Card – picture – or sign exhibiting – Picture frame – Mat – mount – or backing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-16
2001-04-17
Davis, Cassandra H. (Department: 3628)
Card, picture, or sign exhibiting
Picture frame
Mat, mount, or backing
C040S124191
Reexamination Certificate
active
06216378
ABSTRACT:
DESCRIPTION
The present invention has for object an improvement to a photo-frame postcard structure and product so obtained.
The invention, finds particular even if not exclusive application in the field of stationery shops, paper industry and items for the interiors furnishing in general, as an anniversary knick-knack.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The postcards are known. They, of all sizes, have some very similar features in common. In fact, they are made up of a stiff board, generally made up of card and having a certain thickness, so that during the shipment it cannot be damaged, with a rectangular shape, and with two completely visible sides. In correspondence of a first side, as known, a more or less typical picture view, sometimes differently matched, of the place where one has been or from where one wants to send his greetings, is shown. In alternative, instead of the usual landscape photo, the postcards are today proposed on the market with different meanings, as wishes, drawings, even tridimensional in some variations. A surely constant feature of every postcard, is instead the back, that is the surface generally subdivided in two areas, in which on a side, the addressee address must be written, on the other one, a suitable often white coloured space being provided, it is possible writing one's own greeting message.
The postcard is undoubtedly advantageous, meaning that on a side it is less expensive than the traditional letter, that is for what concerns the stamps needed in the following phase of mailing, on the other it requires less time in the filling, being limited to the writing of the address and to the greetings with the mailing of a picture to be shared with someone and which recalls the visited place. Nevertheless, it is not always usable, and when it can be used it is very disadvantageous with respect to a letter, because it tends to give the idea of a rather cold and poor relation, mainly in those cases where some special events occur. As a consequence, in most cases, such as birthdays, wishes of different kind, including holidays, which cannot be wished personally, one uses either the traditional letter, or at the most, the cold and impersonal wishes cards. Both in the letter and in the wishes cards, though, is often present the free insertion of photos, together with a book-like folded card, a habit mainly used abroad, whose use though must keep into consideration a certain weight, which when passed, reaches some post rates higher than the usual ones.
Finally, the photo-frame structures are also known. Traditionally, they are made up of a frame, in metal, wood, but also in plastic for the cheapest frames. Behind said frame, a glass for the photo protection together with a card or other support rigid material which is retained perimetrally by suitable hooks which interact with the frame is provided. The card for retaining the photo so to make it visible, is generally provided with a support small foot hinged to the same, which according to the value of the photo-frame may be of different shape and material. Said small foot, perpendicularly book-like opened outwards, allows the supporting in tilted position of the photo-frame. Known in many variations, the frame is widely used as knick-knack and, mainly when it has a value, it may become also a good present.
In case of an anniversary or just as a simple present, between two people living afar, who use the traditional mail for exchanging their greetings, the main drawback, for instance for the addressee when he receives a photo, is looking for a frame which is not always available and which however, involves at least a certain cost. Not only, but it will also be necessary removing the rear supports with respect to the frame and inserting the photo, this latter operation being (mainly for disable people, like old people) very difficult because of the hooking systems which are often complex and not efficient. The sender is so perplex about such a condition that sometimes he does not know whether sending the photo now or doing it another time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the national patent n. 1-279 489 (Armellin et al.), the above mentioned drawbacks, are solved by means of a photo-frame postcard structure and product so obtained, essentially made up of two layers preferably in card, partially pre-jointed in which respectively:
a first one makes up an adhesive support means of a photographic reproduction of the traditional type eventually provided with a perimetrical square;
a second one, making up the pre-printed rear according to the postcard usual size, having a diagonally pre-drawn dash-line, so that an end of this might be lifted and opened for becoming the support means of said photo-frame postcard structure.
The just described solution, undoubtedly and advantageously solves the mentioned problems. It, though, creates other problems, which substantially consist of the technical difficulties of embodiment, for which there is a manual strong component, and of the costs relative to them, for obtaining a quality product. Such difficulties, thus, have a negative effect also on the execution times, which might become too long, definitely not allowing a suitable development to the product.
From an even more technical viewpoint, it may be considered that in this solution, we have a matching between two different cards, each of which is semi-finished, which make up the postcard structure, and only one of these thus jointed cards, is provided with an adhesive support for applying on it the photographic reproduction.
Purpose of the present invention, even considering the previous patent from which it derives according to art. 5 l.i, is that of obtaining an improvement to the good compromise, between the usual postcard and the traditional photo-frame, but also that of obviating to some drawbacks.
These and other purposes, are reached with the present invention according to the characteristics as in the enclosed claims, solving the mentioned problems by means of an improved photo-frame postcard structure and product so obtained, essentially consisting of two superimposed layers, preferably made up of card, in which respectively:
on a side, it makes up an adhesive support means for the association of a photographic reproduction of the traditional type eventually provided with a perimetrical square;
on the other one, making up the structure rear, pre-printed according to the postcard usual size, giving as a result a diagonally drawn dash-line, so that an edge of the first card, might be lifted and opened for becoming a support means of said photo-frame postcard structure;
and in which, said postcard structure, is obtained by folding and locally gluing one on the other the two halves of a stiff board made up of a pre-jointed sandwich, comprising a bi-adhesive film between two card layers.
In such a way, through the considerable creative contribution whose effect represents an immediate technical progress, some advantages already present and pointed out for the previous solutions, such as for instance the fact that the postcard customising is made possible, by the sending of a single message including the greetings and the desired photographic reproduction, are optimised. On the other hand, it will not force the addressee to look for a photo-frame, it being easily replaced by the inherent structure. Thus, it can at least provide for a better comfort, referred to the simplified use which does not require any intervention on the frame by the addressees.
With regard to this improvement, it allows the speeding up of the postcard structure productive process, and obviously in great amounts, substantially reducing the realisation costs with a clear benefit for the final user.
These and other advantages will appear from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment solution, with the aid of the enclosed schematic drawings whose execution details are not to be considered as limitations but are only supplied as examples.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3355828 (1967-12-01), Betz
patent: 4825574 (1989-05-01), Georgia
p
Davis Cassandra H.
Jaskiewicz Edmund M.
STAK ATT SRL.
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