Case and card product

Abstract

Provided is a case (10) in which a back surface (12) includes: a separation line (30) at an upper end; and an upper margin (20) extending from the separation line (30). An upper surface (15) includes a tab (19) that is formed continuously from an upper end of a front surface (11), and that extends from the end on the back surface (12) side to constitute a header (28). By separating the back surface (12) and the upper margin (20) at the separation line (30) in a state in which the upper margin (20) is adhered to the tab (19) and the case (10) is sealed, (i) a state in which the case (10) is sealed is released in a manner such that a trace of being opened remains on the case (10), and (ii) after opening, the header (28) functions as a tucking section and the upper surface (15) functions as an opening / closing lid. As a result, the case can continue to be used for accommodating a card.

Description

Cases and card products

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a rectangular parallelepiped case with a header for storing playing cards or trading cards (hereinafter simply referred to as "cards") that require security, and a card product that includes the case and a plurality of cards stored in the case.

[0002] Conventionally, rectangular parallelepiped cases with headers for storing cards requiring security are sealed and sold as card products (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-177357). A purchaser can remove a card from the case by opening the case. When different cards are stored in each card product, the case may be made opaque so that the contents of the stored card cannot be seen at the time of purchase.

[0003] Figure 7 is a perspective view of a conventional case. Figure 7 shows the case in an opened state. Case 50 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, with a header portion 51 extending from the top of the back surface. To store and seal a card in case 50, the card is placed in case 50 from the top surface as shown in Figure 7, left and right flaps 52 and 53 are closed, and top surface 54 is placed over the case. A tuck (insertion) 55 extending from top surface 54 is inserted between top surface 54 and back surface 58 to close the case.

[0004] To ensure security by preventing the case 50 from being opened at the time of sale, the case is sealed by applying a seal from both sides of the top surface 54 to the side surfaces 57. In addition to or instead of this seal, the tacks 55 and the back surface 58 may be glued together.

[0005] The purchaser can remove the stickers attached from both sides of the top surface 54 to the side surfaces 57, and then remove the tucks 55 to open the top surface 54 as shown in Figure 7, thereby opening the top portion and removing the cards. This case can continue to be used by the purchaser as a case for storing cards even after opening.

[0006] The header portion 51 is used to hang the card product from a hanging rod at the time of sale. For this purpose, the header portion 51 is provided with a hanging hole 56. The card product is hung from a hanging rod that is installed at the sales location and extends horizontally by inserting the hanging hole 56 into the hanging rod. overview

[0007] In conventional cases 50, when a card is stored and the case 50 is sealed to produce a card product, a step of inserting the tack 55 between the top surface 54 and the back surface 58 is required. This step is not easily mechanized, and performing it manually requires labor costs. Even when this step is performed by machine, there are problems with insertion failure and low yield. In particular, when the tack 55 and the back surface 58 are bonded together, this step becomes more complicated and is not easily mechanized.

[0008] Furthermore, the process of attaching the sticker from the top surface 54 to the side surface 57 is relatively complicated and not easily mechanized, and if this process is done manually, labor costs are required, and even if this process is done by machine, mistakes occur and the yield decreases.

[0009] Also, after the purchaser opens the case, the purchaser can continue to use it as a case to store cards, but at this stage the header part is no longer necessary, and the presence of the header part creates the problem that it is difficult to insert and remove the tack smoothly.

[0010] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a new case and card product.

[0011] (1) One aspect of the present disclosure provides a case for storing playing cards or trading cards that require security. The case has a rectangular shape with a header and includes a front, a back, a right side, a left side, a top, and a bottom. The back has a tear line at its top end and an adhesive portion extending from the tear line. The top has a tab that is continuous with the top end of the front and extends from an end of the back to form a header. The adhesive portion is attached to the top or the tab, and by separating the back and the adhesive portion along the tear line while the case is sealed, (i) the sealed state of the case is released in a manner that leaves evidence that the case has been opened, and (ii) after opening, the header functions as an insertion portion (tack) and the top functions as an opening / closing lid, allowing the case to continue to be used to store the playing cards or trading cards.

[0012] This structure ensures security by preventing the case from being opened before sale, since evidence of the case being opened remains. After opening, the header functions as a tack, preventing it from getting in the way. Furthermore, the manufacturing process does not require the insertion of a tack, and the case can be sealed using adhesive alone, allowing for easy mechanization of the manufacturing process and improving yield.

[0013] (2) In the case of (1), the adhesive portion may be adhered to the back surface of the tab, and after opening, the header and the adhesive portion, which are adhered to each other, may function as the insertion portion.

[0014] (3) In the case of (2), the adhesive portion may be configured to be folded back from the top end of the tab so as to be adhered to the front surface of the tab as well.

[0015] (4) In the case of (1), the adhesive portion may be adhered to the inside of the top surface, and after opening, the top surface and the adhesive portion, which are adhered to each other, may function as the opening and closing lid.

[0016] (5) In any of the cases (1) to (4), the header may have a hole for inserting a hanging rod to hang the case.

[0017] (6) In any of the cases (1) to (5), the separation line may be configured to be strong enough not to separate under its own weight even when the case is suspended with the playing card or trading card stored inside.

[0018] (7) In any of the cases of (1) to (6), the separation line may have a convex shape at its center that is directed downward on the back surface to facilitate separation with fingers and to facilitate opening and closing of the opening / closing cover.

[0019] (8) In the case of (7), the downwardly convex shape may be a rounded shape.

[0020] (9) A card product according to one aspect of the present disclosure has a configuration including a case according to any one of (1) to (8) and a plurality of playing cards or trading cards housed in the case.

[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a case according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the case according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of the header of the case according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the operation of opening the case according to an embodiment. FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the operation of closing the lid on the case according to an embodiment after opening. FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a modified example of the case according to an embodiment. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a conventional case. Embodiment

[0022] Several embodiments will be described below, but the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and the technical elements, functions, etc. of the several embodiments can be combined in any manner.

[0023] (Configuration of the Case) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the case according to the embodiment, and FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the case according to the embodiment. Hereinafter, the surface shown in FIG. 2 will be referred to as the front or outer surface, and the reverse side will be referred to as the back or inner surface. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the case 10 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape consisting of a front surface 11, a back surface 12, a right side surface 13, a left side surface 14, a top surface 15, and a bottom surface 16. A header 28 is provided at the upper end of the back surface 12 and extends therefrom. The header 28 is formed by stacking a tab 19, an upper overlap portion 20, and a folded portion 21. The header 28 has a hanging hole 29.

[0024] The back surface of the right side surface 13 is adhered to the back surface of the side overlapping portion 17, and the back surface of the bottom surface 16 is adhered to the front surface of the bottom overlapping portion 18.

[0025] The rear surface 12 has a separation line 30 at its upper end and an upper overlap margin 20 as an adhesive portion extending from the separation line. The upper overlap margin 20 has a folded portion 21 extending from its upper end. The upper surface 15 is formed continuously with the front surface 11. The upper surface 15 has a tab 19 extending from its end on the rear surface 12 side (the upper end in FIG. 2 ). This tab 19 becomes part of the header 28.

[0026] The separation line 30 has enough strength to prevent the case 10 containing the card from being separated by its own weight even when it is hung by the hanging hole 29. The separation line 30 is formed by making intermittent cuts between the back surface 12 and the tag adhesive margin 20.

[0027] 3 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of the header of the case according to the embodiment. The back surface of the tab 19 is bonded to the back surface of the upper overlap portion 20, and the back surface of the folded portion 21 is bonded to the front surface of the tab 19. In this manner, in this embodiment, the header 28 has a configuration in which the tab 19, upper overlap portion 20, and folded portion 21 overlap, ensuring strength.

[0028] (Method for manufacturing card products) The process for manufacturing a card product in which cards are housed in the above-mentioned case will be described. The following steps are all performed by an apparatus. The process for manufacturing card products includes a folding step and a gluing step for a case 10 that is integrally constructed as shown in FIG. 2. A flat case as shown in FIG. 2 is prepared. The case is entirely constructed from a single material, specifically, paper.

[0029] First, mountain folds are made between the right side surface 13 and the front surface 11, between the front surface 11 and the left side surface 14, between the left side surface 14 and the back surface 12, and between the back surface 12 and the side overlap margin 17, and then the back surface of the right side surface 13 is bonded to the surface of the side overlap margin 17 using adhesive. This creates a cylindrical shape with open top and bottom. Next, mountain folds are made in the order of the right bottom flap 22, the left bottom flap 23, the bottom overlap margin 18, and the bottom surface 16, and then the back surface of the bottom surface 16 is bonded to the surface of the bottom overlap margin 18 using adhesive.

[0030] In this state, a box with a bottom and an open top is formed. In this state, a card is placed inside the case 10. The card may be placed in the case 10 as is, or may be placed in a plastic inner bag before being placed in the case 10.

[0031] After the card is stored, the right top flap 24, the left top flap 25, and the top surface 15 are each folded in a mountain fold, and the area between the top surface 15 and the tab 19 is folded in a valley fold. Then, the back surface of the tab 19 overlaps the back surface of the upper overlap margin 20, and the back surface of the tab 19 is adhered to the back surface of the upper overlap margin 20 with an adhesive.

[0032] Furthermore, by folding the upper overlap margin 20 and the folded-back portion 21 in a mountain fold, the front surface of the tab 19 and the back surface of the folded-back portion 21 overlap, and the front surface of the tab 19 and the back surface of the folded-back portion 21 are bonded together with an adhesive. As a result, the header 28 is formed, in which the upper overlap margin 20, tab 19, and folded-back portion 21 are bonded together in this order, extending from the upper end of the back surface 12.

[0033] At this time, the hole 26 of the upper overlap margin 20 and the hole 27 of the folded-back portion 21 overlap, and since the notch of the tab 19 is located at this overlapping portion, the holes 26 and 27 form a hanging hole 29 .

[0034] As described above, the manufacturing process for card products includes the steps of constructing the case 10, inserting the card, and sealing the case. The steps of constructing and sealing the case 10 include a folding step and a gluing step, but there are no complicated steps such as an insertion step, so the process can be easily mechanized, and the absence of any complicated steps also allows for a high yield.

[0035] (Operations after Purchase) After purchasing a card product, the purchaser can open the case 10 and remove the stored card. After opening the case 10, removing the card from the case 10, and using the card, the purchaser can continue to use the case 10 as a case for storing cards.

[0036] 4 is a perspective view showing the operation of opening the case of the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, when the case 10 is sealed, the back surface 12 is separated from the tag adhesive strip 20 along the separation line 30, thereby releasing the sealed state of the case 10 and opening the case 10. At this time, the case 10 is opened in a manner that leaves evidence that it has been opened.

[0037] In this embodiment, opening that leaves traces of having been opened refers to irreversible opening in which the case is separated at the tear line 30 and the back surface 12 and the tag adhesive tab 20 are not reconnected at the tear line 30. With this configuration, if the case 10 is opened before purchase, the open state is irreversibly maintained, so once opened, the case 10 cannot be resealed as if it were unopened, thereby ensuring the security of the card.

[0038] The tear line 30 has a convex shape in the center that projects downward from the rear surface. Specifically, the convex shape is round, more specifically, an arc shape. When opening the package, pressing a finger against this convex portion makes it easy to tear the tear line 30 with the finger.

[0039] Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the operation of closing the case after opening the case according to the embodiment. As shown in Figure 5, after opening, the top surface 15 serves as the top cover, and the header 28 functions as a tack, which is an insertion portion. Inserting the tack 28 into the inside of the back surface 12 allows the case 10 to be closed. Removing the tack 28 opens the top cover 15, allowing the stored card to be removed. In this case, too, the center of the separation line 30 has a convex shape, making it easy to remove the tack 28 by placing a finger on this convex portion of the tack 28 and pulling it out.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the header 28 is adhered to the tag 19, the tag adhesive tab 20, and the folded portion 21 so that they overlap, thereby ensuring strength, which is also effective when the header 28 is used as a tack after the case 10 is opened.

[0041] Furthermore, the part that was a header for hanging a card product when unopened can be used as a tack after opening, so no header remains after opening. Therefore, case 10 can be used as a case without a header after opening.

[0042] As described above, in this embodiment, the manufacturing process of the case does not require the complicated step of inserting tucks, and the case 10 can be constructed and sealed through folding and gluing steps, which makes it easy to mechanize the process, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

[0043] Furthermore, when the case 10 is opened, the tear line 30 is cut off in a manner that leaves a trace of the case being opened, and the case is irreversibly opened. Therefore, once opened, the case cannot be returned to an unopened state, ensuring the security of the card.

[0044] Furthermore, after opening, the header 28 can be used as a tuck, allowing it to continue to be used as a case for storing used cards, without the header 28 remaining as a header. Therefore, the header 28 does not get in the way, improving usability.

[0045] (Variations) In the above embodiment, a folded portion 21 is further provided on the upper overlap portion 20, and after the upper overlap portion 20 and the tab 19 are bonded together, the folded portion 21 is further folded back and bonded to the tab 19. However, instead, the folded portion 21 may be omitted.

[0046] In this case, however, the adhesive cross section of the tab 19 and the upper overlap margin 20 is exposed at the upper end of the header 28, reducing the design quality and making the adhered tab 19 and upper overlap margin 20 more likely to peel off from the upper end of the header 28. On the other hand, by providing the folded portion 21, the upper end of the header 28 becomes a mountain fold between the upper overlap margin 20 and the folded portion 21, improving the design quality and further strengthening the adhesion of the header 28.

[0047] In the above embodiment, the back surface of the tab 19 is bonded to the back surface of the upper overlap portion 20. Alternatively, the folded portion 21 may be omitted, and the front surface of the upper overlap portion 20 may be bonded to the back surface of the top surface 15. In this case, the tab 19 alone becomes the header 28. In this case, a hanging hole is provided in the tab 19.

[0048] In this case, after opening, the upper overlap 20 is adhered to the inner surface of the top surface 15, which becomes the top cover, and the tab 19 functions as a tack by itself. Therefore, a hanging hole is provided in the tab 19 rather than a notch. With this configuration, the case 10 is constructed without requiring complicated processes such as insertion, and is irreversibly opened by cutting the separation line 30 in a manner that leaves evidence of opening, and after opening, the tab 19, which functioned as a header when unopened, can be used as a tack.

[0049] 10 Case 11 Front 12 Rear 13 Right side 14 Left side 15 Top 16 Bottom 17 Side tab 18 Bottom tab 19 Tab 20 Top tab 21 Fold-back portion 22 Right bottom flap 23 Left bottom flap 24 Right top flap 25 Left top flap 26 Hole 27 Hole 28 Header 29 Hanging hole 30 Separation line

Claims

1. A rectangular parallelepiped case with a header for storing playing cards or trading cards that require security, having a front, back, right side, left side, top, and bottom, wherein the back has a tear line at its top end and an adhesive portion extending from the tear line, the top has a tab that is formed continuously from the top end of the front and extends from the end of the back to form a header, the adhesive portion being adhered to the top or the tab, and when the back and the adhesive portion are separated at the tear line while the case is sealed, (i) the sealed state of the case is released in a manner that leaves evidence that the case has been opened, and (ii) after opening, the header functions as an insertion portion and the top functions as an opening and closing lid, so that the case can continue to be used to store the playing cards or trading cards.

2. The case according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive portion is adhered to the back surface of the tab, and after opening, the tab and the adhesive portion adhered to each other function as the insertion portion.

3. The case according to claim 2, wherein the adhesive portion is also adhered to the front surface of the tab by folding it back from the top end of the tab.

4. The case according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive portion is adhered to the inside of the top surface, and after opening, the top surface and the adhesive portion adhered to each other function as the opening and closing lid.

5. The case according to claim 1, wherein the header has a hanging hole for inserting a hanging rod to hang the case.

6. A case according to claim 5, wherein the separation line is strong enough to withstand the weight of the case even when the case is suspended with the playing card or trading card stored inside.

7. A case as described in claim 1, wherein the separation line has a convex shape at its center point downward on the back surface to facilitate separation with fingers and to facilitate opening and closing of the opening / closing cover.

8. The case according to claim 7, wherein the downwardly convex shape is a rounded shape.

9. A card product comprising: a case according to any one of claims 1 to 8; and a plurality of playing cards or trading cards housed in said case.

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