Abstract:
A card holder assembly for holding multiple transaction cards, such as gift cards, to a common backer panel for presentation and sale. Cards mounted on the backer panel may be lifted for scanning by a card reader without necessitating removal of the cards from the assembly.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of the prior filed, co-pending provisional application, Ser. No. 61/587,762, filed Jan. 18, 2012, incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates generally to transaction card holders and more particularly to a card holder for holding multiple transaction cards that allows the cards to be scanned by a card reader without detachment from the holder. 
         [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 are typically provided with pre-designated amounts selected by the vendor and are typically packaged for display by adhering a gift card to a cardboard backer using removable adhesive and/or by wrapping the gift card to the backer using a clear plastic wrap. The backer typically includes a hole for receiving a display stand peg so that the backer and card may be hung upon a display stand in a retail setting. The card and/or the backer typically include indicia such as a trademark, logo, and card amount. 
         [0004]    Gift cards are often associated with or provided by a particular retail vendor and can only be used to make purchases at a store or online ecommerce site associated with that particular vendor. Alternatively, gift cards may be provided by a bank or credit card company and may be used in a similar manner to a credit or debit card to make purchases from various vendors. 
         [0005]    Gift cards may 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 may be selected at the point of sale by the purchaser and loaded by the cashier using a magnetic card reader/writer. As an alternative to a magnetic strip, a transaction card may use a bar code to link the card to an account by which the associated value is stored in a computer database. 
         [0006]    Gift cards are often presented for sale on display racks in stores, each card or packet of cards 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. 
         [0007]    Although they do offer a degree of personalization, in that the gift giver has at least selected a vendor that presumably offers merchandise or services of interest to the recipient, gift cards associated with or provided by a specific vendor are often considered too restrictive by both the gift giver and gift recipient as they limit purchases to that one vendor. Gift cards associated with banks or credit card companies are often considered too impersonal and merely as a more safe and convenient alternative to giving a gift of cash. 
         [0008]    What is needed is a gift card holder for displaying and holding multiple gift cards from various vendors in an integrated package that also allows for scanning of each card without detachment from the package. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The purpose of this invention is to provide a card holder assembly for holding multiple transaction cards, such as gift cards, to a common backer panel for presentation and sale. The assembly provides certain structures for enabling cards held thereto to be lifted away from the assembly for scanning by a card reader without necessitating removal of the cards. The assembly also provides for bundling and sale of multiple cards associated with multiple different vendors in one unit. An embodiment of the card holder assembly may include a backer panel, foldable tabs for holding transaction cards thereto, and a cover panel for enclosing the cards and bearing a greeting, themed design or message. 
         [0010]    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 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is an elevation view of first and second sides of an unassembled card holder in an unfolded disposition. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is an elevation view of third and fourth sides of an unassembled card holder in an unfolded disposition. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a card holder showing header subpanels folded against each other to attach to one and form a header portion. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a front elevation view of an assembled card holder in first folded disposition for display for sale. 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is an elevation view of an assembled card holder in an unfolded disposition and showing first and second sides thereof. 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a rear elevation view of an assembled card holder in a first folded disposition for display for sale. 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is an elevation view of an assembled card holder in an unfolded disposition and showing third and fourth sides thereof. 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is a front elevation view of a card holder in a second folded disposition. 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  is a rear elevation view of a card holder in a second folded disposition. 
           [0020]      FIG. 10  is a partial, side, diagram view showing a transaction card lifted away from the backer panel in order to reveal a magnetic strip on the rear surface of the card for scanning. 
           [0021]      FIG. 11  is a plan view of a clear, cover sheet. 
           [0022]      FIG. 12  is partial elevation view of a tab for holding transaction card. 
           [0023]      FIG. 13  is an elevation view of first and second sides of an alternative embodiment of a card holder, unassembled and in an unfolded disposition. 
           [0024]      FIG. 14  is an elevation view of third and fourth sides of an alternative embodiment of a card holder, unassembled and in an unfolded disposition. 
           [0025]      FIG. 15  is a plan view of a clear, cover sheet. 
           [0026]      FIG. 16  is an elevation view of first and second sides of a further alternative embodiment of a card holder, unassembled and in an unfolded disposition. 
           [0027]      FIG. 17  is a front elevation view of the card holder of  FIG. 16  in a first folded disposition for display for sale. 
           [0028]      FIG. 18  is an elevation view of a card holder, unassembled and in an unfolded disposition. 
           [0029]      FIG. 19  is an elevation view of the card holder of  FIG. 18  showing the cover sheet panel folded forward and upward to adhere to and substantially cover the backer panel. 
           [0030]      FIG. 20  is an elevation view of the card holder of  FIG. 18  showing the cover panel folded backward to lie behind the backer panel. 
           [0031]      FIG. 21  is an elevation view of the card holder of  FIG. 18  showing the flap folded backward to engage the slit in the cover panel. 
           [0032]      FIG. 22  is an elevation view of the card holder of  FIG. 18  showing the distal subpanel of the header folded backward and downward to adhere to the proximate subpanel of the header and form an assembled card holder prepared for display at a point of sale. 
           [0033]      FIG. 23  is an elevation view of the card holder of  FIG. 18  showing the header cut or torn away along the header cut line. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0034]    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. 
         [0035]    With reference to the figures,  FIGS. 1-10  illustrate one or more embodiments of a transaction card holder  100  for holding multiple transaction cards  105 , including transaction cards issued from disparate vendors. The holder  100  includes a first panel or backer panel  115  to which the cards  105  are removably attached and a second panel or cover panel  120  for folding over the backer panel  115  prior to giving the holder  100  to a recipient. The cover panel  120  encloses the cards  105  and may bear a greeting, themed design or message.  FIG. 1  is an elevation view of a first  125   a  side and a second side  125   b  of an unassembled card holder  100  in an unfolded disposition.  FIG. 2  is an elevation view of a third side  125   c  and a fourth side  125   d  of an unassembled card holder  100  in an unfolded disposition.  FIGS. 1 and 2  show the backer panel  115  and cover panel  120  joined to one another along an elongated, longitudinal hinge line  130  shown in broken lines. 
         [0036]    The backer panel  115  panel includes an upper header portion  135  that comprises two subpanels  135   a  and  135   b.  Subpanel  135   a  extends from the upper margin of the backer panel  115 . Scoring, perforations and/or indicia indicating a cut line  137  may divide subpanel  135   a  from the backer panel  115  along the margin therebetween. Subpanel  135   b  extends from a side margin of subpanel  135   a  to lie above the cover panel  120  when said panels are lying flat in an unfolded and unassembled disposition, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . A gap  140  is provided between subpanel  135   b  and the cover panel  120  so that subpanel  135   b  may be folded along fold line  145  (typically partially coextensive with line  130 ) to overlie and attach to subpanel  135   a.  As shown in  FIG. 2 , subpanel  135   a  (or subpanel  135   b ) may be provided with adhesive  150  to attach the subpanels to each other when folded inward against each other. As shown in views of the assembled holder  100 , the header portion  135  includes a centrally located aperture or peg hole  155  for receiving the peg of a product display stand (not shown). 
         [0037]    The front side  125   a  of the backer panel (first side of the holder) includes several (in the present example, three) backer panel tabs  160  to accommodate attachment of three transaction cards  105 , one card  105  to each tab  160 . Each tab  160  is cut on three contiguous sides  160   a,    160   b  and  160   c  (see  FIG. 12 ) from the material of the backer panel  115  to form a structure that may either lie in the plane of the backer panel  115  or be folded away from the plane of the backer panel  115  by rotating or bending the tab  160  upward about folding line  160   d,  see  FIG. 10 . Removable adhesive  170  is applied to the front surface of each of the tabs  160  to adhere a card  105  to each tab  160 . The position or location of transaction cards  105  upon the tabs  160  and backer panel  115  is shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . A message alerting a store clerk or cashier to scan each transaction card  105  on the holder  100  may be provided proximate to a tab  160  as shown in  FIG. 12 . 
         [0038]      FIG. 10  is a partial, side, diagram view showing a transaction card  105  lifted away from the backer panel  115  in the direction of arrow C to reveal a magnetic strip  175  on the rear surface of the card  105  for scanning. In this manner, each individual card  105  attached to a holder  100  may be individually scanned and activated and/or loaded at the point of purchase without removing any of the cards  105  from the holder  100 . 
         [0039]    When assembled for sale, the holder  100  is typically configured as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 6 , in a first folded disposition, with the cover panel  120  folded behind the backer panel  115  so that the cards  105  are visible to the purchaser.  FIGS. 5 and 7  show the cover panel  120  folded forward to lie in the plane of the backer panel  115 . 
         [0040]    A flap  180  projects from the margin of the backer panel  115  distal to fold line  130 . The flap  180  is sized to insert or slide into an aligned slit  185  in the cover panel  120  in order to retain the cover panel  120  in a closed position folded against the backer panel  115 . 
         [0041]      FIG. 8  is a front elevation view of a card holder  100  in a second folded disposition for presentation to a gift recipient. The holder  100  is placed in this second folded disposition by rotating the cover panel  120  from its first folded disposition lying behind the backer panel  115  (see  FIGS. 4 and 6 ) to a second folded disposition lying over the backer panel  115  and with the flap  180  engaged with the slit  185  (see  FIGS. 8 and 9 ). Prior to giving the holder  100  and enclosed cards  105  to a gift recipient, the holder  100  is placed in the second folded disposition, as described above, and the header portion is removed from the backer panel  115  by cutting, tearing or otherwise detaching along line  137 , thereby resulting in the remaining portion of the holder  105  forming an envelope structure for conveying the cards  105 . Messages, greetings, instructions, designs, graphics and/or “To/From” indicia may be included on the surface of the holder  100 . 
         [0042]    It should be appreciated that the holder  100  and its associated structures may be constructed in various shapes and forms and bearing various graphics and designs while maintaining the general structure and functionality described herein.