WO2002092357A1

WO2002092357A1 - Magnetic postcard

Info

Publication number: WO2002092357A1
Application number: PCT/IB2001/000813
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ernesto Gremese; James Tavendale
Original assignee: Smallworld Publishing A.S.
Priority date: 2001-05-11
Filing date: 2001-05-11
Publication date: 2002-11-21

Abstract

A postcard provided with own magnetic means allowing the same to adhere to metal surfaces in a removable fashion without hindering the full sight of the picture face of the postcard. Said postcard essentially includes a body (C) provided with an upper picture face (FS) and a lower face (FI) on which address of the addressee and greetings are written, at least one foil (M) of magnetic material being arranged within said body which generates a magnetic field able to support the weight of the postcard when the latter is applied to a metal surface, the postcard being thick enough to include magnetic foil (M) so that the latter cannot be seen from the outside. As an alternative, a number of magnetic particles are distributed in the material of postcard body (C) instead of the at least one magnetic foil (M) so that the same adhesive effect is obtained and no thickening or stiffening is provided in the portion where magnetic foil or foils (M) is arranged. Said postcard has weight, thickness, and stiffness comparable with those of the known postcards.

Description

Magnetic postcard

The present invention relates to a new postcard provided with magnetic means capable of causing it to adhere to metal surfaces in a removable fashion.

Many types of postcards having different shape and size and usually made of rigid or semirigid paper material are known. When the addressee receives a postcard, he often wishes to keep it in view both for ornamental and affective reasons. To this purpose, he sticks or ties it in some way to generally vertical surfaces, that can be self-adhesive, or pins it or makes it fast just using an adhesive tape. Such fastening methods, however, are little handy so that postcards often are spoiled because of glues and upon removing them away from the surfaces. In case postcards are glued to a self-adhesive panel, the adhesiveness is reduced with time until the postcards and/or other glued sheets come off. There are also known magnetic paper-weights to be used on metal surfaces. In this case, however, the magnetic paper-weights are superimposed even partially on the postcards so that the full sight is hindered.

The present invention seeks to overcome such drawbacks by providing a postcard provided with magnetic means which is capable of causing the postcard to adhere to any metal surface without hindering the sight of the picture shown by the card as well as able to allow the latter to be shifted or removed without damaging it. A second object of the invention is to provide a postcard of the above-mentioned type wherein said magnetic means does not interfere in any way with the writing up of the writable face of the postcard.

A third object of the invention is to provide a postcard of the above-mentioned type according to the international standard postal rates for postcards.

A better understanding of the invention will result from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings that show a preferred embodiment thereof only by way of a not limiting example . In the drawings:

Figures 1 and 2 show the two faces of a postcard according to the present invention, respectively, the magnetic means being not visible;

Figure 3 shows schematically a perspective view of the invention illustrating the magnetic foil hidden inside the card; and

Figure 4 is a cross section of the embodiment of Fig. 3 showing a magnetic foil preferably located in the thickness of the postcard.

Referring to the Figures described above the postcard of the invention is essentially characterized in that it consists of a body C provided with an upper picture face FS and a lower face FI on which address of the addressee and greetings can be written. Arranged within the body is at least one foil M of magnetic material which generates a magnetic field able to support the weight of the postcard when the latter is applied to a metal surface. The postcard is thick enough to include magnetic foil M so that the latter cannot be seen from either upper FS and lower FI faces. Magnetic foil M is preferably arranged in the central portion of postcard body C.

The use of the postcard according to the present invention is particularly easy. In fact, the sender should only do the same operations as for postcards of the known type.

It should be appreciated that the advantage for the addressee is that he can, if desired, make the postcard fast to any metal surface such as the door of a refrigerator or a metal cabinet without using adhesive tape, glue or self-adhesive surfaces.

Another advantage of the invention is due to the fact that if the postcard is removed from a surface, there are no tracks of glue or adhesive on that surface, the state of which remain unchanged without dust or particles suspended in the atmosphere are gathered by the glue.

An alternative embodiment of the invention not shown provides a number of magnetic particles distributed in the material of the postcard body instead of the foil. In this way, the same adhesive effect is obtained so that no thickening or stiffening is provided in the portion where magnetic foil M is arranged. It should be noted that weight, thickness, and stiffness of the postcard described above are advantageously comparable with those of the known postcards so that Postal Offices all over the world can handle the postcard of the invention also automatically without any problem and increase in the postage. Finally, according to the invention, body C of the postcard consists preferably of rigid or semirigid paper or plastic material.

The present invention has been described and illustrated according to preferred and alternative embodiments thereof, however, it is evident that those skilled in the art can make technically equivalent modifications and/or replacements without departing from the scope of the present industrial invention.

Claims

1. A postcard characterized in that it is provided with own magnetic means allowing the same to adhere to metal surfaces in a removable fashion without hindering the full sight of the picture face of the postcard.

2. The postcard according to claim 1, characterized in that it essentially includes a body (C) provided with an upper picture face (FS) and a lower face (FI) on which address of the addressee and greetings are written, at least one foil (M) of magnetic material being arranged within said body which generates a magnetic field able to support the weight of the postcard when the latter is applied to a metal surface, the postcard being thick enough to include magnetic foil (M) so that the latter cannot be seen from the outside.

3. The postcard according to claim 2, characterized in that magnetic foil (M) is arranged in the central portion of postcard body (C) .

4. The postcard according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a number of magnetic particles are distributed in the material of postcard body (C) instead of the at least one magnetic foil (M) so that the same adhesive effect is obtained and no thickening or stiffening is provided in the portion where magnetic foil or foils (M) is arranged.

5. The postcard according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that size, weight, thickness, and stiffness of the postcard are comparable with those of the known postcards.

6. The postcard according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that body (C) of the postcard consists of rigid or semirigid paper or plastic material .