Patent Document

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of the prior filed, co-pending provisional application Serial No. 61/413,186, filed Nov. 12, 2010. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates generally to gift card holders and more particularly to a device for holding a gift card or gift card packet while providing graphical and mechanical enhancements to entertain the gift card recipient and add value to the gift, namely a gift card holder that provides means for a user to selectively reveal hidden images, decorations, characters or text by manipulating moveable holder components. 
         [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 typically 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, more commonly, is selected at the point of sale by the purchaser and loaded by the cashier using a magnetic card reader/writer. While popular, gift cards are typically provided with a generic and impersonal design, typically identifying the associated merchant for which the card may be used to purchase merchandise, and therefore are not personalized in view of the intended recipient. 
         [0004]    What is needed, therefore, is a gift card holder that provides graphical and mechanical enhancements to entertain the gift card recipient and add value to the gift. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The purpose of this invention is to provide a holder for receiving and holding a gift card. The gift card holder provides graphical and mechanical enhancements to entertain the gift card recipient and add value to the gift. The gift card holder may comprise a backer board supporting a bellowed frame comprising a front panel surrounding an aperture or window and pleated sides extending from the front panel to attach to the front surface of the back board. The frame may therefore extend from or retract closer to the backer board as the pleated sides unfold or fold, respectively. The space between the frame and the backer board mimics a stage in which one or more images are displayed upon the front surface of the backer board and/or upon cardstock cutout character or decorative elements that may be mounted within the space and which are viewable through the window. When the frame is in a retracted disposition, the window is closed by two pleated flaps that may be designed to mimic stage curtains. Pull tabs extend from the outer margins of the flaps and through apertures in the side walls so that they may be grasped by a user. Each flap typically comprises three panels serially connected to one another by two folds or hinges, namely an outer panel, middle panel and rear panel. The flaps may share a common rear panel, which is typically adhered to the backer board and may form a partial front covering of the backer board that displays the backer board images referenced above. The pull tabs extend outwardly from each outer panel. 
         [0006]    One or more character or decorative elements, typically shapes cut from cardstock, project from or are mounted upon an elongated base that extends outwardly in the plane of the backer board and frame toward the sides. Base ends pass through apertures in the middle panels and are terminated in lateral extensions that exceed the aperture dimensions and, therefore, form stops so prevent the base ends from sliding out of the apertures. 
         [0007]    The backer board includes a pocket therein that opens at the top margin of the backer board. A thumb notch may be provided to assist with removal of the gift card from the pocket. 
         [0008]    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 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a front view of an embodiment of a gift card holder showing the flaps in a closed position. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a front view of a gift card holder showing the flaps in an open position to reveal images including characters, decorative elements and text behind the frame of the front panel. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a front view of an embodiment of a gift card holder showing the flaps in a closed position. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a front view of a gift card holder showing the flaps in an open position to reveal images including characters, decorative elements and text behind the frame of the front panel. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a top view of a gift card holder showing the flaps in a closed position and the front panel substantially refracted proximate to the backer board. 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a bottom view of a gift card holder showing the flaps in a closed position and the front panel substantially refracted proximate to the backer board. 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a top view of a gift card holder showing the flaps in an open position and the front panel extended away from the backer board by outward pressure exerted by the flaps. 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is a bottom view of a gift card holder showing the flaps in an open position and the front panel extended away from the backer board by outward pressure exerted by the flaps. 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is a right side view of a gift card holder in an open position showing the front panel extended away from the backer board. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0018]    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. 
         [0019]    With reference to the figures,  FIGS. 1 through 9  illustrate embodiments of a gift card holder  100  comprising a backer board  105  supporting a bellowed frame  110 . The frame  110  comprises a front panel  115  surrounding an aperture or window  120  and pleated sides  125  extending from the front panel  115  to attach to the front surface of the backer board  105 . The frame  110  may therefore extend from or retract closer to the backer board  105  as the pleated sides  125  unfold or fold, respectively. The space  130  between the frame  110  and the backer board  105  mimics a stage in which one or more images  135  are displayed upon the front surface of the backer board  105  and/or upon cardstock cutout character or decorative elements  140  that may be mounted within the space and which are viewable through the window  120 . When the frame  110  is in a retracted disposition, the window  120  is closed by two pleated flaps  150  that may be designed to mimic stage curtains.  FIGS. 1 and 3  are front views of embodiments of a gift card holder  100  showing the flaps  125  in a closed position. 
         [0020]    Pull tabs  155  extend from the outer margins of the flaps  150  and through apertures  160  in the sides  125  so that they may be grasped by a user. Each flap  150  typically comprises three panels serially connected to one another by two folds or hinges, namely an outer panel  151 , middle panel  152  and rear panel  153 . The flaps  150  may share a common rear panel  153 , which is typically adhered to the backer board  105  and may form a partial front covering of the backer board  105  that displays the backer board images  135  referenced above. The pull tabs  155  extend outwardly from each outer panel  151 . 
         [0021]    One or more character or decorative elements  170 , typically shapes cut from cardstock, project from or are mounted upon an elongated base  175  that extends outwardly in the plane of the backer board  105  and frame  110  toward the sides  125 . Base ends  180  pass through apertures  185  in the middle panels  152  and are terminated in lateral extensions  190  that exceed the aperture dimensions and, therefore, form stops  190  to prevent the base ends  180  from sliding out of the apertures  185 . 
         [0022]    When the pull tabs  155  are pulled outward in the direction of arrows A the middle  152  and outer  151  panels move about the hinge or fold lines therebetween and the front edge of middle panel  152  moves forward to exert pressure on the outer panel  151 , which transmits such pressure to the frame  110  causing the front panel  115  to extend forward, and the outer panels  151  move outward opening a space  195  therebetween and revealing the images  135  and elements  170  behind the window  120 .  FIGS. 2 and 4  each provide a front view of a gift card holder  100  showing the flaps  150  in an open position to reveal images including characters, decorative elements and text behind the frame  110 . 
         [0023]    The backer board  105  includes a pocket  200  therein that opens at the top margin of the backer board  105 . A thumb notch  205  may be provided to assist with removal of a gift card (not shown) from the pocket  200 . 
         [0024]    Note that drawings are not to scale or to relative scale but are representative of aspects of one or more embodiments of the present invention.

Technology Category: g