Abstract:
A device for holding a gift card packet while providing graphical, mechanical and audio enhancements, alone or in combination, to entertain the gift card packet recipient and add value the gift.

Description:
Cross Reference to Related Applications 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of the prior filed, co-pending provisional application Ser. No. 61/305,943, filed Feb. 18, 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 packet while providing graphical, mechanical and audio enhancements, alone or in combination, to entertain the gift card packet recipient and add value the gift. 
         [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 magnet 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 magnet 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]    A further development in the marketing of gift cards includes enclosing a gift card within a sealed gift card packet. The gift card packet, known in the prior art, typically comprises two similarly sized sheets of card stock or heavy paper adhered to one another, one sheet on top of the other, to enclose a gift card therein. One of the sheets typically includes a magnet strip that may be read by a conventional magnetic card strip reader. Electrical or electromagnetic means connect the packet magnetic strip to the magnetic strip of the gift card itself, so that when information is received or transmitted via a reader to the packet strip, such information is conveyed to or from the gift card strip. Some gift card packets can be activated by scanning a UPC bar code located on the back of the packet, rather than swiping a magnetic strip. 
         [0005]    Gift card packets are often presented for sale on display racks in stores, each packet being hung upon a display stand peg. A given area of a store will only support a certain number and size of display stands, given store traffic and other considerations, which makes allocation of display space an important marketing decision that may require selecting only certain high selling cards for display. Display of other items in the same store area will typically reduce the substantially finite space available for displaying gift cards and gift card packets. 
         [0006]    In addition to the above considerations, gift card packets must fit within a set, allocated space in pre-existing displays. A gift card packet must not exceed 5.25″ tall and 4″ wide. These dimensions are an industry standard and are typically non-negotiable. In order to properly hang each gift card packet, the packet typically includes a J-hook hole (sombrero cut) with the exact dimensions of 1.875″ wide by 0.5″ high and be placed 0.1875″ from the top of the packet. Presently, the above requirements pertain to approximately 95% of all gift cards and gift card packets that are sold at retail. 
         [0007]    Devices for recording, storing and playing back audio have been associated with greeting cards and the like, such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,577,018; 5,652,606 and 6,845,583. The audio circuitry typically includes a speaker that also functions as a microphone when recording a message, a control circuit, a memory circuit to provide random access memory, one or more switches, batteries to provide power to the device, and associated wiring and mounting hardware. 
         [0008]    What is needed, therefore, is a device capable of readily holding a gift card packet and providing one or means to personalize the gift and also graphical, mechanical and audio enhancements, alone or in combination, to entertain the gift card packet recipient and enhance the value of the gift card to the recipient. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The purpose of this invention is to provide a holder for receiving and holding a gift card packet. The holder includes a slot leading to a pocket in a holder panel, all specially sized for receiving a gift card packet, and may include one or more enhancement elements such as graphics and text upon the holder surfaces, pop-up elements that move and stand off from the surfaces of the holder when the holder is opened, and a sound circuit that is activated upon opening the holder. 
         [0010]    A gift card packet holder may include a first panel in planar alignment with and adhered to a second panel to form a pocket for housing a gift card packet, said first panel having a width slightly exceeding that of said second panel whereby two opposing edges of said first panel extend past the proximate edges of said second panel prior to attachment of said first panel to said second panel and whereby a central portion of said first panel is deflected upward when said first panel edges are attached to said second panel edges, the deflected first penal thereby forming an open space between said first panel and said second panel for accommodating a gift card packet inserted therein through a slot formed in said either of said panels. 
         [0011]    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 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is an illustration showing a gift card packet holder and a gift card packet positioned prior to insertion of the packet into the holder slot and pocket. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2 . Is a plan diagram showing a three panel card stock base from which the holder is formed. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is an illustration of an alternative embodiment of a gift card packet holder including pop-up elements and a sound producing element. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a cut-away view of a holder showing the cover and the fourth panel upon which a sound circuit is mounted. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a cross section showing the first panel positioned above the second panel prior to attachment of the two panels to each other via adhesive shown on the left and right upper margins of the second panel. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a cross section taken through line  6 - 6  in  FIG. 1  showing the first panel attached to the second panel to form a pocket. 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a cross section showing the gift card packet inserted between the first and second panels. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0019]    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. 
         [0020]    With reference to the figures,  FIG. 1  is an illustration of a transactional and/or stored value gift  100  comprising a gift card packet holder  105  and gift card packet  110 . The holder  105  includes a slot  115  that leads to a pocket  120  within in the cover  125 . The slot  115  is dimensioned to receive the packet  110 , which is inserted into the pocket  120  prior to giving the gift  100  to a recipient. The holder  105  typically includes two hingedly connected major panels, the cover panel  125  and back panel  130 . It should be appreciated that the terms “cover” and “back” are used for convenience and that, depending upon the desired orientation of the holder  105 , either major panel may serve as the cover (i.e. frontmost or topmost panel depending on desired orientation of use). 
         [0021]    The cover panel  125  typically comprises two thicknesses of cardstock or similar material (subpanels  140  and  145 ) that are adhered or otherwise attached together around the margins to form an enclosure or pocket  120 . The slot  115  is typically formed in the innermost  140  of the cover subpanels so that the slot  115  is protected when the holder  105  is closed. The back panel  130  may comprise one or more thicknesses of cardstock or similar material. For convenience, the holder panels  125  and  130  may be formed from one piece of material that is cut and folded along hinge line  135  to form the holder structure. 
         [0022]      FIG. 2 . Is a plan diagram showing a three panel card stock base  150  from which a holder  105  may be formed. As illustrated, the first (top) panel  140  includes a slot  115  therein. As indicated by arrow  155 , the first panel  140  is folded downward upon the second (middle) panel  145  to engage adhesive  160  (indicated by shading) placed around the left  145   a,  right  145   b  and bottom  145   c  margins of the second panel  145 , thereby forming, when assembled, an enclosed pocket with egress limited to the slot  115 . Adhesive is not required at the top margin  145   d  of the second panel  145  because the second panel  145  and first panel  140  are connected along fold line  135 , which defines the top margin  145   d  of the second panel  145  and the bottom margin of the first panel  140 . Fold line  165  defines the bottom margin  145   c  of the second panel  145  and the top margin of the third panel  130 . When assembled the holder  105  attains the structure shown in  FIG. 1 . Although not so-positioned while the holder  105  is being assembled, a packet  110  is shown in phantom lines within the space defined by the pocket  120  post-holder assembly to indicate approximately where a packet  110  will lie within the holder  105  after insertion through the slot  115 . 
         [0023]    Returning to  FIG. 1 , the gift card packet  110  is shown positioned upward of the holder  105  prior to insertion of the packet  110  into the holder slot  115  and pocket  120 , as indicated by arrow. The packet  110  typically comprises a generally rectangular casing  175  of card stock or similar material enclosing a gift card therein. A gift card  180  within the packet  110  is indicated in phantom lines. A gift card packet  110  typically will include a sombrero-cut hole for hanging the packet upon a display peg (not shown). 
         [0024]      FIG. 3  is an illustration of an alternative embodiment of a gift card packet holder  105 A. The holder  105 A includes a fourth base panel  130   b  that is folded up and over the third panel  130   a  to form a back panel  130  with an enclosure to house sound producing components, namely a sound producing electrical circuit  200  (see  FIG. 4 ). As shown, a sliding tongue  205  projects from between the third  130   a  and fourth  130   b  panels to pass through a notch  190  in the first panel  140  and to attach to the inner surface of the second panel  145 . When the holder  105 A is opened by lifting the cover  125  (formed from the first  140  and second  145  panels), the tongue  205  is thereby pulled by movement of the second panel  145  away from the back panel  130 . As the tongue  205  is pulled it engages the circuit  200  to activate a circuit switching mechanism  210  that further activates the circuit  200  to produce a sound from a recording on a circuit memory chip  215 . When the cover  125  is closed against the back panel  130 , the tongue  205  slides the opposite direction to deactivate the sound circuit  200 . The sound circuit  200  typically includes a speaker  220 , that may also function as a microphone in some embodiments, a recording switch  225 , if the circuit  200  includes a record function, one or more batteries  230   a  and  230   b  for providing electrical power to the circuit, a circuit board  235  or other platform to support the circuit components, and various wires  240  to connect the circuit components. Methods of constructing and operating sound circuits of this type are well known in the prior art. 
         [0025]      FIG. 3  also illustrates pop-up elements  250  attached to, and in one instance bridging, the first  140  and fourth  130   b  panels. Pop-up elements  250  may take any desired and operable shapes and dimensions. The pop-up elements  250  are constructed to fold upon the closure of the holder  105 A and to project away from the plane of either the first  140  or fourth panel  130   b,  or both, upon opening the holder  105 A. 
         [0026]      FIG. 4  is a cut-away view of a holder  105 A showing the cover  125  and the third panel  130   a  upon which a sound circuit  200  is mounted. 
         [0027]      FIGS. 5 through 7  illustrate a progression in which the first panel  140  is adhered to the second panel  145  to form a pocket  120  for housing a gift card packet  110 .  FIGS. 5 through 7  are cross sectional illustrations of the panels  140  and  145  and other illustrated elements (adhesive  160  and packet  110 ), as indicated by arrows  6 - 6  in  FIG. 1  from which the cross sectional drawing of  FIG. 6  is taken. In  FIG. 5 , the first panel  140  is shown positioned above the second panel  145  prior to attachment. The first panel  140  is typically slightly wider than the second panel  145 . In some embodiments the first panel  140  extends approximately 1/16 inch beyond the second panel  145  on either side. See arrows  140   a  and  140   b.  (Note that drawings are not to scale or to relative scale.) As the first panel  140  is brought into contact with the second panel  145 , the left and right edges of the first panel  140  are bent slightly inward (as indicated by arrows  140   c  and  140   d ) to align with and contact adhesive  160  applied to the upper left and right margins of the second panel  145 . In this manner, the center portion  140   e  of the first panel is caused to deflect upward, thereby forming an open space within the pocket  120 . This additional space allows for sufficient room to accommodate the gift card packet  110  when it is inserted into the pocket  120  via the slot  115  (not shown in  FIGS. 5-7 ). As illustrated in  FIG. 7 , the gift card packet  110  will typically deflect the top panel  140  slightly upward at the left and right margins of the packet (see arrows  110   a  and  110   b ) as the packet  110  is slid between the first  140  and second  145  panel. The panels  140  and  145  provide lessened resistance to the packet  110  being inserted therebetween due to the extra space proved by the top panel  140 . As the portions of the top panel  140  overlying the left  110   a  and right  110   b  margins of the packet  110  are deflected slightly upward, the center portion  140   e  of the top panel is typically drawn slightly downward, whereby the pocket  120  may provide a snug fit for the packet  110  without presenting excess resistance to insertion or removal of the packet  110  therefrom.