Abstract:
A collectible holder to house items including, but not limited to coins, stamps, tokens, and medallions. The holder includes an extended perforated tab with an adhesive backing. The extended tab provides a surface for a user to record information about the item enclosed within the holder. The adhesive and perforation of the tab allows the user to detach the tab and place the tab in a book or other surface that may serve as a form of inventory management.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/607,201, filed Mar. 6, 2012, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention generally relates to a collectible holder with an extended, adhesive-backed, perforated tab. 
         [0003]    Collecting is a practice with a very old cultural history. Most collections start with an item that appeals to an individual and then evolves as a collectible as they gain knowledge about the item. Many people collect various mementos and other items such as coins, medallions, tokens, stamps, and other like items. Today there is a growing market for collectible items throughout the world. An increasing portion of this market is brought on by speculators that buy and sell collectible items in an effort to profit from rising changes in value. 
         [0004]    Significant aspects of hobby collections include the safe storage of an item while at the same time trying to draw attention to the item by attractively displaying it. The traditional method that has been used by collection hobby enthusiasts for years for storing previously mentioned collectibles is by individually placing these items in a holder made of paperboard or fiberboard with openings through which the item is displayed. This holder may indicate the year the collectible was produced, a possible grade on the condition of the collectible, and any other pertinent information. This type of holder has been the suitable standard for many years, but room for additional innovation remains in the field of collectible display holders, carriers, and/or storage systems. 
         [0005]    Several alternatives have been created that relate to the field of hobby collecting. One such example is a coin holder made up of a piece of stiff material, such as cardboard, with a slot embossed with a circular shape to hold a coin in place. The holder is then doubled over to create a pocket in order to house and store the coin. Another example is a carrier or pocket having a transparent cover leaf and a back leaf joined together by a fold or a seam which helps hold in place a stamp or similar substantially flat object that has been placed inside. Yet another example is a tri-foldable card with a display housing that extends through the card. Another coin holder is made up of multiple scored concentric regions that may be removed to fit the diameter of different size coins. 
         [0006]    While various approaches have been proposed for securing and displaying coins and other collectible items, further improvements would still be desirable, especially in terms of the manner in which items can be displayed and information regarding the items can be maintained. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention provides a holder suitable for displaying and storing various items. 
         [0008]    According to a first aspect of the invention, a holder includes a folded base having a folded edge, aligned openings therethrough, and at least one translucent film closing the aligned openings to form windows. The openings and windows are adapted to receive and retain the item within the holder. A removable tab is attached to the folded base opposite the folded edge, and the removable tab has an adhesive covered by a removable release liner. 
         [0009]    According to a second aspect of the invention, a holder includes a base having at least two openings therethrough, a fold line between the openings, and a translucent film covering the openings to define windows. The openings are adapted to receive the item, the base is adapted to be folded along the fold line to align the openings, and the item can be simultaneously received in the openings and retained within the holder by the windows. A removable tab is attached to the base, and the removable tab has an adhesive covered by a removable release liner. 
         [0010]    According to another aspect of the invention, a method of using a holder having the above-identified elements includes placing the item in one of the openings, folding the base to align the openings and retain the item between the windows, writing information on the removable tab, removing the removable tab from the base, removing the release liner from the tab, and then adhesively attaching the tab to a surface. 
         [0011]    According to still another aspect of the invention, a method of distributing a holder having the above-identified elements includes producing a sheet having a plurality of the holders attached to each other along scored lines that enable any of the holders to be individually removed from the sheet. The sheet can then be shipped to end users whereby the end users are able to individually remove the holders from the sheet. 
         [0012]    A technical effect of the invention is that the holder can be adapted for holding a large variety of collectible items. The adhesive-backed tab of the holder aids in inventory management and also the retrieval of the holder from a storage album. Another advantage of the holder is that it can be inexpensive and readily manufacturable. 
         [0013]    Other aspects and advantages of this invention will be better appreciated from the following detailed description. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  represents a front view of an individual collectible holder prior to a collectible item being secured therein. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  represents a rear view of the holder of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  represents a side view of the holder of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  represents a front view of the holder of  FIGS. 1 through 3  after the holder has been closed by folding along a fold line. 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  represents a side view of the closed holder of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  represents a rear view of the closed holder of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  represents a sheet containing multiple holders of the type represented in  FIGS. 1 through 3 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  represents a cross-sectional view of the holder of  FIGS. 1 through 3 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  represents a cross-sectional view of the closed holder of  FIGS. 4 through 6 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0023]    In the following descriptions various specific details are set forth relating to coin holders adapted to be used by coin collectors as well as professional dealers who may desire to grade particular coins. It should be understood that the present invention is readily adapted for holding various types of collectible items, including but not limited to jewels, stamps, tokens, commemorative coins, currency, and like. The present invention can be produced or manufactured using a wide variety of materials in addition to those specifically described here. Specific shapes, sizes and dimensions for particular embodiments are provided only for example, except where otherwise noted. In other instances, well known structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure the understanding of this invention. 
         [0024]    In the embodiments represented in  FIGS. 1 through 7 , a collectible holder  10  is shown that may be manufactured from a clay-coated paperboard base  13  that faces outward, which is consistent on both the upper and lower portions of the holder  10  (as viewed in the orientation of  FIGS. 1 and 2 ). Also, the holder  10  has upper and lower view openings  14   a  and  14   b  in the base  13 , which are preferably of near identical size and present on both the upper and lower portions of the holder  10 . The holder  10  also includes a translucent film  15  ( FIG. 2 ) that is bonded to the backside of the base  13  by an adhesive and defines translucent or transparent windows  15   a  and  15   b  within the openings  14   a  and  14   b.  The adhesive may be a general purpose, rubber-based adhesive that can be attached to an approximately 0.5 mil (about 6 mm) thick clear polyester film carrier. The adhesive can be backed by a release liner  17 , for example, a #60 polycoated kraft paper. Suitable materials for the film  15  include a polymer resin commonly known as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Polyethylene terephthalate is ideally suited due to its ability to protect a collectible from damaging elements such as oils secreted from one&#39;s skin as well as its translucent appearance. In  FIG. 1 , the holder  10  is also shown as having a tab  12  that is attached to the holder  10  by way of a horizontally perforated or scored line  11 . The holder  10  also includes a pre-made indentation, crease, or fold line  16  between the upper and lower portions, and therefore between the openings  14   a  and  14   b.  As evident from  FIG. 1 , the upper and lower portions and their respective openings  14   a  and  14   b  are substantially identical so that folding of the base along its fold line  16  enables the upper portion and its opening  14   a  to be superimposed on the lower portion and its opening  14   b  (or vice versa), with the tab  12  protruding from the resulting folded structure. 
         [0025]    A coin collector may select a particular configuration of the holder  10  having openings  14   a  and  14   b  that would best suit the diameter of the coin to be stored. The coin is then placed inside the collectible holder corresponding with the upper opening  14   a  where it is supported in the upper opening  14   a  by the film  15 . Thereafter, the holder  10  can be folded over onto itself, with the upper and lower portions superimposed on each other as shown in  FIGS. 4 ,  5  and  6 , to aid in the storage of the coin within the holder  10 . For this purpose, the holder  10  is folded (closed) by bending along the fold line  16  so that the lowermost edge of the lower portion is adjacent the scored line  11  adjacent the tab  12 . To aid in the storage and/or security, strategically placed adhesive, staples, tape, or any other fastening agent or means can be used in order to temporarily or permanently close the holder  10  and seal an item within the openings  14   a  and  14   b  and between the windows  15   a  and  15   b.  Referring to the view shown in  FIG. 2  showing the backside view of the holder  10 , a double-sided adhesive  18  with the release liner  17  is placed on the uncoated side of the base  13 . The scored line  11  extends through the adhesive  18  and liner  17  to allow the tab  12  to be completely removed from the holder  12  to define an edge. The release liner  17  below the scored line  11  can be removed by a manufacturing process discussed below. The film  15  is then be cut (as explained below in the manufacturing process) and placed over the area of the back of the holder  10  where the release liner  17  had been removed. Thus, a portion of the double-backed adhesive  18  and liner  17  remain on the tab  12 , which remains connected to the holder  10  by the scored line  11  until a user desires to remove the tab  12  from the remainder of the holder  10 . Until then, the scored line  11  can provide an attachment to the holder  10  that can be used to pull the holder  10  from, for example, a plastic coin book sleeve. 
         [0026]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , a side view of the unfolded (open) holder  10  is shown, including the base  13  encompassing the above-noted features including the tab  12 , adhesive  18 , and release liner  17 . The tab  12  is attached to the base  13  by way of the scored line  11 , which extends through the base  13  and adhesive  18 . The upper and lower viewing windows  14   a  and  14   b  are separated by the fold line  16  and extend through the base  13  and adhesive  18 , but not through the film  15 .  FIG. 7  a plan view of a sheet  30  from which multiple holders  10  can be produced, and represents a perforated edge  20  created during the manufacturing process discussed below.  FIG. 8  represents a cross-sectional view of the holder  10  of  FIGS. 1 through 3 . 
         [0027]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , the upper portion of the holder  10  is visible, and the lower portion is concealed behind the upper portion as a result of folding the holder  10  along its fold line  16 . Prior to folding, the item to be stored within the holder  10  is placed so that it is captured within the openings  14   a  and  14   b  between the translucent windows  15   a  and  15   b.  Side, rear, and cross-sectional views of the folded holder  10  are shown in  FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  9 , respectively. As evident from FIGS.  5 ,  8  and  9 , the release liner  17  can be removed from the tab  12  to allow the tab  12  to be adhesively attached to another object, for example, an inventory log. The tab  12  can be formed of the same material as that of the base, which is preferably formed of a material that can be written on. Consequently, information regarding the item contained within the holder  10  can be written on the tab  12 , after which the tab  12  can be removed from the holder  10  along the scored line  11  and adhesively placed in another location as a record-keeping technique. Following removal of the tab  12 , the holder  10  has an edge (not shown) where the scored line  11  previously existed, and this edge (which is noticeably rough or irregular relative to the remaining edges of the holder  10 ) is opposite the folded edge of the folded holder  10  that was created by folding the holder  10  at its fold line  16  ( FIG. 5 ). 
         [0028]    As noted above,  FIG. 7  represents a plan view of a completed sheet of multiple collectible holders  10  after being manufactured by a process that is explained below. Each holder  10  includes corresponding upper and lower portions of the base  13  that features an outside edge  19  of the tab  12 , which is connected to the base  13  by way of the scored line  11 . Also shown are upper and lower view windows  14   a  and  14   b  that house the film  15  attached to the base  13  by the adhesive  18 . The holders  10  are able to be separated from each other by breaking the scored lines  21  that, when broken, create the perforated edge  20 . 
         [0029]    As an example of a manner in which the holder  10  can be manufactured, the base  13  may be provided in the form of web shipped as a master roll that can be processed at a first station by passing the web through a series of idler rollers to reduce the memory in the web. A roll carrying the adhesive  18  can be placed on a separate roller that will allow the adhesive to be applied or “married” to the base  13  after it exits the idler rollers. Once married, the adhesive  18  and its release liner  17  are present on the back (or brown/gray) side of the base  13 . This process may entail the base  3  passing through a set of spring-loaded shafts to insure that the adhesive  18  is firmly adhered to the base  13 . 
         [0030]    At the next manufacturing station, the back side of the web is perforated to create the tab  12  and scored line  11 . Furthermore, the upper and lower viewing holes  14   a  and  14   b  are punched. Next, the release liner  17  of the adhesive  18  is sectioned off in two sections, by which a large portion of the release liner  17  is removed while a strategically-placed section of the release liner  17  remains on the back of the tab  12 . The surface of the base  13  from which the release liner  17  was removed to leave only the adhesive  18  can then be married to the film  15 . 
         [0031]    The web can then be perforated, indented, creased, etc. to form the folds  16  between the upper and lower viewing holes  14   a  and  14   b  to facilitate the folding operation that results in the folded/closed configuration shown in  FIGS. 4 through 6 . The resulting sheet is now stamped, punched, and perforated to contain multiple holders  10 , generally as represented in  FIG. 7 . The holders  10  can be shipped in the configuration represented in  FIG. 7  to allow the end user (dealer, collector, etc.) to separate individual holders  10  as they see fit. This aspect is advantageous since, instead of units containing multiple holders, conventional coin holders are commonly manufactured and sold as individual units as evidenced by all sides of the holders being smooth. 
         [0032]    It should be appreciated that the invention entails a holder  10  as well as a process and distribution apparatus for manufacturing collectable coin holders. However, this invention may have application for other means of distribution in other related industries and other materials. Therefore, while the invention has been described in terms of preferred and/or specific embodiments, it is apparent that other forms could be adopted by one skilled in the art. For example, the physical configuration of the holder  10  and a sheet  30  from which it is manufactured could differ from those shown, and materials and processes other than those noted could be used. Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims.