The present invention relates to a card backer configured to be supportingly arranged adjacent to a card.
It is known to arrange cards in a sleeve in order to protect cards against wear and damage during usage. The prior art sleeves, however, cannot protect cards from accidental bending and sideways marking during use.
Thus, there is a need for a solution which reduces or even eliminates the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art. It is an object of the invention to provide a solution that protect cards from accidental bending and sideways marking during use in an expedient, suitable and practical manner.
The object of the present invention can be achieved by a card backer as disclosed herein.
The card backer according to the invention is a card backer configured to be supportingly arranged adjacent to a card arranged in a sleeve, wherein the card backer comprises one or more arced corner portions and arced edges.
Hereby, it is possible to provide a card backer which reduces or even eliminates the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art. It is possible to provide a card backer that protects cards from accidental bending and sideways marking during use in an expedient, suitable and practical manner.
The card backer is configured to be supportingly arranged adjacent to a card arranged in a sleeve. Accordingly, the user can easily insert the card backer into a card sleeve behind the card.
By providing the card backer with arced corner portions it is possible to avoid sharp corners that potentially could damage the card, the card sleeve or the fingers of the user.
By providing the card backer with arced edges it is possible to avoid sharp edges that potentially could damage the card, the card sleeve or the fingers of the user.
In one embodiment, the card backer is plate-shaped and has a basically rectangular shape. Hereby, the card backer can be shaped to fit most cards.
In one embodiment, the card backer comprises a uniform thickness along the entire length of the card backer.
In one embodiment, length of the card backer is in the range 60-120 mm.
In one embodiment, length of the card backer is in the range 70-110 mm.
In one embodiment, length of the card backer is in the range 75-105 mm.
In one embodiment, length of the card backer is in the range 80-100 mm.
In one embodiment, length of the card backer is in the range 85-95 mm.
In one embodiment, the length of the card backer is 91 mm.
In one embodiment, the width of the card backer is in the range 45-85 mm.
In one embodiment, the width of the card backer is in the range 50-80 mm.
In one embodiment, the width of the card backer is in the range 55-75 mm.
In one embodiment, the width of the card backer is in the range 60-70 mm.
In one embodiment, the width of the card backer is 64 mm.
In one embodiment, the card backer is made of a material that regains its shape in a first configuration after bending the card backer into a second configuration, wherein the angle between two opposite ends of the card backer is at least 10 degrees. Hereby, the card backer can be elastically deformed up to 10 degrees. This means that the card backer is configured to be exposed to an elastic deformation which is a temporary shape change that is self-reversing after the force applied is removed.
In a preferred embodiment, the card backer is configured to return to its original flat shape, after the force (applied during the elastic deformation) is removed. This can be accomplished by making the card backer in a material that allows a change in shape of the material at low stress that is recoverable after the stress is removed. The use of the card backer hereby makes it possible to generate a louder sound when a card hits the surface of a table.
In one embodiment, the card backer is made of a material that regains its shape in a first configuration after bending the card backer into a second configuration, wherein the angle between two opposite ends of the card backer is at least 15 degrees.
In one embodiment, the card backer is made of a material that regains its shape in a first configuration after bending the card backer into a second configuration, wherein the angle between two opposite ends of the card backer is at least 20 degrees.
In one embodiment, the card backer is made of a material that regains its shape in a first configuration after bending the card backer into a second configuration, wherein the angle between two opposite ends of the card backer is at least 25 degrees.
In one embodiment, the card backer is made of a material that regains its shape in a first configuration after bending the card backer into a second configuration, wherein the angle between two opposite ends of the card backer is at least 30 degrees.
In one embodiment, the card backer is made of a material that regains its shape in a first configuration after bending the card backer into a second configuration, wherein the angle between two opposite ends of the card backer is at least 35 degrees.
In one embodiment, the card backer is made of a material that regains its shape in a first configuration after bending the card backer into a second configuration, wherein the angle between two opposite ends of the card backer is at least 40 degrees.
In one embodiment, the card backer is made of a material that regains its shape in a first configuration after bending the card backer into a second configuration, wherein the angle between two opposite ends of the card backer is at least 45 degrees.
In one embodiment, the card backer comprises arced corner portions that are rounded to a radius of 1 mm (so that the radius of curvature is 1 mm).
In one embodiment, the card backer comprises four arced corner portions.
It is preferred that the edges of the card backer are free of sharp bits. Hereby, the card backer cannot cut or scratch the card, the sleeve or the fingers of the user.
In one embodiment, the thickness of the card backer is 0.2 mm or less.
In one embodiment, the thickness of the card backer is in the range 0.15-0.25 mm.
In one embodiment, the thickness of the card backer is in the range 0.10-0.30 mm.
In one embodiment, the thickness of the card backer is in the range 0.10-0.20 mm.
In one embodiment, the thickness of the card backer is in the range 0.15-0.20 mm.
In one embodiment, the card backer comprises an enclosure formed as a thermoplastic polymer.
In one embodiment, the enclosure is made of polypropylene.
In one embodiment, the enclosure is formed as a protective sleeve.
In one embodiment, the enclosure has a uniform thickness and covers the entire core of the card backer, wherein the core is made of metal.
In one embodiment, the card backer comprises four equally sized arced corner portions.
The invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below. The accompanying drawings are given by way of illustration only, and thus, they are not Limitative of the present invention. In the accompanying drawings:
Referring now in detail to the drawings for the purpose of illustrating preferred embodiments of the present invention, a card backer 2 of the present invention is illustrated in
The card 4 has a length that is slightly smaller than the length of the card backer 2. The length of the card backer 2 is smaller than the length of the sleeve 6.
In one embodiment, the width W1 of the card 4 corresponds to the width W2 of the card backer 2.
In one embodiment, the width W1 of the card 4 is slightly larger than the width W2 of the card backer 2.
In one embodiment, the length of the card 4 corresponds to the length of the card backer 2.
In one embodiment, the length of the card 4 is slightly larger than the length of the card backer 2.
In one embodiment, the arced corner portions 8 are rounded to a radius of 1 mm (so that the radius of curvature is 1 mm). The edges of the card backer 2 are free of sharp bits. Hereby, the card backer 2 cannot cut or scratch the card, the sleeve or the fingers of the user.
In the second configuration II, the card backer 2 experiences an elastic deformation which is a temporary shape change that is self-reversing after the force is removed. Accordingly, the card backer 2 returns to its original flat shape, after the force is removed as illustrated in the first configuration I. This can be accomplished because the card backer 2 is made of a material that allows a change in shape of the material at low stress that is recoverable after the stress is removed. The use of the card backer 2 makes it possible to generate a louder sound when a card hits the surface of a table (like illustrated in
In one embodiment, the card backer 2 is made of a thin sheet of metal.
In one embodiment, the card backer 2 is made of steel.
In one embodiment, the card backer 2 is made of a low alloy, medium carbon steel or high carbon steel with a high yield strength. Hereby, it is possible for the card backer 2 to return to its original shape even when the card backer 2 has been exposed to significant bending or twisting. In one embodiment, the card backer 2 is made of steel having a Brinell hardness between 350 and 415.
In one embodiment, the card backer 2 is made of spring steel (used in the manufacture of springs).
In one embodiment, the card backer 2 is made of 1074/1075 (SAE grade) steel.
In one embodiment, the card backer 2 is made of 1095 (SAE grade) steel having a yield strength in the range 413-517 MPa. The steel may have a hardness (HRC) in the range 48-51.
In one embodiment, the card backer 2 is made of 301 (SAE grade) steel having a yield strength of 1014 MPa. The steel may have a maximum hardness (HRC) of 42.
By having a card backer 2 inserted into a card sleeve behind the card it is possible to protect the card from accidental bending and sideways marking during use. The added weight is a bonus feature.
It is important to underline that in one embodiment, the card backer is light (e.g. has the same weight or less than a card). This can be done by reducing the thickness and/or selecting a material having a low density.
In one embodiment, the card backer 2 is made of graphene.
In one embodiment, the card backer 2 is made of chemically strengthened glass (such as that developed by Corning Inc. and sold under the brand name Gorilla Glass).