Card – picture – or sign exhibiting – Picture frame – Combined
Patent
1997-05-06
1998-12-08
Silbermann, Joanne
Card, picture, or sign exhibiting
Picture frame
Combined
4012406, G09F 100
Patent
active
058454250
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention pertains to the general fields of greeting cards and photo frames and more particularly to an integrated gift item that combines both a photo frame and a gift card having a photo retaining section.
BACKGROUND ART
The giving of photos and/or greeting cards as gifts has long been used and accepted by both individuals and businesses as an expression of love, thanks and to communicate personal messages. Cards are also commonly used to make various types of announcements, such as for new products, business notices, graduations, birthdays and marriages. In many cases, to personalize or to enhance the significance of a gift card, a photograph or the like is inserted into the gift card or the two items are given separately.
For the past few years, the collecting, trading and giving of trading cards, such as baseball and football cards has become so popular that there are now stores that exclusively deal in these trading cards. There are numerous ways that trading cards can be displayed, with the most popular being a binder having plastic inserts that typically accept nine cards per binder. A formal way for displaying and giving of a single card, has been lacking in the prior art until the introduction of the instant invention. The inventive PHOTOFRAME.TM. and gift card combination which includes a slot into which a trading card may be inserted, is particularly suited for aesthetically displaying and retaining trading cards of significant value or rarity. The invention also allows the option of having a larger photograph of the person portrayed in the trading card or a related subject to be inserted into the frame section of the invention.
A search of the prior art was conducted in several department stores, speciality stores, drug stores, catalogs and business gift companies to determine what types and design configurations of photo frame and greeting card combination, if any, were available. This search disclosed that there were no photo slotted gift cards that were integrally attached to a photo frame. Further, no such gift item was located where the frame can be held upright by either the structure of the card or an integrated frame stand. Thus, the prior art did not disclose any items that read directly on the claims of the instant invention.
This application is related to the applicant's copending application Ser. No. 08/ filed 1993 and entitled: GREETING CARD AND PICTURE FRAME COMBINATION.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The PHOTOFRAME.TM. and gift card combination is so named to indicate that within a single article of manufacture is included a photoframe and an integral gift card. The gift card section includes a photo retaining section having a photo slot into which a small photo, such as a trading card, may be inserted that compliments a photograph inserted into the frame. The PHOTOFRAME.TM. and gift card combination in its basic form and function consists of two major elements: a frame and an overlapping back cover.
The frame has a lower edge, an inward section that further has a front side, a back side, an outer edge and a lower edge. The frame also includes means for having a photo inserted and retained therein.
The overlapping back cover consists of an integrated outward panel, a center panel and an inward panel. The outward panel has a first side, a second side, a first side edge, a second side edge and a first photo cutout therethrough. The center panel has a first side, a second side and a first side edge. The first side edge of the center panel is integrally attached to the second side edge of the outward panel by a cover crease. The center panel further has a second photo cutout therethrough that is in alignment with the first photo cutout when the outward panel overlaps the center panel. The inward panel has a first side and a first side edge. The first side edge is integrally attached to the second side edge of the center panel by a frame crease that is located adjacent to the outer edge of the frame's inward section. The first side of the inward panel is attac
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Cota Albert O.
Guon George
Leake Michael J.
Cota Albert O.
Silbermann Joanne
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