TRANSACTION PRODUCT WITH REMOVEABLE COSMETIC ARTICLE

• US 20090308920A1
• Filed: 06/13/2008
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Inventors: SAMARDZIJA, PRIMOZ, BENDER, ALLISON G., CLEGG, TIMOTHY P., WESTON, DANIEL A., HOLT, BRIAN R., ARISS, CHARLOTTE
• Granted Patent: US 8,091,779 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 11/182 Credit card holders
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 44/00 Other cosmetic or toiletry articles, e.g. for hairdressers' rooms
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 44/005 for selecting or displaying personal cosmetic colours or hairstyle
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/347 Passive cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/349 Rechargeable cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/082 Features insuring the integrity of the data on or in the card

Abstract

A transaction product has an account identifier and includes one or more cosmetic articles. The cosmetic article may be held in place by a tray such that both are readily removable from the housing. The transaction product and its various components, taken together, have a visual appeal accentuated by a sense of depth provided by employing indicia on different visual planes and by using transparent and/or translucent panels. The indicia may be evocative of the nature of cosmetic article, including graphics that depict the color, texture, or other physical properties of the particular cosmetic article enclosed within the transaction product. The account identifier is associated with the housing and links the transaction product to an account or record having a value configured to be used toward one or more of a purchase and a use of goods or services.

Claims

1. A transaction product comprising:

a housing including an account identifier linking the transaction product to a financial account or a financial record, the housing including a first housing member and a second housing member coupled to the first housing member, wherein the first and second housing members are configured to articulate with respect to each other to selectively effect an open state and a closed state, wherein the first housing member includes a first panel, and the second housing member includes a second panel opposite the first panel;

a cosmetic article enclosed within the housing between the first panel and the second panel, wherein the cosmetic article is removeable from the housing when the housing is in the open state;

wherein the first panel is at least partially transparent such that the cosmetic article and the second panel are at least partially visible through the first panel when the housing is in the closed state and the cosmetic article is enclosed therein.

2. The transaction product of claim 1, wherein the account identifier is at least partially machine-readable and includes one or more of a bar code, a magnetic strip, a smart chip, or a radio frequency identification (RFID) device.

3. The transaction product of claim 1, wherein the housing is substantially rectangular.

4. The transaction product of claim 1, wherein the first panel includes first indicia, and the second panel includes second indicia, and wherein the second indicia, the cosmetic article, and the first indicia are each at least partially visible along a view axis orthogonal to the first panel.

5. The transaction product of claim 4, further including a tray configured to removeably secure the cosmetic article within the housing, the tray being at least partially transparent such that the second indicia are visible therethrough.

6. The transaction product of claim 5, wherein the tray is removeably secured within the second housing member via an interference fit.

7. The transaction product of claim 4, wherein at least one of the first indicia and the second indicia include an image associated with the cosmetic product.

8. The transaction product of claim 7, wherein the cosmetic article includes a material configured to be applied to a human being, and wherein the image is a representation of a physical characteristic of the material.

9. The transaction product of claim 1, wherein the first housing member is hingedly connected to the second housing member.

10. The transaction product of claim 1, further including a latch structure releasably connecting the first housing member to the second housing member when the housing is in the closed state.

11. The transaction product of claim 1, wherein the cosmetic article comprises a material configured to be applied to human lips.

12. The transaction product of claim 11, wherein the material comprises a lip gloss.

13. The transaction product of claim 1, in combination with a backer selectively coupled with and configured to support the transaction product.

14. A stored-value card comprising:

means for defining a chamber having an at least partially transparent first planar member defined thereon;

means for removeably securing a cosmetic article with the chamber such that the cosmetic article is at least partially visible through the first planar member;

means for linking the stored-value card with an account or record having a value associated therewith such that the stored-value card can be applied toward one of a payment and a use of one or more of goods and services.

15. The stored-value card of claim 14, wherein the means for defining includes a second planar member opposite to and generally parallel with the first planar member, and wherein the cosmetic article is secured therebetween such that the second planar member is at least partially visible through the first planar member.

16. The stored-value card of claim 15, wherein the means for removeably securing includes a tray configured to hold the cosmetic article within the chamber, the tray being at least partially transparent such that the second planar member is at least partially visible therethrough.

17. A method of providing and supporting use of a financial transaction card, the method comprising:

displaying the financial transaction card to potential customers, the financial transaction card including a housing removeably enclosing a beauty product between a first panel and a second panel, wherein the first panel is at least partially transparent or translucent such that the second panel and the beauty product are visible through the first panel;

activating the financial transaction card to permit value deductions from a financial account or record linked to the financial transaction card via an account identifier included on the housing; and

receiving the financial transaction card as payment for one or more of goods and services, the value of the one or more of goods and services being deducted from the financial account or record.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second panel and the first panel include substantially opaque and visible graphics associated with the beauty product.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein displaying the financial transaction card includes providing a removeable tray to secure the beauty product within the housing, wherein the removeable tray is at least partially transparent or translucent such that the second panel is visible therethrough.

20. A method of assembling a transaction product, the method comprising:

providing a housing defining a chamber therein, wherein the chamber has an open state and a closed state, wherein the housing has at least one substantially transparent panel and at least one second panel, and wherein the housing includes an account identifier linking the housing to an account or record;

placing a cosmetic article within the chamber when the chamber is in the open state;

closing the chamber such that the second panel and the cosmetic article are visible through the at least one substantially transparent panel panel.