CA2194425A1

CA2194425A1 - Card display apparatus

Info

Publication number: CA2194425A1
Application number: CA002194425A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Arlene Mckenzie
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-01-06
Filing date: 1997-01-06
Publication date: 1998-07-06

Abstract

A four sided card display insert for use in a three ring loose leaf binder is disclosed. The insert comprises two centrally folded rectangular sheets of transparent plastic and a plastic binding strip into which the side portions of the folded sheets opposite the fold are inserted, heated and fused therein.
The binding strip has three spaced holes therein to accommodate the rings in a binder. The interior side portions of the rectangular sheets have slits therein for the insertion of cards.
Linear seams fused in the rectangular folded sheets hold a card inserted therein in position. In one preferred embodiment the linear slit is vertically arranged along the binding strip on both interior side portions of the rectangular sheets so that a folded greeting card may have one portion inserted in one sheet and its other portion, opposite its fold, inserted in the other rectangular sheet.

Description

CARD DISPLAY BINDER INSERT

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a loose leaf binder insert for storage, protection, and display of cards, ribbons, and other mementos. More particularly, this invention relates to an insert which securely holds those mementos displayed, and which is capable of displaying both front and back of four sided cards and other mementos pertaining to the same occasion.

Three ring binder photo albums generally have cardboard inserts which have cellophane or other transparent plastic removably adhered thereto. While such inserts function reasonably well for displaying a photo which is viewed from the front side only, they are inadequate for displaying cards and mementos which have displays on the front, back and interior sides.

U. S. Patent No. 4,824,273 issued to Lucy Silva is for a loose leaf binder insert having a rectangular transparent top and bottom layer. The top layer is shorter in height than the bottom layer. The top layer is adhered to the bottom layer on its lower edge and opposite side edges so that a pocket is formed. While this configuration is useful for a student carrying papers, it is not ideal for storage of a memento such as a card because it fails to present the sides of the card to the viewer in proper order, and lacks means to adequately retain mementos displayed therebetween on a semi-permanent basis.

OBJECTS AND STATEMENT OF INVENTION

It is an object of this invention to disclose a four sided card display insert for a three ring binder which presents both front, back and insides of the card in ordered sequence. It is yet a further object of this invention to disclose an improved insert for semi-permanent storage, protection, and display of ribbons and other mementos.

One aspect of the invention provides for a card display insert for use in a loose leaf binder comprising: a transparent rectangular sheet having a vertical fold centrally thereto; a binding strip having holes for a loose leaf binder ring therethrough, said strip adhering the side portions of the rectangular sheet opposite the vertical fold therethrough; and linear seams adhering the transparent sheets together so that cards placed therebetween will be retained in position.

A preferred aspect of the invention provides for a card display insert as above having two rectangular sheets bound within a plastic binding strip by fusion and vertical slits extending beside the binding strip in the interior side portions of the plastic sheets so that a greeting card may be inserted thereinto with its foldline vertically arranged beside the binding strip.

Various other objects, advantages and features of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIGURES OF THE INVENTION

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a partially opened card display binder insert.

Figure 2 is a partially enlarged view taken along lines 2-2 of figure 1. Figure 2 enlarges the sheet thicknesses therein.

Figure 3 is an inside open view of the insert adapted to display a wedding invitation announcement card and a smaller memento such as a match book.

Figure 4 is a front closed view taken along lines 4-4 of figure 1. Figure 4 shows a configuration adapted to display a memento having a size comparable to a golf, or bowling score card.

Figure 5 is a rear closed view taken along lines 5-5 of figure 1. Figure 5 shows a configuration adapted to display a memento having a size comparable to an award such as a ribbon.

The following is a discussion and description of the preferred specific embodiments of this invention, such being made with reference to the drawings, wherein the same reference numerals are used to indicate the same or similar parts and/or structure. It should be noted that such discussion and description is not meant to unduly limit the scope of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Turning now to the drawings and more particularily to figure 1 we have a perspective view of a card display insert 20. The insert 20 comprises a binding strip 22 and two transparent folded sheets 24. In the preferred embodiment the folded sheets 24 have an 11 X 17" rectangular shape before being folded in half. After being folded they are 8 1/2" X 11" with the fold 28 extending along the 11" side. The folded sheets 24 are held in a folded position by their side portions 26 which are opposite the fold 28. The binding strip 22 also has a rectangular shape. It measures (see figure 2) about 11 x 2" before being folded and about 11 x 1" after folding. The binding strip 22 is made of a heavier gauge plastic than the folded sheets but unlike the sheets, it need not be transparent. The binding strip 22 has three spaced holes 40 therethrough so that it may be held in a three ring loose leaf binder. (not shown) The transparent sheets 24 are held within the folded binding strip 22 either with an adhesive or more preferably, by heating and fusing them one to another within the binding strip 22. The card display insert 20 has a front exterior side portion 32, an interior left side portion 34, an interior right side portion 36, and a back exterior side portions 38. The interior side portions 34, 36 are provided with linear slits 40 therethrough for the insertion of the memento 46 to be displayed.

Figure 3 shows one configuration of the card display insert 20 which is adapted to display a greeting card 46 and smaller mementos 43 which Have a size generally equal to a match book.
In this configuration, two vertical slits 42, one on each interior side 34, 36 extend parallel to, and beside the binding 22. Heat fused seams 44 between the interior side portions 34, 36 and the front and back exterior side portions are used to contain and position the mementos displayed within the folded sheets 24. In this configuration the seams 44 are positioned to position a greeting card 46 centrally within the sheets 24 with the foldline 48 of the greeting card 46 positioned along and beside the binding strip 22 so that when the insert 20 is closed, the greeting card 46 is folded along its foldline 48. When the card display insert 20 is opened the greeting card 46 is then also opened bending outwardly on its foldline 48. Seams 44 are also positioned to provide a pocket 49 for match books or like sized mementos 43 in this configuration. Such match book sized mementos 43 are inserted through a horizontal slit 50.

Figure 4 is a front view of the card display insert 20 in a closed position. The configuration shown has seams 44 positioned ~1 94425 to hold goal score cards 45, bowling score cards, or like sized mementos.

Figure 5 is a rear view of the card display insert 20 in a closed position. This configuration shown has seams 44 positioned to hold ribbons 47 or like sized mementos.

It should be noted that in all configurations the cards 46 are well secured within the plastic sheets 24. In the configuration used to display a wedding or greeting card 46, the card 46 is prevented from slipping out by the binding strip 22.
In all other configurations, the card 46 is competely inserted through the slit 40 and then moved slightly back in the pocket 49 so that the slit 40 covers an end portion of the card 46 ensuring that it cannot be removed without first shifting it in the pocket 49 in the original direction of insertion, and then, by pulling the end portion of it through the slit 40.

While the invention has been described with preferred specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that this description is intended to illustrate and not to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the following claims.

I CLAIM:

Claims

1) A card display insert for use in a loose leaf binder comprising:
a transparent rectangular sheet having a vertical fold centrally thereto;
a binding strip having holes for a loose leaf binder ring therethrough, said strip adhering the side portions of the rectangular sheet opposite the vertical fold therethrough; and linear seams adhering the transparent sheets together so that cards placed therebetween will be retained in position.

2) An insert as in claim 1 wherein the binding strip is plastic and the plastic sheets are retained by heating and fusion.

3) An insert as in claim 2 wherein linear seams are formed by heating and fusing the transparent sheets together.

4) An insert as in claim 3 further comprising a linear slit through the transparent sheet for the insertion of a card therein.

5) An insert as in claim 4 further comprising a front and back rectangular sheet, each sheet being folded with a vertical fold centrally therethrough and each bound in the binding strip.

6) An insert as in claim 5 wherein the linear slit for insertion of the card is made in the interior side portion of a rectangular sheet.

7) An insert as in claim 6 wherein the linear slits extend vertically beside and parallel to the binding strip so that a folded card can have one portion thereof inserted in the front rectangular folded sheet and another portion thereof inserted in the rear rectangular folded sheet so that both portions of the folded card are protected and its fold extends beside and parallel to be binding strip of the insert.

8) An insert as in claim 7 wherein the linear seam is positioned to hold a folded card in a central portion of the insert when it is in an open position.

9) An insert as in claim 8 further comprising a seam and slit in a peripheral portion of the open insert compared to hold and position smaller cards sized like match books.

10) An insert as in claim 4 wherein the seam and slit are configured to position and retain cards sized like golf score cards.

11) An insert as in claim 4 wherein there are seams and slits configured to position and retain cards sized like ribbons.

12) An insert as in claim 6 wherein the seam and slit are configured to position and retain cards sized like golf score cards.

13) An insert as in claim 6 wherein there are seams and slits configured to position and retain cards sized like ribbons.