Patent Document

BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    In the art, assemblies for gift cards, pre-paid cards, stored-value cards, etc. (uniformly referred to hereinafter as “gift cards”) are well known. By way of example, gift card assemblies are described in each of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,918,909; 5,958,174; 5,760,381; 5,667,247; 5,650,209; 5,402,236; and 7,293,701 as well as each of U.S. Published Application Nos. 2008/0149709; 2007/0246548; 2006/0231609; 2006/0186196; and 2005/0246230. For the sake of brevity, the disclosure within each of these patents and published applications is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0002]    The following describes a three-dimensional gift card assembly. The gift card assembly generally includes a substrate or backing, a gift card, and a card carrying member interposed between the substrate and the gift card. The card carrying member is releasably attached to the substrate and releasably attached to the gift card. More particularly, the card carrying member may resiliently or movably carry the gift card relative to the substrate such that the gift card is allowed to be spaced from the substrate when the gift card assembly is in a displayed configuration (which thereby provides a three-dimensional effect to the gift card assembly) and is allowed to achieve a position adjacent to the substrate when the gift card assembly is in a stowed configuration. 
         [0003]    In the illustrated example, the card carrying member, constructed from a paper, cardboard, plastic, or similar material, is provided with at least two folds which define at least a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion. The first portion is releasably attached to the substrate, the second portion is releasably attached to the gift card, and the third portion is disposed intermediate the first portion and the second portion. Owing to the folds, the third portion is moveable relative to the first portion and the second portion during any transition between the displayed configuration and the stowed configuration. 
         [0004]    A better understanding of the objects, advantages, features, properties and relationships of the subject gift card assembly will be obtained from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings which set forth an illustrative embodiment and which are indicative of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    For a better understanding of the gift card assembly described hereinafter reference may be had to the following drawings in which: 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary gift card assembly constructed in accordance with the inventive concepts; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view illustrating the substrate and gift card carrying member of the exemplary assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  illustrates the gift card and gift card carrying member of the exemplary assembly of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  illustrates the gift card and gift card carrying member of the exemplary assembly of  FIG. 1  removed from the substrate and attached to a gift. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0010]    Referring now to the figures, a gift card assembly  10  is now described. As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the gift card assembly  10  includes a gift card  12  which is supported upon a substrate  14 . Generally, the substrate  14 , which also may be called a backing, comprises a single layer or multiple layers of paper or plastic material, for example, generally in the form of a relatively stiff but bendable/flexible card. In the illustrated example, the substrate  14  is a tri-fold substrate defined by fold lines  16  and  18  about which substrate  14  is foldable. In  FIG. 1  the substrate  14  is illustrated in an unfolded or open configuration which is the normal retail display configuration. When the substrate  14  is folded, with the card  10  being captured therein, a tab  20  or the like can be mated with a slot  23  or the like to maintain the substrate in the folded or closed configuration. The tab  20  or substrate  14  may also be provide a hook, opening, or the like  22  to allow the gift card assembly  10  to be displayed on a peg or the like at a merchant location, such as at the point of sale (POS). It will be understood that the substrate  14  may be constructed using other materials and/or fold arrangements and may include any form of indicia, e.g., graphics and/or text, without departing from the scope of the invention. 
         [0011]    The gift card  12  supported upon the substrate  14  may be any type of card such as, but not limited to, gift cards, stored-value cards, financial-transaction cards, reservation cards, pre-paid cards, loyalty cards, merchandise return cards, employee cards, frequency cards, etc. (collectively “gift card”). In the event that the gift card  12  is, for example, a card used by a merchant to issue a spending credit to a customer, the merchant would typically provide the card in exchange for money received, merchandise returned or other consideration in a conventional manner, e.g., the gift card  12  would be “loadable” or “chargeable” with monetary value that the customer can use or give to another individual. In such a case, a record of the monetary balance on the card may be maintained on a database, other electronic or manual record-keeping system, or, in the case of “smart” cards, for example, on a chip or other electronics or devices on the card itself and the gift card  12  would generally include a feature, such as a barcode, magnetic strip, etc. having data that represents an account number or otherwise serves to link the gift card  12  to the database or other electronic or manual storage device or system as is also conventional. 
         [0012]    The gift card  12  is further releasably secured to the substrate  14 . More particularly, with reference to  FIGS. 1-3 , the gift card  12  is releasably secured to a card carrying member  24  which, in turn, is releasably secured to the substrate  14 . An adhesive or an adherence layer is provided between the card carrying member  24  and the substrate  14  and the adhesive or adherence layer functions to loosely adhere a first portion  28  of the card carrying member  24  to an area  26  of the substrate  14 . Similarly, an adhesive or an adherence layer is provided between the gift card  12  and the card carrying member  24  and the adhesive or adherence layer again functions to loosely adhere a second portion of the card carrying member  32  to a back side  34  of the gift card  12 . In this manner, indicia carried upon a front side  36  of the gift card  12  will be visible when the gift card assembly  10  is displayed at the merchant location. 
         [0013]    To allow the gift card assembly  10  to have a three-dimensional like appearance when displayed in the area of the retail store, the card carrying member  12  is preferably provided with at least two folds as particularly illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . In the illustrated example, the folds function to define the first portion  28  of the card carrying member  24  that is releasably attached to the substrate  14 , the second portion  32  of the card carrying member  24  that is releasably attached to the gift card  12 , and an intermediate portion  36  of the card carrying member  24  that functions to space the gift card  12  from the substrate  14  when the gift card assembly  10  is in a displayed configuration. More particularly, in the displayed configuration, the folds and the stiffness of the material of the card carrying member  34  cooperate such that the third portion  36  of the card carrying member  24  is disposed at generally a right angle to the first portion  28  of the card carrying member  24  thus causing the gift card  12  to be spaced from the substrate  14  while the second member  32  of the card carrying member  24  is also disposed at generally a right angle to the third portion  36  of the card carrying member  24  thus causing the gift card  12  to be generally parallel to the substrate  14 . It will be understood that the described angles and orientations of the portions of the card carrying member  24  and the gift card  10  relative to the substrate  14  need not be exactly attained and that variations are acceptable so long as, within the displayed configuration, the gift card  10  appears to be extending from and not flatly attached to the substrate  14 . Similarly, it will be appreciated that more than two folds can be provided to the card carrying member  24  and/or a resilient material could be used in lieu of the paper/cardboard material described with the objective of causing the gift card  10  to be extended from the substrate  14  when in the displayed configuration still being met. It may also be desired that the arrangement and material of the card carrying member  24  be such that, when multiple gift card assemblies are stacked and forced together upon a peg or the like at the display area of the retail store, shipped or packaged together, etc., i.e., the gift card assembly  10  is in a stowed configuration, the gift card  12  will be moveable to a position that is generally flush against or adjacent to the substrate  14  so as to conserve space in the manner illustrated by line A in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0014]    To allow the card carrying member  24 , and accordingly, the gift card  12  to be attached to a gift or like when removed from the substrate  14 , as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the first portion  28  of the card carrying member  24  may also include an adhesive portion  30 . By way of example, the adhesive portion  30  may be in the form of double sided tape that is applied to the first portion  28  of the card carrying member  24  where the side of the tape facing the substrate  14 , which is to be attached to the gift, is provided with a removable covering. In the example illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the adhesive portion  30  would be in addition to the adhesive or adhesion layer that allows the card carrying member  24  to be removably attached to the substrate. In this manner, the card carrying member  24  and, accordingly, the gift card  10 , could be removed from the substrate, the cover could be removed from double sided tape, and the first portion of the card carrying member  24  and, accordingly, the gift card  10  could be attached to a gift in the propped-up manner illustrated in  FIG. 4 . As additionally illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the gift card  10  can be provided within indicia, such as the picture of a bow, to provide further three-dimensional ornamentation to the present as desired. 
         [0015]    While a specific embodiment of a gift card assembly has been described in detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, the particular arrangement disclosed is meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention which is to be given the full breadth of the appended claims and any equivalents thereof.

Technology Category: 7