Storable coin holder and shelled storable coin

Abstract

The utility model relates to a collectable coin holder and a shelled collectable coin. The collectable coins may be enclosed between two thin, transparent, flexible plastic sheets. The two sheets (where the coin is centered in and between the two sheets) may be heat sealed together about a perimeter to form a coin envelope. The coin envelope may be secured about the perimeter by a snap assembly including a front portion and a rear portion of the retainer. The front portion and / or rear portion of the coin envelope and / or retainer may include one or more alignment features that secure the envelope in rotational alignment with the enclosed coin within the snap-in assembly. The front portion and the rear portion may also secure and display authentication tags describing coins. The front portion and the rear portion with the coin envelope and the authentication tag may be securely encapsulated in a tamper-resistant protective transparent plastic housing.

Description

[0001] The subject matter of this application is related to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63,214,259, filed on June 23, 2021, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to collectible coin holders and cased collectible coins. Background Art

[0003] Collectible coin holders are typically separable at the seam separating the two housings and therefore there is a risk that the collectible coins could be removed or tampered with, or could become dislodged from their holders during normal handling or storage. Utility Model Content

[0004] Collectible coins can be enclosed between two thin, transparent flexible plastic sheets. The two sheets (with the coin centered in and between the two sheets) can be heat-sealed together around the perimeter to form a coin envelope. The coin envelope can be fixed around the perimeter by a snap-together assembly including a front portion and a rear portion of a holder. The front portion and / or the rear portion of the coin envelope and / or the holder can include one or more alignment features that fix the envelope in rotational alignment with the enclosed coin within the snap-together assembly. The front portion and the rear portion can also hold and display an authentication label describing the coin. The front portion and the rear portion with the coin envelope and the authentication label can be securely enclosed in a tamper-proof protective transparent plastic shell.

[0005] The sheet material may be made of, for example, polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The portion of the holder may be made of, for example, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). The housing may be made of, for example, polycarbonate. The authentication label may be made of, for example, paper or a plastic film having a pattern printed thereon.

[0006] A collectible coin holder may include: a coin envelope formed by two sheets of transparent flexible material, the two sheets enclosing a collectible coin located between the two sheets, the two sheets being sealed together around a portion of the perimeter of the coin envelope to secure the collectible coin between the two sheets; a front portion, which is formed of plastic and has a label holding area for holding a label; and a rear portion formed of plastic, wherein the front portion and the rear portion have inner surfaces, the front portion and the rear portion snap together to secure the coin envelope in a viewing opening extending through the front portion and the rear portion, and wherein at least one of the front portion and the rear portion has a recess on the inner surface surrounding the viewing opening, the recess being shaped to match a portion of the perimeter of the coin envelope.

[0007] In one embodiment, each of the front portion and the rear portion has a recess, and the recess has a combined depth configured to accommodate the thickness of the coin envelope at the perimeter of the coin envelope.

[0008] In one embodiment, only the front portion has a recess, and the recess has a depth configured to accommodate the thickness of the coin envelope at the perimeter of the coin envelope.

[0009] In one embodiment, only the rear portion has a recess, and the recess has a depth configured to accommodate the thickness of the coin envelope at the perimeter of the coin envelope.

[0010] In one embodiment, the perimeter of the coin envelope is generally circular in shape and further has a cutout located in the circular shape, and wherein the recess of the front portion or the recess of the rear portion includes a protrusion that is configured to engage with the cutout to rotationally secure the coin envelope in the viewing opening.

[0011] In one embodiment, the perimeter of the coin envelope is generally circular in shape and also has a protrusion protruding from the circular shape.

[0012] In one embodiment, the recess of the front portion or the recess of the rear portion includes a cutout configured to engage with the protrusion to rotationally secure the coin envelope in the viewing opening.

[0013] In one embodiment, the perimeter of the coin envelope is not generally circular in shape.

[0014] In one embodiment, heat is used to seal the two sheets together.

[0015] In one embodiment, the viewing opening is circular.

[0016] In one embodiment, the coin holder may also include: two overhangs formed in the front portion, each overhang extending over a portion of the label along one of two opposite sides of the label at a position on the label holding area; and at least two protrusions extending from the rear portion, each protrusion positioned to press a portion of the underside of the label on one of the opposite sides against one of the overhangs to secure the label in place.

[0017] A cased collectible coin may include: a collectible coin holder as described above; a collectible coin enclosed in a coin envelope of the collectible coin holder; and a transparent plastic shell including a front portion ultrasonically welded to a rear portion and enclosing the collectible coin holder.

[0018] A method may include: sealing a collectible coin between two sheets of a transparent flexible material to form a coin envelope having a sealed perimeter; placing the coin envelope in a recess formed around a viewing opening in a front portion or a rear portion of a collectible coin holder, wherein the front portion has a label holding area for holding a label; and snapping the front portion and the rear portion together to secure the coin envelope in the viewing opening between the front portion and the rear portion.

[0019] In one embodiment, each of the front portion and the rear portion has a recess, and the recess has a combined depth configured to accommodate the thickness of the coin envelope at the perimeter of the coin envelope.

[0020] In one embodiment, only the front portion has a recess, and the recess has a depth configured to accommodate the thickness of the coin envelope at the perimeter of the coin envelope.

[0021] In one embodiment, only the rear portion has a recess, and the recess has a depth configured to accommodate the thickness of the coin envelope at the perimeter of the coin envelope.

[0022] In one embodiment, the perimeter of the coin envelope is generally circular in shape and further has a cutout located in the circular shape, and wherein the recess of the front portion or the recess of the rear portion includes a protrusion that is configured to engage with the cutout to rotationally secure the coin envelope in the viewing opening.

[0023] In one embodiment, the perimeter of the coin envelope is generally circular in shape and also has a protrusion protruding from the circular shape.

[0024] In one embodiment, the recess of the front portion or the recess of the rear portion includes a cutout configured to engage with the protrusion to rotationally secure the coin envelope in the viewing opening.

[0025] In one embodiment, the perimeter of the coin envelope is not generally circular in shape.

[0026] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the multiple aspects described in this disclosure may be combined differently in different operable embodiments. All these operable combinations, although they may not be explicitly described for efficiency, are specifically contemplated by this disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a collectible coin holder.

[0028] Figure 2 is a front view of the front side of the retainer.

[0029] Figure 3 is a front view of the rear side of the retainer.

[0030] Figure 4 is a front view of the left side of the retainer.

[0031] Figure 5 is a front view of the right side of the retainer.

[0032] Figure 6 is a front view of the top side of the retainer.

[0033] Figure 7 is a front view of the bottom side of the retainer.

[0034] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the retainer.

[0035] Fig. 9 is a perspective exploded view of the holder according to the first embodiment.

[0036] Fig.10 is a perspective view of the holder enclosed in an outer transparent housing.

[0037] Fig.11 is a perspective exploded view of a holder assembly having front and rear portions of an outer transparent housing.

[0038] Fig.12 is a perspective view of the inside of the front portion of the holder according to the first embodiment.

[0039] Fig.13 is a front view of the inside of the front portion of the holder according to the first embodiment.

[0040] Fig.14 is a front view of the inner side of the rear portion of the holder according to the first embodiment.

[0041] Fig.15is a perspective exploded view of a holder according to a second embodiment.

[0042] Fig.16 is a perspective view of the inside of the front portion of the holder according to the second embodiment.

[0043] Fig.17 is a front view of the inside of the front portion of the holder according to the second embodiment.

[0044] Fig.18 is a front view of the inner side of the rear portion of the holder according to the second embodiment.

[0045] Fig.19 is a perspective exploded view of a holder according to a third embodiment.

[0046] Fig. 20 is a perspective view of the inside of the front portion of the holder according to the third embodiment.

[0047] Fig.21 is a front view of the inside of the front portion of the holder according to the third embodiment.

[0048] Fig. 22 is a front view of the inner side of the rear portion of the holder according to the third embodiment.

[0049] Fig.23 is a perspective exploded view of a holder according to a fourth embodiment.

[0050] Fig.24 is a perspective view of the inside of the front portion of a holder according to a fourth embodiment.

[0051] Fig.25 is a front view of the inside of the front portion of the holder according to the fourth embodiment.

[0052] Fig.26 is a front view of the inner side of the rear portion of the holder according to the fourth embodiment.

[0053] Fig. 27 A cross-sectional view of the holder is shown along one of the ribs from one side towards the other.

[0054] The short and medium dashed lines in the figure do not represent any structure and should be ignored. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0055] In the following description, reference is made to various embodiments according to which the disclosed subject matter can be practiced. Some embodiments may be described using the terms one / an / another embodiment, etc., and multiple instances of these embodiments do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Unless otherwise indicated, in various embodiments, the specific features, structures, or characteristics associated with these instances may be combined in any suitable manner. For example, the present disclosure may list a set or list of multiple options or possibilities of embodiments, and in this case, the present disclosure specifically contemplates all obviously feasible combinations and / or arrangements of the items in the set or list.

[0056] Collectible coins can be enclosed between two thin, transparent flexible plastic sheets. The two sheets (where the coin is centered in and between the two sheets) can be heat-sealed together around the perimeter to form a coin envelope. The coin envelope can be fixed around the perimeter by a snap-fit ​​assembly including a front portion and a rear portion of a retainer. The coin envelope and / or the front portion and / or the rear portion of the retainer can include one or more alignment features that fix the envelope in rotational alignment with the enclosed coin in the snap-fit ​​assembly. The front portion and the rear portion can also fix and display an authentication label describing the coin. The front portion and the rear portion with the coin envelope and the authentication label can be securely enclosed in a tamper-proof protective transparent plastic shell.

[0057] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a collectible coin holder 100. A collectible coin 20 is held in the holder 100 as shown in phantom. Figure 2 is a front view of the front side of the retainer. The long and short dashed lines with arrows marked with 8 indicate Figure 8 sight. Figure 3 is a front view of the rear side of the retainer. Figure 4 is a front view of the left side of the retainer. Figure 5 is a front view of the right side of the retainer. Figure 6 is a front view of the top side of the retainer. Figure 7 is a front view of the bottom side of the retainer. Figure 8 is based on Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the retainer as viewed from the line of sight is shown.

[0058] Fig. 9 1 is a perspective exploded view of a holder according to a first embodiment. The dashed circles represent different regions of the sheet 118 of the envelope 110, including: an outer perimeter region 112 where the two sheets can be heat sealed together; and an inner region 113 which is visible through a viewing opening 160 of the holder 100 when the envelope is secured in the holder. Additional features of the holder are represented by dashed lines. The short and medium dashed lines do not represent any structure and should be ignored.

[0059] Fig.10 is a perspective view of the holder 100 enclosed in the outer transparent housing 90. The outer transparent housing is shown in dashed lines. The certification label 170 is shown in the label holding area 180 and is indicated by dashed text "CERTIFICATION LABEL GOES HERE". Fig.11 1 is a perspective exploded view of the holder 100 assembled with the front portion 92 and the rear portion 94 of the outer transparent shell 90. The front portion 92 and the rear portion 94 of the outer transparent shell 90 may be ultrasonically welded together, enclosing the holder 100, to produce a cased collectible coin 40.

[0060] Fig.12 is a perspective view of the inside of the front portion 130 of the holder 100 according to the first embodiment. Fig.13 1 is a front view of the inside of the front portion 130 of the holder 100 according to the first embodiment. Fig.14 1 is a front view of the inside of the rear portion 150 of the holder 100 according to the first embodiment. The short dashed line does not represent any structure and should be ignored.

[0061] refer to Fig. 9 , the exploded view shows the front portion 130 of the holder 100 above the first sheet 118 of clear flexible plastic, followed by the collectible coin 20. The second sheet 118 of clear flexible plastic is shown below the collectible coin, followed by the rear portion 150 of the holder. The coin envelope 110 may be formed from the heat-sealed assembly of the two sheets 118 and the coin 20. The perimeter heat-sealed portion of the envelope 110 (indicated outside the dashed circle on the paper) may fit within a recess 134, 154 formed in one or both of the front portion 130 and the rear portion 150 of the holder 100.

[0062] refer to Fig. 9 , Fig.12 , Fig.13 and Fig.14 Six interlocking pins and receptacles are formed in the rear portion 150 and the front portion 130 of the holder 100, respectively. The pins and receptacles are sized to allow the front and rear portions to snap together as an assembly to secure the coin envelope. Other mechanisms for securing the front and rear portions may be used, such as a clamp or snap fit with associated receptacles.

[0063] refer to Fig. 9 , Fig.12 , Fig.13 and Fig.14, annular recesses 134, 154 are shown in the inner surface 132, 152 of each of the front portion 130 and the rear portion 150 of the holder 100 to securely position the coin envelope 110. Alternatively, the annular recesses 134, 154 may be formed on one or the other of the front portion and the rear portion, but are larger in size to accommodate the thickness of the perimeter of the coin envelope. The circular shape of the coin envelope 110 and the annular recesses 134, 154 may allow the coin envelope to be rotated or manually rotated within the holder, depending on the clearance of the holder on the perimeter 112 of the envelope 110 and the pressure applied. The envelope and corresponding recesses may not be circular, which would prevent the coin envelope from rotating within the assembled holder.

[0064] like Fig. 9 and Fig.14 As shown, the inner surface of the rear portion of the retainer also includes two rows of nine ribs 159 (shown in dotted lines). Fig.12 and Fig.13 As shown in FIG. 1 , the rows of ribs engage with channels 139 (also shown in phantom) on the inner surface of the front portion of the retainer to hold the retainer in place. Fig.10 The authentication tag shown in FIG. 1 is fixed in position on the front surface of the front portion of the holder. A cross-sectional view of how the ribs engage with the channels to hold the authentication tag in position will be referenced below. Fig. 27 As an alternative to the two rows of ribs shown in the figure, a single elongated raised platform can be used, but using a single elongated raised platform may cause shrinkage problems due to the significant change in plastic thickness when the plastic rear portion is molded. In one embodiment, the ribs and channels can be located along the top and bottom sides of the label instead of along the left and right sides.

[0065] Fig.15 is a perspective exploded view of a holder 200 according to the second embodiment. Fig.16 is a perspective view of the inside of the front portion 230 of the holder 200 according to the second embodiment. Fig.17 2 is a front view of the inside of the front portion 230 of the holder 200 according to the second embodiment. Fig.18 2 is a front view of the inside of the rear portion 250 of the holder 200 according to the second embodiment. The short dashed line does not represent any structure and should be ignored.

[0066] refer to Figure 15-18In the second embodiment, the two sheets 218 of the coin envelope 210 each include two protrusions 216 that are received in corresponding cutouts 238, 258 in the recesses 234, 254 in the inner surfaces 232, 252 of the front portion 230 and / or the rear portion 250 of the holder. When the sheets 218 are heat sealed together, the protrusions 216 align and the resulting protrusions 216 in the envelope 210 interlock with the cutouts 238, 258 to prevent the coin envelope 210 from rotating in the holder 200.

[0067] Fig.19 is a perspective exploded view of a holder 300 according to the third embodiment. Fig. 20 is a perspective view of the inside of the front portion 330 of the holder 300 according to the third embodiment. Fig.21 3 is a front view of the inside of the front portion 330 of the holder 300 according to the third embodiment. Fig. 22 3 is a front view of the inside of the rear portion 350 of the holder 300 according to the third embodiment. The short dashed line does not represent any structure and should be ignored.

[0068] refer to Figure 19-22 In the third embodiment, the recesses 334, 354 in the inner surface 332, 352 of each of the front portion 330 and the rear portion 350 of the holder 300 include protrusions 336, 356 that are received in corresponding cutouts 314 in each of the two sheets 318 of the coin envelope 310. When the sheets 318 are heat sealed together, the cutouts 314 align and the resulting cutouts 314 in the envelope interlock with the protrusions 336, 356 to prevent the coin envelope 310 from rotating in the holder 300. Alternatively, the cutouts may be cut in the circular envelope 310 after the heat seal has been completed. Alternatively, two or more protrusions and corresponding cutouts may be used.

[0069] Fig.23 is a perspective exploded view of a holder 400 according to a fourth embodiment. Fig.24 is a perspective view of the inside of the front portion 430 of the holder 400 according to the fourth embodiment. Fig.25 4 is a front view of the inside of the front portion 430 of the holder 400 according to the fourth embodiment. Fig.26 4 is a front view of the inside of the rear portion 450 of the holder 400 according to the fourth embodiment. The short dashed line does not represent any structure and should be ignored.

[0070] refer to Figure 23-Figure 26In the fourth embodiment, similar to the second embodiment, the two sheets 418 of the coin envelope 410 each include two protrusions 416 that are received in corresponding cutouts 438, 458 in the recesses 434, 454 in the inner surfaces 432, 452 of the front portion 430 and / or the rear portion 450 of the holder 400. When the sheets 418 are heat sealed together, the protrusions 416 align and the resulting protrusions 416 in the envelope 410 interlock with the cutouts 438, 458 to prevent the coin envelope 410 from rotating in the holder 400. In the fourth embodiment, the cutouts 438 in the front portion 430 of the holder 400 and the cutouts 458 in the rear portion 450 are located near the outer circumference of the interlocking receivers on the front portion 430 of the holder 400. Thus, in addition to or instead of the cutout, a correspondingly positioned projection or ear on the coin envelope can be rotationally fixed by the receiving portion.

[0071] The cutout and corresponding projection on each of the envelope and the recess can take various forms and quantities, so as to achieve the purpose of preventing the coin envelope from rotating in the retainer. A single projection and cutout can be used, or 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or more projections and cutouts can be used. The cutout and projection can be circular as in the third embodiment, or various other shapes can be taken, such as V-shaped, semicircular or rectangular. In one embodiment, the envelope can be configured to have one or more flat edges, which are aligned with the corresponding flat edges of the recess. The envelope does not need to be roughly circular in shape, and other shapes can be taken, such as octagonal. A combination between the cutout and projection on one or both of the envelope and the recess can be used.

[0072] In one embodiment, the sleeve of the fourth embodiment can be used with the front and rear portions of the first embodiment. In this configuration, the protrusion of the sleeve will be rotationally fixed in place by the receiving portion of the front portion of the retainer. However, if there is no corresponding cutout for the protrusion, the front and rear portions of the retainer may not fully fit in the area of ​​the protrusion, but the sleeve can be thin enough so that when viewed from the outside, the front and rear portions effectively snap together around their perimeters without any noticeable gap.

[0073] Fig. 27A cross-sectional view of the holder is shown sliced ​​along one of the ribs from one side toward the other. The structure shown (not to scale) functionally illustrates how each rib 159 of the lower portion 150 of the holder 100 fits into the channel 139 of the upper portion 130 of the holder 100 to secure the paper label 170 in place. The channel 139 of the upper portion 130 of the holder is formed by an outer portion 184 of the upper portion 130 of the holder, an overhang 182 of the upper portion 130 of the holder, and a label holding area 180 of the upper portion 130 of the holder. As shown in FIG. Fig.10 As shown, the paper label 170 is placed on the label holding area 180 and slides through the slots on each of the right and left sides so that the paper label 170 slides under the overhang 182 on each of the right and left sides of the upper portion 130 of the holder 100. When the front portion 130 and the rear portion 150 of the holder are snapped together, each of the ribs 159 presses a portion of the right or left edge of the label 170 against the overhang 182 of the upper portion 130 of the holder 100 in the label fixing area 186 to fix the label 170 in place.

[0074] Although the subject matter has been described in terms of certain embodiments, other embodiments that may or may not provide the various features and aspects set forth herein should be understood to be contemplated by the present disclosure. The specific embodiments set forth herein are disclosed only as examples, and the scope of the present patent subject matter is defined by the appended claims. In the claims, a part shall include greater than zero and up to the whole of the thing.

Claims

1. A collectible coin holder, characterized in that: The collectible coin holder comprises: a coin envelope formed from two sheets of transparent flexible material enclosing a collectible coin between the two sheets, the two sheets being sealed together around a portion of the perimeter of the coin envelope to secure the collectible coin between the two sheets; a front portion formed of plastic and having a label holding area for holding a label; and The rear portion, which is formed of plastic, wherein the front portion and the rear portion have inner surfaces, the front portion and the rear portion snap together to secure the coin envelope in a viewing opening extending through the front portion and the rear portion, and Wherein, at least one of the front portion and the rear portion has a recess on an inner surface surrounding the viewing opening, the recess being shaped to match a portion of the perimeter of the coin envelope.

2. The collectible coin holder according to claim 1, characterized in that Each of the front portion and the rear portion has a recess, and the recess of the front portion and the recess of the rear portion have a combined depth configured to accommodate a thickness of the coin envelope at the perimeter of the coin envelope.

3. The collectible coin holder according to claim 1, characterized in that Only the front portion has a recess, and the recess of the front portion has a depth configured to accommodate the thickness of the coin envelope at the perimeter of the coin envelope.

4. The collectible coin holder according to claim 1, characterized in that Only the rear portion has a recess, and the recess of the rear portion has a depth configured to accommodate the thickness of the coin envelope at the perimeter of the coin envelope.

5. The collectible coin holder according to claim 1, characterized in that: The perimeter of the coin envelope is generally circular in shape and further has a cutout located in the circular shape, and wherein the recess of the front portion or the recess of the rear portion includes a protrusion configured to engage with the cutout to rotationally secure the coin envelope in the viewing opening.

6. The collectible coin holder according to claim 1, characterized in that The perimeter of the coin envelope is generally circular in shape and also has a protrusion protruding from the circular shape.

7. The collectible coin holder according to claim 6, characterized in that The recess of the front portion or the recess of the rear portion includes a cutout configured to engage the protrusion to rotationally secure the coin envelope in the viewing opening.

8. The collectible coin holder according to claim 1, characterized in that The perimeter of the coin envelope is not generally circular in shape.

9. The collectible coin holder according to claim 1, characterized in that: Heat is used to seal the two sheets together.

10. The collectible coin holder according to claim 1, characterized in that The viewing opening is circular.

11. The collectible coin holder according to claim 1, characterized in that The collectible coin holder further comprises: two overhangs formed in the front portion, each overhang extending over a portion of the label along one of two opposing sides of the label at a location on the label holding area; and At least two tabs extend from the rear portion, each tab being positioned to press a portion of an underside of the label on one of the opposing sides against one of the overhangs to secure the label in place.

12. A collectible coin in a shell, characterized in that: The cased collectible coins include: A collectible coin holder according to any one of claims 1 to 11; said collectible coin being enclosed within said coin envelope of said collectible coin holder; and A transparent plastic housing includes a front portion ultrasonically welded to a rear portion and encloses the collectible coin holder.

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