Patent Application
20200122019
The present invention relates to cards such as playing cards and trading cards, and more specifically to an overlay for a card, preferably for a playing card or trading card, which changes the look and appearance of the card but not its function.
A conventional deck of playing cards includes fifty two individual cards each measuring about 3.5 inches by 2.5 inches. Such cards are typically composed of thin cardboard or pasteboard stock having a generic geometric pattern printed on their back faces, and pictorial, graphics and text on their front faces representative of their value when playing card games such as poker, bridge, euchre, hearts, sheepshead, Uno and other recreational card games.
Trading cards are also well known. Various forms of trading cards have been popular over the years, especially sports trading cards relating to baseball, football, basketball and hockey. Such a card typically has a photograph or likeness of a sports figure on its front face, and statistical information about the pictured sports figure on its back face. Although such cards are referred to as “trading” cards, they are today more frequently referred to as “collectible” cards or simply “collectibles.”
A hybrid type of card is one that is used in what is commonly referred to as a collectible card game. A collectible card game is a strategy card game that utilizes specially designed sets of cards having proprietary artwork or designs on one face to embellish the card. The artwork may depict fantasy or science fiction genres, horror themes, cartoons, aliens, and the like. Each card also usually has text printed thereon used to strategically interact with other cards during play. Successful collectible card games typically have thousands of unique cards, and as one example, the game “Magic: The Gathering” has over 17,000 distinct cards.
When playing a collectible card game, players acquire cards and organize them into a personal collection from which they create customized decks of cards and challenge other players in matches and tournaments. However, cards that are worn are considered to be marked, and therefore cannot be used, especially in tournament decks. As a result, plastic card sleeves are used to protect game cards from wear and tear. A card sleeve, sometimes also referred to as a card protector, is a card-sized envelope or outer sheath of clear plastic, such as polypropylene, having a front panel attached at its periphery to a rear panel with either its top end open, referred to as a top-loading card sleeve, or one of its sides open, referred to as a side-loading card sleeve, forming a slot so that a player may slide or insert a card therein. Card sleeves are specifically dimensioned to snugly hold and protect a game card. Although some card sleeves are transparent front and back, others have non-transparent backs in black, yellow or other colors, and still others have pictorial and graphic images on their back panels. Card sleeves with opaque backs obscure the actual back of the game card and thus allow worn cards to be used without being accused of “marking” the card.
Many enthusiastic players of collectible card games invest considerable amounts of money to buy collectible cards and play in tournaments. Accordingly, many players desire to not only protect their cards from wear and tear, but also to personalize or customize the look and appearance of their cards in unique and non-permanent ways.
The present invention is an overlay having artwork printed thereon in a strategic location such that when placed over the front face of a card changes the look and appearance of the original artwork on the front face of the card. The overlay may be used with any type of card, but is preferably used with playing cards and trading cards, and is most preferably used with collectible trading cards.
The overlay of the present invention enables a card player, especially a player of a collectible card game, to not only protect a game card but also to personalize or customize the game card. In order to accomplish protection as well as personalization, players can customize their favorite cards in a unique and non-permanent way by printing artwork or any other desired design onto one side of a clear plastic overlay and then partially covering the front face of the playing card or trading card with the overlay. The artwork or design is printed on one side of the clear overlay in a manner and location such that it alters or changes the look and appearance of the front face of the playing card or trading card when the overlay covers the front face of the card, but not its function.
In a first embodiment, the clear overlay with printed artwork or designs strategically located on one side thereof is the front panel or front face of the card sleeve itself. Thus, the artwork or design on the front panel or front face of a plastic card sleeve is positioned in a manner and location that alters or changes the look and appearance of the front face of the playing card or trading card when the playing card or trading card is inserted into the card sleeve. These altered sleeves, with desired custom artwork and design printed on their front panel or face, allow for minor or major aesthetic changes to the look and appearance of the front face of the playing card or trading card, and further enable players to easily change the look and appearance of the playing card or trading card by simply inserting the card into another altered sleeve having different artwork or designs thereon. The altered sleeve may be of the top-loading type or of the side-loading type, and the artwork or design may be on either or both of its front or rear panels.
In a second embodiment, the clear overlay with artwork or designs strategically located on one side thereon is in the form of a single sheet of thin plastic transparent material, such as polypropylene. The plastic sheet is used by sliding or inserting it between the front face of a playing card or trading card and the front panel or front face of a traditional card sleeve. When positioned properly within a card sleeve, the artwork or design on the plastic sheet covers up portions of the artwork or designs on the front face of the playing card or trading card to alter or change the look and appearance of the card.
In yet a third embodiment, the overlay may be used in a sleeve-in-sleeve arrangement. In other words, the altered sleeve with the artwork or design thereon of the first embodiment may itself be inserted into a separate second sleeve which may be completely transparent or altered to have additional artwork or designs on either or both of its front or rear panels.
The overlay of the present invention thus does not change the functionality of the playing card or trading card. Instead, the overlay merely creates aesthetic changes to the front or rear of playing cards or trading cards. In particular, when playing a collectible card game the overlay enables players to further personalize or customize the look and appearance of their favorite cards in their customized deck of cards.
A method of customizing the look and appearance of cards in accordance with the present invention are also disclosed.
The present invention will now be described with reference to an exemplary card, namely, the king of clubs playing card 10 illustrated in
The term “artwork” is meant to be broadly interpreted to mean any designs, pictorial works, graphics, or textual matter in any shape or form. The artwork may be black and white or it may be of the same or multiple different colors.
The king of clubs playing card 10 has a front face 12 imprinted with a standard design found upon each of the cards in a set of playing cards which in the present example of card 10 is the bust of a king having a jeweled crown 14. The card 10 also has a back face 16 imprinted with a generic geometric pattern (not shown) such as diamonds, hearts, flowers, and the like, as is traditional and well known.
As one skilled in the art will recognize, the change from jeweled crown 14 to top hat 50 is only exemplary. Other artwork could be imprinted on the front panel 20 of card sleeve 22, and at different locations, to change or modify other aspects of card 10 resulting in a personalized or customized appearance for card 10 when it is inserted into card sleeve 22.
Referring now to
Overlay 60 will typically be used with a conventional card sleeve 64. Card sleeve 64 is constructed in the same manner as card sleeve 22 previously described herein with a front panel 66 attached at its peripheral outer edges to a back panel 68. However, in this embodiment, front panel 66 is preferably completely transparent with no artwork printed thereon.
Overlay 60 is used by sliding or inserting it between front face 12 of the king of clubs playing card 10 and the front panel 66 of card sleeve 64. When positioned properly within card sleeve 64, the top hat 62 of overlay 60 covers up the jeweled crown 14 of the king of clubs 10 to alter or change the look and appearance of the king depicted in the king of clubs playing card 10. Thus, the aesthetic appearance of the front face 12 of the card 10 changes from the king having the jeweled crown 14 to one where the king now haws the top hat 62.
As one skilled in the art will recognize, the change from jeweled crown 14 to top hat 62 is only exemplary. Other artwork could be imprinted on the front panel 66 of card sleeve 64, and at different locations, to change or modify other aspects of card 10 resulting in a personalized or customized appearance for card 10 when it is inserted into card sleeve 64.
Referring next to
Referring now to
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62749492 | Oct 2018 | US |
