Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The invention relates generally to business cards and methods of generating interest and Internet traffic using business cards, and in particular to business cards that may be folded into secondary. Golf tees made out of paper and other lightweight foldable material are known in the prior art for their ability to be easily carried and distributed as a promotional item, and for the ability of paper items to degrade in a relatively short time if left discarded in an outdoor area such as a golf course. Such items generally fold or bend to provide a rise in one of two ways: a first type may provide multiple folds in a first dimension so that the full length of the item in a second dimension provides the rise to a rest point for the golf ball on top of one of the folded edges, and a second type provides a circular hole from which a perforated circular cutout suitable for use as a golf ball marker may be removed, and the edge of the empty hole becomes the rest point for the golf ball at a rise that is less than the full length of the second dimension of the item. The prior art lacks, however, a paper golf tee that provides the user with the option of two levels of rise at which to tee up the golf ball without having to disassemble and re-assemble the tee to achieve a different level. The prior art further does not disclose business methods related to paper golf tee products that aid in maximizing the promotional value such products, and how they relate to marketing and promotion in the modern digital age. The relationship of the paper golf tee to online promotion is of particular importance in light of the fact that paper golf tee products are likely to be wholly or partially destroyed or discarded when used as a tee.
Of the prior art, U.S. Design Pat. No. D651265 to Guerrero title “Paper Golf Tee” discloses a paper golf tee foldable from a rectangular card having perforations and creases as well as a circular cutout region. The cuts and creases of Guerrero, however, are suitable only for teeing the golf ball in the first of two positions described above, namely, the rise being equal to one of the paper item's dimensions. The assembled tee cannot be stably positioned so that the circular cutout region faces upward, and thus the circular cutout region cannot be used as a secondary ball support. Further, Guerrero lacks any interlocking structures—only a flap retainer—to maintain its assembled configuration. Further, Guerrero establishes a triangular structure in contact with the ground and only a single additional line of support outside of the triangular structure, which leads to a likelihood that the tee of Guerrero will be knocked over prematurely.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,396 to Veylupek Jr. et al discloses a golf tee business card having a tab and slot system whereby a ball support point is created in the face of the card by the removal of the tab, and wherein the tab inserts and retains itself within one or more slots thereby causing the card to bend to create a rise. By selecting from among the several slots, the user may select the desire degree of rise. However, the Veylupek Jr. tee card suffers from the disadvantage that the degree of rise, once set, cannot be changed except by pulling the tab out of its interlocking slot. This procedure is fiddly and time consuming, and likely to damage the tab and/or the slot by the extra manipulation of the paper, thereby ruining its ability to function as a tee at all. Veylupek Jr. also does not disclose a removable marker disc and does not disclose any business methods related to the marketing use of the business card tee.
Accordingly, the invention is directed to a golf tee business card and methods of use as both a golf tee and as a business promotional item. A rectangular card is scored to create a perforated removable central disc and is creased vertically twice such that each crease intersects with the horizontally outermost points of the central disc. The card is further scored with two vertical cuts positioned equidistantly from the horizontal center and distally relative to the creases. Each vertical cut extends from the vertical center line to a tear point a short distance from the top or bottom edge such that one cut extends toward the top and the other cut extends toward the bottom.
The printed indicia of the card may include multiple forms of Internet location information, specifically to websites and social media outlets such that the card's information content may be easily retained by the recipient. Multiple locators are provided so that at least one Internet location or data identifier is likely to survive the use and possible destruction of the card as a golf tee.
The card may be torn at each tear point, folded along the creases and positioned so that the cuts interlock. The assembled configuration may be stood up on its side to tee up the ball in a first position suitable for use with a driver as when starting a par 4 or 5 hole. Alternatively, the assembled configuration may be placed with the disc cutout face up to tee up the ball in a second position suitable for use with a club other than a drive as when starting a par 3 hole.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification. They illustrate one embodiment of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
Referring now to the invention in more detail, the invention is directed to a golf tee business card and methods of use as both a golf tee and as a business promotional item.
The card itself is preferable made of a heavy cardstock material, optionally with an aqueous coating and/or a UV coating, though other durable paper and plastic materials are known in the art of business card printing, and any lightweight and low cost foldable, creaseable, and scoreable sheet material may be used. Materials that will quickly degrade in outdoor conditions, as when the card or fragments thereof are discarded on a golf course, are preferred.
The templates of
The first vertical guideline 23A is preferably ⅛ inches from the left edge of the template region 10 and defines the left side of the cutout edge 13. The second vertical guideline 23B is preferably ¼ inches from the left edge of the template region 10 and defines the left side of the content region edge 14. The third vertical guideline 23C is preferably positioned 19/32 inches from the left edge of the template region 10 and defines the line of the left cut 19. The fourth vertical guideline 23D is preferably 1 17/32 inches from the left edge of the template region 10 and defines the left extreme point of the perforated disc 15. The fifth horizontal guideline 23E is preferably 1 17/32 inches from the right edge of the template region 10 and defines the right extreme point of the perforated disc 15. The sixth vertical guideline 23F is preferably positioned 19/32 inches from the right edge of the template region 10 and defines the line of the right cut 18. The seventh vertical guideline 23G is preferably ¼ inches from the right edge of the template region 10 and defines the right side of the content region edge 14. The eighth vertical guideline 23H is preferably ⅛ inches from the right edge of the template region 10 and defines the right side of the cutout edge 13.
The template region 10 encompasses the finished card area bounded by guidelines 22A, 23H, 22F, and 23A, which define the cutout edge 13. In its preferred size, the cutout edge 13 leaves a surrounding waste region ⅛ inches wide. The cutout edge 13 surrounds a no-type region 11, which is intended to be a part of the finished card, but is not intended to receive any informational printing, thus allowing for some variance in the precise cutting of the finished card from the template region 10. In its intended size, the no-type region 11 is ⅛ inches wide. The no-type region 11 surrounds the content region 12, with the boundary between the two defined by the content region edge 14. The content region edge 14 is preferably not a printed line on the finished card. The content region edge 14 is defined by guidelines 22B, 23G, 22E, and 23B.
A perforated disc 15 is preferably centered on the card both horizontally and vertically. The perforated disc 15 is scored so that it may be punched out by hand by the user. The perforated disc 15 in its preferred shape and size is circular with a diameter of 11/16 inches. The perforated disc 15 has four cardinal extreme points, each intersecting one of the guidelines 22C, 23E, 22D, and 23D.
A left crease 17 and a right crease 16 are provided in the vertical dimension, thus permitting the card to be easily folded. The left crease 17 aligns with the fourth vertical guideline 23D, and the right crease 16 aligns with the fifth vertical guideline 23E. Both the left crease 17 and the right crease 16 extend over the whole vertical length of the finished card.
A left cut 19 and a right cut 18 are provided. The left cut 19 aligns with the third vertical guideline 23C. The right cut 18 aligns with the sixth vertical guideline 23F. The left cut 19 extends from the vertical center of the card (equivalently, of the template region 10 or of the content region 12) to the left tear point 21, which is preferably located 1/16 inches above the cutout edge 13 on the third vertical guideline 23C. The right cut 18 extends from the vertical center of the card to the right tear point 20, which is preferably located 1/16 inches below the cutout edge 13 on the sixth vertical guideline 23F.
The dimensions shown in the template are intended to be exemplary only, and may vary with the particular application of each embodiment and the particular printing and scoring techniques used.
To use the invention in the game of golf, the user may optionally first remove the perforated disc 15 and use it as a ball marker. The user then prepares a tee by tearing both the left tear point 21 and the right tear point 20, which causes the left cut 19 and the right cut 18 to become slots that extend to the edge of the card in opposing directions. The user then folds the card over the left crease 16 and the right crease 17, and then interlocks the left cut 19 and the right cut 20 as shown in
Using the preferred sizes, the first ball support region 40 is higher than the second ball support region 50. The first ball support region 40 is thus preferred when using a driver as on a par 4 or 5 hole, and the second ball support region 50 is thus preferred when using a club other than a driver, as on a par 3 hole. An additional third ball support configuration is shown in
To use the invention as a promotional tool, the promotional user first selects the marketing message, Internet location information, and other information content of the card and incorporates the information into a graphic design for both the front and back of the card, being mindful to place specially separable information on the perforated disc 15. In addition to an internet locator, the specially separable information may include a graphic logo with which the user may signal an affiliation or affinity while using the perforated disc 15 as a ball marker token. The promotional user then brings copies of the cards to a face-to-face encounter where the promotional user will make new contacts and distributes the cards to the new contacts. In each conversation, the promotional user may bring up the card's features as a golf tee and ball marker, using a verbal description of its use and optional demonstration as an ice-breaker. The conversation will thus improve the chances that the new contact will both form a lasting memory of the promotional user and will follow up by visiting the promotional user's websites or social media outlets. Also increased is the likelihood that the recipient of the card will, when reviewing recently obtained promotional material, recall the explanation and/or demonstration of the card's use in the game of golf and, by extension the promotional user, thus reinforcing the recalled memory.
Components, component sizes, and materials listed above are preferable, but artisans will recognize that alternate components and materials could be selected without altering the scope of the invention.
While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is presently considered to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should, therefore, not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/895479, filed Oct. 25, 2013, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61895479 | Oct 2013 | US |