Integrated electronic gift card packet

• US 7,040,049 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2001
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Relizon Canada
• Original Assignee: Relizon Canada, Inc. (Data Communications Management (US) Corp.)
• Inventors: Ritchie, William Dale, Cox, Christopher Robert, Garland, William, Lambert, Remi
• Primary Examiner(s): Fischer, Andrew J.
• Application Number:
  US09/918,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20030028439A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,742 Days
• Field of Search: 283/75, 283/77, 283/78, 283/101, 283/105, 283/109, 283/106, 401/241.91, 401/241.1, 401/241.2
• US Class Current: 40/124.191
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/045 Multi-part cards or sheets, i.e. combined with detachably mounted articles
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/285 Gift cards

Abstract

An integrated gift card packet is machine printed and formed and comprises a paper form having at least two panels interconnected together. The panels are retained in facial contact by detachable tabs or glue tabs. Each of the panels has an inner and an outer surface. Printed information is provided on some or all of the surfaces. Card information is printed in a card area on the inner and outer surfaces of one of the panels. The card information contains a bar code identifying goods/services and a dollar value associated therewith. The bar code may have a card I.D. code. A poly patch is adhesively secured on the inner surface of one of the panels and extends over the card area. A rear multi-layer patch is adhesively secured on the outer surface of one of the panels and also extends over the card area. The multi-layer patch has an adhesive coating on the outer surface to secure a poly film thereto. An adhesive release coating is provided on an outer surface of the poly film and a further dry release adhesive is provided over the adhesive release coating to secure an outer backing sheet thereto. A card is die-cut in the panel having the card information whereby the card can be removed from the panel and separated from the rear multi-layer patch with both the top and back surface of the card being laminated with a poly film. Several examples of the gift card packet are disclosed.

Claims

1. An integrated gift card packet comprising a paper form having at least two panels, said panels being retained in facial contact by detachable means and each said panels defining inner and outer surfaces, printed information on some or all of said surfaces, card information printed in a removable card area on said inner and outer surface of one of said panels, said card information containing a bar code identifying goods/services and a dollar value associated therewith, a single poly patch adhesively secured over said card area on said inner surface of one of said panels;

a multi-layer patch secured over said card area on said outer surface of said one of said panels, said multi-layer patch having an adhesive coating to secure a poly film on said outer surface of said card area of said one of said panels, an adhesive release coating on an outer surface of said poly film and a further dry release adhesive over said adhesive release coating to secure an outer backing sheet thereto, a card die-cut in said removable card area from said inner surface of said one of said panels to delineate a card containing said card information, said die-cut extending through said single poly patch and through said poly film of said multi-layer patch up to said adhesive release coating, said adhesive release coating providing a friction retention force to maintain said die-cut card in said one of said panels and permitting said card to be peeled off said one of said panels from said inner surface thereof.

2. An integrated gift card packet as claimed in claim 1 wherein said goods/services dollar value bar code also includes therein a card identification number to identify said card and associate it with user identification information recorded at a designated point of use.

3. An integrated gift card packet as claimed in claim 1 wherein said at least two panels are interconnected by a fold crease line.

4. An integrated gift card packet as claimed in claim 2 wherein said card information contains a dollar value printed on a front face thereof and said goods/services dollar value bar code being printed on a rear surface of said card.

5. An integrated gift card packet as claimed in claim 2 wherein said one of said panels containing said card information is a front panel, the other of said panels being a rear panel having a window area aligned with said goods/services dollar value bar code on said card rear surface to expose same through said window area.

6. An integrated gift card packet as claimed in claim 5 wherein said multi-layer patch is secured over said card area on said outer surface of said front panel, said multi-layer patch being a clear patch to expose said printed card information on said outer surface of said front panel through said clear patch.

7. An integrated gift card packet as claimed in claim 2 wherein said one of said panels containing said card information is a rear panel, said multi-layer patch being secured over said card area on said outer surface of said rear panel, said multi-layer patch being a clear patch to expose said goods/services bar code on said outer surface of said rear panel.

8. An integrated gift card packet as claimed in claim 1 wherein said detachable means is constituted by perforated tear strips formed along opposed side edges of said panels.

9. An integrated gift card packet as claimed in claim 1 wherein said printed information contains advertising and instructional information, there being instructional information on said outer surface of said die-cut card.

10. An integrated gift card packet as claimed in claim 1 wherein said die-cut card also contains a user identification number code.

11. An integrated gift card packet as claimed in claim 1 wherein said paper form has three of said panels, a third of said panels being a central panel, said one of said panels being a first outer panel folded on said central panel in facial contact with an inner surface of said central panel, the other outer panel having its said inner surface folded over said first outer panel, said card area being disposed on opposed surfaces of said first outer panel concealed in said packet between said central panel and said other outer panel.

12. An integrated gift card packet as claimed in claim 1 wherein said one of said panels contains two or more of said die-cut cards.

13. An integrated gift card packet as claimed in claim 1 wherein said packet is further provided with a wicker pin hole adjacent a top edge thereof for support on a display rack.

14. An integrated gift card packet as claimed in claim 1 wherein said outer backing sheet of said multi-layer patch is an opaque sheet to conceal said printed information on said rear surface of said die-cut card.

15. An integrated gift card packet as claimed in claim 1 wherein there is further provided an identification code associated with said good/services dollar value bar code to identify said card.

16. An integrated gift card packet as claimed in claim 1 in combination with a computer program of a computer having a memory, said goods/services dollar value bar code being stored in said memory with user I.D. information to activate said card, said program performing a mathematical function to track dollar purchase amounts recorded in said memory and providing residual dollar value amounts.

17. An integrated gift card form comprising a paper form delineating one or more panels, said panels being integrally formed and each said panels defining inner and outer surfaces, printed information on some or all of said surfaces, card information printed in a removable card area on said inner and outer surface of one of said panels, said card information containing a bar code identifying goods/services and a dollar value associated therewith, a single poly patch adhesively secured over said card area on said inner surface of one of said panels;

a multi-layer patch secured over said card area on said outer surface of said one of said panels, said multi-layer patch having an adhesive coating to secure a poly film on said outer surface of said card area of said one of said panels, an adhesive release coating on an outer surface of said poly film and a further dry release adhesive over said adhesive release coating to secure an outer backing sheet thereto, a card die-cut in said removable card area from said inner surface of said one of said panels to delineate a card containing said card information, said die-cut extending through said single poly patch and through said poly film of said multilayer patch up to said adhesive release coating, said adhesive release coating providing a friction retention force to maintain said die-cut card in said one of said panels and permitting said card to be peeled off said one of said panels from said inner surface thereof.