U.S. patent application number 12/580706 was filed with the patent office on 2011-05-12 for business card holder and dispenser.
This patent application is currently assigned to GEORGE PATTON ASSOCIATES, INC.. Invention is credited to G. Thomas Patton, Scott Violette.
Application Number | 20110108565 12/580706 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43973390 |
Filed Date | 2011-05-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110108565 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Patton; G. Thomas ; et
al. |
May 12, 2011 |
Business Card Holder and Dispenser
Abstract
Embodiments of the invention are concerned with a business card
dispenser that presents a single card to the user, when the front
of the dispenser is pushed. The dispenser can hold over one hundred
cards, plus one protected display card to show the contents of the
dispenser. This dispenser provides a large quantity of cards in a
compact volume and eliminates "dry finger" syndrome that affects
many other business card dispensers. This is accomplished by use of
a plunger, which pushes through a slot a single card, partially
exposing it outside of the dispenser. Hence, allowing the user to
grab the card with two fingers and pull it to retrieve the
card.
Inventors: |
Patton; G. Thomas; (Bristol,
RI) ; Violette; Scott; (Bristol, RI) |
Assignee: |
GEORGE PATTON ASSOCIATES,
INC.
Bristol
RI
|
Family ID: |
43973390 |
Appl. No.: |
12/580706 |
Filed: |
November 10, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
221/37 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45C 11/18 20130101;
B65D 83/0829 20130101; B65D 83/12 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
221/37 |
International
Class: |
B65D 83/08 20060101
B65D083/08 |
Claims
1. A business card dispenser comprising: a cradle, having an area
to hold business cards; a trigger mechanism for dispensing a single
business card from the cradle; and a front panel, having a hinge
for attaching to front of the cradle, an ejector slot for allowing
a single business card to eject from the dispenser, and wherein
said front panel may initiate the trigger mechanism.
2. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the front panel can be
detachably screwed to the cradle.
3. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the front panel comprises two
panels, creating a vertical opening to house a single business
card.
4. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the front panel comprises a
removable label.
5. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the dispenser is mountable and
hangable.
6. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the dispenser is stackable
against one or more additional business card dispensers.
7. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the cradle can hold over one
hundred business cards.
8. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the cradle is proportional in
shape to a business card.
9. The dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a pressure plate,
having a hinge for attaching to top of cradle, and capable of
maintaining pressure on business cards.
10. The dispenser of claim 1, further comprising: a pressure plate,
having a hinge for attaching to top of cradle, and capable of
maintaining pressure on business cards; and one or more flaps,
attached to the pressure plate, for preventing front edge of
business cards from lifting upwards.
11. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the trigger mechanism is
comprised of: a plunger, having similar length to the business card
and identical height to the front panel ejector slot, and wherein
said plunger is aligned to the bottom business card in the cradle
and locked in a stationary position; and a spring, positioned to
the outside of the back panel of the cradle, and wherein once the
front panel is pressed inward toward back panel of the cradle, said
spring compresses and the cradle slides, moving along the axis of
the spring.
12. A business card dispenser comprising: a cradle to hold multiple
business cards, having a left, right, bottom and back plate; a
shell, to house the cradle, and allowing the cradle to slide in and
out of the shell; a plunger, attached to the shell at a fixed
point, in a position to dispense a single business card from the
cradle; and a front panel, having a hinge for attaching to front of
the cradle, an ejector slot for allowing a business card to eject
from the dispenser, and wherein said front panel initiates a
plunger to dispense a single business card through said ejector
slot.
13. The dispenser of claim 12, wherein the front panel can be
attached to the cradle by screws positioned towards bottom of front
panel.
14. The dispenser of claim 12, further comprising: one or more
snaps, located on the outside of said left or right plate; one or
more slider slots, located on the inside of said shell, wherein
said slider slots are positioned to align with said snaps and allow
cradle to slide in a restricted motion.
15. The dispenser of claim 12, wherein the front panel comprises
two panels, creating a vertical slot.
16. The dispenser of claim 12, wherein the front panel comprises a
removable label.
17. The dispenser of claim 12, wherein the business card dispenser
is mountable and hangable.
18. The dispenser of claim 12, wherein two or more business card
dispensers may be stacked and lined up.
19. The dispenser of claim 12, further comprising: One or more
tabs, located on a back wall of the shell; and One or more springs
positioned between back panel of cradle and shell, and positioned
on said tabs, wherein said springs are normally pushed out, and may
be pushed in by pressing on the front panel, and wherein said
springs allow cradle to slide towards shell.
20. The dispenser of claim 12, wherein the shell is comprised of
tracks along side walls, guiding the sliding motion of the
cradle.
21. The dispenser of claim 12, wherein the cradle can hold over one
hundred business cards.
22. The dispenser of claim 12, wherein the cradle and shell are
proportional in shape to a business card.
23. The dispenser of claim 12, further comprising: a pressure
plate, having a hinge for attaching to top of cradle, and capable
of maintaining a constant pressure on said business cards.
24. The dispenser of claim 12, further comprising: a pressure
plate, having a hinge for attaching to top of cradle, and capable
of maintaining a constant pressure on said business cards; and one
or more flaps, attached to the pressure plate, for preventing front
edge of business cards from lifting upwards.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to the field of dispensers and
more particularly to a business card holder and dispenser.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The use of business cards continues to be very popular by
business owners, employees, professionals and any other person
seeking to concisely share their contact and/or business
information with others. Business cards are often carried
personally by individuals to hand out one by one. Some will leave a
large pile of business cards on their desk or in an easily
accessible place. Sometimes business cards are simply left in the
original packaging and taken out when needed. Others will leave a
stack of business cards in an accessible area for others to take.
For example, at an open house, a real estate agent may leave a
number of cards at a front table for potential home buyers to pick
up. Advertisements posted in public places may have a single
business card attached to it.
[0003] A challenge with business cards is how to properly hold and
store them for various situations. If not kept carefully, business
cards will become dirty and worn very quickly. Therefore is it
important to have a business card holder, that will protect the
cards.
[0004] An additional challenge is how to retrieve and hand out a
business card. The action of picking up just one card is very
difficult. If the cards have a matte finish, they often stick
together. If the cards have a glossy finish, multiple cards will
slide around at the same time. A person's hand or fingernail is too
thick to grab just one business card without touching multiple
cards. Also, a person's finger may be too dry to get enough
friction on the card to allow the card to be picked up. The person
may be required to wet their finger before picking it up. To be
able to hand out just one card requires a lot of handling.
[0005] It is very difficult to properly distribute business cards
without being physically present. Generally, a person will hand out
their own business cards, or be in close proximity to a small pile
of cards. It is not practical or professional to simply leave a
large stack of business cards completely unattended for the public
to take. They are prone to getting very dirty, because multiple
people will be touching them. It is too easy for a single person to
pick up multiple cards, when they only need one. Also, it is
possible for one person to take an entire stack of business cards
or even replace the business cards with their own cards. At certain
events, such as a real estate open house, there may be an option to
lay a number of cards on a table. However, it is still difficult to
pick up a single card from a table and it does not have a
professional look.
[0006] Business cards can also be used in conjunction with
advertisements. For example, a card may just be attached to a
flyer. The card is not necessarily meant to be taken, but merely to
display the contact information of the advertiser. Sometimes,
people will simply cut out tabs at the bottom of a piece of paper
for people to take a phone number. This is not professional and
limited in terms of the contact information that will fit and the
number of tabs that will fit on a single sheet of paper. It is not
possible to effectively hang up multiple business cards in
connection with an advertisement, so that individuals can take
single cards.
[0007] There are also situations where two or more people may want
to advertise together. It is difficult to have two different piles
of business cards displayed together in a manner that is clean,
easy to pick up, easy to see or capable of being hung up with the
advertisement. Prior art does not have one that can be portable, as
well as serve on a desk, table or in connection with an
advertisement.
[0008] There have been attempts to make holders and dispensers.
However, the majority of holders are specifically designed to be
carried on one's person. The person will have a pocket-sized holder
and will distribute the cards one by one to specific individuals.
By design, these pocket-sized holders can only hold a limited
number of cards. As a result, the holder needs to be replenished
very often.
[0009] The holders still do not address the issue of how to pick up
just a single card. In order to pick up a single card, the person
needs to either forcibly slide a finger directly on the card with
enough pressure to release a card, or needs to use a fingernail to
bend one card upwards to be picked up. Both of these situations may
cause damage to the cards.
[0010] Business card dispensers that are currently available
generally must be operated by the holder of the dispenser. Again,
the dispensers are meant for a person to hand out cards
individually. Also, the currently available dispensers often still
require that the card be flexed or bent in some manner when picking
it up.
[0011] What is needed is a business card holder and dispenser that
can hold a larger amount of cards, but is still compact enough to
be portable, stackable and hangable. What is further needed is a
dispenser that allows cards to be dispensed without touching
multiple cards and without flexing or handling the card in a manner
that will make it worn, while still ensuring that only one card is
dispensed at a time. What is also needed is a business card
dispenser that can be placed in some public or central location,
outside of the owner/holder/monitor of the dispenser, while still
ensuring that the cards remain clean and that only one card is
dispensed at a time. What is further needed is a business card
dispenser that can be secured in some manner, so that other people
cannot easily take the business cards contained inside the
dispenser, or replace the contents of the dispenser with different
business cards.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] Embodiments of the invention are concerned with a business
card dispenser, that presents a single card to the user, when the
front of the dispenser is pushed. The dispenser can hold over one
hundred cards, plus one protected display card to show the contents
of the dispenser. This dispenser provides a large quantity of cards
in a compact volume and eliminates "dry finger" syndrome that
affects many other business card dispensers. This is accomplished
by use of a plunger, which pushes a single card through a slot,
partially exposing it outside of the dispenser. Hence, allowing the
user to grab the card with two fingers and pull it to retrieve the
card.
[0013] The front is a two-piece cover and serves to hold a business
card in a vertical slot and is the place the user presses to eject
a card. This allows the user to see what cards are in the dispenser
and provides a large, stable area for the end user to push. This
can also be an advertising medium for the card owner. Below the
display card is a thin opening, which is the ejection point of the
card. When the dispenser is pressed the business card is pushed
through this small slot.
[0014] On either side of the bottom of the front are two screws.
These lock the front in place and prevent users from opening the
dispenser and taking or replacing cards. When the screws are
removed the owner of the dispenser can refill or replace cards as
necessary. This is a simple process of lifting the front about a
spring loaded pivot and pushing new cards into the cradle releasing
the front and tightening the screws back in place returns the
business card dispenser ready for use.
[0015] The front is secured to a cradle, which holds the cards, and
a pressure plate by a hinge and hinge pin. Torsion springs placed
on the hinge pin provide the spring loading for the front and the
pressure plate. The pressure plate is used to provide a downward
force on the cards. This is required so that the business cards are
pushed into place so that the plunger will engage a card and force
it through the ejector slot. The pressure plate has "fingers" that
will fit through openings in the cradle. This is to extend the
length of the pressure plate so that a large stack of cards may be
used in the dispenser.
[0016] The stack of cards rests in the cradle. The cradle consists
of a knuckle for the hinge pin to which the front and pressure
plate are attached. On the outside walls of the cradle, left and
right, are snaps which engage and snap into a slot in the shell.
This provides a restricted sliding action of the cradle. Once
engaged in this slot the cradle and components attached to it
cannot be removed from the shell. The front portion of each boss is
flattened so that it will hit a likewise flat portion of the slots
in the shell. This is the bearing surface, which prevents the
cradle from extending any more from the shell.
[0017] Two compression springs, which engage the cradle and shell,
normally act to push the cradle forward. The action of the user is
to push the front and overcome the force of these two springs. As
this occurs the cradle is slid deeper into the shell and a
stationary plunger engages an edge of the bottom-most business card
and pushes it through the ejector slot. When the user releases the
front, the compression springs extend pushing the cradle back to
its extended or rest position. Friction between the card above and
the cradle floor below, ensures that the ejected business card
remains ejected when the dispenser is released.
[0018] The cradle has a slot similar in size to the ejector slot.
It is at the bottom of the back wall of the cradle. The plunger is
sized in depth so that the forward edge is captured in this slot
when the card dispenser is in its extended position. This is to
prevent any misaligning of the plunger with respect to the slot in
the cradle.
[0019] The shell not only provides a case for which to hold the
dispenser components, but also provides the slots, which allow the
cradle to translate in and out to dispense a card. The plunger is
attached to the shell in a slot in the back of the shell. Above the
plunger are two stakes, which hold the compression springs. Each of
these stakes have a small tab which prevents the spring from
falling off the stake during use and they speed assembly of the
unit by securing the springs when the cradle is inserted into the
shell.
[0020] The back of the shell has two holes which are centered on
the stakes. These provide a means for which the dispenser may be
attached to a backboard or other display with the use of screws.
Also the back is flat so that double sided tape may be used in lieu
of screws.
[0021] The general shape of the shell and front allow multiple
dispensers to be fixed to a display or board with little dead space
between units. The spring loaded front piece which allows front
loading of cards and the push-in action to eject a card also means
that the required spacing between card dispensers is minimal.
[0022] It is an object of the present invention to have a business
card dispenser that is large enough to hold a large amount of
cards, but is compact enough to be portable, stackable and
hangable. It is also an object of the invention to dispense of a
single business card by a simple motion and without handling of the
cards. It is further an object of the invention to have a business
card dispenser that may be placed in a public or central location,
in a secure manner, while still dispensing one card at a time.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] The present invention will be understood more fully from the
detailed description that follows and from the accompanying
drawings, which however, should not be taken to limit the invention
to the specific embodiments shown, but are for explanation and
understanding only.
[0024] FIG. 1. illustrates a perspective view of the business card
dispenser.
[0025] FIG. 2. illustrates a perspective view of the front panel of
the dispenser and its components.
[0026] FIG. 3. illustrates a perspective view of the cradle of the
dispenser
[0027] FIG. 4. illustrates a perspective view of the shell of the
dispenser and its components
[0028] FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of the dispenser to
see how the main component parts fit together.
[0029] FIG. 6 illustrates a cross section of the dispenser in the
normal position
[0030] FIG. 7 illustrates a cross section of the dispenser in the
compressed position
[0031] FIG. 8 illustrates a cross section of the dispenser in the
open position with a stack of business cards.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0032] In the following description specific details are set forth,
such as device types, configurations, protocols, applications,
etc., in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present
invention. However, persons having ordinary skill in the relevant
arts will appreciate that these specific details may not be needed
to practice the present invention
[0033] FIG. 1 illustrates the business card dispenser 10. The
dispenser 10 is in a general rectangular shape, with dimensions
generally proportional to a standard business card. Due to the
rectangular shape of the dispenser, multiple dispensers may be
easily stacked or lined up against one another, without the need
for excessive wasted space. The height of the dispenser can be made
large enough to hold over one hundred cards. This is particularly
useful in advertising situations, where it may be necessary to
distribute a large number of cards. The dispenser 10 has a front
panel 20, further illustrated in FIG. 2 and a shell 40, further
illustrated in FIG. 4.
[0034] FIG. 2 illustrates the component parts of the front panel 20
of the dispenser 10. The front panel 20 is comprised of a front
cover 22, made up of two panels 22a and 22b. The panels 22a and 22b
join together to create a vertical opening. The vertical opening is
large enough to house a single business card 21. The front panel
22a of the front cover 22 is made up of a transparent or
translucent material, so that the written contents of the business
card 21 are clearly visible on the outside of the dispenser 10.
[0035] The front panel 20 has an ejector slot 23 large enough to
dispense a single business card from within the dispenser. A single
business card will appear far enough out of the ejector slot 23 so
that a person may easily take the single business card. The ejector
slot 23 is very thin, so that it will not allow multiple cards to
be improperly dispensed out at the same time.
[0036] The front panel 20 has screw holes 24a for two screws 24b.
The screws 24b are used to lock the front panel 20 to the dispenser
10. This prevents other people from easily opening the front panel
and removing the stack of business cards from within the dispenser.
However, it gives the owner the ability to unscrew the front panel
20 and replenish the business cards when necessary. The screws 24
can attach to the cradle 30 at the cradle attachment points 37,
depicted in FIG. 3.
[0037] The front panel 20 has a place for a removable label 25. The
label 25 can be used to give instructions to a user of the
dispenser. For example, the label 25 may state "Push Here--Take
Card." The label 25 can be used to give any message to potential
users of the dispenser.
[0038] FIG. 3 illustrates a cradle 30. The cradle 30 is housed
inside the shell 40. The cradle 30 comprises a bottom plate 35.
Business cards are placed on the bottom plate 35. The dimensions of
the bottom plate 35 are just large enough to hold a business card.
The bottom plate 35 is not large enough to allow business cards to
move in the x and y direction within the cradle 30.
[0039] The business cards are held in place in the z direction by a
pressure plate 31. The pressure plate has a hinge 34 that attaches
to the body of the cradle 30 at the cradle hinge 34. The hinges 34
allow the pressure plate 31 to always stay in contact with the top
of the business card stack. As the stack gets smaller, the pressure
plate 31 rotates downward. The pressure plate 31 maintains enough
pressure on the top of the stack to keep the business cards tightly
packed in the cradle 30. This helps to ensure that only a single
card is dispensed through the ejector slot 23 of the front panel
20. Also, the pressure plate 31 ensures that the business cards are
properly aligned with the ejector slot 23. The pressure plate 31
has fingers 36 that allow it to extend through the openings 33 at
the back of the cradle 30. The fingers 36 extend the length of the
pressure plate 31, so that a large stack of business cards may be
used in the dispenser. As the pressure plate 31 rotates down, the
fingers 36 fit through the openings 33 to allow the plate 31 to
stay in contact with the stack of business cards. The hinges 34 are
also used to attach the top of the front panel 20 to the top of the
cradle 30. Flapper springs 38 are positioned at the front end of
the pressure plate 31. The flapper springs 38 prevent the cards at
the top of the stack 61 from rotating upwards due to the force of
the pressure plate 31 at the back of the cards.
[0040] The cradle 30 locks into the proper position with the shell
40 by use of the tabs 32. The tabs 32 are on the left and right
side of the cradle. The tabs 32 should be aligned with the
elongated slots 43 depicted in FIG. 4. The slots 43 lock the cradle
30 to its proper sliding position and motion.
[0041] FIG. 4 illustrates a shell 40. The shell 40 is used to house
the cradle 30. The shell has a pair of stakes 42, which hold
compression springs 41 in place. The compression springs 41 are
uncompressed in their normal position and rest on the stakes 42
against the back wall of the shell 40. An ordinary person should be
able to overcome the force of the springs 41. The springs 41 should
require enough force so that a business card is only dispensed
based on a deliberate action by a person. The shell 40 has tracks
43, which help to guide the motion of the cradle.
[0042] FIG. 5 illustrates how the front panel 20, the cradle 30 and
the shell 40 fit together. The front panel 20 attaches to the
cradle 30 at the hinges 34. The front panel 20 is also screwed into
the cradle at the screw positions 24 and 37. The cradle 30 sits
inside the shell 40. The back of the cradle 30 and back of shell 40
are separated by the compression springs 41, which sit on the
stakes 42. The length of the springs 41 are long enough to allow
the pressure plate 31 to rotate downward through the openings
34.
[0043] FIG. 6 illustrates a cross section view of the dispenser 10
at a resting position. The stack of cards 61 is in the cradle. The
pressure plate 31 is depicted in FIG. 6 as being rotated by the
hinge to be in an upward position. However, the stack 61 may be
pressed downward by the pressure plate 31. The pressure plate 31
can be rotated by the hinge 34 so that it is directly in contact
with the stack 61. The flapper spring 38 is positioned at the front
end of the pressure plate 31. When the pressure plate 31 is rotated
downward towards the stack 61, the springs 38 come in contact with
the front end of the stack. This keeps the front of the stack from
angling upwards due to the pressure from the pressure plate 31. The
compression spring 41 is in its normal, uncompressed position.
[0044] The bottom of the stack 61 is directly aligned with the
ejector slot 23. Also aligned with the stack 61 is a plunger 62,
more clearly depicted in FIG. 6a. The plunger 62 is stationary and
is attached at the shell 40. The plunger 62 is similar in length
and height of a standard business card. The cradle 30 has a slot
similar in size to the ejector slot 23, aligned with the plunger
62. The depth of the plunger 62 is similar to the length of the
compression spring 41 and is sized so that the leading edge is
captured in the back slot of the cradle 30. The plunger is aligned
with the bottom of the stack 61 and fits in the slot of the cradle
30, and does not come in contact with the stack 61 while the
dispenser 10 is in its normal position. The leading edge of the
plunger 62 can be beveled. A person may push the front panel 20 in
the direction 63 of the shell, thus compressing the springs 41.
[0045] FIG. 7 illustrates the dispenser 10 once it has been
compressed. (Note: there are no business cards visible in this
depiction.) The spring 41 is compressed against the stake 42. The
ejector slot 23 remains aligned to the bottom of the cradle 30.
Because the spring 41 has been compressed, the cradle 30 is closer
in position to the shell 40. However, the plunger 62 remains in its
locked position, stationary relative to the shell 40. Therefore,
the front end of the plunger is now inside the cradle 30, through
the slot at the back of the cradle. The small bevel at the leading
edge of the plunger 62 helps prevent the penultimate card from
interfering with the plunger 62 when the dispenser 10 is
compressed. This motion of the cradle 30 coming towards the shell
40 allows the plunger 62 to push the bottommost card. The business
card is pushed and ejected through the ejector slot 23. The card is
extended out of the front panel 20 so that it may be taken and
picked up by a person.
[0046] Once pressure on the front panel 10 is released, the spring
41 uncompresses, the cradle 30 slides to its normal position and
the plunger 62 is no longer in direct contact with a business card.
Due to gravity and the pressure plate 35, the stack 61 is forced
downward to the bottom plate 35. The dispenser resumes the position
depicted in FIG. 6.
[0047] FIG. 8 depicts the dispenser 10 in the open position. The
front panel 20 is lifted upwards about the hinge 32. This allows
for easy access to the stack 61, for replenishment or
replacement.
* * * * *