Abstract:
A card holder for protecting a card includes a pop-up panel for the inclusion of printed indicia such as a map. The pop-up panel rapidly collapses to a size slightly larger than the card within the pocket without resort to accordion folds.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application 60/122,559 filed Mar. 2, 1999, and is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a foldable card holder, and more particularly to a card holder incorporating an expandable panel. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Currently no device exists which functions as a card holder small enough in size to carry conveniently in a garment pocket; that carries and protects one or more cards, and affords access to the cards therein and includes a conveniently operable panel. No prior art device includes in a single structure all of these aspects. Prior art devices have satisfied individual aspects, such as a wallet for card carrying and protection, a pamphlet for information, graphics, or advertising, and a business card case for small pocket convenience. Prior art structures including a printable panel have reduced printable surface down to a more manageable size using an accordion fold. A standard travel map is a good example thereof. The prior art methods of folding have proven awkward to unfold and often more awkward to refold. The present invention overcomes these limitations of the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A card holder according to the present invention includes at least one pocket where each pocket has an outer section and an inner section and the pocket is adapted to receive a standard credit card. A compactable panel is affixed to the interior section of one of the pockets. The panel being amenable to having printed indicia thereon. Another aspect of the present invention involves a card holder including at least one pocket, each pocket having an outer section and an inner section, where the pocket is adapted to receive a card. A plurality of panels are affixed to the interior section of the at least one pocket thereby forming an expandable flap further suited for receiving printed indicia. The present invention serves to protect a card within a pocket such as a credit card, transit pass, card key, identification card or the like while also providing printed indicia useful to a user on a panel which in expanded form provides a convenient page size which rapidly compacts to a size slightly larger than the card without resort to awkward accordion folds. A card holder is designed to carry a card within a suitably sized pocket. The card holder also includes an integral, compactable panel suitable for inclusion of printed indicia. In compacted form, the card holder is only slightly larger in size than a card. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a card holder of the present invention in a collapsed state; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a card holder of the present invention in a partially collapsed state; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a card holder of the present invention in an open state; 
     FIG. 4 is a flatstock cutout of a card holder of the present invention having a single pop-up panel; 
     FIG. 5 is a flatstock cutout of a card holder of the present invention having two pop-up panels; 
     FIG. 6 is a flatstock cutout of a card holder of the present invention having a single pop-up panel and a page; 
     FIG. 7 is a flatstock cutout of a card holder of the present invention having a single pop-up panel and a page attached to a flap; 
     FIG. 8 is a flatstock cutout of another embodiment of the present invention having a single pop-up panel; 
     FIG. 9 is a flatstock cutout of a variant embodiment of the invention depicted in FIG. 8 having a hang tab; and 
     FIG. 10 is a flatstock cutout of still another embodiment of the present invention having a single pop-up panel. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention combines a series of functions into a unique structure. The present invention is a card holder small enough in size to carry conveniently in a garment pocket; that carries and protects one or more cards, and affords access to the cards therein. The present invention also includes at least one panel. Optionally, a flap is printed with indicia and/or information. Printed indicia being readily examined and returned to a compact form. 
     One of the functions that the present invention performs is as a card holder. The term “card” as defined herein illustratively includes items such as a business card, convention identification badge, credit card, transit pass, card key, identification and the like. An additional function of the present invention is to protect a card from wear which could diminish the card value prematurely. Card wear illustratively includes abrading a card magnetic strip, bending a card so as to make it unreadable or unable to fit into a card reader and abrading a card surface resulting in image or information loss. A card that becomes unintelligible results in untimely replacement or a monetary loss. 
     As used herein “inward” denotes the direction into a sheet of flatstock. As used herein “outward” denotes the direction away from a sheet of flatstock. 
     The printable flap of the present invention optionally allows for the inclusion of useful printed information, graphics, or advertising. 
     The present invention utilizes an angled scoring system to produce a panel that stores as a compact form of a card holder  10 , FIG. 1; “pops up” and recomposes when closed, FIG.  2 . The angled scoring produces panels having non-rectangular quadrangular panel portions that expand to produce a printable flap area much larger than the compact form, FIG.  3 . It is appreciated that the present invention includes one or more of these expanding panels, in addition other types and styles of panels which can be included to produce a variety of formats depending on need. 
     The layouts in FIGS. 4-7 are produced from a flat sheet of material having two sides. Herein, the side that is visible in FIGS. 4-7 is described as the “front side” and the reverse, or non-visible side, is referred to as the “back side.” 
     The card holder when fully formed and closed is 1 to 10 millimeters larger in planar dimensions than a standard credit card such as VISA or MASTERCARD. With the release of any closing feature the design will then open, in a way similar to a book. Upon opening the structure, the interior angled score lines cause panel portions that are non-rectangular quadrangles to “pop up” and open out forming a displayed area larger than the structure&#39;s size in its closed state. This expandable panel has a large printable area well suited for printing graphics or information thereon. Additional expandable panels are added in different formations of this design, some additional non-expanding panels can also be added as described. Upon closing of the structure, the expanded panels fold down into the body of the design returning the structure to a size just slightly larger than a card. 
     The closing fastener is formed through a cut in one of the card holding compartments. The flap is then folded to the opposite side of the design and inserted between the opposite card compartment and the internally folded expanding flaps. This is done by first inserting the tip of the flap which bends along a score which bisects the flap and then inserting the remaining body of the flap. The closing fastener also has a tab which is used to release the closing fastener, and remove it from its locked position which is made by a cut in the flap panel. 
     The present invention is a compact size card holder  10  just slightly larger than an encompassed card, FIG.  1 . The present invention also optionally includes a closing fastener  12  which maintains the holder  10  in a closed position. A fastener is selectively released by pulling on the small built-in tab  14 . 
     A semi-circular notch  16  is produced by the void of fastener  12 . The notch  16  is utilized for ease of access to a card pocket  20 . This notch allows for a card to be pushed out of the pocket with the thumb. Thus, in many cases a magnetic strip of an encompassed card is exposed for swiping through a card reader, by pushing the card part way out of the holder. It is thus unnecessary to fully remove the card from the holder for it to be utilized. 
     The present invention holder is preferably produced from a unitary piece of flexible or semi-flexible flatstock material. It is appreciated that multiple piece construction of a holder of the present invention is feasible. 
     The holder  10  depicted in FIGS. 1-3 is formed by folding small flaps  2 A- 2 D, located at each of four corners of a holder cut out flatstock inward, along a perpendicular score line  4 A- 4 D, respectively, as shown in FIG.  4 . These folds cause the flaps  2 A- 2 B and  2 C- 2 D to overlap the end panels  6 A and  6 C, respectively. The end panels  6 A and  6 C are then folded inward along the perpendicular score lines  8 A and  8 C, respectively, to form a pocket  20  adapted for card storage. The back surfaces of  2 A- 2 B and  2 C- 2 D are secured to  20 A and  20 C respectively. Preferably  2 A- 2 D are affixed to  20 A and  20 C with an adhesive or material fusion. Fastener  12  is formed by cut line  22  and can move independent of panel  6 C along score line  8 C. The card holder  10  is thus configured as depicted shown in FIG. 3 with the opposing sides of  20 A and  20 C, and  24 A- 24 D being visible and denoted as  20 A′,  20 C′ and  24 A′- 24 D′, respectively. Folding outward along fold lines  26 A- 26 D, followed by folding outward along fold line  28  bring the card holder  10  into a configuration depicted in FIG.  2 . Securing of the fastener  12  into the region bounded by  20 A′,  24 A′ and  24 B′ places the card holder  10  in the configuration depicted in FIG.  1 . 
     An embodiment of the present invention having two panels is shown in FIG.  5 . The two panel card holder  200  is formed by folding as described in reference to FIG.  4 . Section  200 C is affixed to section  200 A by folding inward along fold line  228  and sections  24 A- 24 D and  240 A- 240 D folded as described in reference to FIG. 4 to a collapsed two panel embodiment of the present invention. It is appreciated that the designs of the present invention are amenable to the addition of a plurality of panels. 
     The present invention is also adapted for the optional inclusion of a further page, as shown in FIG.  6 . The page containing card holder  300  has two additional sections  309 A and  30 B between  20 C and  6 C. The backsides of  2 C and  2 D are affixed to  309 B. Panel  20 C is affixed to panel  309 A after folding inward along score  318 . Section  309 A is folded outward along fold line  318 . The remainder of the steps to collapse the card holder  300  are similar to those described in reference to FIG.  4 . 
     Optionally, one or more flaps can be added adjacent to a page such as the page constructed of sections  309 A and  309 B of FIG.  6 . It is appreciated that when additional flaps are added to a page, a cut line may be required to allow for card holder collapse. It is further appreciated that an accordion folded sequence of flaps or similar known folding schemes is operative herein. 
     A card holder  400  of the present invention is shown in FIG. 7 having additional flaps. A flap  409 B is foldable inward or outward along fold line  408  to bring to front side of  409 B into opposition with the either section  309 A or  309 B. A cut line  408  separates section  409 A from  309 A. A fold line  428  allows section  409 A to fold against section  409 B, prior to collapse of the card holder  400  to a compacted form. It is appreciated that the fold lines  418  and the cut line  408  are interchanged to give a similarly useful card holder. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 8-10, a card holder according to the present invention includes a single pop-up panel and a reinforced pocket as compared to the embodiment of FIG.  4 . Relative to FIG. 4, folding score lines  8 E and  8 F have been added to attach panels  5 A and  55 A. Panel  55 A folds inward on line  8 F, thus folding over panel  6 C. Panel  208 D folds in along line  4 D also folding over panel  6 C. The backs of panels  55 A and  208 D then glue to panel  20 C. Panel  6 C is then folded inward along fold line  8 C thus bringing the backsides of panels  55 A and  208 D in contact with panel  20 C. A similar folding and gluing format occurs with panel  5 A folding inward along line  8 E and panel  208 B folding inward along line  4 B causing both panels to fold over panel  6 A. The backs of  5 A and  2 B are then glued to panel  20 A when panel  6 A is folded inward along line  8 A causing the backs of  5 A and  2 B to come in contact with  20 A. With regard to FIGS. 9 and 10,  65 A is a tab having an eyelet hole  66 . Tab  65 A serves as a hang tag by which the present invention is optionally suspended by a string. Preferably a string is configured as a loop adapted to secure about the neck or wrist of a user thereof. In particular regard to FIG. 10, flaps  210 C and  210 D are folded over panel  6 C along score lines  4 C and  4 D respectively. 
     Various modifications of the instant invention in addition to those shown and described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the above description. Such modifications are also intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.