Vehicle license plate holder with supports for sensing devices

• US 20050005484A1
• Filed: 07/02/2004
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: META Systems (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: META Systems (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Simonazzi, Giuseppe
• Application Number:
  US10/882,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20050005484A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 40/200
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/00 Arrangements for holding or mounting articles, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/10 Registration, licensing, or like devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/105 Licence- or registration plates, provided with mounting means, e.g. frames, holders, retainers, brackets

Abstract

A vehicle license plate holder with supports for sensing devices, comprising a flat frame body coupleable to a vehicle, a license plate receptacle formed on one of the opposite faces of the frame body, and at least one pair of supports for at least one respective sensing device, which is formed proximate to the perimetric portion of the frame body; the supports are constituted by a hollow element for containing a respective sensing device and are arranged along respective axes that are non-parallel and are oblique with respect to the plane of arrangement of the frame body, the axis of one of the supports converging toward the frame body, the sensing field of the respective device being a front region of the frame body, the axis of another support diverging from the frame body, the sensing field of the device being a corner region of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle license plate holder with supports for sensing devices, comprising:

a substantially flat frame body;

coupling means provided at said frame body for coupling to a vehicle;

a license plate receptacle formed on one of two opposite faces of said frame body;

anchoring means for anchoring said license plate to said frame body; and

at least one pair of supports for at least one sensing device formed proximate to a perimetric portion of said frame body, each of said supports being constituted by a hollow element for containing a respective sensing device, said supports being arranged along respective axes that are mutually non-parallel and are oblique with respect to a plane of arrangement of said frame body, the axis of one of said supports converging toward said frame body, so that a sensing field of the respective sensing device is constituted by a region that lies substantially in front of said frame body, the axis of the other one of said supports diverging from said frame body, so that a sensing field of the respective sensing device is constituted by a corner region of said vehicle.

2. The license plate holder of claim 1, wherein said hollow element is substantially shaped as a solid of rotation generated about said axis.

3. The license plate holder of claim 1, wherein said hollow element is substantially frustum-shaped.

4. The license plate holder of claim 1, wherein said hollow element comprises openings formed at opposite ends or faces thereof.

5. The license plate holder of claim 1, wherein said frame body is substantially shaped as a right quadrangle.

6. The license plate holder of claim 1, wherein said pair of supports are arranged with the axes thereof intersecting a line that is substantially parallel to one side of said frame body.

7. The license plate holder of claim 1, wherein at least one of the supports of said pair of supports is formed proximate to a corner of said frame body.

8. The license plate holder of claim 1, wherein the supports of said pair of supports are formed proximate to two consecutive comers of said frame body.

9. The license plate holder of claim 1, comprising at least two pairs of said supports, which are provided at two opposite sides of said frame body.

10. The license plate holder of claim 1, comprising at least two pairs of said supports, which are provided at two adjacent sides of said frame body.

11. The license plate holder of claim 1, comprising a plurality of said pairs of supports, which are distributed along a perimetric portion of said frame body.

12. The license plate holder of claim 11, wherein said supports are integrated with said frame body and are monolithic therewith.

13. The license plate holder of claim 12, wherein said supports are at least partially recessed in said frame body.

14. The license plate holder of claim 11, comprising at least one tab, which is connectable with the perimetric portion of said frame body and in which at least one of said pairs of supports is formed.

15. The license plate holder of claim 14, wherein said supports are embedded at least partially in said tab.

16. The license plate holder of claim 14, wherein said tab is connectable at opposite ends of said frame body.

17. The license plate holder of claim 14, comprising fixing means for fixing said tab to said frame body.

18. The license plate holder of claim 17, wherein said fixing means are of a detachable type.

19. The license plate holder of claim 17, wherein said fixing means are of the snap-fixing type.

20. The license plate holder of claim 19, wherein said fixing means of the snap-fixing type comprise two elastic wings that protrude from said tab so as to be substantially mutually parallel, said elastic wings being provided with at least one respective retention tooth that is adapted to engage by abutment against corresponding locators formed along respective straight guides for the sliding of said wings, said locators and guides being provided, so as to be substantially mutually parallel, in said frame body.

21. The license plate holder of claim 17, wherein said fixing means are of the interlocking type.

22. The license plate holder of claim 17, wherein said fixing means are of the threaded type.

23. The license plate holder of claim 17, wherein said fixing means are provided so as to coincide with said anchoring means.

24. The license plate holder of claim 17, wherein said fixing means are provided so as to coincide with said coupling means.

25. The license plate holder of claim 17, wherein said coupling means are provided so as to coincide with said anchoring means.

26. The license plate holder of claim 1, wherein said coupling means, said anchoring means or both said coupling and anchoring -means comprise threaded means.

27. The license plate holder of claim 1, wherein said anchoring means are of a universal type.

28. The license plate holder of claim 26, wherein said anchoring means comprise a plurality of openings for insertion of said threaded means, formed at a bottom region of said receptacle.

29. The license plate holder of claim 1, wherein said receptacle comprises universal means for positioning license plates having different shapes and/or dimensions.

30. The license plate holder of claim 29, wherein said universal positioning means comprise detachable locators, constituted by any of ridges, protrusions, tabs and teeth, which are formed in said receptacle, so that selective removal of said locators opening positioning areas for respective license plates having a different shape and/or surface extension.

31. The license plate holder of claim 1, wherein said sensing device contained in the support of said pair provided with an axis that diverges from said frame body is provided connected to a storing means with a program stored therein for processing data acquired thereby with respect to said corner of the vehicle.