Photoframe and gift card combination

• US 5,845,425 A
• Filed: 05/06/1997
• Issued: 12/08/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Albert O. Cota, George Guon, Michael J. Leake
• Original Assignee: Albert O. Cota, George Guon, Michael J. Leake
• Inventors: Leake, Michael J., Guon, George, Cota, Albert O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Silbermann, Joanne
• Application Number:
  US08/836,217
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 40/124.01, 40/124.06, 40/124.11, 40/700, 40/721, 40/722, 40/723, 40/725, 40/765, 229/92.8, 206/232
• US Class Current: 40/725
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/14 Photograph stands
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2200/08 Illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 1/12 Frames therefor

Abstract

A photoframe™ and gift card combination (10) that consists of a frame (12) having integrally attached an overlapping back cover (30). The cover (30) is divided into three panels: an outward panel (32) having a first photo cutout (32G), a center panel (34) having a second photo cutout (34G) and a U-shaped photo retainer (42), and an inward panel (38) that attaches to the frame (12). When the outward panel (32) is folded over and attached to the center panel (34), the two photo cutouts (32G, 34G) are in alignment and the photo retainer (42) forms a composite photo retaining section (44) having a photo slot (44B). Into the photo slot (44B) is inserted a photo such as a trading card. When the composite photo retaining section (44) is separated from the frame (12) and angled outwardly the combination (10) can be set on a flat surface to allow both the picture in the frame and the trading card in the section (44) to be viewed simultaneously. To enhance be aesthetic of the combination (10), indicia and other embellishments may be added to either or both sides of the composite photo retaining section (44).

Claims

1. A photoframe and gift card combination comprising:

a) a frame having a lower edge, an inward section that includes a front side, a back side, an outer edge and a lower edge and means for having a photo inserted and retained therein,

b) an overlapping back cover comprising;

(1) an outward panel having a first side, a second side, a first side edge, a second side edge and a first photo cutout therethrough,

(2) a center panel having a first side, a second side and a first side edge, where the first side edge is integrally attached to the second side edge of said outward panel by a cover crease, said center panel further having a second photo cutout therethrough that is in alignment with the first photo cutout when said outward panel overlaps said center panel,

(3) an inward panel having a first side and a first side edge, where the first side edge is integrally attached to the second side edge of said center panel by a frame crease that is located adjacent the outer edge of said frame'"'"'s inward section, where the first side of said inward panel is attached to the backside of said frame by an attachment means, and,

(4) a photo retainer having inner dimensions that exceed the dimensions of the photo cutouts and that is attached, by an attachment means, to the second side of the center panel, where when the outward panel is folded over the cover crease and its second side is attached, to the photo retainer by an attachment means, a composite photo section is formed having a lower edge and an upper photo slot into which is removably inserted and retained a photo or trading card that can be viewed from either side of the photo section, where when the photo section is angularly displaced, the respective lower edges of said photo retaining section and said frame may be placed upon a flat surface to allow the front side of said photoframe and the first side of said gift card to be viewed.

2. The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein said overlapping back cover is made of a thin rigid material.

3. The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein said inward panel attachment means comprises an adhesive.

4. The combination as specified in claim 1 further comprising a frame support hinge comprising:

a) a vertical member having a lower edge and a length substantially equal to the length of said frame'"'"'s lower section, and

b) a horizontal member having an inward edge that is frictionally hinged to the lower edge of the vertical member, where when the vertical member is attached, by an attachment means, to the back side of said frame'"'"'s lower section, the horizontal member can be angularly positioned to allow said photoframe and gift card combination to be placed upon a flat surface, and when said combination is being stored or is in transport, the horizontal member can be positioned upward, against the vertical member.

5. The combination as specified in claim 1 further comprising a protective translucent material inserted into said frame prior to the insertion of a photo.

6. The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein the composite photo section can include on either side, embellishment and indicia that indicates the purpose of said photoframe and gift card combination.

7. A photoframe and gift card combination comprising:

a) a frame comprising an upper section having an upper edge, a front side and a back side;

a lower section having a lower edge, a front side and a back side;

an inward section having an outer edge, a front side and a back side and an outward section having an outer edge, a front side and a back side, from where the back sides of said frame is formed a perimeter step area that allows a photo to be inserted and retained therein by a photo retaining means,

b) an overlapping back cover comprising;

(1) an outward panel having a first side, a second side, an upper edge, a lower edge, a first side edge, a second side edge and a first photo cutout therethrough,

(2) a center panel having a first side, a second side, an upper edge, a lower edge, a first side edge, and a second side edge, where the first side edge is integrally attached to the second side edge of said outward panel by a cover crease, with said center panel further having a second photo cutout therethrough that is in alignment with the first photo cutout when said outward panel overlaps said center panel,

(3) an inward panel having a first side, a second side, an upper edge, a lower edge, a first side edge and a second side edge, where the first side edge is integrally attached to the second side edge of said center panel by a frame crease that is located adjacent the outer edge of the inward section of said frame and having its first side attached to the back side of said frame by an attachment means, where when so attached, the upper edge of said inward panel is in alignment with the upper edge of said frame'"'"'s upper section and the lower edge of said inward panel is in alignment with the lower edge of said frame'"'"'s lower section, and

(4) a U-shaped photo retainer having a front side, a back side and an opening having inner dimensions that exceed the dimensions of the photo cutouts, where the retainer is attached with the edges of its opening adjacent the upper edge of said center panel and with its front side attached against the second side of said center panel, where when the outward panel is folded at the cover creases so that its second side rests over the back side of the photo retainer, a composite photo retaining section is formed having a lower edge and an upper photo slot into which is removably inserted and retained a photo or trading card that can be viewed from either side of the photo retaining section, where when the composite photo retaining section is angularly displaced by an angle φ

from the outward section of said frame, and the lower edges of the photo retaining section and said frame are placed upon a flat surface, said photoframe and gift card combination remains upright and can be viewed.

8. The combination as specified in claim 7 wherein said overlapping back cover is made of a thin rigid material.

9. The combination as specified in claim 7 wherein said outer panel further having a finger opening centered at its upper edge over the first photo cutout, where said opening allows a picture or trading card inserted into the photo slot to be easily removed.

10. The combination as specified in claim 7 wherein said inward panel is sized to cover the entire back sides of said frame and be attached thereto by an attachment means, to allow said inward panel to function as a frame backing.

11. The combination as specified in claim 10 wherein said inward panel attachment means comprises a rigid channel attached adjacent the upper edge of the upper section, the lower edge of the lower section and to the outer edge of the outer section of said frame, where when so attached, a channel opening is created adjacent the outer edge of the inner section of said frame that allows said inward panel to be inserted and held therein by friction.

12. The combination as specified in claim 10 wherein said inward panel attachment means comprises:

a) a male detent located on at least two corners of the back side of said frame, and

b) a female detent or bore located on at least two aligned corners of the first side of said inward panel, where when the female detent or bores are pressed into the corresponding male detents, the inward panel is attached to said frame.

13. The combination as specified in claim 7 wherein said inward panel has a width equal to the width of said frame'"'"'s inward section and is attached to the backside of the inward section by means of an adhesive.

14. The combination as specified in claim 7 further comprising a grooved wall hanger attached to the back side of the upper section of said frame, where said hanger allows said photoframe and gift card combination to be hung on a wall with the front side of the frame and the first side of the photo retaining section exposed to a viewer.

15. The combination as specified in claim 7 further comprising a frame support hinge comprising:

a) a vertical member having a lower edge and a length substantially equal to the length of said frame'"'"'s lower section, and

b) a horizontal member having an inward edge that is frictionally hinged to the lower edge of the vertical member, where when the vertical member is attached, by an attachment means, to the back side of said frame'"'"'s lower section, the horizontal member can be angularly positioned and held by friction to allow said photoframe and gift card combination to be placed upon a flat surface, and where when said combination is being stored or is in transport, the horizontal member can be positioned upward, against the vertical member.

16. The combination as specified in claim 7 wherein said means for attaching the photo retainer to the second side of the center panel of said frame comprises an adhesive.

17. The combination as specified in claim 7 further comprising a translucent material placed into the perimeter step area of said frame prior to the insertion of a photo.

18. The combination as specified in claim 7 wherein the first and second photo cutouts and the photo retainer are sized to allow a trading card to be inserted into the photo slot in the composite photo section, which allows both the front and back of the trading card to be viewed.

19. The combination as specified in claim 7 wherein said trading card is enclosed in a protective transparent cover before insertion into the photo slot.

20. The combination as specified in claim 19 wherein said transparent cover has means for being hermetically sealed.

21. The combination as specified in claim 7 wherein the perimeter step area of said frame is sized to allow a photo complimentary to the trading card to be inserted and viewed.

22. The combination as specified in claim 7 wherein the composite photo section can include on either side embellishment and indicia that indicates the purpose of said photoframe and gift card combination.

23. The combination as specified in claim 7 wherein the front sides of said frame are painted with a photoluminescent paint that luminesces for several hours after said painted frame is exposed to a light source, where said photoluminescent paint allows said photoframe to function as a night light.

24. The combination as specified in claim 7 wherein said frame sections are made of a translucent or transparent material, where to the back side of said frame sections is attached an electroluminescent tape that luminesces for several hours after said tape has been exposed to a light source, where said luminescent tape allows said photoframe to function as a night light.

25. The combination as specified in claim 7 wherein said frame sections are made of a translucent or transparent material, where to the back side of said frame sections is attached an electroluminescent panel that luminesces when said panel is connected to an electrical power source, where said luminescent panel allows said photoframe to function as a night light.