CARD HOLDER AND MAGNIFYING DEVICE

Abstract: A card holder (1) has a magnifying means (4) mounted thereto. The magnifying means (4) includes a Fresnel magnifying sheet (20). The magnifying means (4) is mounted on the card holder (1) in such a manner that a card (24) or other sheet of writing material held in the card holder (1) can be marked whilst the card (24) or the like is being viewed through the said magnifying means (4).

Description: Card Holder and Magnifying Device This invention relates to a device arranged to receive a card, and to magnify writing on the card held therein. In particular, the invention relates to a device arranged to receive a scorecard and to magnify entries on the scorecard, so that players of games such as golf and bowls can play their chosen games with less difficulty. In some games, particularly golf and bowls, it is necessary for a player to carry a scorecard, and to mark the scorecard from time to time. In golf the scorecard also provides the player with information about the course, for example the length of each hole, the shape of the fairway and the position of hazards, the par score for each hole, together with information regarding local rules. It is therefore important that the player can read the information on the card. For many players of golf and bowls sight defects make this task a difficult one. In order to play the games of golf and bowls it is necessary to focus on an object in the distance, yet to read and fill in a scorecard it is necessary to focus at short distance. Many players require one set of spectacles to focus at long distance, and another set of spectacles (reading spectacles) to focus at short distance. Changing spectacles each time a shot has to be taken, or the scorecard filled in, is time consuming and frustrating. In golf in particular, a player may be ready to take a shot, but may then wish to refer to the scorecard again. If the golfer needs to change spectacles, or indeed simply to don spectacles, he may be disinclined to look at the scorecard, or he will take longer to complete the hole. Spectacles having vari-focus lenses or bi-focal lenses are known. However, users of such spectacles have found them to be inappropriate for playing games such as golf and bowls. This is probably because of the inherent distortion of vision caused by such vision. Magnifying glasses and monocles have been used for many years to enable persons having less than perfect vision to read text. However, for the person who plays golf or bowls a magnifying glass in particular would not be a suitable aid since the player would need to hold the scorecard, a pencil, and the magnifying glass contemporaneously. Japanese patent application no. 09084911 describes a pitch mark repairer having a magnifying glass attached thereto. Whilst combining a pitch mark repairing device with a magnifying glass does obviate the need for a golfer to carry separate devices about his person, the device does in fact suffer the same disadvantage as an ordinary magnifying glass, in so far as when marking a card the user needs to hold three objects at once. It would therefore be desirable to provide a device which would enable a person having less than perfect vision to mark a scorecard, or read rules or other information on a card. The invention provides a card holder having magnifying means mounted thereto, wherein the magnifying means is mounted on the card holder in such a manner that a card held in the card holder can be marked whilst the card is being viewed through the said magnifying means. Preferably, the card holder has an open position and a closed position. Advantageously, opening the card holder permits the magnifying means to move from a non-working position to a working position. The magnifying means may be so mounted on the card holder as to be biased into its working position. The magnifying means may be biased into its working position by a spring. The magnifying means may comprise a substantially planar sheet of magnifying material. The magnifying material may be a plastics material, vinyl or glass. Preferably, the magnifying material is a Fresnel magnifying sheet, and more preferably, a plastics Fresnel magnifying sheet. Suitably, the magnifying means may comprise a frame mounting a magnifying material. In one embodiment of the invention, the card holder is in the form of a case comprising two halves hingedly connected one to another. Preferably, the magnifying means is hingedly connected to one of the said halves. The magnifying means may be hingedly connected along one of its edges to one of the two halves of the said case, the other edges of magnifying means remaining free. A spring may be provided to bias the magnifying means into the working position. The case may comprise a fastener to fasten the case in the closed position. At least one of the case halves may be lined with a layer of protective material, such as foam, so as to reduce the risk of the magnifying means becoming scratched when the case is closed and the magnifying means is in its non-working position. The case may be provided with means to hold a marking device, such as a pencil. The said means may comprise a recess or a clip. A recess may be formed in the protective material. Preferably, the case is formed from a plastics material, and more preferably, each case half is formed as a plastics moulding. Alternatively, the both case halves and the hinge connecting the said halves may be formed as a plastics moulding. Alternatively, a light-weight metal may be used. The hinge may comprise a pin. Means to hold the pin may be formed integrally with the case halves. The hinge may be formed by a crease, or by a flexible material. In one embodiment of the invention, the card holder further comprises securing means to secure a card to the holder. The said fastening means may comprise a spring clip, a pin, hook and claw material, or any other suitable means. The card holder of the invention is particularly useful for players of golf and bowls. In both these games it is necessary to read a score card, which requires the player to focus at short distance, yet to play the game the player needs to focus on objects in the distance, i.e. the flag on the green or the jack. The device permits the player to view the score card, and whilst so viewing the scorecard to mark it. The drawing illustrates a scorecard holder having magnifying means according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. In the figure there is shown a scorecard holder 1 comprising a case having two rectangular halves 2,3 hingedly connected to one another by a hinge 5. The halves 2,3 of the case are made of suitable plastics material. Hinge 5 may be a pin, a crease or a flexible material and in this case is constituted by a pin 14 which passes through aligned apertures in interdigitating portions 18 formed integrally with the halves 2,3 of the case. Inwardly of the upper edge of case half 3, there is attached thereto magnifying means 4. The magnifying means 4 comprises a flat magnifying sheet 20 formed from a material such as plastics and in the form known as a Fresnel magnifying sheet. The magnifying sheet 20 is rectangular and is attached to frame members 10 which surround the sheet 20. The magnifying sheet 20 may be fixed to the frame members 10 by any suitable means such as adhesive or adhesive pads. The magnifying means 4 is pivotally connected to the case half 3 by means of pins 6 attached to the frame members 10 of the magnifying means 4 and journalled in apertures in protruding lugs 22 from the upper case half 3. The pins 6 have their axes colinear with one another and parallel to the upper edge of case half 3. The magnifying means 4 is slightly smaller in its major dimensions than the case half 3. By pivotally connecting the magnifying means 4 to case half 3, the magnifying means 4 can be folded into the upper case half 3 and subsequently the case can be closed and secured by a clip 11 , thereby enabling the user insert the case 1 into a pocket. Preferably the magnifying means 4 is biased into the position shown in the figure. A spring (not shown) may be provided to achieve this biasing, for instance by mounting a coil spring around pin 6 so that one end of it acts on the a frame member 10 of magnifying means 4 and the other end of it acts on the upper case half 3. Lower case half 2 is provided with a scorecard mounting surface 7. Two clips 8 are attached to one end of case half 2 and serve to attach a scorecard 24 (shown in phantom) to the scorecard holder 1. Advantageously, the clips 8 are spring clips which hold the scorecard on the mounting surface 7. In other embodiments, either instead of or in addition to the two clips 8 shown, other clips 8 may be attached to other parts of the lower case half 2. The surface 7 is formed as the upper surface of a plastics foam insert 26, which lines the lower case half 2, so as to reduce the risk of the magnifying means 4 becoming scratched when the case is closed and the magnifying means 4 is in its non- working position. At one end of case half 2, there is provided in the insert 26 forming the mounting surface 7, a slot 9 which is so shaped and dimensioned as to receive a marking device such as a pencil. When the scorecard holder 1 is in the position shown in the figure, there is sufficient space between the lower case half 2 mounting the scorecard and the magnifying means for the user to mark the scorecard 24 with a pencil or other marking means. The device of the invention enables the person with defective vision to play his chosen game without constantly needing to change the spectacles he is wearing. The person can simply look at his scorecard 24 in the way that one having normal vision would, the only difference being that he would look at the scorecard 24 through a magnifying means 4. The device 1 is dimensioned so as to rest comfortably on the palm of the hand. The distance between the magnifying means 4 and the card mounting surface 7 is sufficient to allow a user to mark a card with a pen or pencil of the type usually used by golfers and bowls players. By providing an opening around the three sides of the device, both right and left handed users can mark and read any type of scorecard mounted on the mounting surface 7, whilst viewing the same through the magnifying means 4.

Claims: Claims 1. A card holder having magnifying means mounted thereto, wherein the magnifying means is mounted on the card holder in such a manner that a card or other sheet of writing material held in the card holder can be marked whilst the card or the like is being viewed through the said magnifying means. 2. A card holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the card holder has an open position and a closed position. 3. A card holder as claimed in claim 2, wherein the magnifying means is housed and protected in the closed position. 4. A card holder as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein opening the card holder permits the magnifying means to move from a non-working position to a working position. 5. A card holder as claimed in claim 4, wherein the magnifying means is so mounted on the card holder as to be biased into its working position. 6. A card holder as claimed in claim 5, wherein the magnifying means is biased into its working position by a spring. 7. A card holder as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the magnifying means comprises a substantially planar sheet of magnifying material. 8. A card holder as claimed in claim 7, wherein the magnifying material is a Fresnel magnifying sheet. 9. A card holder as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the magnifying means is made wholly or principally of plastics material. 10. A card holder as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the card holder is in the form of a case comprising two halves hingedly connected one to another. 1 1. A card holder as claimed in claim 10, wherein the magnifying means is hingedly connected to one of the said halves. 12. A card holder as claimed in claim 11, wherein the magnifying means is hingedly connected along one of its edges to one of the two halves of the said case, the other edges of magnifying means remaining free. 13. A card holder as claimed in claim 10, 11 or 12, wherein the magnifying means is arranged to be received in one of the case halves when the case is closed. 14. A card holder as claimed in any of claims 10 to 13, wherein at least one of the case halves is lined with a layer of protective material, such as foam. 15. A card holder as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the card holder includes means to hold a marking device, such as a pencil. 16. A card holder as claimed in claim 15 when dependent on claim 14, wherein a recess is formed in the protective material to hold a marking device. 17. A card holder as claimed in claim 16 or claim 14, wherein the protective material forms a surface to support a card or other sheet of writing material. 18. A card holder as claimed in any of claims 10 to 17, wherein the case comprises a fastener to fasten the case in the closed position. AMENDED CLAIMS [received by the International Bureau on 25 September 2000 (25.09.00); original claims 1-18 replaced by new claims 1-15 (2 pages)] 1. A device comprising a card holder having magnifying means mounted thereto, the card holder having an open position and a closed position, wherein opening the card holder permits the magnifying means to move from a non-working position to a working position in which it is retained by the device, and wherein the magnifying means is mounted on the card holder in such a manner that, in the working position, a cord or other sheet of writing material held in the card holder can be marked whilst the card or the like is being viewed through the said magnifying means, there being an opening around three sides of the device in the working position to afford access for writing. 2. A card holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the magnifying means is housed and protected in the closed position. 3. A card holder as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the magnifying means is so mounted on the card holder as to be biased into its working position. 4. A card holder as claimed in claim 3, wherein the magnifying means is biased into its working position by a spring. 5. A card holder as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the magnifying means comprises a substantially planar sheet of magmfying material. 6. A card holder as claimed in claim 5, wherein the magnifying material is a Fresnel magnifying sheet. 7. A card holder as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the magnifying means is made wholly or principally of plastics material. 8. A card holder as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the card holder is in the form of a case comprising two halves hingedly connected one to another. 9. A card holder as claimed in claim 8, wherein the magnifying means is hingedly connected to one of the said halves. 10. A card holder as claimed in claim 9, wherein the magnifying means is hingedly connected along one of its edges to one of the two halves of the said case, the other edges of magmfying means remaining free. 11. A card holder as claimed in claim 8, 9 or 10, wherein the magnifying means is arranged to be received in one of the case halves when the case is closed. 12. A card holder as claimed in any of claims 8 to 11, wherein at least one of the case halves is lined with a layer of protective material, such as foam. 13. A card holder as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the card holder includes means to hold a marking device, such as a pencil. 14. A card holder as claimed in claim 13 when dependent on claim 12, wherein a recess is formed in the protective material to hold a marking device. 15. A card holder as claimed in claim 14 or claim 12, wherein the protective material forms a surface to support a card or other sheet of writing material.

Inventors: HILTON DAVID, HILTON, DAVID
Applicants: DYNAMIC CASSETTE INTERNAT LTD, HILTON DAVID, DYNAMIC CASSETTE INTERNATIONAL LTD., HILTON, DAVID
Application year: 2000
Main classification: G02B27
IPC codes: A63B71, G02B25, G02B27