Abstract:
Embodiments of the invention are concerned with a business card dispenser that presents a single card to the user, when the front of the dispenser is pushed. The dispenser can hold over one hundred cards, plus one protected display card to show the contents of the dispenser. This dispenser provides a large quantity of cards in a compact volume and eliminates “dry finger” syndrome that affects many other business card dispensers. This is accomplished by use of a plunger, which pushes through a slot a single card, partially exposing it outside of the dispenser. Hence, allowing the user to grab the card with two fingers and pull it to retrieve the card.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to the field of dispensers and more particularly to a business card holder and dispenser. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The use of business cards continues to be very popular by business owners, employees, professionals and any other person seeking to concisely share their contact and/or business information with others. Business cards are often carried personally by individuals to hand out one by one. Some will leave a large pile of business cards on their desk or in an easily accessible place. Sometimes business cards are simply left in the original packaging and taken out when needed. Others will leave a stack of business cards in an accessible area for others to take. For example, at an open house, a real estate agent may leave a number of cards at a front table for potential home buyers to pick up. Advertisements posted in public places may have a single business card attached to it. 
         [0003]    A challenge with business cards is how to properly hold and store them for various situations. If not kept carefully, business cards will become dirty and worn very quickly. Therefore is it important to have a business card holder, that will protect the cards. 
         [0004]    An additional challenge is how to retrieve and hand out a business card. The action of picking up just one card is very difficult. If the cards have a matte finish, they often stick together. If the cards have a glossy finish, multiple cards will slide around at the same time. A person&#39;s hand or fingernail is too thick to grab just one business card without touching multiple cards. Also, a person&#39;s finger may be too dry to get enough friction on the card to allow the card to be picked up. The person may be required to wet their finger before picking it up. To be able to hand out just one card requires a lot of handling. 
         [0005]    It is very difficult to properly distribute business cards without being physically present. Generally, a person will hand out their own business cards, or be in close proximity to a small pile of cards. It is not practical or professional to simply leave a large stack of business cards completely unattended for the public to take. They are prone to getting very dirty, because multiple people will be touching them. It is too easy for a single person to pick up multiple cards, when they only need one. Also, it is possible for one person to take an entire stack of business cards or even replace the business cards with their own cards. At certain events, such as a real estate open house, there may be an option to lay a number of cards on a table. However, it is still difficult to pick up a single card from a table and it does not have a professional look. 
         [0006]    Business cards can also be used in conjunction with advertisements. For example, a card may just be attached to a flyer. The card is not necessarily meant to be taken, but merely to display the contact information of the advertiser. Sometimes, people will simply cut out tabs at the bottom of a piece of paper for people to take a phone number. This is not professional and limited in terms of the contact information that will fit and the number of tabs that will fit on a single sheet of paper. It is not possible to effectively hang up multiple business cards in connection with an advertisement, so that individuals can take single cards. 
         [0007]    There are also situations where two or more people may want to advertise together. It is difficult to have two different piles of business cards displayed together in a manner that is clean, easy to pick up, easy to see or capable of being hung up with the advertisement. Prior art does not have one that can be portable, as well as serve on a desk, table or in connection with an advertisement. 
         [0008]    There have been attempts to make holders and dispensers. However, the majority of holders are specifically designed to be carried on one&#39;s person. The person will have a pocket-sized holder and will distribute the cards one by one to specific individuals. By design, these pocket-sized holders can only hold a limited number of cards. As a result, the holder needs to be replenished very often. 
         [0009]    The holders still do not address the issue of how to pick up just a single card. In order to pick up a single card, the person needs to either forcibly slide a finger directly on the card with enough pressure to release a card, or needs to use a fingernail to bend one card upwards to be picked up. Both of these situations may cause damage to the cards. 
         [0010]    Business card dispensers that are currently available generally must be operated by the holder of the dispenser. Again, the dispensers are meant for a person to hand out cards individually. Also, the currently available dispensers often still require that the card be flexed or bent in some manner when picking it up. 
         [0011]    What is needed is a business card holder and dispenser that can hold a larger amount of cards, but is still compact enough to be portable, stackable and hangable. What is further needed is a dispenser that allows cards to be dispensed without touching multiple cards and without flexing or handling the card in a manner that will make it worn, while still ensuring that only one card is dispensed at a time. What is also needed is a business card dispenser that can be placed in some public or central location, outside of the owner/holder/monitor of the dispenser, while still ensuring that the cards remain clean and that only one card is dispensed at a time. What is further needed is a business card dispenser that can be secured in some manner, so that other people cannot easily take the business cards contained inside the dispenser, or replace the contents of the dispenser with different business cards. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    Embodiments of the invention are concerned with a business card dispenser, that presents a single card to the user, when the front of the dispenser is pushed. The dispenser can hold over one hundred cards, plus one protected display card to show the contents of the dispenser. This dispenser provides a large quantity of cards in a compact volume and eliminates “dry finger” syndrome that affects many other business card dispensers. This is accomplished by use of a plunger, which pushes a single card through a slot, partially exposing it outside of the dispenser. Hence, allowing the user to grab the card with two fingers and pull it to retrieve the card. 
         [0013]    The front is a two-piece cover and serves to hold a business card in a vertical slot and is the place the user presses to eject a card. This allows the user to see what cards are in the dispenser and provides a large, stable area for the end user to push. This can also be an advertising medium for the card owner. Below the display card is a thin opening, which is the ejection point of the card. When the dispenser is pressed the business card is pushed through this small slot. 
         [0014]    On either side of the bottom of the front are two screws. These lock the front in place and prevent users from opening the dispenser and taking or replacing cards. When the screws are removed the owner of the dispenser can refill or replace cards as necessary. This is a simple process of lifting the front about a spring loaded pivot and pushing new cards into the cradle releasing the front and tightening the screws back in place returns the business card dispenser ready for use. 
         [0015]    The front is secured to a cradle, which holds the cards, and a pressure plate by a hinge and hinge pin. Torsion springs placed on the hinge pin provide the spring loading for the front and the pressure plate. The pressure plate is used to provide a downward force on the cards. This is required so that the business cards are pushed into place so that the plunger will engage a card and force it through the ejector slot. The pressure plate has “fingers” that will fit through openings in the cradle. This is to extend the length of the pressure plate so that a large stack of cards may be used in the dispenser. 
         [0016]    The stack of cards rests in the cradle. The cradle consists of a knuckle for the hinge pin to which the front and pressure plate are attached. On the outside walls of the cradle, left and right, are snaps which engage and snap into a slot in the shell. This provides a restricted sliding action of the cradle. Once engaged in this slot the cradle and components attached to it cannot be removed from the shell. The front portion of each boss is flattened so that it will hit a likewise flat portion of the slots in the shell. This is the bearing surface, which prevents the cradle from extending any more from the shell. 
         [0017]    Two compression springs, which engage the cradle and shell, normally act to push the cradle forward. The action of the user is to push the front and overcome the force of these two springs. As this occurs the cradle is slid deeper into the shell and a stationary plunger engages an edge of the bottom-most business card and pushes it through the ejector slot. When the user releases the front, the compression springs extend pushing the cradle back to its extended or rest position. Friction between the card above and the cradle floor below, ensures that the ejected business card remains ejected when the dispenser is released. 
         [0018]    The cradle has a slot similar in size to the ejector slot. It is at the bottom of the back wall of the cradle. The plunger is sized in depth so that the forward edge is captured in this slot when the card dispenser is in its extended position. This is to prevent any misaligning of the plunger with respect to the slot in the cradle. 
         [0019]    The shell not only provides a case for which to hold the dispenser components, but also provides the slots, which allow the cradle to translate in and out to dispense a card. The plunger is attached to the shell in a slot in the back of the shell. Above the plunger are two stakes, which hold the compression springs. Each of these stakes have a small tab which prevents the spring from falling off the stake during use and they speed assembly of the unit by securing the springs when the cradle is inserted into the shell. 
         [0020]    The back of the shell has two holes which are centered on the stakes. These provide a means for which the dispenser may be attached to a backboard or other display with the use of screws. Also the back is flat so that double sided tape may be used in lieu of screws. 
         [0021]    The general shape of the shell and front allow multiple dispensers to be fixed to a display or board with little dead space between units. The spring loaded front piece which allows front loading of cards and the push-in action to eject a card also means that the required spacing between card dispensers is minimal. 
         [0022]    It is an object of the present invention to have a business card dispenser that is large enough to hold a large amount of cards, but is compact enough to be portable, stackable and hangable. It is also an object of the invention to dispense of a single business card by a simple motion and without handling of the cards. It is further an object of the invention to have a business card dispenser that may be placed in a public or central location, in a secure manner, while still dispensing one card at a time. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0023]    The present invention will be understood more fully from the detailed description that follows and from the accompanying drawings, which however, should not be taken to limit the invention to the specific embodiments shown, but are for explanation and understanding only. 
           [0024]      FIG. 1 . illustrates a perspective view of the business card dispenser. 
           [0025]      FIG. 2 . illustrates a perspective view of the front panel of the dispenser and its components. 
           [0026]      FIG. 3 . illustrates a perspective view of the cradle of the dispenser 
           [0027]      FIG. 4 . illustrates a perspective view of the shell of the dispenser and its components 
           [0028]      FIG. 5  illustrates a perspective view of the dispenser to see how the main component parts fit together. 
           [0029]      FIG. 6  illustrates a cross section of the dispenser in the normal position 
           [0030]      FIG. 7  illustrates a cross section of the dispenser in the compressed position 
           [0031]      FIG. 8  illustrates a cross section of the dispenser in the open position with a stack of business cards. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0032]    In the following description specific details are set forth, such as device types, configurations, protocols, applications, etc., in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, persons having ordinary skill in the relevant arts will appreciate that these specific details may not be needed to practice the present invention 
         [0033]      FIG. 1  illustrates the business card dispenser  10 . The dispenser  10  is in a general rectangular shape, with dimensions generally proportional to a standard business card. Due to the rectangular shape of the dispenser, multiple dispensers may be easily stacked or lined up against one another, without the need for excessive wasted space. The height of the dispenser can be made large enough to hold over one hundred cards. This is particularly useful in advertising situations, where it may be necessary to distribute a large number of cards. The dispenser  10  has a front panel  20 , further illustrated in  FIG. 2  and a shell  40 , further illustrated in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0034]      FIG. 2  illustrates the component parts of the front panel  20  of the dispenser  10 . The front panel  20  is comprised of a front cover  22 , made up of two panels  22   a  and  22   b . The panels  22   a  and  22   b  join together to create a vertical opening. The vertical opening is large enough to house a single business card  21 . The front panel  22   a  of the front cover  22  is made up of a transparent or translucent material, so that the written contents of the business card  21  are clearly visible on the outside of the dispenser  10 . 
         [0035]    The front panel  20  has an ejector slot  23  large enough to dispense a single business card from within the dispenser. A single business card will appear far enough out of the ejector slot  23  so that a person may easily take the single business card. The ejector slot  23  is very thin, so that it will not allow multiple cards to be improperly dispensed out at the same time. 
         [0036]    The front panel  20  has screw holes  24   a  for two screws  24   b . The screws  24   b  are used to lock the front panel  20  to the dispenser  10 . This prevents other people from easily opening the front panel and removing the stack of business cards from within the dispenser. However, it gives the owner the ability to unscrew the front panel  20  and replenish the business cards when necessary. The screws  24  can attach to the cradle  30  at the cradle attachment points  37 , depicted in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0037]    The front panel  20  has a place for a removable label  25 . The label  25  can be used to give instructions to a user of the dispenser. For example, the label  25  may state “Push Here—Take Card.” The label  25  can be used to give any message to potential users of the dispenser. 
         [0038]      FIG. 3  illustrates a cradle  30 . The cradle  30  is housed inside the shell  40 . The cradle  30  comprises a bottom plate  35 . Business cards are placed on the bottom plate  35 . The dimensions of the bottom plate  35  are just large enough to hold a business card. The bottom plate  35  is not large enough to allow business cards to move in the x and y direction within the cradle  30 . 
         [0039]    The business cards are held in place in the z direction by a pressure plate  31 . The pressure plate has a hinge  34  that attaches to the body of the cradle  30  at the cradle hinge  34 . The hinges  34  allow the pressure plate  31  to always stay in contact with the top of the business card stack. As the stack gets smaller, the pressure plate  31  rotates downward. The pressure plate  31  maintains enough pressure on the top of the stack to keep the business cards tightly packed in the cradle  30 . This helps to ensure that only a single card is dispensed through the ejector slot  23  of the front panel  20 . Also, the pressure plate  31  ensures that the business cards are properly aligned with the ejector slot  23 . The pressure plate  31  has fingers  36  that allow it to extend through the openings  33  at the back of the cradle  30 . The fingers  36  extend the length of the pressure plate  31 , so that a large stack of business cards may be used in the dispenser. As the pressure plate  31  rotates down, the fingers  36  fit through the openings  33  to allow the plate  31  to stay in contact with the stack of business cards. The hinges  34  are also used to attach the top of the front panel  20  to the top of the cradle  30 . Flapper springs  38  are positioned at the front end of the pressure plate  31 . The flapper springs  38  prevent the cards at the top of the stack  61  from rotating upwards due to the force of the pressure plate  31  at the back of the cards. 
         [0040]    The cradle  30  locks into the proper position with the shell  40  by use of the tabs  32 . The tabs  32  are on the left and right side of the cradle. The tabs  32  should be aligned with the elongated slots  43  depicted in  FIG. 4 . The slots  43  lock the cradle  30  to its proper sliding position and motion. 
         [0041]      FIG. 4  illustrates a shell  40 . The shell  40  is used to house the cradle  30 . The shell has a pair of stakes  42 , which hold compression springs  41  in place. The compression springs  41  are uncompressed in their normal position and rest on the stakes  42  against the back wall of the shell  40 . An ordinary person should be able to overcome the force of the springs  41 . The springs  41  should require enough force so that a business card is only dispensed based on a deliberate action by a person. The shell  40  has tracks  43 , which help to guide the motion of the cradle. 
         [0042]      FIG. 5  illustrates how the front panel  20 , the cradle  30  and the shell  40  fit together. The front panel  20  attaches to the cradle  30  at the hinges  34 . The front panel  20  is also screwed into the cradle at the screw positions  24  and  37 . The cradle  30  sits inside the shell  40 . The back of the cradle  30  and back of shell  40  are separated by the compression springs  41 , which sit on the stakes  42 . The length of the springs  41  are long enough to allow the pressure plate  31  to rotate downward through the openings  34 . 
         [0043]      FIG. 6  illustrates a cross section view of the dispenser  10  at a resting position. The stack of cards  61  is in the cradle. The pressure plate  31  is depicted in  FIG. 6  as being rotated by the hinge to be in an upward position. However, the stack  61  may be pressed downward by the pressure plate  31 . The pressure plate  31  can be rotated by the hinge  34  so that it is directly in contact with the stack  61 . The flapper spring  38  is positioned at the front end of the pressure plate  31 . When the pressure plate  31  is rotated downward towards the stack  61 , the springs  38  come in contact with the front end of the stack. This keeps the front of the stack from angling upwards due to the pressure from the pressure plate  31 . The compression spring  41  is in its normal, uncompressed position. 
         [0044]    The bottom of the stack  61  is directly aligned with the ejector slot  23 . Also aligned with the stack  61  is a plunger  62 , more clearly depicted in  FIG. 6   a . The plunger  62  is stationary and is attached at the shell  40 . The plunger  62  is similar in length and height of a standard business card. The cradle  30  has a slot similar in size to the ejector slot  23 , aligned with the plunger  62 . The depth of the plunger  62  is similar to the length of the compression spring  41  and is sized so that the leading edge is captured in the back slot of the cradle  30 . The plunger is aligned with the bottom of the stack  61  and fits in the slot of the cradle  30 , and does not come in contact with the stack  61  while the dispenser  10  is in its normal position. The leading edge of the plunger  62  can be beveled. A person may push the front panel  20  in the direction  63  of the shell, thus compressing the springs  41 . 
         [0045]      FIG. 7  illustrates the dispenser  10  once it has been compressed. (Note: there are no business cards visible in this depiction.) The spring  41  is compressed against the stake  42 . The ejector slot  23  remains aligned to the bottom of the cradle  30 . Because the spring  41  has been compressed, the cradle  30  is closer in position to the shell  40 . However, the plunger  62  remains in its locked position, stationary relative to the shell  40 . Therefore, the front end of the plunger is now inside the cradle  30 , through the slot at the back of the cradle. The small bevel at the leading edge of the plunger  62  helps prevent the penultimate card from interfering with the plunger  62  when the dispenser  10  is compressed. This motion of the cradle  30  coming towards the shell  40  allows the plunger  62  to push the bottommost card. The business card is pushed and ejected through the ejector slot  23 . The card is extended out of the front panel  20  so that it may be taken and picked up by a person. 
         [0046]    Once pressure on the front panel  10  is released, the spring  41  uncompresses, the cradle  30  slides to its normal position and the plunger  62  is no longer in direct contact with a business card. Due to gravity and the pressure plate  35 , the stack  61  is forced downward to the bottom plate  35 . The dispenser resumes the position depicted in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0047]      FIG. 8  depicts the dispenser  10  in the open position. The front panel  20  is lifted upwards about the hinge  32 . This allows for easy access to the stack  61 , for replenishment or replacement.