Abstract:
A gift card holder having pop-up elements and that is held under tension so that the holder moves from a folded state to an opened state primarily under integrated holder mechanical power.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of the prior filed, co-pending provisional application Serial No. 61/411,921, filed Nov. 10, 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 while providing graphical and mechanical enhancements to entertain the gift card recipient and add value to the gift, namely a gift card holder with pop-up elements that is held under tension so that it moves from a folded state to an opened state primarily under integrated mechanical power versus user manipulation. 
         [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. What is also needed is a gift card holder that presents a gift card to a recipient through mechanical linkage with pop-up elements that are held under tension until such tension is released at which point mechanical power provided by the tension causes the holder and pop-up elements to open and assume a display configuration. 
       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 tensioning device that biases the holder in an open display disposition so that the holder expands or opens to such disposition when unconstrained. 
         [0006]    An embodiment of a holder may include a main body having four adjoining, generally rectangular walls surrounding an interior space. A plurality of pop-up elements is typically secured to the holder within the interior space. An elastic member is attached at a first end within the interior space to a first corner formed by a first wall and an adjoining second wall. The elastic member is attached at a second end within the interior space to a second corner formed by a third wall and an adjoining fourth wall. Tension applied by the elastic member draws the first corner and second corner toward one another, thereby opening the holder. 
         [0007]    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 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a front view of a tensioned pop-up gift card holder showing the holder in an opened display configuration. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a top view showing the holder in a partially opened configuration. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a left side view of the holder. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a right side view of the holder. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a bottom view of the holder showing the tensioning apparatus. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    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. 
         [0014]    With reference to the figures,  FIGS. 1 through 5  illustrate an embodiment of a tensioned pop-up gift card holder  100 . The holder  100  comprises a main body  105 , which generally comprises four outer walls  110   a,    110   b,    110   c,    110   d  (referred to collectively by reference numeral  110 ) surrounding an interior space  115 . The main body  105  is rectangular (typically substantially square) in cross section. Various pop-up elements  101  may be fastened within the interior space, typically by inserting tabs projecting from an element into slots provided in internal main body structures, such as the walls  110  or associated structures. 
         [0015]    The four outer walls  110  are typically partially separated from one another by slits  107  running from the top edge of the main body  105  to a distance approximately one third to two thirds of the total distance from the top edge to the bottom edge of the main body  105 . These upper portions  111   a,    111   b,    111   c,    111   d  (referred to collectively by reference numeral  111 ) of the four walls  110  fold outward along hinge lines  125  when the holder is in an opened disposition as shown in the figures. Upper portion  11  lb includes a slot  120  for receiving and holding a gift card within the holder  100 . 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is a front view of a tensioned pop-up gift card holder  100  showing the holder  100  in an opened display configuration, which displays the structural and graphical elements of the pop-up elements  101  and presents the gift card to the recipient in a pleasing and novel manner. When folded, the holder  100  is folded about axis A (shown in  FIG. 2 ) by pressing the main body  105  inward and in the direction of arrows B.  FIG. 2  is a top view of the holder  100  showing the holder  100  in a partially opened configuration as when being opened or closed. 
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a left side view of the holder  100  in a substantially open disposition. As can be seen, an upper portion  111   a  of outer wall  110   a  bends outward along fold line  125   a.    FIG. 4  is a right side view of the holder  100  in a substantially open disposition. As can be seen, an upper portion  111   b  of outer wall  110   b  bends outward along fold line  125   b.  Outer walls  110   c  and  110   d  remain in a relatively upright disposition, although deflected slightly outward. 
         [0018]    Within the interior space  115 , as shown in  FIG. 5 , a first septum  130  projects downward and across the interior space  115  from the confluence of walls  110   a  and  110   b  to meet a second septum  135  projecting upward from the confluence of walls  110   c  and  110   d.  An elastic member  140  such as a rubber band is attached at one end to one or more points proximate to the confluence of walls  110   a  and  110   b,  and at the other end to one or more points proximate to the confluence of walls  110   c  and  110   d.  Therefore, both septa  130  and  135  and the elastic member  140  cross the interior space  115  diagonally from opposing corners  150   c  and  150   d.  When the holder  100  is in an open disposition for presentation of the pop-up elements  101  and gift card, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the tension created by the elastic member  140  draws the first septum  130  toward the second septum  135  so that they abut at gap  145 . Although not shown, the holder  100  may be placed in folded disposition by squeezing corners  150   a  and  150   b  toward one another in the directions of arrows B, thus drawing septa  130  and  135  apart and increasing tension in the elastic member  140 . When corners  150   a  and  150   b  have been brought together in close proximity, the holder  100  will attain a relatively flat disposition and may be inserted into a sleeve or envelope for mailing or presentation to a gift recipient. When the holder  100  is drawn from its enclosure, tension in the elastic member  140  will draw corners  150   c  and  150   d  together and  150   a  and  150   b  apart, generally in a fairly rapid fashion. The holder  100  will thereby quickly, and without the direct manipulation of the user, attain the open presentation disposition shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0019]    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.