Card for retaining items therein

A card may include a generally planar panel and a plurality of opposing retaining members disposed on the panel. The plurality of opposing retaining members may be arranged to retain a substantially rectangular transaction card having a first longitudinal axis in a first orientation with respect to the panel and to retain a substantially rectangular paper gift having a second longitudinal axis in a second orientation with respect to the panel, so that the orientation of the first longitudinal axis is substantially transverse to the second orientation of the second longitudinal axis. The paper gift may be, for example, paper monetary currency, a paper bank check, or a paper gift certificate. The transaction card may be, for example, a debit card, a credit card, a gift card, a prepaid phone card, a card containing a merchandise credit usable at a retail establishment.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This document relates to cards, such as greeting cards, capable of retaining items therein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Cards may be used to retain items therein. For example, greeting cards are commonly used to deliver messages to the intended recipients. Such greeting cards may bear messages of sorrow, grief, sympathy, emotions, joy, well wishes, celebration of events, humor, or various other communications. A greeting card may also be used to deliver a gift item to the recipient. For example, a gift item such as paper currency may be inserted into a greeting card, and the card (when in a folded condition) may be delivered to the recipient. After the greeting card is opened, the paper currency is revealed to the recipient. Another example of a gift item that may be included in a greeting card is a transaction card. Such transaction cards are typically similar in size and shape to standard credit cards and may be used, for example, as a gift certificate or a prepaid merchandise credit toward a purchase at a retail establishment.

A traditional greeting card—where one panel is folded over another panel—is not necessarily conducive to retaining gift items such as paper currency or transaction cards. If the folded greeting card is held or manipulated without proper care, the gift item inside the greeting card may unintentionally release from the greeting card, and the gift item may be lost before the recipient is able to receive it.

Some cards, such as greeting cards, are formed with pockets or cut lines in the card, which may be used to retain a gift item in the card. For example, a greeting card may have a pocket or an envelope formed thereon so that a gift item may be held in the card until the recipient receives it. Because a gift item such as paper currency is usually not the same size as a gift item such as a transaction card, separate cards typically are used to deliver different types of gift items. As such, a retail consumer typically decides at the time of purchasing a card whether the intended gift item to be included in the card should be in the form of paper currency or in the form of a transaction card.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A card may include a generally planar panel and a plurality of opposing retaining members disposed on the panel. The plurality of opposing retaining members may be arranged to retain a substantially rectangular transaction card having a first longitudinal axis in a first orientation with respect to the panel and to retain a substantially rectangular paper gift having a second longitudinal axis in a second orientation with respect to the panel, so that the orientation of the first longitudinal axis is substantially transverse to the second orientation of the second longitudinal axis. The paper gift may be, for example, paper monetary currency, a paper bank check, or a paper gift certificate. The transaction card may be, for example, a debit card, a credit card, a gift card, a prepaid phone card, a card containing a merchandise credit usable at a retail establishment.

A method of using a card comprising a panel and a plurality of opposing retaining members disposed on the panel may include removably retaining a substantially rectangular transaction card by the plurality of opposing retaining members and removably retaining a substantially rectangular paper gift by the plurality of opposing retaining members. The transaction card may have a first longitudinal axis in a first orientation with respect to the panel and the paper gift may have a second longitudinal axis in a second orientation with respect to the panel, wherein the first orientation of the first longitudinal axis is substantially transverse to the second orientation of the second longitudinal axis.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

Referring toFIG. 3, a greeting card10includes a generally planar front panel30and a generally planar rear panel20. A fold line12couples front panel30and rear panel20such that greeting card10is adjustable between an opened condition (as shown inFIG. 4) and a folded condition (as shown inFIG. 3). Greeting card10is adjusted to the folded condition by moving an inside face35of front panel30in a direction15toward an inside face25of rear panel20, or vice versa. In an embodiment, an outside face34of front panel30may include one or more of a message38, afigure 39, or other printed matter. In other embodiments, one or more of such messages, figures, and/or printed matter may also be included on inside face35of front panel30, inside face25of rear panel20, and/or outside face of rear panel20(not shown). Such messages, figures, and printed matter are not limited to the embodiment shown inFIG. 3, but may communicate, for example, sorrow, grief, sympathy, emotions, joy, well wishes, celebration of events, humor, or other expressions.

Referring toFIG. 4, the greeting card10is shown in an opened condition such that the inside faces25and35of the rear and front panels20and30are revealed. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 4, rear panel20is substantially rectangular, defined by substantially parallel long edges13and14which are substantially perpendicular to and intersect short edges16and17. However, front and rear panels20and30may have any other suitable shape such as square, oval, circular, or triangular. As depicted, long edges13and14are substantially parallel to fold line12. However, long edges13and14can be at any other orientation, such as transverse, to fold line12. While both a front panel and a rear panel are depicted, greeting card10need only contain one panel, such as rear panel20or front panel30.

Opposing retaining members40and41are disposed on rear panel20. As shown inFIG. 4, retaining members40and41are in the form of opposing flaps40and41formed from convex die cuts42and44in rear panel20. However, retaining member40and41may have other forms, such as tabs, apertures, or die cuts. Flaps40and41are coupled to rear panel20by substantially parallel flap lines48and49, respectively. As shown inFIG. 4, flap lines48and49are substantially parallel to fold line12. In other embodiments, flap lines48and49may be at other orientations, such as transverse, with respect to fold line12. As shown inFIG. 4, flap40has an arc shape with a convex edge43that faces and protrudes toward convex edge45of opposing arc-shaped flap41. However, the invention is not limited to the depicted embodiment, and the flaps40and41may be formed in other shapes, such as triangles, rectangles, or trapezoids.

Referring toFIG. 5, greeting card10is adapted to receive a transaction card50. Transaction card50may be a plastic substrate having a substantially rectangular shape similar to that of a standard credit card. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 5, transaction card50has a substantially rectangular shape defined by opposing major edges58and59that intersect with opposing minor edges56and57, where each major edge is greater in length than the minor edge. As shown inFIG. 5, transaction card50has a longitudinal axis51substantially parallel to major edges58and59.

Transaction card50may be releasably retained by opposing retaining members40and41so that a portion of transaction card50is exposed when greeting card10is adjusted to an opened condition (as shown inFIG. 5). As shown inFIG. 3, transaction card50is retained in a first orientation wherein longitudinal axis51is substantially transverse to flap lines48and49, to fold line12and to long edges13and14. In other embodiments, transaction card50may be retained in other orientations, such as where longitudinal axis51is parallel to flap lines48and49, fold line12, and/or long edges13and14.

When transaction card50is being retained, minor edges56and57of the transaction card50are covered by opposing flaps40and41while a portion of major edges58and59extend between the flaps40and41. Optionally, a magnetic strip52is included on the rear face54of the transaction card50, which stores data associated with the transaction card50. The transaction card50may be, for example, a debit card, a credit card, a gift card, a prepaid phone card, a card containing a merchandise credit usable at a retail establishment, or another similar device. The front face55of the transaction card50may include a logo or other phrase53that identifies the particular establishment at which the transaction card is redeemable. In such cases, the opposing flaps40and41may be positioned such that logo or phrase53is exposed to the recipient when the greeting card10is opened.

Referring toFIG. 6, greeting card10is also adapted to receive a substantially rectangular paper gift, such as paper monetary currency60, a paper bank check, a paper gift certificate, or a paper coupon. Paper currency60is releasably retained by opposing flaps40and41so that a portion of paper currency60is exposed when the greeting card10is moved to an opened condition (as shown inFIG. 6). In the embodiment shown inFIG. 6, paper currency60includes opposing major edges68and69that intersect with opposing minor edges66and67, where each major edge is greater in length than the minor edge. Paper currency60has a longitudinal axis61substantially parallel to major edges68and69.

In the embodiment shown inFIG. 6, paper currency60is retained in a second orientation wherein longitudinal axis61is substantially parallel to flap lines48and49, to fold line12, and to long edges13and14. In other embodiments, paper currency60may be retained in other orientations, such as where longitudinal axis is positioned transverse to flap lines48and49, to fold line12, and/or to long edges13and14. A portion of the major edges68and69are covered by the opposing flaps40and41. The minor edges66and67of the currency60are not covered by the flaps40and41and rest on the inside face25of the rear panel20of the greeting card10.

As shown inFIGS. 3 and 4, greeting card10is capable of retaining transaction card50in a first orientation (seeFIG. 5) with respect to rear panel20and is also capable of retaining paper currency60in a second orientation (seeFIG. 6) with respect to rear panel20. In comparing the two orientations, longitudinal axis51of transaction card50is transverse to longitudinal axis61of paper currency60. Advantageously, greeting card10, having a single pair of opposing flaps40and41, may be operated to retain a transaction card50or to retain monetary currency60without the need for redundant or multiple sets of flaps (e.g., one set of flaps to retain a transaction card and a separate set of flaps to retain monetary currency). Furthermore, a user may obtain the greeting card10and decide at a later time whether a transaction card50or monetary currency should be included as a gift item in the greeting card10.

In an embodiment, major edges58and59of transaction card50are shorter in length than major edges68and69of paper currency60and longer in length than minor edges66and67of paper currency60. In addition, minor edges56and57of transaction card50may be shorter in length than minor edges66and67and major edges68and69of paper currency60. For example, major edges58and59of transaction card50may measure approximately 3.375 inches in length and minor edges56and57of transaction card50may measure approximately 2.125 inches in length. Meanwhile, major edges68and69of paper currency60can have a length of approximately 6.0 to 6.5 inches and minor edges66and67of paper currency can have a length of approximately 2.5 to 3.0 inches. Despite these size differences between transaction card50and paper currency60, retaining members40and41can be advantageously configured to retain either transaction card50or paper currency60without the need for redundant retaining members.

In operation, flaps40and41work in conjunction with panels20or30of the greeting card10in which the cut lines42and44are formed. Referring to the embodiments shown inFIGS. 3 and 4, the cut lines42and44are made in rear panel20of the greeting card10so as to form the flaps40and41. Alternatively, the cut lines42and44may be made in the front panel30of the greeting card10so that the flaps40and41work in conjunction with the front panel30to retain the transaction card50or the monetary currency60.

Referring toFIG. 5, the greeting card10may be operated to retain the transaction card50by inserting the minor edge56of the transaction card between flap40and inside face25. Transaction card10is then maneuvered so that the other minor edge57is then inserted between the flap41and the inside face25. Alternatively, transaction card50may be received in greeting card10by first inserting the minor edge57and subsequently inserting the other minor edge56. In another embodiment, transaction card50may be inserted by placing transaction card50behind outside face of rear panel25and then inserting minor edge54through cut line44in rear panel25formed by convex edge45of flap41. Transaction card50can then be slid through to partially cover inside face25and minor edge54can be slid through cut line42and behind flap40. When the transaction card50is retained in the orientation in accordance with the embodiment shown inFIG. 5, inside face25abuts the rear face54of the transaction card50while the flaps40and41abut the front face55of the transaction card50.

Referring toFIG. 6, greeting card10may be operated to retain paper currency60by inserting a portion of major edge68between flap40and inside face25. Paper currency60may be flexed or manipulated so that a portion of other major edge69is inserted between the flap41and inside face25. When paper currency60is retained in greeting card10in accordance with the embodiment shown inFIG. 6, inside face25abuts one face64of the currency60while flaps40and41abut opposing face65of the currency60. In other embodiments, other paper gifts, such as paper bank checks and paper gift certificates, may be similarly retained by flaps40and41.

FIG. 1shows another embodiment of greeting card110. Greeting card110has retaining members140and141configured to retain transaction card150and/or paper gift160in the same manner and orientation as retaining members40and41of rear panel20. The embodiment depicted inFIG. 1is different from the embodiment depicted inFIGS. 3–6in that retaining members140and141are disposed on a middle panel120. Middle panel120is coupled to a rear panel170by a middle-rear panel fold edge171. Rear panel170is in turn coupled to a front panel130by a front-rear panel fold edge172. Middle panel120is moveable along arrow173to be folded over rear panel170. Front panel130is then moveable along arrow174to be folded over middle panel120such that middle panel120is sandwiched between front panel130and rear panel170. Thus, card110is moveable between a closed condition in which middle panel120is hidden by front panel130and by rear panel170and an open condition in which the front panel opens to reveal middle panel130.

FIG. 2shows yet another embodiment of greeting card110. Greeting card110has retaining members240and241configured to retain transaction card250and/or paper gift260in the same manner and orientation as retaining members40and41of rear panel20. The embodiment depicted inFIG. 2is different from the embodiment depicted inFIGS. 3–6in that retaining members240and241are disposed in a middle panel220. Middle panel220is coupled to a front panel230by a front-middle fold edge276. Front panel230is in turn coupled to a rear panel270by a front-rear panel fold edge275. Middle panel220is moveable along arrow277to be folded behind front panel230. Front panel230is then moveable along arrow278to be folded over rear panel270such that middle panel220is sandwiched between front panel230and rear panel270. Thus, card210is moveable between a closed condition in which middle panel220is hidden by front panel230and by rear panel270and an open condition in which the front panel opens to reveal middle panel230.

A number of embodiments of the invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the greeting card may have a design other than a vertical fold line with front and rear panels. Instead, the greeting card may have a horizontal fold line, multiple fold lines, or no fold lines. Moreover one or more faces of the greeting card may be blank so that the user may write personalized message. In addition, the flaps may have a shape other than an convex arc shape. For instance, the cut lines may have one or more corners so that the flaps have a triangular, rectangular, or trapezoidal shape. Furthermore, the greeting card may be capable of simultaneously retaining more than one gift item at a time. As such, the greeting card may be operated to retain both a transaction card and a paper gift at the same time. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.