Cap-mountable flag assembly

Abstract

A cap-mountable flag assembly selectively displays a message. The flag assembly is mountable to the brim of a baseball type cap, and comprises a flag element, a rod or pole element, and a clip element. The flag element comprises rod-receiving, clipping arms and a message-bearing structure. The arms comprise groove-engaging protrusions. The rod element comprises an axial rod portion and a C-shaped, clip-engaging structure. The axial rod portion comprises superficial grooves extending intermediate first and second rod ends. The protrusions mate with the superficial grooves. The clip-engaging structure has coaxial clip-engaging ends. The clip element comprises cap-attachment clipping structure and rod-attachment anchoring structure. The clipping structure clip-engages the brim of a hat, and the anchoring structure rotatably receives the clip-engaging ends.

1 . A cap-clip-flag combination, the cap-clip-flag combination for cap-displaying a flag-borne message, the cap-clip-flag combination comprising:
 a baseball type cap, the cap comprising a brim;   a flag element, the flag element comprising rod-receiving structure and message-bearing structure, the rod-receiving structure comprising groove-engaging protrusions, the message-bearing structure for flag-displaying a message.   a rod element, the rod element comprising an axial rod portion and a C-shaped, clip-engaging structure, the axial rod portion comprising a first rod end, a second rod end, and superficial grooves extending intermediate the first and second rod ends, the groove-engaging protrusions for mated engagement with the superficial grooves, the second rod end being attached to the C-shaped, clip-engaging structure, the C-shaped clip-engaging structure having coaxial clip-engaging ends; and   a clip element, the clip element comprising cap-attachment clipping structure and rod-attachment anchoring structure, the clipping structure having a U-shaped longitudinal cross-section for clip-engaging the brim, the anchoring structure being integrally formed to the clipping structure and comprising rod end-engaging structure, the clip-engaging ends being cooperable with the rod end-engaging structure for enabling the rod element to rotate about an axis of rotation coaxial with the clip-engaging ends.   
   
   
       2 . The combination of  claim 1  wherein the rod-receiving structure is defined by a series of axially-staggered clipping arms, each clipping arm comprising an inner arm surface, the inner arm surfaces comprising the groove-engaging protrusions. 
   
   
       3 . The combination of  claim 2  wherein the clipping arms comprise flared ends, the flared ends for enhancing transversely directed receipt of the axial rod. 
   
   
       4 . The combination of  claim 1  wherein the flag element is constructed from substantially rigid material, the rigid material for providing a substantially planar message-bearing structure, the message bearing structure being coplanar with the axial rod portion. 
   
   
       5 . The combination of  claim 1  wherein the rod element comprises a transverse cross-section, the superficial grooves being peripherally spaced about the axial rod portion for enabling the user to selectively index the flag element about the axial rod portion, the selectively indexable flag element for messaging onlookers from varying vantage points relative to the brim. 
   
   
       6 . The combination of  claim 1  wherein the anchoring structure comprises rod-positioning notches, the notches being radially oriented relative to the end-engaging structure for selectively and radially indexing the axial rod relative to the anchoring structure. 
   
   
       7 . The combination of  claim 1  comprising means for preventing axial translation of the flag element relative to the axial rod portion. 
   
   
       8 . The combination of  claim 7  wherein the means for preventing axial translation comprise a finial attached to the first rod end, the finial for preventing detachment of the flag element from the axial rod portion. 
   
   
       9 . A cap-mountable flag assembly, the flag assembly for flag-displaying a message, the flag assembly comprising:
 a flag element, the flag element comprising rod-receiving structure and message-bearing structure, the message-bearing structure for flag-displaying a message;   a rod element, the rod element comprising an axial rod portion and a C-shaped, clip-engaging structure, the clip-engaging structure having coaxial clip-engaging ends, the rod-receiving structure for axially receiving the rod element; and   a cap-mounting clip element, the clip element comprising cap-clipping structure and rod-anchoring structure, the rod-anchoring structure extending from the cap-clipping structure and comprising rod end-engaging structure, the clip-engaging ends being cooperable with the rod end-engaging structure for enabling the rod element to rotate about an axis of rotation coaxial with the clip-engaging ends, the cap-clipping structure for clip-mounting the rod and flag elements to a cap via the rod-anchoring structure.   
   
   
       10 . The flag assembly of  claim 9  wherein the axial rod portion comprises a superficial, longitudinally extending groove and the rod-receiving structure comprises a groove-engaging protrusion, the groove-engaging protrusion for mated engagement with the superficial groove. 
   
   
       11 . The flag assembly of  claim 10  wherein the rod element comprises a transverse cross-section, a plurality of superficial grooves being peripherally spaced about the transverse cross-section for enabling the user to selectively index the flag element about the axial rod portion, the selectively indexable flag element for messaging onlookers from varying vantage points relative to the axial rod portion. 
   
   
       12 . The flag assembly of  claim 11  the rod-receiving structure is defined by a series of axially staggered clipping arms, each clipping arm comprising an inner arm surface, the inner arm surfaces each comprising a groove-engaging protrusion, the groove-engaging protrusions for enhancing indexability of the flag element relative to the rod element. 
   
   
       13 . The flag assembly of  claim 12  wherein the clipping arms comprise flared ends, the flared ends for enhancing transversely directed receipt of the axial rod portion. 
   
   
       14 . The flag assembly of  claim 13  wherein the flag element is constructed from substantially rigid material, the rigid material for providing a substantially planar message-bearing structure, the message bearing structure being coplanar with the axial rod portion. 
   
   
       15 . The flag assembly of  claim 12  comprising means for preventing axial translation of the flag element relative to the axial rod portion. 
   
   
       16 . The flag assembly of  claim 15  wherein the means for preventing axial translation comprise a finial attached to a first end of the rod element, the finial for preventing detachment of the flag element from the axial rod portion. 
   
   
       17 . A flag assembly, the flag assembly for flag-displaying a message, the flag assembly comprising:
 a flag element, the flag element comprising rod-receiving structure and message-bearing structure, the message-bearing structure for flag-displaying a message;   a rod element, the rod element comprising a first rod end and a second rod end, the second rod end comprising coaxial clip-engaging ends, the rod-receiving structure for axially receiving the rod element; and   rod-anchoring means for anchoring the rod and flag elements to a support structure, the clip-engaging ends being cooperable with the rod-anchoring structure for enabling the rod element to rotate about an axis of rotation coaxial with the clip-engaging ends.   
   
   
       18 . The flag assembly of  claim 17  wherein the rod element comprises a superficial, longitudinally extending groove and the rod-receiving structure comprises a groove-engaging protrusion, the groove-engaging protrusion for mated, indexable engagement with the superficial groove. 
   
   
       19 . The flag assembly of  claim 18  the rod-receiving structure is defined by a series of axially staggered clipping arms, each clipping arm comprising an inner arm surface, select inner arm surfaces comprising the groove-engaging protrusion. 
   
   
       20 . The flag assembly of  claim 19  wherein the clipping arms comprise flared ends, the flared ends for enhancing transversely directed receipt of the rod element. 
   
   
       21 . The flag assembly of  claim 20  wherein the flag element is substantially planar, the flag element being coplanar with the axial rod for providing a substantially planar message-bearing structure. 
   
   
       22 . The flag assembly of  claim 18  wherein the rod element comprises a transverse cross-section, a plurality of superficial grooves being peripherally spaced about the transverse cross-section for enabling the user to selectively index the flag element about the rod element, the selectively indexable flag element for messaging onlookers from varying vantage points relative to the rod element. 
   
   
       23 . The flag assembly of  claim 19  comprising means for preventing axial translation of the flag element relative to the axial rod. 
   
   
       24 . The flag assembly of  claim 23  wherein the means for preventing axial translation comprise a finial attached to a first rod end of the rod element, the finial for preventing detachment of the flag element from the rod element. 
   
   
       25 . A cap-mountable flag assembly, the flag assembly for flag-displaying a message and comprising:
 a flag element;   a rod element;   a clip element;   first anchoring means for attaching and indexably rotating the rod element relative to the clip element;   second anchoring means for attaching and indexably rotating the flag element relative to the rod element; and   third anchoring means for removably attaching the clip element to an assembly-support surface.   
   
   
       26 . A flag-display method, the flag-display method comprising a series of steps, the steps comprising:
 indexably anchoring a message-bearing flag element to a rod element;   indexably anchoring the rod element to a cap-mounting clip element;   removably mounting the clip element to a cap, the flag, rod, and clip elements being adjustable for selectively positioning the message-bearing flag element and flag-displaying a message.