Patent Grant
11967255
Trading cards of sports figures and other famous people have been admired, collected, traded, and sold for many decades. Standard trading cards are typically formed from paper or card stock and are subject to become frayed or otherwise damaged due to the relatively low durability of the formation materials. Despite the low cost of these materials, trading cards that are in perfect or near-perfect condition can be extremely valuable commodities on the marketplace and often resell for many times greater than the original retail price. Trading card owners often mail, ship, send, or otherwise protect their cards using a variety of specifically manufactured trading card accessories. Unfortunately, these accessories are configured such that it can be difficult to insert and remove the cards without causing harm or damage, particularly to the corners of the cards.
The present invention is directed toward a protective trading card sleeve for retaining a trading card. The protective trading card sleeve includes a substantially planar first wall and a substantially planar second wall. The first wall can have a plurality of edges including a first edge. The first edge of the first wall can be continuous and non-angular. The first edge of the first wall can have a first edge length. The substantially planar second wall can directly face the first wall and can have a substantially similar configuration as the first wall. The second wall can have a plurality of edges including a first edge that at least partially aligns with the first edge of the first wall. The first edge of the second wall can be continuous and non-angular. The first edge of the second wall can have a first edge length. The first edge of the second wall can be connected to the first edge of the first wall along greater than 10% and less than 95% of at least one of the first edge lengths.
In some embodiments, the first edge of the first wall is at least partially curved.
In certain embodiments, the first edge of the second wall is at least partially curved.
In various embodiments, the first wall has a second edge that is continuous and non-angular, and the second wall has a second edge that is continuous and non-angular, each of the second edges having a second edge length. The second edge of the second wall is connected to the second edge of the first wall along greater than 10% and less than 95% of the second edge lengths.
In some embodiments, each of the first and second edges of the first wall are at least partially curved, and each of the first and second edges of the second wall are at least partially curved.
In certain embodiments, each of the first and second edges of the first wall are linear, and each of the first and second edges of the second wall are linear.
In various embodiments, only one of the first and second edges of the first wall and the first and second edges of the second wall are at least partially curved.
In some embodiments, only the first edge of the first wall is curved.
In certain embodiments, the first edge of the second wall is connected to the first edge of the first wall along greater than 10% and less than 95% of each of the first edge lengths.
In various embodiments, the first edge of the second wall is continuously connected to the first edge of the first wall along greater than 10% and less than 95% of at least one of the first edge lengths.
The present invention is also directed toward a protective trading card sleeve for retaining a trading card. The protective trading card sleeve includes a substantially planar first wall and a substantially planar second wall. The first wall can have a plurality of edges including a first edge. The first edge of the first wall can be continuous and non-angular. The first edge of the first wall can have a first edge length. The substantially planar second wall can directly face the first wall and can have a substantially similar configuration as the first wall. The second wall can have a plurality of edges including a first edge that at least partially aligns with the first edge of the first wall. The first edge of the second wall can be continuous and non-angular. The first edge of the second wall can have a first edge length. The first edge of the second wall can be connected to the first edge of the first wall along greater than 10% and less than 95% of the first edge lengths. The second wall can have a second edge that is adjacent to the first edge of the first wall. The first wall can have a second edge that is adjacent to the first edge of the second wall. The second wall can have a third edge that is adjacent to the first edge of the second wall and unconnected to the first edge of the first wall.
In some embodiments, the first edge of the first wall is at least partially curved.
In certain embodiments, the first edge of the second wall is at least partially curved.
In various embodiments, the first wall has a second edge that is continuous and non-angular, and the second wall has a second edge that is continuous and non-angular, each of the second edges having a second edge length, wherein the second edge of the second wall is connected to the second edge of the first wall along greater than 10% and less than 95% of the second edge lengths.
In some embodiments, each of the first and second edges of the first wall are at least partially curved, and each of the first and second edges of the second wall are at least partially curved.
In certain embodiments, each of the first and second edges of the first wall are linear, and each of the first and second edges of the second wall are linear.
In various embodiments, only one of the first and second edges of the first wall and the first and second edges of the second wall are at least partially curved.
In some embodiments, only the first edge of the first wall is curved.
In certain embodiments, the first edge of the second wall is continuously connected to the first edge of the first wall along greater than 10% and less than 95% of at least one of the first edge lengths.
The present invention is further directed toward a protective trading card sleeve for retaining a trading card. The protective trading card sleeve includes a substantially planar first wall and a substantially planar second wall. The first wall can have a plurality of edges including a first edge, a second edge, and a third edge. The first edge of the first wall can be continuous and non-angular. The first edge of the first wall can have a first edge length. The second edge of the first wall can be a top edge that is adjacent to the first edge of the first wall. The third edge of the first wall can be a bottom edge that is adjacent to the first edge of the first wall. The substantially planar second wall can directly face the first wall and can have a substantially similar configuration as the first wall. The second wall can have a plurality of edges including a first edge that at least partially aligns with the first edge of the first wall. The first edge of the second wall can be continuous and non-angular. The first edge of the second wall can have a first edge length, the first edge of the second wall can be connected to the first edge of the first wall along greater than 10% and less than 95% of the first edge lengths. The first edges of the first wall and the second wall can be side edges. The second wall can have a second edge that is a top edge that is adjacent to the first edge of the second wall and is unconnected to the second edge of the first wall. The second wall can have a third edge that is adjacent to the first edge of the second wall. The third edge of the second wall can be a bottom edge.
This summary is an overview of some of the teachings of the present application and is not intended to be an exclusive or exhaustive treatment of the present subject matter. Further details are found in the detailed description and appended claims. Other aspects will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description and viewing the drawings that form a part thereof, each of which is not to be taken in a limiting sense. The scope herein is defined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.
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:
While embodiments are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example and drawings, and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the scope herein is not limited to the particular aspects described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope herein.
Embodiments of the present invention are described herein in the context of protective trading card sleeves. Those of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the following detailed description of the present invention is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. Other embodiments of the present invention will readily suggest themselves to such skilled persons having the benefit of this disclosure. Additionally, other methods of delivering energy to the lesion can be utilized, including, but not limited to, the electric current induced plasma generation. Reference will now be made in detail to implementations of the present invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
In the interest of clarity, not all of the routine features of the implementations described herein are shown and described. It will, of course, be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made in order to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as compliance with application-related and business-related constraints, and that these specific goals will vary from one implementation to another and from one developer to another. Moreover, it is appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of engineering for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.
The size, shape, configuration, and design of the protective trading card sleeve 100 can vary depending on the design requirements. It is understood that the protective trading card sleeve 100 can include additional components, systems, subsystems, and elements than those specifically shown and/or described herein. Additionally, or alternatively, the protective trading card sleeve 100 can omit one or more of the components, systems, subsystems, and elements that are specifically shown and/or described herein.
In the embodiment depicted in
The first wall 102 can be suitable for protecting the trading card from the outside elements. In some embodiments, the first wall 102 can be flexible. The size, shape, and design of the first wall 102 can vary depending on the design requirements of the first wall 102 and the protective trading card sleeve 100. The first wall 102 can be formed from any suitable materials including papers, plastics, metals, cardboard, adhesives, or any other suitable materials.
The walls (such as the first wall 102) of the protective trading card sleeve 100 can be formed from various materials and can include differing compositions. In certain embodiments, the walls can be formed from translucent materials. In various embodiments, the walls can be formed from plastic materials. Still alternatively, the walls can be formed from any other suitable material(s). The walls can be substantially planar. As provided in greater detail herein, the geometry, configuration, size, and/or shape of the walls of the protective trading card sleeve 100 can also be varied to suit the design requirements of the protective trading card sleeve 100.
The first edge 104 can be formed along the outer edge of the first wall 102. In the embodiment illustrated in
In some embodiments, the first edge 104 of the second wall 103 can be connected to the first edge 104 of the first wall 102 along greater than 10% and less than 95% of the first edge lengths 105 (as indicated by the connected portion length 106). In various embodiments, the first edge 104 of the second wall 103 can be connected to the first edge 104 of the first wall 102 along less than 10%. In certain embodiments, the first edge 104 of the second wall 103 can be connected to the first edge 104 of the first wall 102 along greater than 95% of the first edge lengths 105 (as indicated by the connected portion length 106).
It is appreciated that the percentage of connection between the first edge 104 of the first wall 102 and the first edge 104 of the second wall 103 can vary. In some embodiments, the connection between the first wall and can be greater than or equal to 1%, 5%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 100%. It is appreciated that the connection illustrated and/or described herein can have percentages that can fall within a range, wherein any of the foregoing numbers can serve as the lower or upper bound of the range, provided that the lower bound of the range is a value less than the upper bound of the range. The connection between the first edge 104 of the first wall 102 and the first edge 104 of the second wall 103 described herein can have percentages that fall outside of the range described herein.
The trading card 108 can be inserted and removed from the protective trading card sleeve 100 without damage to the corners, edges, and/or surfaces of the trading card 108. It is appreciated that the trading card 108 is representative of any kind of collectible item, including but not limited to, plaques, jerseys, game-memorabilia, etc. The protective trading card sleeve 100 can be adapted and configured to protect any kind of collectible item. The protective trading card sleeve 100 can be adapted to accommodate any size trading card 108. In some embodiments, the protective trading card sleeve 100 is designed to receive and retain a standard form factor trading card.
The slit 109 can designate an unconnected portion (e.g., the unconnected portion length 107) of the protective trading card sleeve 100. In other embodiments, the slit 109 can be cut into any portion of the protective trading card sleeve 100. In certain embodiments, the slit 109 is cut into the first wall 102 near the first edge 104. The slit 109 can be configured to allow components of the protective trading card sleeve 100, such as the first wall 102, to have additional flexibility and a greater range of motion and/or separation from the other components of the protective trading card sleeve 100. The size, shape, and design of the slit 109 can vary depending on the design requirements of the protective trading card sleeve 100, the first wall 102, and/or other components of the protective trading card sleeve 100.
The first wall 202 can include a second edge and a third edge. The second edge of the first wall 202 can be a top edge that is adjacent to the first edge 204 of the first wall 202. The third edge of the first wall 202 can be a bottom edge that is adjacent to the first edge 204 of the first wall. The third edge of the first wall 202 can be unconnected to the third edge of the second wall 203
The second wall 203 can be attached and/or removably adhered to the first wall 202 to form the protective trading card sleeve 200. The second wall 203 can be suitable for protecting the trading card 208 from the outside elements. In some embodiments, the second wall 203 can be flexible. In other embodiments, the second wall 203 can remain static while the first wall 202 is movable in a direction away from the second wall 203.
The size, shape, and design of the second wall 203 can vary depending on the design requirements of the first wall 202 and the protective trading card sleeve 200. The second wall 203 can be formed from suitable materials including papers, plastics, metals, cardboard, adhesives, or any other suitable materials. Additionally, the first wall 202 and the second wall 203 can be substantially similar to the walls previously shown and described herein and/or shown in greater detail below.
The second wall 203 can include one or more edges (e.g., the first edge 204). One or more edges can be fully connected to one or more corresponding edges (e.g., the first wall 202 can be fully connected to the second wall 203 at any particular edge). In some embodiments, the first edge 204 of the first wall 202 can be connected to the first edge 204 of the second wall 203 so that there is a 10% to 98% connection between the first edge 204 of the first wall 202 the first edge 204 of the second wall 203 (e.g., along the connected portion length 206). The first wall 202 and the second wall 203 can also each include a curved edge 210.
The curved edge 210 can increase the flexibility of the protective trading card sleeve 200. The curved edge 210 can be continuous and non-angular. The curved edge 210 can be configured to receive the corners of the trading card 208. The curved edge 210 can be formed so that a portion of the trading card 208 is exposed so that a user can easily remove the trading card 208 by grasping the exposed portion (e.g., a corner) of the trading card 208. The curved edge 210 can have a curved edge length 211. The curved edge 210 of the first wall 202 can be connected or unconnected to the curved edge 210 of the second wall 203 along the curved edge length 211.
In the embodiment depicted in
It should be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the content and/or context clearly dictates otherwise. It should also be noted that the term “or” is generally employed in its sense including “and/or” unless the content or context clearly dictates otherwise.
It should also be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the phrase “configured” describes a system, apparatus, or other structure that is constructed or configured to perform a particular task or adopt a particular configuration. The phrase “configured” can be used interchangeably with other similar phrases such as arranged and configured, constructed and arranged, constructed, manufactured and arranged, and the like.
As used herein, the recitation of numerical ranges by endpoints shall include all numbers subsumed within that range, inclusive (e.g., 2 to 8 includes 2, 2.1, 2.8, 5.3, 7, 8, etc.).
It is recognized that the figures shown and described are not necessarily drawn to scale, and that they are provided for ease of reference and understanding, and for relative positioning of the structures.
The headings used herein are provided for consistency with suggestions under 37 CFR 1.77 or otherwise to provide organizational cues. These headings shall not be viewed to limit or characterize the invention(s) set out in any claims that may issue from this disclosure. As an example, a description of a technology in the “Background” is not an admission that technology is prior art to any invention(s) in this disclosure. Neither is the “Summary” or “Abstract” to be considered as a characterization of the invention(s) set forth in issued claims.
The embodiments described herein are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed in the following detailed description. Rather, the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art can appreciate and understand the principles and practices. As such, aspects have been described with reference to various specific and preferred embodiments and techniques. However, it should be understood that many variations and modifications may be made while remaining within the spirit and scope herein.
It is understood that although a number of different embodiments of the catheter systems have been illustrated and described herein, one or more features of any one embodiment can be combined with one or more features of one or more of the other embodiments, provided that such combination satisfies the intent of the present invention.
While a number of exemplary aspects and embodiments of the catheter systems have been discussed above, those of skill in the art will recognize certain modifications, permutations, additions, and sub-combinations thereof. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims and claims hereafter introduced are interpreted to include all such modifications, permutations, additions, and sub-combinations as are within their true spirit and scope, and no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown.
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| Entry |
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| https://shop.ultrapro.com/products/81738?_pos=1&_sid=55e3ab96f&_ss=r. |
| https://www.ebay.com/i/173196411404?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20220301458 A1 | Sep 2022 | US |
