Promotional badge holding apparatus

• US 20060117616A1
• Filed: 12/03/2004
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adstracts, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adstracts, Inc.
• Inventors: Jones, Robert A., Kroggel, Scott A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,380,357 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 40/1.500
• CPC Class Codes: A44C 3/001 Badges
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/02 by a carrier person or animal
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/207 in the form of a badge to be worn by a person

Abstract

A promotional apparatus for use in holding badges and other forms of identification includes a first housing, a second housing, an extendable and retractable cord that tethers the first and second housings together, and a badge holder secured to the second housing. The cord is normally retracted within one of the first and second housings such that the first and second housings are in adjacent relationship with each other when the cord is normally retracted. The badge holder and second housing can be retractably extended away from the first housing by a user. When extended away from the first housing, the second housing is free to rotate about an axis. The first housing includes an attachment device that releasably secures the first housing to a user'"'"'s clothing and allows a user to extend the badge holder away from the first housing without dislodging the first housing from the user'"'"'s clothing.

Claims

1. A badge holding apparatus, comprising:

a first housing;

a second housing;

an extendable and retractable cord that tethers the first and second housings together, wherein the cord is normally retracted within one of the first and second housings, and wherein the first and second housings are in adjacent relationship with each other when the cord is normally retracted; and

a badge holder secured to the second housing, wherein the badge holder and second housing can be retractably extended away from the first housing by a user.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cord is normally retracted within the first housing.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cord is normally retracted within the second housing.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cord has an extended length of between about 12 inches and about 36 inches.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first housing comprises an attachment device that is configured to releasably secure the first housing to the clothing of a user and to allow a user to extend the badge holder and second housing away from the first housing without dislodging the first housing from the user'"'"'s clothing.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the attachment device comprises a clip.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second housing is free to rotate about an axis when extended away from the first housing.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first housing receives the second housing in docking relationship therewith when the cord is normally retracted.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second housing is prevented from rotating when in docking relationship with the first housing.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second housings comprises promotional indicia thereon.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second housing comprises opposite display panels and wherein the display panels comprise promotional indicia thereon.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second housings comprises promotional indicia thereon.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the badge holder is rotatably secured to the second housing.

14. A badge holding apparatus, comprising:

a first housing;

a second housing;

an extendable and retractable cord that tethers the first and second housings together, wherein the cord is normally retracted within the second housing, and wherein the first and second housings are in adjacent relationship with each other when the cord is normally retracted;

a badge holder secured to the second housing, wherein the badge holder and second housing can be retractably extended away from the first housing by a user; and

an attachment device extending from the first housing that is configured to releasably secure the first housing to the clothing of a user and to allow a user to extend the badge holder and second housing away from the first housing without dislodging the first housing from the user'"'"'s clothing.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the cord has an extended length of between about 12 inches and about 36 inches.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the attachment device comprises a clip.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the second housing is free to rotate about an axis when extended away from the first housing.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first housing receives the second housing in docking relationship therewith when the cord is normally retracted.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the second housing is prevented from rotating when in docking relationship with the first housing.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein at least one of the first and second housings comprises promotional indicia thereon.

21. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the second housing comprises opposite display panels and wherein the display panels comprise promotional indicia thereon.

22. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first and second housings comprises promotional indicia thereon.

23. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the badge holder is rotatably secured to the second housing.

24. A badge holding apparatus, comprising:

a first housing;

a second housing;

an extendable and retractable cord that tethers the first and second housings together, wherein the cord is normally retracted within one of the first and second housings, and wherein the first and second housings are in adjacent, docking relationship with each other when the cord is normally retracted; and

a badge holder secured to the second housing, wherein the badge holder and second housing can be retractably extended away from the first housing by a user, and wherein the second housing is free to rotate about an axis when extended away from the first housing.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the cord is normally retracted within the first housing.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the cord is normally retracted within the second housing.

27. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the cord has an extended length of between about 12 inches and about 36 inches.

28. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the first housing comprises an attachment device that is configured to releasably secure the first housing to the clothing of a user and to allow a user to extend the badge holder and second housing away from the first housing without dislodging the first housing from the user'"'"'s clothing.

29. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the attachment device comprises a clip.

30. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the second housing is prevented from rotating when in docking relationship with the first housing.

31. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein at least one of the first and second housings comprises promotional indicia thereon.

32. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the second housing comprises opposite display panels and wherein the display panels comprise promotional indicia thereon.

33. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the first and second housings comprises promotional indicia thereon.

34. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the badge holder is rotatably secured to the second housing.

35. A badge holding apparatus, comprising:

a first housing;

a second housing;

an extendable and retractable cord that tethers the first and second housings together, wherein the cord is normally retracted within the second housing, and wherein the first and second housings are in adjacent, docking relationship with each other when the cord is normally retracted;

a badge holder secured to the second housing, wherein the badge holder and second housing can be retractably extended away from the first housing by a user, and wherein the second housing is free to rotate about an axis when extended away from the first housing; and

an attachment device extending from the first housing that is configured to releasably secure the first housing to the clothing of a user and to allow a user to extend the badge holder and second housing away from the first housing without dislodging the first housing from the user'"'"'s clothing.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the cord is normally retracted within the first housing.

37. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the cord has an extended length of between about 12 inches and about 36 inches.

38. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the attachment device comprises a clip.

39. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the second housing is prevented from rotating when in docking relationship with the first housing.

40. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein at least one of the first and second housings comprises promotional indicia thereon.

41. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the second housing comprises opposite display panels and wherein the display panels comprise promotional indicia thereon.

42. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the first and second housings comprises promotional indicia thereon.

43. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the badge holder is rotatably secured to the second housing.