OVOID CONTAINER FOR HOLDING A TRANSACTION CARD
An ovoid container for holding one or more transaction cards, such as gift cards, that includes a distinctive size and shape to attract attention. The ovoid container is dimensioned to receive and securely hold a transaction card. The exterior surface of the container is a distinctive color, such as gold, to identify the container as a coveted prize at an Easter egg hunt or other game.
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This disclosure relates generally to transaction card holders and more particularly to an ovoid device for holding a transaction card, such as a gift card, that is well suited for presentation during a relevant holiday or occasion.
Transaction cards, stored value cards, or gift cards, as they are commonly called based upon their intended use, have become popular gifts. Typically, gift cards are a stored value card whereby a cash equivalent value is associated with a code or other data stored upon a machine readable portion of the card, such as magnetic strip. In one aspect, the cash equivalent value may be determined by the vendor prior to packaging and display for sale; while in another aspect, the cash equivalent value is determined at the point of sale by the purchaser and associated with the purchased card. While popular, gift cards are typically provided with a generic and impersonal design, typically identifying the associated merchant for which the card may be used to purchase merchandise and, therefore, may not be perceived as special or coveted by a recipient.
Moreover, holidays and other events may be occasions for gift giving, games, and entertainment. For example, when celebrating the holiday of Easter, Easter egg hunts are common. Although gift cards have become common gift items, they have not been readily incorporated into an Easter egg hunt or placed within eggs used during the hunt, as these eggs are commonly too small to hold a standard-sized gift card within. In addition, due to the relatively high value of a gift card relative to other items that might be placed into an Easter egg for use in an Easter egg hunt, it would be advantageous if a plastic egg specially designed to hold a gift card could also be visually distinctive and more prominent to readily identify it as a desirable or coveted prize in the hunt or game.
Therefore, a need exists for a gift card container or holder designed to appear as a traditional Easter egg container yet suitable to hold a gift card within and to visually identify the container as a coveted prize.
SUMMARYThe purpose of this invention is to provide an egg-shaped or ovoid card container or holder for holding a transaction card, such as a gift card. An ovoid card container or holder may include an elongated top portion and a relatively shorter bottom portion cooperating when fitted to one another to close the container and to form together a hollow, generally ovoid-shaped main body. The top portion and bottom portion each comprise a curved, generally parabolic, and relatively thin wall defining a circular opening. The opening of the bottom portion comprises a male coupling including a flange of reduced diameter relative to the proximate wall of the bottom portion. The opening of the top portion comprises a female coupling including a flange contiguous with and of a slightly larger diameter than the proximate wall of the top portion. It should be appreciated that while not typical the top portion may include the male coupling and the bottom portion may include the female coupling. The outer surfaces of the main body include a distinctive coloration, such as a metallic gold, to render the ovoid card container more noticeable and to increase the perception of value to the observer.
In one embodiment, a transaction card holder assembly includes an ovoid main body that further includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion has a sidewall and an opening while the second portion also has a sidewall and an opening. The first portion is removably engaged to the second portion to form an interior chamber that has dimensions suitable to receive and retain a transaction card therein. The exterior surface of the ovoid body is also golden in color.
Other advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example an embodiment of the present invention.
The present disclosure generally relates to an ovoid shaped container specifically sized and configured to a transaction card, also referred to herein as a gift card. In one embodiment, the ovoid container is suited to hold a transaction card that is a prize for a game, puzzle, or scavenger hunt, including an Easter egg hunt. As such, the ovoid container can hold the transaction card securely once placed therein.
A top down plan view of the ovoid container 100 is shown in
The opening 136 of the bottom portion 130 defines a male coupling arrangement 137 that includes a flange 138A and a lip 138B. The flange 138A has a diameter D1 that is less than the diameter D2 of the wall 133 proximate to the opening 136, while the lip 138B has a diameter D3 that is approximately equal to or greater than the diameter D2. As shown in
The top portion 120 and bottom portion 130 cooperatively engage when fitted to one another to close the container 100 and to form together a hollow, generally ovoid shaped main body 110 as shown in
The outer surfaces of each portion 120 and 115 and, therefore, the main body 110, may include a distinctive coloration, to render the ovoid card container more noticeable and to increase the perception of value to the observer. For example, the exterior surfaces 122A and 132A of the ovoid container may be a golden color. In one aspect, the exterior surfaces 122A and 132A have a metallic golden color, while in other aspects, the golden surfaces have other finishes, including but not limited to matte, glossy, reflective, or iridescent. Additionally, the exterior surfaces 122A and 132A of the ovoid container 100 may be another color or multiple colors.
In various embodiments, the transaction card 150 is automatically oriented into the vertical position, shown in
The ovoid container 100 may be displayed and sold at retail locations individually or in conjunction with one or more transaction cards.
A number of transaction cards 150 that correspond to the number of ovoid containers 100 are removably mounted to the main panel portion. In one embodiment, the transaction cards 150 are mounted to the main backer panel via a removable adhesive.
Specific design features of the apparatus and methods disclosed herein were developed to meet a strong but unmet demand by consumers for a distinctive “Easter egg” type of container 100 sized to securely and closely hold a gift card 150 so that the interior walls of the container 100 contact or nearly contact all four corners of the gift card to avoid excessive movement or rattling of the gift card 150 within the container 100. To assure distinctiveness of the container 100 relative to conventional plastic eggs in the prior art, it is preferred that the container 100 be formed of or coated with a highly distinctive color, and preferred that such color be associated in the mind of the consumer with high value, and further preferred that such color be a metallic gold as such coloration meets the stated preferred criteria.
It should be appreciated that the main body 110 may be constructed of various types of plastics or of other resilient materials and may bear various graphics and designs while maintaining the general structure and functionality described herein. Certain embodiments of the container 100 and any associated packaging are constructed and assembled to comply with standard space constraints for display upon store racks, and more particularly to not exceed 5.25 inches tall by 4 inches wide.
It is believed that the present disclosure and many of its attendant advantages will be understood by the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the components without departing from the disclosed subject matter or without sacrificing all of its material advantages. The form described is merely explanatory, and it is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes.
While the present disclosure has been described with reference to various embodiments, it will be understood that these embodiments are illustrative and that the scope of the disclosure is not limited to them. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that variations from the specific embodiments disclosed above are contemplated by the invention. Many variations, modifications, additions, and improvements are possible. More generally, embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure have been described in the context of particular implementations. Functionality may be separated or combined in blocks differently in various embodiments of the disclosure or described with different terminology. These and other variations, modifications, additions, and improvements may fall within the scope of the disclosure as defined in the claims that follow.
Claims
1. A transaction card holder assembly comprising:
- an ovoid main body comprising: a first portion having a first sidewall and a first opening; and a second portion having a second sidewall and a second opening;
- wherein the first portion is removably engaged to the second portion to form an interior chamber dimensioned to receive and retain a transaction card therein; and
- wherein an exterior surface of the ovoid body comprises a gold color.
2. The transaction card holder assembly of claim 1 wherein the ovoid main body has a general egg-shape.
3. The transaction card holder assembly of claim 1 wherein the first portion and the second portion each have a general elliptic paraboloid shape.
4. The transaction card holder assembly of claim 3, wherein the first portion has a first longitudinal length along a longitudinal axis greater than a second longitudinal length of the second portion.
5. The transaction card holder assembly of claim 1, wherein the first sidewall further comprises a first flange and a lip and the second sidewall further comprises a second flange and an annular recess, and wherein the lip is received in the annular recesses when the first portion is engaged to the second portion.
6. The transaction card holder assembly of claim 1 wherein the gold color is a metallic gold.
7. The transaction card holder assembly of claim 1 wherein the exterior surface of the ovoid body comprises a glossy finish.
8. The transaction card holder assembly of claim 1 wherein the ovoid main body has an overall length along a longitudinal axis of approximately 4.47 inches.
9. The transaction card holder assembly of claim 1 wherein the second portion has a height along the longitudinal axis of approximately 1.8 inches and maximum radius of approximately 1.6 inches.
10. The transaction card holder assembly of claim 1 wherein the ovoid main body contacts at least two corners of a transaction card placed therein.
11. The transaction card holder assembly of claim 1 wherein the ovoid main body contacts each corner of a transaction card placed therein.
12. The transaction card holder assembly of claim 1 wherein a transaction card received within the main body is automatically aligned within the main body, such that a card longitudinal axis of the transaction card is aligned with or parallel to a main body longitudinal axis of the ovoid main body.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 15, 2013
Publication Date: May 22, 2014
Applicant: Gift Card Impressions, LLC (Kansas City, MO)
Inventor: Brett R. Glass (Kansas City, MO)
Application Number: 14/081,819
International Classification: A45C 11/18 (20060101);