NZ522024A - A business card - Google Patents

Abstract

A business card is disclosed comprising of a sheet of material providing a first and second major surface. The sheet defines at least two portions separated by at least one line of weakness along which the portions may be separated. The first major surface of a first portion includes indicia of a first kind and the second major surface of the second portion provides indicia substantially similar to the indicia of the first kind. The first major surface of the second portion includes indicia of a second kind and the second major surface of the first portion provides indicia substantially similar to the indicia of the second kind.

Description

NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT 1953 No: 522024 Date: 17 October 2002 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION A BUSINESS CARD We, FLEXICON LIMITED, a company duly incorporated under the laws of New Zealand of 23 Williamson Avenue, Ponsonby, Auckland, New Zealand, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: -1 - 'nteWectual Property Office of NZ 17 OCT 2003 RECEIVED The present invention relates to a business card.

The standard business card is provided normally as a single rectangular substrate made of paper onto which on one side, there is provided detail of the company, an individual name and contact details. Business cards are handed to clients or acquaintances for the purposes of having relevant information conveniently at hand for that person to which the business card is given.

When a business card is handed out to a person, the recipient is normally the end user of that card and for future reference, the end user will refer to the card to obtain contact details of the individual who handed the card out. The standard business card therefore provides for a single point of future reference normally for a single user to whom the business card has been handed. Whilst a particular business card may be handed from person to person, the business card remains a single discreet item and is normally kept as a record as a single point of reference.

As an example however the person to whom the business card has been handed to may wish to disseminate the information on the business card further. The person may be pleased with the service that was provided by the individual who handed the card out, and wishes to make a recommendation of that, to a friend or colleague. Since regular business cards are a single point of reference, a photocopy may need to be taken of the business card to provide contact details to further people. A photocopied business card does not provide the best visual impression that the original business card may have provided, and lacks the convenience of size and durability.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a business card which allows for convenient dissemination of information of a business card, or which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.

The present invention accordingly consists in a business card comprising a sheet of material providing a first and second major surface, said sheet defining at least two portions separated by at least one line of weakness along which said portions may be separated, Intellectual Property Office of N.Z. 1 9 APR 2005 received 1 wherein the first major surface of a first portion includes indicia of a first kind and the second major surface of the second portion provides indicia substantially similar to said indicia of said first kind and wherein the first major surface of the second portion includes indicia of a second kind and the second major surface of said first portion provides indicia substantially similar to said indicia of said second kind.

Preferably said indicia of said first kind is different to that of said second kind.

Preferably said indicia of said first kind includes a persons name.

Preferably said indicia of said first kind includes a company name.

Preferably said indicia of said first kind includes a logo or slogan of descriptive matter realign to the activities of the company with said company name. Preferably said indicia of said second kind includes contact details.

Preferably said indicia of said second kind includes a persons name. Preferably said first portion is larger than said second portion.

Alternatively said first portion is smaller than said second portion. Alternatively said first portion is the same size as said second portion. Preferably said business card is rectangular in shape.

Preferably said line of weakness is a line of perforations.

Preferably said line of weakness extends between the longer of said sides of said rectangular shaped business card.

Preferably said first kinds of indicia are also graphically of a similar layout. Preferably said second kinds of indicia are also graphically of a similar layout.

In a second aspect the present invention consists in a business card comprising a sheet of material providing a first and second major surface, said sheet defining at least two portions separated by a line of weakness along which said portions may be separated, Intellectual Propertv Office of N.Z wherein the first major surface of a first portion includes indicia of a first kind and the second major surface of the first portion includes indicia of a kind substantially similar to said indicia of said first kind and wherein the first major surface of a second portion includes indicia of a second kind and the second major surface of the second portion includes indicia of a kind substantially similar to said indicia of said second kind This invention may also be said broadly to consist in the parts, elements and features referred to or indicated in the specification of the application, individually or collectively, and any or all combinations of any two or more of said parts, elements or features, and where specific integers are mentioned herein which have known equivalents in the art to which this invention relates, such known equivalents are deemed to be incorporated herein as if individually set forth.

Figure 1 is a view of a first major surface of a business card of the present invention, Figure 2 is a view of the other major surface of the business card of the present invention, and Figure 3 is a three portioned card having three regions 8, 9, 10 on each face, Figures 4 and 5 disclose alternative configurations of card faces.

Intellectual Property Office of N.Z. 1 9 APR 2005 With reference to figure 1, there is shown a business card which is for example of a substantially rectangular outline shape. The business card may be made of a substrate material such as paper or a cardboard. Plastics materials or other non cellulosic materials may also be used for providing the business card of the present invention. The business card is preferably made from a plastics material and for appearance purposes part of the business card may include sections which are transparent. Other than those transparent sections, at least one and preferably both sides of the business card are printed and/or coated.

Each major surface or side of the business card is provided with information.

Each surface is provided with at least two regions 1, 2 and 5, 6 which are separated by a line of weakness such as for example perforations there between. In the most preferred form where the business card is made from a plastics material the line of weakness may be provided by perforations or by a reduction in the thickness of the plastics substrate such as to define a line which is weaker than the strength of the remaining portions of the card and along which line a frangibility is established.

In effect, the card may be considered to be provided into frangible portions. With reference to the terminology used herein, the card is provided in regions. The card presents a first and second major surface, the major surfaces being presented facing opposite direction as result of the sheet like nature of the card. Each major surface has at least two regions. The regions of the card are defined and bounded in part by the line of weakness extending across the card for the purposes of separating the card into discrete portions. The first region of the first major surface 3 as shown in figure 1, is provided with information and indicia such as for example company details and logos or the like.

This information is substantially repeated on the second region 6 of the second major surface 4 as shown in figure 2. The second region 6 is provided on the opposite side to the card where the second region 2 of the first surface 3 is provided. The second region 2 of the first surface 3 is provided with information such as for example the name of a person and contact details and the like. This information is substantially repeated on the first region 5 of the second surface 4 of the card. Hence effectively each major surface of the card is provided with substantially similar information in total. When the card is frangibly separated that portion of the card provided with the second region 2 of the first surface 3 and the second region 6 of the second surface 4 also provides the same or substantially similar information to that which is provided on the first region 1 of the first surface 3 and the first region 5 of the second surface 4 by frangible separation.

Therefore once a business card has been handed out to a person, the business card can be frangibly separated into two portions, wherein the recipient can then give one portion away to a third party. Both portions contain the same information provided on the two sides, such that both the recipient and a third party have a portion of the card which at least as far as what is presented on the card is substantially the same. Whilst a substantial duplication of information is provided between the regions on the opposite facing surfaces it may be that it is only part of the information that is repeated. It need accordingly not be all of the information as long as some of the information is repeated between regions of the portions of the card.

The card may be provided with perforations which provide the two regions in a same size or different size as for example shown in figures 1 and 2. The primary recipient may retain the larger portion of the card giving the frangibly separated smaller portion to a third party so that the original unitary business card can provide appropriate details to more than one person once separated to thereby provide a multi point reference. More than two regions may also be provided but then in order to convey the same information on each portion will require a repeat of the first or second indicia.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrates an alternate form of the current invention whereby major surface 13 and major surface 14 represent opposite surfaces of the business card. Major surface 13 contains region 11 and region 12 whilst major surface 14 comprises regions 16 and 15. Furthermore, regions co-exiting upon a particular surface may be separable by means of said perforations or said line of weakness. The alternate form encompasses the appearance where regions 11 and 12 both present a substantially similar type of indicia. Similarly, regions 16 and 15 each present substantially similar types of indicia.

Claims (19)

1. A business card comprising a sheet of material providing a first and second major surface, said sheet defining at least two portions separated by at least one line of weakness along which said portions may be separated, wherein the first major surface of a first portion includes indicia of a first kind and the second major surface of the second portion provides indicia substantially similar to said indicia of said first kind and wherein the first major surface of the second portion includes indicia of a second kind and the second major surface of said first portion provides indicia substantially similar to said indicia of said second kind.

2. A business card as claimed in claim 1 wherein said indicia of said first kind is different to that of said second kind.

3. A business card as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein said indicia of said first kind includes a persons name.

4. A business card as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said indicia of said first kind includes a company name.

5. A business card as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein said indicia of said first kind includes a logo or slogan or descriptive matter aligned to the activities of the company.

6. A business card as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein said indicia of said second kind includes communication contact details.

7. A business card as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein said indicia of said second kind includes a persons name.

8. A business card as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein said first portion is larger than said second portion.

9. A business card as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein alternatively said first portion is smaller than said second portion.

10. A business card as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein said first portion is the same size as said second portion. Intellectual Property Office of N.Z. 1 9 APR 2005

11. A business card as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein said business card is rectangular in shape.

12. A business card as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11 wherein said line of weakness is a line of perforations.

13. A business card as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12 wherein said line of weakness is a line of reduced thickness of said sheet material.

14. A business card as claimed in claim 11 wherein said line of weakness extends between the longer of said sides of said rectangular shaped business card.

15. A business card as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14 wherein said first kind of indicia is graphically of a similar layout to that indicia provided at the second major surface of the second portion.

16. A business card as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15 wherein said second kinds of indicia is graphically of a similar layout to that indicia provided at the first portion of said second major surface.

17. A business card as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 16 wherein said first kind of indicia is the same as that indicia provided at the second major surface of the second portion.

18. A business card as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 17 wherein said second kinds of indicia is the same as that indicia provided at the first portion of said second major surface.

19. A business card comprising a sheet of material providing a first and second major surface, said sheet defining at least two portions separated by a line of weakness along which said portions may be separated, wherein the first major surface of a first portion includes indicia of a first kind and the second major surface of the first portion includes indicia of a kind substantially similar to said indicia of said first kind and wherein the first major surface of a second portion includes indicia of a second kind and the second major surface of the second portion includes indicia of a kind substantially similar to said indicia of said second kind. A] Park dated this Received PEK / i—^ agents for the applicant