Patent Application
20120248756
The present invention relates, in general, to card management devices and methods and, more particularly, this invention relates to a plastic tab for identifying and removing cards from a wallet.
Prior to the conception and development of the present invention, tabbing devices, as are generally well known in the prior art, have been used for the identification of files on a filing cabinet. However, no tabbing devices have been developed for use as an identifying means and as a means for easy removal from a pocket of a wallet or the like. The prior art has used tabs primarily for identifying files or other articles within a larger set of files or other articles. However none of the prior art has disclosed or suggested a need for tabs to aid in the removal of cards from a tightly packed wallet or the like.
The present invention in several embodiments is a device for identifying and providing a gripping means for cards or the like. In a preferred embodiment the invention is a self adhesive plastic tab that adheres to at least two sides of a card at an edge of said card. The plastic tab is bifurcated with adhesive between the bifurcation to allow for adhesion to at least two sides of a card. The plastic tab could be produced through an extrusion process, injection molding, by affixing two sheets of plastic film together or by splitting a plastic sheet to produce a suitable bifurcation. The adhesive could be any suitable adhesive known in the art, but preferred embodiments of the invention use pressure sensitive adhesives, removable adhesives, contact adhesives and one-part adhesives. Most preferably the adhesive used is a pressure sensitive adhesive.
The bifurcated structure of the tab in combination with the adhesive in the bifurcation benefits the holding strength and durability of the present invention. By adhering to opposite sides of a card the tab becomes difficult to remove from the card, this is in part because of the increased surface area for bonding and because when the tab is bent the adhesive on a first side is in tensile stress while a second side is in compression. Substantial tensile stress can break an adhesive bond while compression strengthens the adhesive bond, particularly for pressure sensitive adhesives.
In several preferred embodiments the tab comprises identification means which could comprise Braille, ornamentation, symbols, color codes, jewelry or any suitable visual or tactile identification means.
In several embodiments of the present invention the identification means is Braille, raised stones, affixed gems, or another tactile identification means. These tactile identification means can also aid in the gripping of the tabs by providing a course surface for a user to grip.
In several embodiments of the present invention the identification means could be attached to the tab by any suitable attachment means, including adhesives, chain links, chains, cords, straps, fasteners, or hinges. Several of the preferred embodiments use flexible attachment means such as chain links, chains, cords, straps, and hinges. These flexible attachment means can further aid in the gripping of a tab and the associated card by allowing a user more area to grasp, a wider range of motion for grasping and additional advantages that should become apparent to one skilled in the art.
It is, therefore, one of the primary objects of the present invention is to provide a self adhesive tab that can be applied to the edge of a credit card or similar card.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a self adhesive tab that can be strongly secured to the edge of a credit card or similar card to allow a user to pull the tab even when the card is tightly held by the pocket of a wallet.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a self adhesive tab that can be strongly secured to the edge of a credit card or similar card to allow a user to quickly identify the card without the need for visual inspection of the card.
In another embodiment the invention is a self adhesive tab that can be strongly secured to the edge of a credit card or similar card to allow a user to quickly identify the card without the need for visual inspection of the card or the tab.
In addition to the various objects and advantages of the present invention described with some degree of specificity above it should be obvious that additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those persons who are skilled in the relevant art from the following more detailed description of the invention, particularly, when such description is taken in conjunction with the attached drawing figures and with the appended claims.
Prior to proceeding to the more detailed description of the present invention it should be noted that, for the sake of clarity and understanding, identical components which have identical functions have been identified with identical reference numerals throughout the several views illustrated in the drawing figures.
Reference is now made, more particularly, to
While a presently preferred and various alternative embodiments of the present invention have been described in sufficient detail above to enable a person skilled in the relevant art to make and use the same it should be obvious that various other adaptations and modifications can be envisioned by those persons skilled in such art without departing from either the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.
