Multilayered Backing Plastic Card Holder

Abstract

A card holder comprising a translucent plastic sleeve front and a multilayered card sleeve backing is disclosed. The multilayered card sleeve backing comprises an inner layer of thermoplastic containing a black pigment, a middle layer of thermoplastic containing a white pigment, and an outer layer of thermoplastic containing a predetermined color pigment. The middle layer of thermoplastic is disposed between the inner layer of thermoplastic and the outer layer of thermoplastic. The translucent plastic sleeve front is heat sealed to the multilayered card sleeve backing The inner layer of thermoplastic contains eight percent by weight of black pigment, the middle layer of thermoplastic contains eleven percent by weight of white pigment, and the outer layer of thermoplastic contains twelve percent by weight of the predetermined color pigment.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention pertains generally to protective card holders and more particularly to a card holder having a multilayered extruded plastic backing.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Game cards are well known. Individuals can collect a number of cards for use in playing a competitive card game. These games are normally role playing games where individuals can use cards that represent different characters in the game. These card based characters can have different attributes based on information printed on the face of the card.

Many cards used also have special value to players of the game. Specific cards are rare or are not as common as other cards, giving them a higher value to the user. Users protect these cards by placing them in plastic sleeves. These protective sleeves are composed of a completely translucent plastic. This presents a problem. As cards get used, minor imperfections may be seen on the back of the card even though the card is protected by plastic. This may permit the competitor to recognize a card before the user plays it. What is needed is a plastic card holder with a colored backing to prevent the back of a card from being recognized.

Colored plastic is known. However, obtaining the specific color or vibrancy desired by users is complicated, difficult, or sometimes impossible. To obtain a bright color, more pigment is required. However, adding pigment to a translucent plastic alone does not solve the issue as the result is a colored translucent plastic. User's desire a colored opaque plastic. However, adding enough pigment to an opaque plastic is insufficient. A large amount of pigment must be added to a plastic resin to result in a colored opaque plastic.

Many plastic card sleeves are formed by heat sealing plastic layers together. Difficulties are encountered when attempting to heat seal a layer of colored opaque plastic with a layer of translucent plastic. The amount of pigment required to form a colored opaque backing affects the physical properties of the colored opaque plastic, resulting in uneven or ineffective seals between the layer of colored opaque plastic and the layer of translucent plastic. What is needed is a plastic card sleeve with a colored backing which is opaque to prevent the passage of light and utilizes a series of colors.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed innovation. This summary is not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

The invention is directed toward a card holder comprising a translucent plastic sleeve front and a multilayered card sleeve backing The multilayered card sleeve backing comprises an inner layer of thermoplastic containing a black pigment, a middle layer of thermoplastic containing a white pigment, and an outer layer of thermoplastic containing a predetermined color pigment. The middle layer of thermoplastic is disposed between the inner layer of thermoplastic and the outer layer of thermoplastic. The translucent plastic sleeve front is heat sealed to the multilayered card sleeve backing. The translucent sleeve front is disposed adjacent to the inner layer of thermoplastic of the multilayered card sleeve backing

In another embodiment, the inner layer of thermoplastic contains eight percent by weight of black pigment, the middle layer of thermoplastic contains eleven percent by weight of white pigment, and the outer layer of thermoplastic contains twelve percent by weight of the predetermined color pigment. The inner layer of thermoplastic is opaque and the outer layer of thermoplastic is translucent. In addition, the inner layer of thermoplastic, the middle layer of thermoplastic, and the outer layer of thermoplastic are coextruded to form a single melted web of polymers. The card holder may further comprise a graphic design disposed on the outer layer of thermoplastic of the multilayered card sleeve backing The card holder may be composed of polypropylene, polyethylene, or polystyrene.

In another embodiment, the card holder is substantially rectangular in shape, having two long sides extending the length of the card holder and two short sides extending the width of the card holder. In one embodiment the translucent plastic sleeve front is heat sealed to the multilayered card sleeve backing along one of the short sides and two of the long sides. In another embodiment the translucent plastic sleeve front is heat sealed to the multilayered card sleeve backing along one of the long sides and two of the short sides.

Still other embodiments of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the following description wherein there is shown and described the embodiments of this invention, simply by way of illustration of the best modes suited to carry out the invention. As it will be realized, the invention is capable of other different embodiments and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious aspects all without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the drawing and descriptions will be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various exemplary embodiments of this invention will be described in detail, wherein like reference numerals refer to identical or similar components, with reference to the following figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view of the multiple layers constituting the card sleeve backing;

FIG. 2A is a view of the multiple layers constituting the card sleeve backing;

FIG. 2B is a close up side view of the card sleeve backing;

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the card sleeve backing;

FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of the card sleeve backing and card sleeve front;

FIG. 5 is a front view of the card holder;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the card holder and a card;

FIG. 7 is a front view of the card holder with a card;

FIG. 8 is a back view of the card holder;

FIG. 9 is a back view of the card holder; and

FIG. 10 is a front view of the card holder.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The claimed subject matter is now described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the claimed subject matter. It may be evident, however, that the claimed subject matter may be practiced with or without any combination of these specific details, without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention and the claims.

Referring to FIG. 1, the multiple layers composing the card sleeve backing are displayed. The card sleeve backing is formed by extruding three layers of polymer together to form a multiple layered material. The card sleeve backing is formed by extruding an inner layer 100, a middle layer 110, and an outer layer 120. As shown in FIG. 2A, the inner layer 100 is adjacent to the middle layer 110. The middle layer 110 is between the inner layer 100 and the outer layer 120. As shown in FIG. 2B, the inner layer 100, middle layer 110, and outer layer 120 are melted together during the extrusion process to form the card sleeve backing 150.

To achieve the vibrant color desired by consumers in the card sleeve backing 150, a specific configuration is used for the multiple layers. Each of the three layers comprise one-third of the thickness of the total card sleeve backing 150. Each of the three layers is composed of a thermoplastic. The inner layer 100 is composed of a thermoplastic with a black pigment. The inner layer 100 has a pigment load of eight percent (8%). This percentage is calculated as eight percent (8%) by weight of black pigment as mixed with the base resin polymer before heating to form the inner layer 100 during the extrusion process. The middle layer 110 is composed of a thermoplastic with white pigment. The middle layer 110 has a pigment load of eleven percent (11%). This percentage is calculated as eleven percent (11%) by weight of white pigment as mixed with the base resin polymer before heating to form the middle layer 110 during the extrusion process. The outer layer 120 is composed of a thermoplastic with the desired colored pigment. The outer layer 120 has a pigment load of twelve percent (12%). This percentage is calculated as twelve percent (12%) by weight of the desired colored pigment as mixed with the base resin polymer before heating to form the outer layer 120 during the extrusion process. In other embodiments a range of percentages may be utilized while effecting substantially the same results. For instance, the inner layer 100 may have a pigment load ranging from six percent (6%) to ten percent (10%). The middle layer 110 may have a pigment load ranging from nine percent (9%) to thirteen percent (13%). The outer layer 120 may have a pigment load ranging from nine percent (9%) to thirteen percent (13%).

The black inner layer 100 is opaque and prevents the passage of light through the card sleeve backing 150. The white middle layer 110 presents a background for the color of the outer layer 120. The colored outer layer 120 is composed of translucent colored plastic to avoid the problems presented by opaque colored plastic.

To make the card sleeve, as illustrated in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the card sleeve is formed by utilizing the card sleeve backing 150 and applying a translucent sleeve front 200 to the card sleeve backing 150. The translucent sleeve front 100 placed adjacent to the inner layer 100 of the card sleeve backing 150. The translucent sleeve front 200 is then heat sealed to the card sleeve backing 150. As shown in FIG. 5, the front of the resulting card sleeve 300 is displayed. The card sleeve 300 has heat sealing 310 around three sides. The card sleeve 300 is substantially rectangular in shape with two sides 320, 324 disposed along the width of the card sleeve 300 and two sides 322, 326 disposed along the length of the card sleeve 300. The card sleeve has an opening 330 to permit a user to insert a card into the card sleeve 300. As illustrated in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, a user places a desired card 10 through the opening 330 to fully insert the card 10 into the card sleeve 300.

As illustrated in FIG. 8, the colored back side 340 of the card sleeve 300 is displayed. The colored back side 340 is opaque and fully hides the card 10 placed in the card sleeve 300. In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 9, the colored back side 340 of the card sleeve 300 may further comprise a graphical design 350. The graphical design 350 may be any size and shape. The graphical design 350 may be a simple design, a complex design, a cartoon figure, or a photographic image.

The card sleeve 300 may be any shape, size, or configuration. As illustrated in FIG. 10 the opening 330 may be along the width of the card sleeve 300 with heat sealing 310 around the remaining perimeter. The card sleeve 300 may be rectangular, but may also be a square, hexagonal, or any other shape. The card sleeve 300 may be any thickness. The multiple layers constituting the card sleeve backing 150 may each be any thickness. In the preferred embodiment the inner layer 100 is forty (40) microns in thickness, the middle layer 110 is forty (40) microns in thickness, and the outer layer 120 is forty (40) microns in thickness. In another embodiment the entire thickness of the card sleeve backing is one-hundred (100) microns, with each layer being equal in thickness. In another embodiment, each layer has a different thickness. The total thickness of one-hundred (100) microns permits the card sleeve backing 150 to be more pliable during the sealing process.

The polymer utilized to form the card sleeve 300 and all of its parts may be any thermopolymer. In the preferred embodiment the card sleeve 300 comprises polypropylene. In other embodiments the card sleeve 300 may be manufactured from polystyrene, acid-free polypropylene, ABS, polyethylene, or any combination of commercially available polymers. All parts of the card sleeve 300 may be made out of the same or different polymers.

What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art can recognize that many further combinations and permutations of such matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.

The foregoing method descriptions and the process flow diagrams are provided merely as illustrative examples and are not intended to require or imply that the steps of the various embodiments must be performed in the order presented. As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art the order of steps in the foregoing embodiments may be performed in any order. Words such as “thereafter,” “then,” “next,” etc. are not intended to limit the order of the steps; these words are simply used to guide the reader through the description of the methods. Further, any reference to claim elements in the singular, for example, using the articles “a,” “an” or “the” is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular.

The preceding description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the following claims and the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1) A card holder comprising

a) a translucent plastic sleeve front;

b) a multilayered extruded card sleeve backing comprising i) an inner layer of thermoplastic containing a black pigment; ii) a middle layer of thermoplastic containing a white pigment; iii) an outer layer of thermoplastic containing a predetermined color pigment; iv) wherein said middle layer of thermoplastic is disposed between said inner layer of thermoplastic and said outer layer of thermoplastic; v) wherein said inner layer of thermoplastic, said middle layer of thermoplastic, and said outer layer of thermoplastic are coextruded to form a single melted web of polymers;

c) wherein said translucent plastic sleeve front is heat sealed to said multilayered card sleeve backing;

d) wherein said translucent sleeve front is disposed adjacent to said inner layer of thermoplastic of said multilayered card sleeve backing.

2) The card holder of claim 1

a) wherein said inner layer of thermoplastic contains from six percent by weight to ten percent by weight of black pigment;

b) wherein said middle layer of thermoplastic contains from nine percent by weight to thirteen percent by weight of white pigment;

c) wherein said outer layer of thermoplastic contains from nine percent by weight to thirteen percent by weight of said predetermined color pigment.

3) The card holder of claim 2

a) wherein said inner layer of thermoplastic contains eight percent by weight of black pigment;

b) wherein said middle layer of thermoplastic contains eleven percent by weight of white pigment;

c) wherein said outer layer of thermoplastic contains twelve percent by weight of said predetermined color pigment.

4) The card holder of claim 3

a) wherein said inner layer of thermoplastic is opaque;

b) wherein said outer layer of thermoplastic is translucent.

5) The card holder of claim 4 further comprising a graphic design disposed on said outer layer of thermoplastic of said multilayered card sleeve backing

6) The card holder of claim 5 wherein said card holder is composed of polypropylene.

7) The card holder of claim 5 wherein said card holder is composed of polyethylene.

8) The card holder of claim 4

a) wherein said card holder is substantially rectangular in shape, having two long sides extending the length of the card holder and two short sides extending the width of the card holder;

b) wherein said translucent plastic sleeve front is heat sealed to said multilayered card sleeve backing along one of said short sides and two of said long sides.

9) The card holder of claim 8 wherein said card holder is composed of polypropylene.

10) The card holder of claim 8 wherein said card holder is composed of polyethylene.

11) The card holder of claim 8 further comprising a graphic design disposed on said outer layer of thermoplastic of said multilayered card sleeve backing

12) The card holder of claim 4

a) wherein said card holder is substantially rectangular in shape, having two long sides extending the length of the card holder and two short sides extending the width of the card holder;

b) wherein said translucent plastic sleeve front is heat sealed to said multilayered card sleeve backing along one of said long sides and two of said short sides.

13) The card holder of claim 12 wherein said card holder is composed of polypropylene.

14) The card holder of claim 12 wherein said card holder is composed of polyethylene.

15) The card holder of claim 12 further comprising a graphic design disposed on said outer layer of thermoplastic of said multilayered card sleeve backing

16) The card holder of claim 2

a) wherein said card holder is substantially rectangular in shape, having two long sides extending the length of the card holder and two short sides extending the width of the card holder;

b) wherein said translucent plastic sleeve front is heat sealed to said multilayered card sleeve backing along one of said short sides and two of said long sides.

17) The card holder of claim 16

a) wherein said card holder is substantially rectangular in shape, having two long sides extending the length of the card holder and two short sides extending the width of the card holder;

b) wherein said translucent plastic sleeve front is heat sealed to said multilayered card sleeve backing along one of said long sides and two of said short sides.