SOUVENIR DISPLAY DEVICE
A souvenir display design is described comprising a transparent or translucent housing, the housing having at least one flattened surface for supporting the housing on a planar surface and a recess in a surface of the housing for frictionally receiving and engaging a souvenir. In another embodiment, the souvenir display comprises a keychain type configuration.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/873,216 filed on Dec. 6, 2006, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
BACKGROUNDThis application relates generally to souvenir display devices. More particularly, this application relates to display devices which are generally transparent or translucent and which receive therein souvenirs such as casino chips for easy display thereafter.
It is typical for consumers to purchase or receive souvenirs from vacations, holidays, trips and certain activities such as visits to casinos. Particularly, with respect to casinos, it is quite common to give as a gift or to take home one or more casino chips as a memento of the trip to the casino. In fact, many people routinely collect casino chips from various casinos as a memento or souvenir of their trip. Such casino chips and other souvenirs typically are placed on a table or in a drawer and are easily forgotten (as such souvenirs may be difficult to properly display).
SUMMARYIn accordance with the present invention, a display device is provided which easily and efficiently stores a souvenir such as a casino chip for later display. An exemplary souvenir display device comprises a transparent or translucent plastic housing having a surface which includes an opening therein. The opening is sized and configured to allow the souvenir to be easily press fit (i.e., friction fit) therein. The housing also includes at least one flattened area so as to permit positioning of the housing on a flat surface such as a shelf or table. Because the housing is transparent or translucent, the souvenir is readably viewed from any side of the display device. Moreover, in the event that a different souvenir is desired to be placed in the display device, the friction fit will allow ease of removal of the souvenir with replacement of a different souvenir therein.
Another exemplary display device comprises a keychain type configuration.
The above-described display device is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and provides an easy cost-effective way of displaying a memento or other souvenir such as a casino chip.
Referring to
Front surface 12 includes a cylindrical opening 20 therein. In this embodiment, opening 20 is comprised of a circular base surface 22 and a cylindrical sidewall 24. Opening 20 is sized and configured to receive and frictionally engage with a souvenir such as a casino chip 26 shown in
Display device 10 is of one-piece construction and preferably molded although the device could be machined from a single block of material. Display device 10 is made from a suitable polymeric material, which exhibits transparency and/or translucency, examples of which include acrylics or polycarbonates.
Referring now the
Front surface 12 includes a cylindrical opening 20 therein. In this embodiment, opening 20 is comprised of a circular base surface 22 and a cylindrical sidewall 24. Opening 20 is sized and configured with one or more ribs 32 to receive and frictionally engage with a souvenir such as a casino chip 26 shown in
Display device 10 is of one-piece construction and preferably molded although the device could be machined from a single block of material. Display device 10 is made from a suitable polymeric material, which exhibits transparency and/or translucency, examples of which include acrylics or polycarbonates. Referring to
While the embodiments shown in
Referring now to
Of course, any portion of the device may have tackiness or be configured to frictionally engage the souvenir to resist movement of the souvenir in an installed configuration.
Referring now to
Referring now to
While preferred embodiments have been shown and described, various modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustrations and not limitation.
Claims
1. A souvenir display comprising:
- a transparent or translucent housing, said housing having at least one flattened surface for supporting said housing on a planar surface;
- a recess in a surface of said housing for frictionally receiving and engaging a souvenir.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein:
- said housing is substantially cylindrical.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein:
- said recess is cylindrical.
4. The device of claim 2 wherein:
- said recess is cylindrical.
5. The device of claim 1 wherein:
- said recess is sized to receive a casino chip.
6. The device of claim 1 wherein:
- said recess comprises at least one rib on an inner wall thereof, and wherein said at least one rib frictionally receives and engages a souvenir.
7. The device of claim 6 wherein:
- said recess comprises three crush ribs spaced along the inner wall thereof.
8. The device of claim 1 wherein:
- a front side of said housing has a surfaced that is beveled from an outer periphery to said recess.
9. The device of claim 1, further comprising:
- a void formed on the back side of said housing.
10. The device of claim 9 wherein:
- said void is formed behind said recess.
11. The device of claim 9 wherein:
- said void is formed outside the circumference of said recess.
12. The device of claim 9 wherein:
- said void is formed both behind said recess and outside the circumference of said recess.
13. The device of claim 12 wherein:
- said void volume varies in at least two areas of said housing rear side.
14. A souvenir display comprising:
- an outer surface having an inner cavity configured to at least partially contain a souvenir and configured to hold the souvenir therein, the display having a front and a rear aperture for displaying a front and a rear side of the souvenir.
15. The device of claim 14, wherein display device is not more than twice the diameter of the souvenir.
16. The device of claim 14, wherein the device is not more than 1.5 times the diameter of the souvenir.
17. The device of claim 14, wherein the device is not more than 1.1 times the diameter of the souvenir.
18. The device of claim 14, wherein the device includes at least one side aperture exposing a side of the souvenir to view.
19. The device of claim 14, wherein at least a portion of the device is deformable.
20. The device of claim 14, wherein at least a portion of the device comprises a plurality of assembled pieces.
21. The device of claim 20, wherein at least two of said pieces are detachable.
22. The device of claim 20, wherein at least two of said pieces are connected by a hinge.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 6, 2007
Publication Date: Jun 12, 2008
Inventors: David H. Raisner (West Hartford, CT), Barbara J. Raisner (Bonita Springs, FL)
Application Number: 11/951,684