Expandable Card Form

• US 20100269380A1
• Filed: 04/27/2010
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wilopen Products LC
• Original Assignee: Wilopen Products LC
• Inventors: Wilen, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,104,795 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 40/124.120
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/027 combined with permanently fastened other articles, e.g. photographs
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/042 Foldable cards or sheets B42D15/045 and B42D15/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B42P 2241/22 Sheets or cards with additional means allowing easy feeding through printers
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 1/04 Folded cards
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 23/10 on paper articles, e.g. booklets, newspapers

Abstract

An expandable card form is described that includes a plurality of foldable leafs that are foldable onto one another at fold lines which separate each adjacent pair of foldable leafs. A slot can be cut through the fold line separating one of the adjacent pairs of foldable leafs. The plurality of foldable leafs can be connected to one another linearly and can include adhesive sections so that, when assembled, the foldable leafs form an expandable card. One end leaf can include a projecting panel attached thereto. The projecting panel can be extended through the slot when the card is expanded and can be retracted so as not to be visible when the card is oriented into its closed configuration. The expandable card can include information printed thereon to create a business card, a place setting card, a medical information card, or a gift card.

Claims

1. An expandable card form, wherein the card form comprises:

a plurality of leafs arranged and connected linearly, wherein each adjacent pair of leafs is separated by a fold line and wherein each leaf is foldable onto its immediately adjacent leafs;

a projecting panel; and

a slot cut between two adjacent leafs through which the projecting panel is extendable and retractable,

wherein the card form comprises a foldable card when assembled.

2. The expandable card form of claim 1, wherein the foldable card comprises a business card.

3. The expandable card form of claim 1, wherein the foldable card comprises a medical information card.

4. The expandable card form of claim 1, wherein the foldable card comprises a place setting card.

5. The expandable card form of claim 1, wherein the foldable card comprises a gift card.

6. An expandable business card apparatus that comprises:

a first page comprising an inner side and an outer side and further comprising;

(i) a first panel comprising a detachable portion;

(ii) a second panel detachably joined by perforations to the first panel; and

(iii) a third panel comprising a projection and joined by a first fold to the second panel;

a second page comprising an inner side and an outer side and further comprising;

a first panel joined by a second fold to a second panel and the second panel joined by a third fold to a third panel, wherein the third fold comprises a slot,

wherein the inner side of the first page and the outer side of the second page are attached by a connection that retains the first fold and the second fold at a predetermined distance to enable the extension and retraction of the projection through the slot; and

a booklet attached to the inner side of the second page.

7. The business card apparatus of claim 6, wherein the business card apparatus comprises a closed position and an open position.

8. The business card apparatus of claim 7, wherein in the closed position, the third panel of the second page comprises a cover and the first panel of the first page is an opposed cover.

9. The business card apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second page comprises a detachable business card that is formed by a panel selected from the group consisting of the first panel and the third panel of the second page.

10. The business card apparatus of claim 7, wherein the projection is retracted into the slot and is at least partially concealed when the business card apparatus is configured in the closed position.

11. The business card apparatus of claim 7, wherein the projection is extended out of the slot and the booklet is revealed when the business card apparatus is configured in the open position.

12. The business card apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first panel of the first page and the first panel of the second page are attached by the connection.

13. The business card apparatus of claim 6, wherein the projection comprises two sides and at least one of the sides of the projection comprises at least one item selected from the group consisting of text, an image and a graphic.

14. A business card comprising:

a first trifold sheet comprising three panels, wherein one of the three panels comprises a projection;

a second trifold sheet comprising three panels and attached to the first trifold sheet by a connection, wherein two of the three panels comprises a slot defined between the two panels; and

a booklet attached to an inner side of the second trifold sheet;

wherein the business card comprises an open configuration and a closed configuration, wherein the projection is retracted when the business card is oriented in the closed configuration and is extended when the business card is oriented in the open configuration.

15. The business card of claim 14, wherein the booklet and projection comprise printed information selected from the group consisting of:

text, graphics, and images, which are revealed when the business card is manipulated into the open configuration.

16. The business card of claim 14, wherein the three panels of the first trifold sheet comprise a first panel, a second panel and a third panel and wherein the three panels of the second trifold sheet comprise a first panel, a second panel and a third panel.

17. The business card of claim 16, wherein the first panel and second panel of the first trifold sheet are separated by a first fold, wherein the second panel and third panel of the first trifold sheet are separated by a second fold, wherein the first panel and second panel of the second trifold sheet are separated by a third fold, and wherein the second panel and third panel of the second trifold sheet are separated by a fourth fold.

18. The business card of claim 17, wherein the first panel of the first trifold sheet and first panel of the second trifold sheet are aligned and attached by the connection on and around where the third fold contacts the first panel of the first trifold sheet.

19. The business card of claim 17, wherein the third panel and the projection of the first trifold sheet are slidably disposed between second panel and the panel of the second trifold sheet, wherein the second panel and the panel of the second trifold sheet are rotatable at the connection and fourth fold so that the business card can be positioned in the open configuration or closed configuration, and wherein as the second panel and the panel of the second trifold sheet are rotated to position the business card in the open configuration, the third panel of the first trifold sheet, the projection and the second fold are slidably movable toward the slot defined between the second panel and the panel of the second trifold sheet so that the projection extends out of the slot between the second panel and the panel of the second trifold sheet when the business card is positioned in the opened configuration.

20. The business card of claim 16, wherein the first panel and the second panel of the first trifold sheet comprise a single unfolded panel separated by perforations.