surface, an
opposing bottom surface, a first side, and an opposing second side. The sheet
is
preferably constructed of oriented polystyrene that shrinks and hardens upon
heating to approximately 300 degrees Fahrenheit. The identification tag
includes
first and second apertures through the top and bottom surfaces and adjacent
the
first and second sides, respectively. The identification tag further includes
a
bracelet band adapted to be attached to the sheet through the first aperture
and the
second aperture. The top surface is printed with a decorative indicia and the
bottom surface is printed with an indicia of identification.
A primary objective of the present invention is to provide an identification
tag for
a person having advantages not taught by the prior art.
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Another objective is to provide an identification tag constructed of a sheet
that
shrinks and hardens upon heating, the sheet including first and second
apertures,
located at opposing first and second sides of the tag, that enable the sheet
to be
securely attached to the wrist of a user by a bracelet band once the sheet has
been
shrunk and hardened.
A further objective is to provide an identification tag that displays an
indicia of
identification that can be readily customized to the needs of the user.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent
from
the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of
the
invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The accompanying drawings illustrate the present invention. In such drawings:
FIGURE 1 is a bottom perspective view of a heat shrinkable plastic sheet used
in the preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIGURE 2 is a top perspective view of the sheet once it has been shrunken and
attached to a bracelet band using first and second C-clamps; and
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FIGURE 3 is a bottom perspective view of an alternative embodiment
illustrating how the bracelet band can be attached to the sheet without the
use of
the first and second C-clamps.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The above described drawing figures illustrate the invention, an
identification tag
for a person. The identification tag 10 is preferably used as a bracelet for
identifying a child, an elderly person, or any person with special health
conditions
or handicaps; however, it is worth noting that the identification tag 10 can
be worn
by any person as a bracelet, a necklace, an anklet, or any similar personal
effect.
The identification tag 10 is useful because it is decorative, it can be
.readily
customized, and it is shaped to be securely attached to the person without
interfering with the person's daily activities.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the identification tag 10 includes a heat
shrinkable
plastic sheet 20 having a top surface 22, an opposing bottom surface 24, a
first side
26, and an opposing second side 28. The sheet 20 is preferably constructed of
oriented polystyrene that shrinks and hardens upon heating to approximately
300
degrees Fahrenheit; however, those skilled in the art may adapt any equivalent
material for use in the present invention. The identification tag 10 includes
a first
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aperture 30 through the top and bottom surfaces 22 and 24 adjacent the first
side
26. The identification tag 10 also includes a second aperture 32 through the
top
and bottom surfaces 22 and 24 adjacent the second side 28: The first and
second
apertures 30 and 32 are critical to the present invention, as described in
greater
detail below.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the identification tag 10 further includes a
bracelet
band 40 adapted to be attached to the sheet 20 through the first aperture 30
and the
second aperture 32. The bracelet band 40 is preferably constructed of a fine
metal
chain, although any linker can be used, including string, yarn, cord, wire;
leather,
or an equivalent. The bracelet band 40 preferably includes a clasp 42 for
removably closing the bracelet band 40 such that when the bracelet band 40 is
attached to the sheet 20, the bracelet band 40 and the sheet 20 together form
a
closed loop.
In the preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the bracelet band 40 includes
a
first C-clamp 44 and a second C-clamp 46. The first C-clamp 44 is adapted to
fit
through both a first end 45 of the bracelet band 40 and the first aperture 30.
The
second C-clamp 46 is adapted to fit through both a second end 47 of the
bracelet
band 40 and the second aperture 32. The first and second C-clamps 44 and 46
are
adapted to be compressed to close and link the first end 45 of the bracelet
band 40
to the first aperture 30, and the second end 47 of the bracelet band 40 to the
second
aperture 32, respectively.
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In an alternative embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the bracelet band 40 is
threaded
through the first aperture 30 and the second aperture 32 to fasten the
identification
tag 10 onto the user.
The invention includes a method for forming the identification tag 10
described
above. First, the sheet ZO described above is provided. In the preferred
embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the top surface 22 is printed with a
decorative
indicia SO for the purpose of making the identification tag 10 fun to wear.
The
user then prints an indicia of identification 52 upon the bottom surface 24 of
the
sheet 20 with a felt pen or other suitable marking device. In the preferred
embodiment, the indicia of identification 52 includes the name, address, and
emergency contact information of the person, as well as any critical medical
information about the person. This is particularly well suited for children
who
may not yet be old enough to tell an adult his or her name.
Once the indicia of identification 52 has been printed, the sheet 20 is heated
to
approximately 300 degrees Fahrenheit to shrink the sheet 21D and cause the
sheet
20 to harden. This process also causes the ink printed upon the sheet 20 to
become
permanently integral with the sheet 20 so that it will not wear ofd The
bracelet
band 40 is then attached to the sheet 20 through the first aperture 30 and the
second aperture 32 such that the bracelet band 40 and the sheet 20 together
form a
closed loop. The attachment of the bracelet band 40 through both the first and
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second apertures 30 and 32 is critical because this dual attachment enables
the
secure attachment of the identification tag 10 that is necessary for
attachment to
the person, especially if the person is a child who might otherwise break the
identification tag 10 or potentially even be harmed by the identification tag
10 if it
were to become snared upon an obstacle.
In the preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the bracelet band 40 is
attached
to the sheet 20 using the first and second C-clamps 44 and 46, as described
above.
In an alternative embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the bracelet band 40 is
threaded
through the first and second apertures 30 and 32, as described above; however,
an
equivalent mechanism can also be utilized. For example, it should be
considered
equivalent if the bracelet band 40 has the clasp 42 at one end and the clasp
42 is
used to removably attach the bracelet band 40 to the first or second aperture
30 or
32. Any equivalent arrangements that can be devised by those skilled in the
art
should be considered within the scope of the claimed invention.
While the invention has been described with reference to at least one
preferred
embodiment, it is to be clearly understood by those skillml in the art that
the
invention is not limited thereto. Rather, the scope of the invention is to be
interpreted only in conjunction with the appended claims.
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