US3740877A

US3740877A - Holder for credit card purchase form

Info

Publication number: US3740877A
Application number: US00165500A
Authority: US
Inventors: V Hunt
Original assignee: DISPLAY CORP INT
Current assignee: DISPLAY CORP INT
Priority date: 1971-07-23
Filing date: 1971-07-23
Publication date: 1973-06-26
Anticipated expiration: 1990-06-26
Also published as: CA935060A

Abstract

The holder has a generally planar base with a rectangular, flatsurfaced portion on which a credit card purchase form is held for signature by the customer. The form is held in place by the clamping action between a pair of fingers, spaced above the flatsurfaced portion to accommodate one end of the form, and a depressible tab positioned between the fingers and normally biased towards the fingers. The fingers and tab are formed as an integral part of the base. The customer''s credit card is prominently held in the vertical position in an arcuate slot in the base for its return to him. The base also includes an integral, lateral extension on which point-of-purchase advertising or similar indicia, which is readily observable by the customer when signing the form, can be mounted.

Description

United States Patent 91 Hunt [ 1 June 26, 1973 [75] Inventor: Vernon J. Hunt, Glendale, Wis.

[73] Assignee: Display Corporation International, Milwaukee, Wis.

[22] Filed: July 23, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 165,500

[52] US. Cl. 40/13 [51] Int. Cl. G09! 3/16 [58] Field of Search 40/13; 281/15, 45; 206/57 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,030,922 4/1962 Rosenthal 281/45 FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS 282,698 9/1928 Great Britain 281/15 B Primary Examiner-Russell R. Kinsey Assistant Examiner-J. Q. Lever Attorney-John W. Michael, Joseph A. Gemigani et al [5 7] ABSTRACT The holder has a generally planar base with a rectangular, flat-surfaced portion on which a credit card purchase form is held for signature by the customer. The form is held in place by the clamping action between a pair of fingers, spaced above the flat-surfaced portion to accommodate one end of the form, and a depressible tab positioned between the fingers and normally biased towards the fingers. The fingers and tab are formed as an integral part of the base. The customers credit card is prominently held in the vertical position in an arcuate slot in the base for its return to him. The base also includes an integral, lateral extension on which pointof-purchase advertising or similar indicia, which is readily observable by the customer when signing the form, can be mounted.

7 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENIEDJUHZS I975 3.740.877

$5] nw W a l/array HOLDER FOR CREDIT CARD PURCHASE FORM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Service stations and other similar merchandisers commonly use some means, such as a clip board, for holding a credit card purchase form on which the customers purchase is itemized. The clip board holds the form in place and provides a sufficient writing surface supporting the form so that the customer can conveniently sign it, e.g., while seated in his automobile. The form is usually held on a flat board or panel by a spring clip. The customers credit card is held by the clip holding the form or held by a separate clip on the board for its return to the customer or is separately handed to the customer by the attendant or salesclerk.

Generally, holders of this type are quite cumber some. Also, the separate clip means are relatively expensive and require assembly to the board which increases the cost for making such devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The primary object of this invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive holder which is capable of holding both a credit card purchase form for the customers signature and the customers credit card for its return to him.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a holder which includes means for mounting indieia readily observable by the customer, such as point-ofpurchase advertising.

The holder of this invention includes a generally planar, unitary base which has a flat-surfaced portion on which a credit card purchase form is frictionally held. The form is frictionally held in place between the spaced edges a pair of laterally extending fingers above the flat-surfaced portion to accommodate one end of the form and a depressible tab, which is positioned between the fingers and is normally baised towards the fingers. The fingers and tab are formed as an integral part of the base. In one embodiment, the tab includes a raised shoulder which acts both as a convenient means for the user to depress the tab for installation or removal of a form and as a stop to insure proper positioning of the form on the flat-surfaced portion.

An arcuate slot in the base provides a means for prominently holding the customer's credit card in a vertical position where he is readily reminded to remove it when the holder is handed to him for signature of the form. A lateral ear extending from the base provides a convenient means for handling a holder. The base can also include a lateral side extension on which point-of-purchase advertising or similar indieia, which is readily observable by the customer, can be mounted.

By arranging the means for holding the form in place as an integral part of the base (i.e. the fingers and tab) in accordance with this invention, the holder can be made as a one-piece construction from lightweight plastic materials by conventional molding techniques. Thus, inexpensive materials and fabrication techniques which do not require assembly steps can be employed, thereby reducing production costs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a holder embodying this invention shown holding a credit card, a credit card purchase form, a writing implement and point-ofpurchase advertising.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational, cross-sectional view taken along the plane designated 2-2.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the plane designated 3-3 showing the depressible tab in the normally biased position when a credit card purchase form is not installed. I

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The holder of this invention is an integral unit molded from a suitable lightweight plastic material and has a generally planar base 10. Base 10 includes a rectangular recess 12 arranged to receive a credit card purchase form 14. Form 14 is a conventional credit card purchase form including a top sheet and an underlying sheet with an interposed sheet of carbon paper. The top sheet has perforations l6 spaced from the edge of one end so it can be conveniently torn off and handed to the customer as a receipt after his signature. Recess 12 has a smooth flat top surface which provides a writing surface.

Base 10 includes an integral depressible tab, coextensive with and generally extending laterally from the recess. As shown in FIG. 3, the longitudinal axis of tab 18 is arranged at a slight angle with respect to the base so it is normally biased to a slightly raised position. Base 10 also includes a pair of integral, laterallyextending fingers 20 which are spaced above recess 12 so that the form can he slipped underneath them when tab 18 has been depressed as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. When tab 20 is released and returns towards its normal position after the insertion of a form, the end of the form with the perforations (the left end as viewed in FIG. 1) is clamped between the tab and fingers and, thus, is held firmly in place within the recess. Tab 18 includes a raised shoulder 22 so the user can conveniently press the tab with his thumb or a finger for the installation or removal of a form. Shoulder 22 also acts as a stop to insure proper positioning of the form with respect to fingers 20 so that the top sheet can be torn away while the remainder of the form is held in place. When a form is installed into recess 12, the end is abutted against shoulder 22 and, upon release of the tab, only the portion of the form between the edge and the perforations is clamped between the tab and fingers. Thus, the top sheet can be torn away along the perforations without removing the form from the holder. The end of the recess opposite the tab is provided with a cut out portion 24, over which the end of the form extends, to facilitate separation of the top sheet from the remainder of the form for tearing.

The customerscredit card 26 is prominently held in the vertical position in an arcuate slot 28 provided in the base so the customer will readily notice it and remember to remove it when the holder is handed him. Flange 30 extending upwardly from the base behind the installed credit card aids in supporting it in a vertical position when the holder is being handled. A ball point pen 34, pencil or similar writing implement is conveniently carried in an aperture 36 provided in the base for use by the customer for signing the form. A laterally extending ear 38 coextensive and integral with the base provides a convenient means for handling the holder. Base 10 also includes a recessed, lateral extension 40 on which point-of-purchase advertising 42 or similar indieia can be mounted.

From the above detailed description, it can be seen that this invention provides a simple arrangement for a holder capable of holding a credit card purchase form. Since the holder is an integral unit, the expense of separate spring clips and the cost of their assembly are eliminated. The holder also includes simple means for prominently holding the customers credit card so he is reminded to remove it and means for mounting pointof-purchase advertising or other similar indicia which are readily observable by the customer.

I claim:

1. A device for holding a form for itemizing purchases comprising a generally planar base having a flat-surfaced portion over which said form extends; a tab formed integrally with said base and located adjacent to one end of said flat-surfaced portion,

means formed integrally with said base adjacent said one end of said flat-surfaced portion and defining an opening in general registry with said tab,

said tab having a normal position projecting toward said opening and having a generally resilient connection with said base, said tab being exposed at said one end of said flat-surfaced portion to be engaged and moved away from said opening and returning to said normal position when the moving force is removed, and

said tab, when in said normal position, defining with the edges of said opening a generally tortuous path for one end of a form extending between said tab and said opening so that said form is frictionally held between said tab and edges.

2. The device according to claim 1 including a pair of lateral fingers formed integrally with said base adjacent said one end of said flatsurfaced portion and being spaced apart defining said opening and providing said edges, said fingers being spaced above said flat-surfaced portion to accommodate one end of said form; and

said tab is depressible to move away from said open- 3. Tie device according to claim 2 wherein said tab includes a raised shoulder against which one end of said form is abutted, after said tab is moved to permit installation of said end of said form between said tab and said fingers, to insure proper positioning of said form on said flat-surfaced portion.

4. The device according to claim 1 including an extension formed integrally with and extending laterally from one side of said base on which indicia means can be mounted.

5. The device according to claim 1 including an ear, formed integrally with and extending laterally from said base, as a means for grasping and handling said device.

6. The device according to claim 5 including an aperture for holding a writing implement.

7. The device according to claim 1 wherein said base includes an arcuate slot located adjacent to said flatsurfaced portion in which a customers credit card can be prominently held in a vertical position.

Claims

1. A device for holding a form for itemizing purchases comprising a generally planar base having a flat-surfaced portion over which said form extends; a tab formed integrally with said base and located adjacent to one end of said flat-surfaced portion, means formed integrally with said base adjacent said one end of said flat-surfaced portion and defining an opening in general registry with said tab, said tab having a normal position projecting toward said opening and having a generally resilient connection with said base, said tab being exposed at said one end of said flat-surfaced portion to be engaged and moved away from said opening and returning to said normal position when the moving force is removed, and said tab, when in said normal position, defining with the edges of said opening a generally tortuous path for one end of a form extending between said tab and said opening so that said form is frictionally held between said tab and edges.

2. The device according to claim 1 including a pair of lateral fingers formed integrally with said base adjacent said one end of said flat-surfaced portion and being spaced apart defining said opening and providing said edges, said fingers being spaced above said flat-surfaced portion to accommodate one end of said form; and said tab is depressible to move away from said opening.

3. The device according to claim 2 wherein said tab includes a raised shoulder against which one end of said form is abutted, after said tab is moved to permit installation of said end of said form between said tab and said fingers, to insure proper positioning of said form on said flat-surfaced portion.

7. The device according to claim 1 wherein said base includes an arcuate slot located adjacent to said flat-surfaced portion in which a customer''s credit card can be prominently held in a vertical position.