FOLDING CARD HOLDER WITH CLOCK
A card holder includes a first or front section having a front section wall, a front radius section joining the front section wall to a front top lip, and a compartment attached to the front section wall. The compartment may be sized and shaped to hold standard business cards (which are typically about 3½ inches long and 2 inches high). A second or back section is pivotally attached to the front section by a hinge joint. The back section has a back section wall and a back radius section joining the back section wall to a back top lip. A display, such as an electronic display of a clock or other device, may be positioned on the back section wall. The front and back sections may be folded together to provide a more compact card holder, especially for packaging, shipping or storage.
Business cards are used everywhere in modern day life. While universally used in commerce, they are also widely used in government, education, non-profit, and various other types of organizations. During most introductions in a business setting, business cards are exchanged. In an office setting, business cards are often presented or displayed in a card holder placed on a desk, table or counter top surface. Some of these types of card holders have also been designed to hold various office accessories, such as pens, pencils, memo pads, paper clips, etc. In general, these card holders are integral single piece units manufactured from metal, wood, glass or plastic, and have no moving parts. Packaging these card holders for shipping and/or storage must accommodate the inherent size of the card holder. This results in added costs and consumption of packaging materials and shipping or storage space.
In many offices, desk top space rapidly becomes cluttered with office accessories, in addition to the usual papers and files. Consequently, there is often little if any space available for useful accessories such as a clock, thermometer, calculator, etc. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a card holder having such an accessory or electronic device.
SUMMARYThis summary is included to provide a brief overview of the invention. However, the features and advantages described here are not requirements or limitations on the invention, and should not be taken as such. Rather, the limitations of the invention are set forth in the claims.
In a first aspect, a new card holder includes a first or front section and has a substantially flat front section wall, a front radius section joining the front section wall to a front top lip, and a compartment attached to the front section wall. The compartment may be sized and shaped to hold standard business cards (which are typically about 3½ inches long and 2 inches high). A second or back section is pivotally attached to the front section by a hinge joint. The back section has a substantially flat back section wall and a back radius section joining the back section wall to a back top lip. A display, such as an electronic display of a clock or other device, may be positioned on the back section wall.
In a second aspect, the compartment of the card holder has a compartment front wall adjoining a substantially flat bottom wall and first and second parallel side walls. A top edge of the compartment front wall may align vertically with a break line where a compartment back wall joins the front section wall.
In a third aspect, the front section is pivotable about the hinge joint relative to the back section from an open position, wherein the front section wall and the back section wall form an acute angle, to a closed position, wherein the front section wall and the back section wall are substantially parallel to each other.
Other objects and advantages will appear in the following detailed description, wherein a single embodiment is disclosed and described. It should be understood, however, that the following detailed description and drawings are designed for the purpose of illustration and description only, and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.
FIGS. 1 and 3-8 show the card holder in the open or un-folded position and
As used here, substantially parallel means extending in a direction that is parallel or within 10 degrees or less of parallel. Substantially coplanar means in the same plane, or in planes offset by 3-5 mm or less. Joining or adjoining means attached to or integrally formed with. Substantially flat means having no curvature or non-planar irregularities when viewed by a casual observer. Surfaces and walls described in the claims may have visible curvature or irregularities, unless they are also described as substantially flat.
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Thus, a novel combination portable electronic device and storage compartment have been shown and described. Various changes and substitutions may of course be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The invention, therefore, should not be limited, except by the following claims and their equivalents.
Claims
1. A card holder, comprising:
- a front section having a front section wall, a front radius section joining the front section wall to a front top lip, and a compartment attached to the front section wall;
- a back section attached to the front section by a hinge joint, with the back section having a back section wall and a back radius section joining the back section wall to the back top lip, and an electronic display on the back section wall.
2. The card holder of claim 1 wherein the front and back section walls are substantially flat and the compartment attached to the front section wall at a break line.
3. The card holder of claim 2 with the compartment comprising a compartment front wall adjoining a substantially flat bottom wall and first and second side walls.
4. The card holder of claim 3 with a top edge of the compartment front wall and the break line at substantially the same vertical distance from the bottom wall.
5. The card holder of claim 1 with the front section pivotable about the hinge joint relative to the back section from an open position, wherein the front section wall and the back section wall form an acute angle, to a closed position, wherein the front section wall and the back section wall are substantially parallel to each other.
6. The card holder of claim 1 with the electronic display adapted to display a plurality of alphanumeric characters, and further comprising electronic circuitry linked to the electronic display and contained within a housing attached to a back surface of the back section wall.
7. The card holder of claim 1 with the compartment having a compartment back wall adjoining the front section wall at an angle ranging from about 0-20 degrees.
8. The card holder of claim 5 where the front lip is substantially coplanar with the back lip when the card holder is in the open position.
9. The card holder of claim 1 with the display further comprising a digital clock including two or more control switches on the back section wall.
10. The card holder of claim 5 with the front panel wall forming an angle of about 20 to 45 degrees to the back wall when card holder is in the open position.
11. A business card holder and clock combination comprising:
- a first section having a first section wall and an a first lip attached to the first section wall at a first angle;
- a second section having a second section wall and a second lip attached to the second section wall at a second angle;
- a hinge attached to the first lip and to the second lip;
- a five sided card compartment joined to the first section wall, with the compartment having a substantially flat bottom wall;
- a clock on the second section wall;
- with the first section pivotable about the hinge relative to the second section, from an open position, wherein the first section wall and the second section wall form a first angle, to a folded position, wherein the front section wall and the back section wall form a second angle less than the first angle.
12. The card holder of claim 11 with the compartment attached to the first section wall at angle ranging from 0 to 15 degrees.
13. The card holder of claim 11 with the first lip substantially parallel to the second lip when the card holder is in the open position.
14. The card holder of claim 13 with the first lip parallel to the bottom wall when the card holder is in the open position.
15. A business card holder and electronic display device combination, comprising:
- a first section having a substantially flat first flat section wall and an a first substantially flat lip attached to the first section wall at a first angle greater than 90 degrees;
- a second section having a second substantially flat section wall and a second substantially flat lip attached to the second section wall at a second angle greater than 90 degrees;
- a hinge attached to the first lip and to the second lips with the hinge positioned below the first and second lips;
- a five sided card compartment joined to the first section wall, with the compartment having a substantially flat bottom wall and a compartment back wall joining the first section wall at an angle of 0-20 degrees;
- an electronic display device on the second section wall, with the electronic display device having a housing extending through an opening in the first section wall; and
- with the first section pivotable about the hinge relative to the second section, from an open position, wherein the first section wall and the second section wall form a first angle, to a folded position, wherein the front section wall and the back section wall form a second angle less than the first angle, and with the bottom wall substantially parallel to at least one of the first and second lips, when the card holder is in the open position.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 27, 2007
Publication Date: Jan 31, 2008
Inventor: Bonni Shevin Sandy (Morton Grove, IL)
Application Number: 11/679,596