1 Improved System for Attaching Vehicle Signage Background to the Invention 5 With changing laws and requirements for vehicles, temporary and semi-permanent signage solutions are a growing requirement. For example L and P plate signage required for driver probationary or license designations are common in Australia, New Zealand and throughout the world. Other warning signs as well as personal expression signs such as football club colours are used extensively. Advertising signs are common on commercial vehicles. These 0 all require temporary or semi-permanent signs to different degrees. Various solutions have been used in the past with some disadvantages as identified in the table below: Alternatives What they off The disadvantages Screw on plates Screw on plate holders Requires semi-permanent fixing to vehicle with screws Magnetic Magnetic plates that Prone to theft, potential damage to paintwork, attach to body of car can only stick to metal, will fly off in wind and need to be replaced regularly. Cheap suction Signage plates made Cheap suction cups get lost, and leave residue cups out of plastic that can on windows. Can only be used internally in attach to the suction vehicle. Unhygienic due to having to be licked cups for internal to get suction. Affected by cold and heat vehicle use where they lose their grip. Clip (plastic) for Clip that attaches Can only be used for RTA issued plates in the number plate plates to number plate state of New South Wales Adhesive Vinyl Semi-Permanent Can damage the paintwork, is expensive and outdoor rated vinyl requires experts to attach usually. Cannot be with a glue adhesive removed and reapplied. A frame magnetic A frame that sits on Can damage paintwork roof the roof of the car 15 2 Summary of the Invention The invention has been specifically devised in order to provide an improved attachment for signage for all types of vehicles, and not limited to cars. The improved signage attachment 5 system allows signage to stick to most surfaces, won't damage or leave residue on the vehicle, is easy to apply and remove by low skilled users, and is re-usable and cost effective. The invention of an improved system for attaching signage to vehicles can be described as a suction pad or plate of suction cups moulded together using a preferred formula of 0 polyurethane gel. This suction pad comprises a layer of polyurethane gel of a preferred formula that is adhesive or sticky that can be moulded into any shape with the suction cups included. The number, size, shape and location of the suction cups vary depending on the requirements for a particular use. The requirement can vary based on many factors including desired grip, allowable water penetration, aesthetics and so on. 5 The signage is then added to the upper layer of the polyurethane gel suction pad either: a. As an extra layer of printable material such as PET, vinyl, paper to name a few and held by adhesive glue or by the inherent adhesion of the polyurethane gel, or 0 b. By printing directly. With either option, the signage can be in contact with the vehicle surface/substrate or be only in contact with the suction pad on the side opposite the vehicle surface. Non-limiting examples of signage for a vehicle can include L Plates and P Plates as well as other driver 25 designation signs, advertising signs, personal signs, hazard or information signs. The suction pad can be attached to the inside or outside of the windscreen and rear window and viewed from outside the vehicle as indicated in the image below at locations A and B in Fig. 1. 30 The invention can also be attached anywhere else on a vehicle that is legally allowable such as all the area coloured white in Fig. 1.
3 Brief Description of the Figures Fig. 1 is the areas that the suction pad can be placed on the vehicle including glass areas A and B. 5 Fig. 2 is the lower surface of the polyurethane gel suction pad for L and P Plates. Fig. 3 is one preferred embodiment of the invention with signage printed in reverse directly onto the polyurethane gel upper level where (A) is optically clear polyurethane gel prior to o printing, (B) is printing a reverse pattern on the non-contact surface, (C) is printing block colour on the non-contact surface and (D) is attaching the contact surface to glass and viewing the printed image external from the vehicle. Fig. 4 is a side cross sectional view of invention showing layers of one preferred embodiment 5 of printing directly onto the upper level of the suction pad area. Fig. 5 is a side cross sectional view of invention showing layers of one preferred embodiment of an extra printable substrate. o Fig. 6 is a side cross sectional view of invention showing layers of one preferred embodiment of printing directly onto the lower level of the suction pad area in direct contact with a vehicle surface. Fig. 7 is a side cross sectional view of invention showing layers of one preferred embodiment 25 of a pre-printed sign attached to the lower level of the suction pad area in direct contact with a vehicle surface. 30 4 Detailed Description of the Drawings Reference is now made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 5 Fig. 2 shows the lower surface of the suction pad as a single pad of suction cups moulded as one unit made out of a preferred formula of polyurethane gel. The suction pad comprises within a layer of polyurethane gel of a preferred formula that is adhesive or sticky, that can be moulded into any shape with inbuilt suction cups. The number, size, shape and location of the o suction cups vary depending on the requirements for a particular use. Figs. 2 and 3 are an illustration of the polyurethane gel layer only for L and P Plates with the suction cups moulded into the gel layer. This is for illustrative purposes and does not restrict the size, number or location of suction cups for a particular signage use. This figure shows 5 numerous suction cups designed to allow less suction at the corners, enabling a person to remove the invention from the vehicle surface (Fig. 1) more easily. The size, number and location of the suction cups will be affected by factors such as required grip, water penetration levels, and aesthetics and so on. o The polyurethane gel layer with its inherent adhesive qualities together with moulded suction cups in that layer consists essentially of an isocyanate terminated prepolymer extended with polyester in combination with a curing agent. The curing agent preferably includes a blend of polyols and additives. 25 If a standard polyurethane gel is utilised, the mixing ratio of the prepolymer to curing agent is preferably approximately 1:2.2 by weight. If a lower viscosity polyurethane gel is desired, then the mixing ratio may be altered to approximately 1:9.216 by weight. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the softness of the polyurethane gel may be varied by changing the mixing ratio. 30 The suction pad in Fig. 3 enables signage to adhere an optically clear layer of polyurethane gel with the non-vehicle contact surface being printed with the signage. The signage is printed using a reverse pattern as illustrated in Fig. 3 (B), and the adhesive polyurethane gel is attached on the inside of the vehicle windscreen and/or rear window as detailed in Fig. 1. The 5 signage when viewed from outside the vehicle will have the correct orientation as shown in Fig. 3 (D). Where the signage is to be viewed internally in the vehicle, the printing process would not 5 need to be reversed. Alternatively solid colour polyurethane and scents can be used. Fig. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment to Fig. 4, rather than printing direct onto the suction pad, a separate layer can be attached made out of printable material such as PET, polyesters, vinyl and paper products. The same process of printing would be used but another 0 layer or printable substrate is attached to the polyurethane gel layer (e.g. PET, polyesters, vinyl) and the signage is printed on that extra layer. Fig. 7 illustrates another preferred embodiment of the invention of signage printed directly onto a printable substrate such as vinyl, PET or other printable substrate. The printable 5 substrate may or may not use a glue adhesive to bond with the polyurethane gel layer. Fig. 6 shows printing can also be done on the side of the lower surface of the suction pad that is in contact with the vehicle surface or other substrate. o Fig. 6 illustrates the suction pad being signage printed directly onto the polyurethane gel without the need for other attachments or layers. The printing would not come to the edge of the gel layer because printing makes the gel non-adhesive. The unprinted portions only, together with the moulded suction cups would have the adhesive or sticky effect. This encases and protects the printing from the elements such as wind and rain where required. 25 Fig. 7 illustrates printing can also be done on the side of the lower surface of the suction pad that is in contact with the vehicle surface or other substrate. This Fig. 7 illustrates signage printed onto a printable substrate such as vinyl, PET or other 30 printable substrate. The printable substrate may or may not use a glue adhesive to bond with the polyurethane gel layer. The printable substrate would not come to the edges of the polyurethane gel. The extra gel 6 that is not bonded with the printable substrate, together with the moulded suction cups would have the adhesive effect. This protects the printing from the elements such as wind and rain where required. It also allows for material such as paper to be used as a printable substrate while being protected from the elements and could be changed more cost effectively.