Claims
- 1. An insert holder for receiving, protecting and displaying an object such as a card bearing a photograph or permit inserted therein, and comprising:
- (a) first and second four-edged plastic cover sheets for forming front and back surfaces of the insert holder, the first plastic cover sheet having a predetermined-sized transparent window therein defined by a surrounding non-transparent area;
- (b) a four-edged, double-sided frame for being positioned between the first and second plastic sheets for securing the first and second sheets to opposing front and back sides of the frame to form the holder, the frame defining a frame opening therein for receiving a like-sized card therein, the frame opening being larger than the transparent window in the cover sheet to mask the joint line between the card and the frame opening, the thickness of the frame being the same thickness as the card to be inserted in the frame opening whereby the frame forms a support for the card to keep the card in proper alignment while assembly of the holder is completed and the frame and the card inserted in the frame opening together define substantially uniform and flat opposing front and back insert holder surfaces;
- (c) said frame having a pressure sensitive adhesive coating the frame on its front and back surface;
- (d) said first cover sheet being secured to said frame by said pressure-sensitive adhesive to completely enclose one of the front or back surfaces of the frame;
- (e) said second cover sheet being secured to the other of the front or back surfaces of the frame along a first edge segment of the frame and unattached to a second edge segment of the frame whereby the second cover sheet is hinged to the frame to form a flap covering the frame which can be flexed away from the frame to insert a card thereunder and into the frame opening;
- (d) release liner means covering the adhesive on the second edge segment of the frame covered by said second cover sheet to protect the adhesive until assembly of the frame in the cover sheets.
- 2. An insert holder according to claim 1, wherein said first and second plastic sheets are separate and the outer perimeter of the adhesive frame is substantially co-extensive with the perimeter of said first and second plastic sheets.
- 3. An insert holder according to claim 1, wherein said release liner means comprises a first, U-shaped segment for being applied over the adhesive covering the second edge segment of the frame and a second, straight segment for being applied co-extensive with the fourth side of the same one of the first and second plastic sheets.
- 4. An insert holder according to claim 1, wherein said frame includes first and second openings for receiving respective cards.
- 5. An insert holder according to claim 4, wherein the surrounding non-transparent area of said first cover is opaque.
- 6. An insert holder according to claim 1, wherein the surrounding non-transparent area of said first cover is printed to provide an opaque decorative border.
- 7. An insert holder according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 and including a magnetic data strip applied to one of the cover sheets.
- 8. A method of forming an insert holder of the type characterized by being adapted to receive and protect an object such as a card bearing a photograph or permit for display to an intermediate assembly configuration, and comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing first and second plastic cover sheets for forming front and back surfaces of the insert holder;
- (b) providing a frame having adhesive on opposing first and second surfaces for being adhesively positioned between said first and second plastic sheets for securing said first and second sheets together in to form the holder, said frame defining at least one opening for receiving a card therein;
- (c) securing the frame by one of its first or second surfaces to one of the cover sheets;
- (d) securing said second cover sheet to the other of the front or back surfaces of the frame along a first edge segment of the frame and leaving the remainder of the cover sheet unattached to a second edge segment of the frame whereby the second cover sheet is hinged to the frame to form a flap covering the frame which can be flexed away from the frame to insert a card thereunder and into the frame opening.
- 9. A method according to claim 8, and including the steps of inserting the card into the frame, and securing the cover sheet and frame along the second edge segment together after the card is inserted.
- 10. A method according to claim 8, and including the step of providing a release liner covering and protecting the adhesive along the second edge segment until after the card has been inserted into the frame and attachment of the second cover sheet and frame along the second edge segment is desired.
- 11. A method according to claim 8, 9, or 10 and including the step of providing a magnetic data strip applied to one of the cover sheets.
TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 539,015, filed on Jun. 15, 1990 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,593, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 445,172, filed on Dec. 4, 1989 now abandoned.
This invention relates to an insert holder of the type used to enclose small photographs, documents such as drivers licenses, identification cards and the like. Many insert holders are known in the prior art. Those of which the applicant is aware can be categorized as follows:
1. a single transparent or translucent plastic sheet which is folded to receive the insert, after which the folded sheet is laminated to seal the three open sides and laminate the sheets to the opposed faces of the insert;
2. two sheets which are sealed on three sides with a permanently open fourth side so that the insert can be inserted and removed repeatedly.
3. two sheets which are sealed on three sides with a open fourth side so that the insert can be inserted. Then the sheet is laminated to laminate the sheets to the opposed faces of the insert;
4. two sheets which are sealed on three sides with a permanently open fourth side so that the insert can be inserted and removed repeatedly. A number of the holders are attached together by the end opposite the open end, and the assembly is used as, for example, in a wallet to hold credit cards, licenses, and the like.
The present invention is directed specifically towards a holder of the type wherein a photograph, license or the like can be permanently enclosed within the holder without the sheets of the holder being laminated to each other or to the faces of the insert. This avoids the requirement of furnishing a laminating machine and permits the holders to be assembled without any machines and without heat. For these reasons, holders can be furnished to consumers for use at home, and mobile sales locations can be set up in stores without requiring a laminator.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide an insert holder for permanently enclosing a photograph, license or the like.
It is another object of the invention to provide an insert holder which can be permanently sealed after placing an insert within the holder.
It is another object of the invention to provide a insert holder which can be permanently sealed without the use of a laminating machine or other appliance.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved in the preferred embodiments disclosed below by providing a transparent insert holder of the type characterized by being adapted to receive and protect photographs, permits and the like.
The insert holder comprises first and second four-sided plastic sheets for forming front and back sides of the insert holder and a four-sided double-sided adhesive frame for being adhesively positioned between the first and second plastic sheet for securing the first and second sheets together in to form the holder. The adhesive frame defines an opening for receiving a photograph therein.
According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the first and second plastic sheets are separate and the outer perimeter of the adhesive frame is co-extensive with the perimeter of the first and second plastic sheets.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the adhesive frame comprises a base having first and second pressure sensitive adhesive layers applied to respective sides of the base and first and second protective release liners applied to the respective first and second adhesive layers to protect the adhesive.
According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, portions of at least one of the plastic sheets are opaque and define a transparent portion for displaying a photograph therethrough.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the first sheet and the second sheet each have a slot or hole therein for receiving a holding strap or strand therethrough.
According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the slots in the first and second sheets are in registration with each other.
According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the insert holder includes first and second four-edged plastic cover sheets for forming front and back surfaces of the insert holder. The first plastic cover sheet has a predetermined-sized transparent window therein defined by a surrounding non-transparent area, and a four-edged, double-sided frame is provided for being positioned between the first and second plastic sheets for securing the first and second sheets to opposing front and back sides of the frame to form the holder. The frame defines a frame opening for receiving a like-sized card therein. The frame opening is larger than the transparent window in the cover sheet to mask the joint line between the card and the frame opening.
The thickness of the frame is approximately the same thickness as the card to be inserted in the frame opening whereby the frame forms a support for the card to keep the card in proper alignment while assembly of the holder is completed. The frame and the card inserted in the frame opening together define substantially uniform and flat opposing front and back insert holder surfaces.
The frame has a pressure sensitive adhesive coating the frame on its front and back surface. The first cover sheet is secured to the frame by the pressure-sensitive adhesive to completely enclose one of the front or back surfaces of the frame.
The second cover sheet is secured to the other of the front or back surfaces of the frame along a first edge segment of the frame and unattached to a second edge segment of the frame whereby the second cover sheet is hinged to the frame to form a flap covering the frame which can be flexed away from the frame to insert a card thereunder and into the frame opening.
A release liner means covers the adhesive on the second edge segment of the frame covered by the second cover sheet to protect the adhesive until assembly of the frame in the cover sheets.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the first and second plastic sheets are separate and the outer perimeter of the adhesive frame is substantially co-extensive with the perimeter of the first and second plastic sheets.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the release liner means comprises a first, U-shaped segment for being applied over the adhesive covering the second edge segment of the frame and a second, straight segment for being applied co-extensive with the fourth side of the same on of the first and second plastic sheets.
According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the frame includes first and second openings for receiving respective cards.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the surrounding non-transparent area of the first cover is opaque.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the surrounding non-transparent area of the first cover is printed to provide an opaque decorative border.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the holder includes a magnetic data strip applied to one of the cover sheets.
An embodiment of the method of forming an insert holder of the type characterized by being adapted to receive and protect an object such as a card bearing a photograph or permit for display to an intermediate assembly configuration according to the invention comprises the steps of providing first and second plastic cove sheets for forming front and back surfaces of the insert holder, and providing a frame having adhesive on opposing first and second surfaces for being adhesively positioned between the first and second plastic sheets for securing the first and second sheets together in to form the holder, the frame defining at least one opening for receiving a card therein. The frame is secured by one of its first or second surfaces to one of the cover sheets. The second cover sheet is secured to the other of the front or back surfaces of the frame along a first edge segment of the frame and leaving the remainder of the cover sheet unattached to a second edge segment of the frame whereby the second cover sheet is hinged to the frame to form a flap covering the frame which can be flexed away from the frame to insert a card thereunder and into the frame opening.
According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the method includes the step of inserting the card into the frame, and securing the cover sheet and frame along the second edge segment together after the card is inserted.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the method includes the step of providing a release liner covering and protecting the adhesive along the second edge segment until after the card has been inserted into the frame and attachment of the second cove sheet and frame along the second edge segment is desired.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the method includes the step of providing a magnetic data strip applied to one of the cover sheets.
US Referenced Citations (2)
| Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
|
4863196 |
Ohnishi et al. |
Sep 1989 |
|
|
5074593 |
Grosso |
Dec 1991 |
|
Continuation in Parts (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
| Parent |
539015 |
Jun 1990 |
|
| Parent |
445172 |
Dec 1989 |
|
Patent Grant
5161827
