The present invention relates to a tag and more particularly a plant tag with an improved attachment structure.
Existing tags and particularly tags used in connection with live plants and nursery stock in an outdoor environment are subject to ripping and tearing under windy conditions or inadvertent falling off when plants are being moved either during the purchasing or as nursery stock is being moved from one place to another. The problem is particularly severe where the tag body is relatively large to accommodate printed material such as photographs of the plant, planting instructions, care instructions, and the like.
A wide variety of plant tags have been proposed which address these problems. One is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,082, which utilizes a wire reinforced tie attached to the tag body which tie can be wrapped around a plant stalk and around itself for attachment of the tag to the nursery stock. Although such a tag solves the problems of inadvertent removal, such tags are somewhat expensive to manufacture inasmuch as they involve the process of attaching a wire-reinforced tie to a polymeric tag body as well as cutting and forming the tag body and tie separately.
Tags have also been employed with slotted apertures which allow the tag to be inserted laterally onto a branch, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. Des 289,131 and Des 306,043. U.S. Pat. No. 3,775,882 discloses an attachment arm integrally formed with a tag body and having an end which interlocks in a slot in the tag body. Other plant tags have employed a keyhole-shaped slot which allows the insertion of the hook of a plant pot hanger through the enlarged portion of the slot and subsequently shifted to the narrower portion of the keyhole slot for attachment. Although such tag designs reduce the cost of the tag, the attachment can be somewhat difficult or the tags may be either too easily removed or very difficult to remove. Also, it is desirable to provide a tag having an attachment structure which accommodates different sized articles.