Abstract:
A printable die cut business card holder includes a holder blank formed in a sheet of stock adapted processed through a printer for affixing designs, logo, messages and the like. The blank is separated from a carrier portion of the sheet at a die cut line and folded to form the business card holder. The blank includes a front portion, a rear portion, a connector portion and a holder portion attached at score lines. Wings, sides and tabs cooperate to form a holder pocket for receiving business cards. A pair of support supports fold outwardly from the rear portion to stand the holder upright on a horizontal surface.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/430,246 filed Dec. 2, 2002. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to printable paper products and, in particular, to a printable die cut business card holder.  
           [0003]    Personal business cards remain a viable means of advertising in today&#39;s business environment. The combination of typical information displayed and portability render the business card a valuable tool in promoting goods and services to the recipient without being overbearing or overly obtrusive.  
           [0004]    Various means of presenting and making business cards available are known in the art, many of which are permanent and expensive to produce. Various types of business card stock and address labels are known that are sized to be run through and printed on a commercially available printer.  
           [0005]    The U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,905 discloses a foldable stand-up support device that is constructed of a single sheet of cardboard and includes an integrally attached box for displaying and dispensing items, and legs for supporting the device on a flat surface.  
           [0006]    The U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,242 discloses a free-standing collapsible literature holder that is die cut from an elongated sheet and includes a flap that is folded in to expose an opening for displaying and dispensing items, such as pamphlets and the like.  
           [0007]    The U.S. Pat. No. 5,950,341 discloses a display device and easel that is formed from a single piece of die cut paperboard and includes a plurality of slots on a rear panel for receiving a tabs on a front panel to form an aperture for receiving a photograph. The device also includes extendable legs on a middle panel for displaying the device on a flat surface.  
           [0008]    The U.S. Pat. No. 6,294,237 discloses a free form laminated cardstock assembly that includes a sheet of card stock able to be printed on a printer and having a plurality of die cuts for creating a laminated object, such as throwing toys or a napkin ring, after printing.  
           [0009]    The U.S. Pat. No. 6,631,839 discloses a holder for business cards that is formed from a single piece of die cut cardboard or the same stock as used for business cards. When assembled, the holder includes a display area on a front portion thereof for customizing the appearance of the holder.  
           [0010]    It is desirable, therefore, to provide a business card holder that is able to be run through a commercially available printer to provide a business card holder that is portable and inexpensive to produce.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0011]    The present invention concerns a printable die cut business card holder. The card holder includes a sheet of stock adapted to be run through a printer. A blank is formed in the sheet of stock, an outer edge of which is defined by a plurality of die cut lines. The blank also includes a plurality of score lines intermediate the die cut lines. The blank can be printed by processing the sheet of stock through the printer. The blank can be separated from the sheet of stock along the die cut lines and folded along the score lines to form a business card holder having a front portion, a rear portion, and a holder portion.  
           [0012]    The business card holder in accordance with the present invention is able to be run through a commercially available printer and provides a business card holder that is portable and inexpensive to produce. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]    The above, as well as other advantages of the present invention, will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when considered in the light of the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a blank for a printable die cut business card holder in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIGS. 2 through 6 are perspective views of the business card holder of FIG. 1 shown in various stages of assembly; and  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 7 is a front elevation view an alternate embodiment business card holder having printed surfaces according to the present invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0017]    Referring now to FIGS.  1 - 7 , a blank  12  for use as a printable die cut business card holder in accordance with the present invention is shown. The blank  12  is formed from a sheet of paper stock  10  of the type used for forming business cards, business card holders and counter displays, or a similar type heavy paper stock. Preferably, the sheet  10  is sized to a standard paper sheet size, such as 8½ inch by 11 inch paper, 8½ inch by 14 inch paper, A4 paper, and the like, and that can be used with a suitable printer (not shown), such as a commercially available black and white printer or a color printer. For example, the blank  12  in a single sheet form is particularly suited to the types of commercially available printers used with personal computers in homes and businesses. Alternatively, the sheet  10  can be sized to reduce the amount of waste material at the edges and/or can be provided in continuous feed form for high speed volume printing.  
         [0018]    As shown in FIG. 1, the blank  12  is aligned with the stock  10  in the “portrait” orientation well known to users of computer printers. Those skilled in the art, however, will appreciate that the blank  12  may be formed in a landscape orientation and/or oriented and/or sized to allow for multiple blanks  12  to be formed from a single sheet of stock.  
         [0019]    The blank  12  is formed by a plurality of die cut and score lines. In FIG. 1, a line having relatively long solid portions interrupted by short breaks, such as a line  11 , represents a die cut line with the solid portions being cuts extending through the stock  10  and the breaks being uncut stock that easily tears when the blank  12  is removed from the sheet. Dashed lines, such as lines  16 , represent score lines that are continuous cuts that do not extend completely through the stock  10  and serve to facilitate folding of the blank  12  after the blank  12  has been removed from the stock  10 , as discussed in more detail below. The line  11  is a cut line that defines a periphery of the blank  12  at which the blank can be separated from a surrounding carrier portion  10   a  of the sheet  10 . During manufacture of the blank  12 , the outer edge  11  is cut and formed by a die (not shown), which provides a complete cut through the sheet of stock  10  at the solid portions but allows the blank  12  to be run through the printer without separating from the sheet  10 .  
         [0020]    The blank  12  includes a front portion  13  at a lower end, a rear portion  14  in the middle, and a holder portion  15  at an upper end. The front portion  13  and the rear portion  14  are joined at opposed foldable side edges  16 . The side edges  16  are scored such that the front portion  13  and the rear portion  14  are able to fold with respect to each other when the blank  12  is assembled, as outlined in more detail below. The front portion  13  includes four die cut curved slots  17  each for accepting a respective corner of a standard size business card  35 , best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6. A generally X-shaped die cut slot  18  is formed intermediate the card holder slots  17  to facilitate inserting a push pin (not shown) or other type of fastener for mounting purposes, such as on a bulletin board or similar vertical planar surfaces. The front portion  13  includes a semicircular extension portion  19  intermediate the side edges  16  defining an upper edge of the front portion at a die cut line  31 . However, the extension portion  19  can be of any desired shape.  
         [0021]    The rear portion  14  includes a pair of wing portions  20  extending outwardly from sides of the rear portion  14  adjacent a score line lower edge  21  (after folding) thereof. An inner edge of each of the wing portions  20  includes a die cut line  22  formed in the stock  10  extending between a pair of score lines  33 . The rear portion  14  also includes a pair of leg or support portions  23  formed therefrom. Each of the support portions  23  includes a vertically extending scored inner edge  24  and a die cut outer edge  27  and are operable to provide support when the card holder  12  is utilized as a free-standing member on a substantially horizontal surface, best seen in FIG. 4.  
         [0022]    The rear portion  14  and the holder portion  15  are attached by a connector portion  25  that extends between the lower edge  21  of the rear portion  14  and a score line lower edge  26  (after folding) of the holder portion  15 . The holder portion  15  of the blank  12  includes a front wall  28  and opposed outwardly extending side portions  29  attached at score lines  32 . Each of the side portions  29  includes a tab  30  extending outwardly therefrom at score lines  34 . The tabs  30  are inserted into corresponding slots formed at the die cut lines  22  of the wing portions  20  when the blank  12  is assembled. When assembled, as discussed in more detail below, the front portion  13 , the connector portion  25 , the front wall  28  and the side portions  29  form an open top holder pocket, indicated generally at  40  in FIG. 6, for a plurality of the business cards  35 . Preferably, the holder pocket  40  is sized to receive standard-size business cards. Alternatively, the holder pocket  40  may be sized to receive any item suitable for display and disbursement such as brochures and CD-ROM&#39;s.  
         [0023]    After the sheet  10  with the blank  12  has been run through the printer, the blank  12  may be separated from the carrier portion  10   a  of the sheet  10  to form a card holder best seen in FIGS.  2 - 7 . Alternatively, the blank  12  may be separated from the sheet without running the sheet  10  and blank  12  through the printer. The blank  12  is separated from the sheet carrier portion  10   a  by applying pressure to the sheet  10  adjacent the cut lines on the outer edge  11  while holding on to the blank  12 . Once the blank  12  is separated from the carrier portion  10   a , the blank can be folded along the score lines, as shown in FIGS.  2 - 4 , to form the holder.  
         [0024]    Referring now to FIG. 1, the lines  11 ,  17 ,  18 ,  22 ,  27 , and  31  represent die cut lines that extend through the sheet  10  and the lines  16 ,  21 ,  24 ,  26 ,  32 ,  33 , and  34  represent score lines in the sheet  10 , which do not extend completely through the sheet  10  and allow the respective portions  13 ,  14 , and  15  to be folded to form the card holder.  
         [0025]    The card holder  12  is assembled by folding the front portion  13  and the rear portion  14  along the score line  16  in a direction indicated by an arrow  41  (FIG. 2) such that an inner surface  13   b  (FIG. 3) of the front portion  13  and an inner surface  14   b  (FIG. 2) face toward each other and an outer surface  13   a  (FIG. 2) of the front portion  13  and an outer surface  14   a  (FIG. 3) of the rear portion  14  face away from each other.  
         [0026]    After the front portion  13  and the rear portion  14  are folded, the connector portion  25  is folded towards the rear portion  14  along the score line  21  and the holder portion  15  is folded toward the connector portion  25  along the score line  26  in a direction indicated by an arrow  42  (FIG. 2) such that an inner surface  15   b  (FIG. 3) of the holder portion  15  faces toward the outer surface  13   a . The wing portions  20  are folded along the score lines  33  such that they extend substantially perpendicular to a plane of the outer surface  14   a  (FIG. 3). The side portions are  29  are folded along the score lines  32  such that they extending substantially perpendicular to the inner surface  15   b  (FIG. 3) of the holder portion  15 . The tabs  30  of the side portions  29  are folded along the score lines  34  such that they extend substantially perpendicular to the side portions  29  and are then inserted into the respective slots  22  in a direction indicated by an arrow  43  (FIG. 3) to enclose and form respective side walls of the holder pocket  40 . When assembled, the holder pocket  40  is defined by the respective surfaces  13   a ,  15   b , and the interior surfaces of the side portions  30 , the wing portions  20  and the connector portion  25 . The support portions  23  may be separated from the rear surface  14   a  along the cut lines  27  and folded outwardly along the score lines  24  in a direction indicated by an arrow  44  (FIG. 4) to extend substantially perpendicular to the surface  14   a.    
         [0027]    When thus assembled, the card holder  12  may advantageously be placed in a freestanding configuration on a horizontal planar surface, best seen in FIGS.  4 - 6 . In the freestanding configuration, the card holder  12  rests on a lower surface  25   a  of the connector portion  25  and on the free lower edges of the extended support portions  23 . If the support portions  23  are not extended outwardly from the rear surface  14   a , the card holder  12  may be advantageously mounted to a substantially vertical surface such as a bulletin board (not shown) or the like. When mounted to the bulletin board, the support portions  23  are folded towards the rear surface  14   a  in a direction opposite the direction  44 , which allows the rear surface  14   a  to be placed flush against the vertical surface of the bulletin board and held by a fastener (not shown) extending through the slot  18 .  
         [0028]    As shown in FIG. 7, a printed holder  12 ′ can have the surfaces  13   a  and  15   a  printed thereon with a design  36  and/or a logo  37  and/or a message  38 . In fact, such printing can be advantageously performed on one or both sides of the blank  12  in any area. As described above, the printing is done while the blank  12  is attached to the carrier portion  10   a  of the sheet  10 , which allows for an unlimited amount of creativity and customization on the part of the end user of the product. Printer templates and drivers may be written in software for controlling a printer of the card holder  12 ′, similar to the numerous templates and drives for address labels, mailing labels and the like known in the art.  
         [0029]    Advantageously, the support portions  23  may be folded inwardly or outwardly multiple times, so that the card holder  12 ,  12 ′ may be moved from a vertically mounted position, to a horizontal surface free-standing configuration and back again as many times as desired, providing a great deal of flexibility in the presentation of the business cards. Alternatively, the card holder  12 ,  12 ′ may be formed in any shape that is advantageous for presenting brochures, or other similar types of literature and other items.  
         [0030]    In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the present invention has been described in what is considered to represent its preferred embodiment. However, it should be noted that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or scope.