Abstract:
A sliding panel gift card holder includes a panel mounted within a sleeve, pouch or bag, the panel being hingedly connected to a draw flap and then to a cover flap. Upon opening the cover flap, the draw flap draws the panel out of the sleeve to reveal a gift card secured upon the panel, thereby presenting the gift card to a recipient.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of the prior filed, co-pending provisional application Ser. No. 61/411,919, filed Nov. 9, 2010. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates generally to gift card holders and more particularly to a device for holding a gift card or gift card packet while providing graphical and mechanical enhancements to entertain the gift card recipient and add value to the gift, namely a sliding panel for holding a gift card, the panel being mounted in a sleeve, pouch or bag so that when the cover flap is opened the panel is drawn upward and out of the sleeve to reveal a gift card secured upon the panel. 
         [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 magnetic 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 magnetic 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]    What is needed, therefore, is a gift card holder that provides graphical and mechanical enhancements to entertain the gift card recipient and add value to the gift, and that presents a gift card to a recipient through mechanical linkage with a holder flap, such that, as the gift recipient raises the flap, the gift card is raised out of a holder sleeve, pouch or bag. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The purpose of this invention is to provide a holder for receiving and holding a gift card. The gift card holder provides graphical and mechanical enhancements to entertain the gift card recipient and add value to the gift. The gift card holder presents a gift card to a recipient through mechanical linkage with a holder flap such that, as the gift recipient opens the holder by raising the flap, a panel bearing the gift card is raised out of the holder main body, which comprises a sleeve, pouch or bag. 
         [0006]    A sliding panel card holder according to the present invention may include a main body, the main body including a sleeve sized to hold a sliding panel therein. The panel is held at least partially within the sleeve when the holder is in a closed position, and preferably is also held at least partially within the sleeve when the holder is in an open position, although to a lesser degree or extent. The panel includes slits or other operable means for removably attaching a card, such as a transaction card, such as a gift card, to the front or outward-facing surface of the panel. A cover flap projects from a rear wall of the sleeve and is hingedly connected thereto. A draw flap projects from the cover flap, at an end of the cover flop opposite its attachment to the sleeve, and is hingedly connected thereto. The panel projects from the draw flap, at an end of the draw flap opposite its attachment to the cover flap, and is hingedly connected thereto. The panel, draw flap and cover flap are thereby connected one to the other in train. 
         [0007]    When the cover flap is pivoted away from the main body and from a closed position to an open position, the draw flap follows the cover flap in train and the panel further follows the draw flap in train, thereby sliding at least a portion of the panel out of the sleeve, thereby revealing the card held upon the panel to the user, operator or gift recipient. 
         [0008]    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 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a front view of a sliding panel gift card holder showing the cover flap in a closed position. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a rear view of the holder. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a front view of the holder showing the flap opened and the carrier panel withdrawn from the holder main body. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a side and partial perspective view showing the holder partially opened. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing the holder partially opened. 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a front view of a first alternative embodiment of a sliding panel gift card holder showing the cover flap opened and the carrier panel withdrawn from the holder main body. 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a side and partial perspective view showing the holder of  FIG. 6  partially opened. 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is a front view of a second alternative embodiment of a sliding panel gift card holder showing the cover flap opened and the carrier panel withdrawn from the holder main body. 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is a front view showing the cover flap of the holder of  FIG. 8  in a closed position. 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  is a side and partial perspective view showing the holder of  FIG. 8  partially opened. 
           [0019]      FIG. 11  is a front view of the holder of  FIG. 8  showing a gift card mounted on the carrier 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 5  illustrate an embodiment of a sliding panel gift card holder  100 . The holder  100  comprises a main body  105 , which may include a sleeve, pouch or bag  110  for receiving and holding a carrier panel  115 . The carrier panel  115  includes slits  120  or other means for removeably attaching a gift card.  FIGS. 1 and 2  show front and rear views, respectively, of a sliding panel gift card holder with the cover flap  125  in a closed position. The cover flap  125  is hingedly connected to the rear wall  130  of the main body  105  via a fold line  135  or other means. A draw flap  140  is hingedly connected at the top edge to the forward edge of the cover flap  125 . The bottom edge of the draw flap  140  is hingedly connected to the top edge of the carrier panel  115 . Thus the draw flap  140  bridges between the cover flap  125  and carrier panel  115  and conveys the motion of a moving cover flap  125 , i.e. when manipulated (raised or lowered) by a user, to the carrier panel  115 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 3  is a front view of the holder  100  showing the cover flap  125  opened and the carrier panel  115  withdrawn from the holder main body  105 . As the front edge of the cover flap  125  is pivoted upward it draws the draw flap  140  upward as well, which in turn causes the carrier panel  115  to advance upward out of the sleeve  110 , thereby revealing the gift card held thereon. Closure means, such as hook and loop fasteners  150 , are located on the cover flap  125  and main body  105  so that they are in alignment to engage one another when the cover flap  125  is closed, thereby retaining the cover flap  125  in a closed position.  FIG. 4  is a side and partial perspective view and  FIG. 5  is a perspective view, both showing the holder  100  partially opened. This embodiment of a sliding panel gift card holder  100  does not require a stop mechanism associated with the carrier panel  115  since the carrier panel  115  and draw flap  140  are of sufficient length that the lower portion of the carrier panel  115  remains within the sleeve  110  even when the cover flap  125  is fully opened. 
         [0023]      FIG. 6  is a front view of a first alternative embodiment of a sliding panel gift card holder  200 . The holder  200  comprises a main body  205 , which may include a sleeve, pouch or bag  210  for receiving and holding a carrier panel  215 . The carrier panel  215  includes slits  220  or other means for removeably attaching a gift card, gift card packet, or other relatively flat device.  FIG. 6  shows the cover flap  225  opened and the carrier panel  215  withdrawn from the holder main body  205 . Means for retaining the cover flap  225  in a closed position include hook and loop fasteners  230   a  and  230   b.  A cardstock gift card backer sheet  240  (known in the prior art) is shown positioned and held within the slits  220 . Two hinge folds are associated with the cover flap  225 , namely, the hinge fold  245  between the flap  225  and the carrier panel  215 , and the hinge fold  250  between the flap  225  and the main body  205 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 7  is a side and partial perspective view of a holder  200  wherein the main body  205  includes a pleated bag  210 . As shown, side panels forming bellows  255  extend between the front and back panels of the main body  205 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 8  is a front view of a second alternative embodiment of a sliding panel gift card holder  300  similar in structure to the first disclosed embodiment  100 .  FIGS. 8 through 11  show several views of the holder  300  and, due to close similarities in structure to the first disclosed embodiment, reference numerals and description provided for holder  100  are used in part to identify elements of holder  300 .  FIG. 8  shows the cover flap  125  opened and the carrier panel  115  withdrawn from the holder main body  105 , which comprises a pouch  110   a.  Hook and loop fasteners  150 , or other operable means, are provided to retain the cover flap  125  in a closed position.  FIG. 9  is a front view showing the cover flap  125  of the holder of  FIG. 8  in a closed position. As shown, a hang tag  155  including a sombrero cut aperture  160  may be attached to the back panel of the main body  105  to facilitate hanging the holder  300  on a display stand peg. As also shown, the pouch  110   a  presents an angled profile to mimic a common purse shape. This design may be further enhanced by providing a handle  170  that may be attached to either the main body  105  or the cover flap  125 . As shown in the side view of  FIG. 10 , a pleat  305  may extend on either side from the front to back panels of the main body  105 , thereby forming the pouch  110   a  configuration.  FIG. 11  is a front view of the holder of  FIG. 8  showing a gift card  180  mounted on the carrier panel  115  by inserting longitudinal edges  181  into the slots  120 . 
         [0026]    Note that drawings are not to scale or to relative scale but are representative of aspects of one or more embodiments of the present invention.