Abstract:
The present invention relates to a card display device that includes two clips rotatably attached. A rivet connects the two clips and allows the clips to rotate with respect to each other. The design of one of the two clips allows it to grasp a card while the other clip grasps a user&#39;s clothing. In some embodiments, a suspender style clip serves as the card attachment. In other embodiments, a clothespin type clip serves as the card attachment. In some embodiments the first clip and second clip have only three separate jaws. The card attachment clip may include plastic or rubber gripping pads that aid in providing a secure grip.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a card attachment that simultaneously grasps an identification card and attaches to a user&#39;s clothing.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    Identification cards, credentials, badges, access cards and similar items are becoming common place in today&#39;s society. People are often required to display identification cards, badges, and/or access cards in certain places such as offices, conventions, special events and other secure areas. Typical methods of displaying such cards or badges include a first device such as a neck or wrist lanyard, a clip, or a pin that connect to a users clothing and a second device that retains the card to be displayed. Among the most common devices for retaining a card or badge are clips, key rings, strap clips, and swivel hooks.  
           [0005]    Most frequently, clips, key rings, strap clips, and swivel hooks connect with a slot or hole that must be punched in the card. For many applications, however, a slot or hole is undesirable and impractical. Punching slots or holes in cards takes time, creates a weak spot in the card, compromises the protective overlay protecting the card&#39;s graphics and requires additional hole punching equipment. Slots punched in cards can interfere with the writing, pictures, or logos displayed on a card. Also, some cards include embedded electronics or magnetic stripes that prevent users from punching holes or slots. Thus, many applications require an alternative method of display.  
           [0006]    Wallet or envelope-type card holders are the most common types of card display devices that do not require slots or holes. These devices are typically made of a vinyl type plastic and hold a card in a pocket. The plastic pocket typically encases a card with a clear portion allowing the card to be viewed while encased. Cards with magnetic stripes or electronic chips often cannot be used in their corresponding electronic reading devices while encased in such holders.  
           [0007]    The only device on the market today that allows the display of a card without a slot, hole, or envelope encasement is a clothespin-type clip card attachment. Clip card attachments on the market today, however, have not enjoyed widespread adoption in the market at least in part because they require additional display devices to connect to a user&#39;s clothing. Numerous styles and variations of display devices are available on the market today. Among the most popular display devices on the market today are simple clips, neck lanyards, wrist lanyards, safety pins, and straight pins. While such display devices are generally inexpensive, requiring a display device to attach a card attachment to a user&#39;s clothing requires an additional purchase and is therefore an additional expense.  
           [0008]    Requiring an additional display device to display a clip and card is also less than convenient for some users. Many people find some display devices, such as neck lanyards or wrist lanyards, uncomfortable, unfashionable, and inconvenient. Other devices such as retractable reels and magnetic card holders are often too bulky and unnecessary. Furthermore, the additional device raises the cost to the consumers.  
           [0009]    Notwithstanding the different types of clip card attachments available, it is believed that there is a need for an improved card attachment that is easy to operate, provides a secure grip on a card without covering too much of the card, and can be attached to directly to a user&#39;s clothing, without the need for an additional device.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0010]    The present invention discloses several embodiments of a card display device. The present invention allows a user to securely retain a card and attach it their clothing with only one device. The disclosed invention includes a card attachment and clip assembly that allows the retention of a card and connection to a user&#39;s clothing to display the card. In one embodiment of this invention, a card is retained by a clip that has specially designed plastic gripping pads. An attached clip can connect directly to a user&#39;s clothing without the need for an additional device. In another feature of the disclosed invention, a swivel joint allows the card attachment and clip to rotate with respect to each other thereby allowing attachment to a user&#39;s clothing at any angle.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a card display device incorporating the invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a card display device.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the card display device of FIG. 1 in the closed position.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the card display device of FIG. 1 in the open position.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5 is a plan view of the card display device of FIG. 1 grasping a card and attached to a user&#39;s shirt pocket.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 6 is a plan view of the card display device of FIG. 2 grasping a card and attached to the front opening of a user&#39;s shirt.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 7 is another perspective view of the card display device of FIG. 2.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a card display device incorporating the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0019]    [0019]FIG. 1 depicts one embodiment of the disclosed card display device  8  including a first clip  48  and a second clip  50 . The first clip  48  is designed to retain a card while the second clip  50  is designed to be attached to a user&#39;s clothing. In one embodiment, the first clip  48  is of the suspender-type or cam-and-lever type design and includes a first jaw  10  and a second jaw  12 . The first jaw  10  and the second jaw  12  preferably each include a gripping pad  11 . The first jaw  10  includes a first gripping surface  18  and the second jaw  12  includes a second gripping surface  20 . The gripping surfaces  18  and  20  are the portions of the gripping pads  11  that contact a card  32  as it is grasped by the card display device  8 . Embodiments that include the cam-and-lever type clips have a closed position, shown in FIG. 3, in which the jaws are pressed together and an open position, shown in FIG. 4, in which the jaws are spread apart.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 illustrates in which the second clip as a clothespin-type clip. The second clip functions by grasping a user&#39;s clothing between a third jaw  52  and a fourth jaw  54 . A spring  56 , preferably a coil spring, closes the jaws  52  and  54  unless a pinching force is applied to open the jaw. The spring  56  applies force to the jaws allowing the jaws to grip a user&#39;s clothing. It is understood that several types of clips can be employed as the second clip  50  including cam-and-lever or suspender-type clips.  
         [0021]    In embodiments that include a cam-and-lever type clip such as those depicted in FIG. 1, the first jaw  10  and the second jaw  12  have a substantially parallel orientation when closed. A leaf spring  22  is shown connected to the first jaw  10  at one end and, at the other end, to the second jaw  12 . The second jaw  12  engages one end of the spring  22  in such a way as to anchor that end of the spring  22 . One end of the spring  22  is anchored by a slot  23  in the second jaw  12  at the pivot point  13 . In other embodiments, a lever may attach the first jaw  10  to the second jaw  12 .  
         [0022]    In the closed position depicted in FIG. 3, force from the spring  22  presses the first jaw  10  and second jaw  12  together. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a lever  24  with an attached cam  26  interacts with the spring  22 . The spring  22  also acts against the cam  26  in the closed position, preventing the cam  26  from moving, and thereby locking the first jaw  10 , the cam  26 , and the lever arm  24  in their closed positions. The card display device  8  will remain in the closed position until a user opens the card display device  8  by lifting the lever arm  24 . The lever arm  24  and the cam  26  rotate about a pivot pin  30 , as shown in FIG. 4, while the second jaw  12  remains relatively fixed. Similarly, the spring  22  resists movement of the cam  26  from the open position to the closed position such that the card display device  8  will remain in the open position unless a user closes the card display device  8  by applying force to the lever arm  24 .  
         [0023]    The gripping pads  11  are preferably made of a soft plastic or rubber. In another arrangement, the gripping pads  11  may fit over the jaws in a sleeve-like manner. The gripping pads  11  may alternatively glued, riveted, molded into/onto, or otherwise attached to the jaws. Other embodiments use only one gripping pad  11  or other plastics, metal, coatings, or other materials or combinations of materials to grip a card. In one preferred embodiment, the gripping pads are molded to the jaws  10  and  12  by placing the ends of the jaws into the mold before introducing the plastic.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 1 shows one of a pair of side walls  14  on the first clip  48 . The side walls  14  limit an effective gripping length A of the first gripping surface  18  and the second gripping surface  20 . The effective gripping length A of the first gripping surface  18  and the second gripping surface  20  is preferably approximately ¼ inch. Preferably, the effective gripping length A and a side wall length B are approximately equal where the side wall length B is the lateral distance from the hinge pin  30  to the furthest edge of the side wall  14 . In another embodiment, the ratio of the effective gripping length A to the side wall length B is approximately one to two, however, many ratios would be effective. In another embodiment, the effective gripping length A is approximately half of a first jaw length C.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 5 shows the card display device  8  with a card  32  inserted. The card  32  is inserted into the card display device  8  a distance equal to the effective gripping length A. In a preferred embodiment, the amount of the card  32  covered by the card display device  8  measures approximately ¼ inch in length by ⅜ inch in width. Other embodiments feature other dimensions and different ratios of the effective gripping surface A to the side wall length C. Also, a number of different gripping widths D are possible.  
         [0026]    While FIG. 5 shows the card display device  8  attached to a shirt pocket, the card display device can be attached to almost any part of a user&#39;s clothing. The first clip  48  and the second clip  50  are attached at a connection point  57  by a rotatable connection such as a rivet  58  which preferably allows rotation of the clips with respect to each other. Preferably, a rivet connects the clips at the ends opposite the jaws. Depending on the length of the rivet and the tension applied to connect the clips, the desired ease of rotation is achieved. In a preferred embodiment, the rivet loosely connects the two clips allowing free rotation. Embodiments that feature a tighter connection with less freedom to rotate are available.  
         [0027]    The ability to rotate one clip with respect to the other allows a user to attach the card display device  8  to a user&#39;s clothing at any angle. The second clip  50  can be attached to a flap or fold in a user&#39;s clothing including a shirt pocket  60 , as shown in FIG. 5, a belt, a pants pocket, a collar, or the front opening of a shirt  62 , as shown in FIG. 6. As can be seen in FIG. 6, the second clip  50  can attach at an angle while gravity preferably causes the first clip  48  and the card  32  to hang straight down.  
         [0028]    In one preferred alternate embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the second jaw  12  and the fourth jaw  54  are a single piece. In this embodiment, the clips are not rotatable, but the clips may be oriented with the jaws in the same direction, as in FIG. 8, or in opposite directions.  
         [0029]    Typical cards  32  are made of a hard plastic material. The gripping pads  11  are perferably of a material that has a coefficient of friction that enhances the connection between the gripping surfaces and a card  32 . A relatively high coefficient of friction provides a secure grip even with a small contact area. The soft plastic used for the gripping pads  11  can deform slightly under the force of a hard plastic card  32  pressed against it, further ensuring a secure grip of the card  32 . Also, the gripping pads  11  in some embodiments have gripping surfaces that create a somewhat tacky adhesion to a plastic card  32 . A preferred material for the gripping pads  11  is plasticized polyvinyl chloride having a Shore A hardness of  65 . Another preferred material for the gripping pad is rubber or natural rubber. Some preferred embodiments achieve a pull strength of seven pounds with a gripping surface that is only approximately ¼ inch by ⅜ inch. To solve the difficult problem of affixing the gripping pad to a jaw, the end of the jaw may be positioned in a mold and the gripping pad molded to the jaw in a manner to obtain a mechanical connection. Also, the gripping pad can be bonded to the jaw with a suitable adhesive. Other preferred embodiments include sleeve-like gripping pads which slide over the ends of the jaws.  
         [0030]    While the invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that other arrangements fall within the scope of the following claims.