Abstract:
A card holder for holding a plurality of transaction cards, such as a gift cards, that minimizes display rack space occupied by the holder when it is on display for sale, but that expands to hold multiple gift cards.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of the prior filed, co-pending provisional application Ser. No. 61/527,135, filed Aug. 25, 2011, incorporated by reference herein. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates generally to gift card holders and more particularly to a gift card organizer that expands to hold multiple gift cards. 
         [0003]    Transaction cards, stored value cards, or gift cards, as they are commonly called based upon their intended use, have become popular gifts. Gift cards typically comprise a stored value card whereby a certain cash equivalent value is encoded upon a magnet strip applied to the surface of the card. This stored value may be determined by the vendor prior to packaging and display for sale or, more commonly, is selected at the point of sale by the purchaser and loaded by the cashier using a magnet card reader/writer. While popular, gift cards are typically provided with a generic and impersonal design, typically identifying the associated merchant for which the card may be used to purchase merchandise, and therefore are not personalized in view of the intended recipient. 
         [0004]    Gift cards are often presented for sale on display racks in stores, each card or packet of cards being hung upon a display stand peg. A given area of a store will only support a certain number and size of display stands, given store traffic and other considerations, which makes allocation of display space an important marketing decision that may require selecting only certain high selling cards for display. Display of other items in the same store area will typically reduce the substantially finite space available for displaying gift cards and gift card packets. 
         [0005]    In addition to the above considerations, gift card packets must fit within a set, allocated space in pre-existing displays. A gift card packet must not exceed 5.25″ tall and 4″ wide. These dimensions are an industry standard and are typically non-negotiable. In order to properly hang each gift card packet, the packet typically includes a J-hook hole (sombrero cut) with the exact dimensions of 1.875″ wide by 0.5″ high and be placed 0.1875″ from the top of the packet. Presently, the above requirements pertain to approximately 95% of all gift cards and gift card packets that are sold at retail. 
         [0006]    What is needed, therefore, is a device that increases the value of a gift comprising a gift card, relative to the price paid by the purchaser, and increases the value and price relative to space for the merchant displaying and selling embodiments thereof. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The purpose of this invention is to provide a holder for holding transaction cards, such as gift cards, in a manner that minimizes space occupied by the holder when it is on display for sale, but that expands to hold multiple gift cards when in use after sale and removal from display. 
         [0008]    An embodiment of a card holder according to the present invention may include a shell portion comprising a front wall, a back wall, a pleated bottom wall extending between lower margins of the front wall and the back wall, a first pleated side wall extending between first side margins of the front and the back wall and a second pleated side wall extending between second side margins of the front wall and the back wall so that the first and second side walls are spaced apart at substantially the width of the holder. Pleats in the first side wall are opposed to, and substantially aligned with, pleats in the second side wall and dividers are positioned to extend between the first side wall and said second side wall. Typically, one divider is positioned at each pair of aligned, opposed pleats. A closure flap extends upward from the upper margin of the back wall. 
         [0009]    The holder may further include a header panel attached to a rear surface of the back wall and extending upward therefrom. In certain embodiments, the header is attached to the rear surface via tabs projecting downward from a lower margin of the header panel. The tabs may adjoin (and be separated from) the lower margin along lines of perforations between each tab the proximate portion of the lower margin of the header panel. The header panel may thereby be removed from the holder by tearing or otherwise separating along the perforations. 
         [0010]    Other advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a multicard holder including a header panel, holder body and closure band. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of the holder with the header panel removed. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a front perspective view the closure band. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of the holder showing the flap opened for receiving a gift card therein. 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a front view of a gift card. 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a plan view of the layout of an unassembled front wall, bottom wall, back wall and flap of a holder. 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a plan view of the layout of an unassembled side wall. 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is a plan view of a divider. 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  is a plan view of a header panel. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. 
         [0021]    With reference to the figures,  FIGS. 1 through 9  illustrate one or more embodiments of a multicard holder  100  for holding transaction cards such as a gift cards  105 .  FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a multicard holder including a header panel  110 , holder body  115  and closure band  120 .  FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of the holder  100  with the header panel  110  removed.  FIG. 3  is a front perspective view the closure band  120 .  FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of the holder  100  showing the flap  125  opened for receiving a gift card therein.  FIG. 5  is a front view of a gift card. 
         [0022]      FIGS. 6 through 9  show plan views of diecut elements of an unassembled holder  100  including a shell portion  130 , typically comprising plastic or other flexible, resilient material, that includes a front wall  135 , a bottom wall  140 , a back wall  145  and the previously referenced flap  125 .  FIG. 7  is a plan view of the layout of an unassembled accordion-pleated side wall  150 . The side walls  150 , of which there are two—one wall for each side of the holder  100 —comprise plastic or other flexible, resilient material, and include front and back tab portions,  150   a  and  150   b  respectively. The front tab  150   a  of each side wall  150  is adhered to an inside surface of the front wall  135  as indicated by reference number  135   a , and the back tab  150   b  of each side wall  150  is adhered to an inside surface of the back wall  145  as indicated by reference number  145   a.    
         [0023]    Each side wall  150  comprises multiple accordion pleats  151  and dividers  155  are adhered to and between aligned pleats  151  in opposing left and right side walls  150  of a holder  100 .  FIG. 8  is a plan view of a divider  155 . Gift cards  105  may be organized within the holder  105  by segregating gift cards  105  between various dividers  155 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 9  is a plan view of a header panel  110 . The header panel  110  includes tabs  160  that project downward from the main body of the header panel  110 . Adhesive is applied to forward surfaces of the tabs  160  and the tabs  160  are adhered to the back wall of the holder  100  in order to attach the header panel  110  to the holder  100 . An aperture  165  may be provided in the header panel  110  so that indicia on the back surface of a gift card  105  removably attached to the header panel  110  may be read or accessed through the aperture  165 .