Abstract:
A holder for receiving and holding a gift card includes one or more pop-up elements that project upward from the inner surfaces of the main body of the holder. When presented for sale, a backer panel bearing a removeably attached gift card projects from the holder and is separable from the holder post-sale by tearing or cutting along perforation line therebetween. The gift card is removed from the backer panel and installed upon a pop-element inside in the holder, the holder is secured in a closed position and the holder is presented to the gift recipient.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of the prior filed, provisional application Ser. No. 61/467,475, filed Mar. 25, 2011. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to card holders and more particularly to a device for holding a transaction card, such as a gift card, in a pop-up element to enhance the presentation of the gift card to a gift recipient. 
     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. 
     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. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The purpose of this invention is to provide a holder for receiving and holding a gift card. The holder includes one or more pop-up elements that project upward from the inner surfaces of the main body of the holder. In some embodiments, the holder is presented for sale with a gift card attached to a backer panel. Prior to gifting, the gift card is removed from the backer panel and installed upon a pop-element inside in the holder, the holder is secured in a closed position and the holder is presented to the gift recipient. 
     A pop-up transaction card holder may include a main body having at least one cover flap and a popup element positioned underneath the cover flap when the holder is in a closed position. The popup element may include a first panel projecting from the inner surface of the cover flap and a second panel projecting from a main panel hingedly connected to the cover flap. A first side panel extends from the first panel to connect at a first fold line with a second side panel extending from an opposing side of the second panel, and a first slot extends downward along the first fold line. A third side panel extends from the first panel to connect at a second fold line with a fourth side panel extending from an opposing side of the second panel, and a second slot extends downward along the second fold line. The slots are sized to receive and hold within each slot a portion a transaction card. The transaction card holder may further include a hang tag assembly extending from the main body and a perforation line dividing the hang tag assembly from the main body. The hang tag assembly may include a transaction card backer panel attached to a hang tag panel of the assembly. 
     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 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of a gift card holder including a gift card backer panel attached to and suspended from a hang tag assembly. 
         FIG. 2  is a rear view of a gift card holder including a main body of the holder attached to and suspended from a hang tag assembly. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a gift card holder showing an attached gift card backer panel attached to the hang tag assembly and lifted away from the main body of the holder. 
         FIG. 4  is a rear perspective view of a gift card holder. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a gift card holder showing the gift card backer panel lifted away from the main body of the holder and the first flap and second flap of the gift card holder main body opened to reveal a pop-up element holding a gift card. 
         FIG. 5   a  is a diagram in perspective view showing a popup element. 
         FIG. 6  is a front view of an alternative embodiment of a gift card holder showing the flaps in a closed position. 
         FIG. 7  is a front view of the gift card holder of  FIG. 5  showing the first flap in an open position. 
         FIG. 8  is a front view of the gift card holder of  FIG. 6  showing the first flap in an open position, the second flap in a partially open position and the pop-element extended and holding a gift card. 
         FIG. 9  is a side perspective view of the gift card holder of  FIGS. 5-7  showing the pop-up element fully extended. 
         FIG. 10  is a front perspective view of the gift card holder. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     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. 
     With reference to the figures,  FIGS. 1 through 9  illustrate an embodiment of a gift card holder  100 .  FIG. 1  is a front view of a gift card holder  100  including a gift card backer panel  105  attached to and suspended from a hang tag assembly  110 .  FIG. 2  is a rear view of the gift card holder  100  including a main body  115  of the holder attached to and suspended from the hang tag assembly  110 . The main body  115  may comprise a structure with one or more cover flaps, similar to a greeting card. The illustrated embodiment of a main body  115  comprises a bifold structure with a first cover flap  120 , and overlying second cover flap  125 , and a main panel  130  therebetween such that the first cover flap  120  and second cover flap  125  are connected to the main panel  130  along fold lines  135   a  and  135   b , respectively (see  FIGS. 3 and 5 ). The flaps  120  and  125  and main panel  130  typically include decorations, graphics and/or text upon surfaces that may be viewed when the holder  100  is in use or displayed for sale. 
     The hang tag assembly  110  includes a first hang tag panel  112  that projects from or is attached to the main panel  130  of the main body  115 . In the embodiments illustrated in  FIGS. 1-5 , the first hang tag panel  112  is integral with the main panel  130  (formed from the same sheet of card stock or the like) with a fold line formed by a line of perforations  140  running therebetween. A second hang tag panel  114  projects from the end of the first hang tag panel  112  that opposes the main panel  130 . A fold line  116  distinguishes or separates the second hang tag panel  114  from the first hang tag panel  112 . A display peg hole  118 , such as a sombrero-cut hole shown in the figures, is provided in each of the hang tag panels  112  and  114  so that the holes  118  are in alignment when the second hang tag panel  114  is folded over the first hang tag panel  112 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  4 . 
     During assembly of the holder  100 , the backer panel  105  is inserted between the first and second hang tag panels  112  and  114 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . Adhesive on the interior surfaces of the hang tag panels  112  and  114  adheres the backer panel  105  therebetween. A hang tag assembly  110  is thereby formed bearing a backer panel  105  and which is separable from the main body  115  of the holder  100  by cutting or tearing along perforation line  140 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the backer panel  105  bears or carries a removably attached transaction card, such as a gift card  150 . Typically, the gift card  150  is adhered to the front surface (or alternatively the rear surface) of the backer panel  105  using removable adhesive as known in the prior art. Prior art backer panels  105  may be used in the present invention or may be constructed from card stock or the like specifically for such use. 
     Prior to presenting the gift card holder  100  to a recipient, the hang tag assembly  110  (including backer panel  105 ) is typically removed from the gift card holder  100  by tearing along the perforation line  140  that separates the hang tag assembly  110  from the main panel  130 . The gift card  150  is also removed from the backer panel  105  and installed within or upon the gift card holder  100  as described below. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a gift card holder  100  showing the gift card backer panel  105  attached to the hang tag assembly  110  and lifted or tilted away from the main body  115  of the holder  100  by pivoting the hang tag assembly  110  about perforation and fold line  140 . Transaction indicia  165 , such as a bar code or UPC code may be provided on the underside or rear surface of the backer panel  105  The first cover flap  120  and second cover flap  125  are shown in closed positions with the leading, outward edge of the second cover flap  125  is inserted into a closure slit  155  in the first cover flap  120  in order to retain both flaps  120  and  125  in the closed positions. The closure slit  155  may be formed in an arc so as to create a semi-circular or arc-shaped closure tab  160 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the first hang tag panel  112  may include a cut-away or notch  170  to provide means for viewing transaction indicia, such as a bar code or UPC code, or other information, contained on the aligned portion of the surface of the backer panel  105 . The notch  170  is shown in  FIG. 2  as an alternative element but is omitted from  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a gift card holder  100  showing the backer panel  105  lifted away from the main body  115  of the holder  100  and the first cover flap  120  and second cover flap  125  of the gift card holder main body  115  opened to reveal a pop-up element  180  holding a gift card  150 . The pop-up element  180  comprises a front panel  182 , back panel (a minor-image structure of the front panel and not shown but the position indicated by reference number  184  in  FIG. 5   a ), first and second side panels joining the left edges of the front and back panels, and third  186  and fourth  188  side panels joining the right edges of the front  182  and back  184  panels. The first and second side panels minor the structure and placement of the third and fourth side panels,  186  and  188 . The front panel  182  is attached along its lower margin to the inside surface of the second flap  125 . The back panel  184  is attached along its lower margin to the inside surface of the center or main panel  130 . The pop-up element side panels bridge the space between the front  182  and back  184  panels and swing outward at the fold lines  190  dividing left and right side panels when the second flap  125  is closed against the main panel  130 . 
       FIG. 6  is a front view of an alternative embodiment of a gift card holder  200  without an attached backer panel. The first cover flap  205  and second cover flap  210  are shown in a closed position.  FIG. 7  is a front view of the gift card holder  20  of  FIG. 6  showing the first flap  205  in an open position and the pop-up element  215  in a substantially closed and flattened position as it is when the flaps  205  and  210  are closed.  FIG. 8  is a front view of the gift card holder  200  of  FIG. 7  showing the first flap  205  in an open position, the second flap  210  in a partially open position and the pop-element  215  partially extended and holding a gift card  220  shaped in a holiday theme. As disclosed, the popup element  215  is designed and configured to resemble and represent a birthday cake and the gift card  220  is designed and configured to resemble and represent birthday candles atop the popup element  215 . 
       FIG. 9  is a side perspective view of the gift card holder  200  of  FIGS. 6-8  showing the pop-up element  215  fully extended, the side panels drawn inward and the gift card  220  prominently held within a slot  230  that traverses the pop-up element  215  from a first medial fold line  235  between the first and second side panels to a second medial fold line  240  between the third and fourth side panels. A first top panel  245  of the pop-up element  215  is also shown in this view. The top panel  245  extends rearward from the front panel  250  at a fold line therebetween and terminates at the slot  230 . A second top panel (not shown) may also be provided extending forward from the back panel to also terminate at the slot. In such embodiments, the top panels are bisected by the slot  230  and the gift card  220  is retained therebetween.  FIG. 10  is a front perspective view of the gift card holder  200  showing the pop-up element  215  fully extended and the gift card  220  held within the slot  230  in a presentation disposition. 
     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.