HOLDER FOR A COLLECTIBLE ITEM

Abstract

A collectible holder to house items including, but not limited to coins, stamps, tokens, and medallions. The holder includes an extended perforated tab with an adhesive backing. The extended tab provides a surface for a user to record information about the item enclosed within the holder. The adhesive and perforation of the tab allows the user to detach the tab and place the tab in a book or other surface that may serve as a form of inventory management.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/607,201, filed Mar. 6, 2012, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a collectible holder with an extended, adhesive-backed, perforated tab.

Collecting is a practice with a very old cultural history. Most collections start with an item that appeals to an individual and then evolves as a collectible as they gain knowledge about the item. Many people collect various mementos and other items such as coins, medallions, tokens, stamps, and other like items. Today there is a growing market for collectible items throughout the world. An increasing portion of this market is brought on by speculators that buy and sell collectible items in an effort to profit from rising changes in value.

Significant aspects of hobby collections include the safe storage of an item while at the same time trying to draw attention to the item by attractively displaying it. The traditional method that has been used by collection hobby enthusiasts for years for storing previously mentioned collectibles is by individually placing these items in a holder made of paperboard or fiberboard with openings through which the item is displayed. This holder may indicate the year the collectible was produced, a possible grade on the condition of the collectible, and any other pertinent information. This type of holder has been the suitable standard for many years, but room for additional innovation remains in the field of collectible display holders, carriers, and/or storage systems.

Several alternatives have been created that relate to the field of hobby collecting. One such example is a coin holder made up of a piece of stiff material, such as cardboard, with a slot embossed with a circular shape to hold a coin in place. The holder is then doubled over to create a pocket in order to house and store the coin. Another example is a carrier or pocket having a transparent cover leaf and a back leaf joined together by a fold or a seam which helps hold in place a stamp or similar substantially flat object that has been placed inside. Yet another example is a tri-foldable card with a display housing that extends through the card. Another coin holder is made up of multiple scored concentric regions that may be removed to fit the diameter of different size coins.

While various approaches have been proposed for securing and displaying coins and other collectible items, further improvements would still be desirable, especially in terms of the manner in which items can be displayed and information regarding the items can be maintained.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a holder suitable for displaying and storing various items.

According to a first aspect of the invention, a holder includes a folded base having a folded edge, aligned openings therethrough, and at least one translucent film closing the aligned openings to form windows. The openings and windows are adapted to receive and retain the item within the holder. A removable tab is attached to the folded base opposite the folded edge, and the removable tab has an adhesive covered by a removable release liner.

According to a second aspect of the invention, a holder includes a base having at least two openings therethrough, a fold line between the openings, and a translucent film covering the openings to define windows. The openings are adapted to receive the item, the base is adapted to be folded along the fold line to align the openings, and the item can be simultaneously received in the openings and retained within the holder by the windows. A removable tab is attached to the base, and the removable tab has an adhesive covered by a removable release liner.

According to another aspect of the invention, a method of using a holder having the above-identified elements includes placing the item in one of the openings, folding the base to align the openings and retain the item between the windows, writing information on the removable tab, removing the removable tab from the base, removing the release liner from the tab, and then adhesively attaching the tab to a surface.

According to still another aspect of the invention, a method of distributing a holder having the above-identified elements includes producing a sheet having a plurality of the holders attached to each other along scored lines that enable any of the holders to be individually removed from the sheet. The sheet can then be shipped to end users whereby the end users are able to individually remove the holders from the sheet.

A technical effect of the invention is that the holder can be adapted for holding a large variety of collectible items. The adhesive-backed tab of the holder aids in inventory management and also the retrieval of the holder from a storage album. Another advantage of the holder is that it can be inexpensive and readily manufacturable.

Other aspects and advantages of this invention will be better appreciated from the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 represents a front view of an individual collectible holder prior to a collectible item being secured therein.

FIG. 2 represents a rear view of the holder of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 represents a side view of the holder of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 represents a front view of the holder of FIGS. 1 through 3 after the holder has been closed by folding along a fold line.

FIG. 5 represents a side view of the closed holder of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 represents a rear view of the closed holder of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 represents a sheet containing multiple holders of the type represented in FIGS. 1 through 3.

FIG. 8 represents a cross-sectional view of the holder of FIGS. 1 through 3.

FIG. 9 represents a cross-sectional view of the closed holder of FIGS. 4 through 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following descriptions various specific details are set forth relating to coin holders adapted to be used by coin collectors as well as professional dealers who may desire to grade particular coins. It should be understood that the present invention is readily adapted for holding various types of collectible items, including but not limited to jewels, stamps, tokens, commemorative coins, currency, and like. The present invention can be produced or manufactured using a wide variety of materials in addition to those specifically described here. Specific shapes, sizes and dimensions for particular embodiments are provided only for example, except where otherwise noted. In other instances, well known structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure the understanding of this invention.

In the embodiments represented in FIGS. 1 through 7, a collectible holder 10 is shown that may be manufactured from a clay-coated paperboard base 13 that faces outward, which is consistent on both the upper and lower portions of the holder 10 (as viewed in the orientation of FIGS. 1 and 2). Also, the holder 10 has upper and lower view openings 14a and 14b in the base 13, which are preferably of near identical size and present on both the upper and lower portions of the holder 10. The holder 10 also includes a translucent film 15 (FIG. 2) that is bonded to the backside of the base 13 by an adhesive and defines translucent or transparent windows 15a and 15b within the openings 14a and 14b. The adhesive may be a general purpose, rubber-based adhesive that can be attached to an approximately 0.5 mil (about 6 mm) thick clear polyester film carrier. The adhesive can be backed by a release liner 17, for example, a #60 polycoated kraft paper. Suitable materials for the film 15 include a polymer resin commonly known as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Polyethylene terephthalate is ideally suited due to its ability to protect a collectible from damaging elements such as oils secreted from one's skin as well as its translucent appearance. In FIG. 1, the holder 10 is also shown as having a tab 12 that is attached to the holder 10 by way of a horizontally perforated or scored line 11. The holder 10 also includes a pre-made indentation, crease, or fold line 16 between the upper and lower portions, and therefore between the openings 14a and 14b. As evident from FIG. 1, the upper and lower portions and their respective openings 14a and 14b are substantially identical so that folding of the base along its fold line 16 enables the upper portion and its opening 14a to be superimposed on the lower portion and its opening 14b (or vice versa), with the tab 12 protruding from the resulting folded structure.

A coin collector may select a particular configuration of the holder 10 having openings 14a and 14b that would best suit the diameter of the coin to be stored. The coin is then placed inside the collectible holder corresponding with the upper opening 14a where it is supported in the upper opening 14a by the film 15. Thereafter, the holder 10 can be folded over onto itself, with the upper and lower portions superimposed on each other as shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, to aid in the storage of the coin within the holder 10. For this purpose, the holder 10 is folded (closed) by bending along the fold line 16 so that the lowermost edge of the lower portion is adjacent the scored line 11 adjacent the tab 12. To aid in the storage and/or security, strategically placed adhesive, staples, tape, or any other fastening agent or means can be used in order to temporarily or permanently close the holder 10 and seal an item within the openings 14a and 14b and between the windows 15a and 15b. Referring to the view shown in FIG. 2 showing the backside view of the holder 10, a double-sided adhesive 18 with the release liner 17 is placed on the uncoated side of the base 13. The scored line 11 extends through the adhesive 18 and liner 17 to allow the tab 12 to be completely removed from the holder 12 to define an edge. The release liner 17 below the scored line 11 can be removed by a manufacturing process discussed below. The film 15 is then be cut (as explained below in the manufacturing process) and placed over the area of the back of the holder 10 where the release liner 17 had been removed. Thus, a portion of the double-backed adhesive 18 and liner 17 remain on the tab 12, which remains connected to the holder 10 by the scored line 11 until a user desires to remove the tab 12 from the remainder of the holder 10. Until then, the scored line 11 can provide an attachment to the holder 10 that can be used to pull the holder 10 from, for example, a plastic coin book sleeve.

Referring to FIG. 3, a side view of the unfolded (open) holder 10 is shown, including the base 13 encompassing the above-noted features including the tab 12, adhesive 18, and release liner 17. The tab 12 is attached to the base 13 by way of the scored line 11, which extends through the base 13 and adhesive 18. The upper and lower viewing windows 14a and 14b are separated by the fold line 16 and extend through the base 13 and adhesive 18, but not through the film 15. FIG. 7 a plan view of a sheet 30 from which multiple holders 10 can be produced, and represents a perforated edge 20 created during the manufacturing process discussed below. FIG. 8 represents a cross-sectional view of the holder 10 of FIGS. 1 through 3.

Referring to FIG. 4, the upper portion of the holder 10 is visible, and the lower portion is concealed behind the upper portion as a result of folding the holder 10 along its fold line 16. Prior to folding, the item to be stored within the holder 10 is placed so that it is captured within the openings 14a and 14b between the translucent windows 15a and 15b. Side, rear, and cross-sectional views of the folded holder 10 are shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 9, respectively. As evident from FIGS. 5, 8 and 9, the release liner 17 can be removed from the tab 12 to allow the tab 12 to be adhesively attached to another object, for example, an inventory log. The tab 12 can be formed of the same material as that of the base, which is preferably formed of a material that can be written on. Consequently, information regarding the item contained within the holder 10 can be written on the tab 12, after which the tab 12 can be removed from the holder 10 along the scored line 11 and adhesively placed in another location as a record-keeping technique. Following removal of the tab 12, the holder 10 has an edge (not shown) where the scored line 11 previously existed, and this edge (which is noticeably rough or irregular relative to the remaining edges of the holder 10) is opposite the folded edge of the folded holder 10 that was created by folding the holder 10 at its fold line 16 (FIG. 5).

As noted above, FIG. 7 represents a plan view of a completed sheet of multiple collectible holders 10 after being manufactured by a process that is explained below. Each holder 10 includes corresponding upper and lower portions of the base 13 that features an outside edge 19 of the tab 12, which is connected to the base 13 by way of the scored line 11. Also shown are upper and lower view windows 14a and 14b that house the film 15 attached to the base 13 by the adhesive 18. The holders 10 are able to be separated from each other by breaking the scored lines 21 that, when broken, create the perforated edge 20.

As an example of a manner in which the holder 10 can be manufactured, the base 13 may be provided in the form of web shipped as a master roll that can be processed at a first station by passing the web through a series of idler rollers to reduce the memory in the web. A roll carrying the adhesive 18 can be placed on a separate roller that will allow the adhesive to be applied or “married” to the base 13 after it exits the idler rollers. Once married, the adhesive 18 and its release liner 17 are present on the back (or brown/gray) side of the base 13. This process may entail the base 3 passing through a set of spring-loaded shafts to insure that the adhesive 18 is firmly adhered to the base 13.

At the next manufacturing station, the back side of the web is perforated to create the tab 12 and scored line 11. Furthermore, the upper and lower viewing holes 14 a and 14b are punched. Next, the release liner 17 of the adhesive 18 is sectioned off in two sections, by which a large portion of the release liner 17 is removed while a strategically-placed section of the release liner 17 remains on the back of the tab 12. The surface of the base 13 from which the release liner 17 was removed to leave only the adhesive 18 can then be married to the film 15.

The web can then be perforated, indented, creased, etc. to form the folds 16 between the upper and lower viewing holes 14a and 14b to facilitate the folding operation that results in the folded/closed configuration shown in FIGS. 4 through 6. The resulting sheet is now stamped, punched, and perforated to contain multiple holders 10, generally as represented in FIG. 7. The holders 10 can be shipped in the configuration represented in FIG. 7 to allow the end user (dealer, collector, etc.) to separate individual holders 10 as they see fit. This aspect is advantageous since, instead of units containing multiple holders, conventional coin holders are commonly manufactured and sold as individual units as evidenced by all sides of the holders being smooth.

It should be appreciated that the invention entails a holder 10 as well as a process and distribution apparatus for manufacturing collectable coin holders. However, this invention may have application for other means of distribution in other related industries and other materials. Therefore, while the invention has been described in terms of preferred and/or specific embodiments, it is apparent that other forms could be adopted by one skilled in the art. For example, the physical configuration of the holder 10 and a sheet 30 from which it is manufactured could differ from those shown, and materials and processes other than those noted could be used. Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims.

Claims

1. A holder for an item, the holder comprising:

a folded base having a folded edge, aligned openings therethrough, and at least one translucent film closing the aligned openings to form windows, the openings and windows being adapted to receive and retain the item within the holder; and

a removable tab attached to the folded base opposite the folded edge, the removable tab having an adhesive covered by a removable release liner.

2. The holder of claim 1, wherein the removable tab is attached to the edge of the folded base by a scored line.

3. The holder of claim 1, wherein the removable tab is formed of a material that can be written on to record information relating to the item.

4. The holder of claim 1, wherein the openings are shaped and sized to receive a coin as the item.

5. A holder for an item, the holder comprising:

a base having at least two openings therethrough, a fold line between the openings, and a translucent film covering the openings to define windows, the openings being adapted to receive the item, the base being adapted to be folded along the fold line to align the openings whereby the item is simultaneously received in the openings and retained within the holder by the windows; and

a removable tab attached to the base, the removable tab having an adhesive covered by a removable release liner.

6. The holder of claim 5, wherein the removable tab is attached to the edge of the folded base by a scored line.

7. The holder of claim 5, where the removable tab is formed of a material that can be written on to record information relating to the item.

8. The holder of claim 5, wherein the openings are shaped and sized to receive a coin as the item.

9. A method of using the holder of claim 5, the method comprising:

placing the item in one of the openings;

folding the base to align the openings and retain the item between the windows;

writing information on the removable tab;

removing the removable tab from the base;

removing the release liner from the tab; and then

adhesively attaching the tab to a surface.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the item is a coin.

11. A method of distributing the holder of claim 5, the method comprising:

producing a sheet having a plurality of the holders attached to each other along scored lines, the scored lines being adapted to enable any of the holders to be individually removed from the sheet; and

shipping the sheet to end users whereby the end users are able to individually remove the holders from the sheet.