Trading cards are a popular way to collect images and information about characters, athletes and celebrities. Trading cards can also be used in card games and other activities. Unfortunately, many of the trading cards are manufactured in large quantities and are not very unique.
The present invention is directed to a trading card including a front wall, a back wall, a bottom wall, and a top wall. The front wall retains a viewing lens. The back wall retains an image. The bottom wall extends between the front wall and the back wall. The top wall extends between the front wall and the back wall. In one embodiment, three of the walls move relative to the other wall to move the trading card from a folded configuration to an unfolded configuration. In the folded configuration, the walls are substantially parallel to each other. In the unfolded configuration, the front wall and the back wall are substantially parallel and spaced apart, and the bottom wall and the top wall are substantially parallel and spaced apart. Additionally, the image is viewable through the viewing lens when the trading card is in the unfolded configuration. Moreover, in one embodiment, the image is on a piece of film and the viewing lens is a magnifying lens.
With this design, in certain embodiments, the trading card can be sized and shaped like a regular trading card when the trading card is in the folded configuration and the trading card can be simply expanded from the folded configuration to the unfolded configuration in which the trading card functions as a magnifying viewing box.
Additionally, the trading card can include a tab that is movable between an unlocked position and a locked position. In the unlocked position, the tab allows the trading card to move from the unfolded configuration to the folded configuration. Alternatively, in the locked position, the tab inhibits the trading card from moving from the unfolded configuration to the folded configuration. In one embodiment, the tab is a portion of the bottom wall that pivots relative to the rest of the bottom wall.
In certain embodiments, the walls can be made from three cards that are joined together. In this embodiment, each of the cards includes a distal end and a proximal end. Further, all of the cards are coupled to each other near the distal end and all of the cards are coupled to each other near the proximal end. With this design, the trading card can be made relatively easily and inexpensively.
The present invention is also directed to a method for viewing an image. The method includes the steps of (i) providing a trading card including a front wall that retains a viewing lens, a back wall that retains the image, a bottom wall that extends between the front wall and the back wall, and a top wall that extends between the front wall and the back wall; and (ii) moving three of the walls relative to the other wall to move the trading card from a folded configuration in which the walls are substantially parallel, to an unfolded configuration in which the front wall and the back wall are substantially parallel and the bottom wall and the top wall are substantially parallel.
The novel features of this invention, as well as the invention itself, both as to its structure and its operation, will be best understood from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying description, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts, and in which:
In one embodiment, the trading card 10 includes a viewing lens 16, one or more images 18 (illustrated as an “X”), a front wall 20, a back wall 22, a bottom wall 24, and a top wall 26. In this embodiment, when the trading card 10 is in the unfolded configuration 14, a user (not shown) can view the image 18 through the viewing lens 16. Alternatively, when the trading card 10 is in the folded configuration 12, the user is not able to view the image 18 through the viewing lens 16. The size and shape of the components of the trading card 10 can be varied to suit the desired design requirements of the trading card 10.
The design of the viewing lens 16 can be varied pursuant to the teachings provided herein. For example, the lens 16 can be a piece of glass, plastic, or other transparent material. In one embodiment, the lens 16 is a magnifying glass that enlarges the image 18 on the piece of film 18.
The image 18 for example, can include one or more characters, sports athletes, celebrities, an entertainers, statistics, information, instructions, a game field or arena, an image used in a game, data, a character, an autograph, an animal and/or landscape. In one embodiment, the image 18 is positioned on a piece of rectangular film 28. The film 28 can be at least partly transparent. Alternatively, the image 18 can be positioned on another medium and/or the film 28 could have another shape.
Additionally, in one embodiment, the film 28 is fixedly secured to the trading card 10. Alternatively, for example, the film 28 could be selectively removable from the back wall 22. With this design, the film 28 could be interchangeable.
The front wall 20 retains the viewing lens 16. The back wall 22 retains the image 18. The bottom wall 24 and the top wall 26 each extend between and maintain the front wall 20 and the back wall 22 spaced apart when the trading card 10 is the unfolded configuration 14. In one embodiment, each wall 20, 22, 24, 26 is generally rectangular shaped and each wall 20, 22, 24, 26 includes a first connected edge 30A, a second connected edge 30B that is opposite the first connected edge 30A, and a pair of opposed unconnected edges 30C.
In one embodiment, (i) the first connected edge 30A of the front wall 20 is secured to the first connected edge 30A of the top wall 26; (ii) the second connected edge 30B of the front wall 20 is secured to the first connected edge 30A of the bottom wall 24; (iii) the first connected edge 30A of the back wall 22 is secured to the second connected edge 30B of the top wall 26; and (iv) the second connected edge 30B of the back wall 22 is secured to the second connected edge 30B of the bottom wall 24.
In one embodiment the trading card 10 can be slightly weakened (e.g. embossed, scored, or crimped) at the connections between the walls 20, 22, 24, 26 to facilitate relative movement of the walls 20, 22, 24, 26 so that the trading card 10 can be easily moved between the configurations 12, 14. In one embodiment, the trading card 10 is perforated, e.g. including a line of holes, at the connections between the walls 20, 22, 24, 26 to facilitate relative movement of the walls 20, 22, 24, 26.
Additionally, as illustrated in
In one embodiment, in the folded configuration 12, the trading card 10 is generally flat, rectangular shaped and has a length of between 2 and 6 inches, a width of between approximately 1.5 and 4.0 inches, and a thickness of between approximately 0.0625 and 0.25 inches. For example, in the folded configuration 12, the trading card 10 can be similarly sized and shaped as a standard trading card having a length of approximately 3.5 inches, a width of approximately 2.5 inches, and a thickness of between approximately 0.06 and 0.2 inches.
It should be noted that movement from the unfolded configuration 14 to the folded configuration 12 results in the opposite motion described above.
As mentioned previously, the trading card 10 includes one or more tabs 34 that are moved between the unlocked position 36 (illustrated in
The design, number, and location of the tabs 34 can vary. In the embodiment illustrated in
Additionally, in certain embodiments, the notches in the bottom wall 24 and the tabs 34 provide a convenient position to hold the trading card 10 in the unfolded configuration 14. It should be noted that the notches and tabs 34 can be wider so that larger fingers can fit in the notches and tabs 34.
It should be noted that in one embodiment, opposite walls are generally the same size and configuration. For example, the front wall 20 and the back wall 22 have substantially the same size and configuration. Further, the top wall 26 and the bottom wall 24 have substantially the same size and configuration.
Additionally, in one embodiment, the bottom wall 24 includes an arch shaped wall opening 46 located near the back wall 22. In certain embodiments, in the folded configuration 12, before the trading card 10 has ever been moved to the unfolded configuration 14, the scored or weakened areas can be relatively stiff. The wall opening 46 can provide a finger hole, e.g. a place to push, to start to move the trading card 10 from the folded configuration 12 to the unfolded configuration 14 for the first time. After the trading card 10 has been moved between the configurations 12, 14 a number of times, the wall opening 46 may not be necessary.
In
As mentioned above the three card 48A-48C are assembled together to form the trading card 10. Referring to
Further, (i) the distal end 48D of the first card 48A is secured with an adhesive 72 to the distal end 48D of the second card 48B, (ii) the distal end 48D of the third card 48C is secured with an adhesive 74 to second card 48B at a location that is slightly spaced apart from the distal end 48D of the second card 48B with the piece of film 28 positioned therebetween aligned with the film apertures 62, 68, and (iii) the second card 48B is separated at the cuts 58. With this design, a portion of the second card 48B and a portion of the third card 48B cooperate to form the rear wall 22. Further, the third card 48C defines the bottom wall 24.
Finally, the proximal end 48E of the second card 48B is secured with an adhesive 76 to the proximal end 48E of the third card 48B.
It should be noted that the adhesives 70, 72, 74, 76 can be replaced with another type of fastener.
It is to be understood that the trading cards 10 disclosed herein is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than as described in the appended claims.
This Application claims the benefit on U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/662,633 filed on Mar. 16, 2005. The contents of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/662,633 are incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60662633 | Mar 2005 | US |