Carrier which is aesthetically irreversibly convertible from planar blank to closed package for coded card and methods for manufacture and use of the same

• US 7,219,829 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2003
• Issued: 05/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Blue Line Printing, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Blue Line Printing, Inc.
• Inventors: Treat, Tracey
• Primary Examiner(s): Pascua; Jes F.
• Application Number:
  US10/744,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20040146688A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: 229/82, 229/84, 229/92.8, 229/71, 283/82
• US Class Current: 229/92.8
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/042 Foldable cards or sheets B42D15/045 and B42D15/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/045 Multi-part cards or sheets, i.e. combined with detachably mounted articles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/20 Patched hole or depression

Abstract

A planar carrier for a coded card is substantially aesthetically irreversibly convertible from a substantially two-dimensional blank into a three-dimensional card enclosing gift package.

Claims

1. A planar coded card carrier that is substantially aesthetically irreversibly convertible from a substantially two dimensional blank into a three-dimensional card-enclosing gift package, comprising:

a. a blank that prior to package conversion is essentially planar, rigid cardboard, laminated with plastic on at least one side, and further comprising;

i. a first panel of generally rectangular configuration;

ii. a pair of foldable flaps connecting to said first panel oppositely one from another along fold lines defining portions of respective longitudinally elongated edges of said first panel, said flaps being adapted to fold towards one another along said fold lines to thereby overlie and facingly contact respective corresponding portions of a rear surface of said first panel, flap transverse thickness being that of a coded card to be transported by the carrier;

iii. a lower panel of generally rectangular configuration connecting to said first panel along a fold line defining juncture therebetween, adapted to fold subsequently to said flaps along said associated juncture-defining fold line upwardly to facingly overlie said rear surface of said first panel and to overlie and facingly contact said folded pair of flaps overlying respective parts of said rear surface of said first panel, to define a card receptacle pocket in space between now mutually facing surfaces of said first and lower panels and between mutually facing extremity edges of the flaps, with distance defining front to rear thickness of the receptacle pocket between the mutually facing surfaces of the first and lower panels in an area between extremities of the flaps being the thickness of the flaps and hence that of the coded card to be transported by the carrier, said lower panel having an aperture therethrough proximate the center of said lower panel of size for interfering mating receipt of a tab portion of an upper panel portion upon assembly of the carrier by sequential folding of the foldable flaps, the lower panel and the upper panel;

iv. the upper panel portion being of generally rectangular configuration connecting to said first panel portion along a fold line defining juncture therebetween, adapted to fold along said associated juncture-defining fold line towards said rear surface of said first panel portion after folding of said lower panel portion into position facing said first panel portion, to overlie a part of said lower panel portion between said aperture and a free edge of said lower panel portion which defined the lower extremity of said blank prior to folding, and including a tab portion positioned along and extending from an upper edge extremity of said upper panel portion, said tab portion being adapted for interfering mating insertion into said aperture in said lower panel portion after first folding of said lower panel portion into facing relationship with said first panel portion and after second folding of said upper panel portion to overlie said part of said lower panel portion between said aperture and said lower panel portion free edge which had defined a lower extremity of said blank prior to folding to retain said upper and lower panel portions in closely facing engagement one with another thereby to retain therewithin any card residing within said receptacle pocket;

v. a manually detachable apertured hang panel connecting to said upper panel along a manually separable perforate line defining said upper edge extremity of said upper panel portion.

2. A planar carrier for a coded card which is substantially aesthetically irreversibly convertible from a substantially two dimensional blank into a three-dimensional card-enclosing gift package, comprising:

a. a blank that prior to conversion into the three-dimensional gift package is essentially planar, said blank being essentially rigid cardboard, laminated with plastic on at least one side, and further comprising;

i. a first panel of generally rectangular configuration;

ii. a pair of foldable flaps connecting to the first panel oppositely one from another along fold lines defining portions of respective longitudinally elongated edges of the first panel, the flaps being foldable towards one another along the fold lines to thereby overlie respective portions of a rear surface of the first panel;

iii. a lower panel of generally rectangular configuration connecting to the first panel along a fold line defining juncture therebetween, being foldable subsequently to the flaps along the associated juncture-defining fold line upwardly to facingly overlie the rear surface of the first panel and to overlie and facingly contact the folded pair of flaps overlying respective parts of the rear surface of the first panel, to define a coded card receptacle pocket in space between now mutually facing surfaces of said first and lower panels and between mutually facing extremity edges of the flaps with distance defining the front to rear interior dimension of the receptacle pocket between mutually facing surfaces of the first and lower panels in an area between extremities of the flaps being the thickness of the flaps, said lower panel having an aperture therethrough proximate the center of said lower panel, the aperture being of size and shape for interfering mating receipt of a tab portion of an upper panel of the blank upon assembly of the carrier into the gift package by sequential folding of the foldable flaps, the lower panel and the upper panel;

iv. the upper panel being of generally rectangular configuration and connecting to said first panel portion along a fold line defining juncture therebetween, adapted to fold along the associated juncture-defining fold line towards the rear surface of the first panel after folding of the lower panel into position facing the first panel to overlie a part of the lower panel between the aperture and a free edge of the lower panel portion which defined the lower extremity of the blank prior to folding, and including a tab portion positioned along and extending from an upper edge extremity of the upper panel portion, the tab portion being adapted for interfering mating insertion into the aperture in the lower panel portion after first folding of the lower panel portion into facing relationship with the first panel portion and after second folding of the upper panel portion to overlie the part of the lower panel portion between the aperture and the lower panel portion free edge which had defined a lower extremity of the blank prior to folding to retain the upper and lower panel portions in closely facing engagement one with another thereby to retain therewithin any card residing within the receptacle pocket, the upper panel having a window formed therein proximate to but removed from the upper edge extremity, for facilitating reading identifying indicia of a coded card affixed to the front surface of the upper panel with coded identifying indicia on the card in registry with the window, with the open window facingly covering a portion of the lower panel between the aperture and the edge of the lower panel that formed the lower extremity of the blank prior to sequential folding of the flaps, the lower panel and the upper panel and mating insertion of the tab into the aperture to form the three dimensional gift package; and

v. a manually detachable apertured hang panel connecting to said upper panel along a manually separable perforate line defining said upper edge extremity of said upper panel portion.

3. A planar carrier for a coded card which is substantially aesthetically irreversibly convertible from a substantially two dimensional blank into a three-dimensional card-enclosing gift package, comprising:

a. a non-magnetic essentially rigid planar cardboard blank comprising;

i. a first imperforate panel;

ii. at least one foldable flap having transverse thickness substantially that of the coded card connecting to said first panel along an associated first fold line and being adapted to fold along said fold line to thereby overlie and facingly contact a rear surface of said first panel;

iii. an apertured lower panel connecting to said first panel along a second fold line defining juncture therebetween, adapted to fold along said associated juncture-defining second fold line to facingly overlie said rear surface of said first panel and said folded flap overlying said rear surface of said first panel and to overlie and facingly contact the flap, to define a card receptacle pocket in space between now mutually facing surfaces of said first and lower panels with the mutually facing surfaces of the first and lower panels being spaced apart a distance equal to thickness of one of the foldable flaps and hence equal to the thickness of the coded card, and;

iv. an imperforate upper panel connecting to said first panel portion along a third fold line defining juncture therebetween, adapted to fold along said associated juncture-defining third fold line towards said rear surface of said first panel portion, to overlie a part of said lower panel portion including means insertable into the apertured lower panel for retaining said upper and lower panel portions in closely facing engagement one with another thereby to retain therewithin any card residing within said receptacle pocket.

4. A planar carrier for a coded card which is convertible from a flat blank into a three-dimensional card-enclosing gift package, comprising:

a. a rigid cardboard blank that prior to package conversion is essentially planar and comprises;

i. a first panel;

ii. flaps having transverse thickness equal to that of the coded card connecting to said first panel and adapted to fold towards one another to overlie and facingly contact a rear surface of said first panel;

iii. a lower panel, having an aperture therethrough, connecting to said first panel along a fold line defining juncture therebetween, adapted to fold along said associated juncture-defining fold line and facingly overlie said first panel and said flaps, to define a card receptacle pocket between now mutually facing surfaces of said first and lower panel with the mutually facing surfaces of the first and lower panels being spaced apart a distance equal to thickness of one of the foldable flaps and hence equal to the thickness of the coded card, said lower panel having an aperture therethrough of size and shape for interfering mating receipt of a tab portion of an upper panel of the blank upon assembly of the carrier into the gift package by sequential folding of the foldable flaps, the lower panel and the upper panel;

iv. an upper panel connecting to said first panel along a fold line defining juncture therebetween, adapted to fold towards said rear surface of said first panel, to overlie said lower panel and including tab means for retaining said upper and lower panels in closely facing engagement one with another upon tab mating insertion into said aperture thereby to retain in a resulting substantially closed three-dimensional package any card residing within what had been said receptacle pocket;

the upper panel having an open, uncovered, and unoccluded window formed therein for reading identifying indicia of a coded card affixed to the front surface of the upper panel with coded identifying indicia on the card in registry with the window, with the open window facingly covering a portion of the lower panel after sequential folding of the flaps, the lower panel and the upper panel and mating insertion of the tab into the aperture to form the three dimensional gift package.

5. The carrier of claim 4 wherein said blank further comprises a detachable apertured hang panel connecting to said upper panel along a separable perforate line.

6. A method for substantially aesthetically irreversibly converting a substantially cardboard coded card carrier having:

i. a first panel of generally rectangular configuration;

ii. a pair of foldable flaps connecting to said first panel oppositely one from another along fold lines defining portions of respective longitudinally elongated edges of said first panel, and being foldable towards one another along said fold lines to thereby overlie respective portions of a rear surface of said first panel;

iii. a lower panel of generally rectangular configuration connecting to said first panel along a fold line defining juncture therebetween, and being foldable subsequently to said flaps along said associated juncture-defining fold line upwardly to facingly overlie said rear surface of said first panel and said folded pair of flaps overlying respective parts of said rear surface of said first panel, to define a coded card receptacle pocket in space between now mutually facing surfaces of said first and lower panels, said lower panel being imperforate other than a tab-receiving aperture therethrough proximate the center of said lower panel;

iv. an upper panel portion of generally rectangular configuration connecting to said first panel portion along a fold line defining juncture therebetween, and being foldable along said associated juncture-defining fold line towards said rear surface of said first panel portion after folding of said lower panel portion into position facing said first panel portion, to overlie a part of said lower panel portion between said aperture and a free edge of said lower panel portion which defined the lower extremity of said blank prior to folding, and including a tab portion positioned along and extending from an upper edge extremity of said upper panel portion, said tab portion being interferingly insertable into said aperture in said lower panel portion after first folding of said lower panel portion into facing relationship with said first panel portion and after second folding of said upper panel portion to overlie said part of said lower panel portion between said aperture and said Lower panel portion free edge which had defined a lower extremity of said blank prior to folding to retain said upper and lower panel portions in closely facing engagement one with another thereby to retain therewithin any card residing within said receptacle pocket;

v. a manually detachable apertured hang panel connecting to said upper panel along a manually separable perforate line defining said upper edge extremity of said upper panel portion;

into a three dimensional gift package for enclosing and concealing a coded card therewithin, comprising the steps of;

a. folding said pair of foldable flaps connecting to said first panel oppositely one from another along fold lines defining portions of respective longitudinally elongated edges of said first panel, towards one another along said fold lines to thereby overlie respective portions of a rear surface of said first panel;

b. folding said lower panel of generally rectangular configuration connecting to said first panel along said fold line defining juncture therebetween subsequently to said flaps along said associated juncture-defining fold line upwardly to facingly overlie said rear surface of said first panel and said folded pair of flaps overlying respective parts of said rear surface of said first panel, to define said card receptacle pocket in space between now mutually facing surfaces of said first and lower panels;

c. folding said upper panel portion of generally rectangular configuration along said fold line towards said rear surface of said first panel portion after folding of said lower panel portion into position facing said first panel portion, to overlie said lower panel portion between an aperture therein and a free edge of said lower panel portion which defined the lower extremity of said lower panel prior to folding; and

,

d. interferingly inserting said tab into said aperture in said lower panel portion after first folding of said lower panel portion into facing relationship with said first panel portion and after second folding of said upper panel portion to overlie said part of said lower panel portion between said aperture and said lower panel portion free edge which had defined a lower extremity of said lower panel portion prior to folding to retain said upper and lower panel portions in closely facing engagement one with another thereby to form the three dimensional gift package for retaining therewithin any coded card residing within said receptacle pocket.

7. A method for

a. substantially irreversibly converting a cardboard coded card carrier having:

i. a first panel;

ii. flaps connecting to said first panel and adapted to fold towards one another to overlie a rear surface of said first panel;

iii. a lower panel connecting to said first panel along a fold line defining juncture therebetween, adapted to fold along said associated juncture-defining fold line facingly overlie said first panel and said flaps, to define a coded card receptacle pocket between now mutually facing surfaces of said first and lower panel, a tab-receiving aperture therethrough proximate the center of the lower panel;

iv. an upper panel connecting to said first panel along a fold line defining juncture therebetween, adapted to fold towards said rear surface of said first panel, to overlie said lower panel, including a tab that is interferingly matingly insertable into the aperture in the lower panel for retaining said upper and lower panel in closely facing engagement one with another thereby to retain in a resulting substantially closed three-dimensional package any card residing within what had been said receptacle pocket, the upper panel having a window formed therein proximate to but removed from the upper edge for permitting reading identifying indicia of a coded-card if affixed to the front surface of the upper panel with coded identifying indicia on the card in registry with the window;

into a three dimensional gift package for enclosing and concealing a coded card therewithin, comprising the steps of;

a. folding a pair of foldable flaps connecting to said first panel oppositely one from another along fold lines defining portions of respective longitudinally elongated edges of said first panel, towards one another along said fold lines to thereby overlie respective portions of said rear surface of said first panel;

b. folding said lower panel connecting to said first panel along a fold line defining juncture therebetween subsequently to said flaps along said associated juncture-defining fold line upwardly to facingly overlie said rear surface of said first panel and said folded pair of flaps overlying respective parts of said rear surface of said first panel, to define said card receptacle pocket in space between now mutually facing surfaces of said first and lower panels;

c. folding said upper panel portion along a fold line towards said rear surface of said first panel portion after folding of said lower panel portion into position facing said first panel portion, to overlie a part of said lower panel portion between an aperture therein and a free edge of said lower panel portion which defined the lower extremity of said lower panel prior to folding; and

,

d. interferingly inserting said tab into said aperture in said lower panel portion after first folding of said lower panel portion into facing relationship with said first panel portion and after second folding of said upper panel portion to overlie said part of said lower panel portion between said aperture and said lower panel portion free edge which had defined a lower extremity of said lower panel portion prior to folding to retain said upper and lower panel portions in closely facing engagement one with another thereby to retain therewithin any card residing within said receptacle pocket.

8. A coded card-carrier blank combination, the card being removably secured to the carrier, with the carrier being substantially aesthetically irreversibly convertible from substantially two dimensional planar form in which the card is secured to the carrier into a three-dimensional gift package for receipt of the coded card after the card has been removed from the carrier and for continued enclosure of the coded card in the three dimensional gift package, comprising:

a. a coded card having an identifying indicia strip on one surface of the card, being removably secured to an upper panel portion of the carrier blank and positioned thereon with the identifying indicia strip in registry with an open window formed in the upper panel portion;

b. a carrier blank, which prior to conversion into the three dimensional gift package is essentially planar, the carrier blank being cardboard laminated with plastic on at least one side, and further comprising;

i a first panel of generally rectangular configuration;

ii. a pair of foldable flaps connecting to the first panel oppositely one from another along fold lines defining portions of respective longitudinally elongated edges of the first panel, said flaps being foldable towards one another along the fold lines to overlie and facingly contact respective corresponding portions of a rear surface of the first panel, flap transverse thickness being that of the coded card;

iii. a lower panel of generally rectangular configuration connecting to the first panel along a fold line defining juncture therebetween, being foldable subsequently to the flaps along the associated juncture-defining fold line upwardly to facingly overlie the rear surface of the first panel and to overlie and facingly contact the folded pair of flaps overlying respective parts of the rear surface of the first panel, to define a receptacle pocket for the coded card in space between now mutually facing surfaces of the first and lower panels and between mutually facing extremity edges of the flaps with distance defining front to rear thickness of the receptacle pocket between the mutually facing surfaces of the first and lower panels in an area between extremities of the flaps being the thickness of the flaps and hence the thickness of the coded card, the lower panel having an aperture therethrough proximate the center of the lower panel, the aperture being of size and shape for interfering mating receipt of a portion of an upper panel portion upon assembly of the carrier into the gift package by sequential folding of the foldable flaps, the lower panel and the upper panel;

iv. the upper panel portion being of generally rectangular configuration and connecting to the first panel portion along a fold line defining juncture therebetween, being foldable along the associated juncture-defining fold line towards the rear surface of the first panel portion after folding the lower panel portion into position facing the first panel portion, to overlie a part of the lower panel portion between the aperture and a free edge of the lower panel portion that defined the lower extremity of the blank prior to folding, including a tab portion positioned along and extending from an upper edge extremity of the upper panel portion, the tab portion being interferingly matingly insertable into the aperture in the lower panel portion after first folding of the lower panel portion into facing relationship with the first panel portion and after second folding of the upper panel portion to overlie the part of the lower panel portion between the aperture and the lower panel portion free edge that had defined a lower extremity of the blank prior to folding, to retain the upper and lower panel portions in closely facing engagement one with another thereby to retain therewithin the coded card when placed within the receptacle pocket, the upper panel portion having an open window formed therein proximate to but removed from the upper edge extremity with the open window facingly covering a portion of the lower panel between the aperture and the edge of the lower panel that formed the lower extremity of the carrier blank prior to sequential folding of the flaps, the lower panel portion and the upper panel portion, and insertion of the tab portion onto the aperture to form the three dimensional gift package;

v. a manually detachable apertured hang panel connecting to the upper panel along a manually separable perforate line defining the upper edge extremity of the upper panel portion,

vi. the coded card being removably affixed to the upper panel portion with the rear surface of the card facing the front surface of the upper panel portion, such that upon detaching removal of the coded card from the upper panel portion, and placement of the coded card into the receptacle pocket formed by the sequential folding of (1) the flaps towards one another to overlie and facingly contact corresponding portions of the rear surface of the first panel, (2) the lower panel upwardly to facingly overlie the rear surface of the first panel and to overlie and facingly contact the folded pair of flaps overlying respective parts of the rear surface of the first panel, and (3) the upper panel towards the rear surface of the first panel portion, and interfering mating insertion of the tab into the aperture into the now-folded lower panel portion and detachment of the hang panel, a three-dimensional package results having the coded card at least substantially concealed from view, with view of the package interior through the window in the upper panel being blocked by the portion of the lower panel underlying the window, and the coded card being completely enclosed therein, which package combination is suitable for giving the coded card as a gift.

9. The coded card-non-magnetic carrier blank combination of claim 8 in which the identifying indicia are magnetically encoded.

10. The coded card-non-magnetic carrier combination of claim 8 in which the identifying indicia are optically readable.

11. The coded card-non-magnetic carrier combination of claim 10 in which the identifying indicia are a bar code.

12. A coded card-carrier blank combination, the card being removably secured to the carrier, with the carrier being substantially aesthetically irreversibly convertible from substantially two dimensional planar form in which the card is secured to the carrier into a three-dimensional gift package for receipt of the coded card after the card has been removed from the carrier and for continued enclosure of the coded card in the three dimensional gift package, comprising:

a. a coded card having an identifying indicia strip on one surface of the card, being removably secured to an upper panel portion of the carrier;

b. a carrier blank, which prior to conversion into the three dimensional gift package is essentially planar, the carrier blank being cardboard laminated with plastic on at least one side, and further comprising;

i a first panel of generally rectangular configuration;

ii. a pair of foldable flaps connecting to the first panel oppositely one from another along fold lines defining portions of respective longitudinally elongated edges of the first panel, said flaps being foldable towards one another along the fold lines to overlie and facingly contact respective corresponding portions of a rear surface of the first panel, flap transverse thickness being that of the coded card;

iii. a lower panel of generally rectangular configuration connecting to the first panel along a fold line defining juncture therebetween, being foldable subsequently to the flaps along the associated juncture-defining fold line upwardly to facingly overlie the rear surface of the first panel and to overlie and facingly contact the folded pair of flaps overlying respective parts of the rear surface of the first panel, to define a receptacle pocket for the coded card in space between now mutually facing surfaces of the first and lower panels and between mutually facing extremity edges of the flaps with distance defining front to rear thickness of the receptacle pocket between the mutually facing surfaces of the first and lower panels in an area between extremities of the flaps being the thickness of the flaps and hence the thickness of the coded card, the lower panel having an aperture therethrough, the aperture being of size and shape for interfering mating receipt of a portion of an upper panel portion upon assembly of the carrier into the gift package by sequential folding of the foldable flaps, the lower panel and the upper panel;

iv. the upper panel portion being imperforate, of generally rectangular configuration and connecting to the first panel portion along a fold line defining juncture therebetween, being foldable along the associated juncture-defining fold line towards the rear surface of the first panel portion after folding the lower panel portion into position facing the first panel portion, to overlie a part of the lower panel portion between the aperture and a free edge of the lower panel portion that defined the lower extremity of the blank prior to folding, including a tab portion positioned along and extending from an upper edge extremity of the upper panel portion, the tab portion being interferingly matingly insertable into the aperture in the lower panel portion after first folding of the lower panel portion into facing relationship with the first panel portion and after second folding of the upper panel portion to overlie the part of the lower panel portion between the aperture and the lower panel portion free edge that had defined a lower extremity of the blank prior to folding, to retain the upper and lower panel portions in closely facing engagement one with another thereby to retain therewithin the coded card when placed within the receptacle pocket;

v. a manually detachable apertured hang panel connecting to the upper panel along a manually separable perforate line defining the upper edge extremity of the upper panel portion,

vi. the coded card being removably affixed to the upper panel portion, such that upon detaching removal of the coded card from the upper panel portion, and placement of the coded card into the receptacle pocket formed by the sequential folding of (1) the flaps towards one another to overlie and facingly contact corresponding portions of the rear surface of the first panel, (2) the lower panel upwardly to facingly overlie the rear surface of the first panel and to overlie and facingly contact the folded pair of flaps overlying respective parts of the rear surface of the first panel, and (3) the upper panel towards the rear surface of the first panel portion, and interfering mating insertion of the tab into the aperture into the now-folded lower panel portion and detachment of the hang panel, a three-dimensional package results having the coded card at least substantially concealed from view and completely enclosed therein, which is suitable for giving the coded card as a gift.