Display card assembly for ring-like ornamental articles

A display card assembly includes first and second substantially flat cards having first and second apertures therein, respectively, and an elongated substantially flat retaining member which is dimensioned for receiving a ring-like ornamental article thereon. The cards are secured together in overlying relation with the apertures in substantially aligned relation and the retaining member is interposed between the cards so that it passes across the opening defined by the apertures. A ring-like ornamental article received on the portion of the retaining member passing across the opening defined by the apertures is retained on the retaining member so that it can be effectively displayed on the display card assembly.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The instant invention relates to jewerly display devices, and more 
particularly to an effective and economical display card assembly which is 
adapted for displaying ring-like ornamental articles in a manner wherein 
the potential for pilferage is minimized. 
While heretofore various types of display cards have been found to be 
effective for displaying jewelry items, such as earrings, pendants, or 
pins in retail displays, the heretofore available display cards have 
generally not been effectively adapted for use in displaying ring-like 
articles, such as finger rings. As a result, heretofore it has generally 
been necessary to display finger rings in jewelry boxes, trays, or stands 
where pilferage can be a problem and it has generally not been possible to 
effectively suspend finger rings on individual display cards from 
substantially horizontal hanger bars or the like. In this regard, various 
heretofore available finger ring display devices which represent the 
closest prior art to the subject invention of which the applicant is aware 
are disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. to LOEB No. 672,561; WEBSTER et al No. 
777,823; SCHLESS No. 2,119,832; KAWASHIMA No. 3,660,873; MICHELS No. 
4,180,169; DAVET No. 4,300,674; and GARGANESE No. 4,697,705. However, as 
will be readily apparent, these references fail to disclose or suggest an 
effective display card which can be utilized for supporting and displaying 
a finger ring from a hanger or the like, and hence they are believed to be 
of only general interest with respect to the subject invention. 
The instant invention provides a highly effective display card assembly 
which is operative for displaying an ornamental ring-like article, such as 
a finger ring. More specifically, the instant invention provides a display 
card assembly comprising first and second substantially flat cards having 
first and second apertures therein, respectively, and an elongated 
substantially flat retaining member. The first card is secured to the 
second card so that the first and second apertures are in substantially 
aligned relation and the retaining member is received and secured between 
the first and second cards so that it passes across the opening defined by 
the first and second apertures. The retaining member is adapted for 
receiving a ring-like ornamental article thereon so that it is positioned 
in the opening defined by the apertures in the two cards. The first and 
second cards are preferably made of an opaque cardboard material and the 
finger ring retaining member is preferably made of a transparent plastic 
material. Further, the retaining member is preferably integrally formed 
from a substantially flat plastic retaining card having a pair of spaced 
substantially parallel slits therein which define the opposite side edges 
of the retaining member and the inner edges of pair of side portions of 
the retaining card. Accordingly, when a ring-like ornamental article is 
received on the retaining member, the side portions of the retaining card 
engage the outer side peripheries of the ornamental article to retain it 
in substantially perpendicular relation to the retaining card. Further, 
because the retaining member is secured between the cards, a ring-like 
ornamental article, such as a finger ring, received on the retaining 
member cannot easily be removed from the display card assembly by a 
prospective pilferer. 
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the instant invention to provide an 
effective display card assembly for displaying a ring-like ornamental 
article, such as a finger ring. 
Another object of the the instant invention is to provide a display card 
assembly for displaying a finger ring. 
An even further object of the instant invention is to provide a finger ring 
display card assembly wherein a finger ring is secured in an opening in a 
substantially flat card with the finger ring positioned in substantially 
perpendicular relation to the card. 
A still further object of the instant invention is to provide a finger ring 
display card assembly which is adapted to minimize pilferage. 
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become 
apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection 
with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring now to the drawing, the display card assembly of the instant 
invention is illustrated and generally indicated at 10 in FIGS. 1-3. The 
assembly 10 is operative for displaying a ring-like ornamental article, 
such as a finger ring 11, and it comprises first and second substantially 
flat cards 12 and 14, respectively, having first and second apertures 16 
and 18, respectively, therein, and a retaining card 20. As illustrated, 
the first card 12 is received and adhesively secured in substantially 
aligned overlying relation on the second card 14 and the finger ring 
retaining card 20 is interposed between the cards 12 and 14 so that it 
extends across the opening defined by the apertures 16 and 18. The finger 
ring 11 is assembled on the retaining card 20 so that it is positioned in 
the opening defined by the apertures 16 and 18 and accordingly, the finger 
ring 11 can be effectively displayed by suspending the assembly 10 from a 
hanger or the like in a retail display. 
The first and second cards 12 and 14, respectively are preferably made from 
a suitable substantially flat, opaque cardboard material and they are 
preferably integrally connected along a score line 24. The cards 12 and 14 
are preferably of substantially the same dimension and configuration and 
the apertures 16 and 18 are preferably defined by substantially 
rectangular slots which are disposed in substantially aligned relation 
when the first card 12 is overlayed on the second card 14. The cards 12 
and 14 also have reduced hanger slots 26 and 28, respectively, formed 
therein which are positioned in substantially aligned relation when the 
first card 12 is overlayed on the second card 14. 
The retaining card 20 is preferably made from a suitable substantially 
flat, resilient, transparent plastic material and it includes an elongated 
central retaining member 30 and a pair of side portions 32. The retaining 
member 30 is separated from the side portions 32 by a pair of 
substantially parallel slits 34 and the retaining card 20 is interposed 
and adhesively secured between the first and second cards 12 and 14 so 
that the retaining member 30 extends across the opening defined by the 
apertures 16 and 18 with the slits 34 spaced inwardly from the perimeters 
of the apertures 16 and 18. 
The finger ring 11 is of conventional construction and it is generally 
exemplary of the type of ring-like ornamental article which can be 
assembled on the display card assembly 10. The finger ring 11 is assembled 
on the retaining member 30 of the retaining card 20 prior to securing the 
retaining card 20 to the cards 12 and 14 and it is assembled so that the 
inner side edges of the side portions 32 engage the outer side peripheries 
of the finger ring 11 to position the finger ring 11 in substantially 
perpendicular relation to the retaining card 20. The finger ring 11 is 
positioned in the opening defined by the apertures 16 and 18 so that it is 
retained therein and normally positioned in substantially perpendicular 
relation to the first and second cards 12 and 14, respectively. In this 
connection, as illustrated in FIG. 3, when the finger-ring 11 is received 
on the retaining member 30 in this manner, it normally produces stresses 
in the retaining card 20 which cause the retaining card 20 and the 
adjacent portions of the cards 12 and 14 to be deformed outwardly 
slightly, although it has generally been found that this does not normally 
detract from the overall attractiveness and effectiveness of the display 
card assembly 10. 
The display card assembly 10 is adapted to be suspended from a 
substantially horizontal hanger so that the hanger passes through the 
opening defined by the apertures 26 and 28. When the assembly 10 is 
supported in this manner, the finger ring 11 can be effectively displayed 
on the assembly 10 and it is normally maintained in substantially 
perpendicular relation to the cards 12 and 14. Further, because finger 
ring 11 is effectively retained on the retaining member 30 so that it 
cannot easily be removed from the card assembly 10, the likelihood of 
pilferage is substantially reduced. Hence, for these reasons as well as 
the other reasons hereinabove set forth it is seen that the display card 
assembly of the instant invention represents a significant advancement in 
the art which has substantial commercial merit. 
While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure 
embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art 
that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made 
without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive 
concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein 
shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the 
appended claims.