Card storage device
By designing a rectangular card holder using ultrasonic welding, the problem of existing devices being unable to effectively protect cards is solved, achieving safe and convenient card storage and operation, suitable for storing sports cards and collectible game cards.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202490000022.5
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2023-08-02
- Filing Date
- 2024-07-09
- Publication Date
- 2025-12-09
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-07-09
AI Technical Summary
Existing card preservation devices cannot effectively protect cards from damage, especially during operation, transportation, and storage, and they take up a lot of space, making it difficult to meet collectors' needs for security and convenience.
A card holder was designed, which uses ultrasonically welded rectangular front and back pieces combined with resealable flaps to form a closed card pouch. The transparent polymer material ensures secure storage and convenient operation of the cards.
It provides secure and reliable card protection to prevent damage, takes up little space, is suitable for large-scale card collections, and is easy to operate, meeting the preservation needs of collectors.
Smart Images
Figure CN223651106U_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] Cross-reference of related applications
[0002] This application claims priority to pending U.S. provisional patent application No. 63 / 530,269, filed August 2, 2023, the entire disclosure of which is included herein. Technical Field
[0003] This utility model generally relates to a plastic storage box for card security, and more specifically to a card holder. Background Technology
[0004] As is well known, trading cards are typically small cards made of cardboard or thick paper, often depicting an image and related text. The most common and collected trading cards are sports cards and collectible game cards. Other categories of trading cards include cards featuring popular movies or TV shows, comic book themes, and art cards. Sports cards can be described as trading cards printed with a sports theme, generally depicting an athlete, and are typically collected by beginners and enthusiasts. The value of sports cards follows normal market dynamics of supply and demand, depending on the overall condition of the card, the year of production, the popularity of the athlete and sport, and the card's scarcity. Collectible game cards are various types of cards collected to form decks, used for a specific purpose or use in a particular card game. Collectible game cards can also be very valuable, their value influenced by the game's popularity, the year of production, the card's use in the game, and its scarcity.
[0005] Today, trading cards are typically sold in sets or packs containing any number of cards. One of the most exciting elements of collecting cards is opening the package to discover and draw rare cards or variants, or receiving cards you don't yet own while trying to complete a set or, if possible, a deck. Given that trading card companies intentionally create rare, low-quantity cards, or release highly sought-after cards into the market, the monetary value and emotional value to owners of certain trading cards can be considerable, making the preservation of these cards extremely important.
[0006] To protect trading cards from surface damage and edge or corner wear, owners place them in plastic sleeves or cases. While thin sleeves can protect the surface, they lack rigidity and are fragile, offering insufficient protection on their own. A common method among collectors is to place the trading cards in a sleeve and then into a separate case. The case itself helps prevent the cards from bending, but using them without a sleeve can lead to surface damage, and the lack of complete coverage due to the open tops of both the case and the sleeve. The process of carefully inserting the cards into the plastic sleeve can easily damage the corners or edges of the cards, and is especially difficult for owners with any disability or injury that hinders their normal use of their hands or fingers. Additionally, owners with large hands or thick fingers, or impaired vision, may find it difficult to carefully separate the sleeves enough to prevent any damage to their cards during insertion. Another potential problem arises when the owner decides to remove the cards from the sleeve and case. For collectors, the common practice involves inverting the card holder and cards while forcefully punching them to make the cards slide out. This creates an undesirable risk of ejecting the cards with excessive force and increases the likelihood of damage.
[0007] Rigid plastic card holders are well-known. These holders typically have a defined cavity for holding the cards and a removable lid. The removable lid may have a latch that is difficult to separate and open, or it may require a screw that needs to be tightened and loosened. Current rigid plastic card holders are limited because cards can move within the cavity and can be damaged during transport. In most cases, the most reputable exchange card grading companies do not accept rigid plastic card holders and consider their use for transporting to their facilities unacceptable. Additionally, rigid card holders are bulky and take up significant storage space for owners with large card collections. There is a need for an exchange card holder that offers the benefits of both the flexibility to reliably hold cards and the rigidity to prevent any damage to the cards during handling, transport, or storage, while also providing a solution for easily and securely placing and removing cards from the holder. Utility Model Content
[0008] According to this utility model, an embodiment is provided, a card holder specifically designed to ensure proper protection and secure storage of trading cards, including sports cards and collectible game cards. Embodiments of the card holder have resealable flaps to completely enclose the trading cards and may incorporate elements of both card sleeves and rigid storage cases, designed to protect the trading cards from damage from handling, transportation, and storage. In a preferred embodiment, the card holder is designed to hold standard-sized trading cards and may be made of any plastic or transparent material.
[0009] The main objective of this invention is to provide a safe, reliable, and completely enclosed environment for the preservation and appreciation of collectible cards. This invention relates to a card holder comprising a rectangular front piece having a left edge, a right edge, a bottom edge, and a top edge; and a rectangular rear piece having a left edge, a right edge, a bottom edge, and a top edge; wherein the left edge of the front piece is ultrasonically welded to the left edge of the rear piece; wherein the right edge of the front piece is ultrasonically welded to the right edge of the rear piece; wherein the bottom edge of the front piece is ultrasonically welded to the bottom edge of the rear piece; wherein a portion of the front piece extends through the top edge of the rear piece to create a folded portion; wherein the front piece is composed of a polymer of a certain thickness; wherein the rear piece is composed of a polymer of a certain thickness; wherein the thickness of the rear piece is five times the thickness of the front piece; wherein the polymer of the rear piece is arranged such that the mechanical stretching direction of the polymer extends from the left edge to the right edge and is parallel to the bottom edge.
[0010] In another embodiment, the polymer of the front sheet and the polymer of the rear sheet are polypropylene. The card holder may also include an adhesive tape disposed on the exterior of the rear sheet, and wherein the flap portion of the front sheet is configured to be removably secured to the adhesive tape.
[0011] In another embodiment, the right edge, the bottom edge, and the left edge of the rear piece are ultrasonically welded to the right edge, the bottom edge, and the left edge of the front piece, respectively, to form a continuous ultrasonic weld.
[0012] In another embodiment, the thickness of the back sheet is 0.5 mm, and the thickness of the front sheet is 0.1 mm. In another embodiment, the back sheet is made of rigid polypropylene, wherein the front sheet is made of polypropylene; wherein the hardness of the back sheet is greater than that of the front sheet.
[0013] The card holder may also include an internal cavity having a width of 68.5 mm between the ultrasonic welds located on the left edge and the right edge, and a length of 95.75 mm between the ultrasonic welds located on the bottom edge and the top edge of the rear piece.
[0014] The card holder may further include: wherein the flap portion has a length of 33.50 mm from the top edge of the rear piece to the top edge of the front piece; wherein the rear piece has a width of 73 mm from the left edge to the right edge and a length of 98 mm from the bottom edge to the top edge.
[0015] This utility model also relates to a structure for manufacturing the aforementioned card holder, comprising: a rectangular soft plastic film having a first section, a second section, a third section, and a fourth section; a rigid polymer separator inserted between the first and second sections of the soft plastic film; an ultrasonic sealing strip that inseparably binds the first and second sections to the rigid polymer separator and binds the second section to the third section to create a card pocket disposed between the second and fourth sections; wherein the fourth section is configured to fold and cover the opening of the card pocket and is removably fixed to the first section; wherein the thickness of the first section, the second section, and the rigid polymer separator together is five times the thickness of the third section; wherein the rigid polymer separator is arranged such that the mechanical stretching direction of the rigid polymer separator is parallel to the width of the card holder.
[0016] In another embodiment, the soft plastic film is measured as Inch width The rigid polymer separator measures 3 inches wide, 4 inches long, and 460 micrometers thick.
[0017] In another embodiment, the ultrasonic sealing strip is measured horizontally as The ultrasonic sealing strip is measured vertically as follows:
[0018] The ultrasonic sealing strip is measured from the outer left, right, and bottom edges of the card holder. The ultrasonic sealing strip is U-shaped.
[0019] The card holder may further include a resealable strip disposed on the outer surface of the second section; wherein the resealable strip forms a releasably coupled bond between the fourth section and the second section.
[0020] Other embodiments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description, in which embodiments of the present invention are simply shown and described by illustrating the best mode suitable for carrying out the present invention. As will be appreciated, the present invention is capable of having other different embodiments, and certain details thereof can be modified in various obvious ways, all without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the drawings and description are to be considered illustrative in nature rather than restrictive. Attached Figure Description
[0021] Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the following accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals denote the same or similar parts, wherein:
[0022] Figure 1 This is a front perspective view of a card holder according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0023] Figure 2 This is a rear perspective view of a card holder according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0024] Figure 3 This is another illustration of a rear perspective view of a card holder according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a method for opening and closing the card holder;
[0025] Figure 4 This is a front view of a card holder in a sealed state;
[0026] Figure 5 This is a rear view of the card holder in its sealed state;
[0027] Figure 6 This is the front view of the card saver when it is open;
[0028] Figure 7 This is the rear view of the card saver when it is open;
[0029] Figure 8 This is another rear view of the card holder in the open state, with a magnified view;
[0030] Figure 9 This is a 3D view of the card holder in its unassembled state, showing the assembly method;
[0031] Figure 10 This is another perspective view of the card holder in a semi-assembled state, showing the assembly method;
[0032] Figure 11 This is another perspective view of the card holder in the open state, showing the final assembly method;
[0033] Figure 12 This is another 3D view of the card holder in a fully assembled and sealed state;
[0034] Figure 13 This is the right view of the card saver; and
[0035] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the assembly method of the card holder. Detailed Implementation
[0036] The claimed subject matter will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth for purposes of explanation in order to provide a thorough understanding of the claimed subject matter. However, it will be apparent, however, that the claimed subject matter may be practiced with or without these specific details without departing from the spirit and scope of this utility model and the claims.
[0037] Reference Figure 1-7 The card holder 100 includes a front panel 130, a rear panel 120, and a flap 140. The card holder 100, with the flap 140 in the open position, is capable of receiving or retrieving trading cards at an opening 126. The flap 140 has an edge adjacent to the front panel 130 at a notched fold line 150. The notched fold line 150 allows any segment of the panel to fold at an angle equal to or less than 180 degrees or any other angle. The card holder 100 may be a transparent, translucent, or opaque polymer material and is designed to securely hold trading cards, and may be made of polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, or any other plastic material. In a preferred embodiment, the card holder 100 is made of polypropylene and is transparent to allow the user to see the cards stored in the card holder 100. The card holder 100 may be rectangular, square, circular, or any shape and size, designed to hold standard-sized trading cards. The card holder 100 can be of any size capable of holding various sizes of collectible cards. In a preferred embodiment, the card holder 100 is rectangular and measures [size missing] in the open state. And measured in the off state It is designed to hold standard trading cards, measuring 2.5″×3.5″×35 dots.
[0038] The front panel 130 and rear panel 120 of the card holder 100 define a card pocket 190 at the upper opening 126 for holding trading cards. When the flap 140 folds down at the notched fold line 150 and covers the rear panel 120, the trading cards can be sealed within the card holder 100. The flap 140 can be made of polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, or any other plastic material, and can be of any size or shape. In a preferred embodiment, the flap 140 is made of polypropylene, is rectangular, and has dimensions of [missing information]. Micrometers. The notched fold line 150 can be positioned along the widest portion of the flap 140, adjacent to the front panel 130, to assist the flap 140 in folding and covering the opening 126 of the card pocket 190 of the card holder 100. A resealable tape 170 may be present on the back panel 120 to removably secure the flap 140 to the back panel 120. The resealable tape 170 can be located on the back panel 120, the front panel 130, or anywhere on the flap 140. The resealable tape 170 can be made of any adhesive material or substance and can be used for permanent or temporary adhesion. In a preferred embodiment, the resealable tape 170 is located on the back panel 120 and forms a releasably coupled bond between the back panel 120 and the flap 140, allowing the user to open and reseal the card holder 100 as needed. The resealable tape 170 may have a thin, non-stick, removable plastic cover on top of the resealable tape 170 for bonding when the plastic cover needs to be removed.
[0039] refer to Figure 8 The front piece 130 and the rear piece 120 can be inseparably connected together at the left, right, and bottom edges of the card holder 100 by an ultrasonic sealing strip 160. The ultrasonic sealing strip 160 utilizes acoustic vibration to generate molecular-level heat to form a concentrated sealing area. The ultrasonic sealing strip 160 can be U-shaped or any other shape and size. When the top edge opening 126 of the front piece 130 and the rear piece 120 is not connected to the ultrasonic sealing strip 160, a card pocket 190 is formed, forming an opening 126 in the card holder 100 from which a swappable card can be inserted. In a preferred embodiment, the ultrasonic sealing strip 160 is measured horizontally as... Measured in the vertical direction as The distance from the outer edges of the left, right, and bottom of the card holder 100 to the ultrasonic sealing strip 160 is measured as follows: The ultrasonic sealing strip 160 may consist of two vertical portions and one horizontal portion, and may also have any other dimensions in both the horizontal and vertical directions, and may be located at any distance from the outer edges of the card holder 100 on the left, right, and bottom. The lower left and lower right corners of the ultrasonic sealing strip 160 may be rounded or pointed at any angle, and may also be formed into a diamond-shaped corner pattern or any other pattern to form an inseparable seal. In an alternative embodiment, the ultrasonic sealing strip 160 may seal the left, right, and bottom edges at a precise outer perimeter of the card holder 100.
[0040] In a preferred embodiment, the back sheet 130 is a rigid, inflexible polypropylene. The back sheet 120 is configured such that the mechanical stretch direction, or fiber direction, of the polymer extends along the width of the card holder 100. This ensures that the card holder 100 has sufficient strength and rigidity to prevent any cards it holds from bending or being damaged. The back sheet 120 can be of any thickness, but is preferably five times the thickness of the front sheet 130. The mechanical stretch direction of the polymer in the front sheet can be in any direction, but is preferably perpendicular to the mechanical stretch direction of the back sheet 130.
[0041] Now for reference Figure 9 The card holder 100 can be composed of various materials, including a soft plastic film 102 having inner and outer portions and a rigid divider 180. The soft plastic film 102 may include an inner film first segment 112a and an outer film first segment 112b of a first sheet segment 110, an inner film second segment 122a and an outer film second segment 122b of a rear sheet 120, an inner film third segment 132a and an outer film third segment 132b of a front sheet 130, and an inner film fourth segment 142a and an outer film fourth segment 142b of a flap 140. The soft plastic film 102 can be of any size or shape, can be of any thickness, and can be made of polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, or any other plastic material. In a preferred embodiment, the soft plastic film 102 is rectangular, made of polypropylene, and has dimensions of [missing information]. The rear sheet 120 may be composed of multiple layers of material to increase rigidity. The rigid separator 180 may be of any size, shape, or thickness and may be made of polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, or any other plastic material. In a preferred embodiment, the rigid separator 180 is rectangular, made of polypropylene, and has dimensions of 3″ × 4″ × 460 micrometers.
[0042] The card holder 100 may consist of a rigid back sheet 120 including a portion of a soft plastic film 102, a first section 110, and a rigid separator 180. The soft plastic film 102 consists of an inner film and an outer film. The rigid separator 180 may be inserted between the first section 110 folded in the axial direction and the inner film section 122a of the back sheet 120. The rigid separator 180 may abut against the sheet surfaces of the inner film first section 112a and the inner film second section 122a. The rigid separator 180 may or may not be sealed to the inner film first section 112a of the first section 110 and the inner film second section 112a of the back sheet 120. In a preferred embodiment, the dimensions of the second section of the back sheet are... Micrometer.
[0043] refer to Figure 10-12 The rear panel 120, consisting of the first segment 110 and the rigid separator 180, can be folded in half and is inseparably bonded to the front panel 130 near the left, right, and bottom edges of the card holder 100 by an ultrasonic sealing strip 160. The unsealed top edges of the front panel 130 and the rear panel 120 form an opening 126 in the card holder 190, through which a swappable card can be inserted. The outer membrane first segment 112b of the first segment 110 and the inner membrane third segment 132a of the front panel 130 can be inseparably bonded only at the ultrasonic sealing strip 160.
[0044] Reference Figure 13 The card pocket 190 can be an internal cavity of any size, holding multiple or any size of exchange cards. In a preferred embodiment, the opening 126 and the card pocket 190 accommodate most standard-sized exchange cards from 2.5″ × 3.5″ up to 35 o'clock. The card pocket 190 can be formed by a U-shaped ultrasonic sealing strip 160 and can be any internal cavity not joined at the rear panel 120 and the front panel 130.
[0045] refer to Figure 14The diagram illustrates a method for forming a card holder 100. In a preferred embodiment, the card holder 100 is designed with a single soft plastic film 102 and a rigid divider 180 inserted between a folded first section 110 and a rear section 120, wherein the folded first section 110 and the rear section 120 with the rigid divider 180 inserted are folded and cover the front section 130, and are inseparably bonded to the front panel 130 via a U-shaped ultrasonic sealing strip 160, and the card pocket 190 is closed when the removable cover is lifted from the resealable strip 170 and the flap 140 folds and covers the rear section 120. A method for making and using the card holder 100 includes the steps of: 200 inserting a rigid divider between two sections of a soft plastic film; 210 folding the two sections over a third section; 220 forming a U-shaped ultrasonic sealing strip on the folded sheet; 230 placing a swappable card into the pocket of the card holder; and 240 removing the cover from the adhesive strip and folding the sheet over the adhesive strip. The process is described in another embodiment.
[0046] The above description includes examples of the claimed subject matter. Of course, it is impossible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methods for the purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but those skilled in the art will recognize that many further combinations and permutations of such subject matter are possible. Therefore, the claimed subject matter is intended to cover all such changes, modifications, and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, with regard to the use of the term "comprising" in the detailed description or claims, the term is intended to be inclusive in a similar manner to how the term "including" is interpreted when used as a transitional word in a claim.
[0047] The foregoing description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is accorded the widest scope consistent with the following claims and the principles and novel features disclosed herein.
Claims
1. A card holder, characterized in that: (a) includes a rectangular front piece having a left edge, a right edge, a bottom edge, and a top edge; (b) Includes a rectangular back piece having a left edge, a right edge, a bottom edge, and a top edge; (c) The left edge of the front piece is ultrasonically welded to the left edge of the rear piece; (d) The right edge of the front sheet is ultrasonically welded to the right edge of the rear sheet; (e) The bottom edge of the front sheet is ultrasonically welded to the bottom edge of the rear sheet; (f) A portion of the front piece extends over the top edge of the rear piece to create a flap portion; (g) The front sheet is composed of a polymer having a thickness; (h) The back sheet is composed of a polymer having a thickness; (i) The thickness of the rear sheet is five times the thickness of the front sheet; (j) The polymer of the rear sheet is arranged such that the mechanical stretching direction of the polymer extends from the left edge to the right edge and is parallel to the bottom edge.
2. The card holder as described in claim 1, characterized in that... The polymer of the front sheet and the polymer of the rear sheet are polypropylene.
3. The card holder as described in claim 1, characterized in that... It also includes an adhesive tape disposed on the exterior of the rear piece, wherein the flap portion of the front piece is configured to be removably secured to the adhesive tape.
4. The card holder as described in claim 3, characterized in that... The right edge, bottom edge, and left edge of the rear piece are ultrasonically welded to the right edge, bottom edge, and left edge of the front piece, respectively, to form a continuous ultrasonic weld.
5. The card holder as described in claim 4, characterized in that... The thickness of the rear sheet is 0.5 mm, and the thickness of the front sheet is 0.1 mm.
6. The card holder as described in claim 5, characterized in that... The rear sheet is made of rigid polypropylene, while the front sheet is made of polypropylene; wherein the hardness of the rear sheet is greater than that of the front sheet.
7. The card holder as described in claim 6, characterized in that... It also includes an internal cavity having a width of 68.5 mm between the ultrasonic welds located on the left side edge and the right side edge, and a length of 95.75 mm between the ultrasonic welds located on the bottom side edge and the ultrasonic welds located on the top side edge of the rear piece.
8. The card holder as described in claim 7, characterized in that... The flap portion has a length of 33.50 mm from the top edge of the rear piece to the top edge of the front piece; The rear piece has a width of 73 mm from the left edge to the right edge and a length of 98 mm from the bottom edge to the top edge.
9. A structure for manufacturing the card holder as described in claim 1, characterized in that: (a) A rectangular soft plastic film comprising a first section, a second section, a third section, and a fourth section; (b) Includes a rigid polymer separator inserted between the first segment and the second segment of the soft plastic film; (c) Includes an ultrasonic sealing strip that inseparably bonds the first segment and the second segment to the rigid polymer separator and bonds the second segment to the third segment to create a pocket disposed between the second segment and the fourth segment; (d) The fourth section is configured to fold and cover the opening of the card pocket and is removably secured to the first section; (e) The thickness of the first section, the second section, and the rigid polymer separator together is five times the thickness of the third section; (f) The rigid polymer separator is arranged such that the mechanical stretching direction of the rigid polymer separator is parallel to the width of the card holder.
10. The card holder as described in claim 9, characterized in that: (a) The soft plastic film was measured as follows: Inch width One inch long, 100 micrometers thick; (b) The rigid polymer separator measures 3 inches wide, 4 inches long, and 460 micrometers thick.
11. The card holder as described in claim 9 or 10, characterized in that: (a) The ultrasonic sealing strip is measured horizontally as follows: (b) The ultrasonic sealing strip is measured vertically as follows: (c) The ultrasonic sealing strip is measured from the left, right, and bottom edges of the outer side of the card holder. (d) The ultrasonic sealing strip is U-shaped.
12. The card holder as described in claim 11, characterized in that... The card holder includes a resealable strip disposed on the outer surface of the second section; (a) The resealable strip forms a loosely coupled bond between the fourth section and the second section.