U.S. patent application number 14/200507 was filed with the patent office on 2015-09-10 for holder for playing cards.
The applicant listed for this patent is Nathan Wright. Invention is credited to Nathan Wright.
Application Number | 20150251079 14/200507 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 54016376 |
Filed Date | 2015-09-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150251079 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wright; Nathan |
September 10, 2015 |
HOLDER FOR PLAYING CARDS
Abstract
The present invention provides card holders having a base and a
plurality of vertically extending side wall(s) and/or side wall
portion(s) that surround an inner card holding space between them
and above the base of the holder. The card holder may also have one
or more side openings for access to a stack of cards inside the
holder, each being defined by pairs of spaced-apart side wall(s)
and/or side wall portion(s). The base of a holder may have an
elevated portion and one or more inclined portion(s) located on a
lateral side(s) of the elevated portion to create at least one
vertical gap between a lower edge(s) of a stack of cards in the
holder and an inclined portion of the base to facilitate lifting of
the stack. A holder may also have one or more slots for receiving
card(s). Methods are also provided for making the card holders.
Inventors: |
Wright; Nathan; (Lexington,
KY) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Wright; Nathan |
Lexington |
KY |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
54016376 |
Appl. No.: |
14/200507 |
Filed: |
March 7, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
273/148A |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F 1/10 20130101; A63F
1/062 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A63F 1/10 20060101
A63F001/10 |
Claims
1. A card holder comprising: a base having a generally planar
shape; a plurality of vertically extending side walls, each of the
plurality of side walls being approximately perpendicular to the
base; and one or more side openings, each side opening being
between two neighboring spaced-apart side walls and above a
respective portion of the base, wherein the plurality of vertically
extending side walls surround an inner card holding space above the
base of the holder, and wherein the base has an elevated portion
and at least one inclined portion, each inclined portion being
between the elevated portion and a lateral side edge of the
base.
2. The card holder of claim 1, comprising: two or more side
openings, the two or more side openings including a first side
opening and a second side opening on opposite sides of the inner
card holding space.
3. The card holder of claim 2, wherein the plurality of vertically
extending side walls comprise a first side wall, a second side
wall, a third side wall and a fourth side wall, wherein the first
side opening is defined by the inner edges of the first side wall
and the second side wall and a top surface of a first portion of
the base, and wherein the second side opening is defined by the
inner edges of the third side wall and the fourth side wall and a
top surface of a second portion of the base.
4. The card holder of claim 3, wherein the first side wall and the
second side wall are on the same side of the inner card holding
space, and wherein the third side wall and the fourth side wall are
on the same side of the inner card holding space.
5. The card holder of claim 3, comprising: four side openings, the
four side openings further comprising a third side opening and a
fourth side opening on opposite sides of the inner card holding
space.
6. The card holder of claim 5, comprising: wherein the plurality of
vertically extending side walls further comprise a fifth side wall,
a sixth side wall, a seventh side wall and an eighth side wall,
wherein the third side opening is defined by the inner edges of the
fifth side wall and the sixth side wall and a top surface of a
third portion of the base, and wherein the fourth side opening is
defined by the inner edges of the seventh side wall and the eighth
side wall and a top surface of a fourth portion of the base
7. The card holder of claim 6, wherein the fifth side wall and the
sixth side wall are on the same side of the inner card holding
space, and wherein the seventh side wall and the eighth side wall
are on the same side of the inner card holding space.
8. The card holder of claim 7, wherein the first side wall and the
fifth side wall are joined along a first corner edge, the second
side wall and the seventh side wall are joined along a second
corner edge, the third side wall and the sixth side wall are joined
along a third corner edge, and the fourth side wall and the eighth
side wall are joined along a fourth corner edge.
9. The card holder of claim 1, wherein the inner card holding space
is horizontally rectangular in shape.
10. The card holder of claim 1, wherein the plurality of vertically
extending side walls are positioned at or near the lateral side
edges of the base of the holder.
11. The card holder of claim 1, wherein the top face of one or more
of the plurality of vertically extending side walls are chamfered
or beveled.
12. The card holder of claim 1, further comprising: one or more
side projections projecting laterally outward from the base of the
holder.
13. The card holder of claim 1, wherein the base comprises an
elevated center portion and two inclined portions, the two inclined
portions including a first inclined portion and a second inclined
portion, wherein the first inclined portion is located between the
elevated center portion and a first lateral side edge of the base,
and the second inclined portion is located between the elevated
center portion and a second lateral side edge of the base, and
wherein the first and second lateral side edges are on opposite
sides of the base.
14. The card holder of claim 13, wherein the base comprises an
elevated center portion and four inclined portions, the four
inclined portions further including a third inclined portion and a
fourth inclined portion, wherein the third inclined portion is
located between the elevated center portion and a third lateral
side edge of the base, and the fourth inclined portion is located
between the elevated center portion and a fourth lateral side edge
of the base, and wherein the third and fourth lateral side edges
are on opposite sides of the base.
15. The card holder of claim 1, wherein the card holder is attached
to a game board.
16. A card holder comprising: a base having a generally planar
shape; a plurality of vertically extending side walls, each of the
plurality of side walls being approximately perpendicular to the
base; a plurality of vertically extending side wall portions, each
of the plurality of side wall portions being approximately
perpendicular to the base; at least one side connecting wall
portion positioned between and continuous with two neighboring
spaced-apart side wall portions; and one or more side openings,
each side opening being between two neighboring spaced-apart side
walls or side wall portions, wherein the plurality of vertically
extending side walls and side wall portions surround an inner card
holding space above the base of the holder, wherein the plurality
of side wall portions includes a first side wall portion and a
second side wall portion, and wherein the at least one side
connecting wall portion includes a first side connecting wall
portion between and continuous with the first and second side wall
portions, wherein the one or more side openings includes a first
side opening, the first side opening being defined by the inner
edges of the first and second side wall portions and the first side
connecting wall portion, and wherein the base has an elevated
portion and at least one inclined portion, each inclined portion
being between the elevated portion and a lateral side edge of the
base.
17. The card holder of claim 16, wherein the plurality of side wall
portions further includes a third side wall portion and a fourth
side wall portion, wherein the at least one side connecting wall
portion further includes a second side connecting wall portion
between and continuous with the third and fourth side wall
portions, and wherein the one or more side openings further
includes a second side opening, the second side opening being
defined by the inner edges of the third and fourth side wall
portions and the second side connecting wall portion.
18. The card holder of claim 16, further comprising: at least one
slot, each slot being between a side wall and a portion of the
base.
19. The card holder of claim 18, wherein the plurality of side
walls includes a first side wall and a second side wall, wherein
the one or more side openings further includes a third side
opening, the third side opening being defined by the inner edges of
the first side wall and a second side wall and a top surface of a
first portion of the base, and wherein the at least one slot
includes a first slot and a second slot, the first slot being
between the first side wall and a top surface of a second portion
of the base, and the second slot being between the second side wall
and a top surface of a third portion of the base, the top surfaces
of the first, second and third portions of the base being
continuous.
20. The card holder of claim 19, wherein the plurality of side
walls further includes a third side wall and a fourth side wall,
and wherein the one or more side openings further includes a fourth
side opening, the fourth side opening being defined by the inner
edges of the third and fourth side walls and a top surface of a
fourth portion of the base.
21. The card holder of claim 20, wherein the at least one slot
further includes a third slot and a fourth slot, the third slot
being between the third side wall and a top surface of a fifth
portion of the base, and the fourth slot being between the fourth
side wall and a top surface of a sixth portion of the base, the top
surfaces of the fourth, fifth and sixth portions of the base being
continuous, and wherein the first, second and third portions of the
base are on the opposite side of the inner card holding space than
the fourth, fifth and sixth portions of the base.
22. The card holder of claim 21, wherein the plurality of side wall
portions further includes a third side wall portion and a fourth
side wall portion, wherein the at least one side connecting wall
portion further includes a second side connecting wall portion
between and continuous with the third and fourth side wall
portions, and wherein the one or more side openings further
includes a fourth side opening, the fourth side opening being
defined by the inner edges of the third and fourth side wall
portions and the second side connecting wall portion.
23. The card holder of claim 22, wherein the first side wall and
the first side wall portion are joined along a first corner edge,
the third side wall and the second side wall portion are joined
along a second corner edge, the second side wall and the third side
wall portion are joined along a third corner edge, and the fourth
side wall and the fourth side wall portion are joined along a
fourth corner edge.
24. The card holder of claim 16, wherein the inner card holding
space is horizontally rectangular in shape.
25. The card holder of claim 16, wherein the base comprises an
elevated center portion and two inclined portions, the two inclined
portions including a first inclined portion and a second inclined
portion, wherein the first inclined portion is located between the
elevated center portion and a first lateral side edge of the base,
and the second inclined portion is located between the elevated
center portion and a second lateral side edge of the base, and
wherein the first and second lateral side edges are on opposite
sides of the base.
26. The card holder of claim 16, wherein the card holder is
attached to a game board.
27. A card holder comprising: a first card holder portion
comprising: a base having a generally planar shape; a plurality of
vertically extending side walls, each of the plurality of side
walls being approximately perpendicular to the base of the first
holder portion; and one or more side openings, each side opening
being between two neighboring spaced-apart side walls and above a
respective portion of the base of the first holder portion, the
plurality of vertically extending side walls surrounding an inner
card holding space above the base of the first holder portion,
wherein the base of the first holder portion has an elevated
portion and at least one inclined portion, each inclined portion
being between the elevated portion and a lateral side edge of the
base; a second card holder portion comprising: a base having a
generally planar shape; a plurality of vertically extending side
walls, each of the plurality of side walls being approximately
perpendicular to the base of the second holder portion; a plurality
of vertically extending side wall portions, each of the plurality
of side wall portions being approximately perpendicular to the base
of the second holder portion; at least one side connecting wall
portion positioned between and continuous with two neighboring
spaced-apart side wall portions; and one or more side openings,
each side opening being between two neighboring spaced-apart side
walls or side wall portions, wherein the plurality of vertically
extending side walls and side wall portions surround an inner card
holding space above the base of the second holder portion; and a
bridge portion, the bridge portion connecting the base of the first
holder portion to the base of the second holder portion.
28. The card holder of claim 27, wherein the second card holder
portion further comprises: at least one slot, each slot being
between a side wall and a portion of the base of the second card
holder portion.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a holder for a stack of
playing cards that may be used during storage and play of a
game.
[0003] 2. Related Art
[0004] Many existing games use playing cards or card decks to
provide chance events, random dealing of different cards to players
of the game, etc. For example, many board games or strategy games
utilize playing cards that may be drawn by players of the game to
provide chance events or instructions that affect the course of the
game, and card games using a standard deck of cards may be randomly
dealt and/or drawn by its players (e.g. into their "hand"). In many
of these games, a player may also discard one of the cards that
they have drawn or been dealt. Sometimes the card is discarded into
a new pile or stack, but the card may instead be discarded into the
bottom of the same card stack from which it had been dealt or
drawn. With some board games, for example, a card may be drawn from
a stack and immediately placed back into the same stack after
following its instructions or reading information on the card.
[0005] In each of these cases where a stack of cards is used, it
may be difficult to draw or remove a card from the top of the stack
without toppling, scattering or disturbing the orderliness of the
card stack. A free-standing stack of cards may become scattered or
disorganized during the course of a game by repeated handing of the
stack, which might even result in losing the order of cards in the
stack. Thus, it is common for a player of the game to repeatedly
lift the stack and realign the cards of the stack during play to
prevent the progressive disorderliness of the stack or deck of
cards. Another difficulty with many of these games is the ability
to discard or place a card into the bottom of a stack (e.g., after
the card instructions have been applied to the game) to keep the
card from being immediately redrawn by another player of the game.
Thus, to place the card at the bottom of the stack, a player will
typically have to lift the whole stack of cards to place the card
underneath the stack. Yet another challenge with handling a stack
of playing cards is the difficulty of lifting the bottom few cards
off of a flat playing surface due to contact and close
juxtaposition between the bottom card(s) and the playing
surface.
[0006] What is needed in the art is a device or article that will
support and hold a stack of playing cards in an orderly manner
while enabling access to the cards during play of the game. What is
further needed in the art is a device or article for allowing a
card to be placed at the bottom or underneath a stack of cards
without having to lift the stack of cards. There is yet another
need in the art for a device or article that facilitates the
lifting of a whole stack of cards.
SUMMARY
[0007] According to a first broad aspect of the present invention,
a card holder is provided comprising a base having a generally
planar shape; a plurality of vertically extending side walls, each
of the plurality of side walls being approximately perpendicular to
the base; and one or more side openings, each side opening being
between two neighboring spaced-apart side walls and above a
respective portion of the base, wherein the plurality of vertically
extending side walls surround an inner card holding space above the
base of the holder, and wherein the base has an elevated portion
and at least one inclined portion, each inclined portion being
between the elevated portion and a lateral side edge of the
base.
[0008] According to a second broad aspect of the present invention,
a card holder is provided comprising a base having a generally
planar shape; a plurality of vertically extending side walls, each
of the plurality of side walls being approximately perpendicular to
the base; a plurality of vertically extending side wall portions,
each of the plurality of side wall portions being approximately
perpendicular to the base; at least one side connecting wall
portion positioned between and continuous with two neighboring
spaced-apart side wall portions; and one or more side openings,
each side opening being between two neighboring spaced-apart side
walls or side wall portions, wherein the plurality of vertically
extending side walls and side wall portions surround an inner card
holding space above the base of the holder, wherein the plurality
of side wall portions includes a first side wall portion and a
second side wall portion, and wherein the at least one side
connecting wall portion includes a first side connecting wall
portion between and continuous with the first and second side wall
portions, wherein the one or more side openings includes a first
side opening, the first side opening being defined by the inner
edges of the first and second side wall portions and the first side
connecting wall portion, and wherein the base has an elevated
portion and at least one inclined portion, each inclined portion
being between the elevated portion and a lateral side edge of the
base.
[0009] According to this second broad aspect of the present
invention, the card holder may further comprise at least one slot,
each slot being between a side wall and a portion of the base. Such
a card holder may further comprise a first side wall and a second
side wall, and the one or more side openings may further include a
third side opening, wherein the third side opening is defined by
the inner edges of the first side wall and a second side wall and a
top surface of a first portion of the base, and wherein the at
least one slot includes a first slot and a second slot, the first
slot being between the first side wall and a top surface of a
second portion of the base, and the second slot being between the
second side wall and a top surface of a third portion of the base,
the top surfaces of the first, second and third portions of the
base being continuous.
[0010] According to a third broad aspect of the present invention,
a card holder is provided comprising a first card holder portion, a
second card holder portion and a bridge portion, wherein the each
of the first and second card holder portions may have a base and a
plurality of side wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s) and other
elements and features of a card holder as described herein.
According to these aspects, the bridge portion may connect the base
of the first holder portion to the base of the second holder
portion, such as via a reversible attachment between respective
first and second bridge portions. The bridge portion may be rigid
or flexible to allow bending of the bridge portion for engagement
between the two holder portions.
[0011] According to a fourth broad aspect of the present invention,
methods are provided for the manufacture and use of a card holder
of the present invention.
[0012] These and other aspects of the present invention will become
apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the following
description and claims with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and
constitute part of this specification, illustrate exemplary
embodiments of the invention, and, together with the detailed
description herein, serve to explain features of the present
invention.
[0014] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of an embodiment of the
present invention;
[0015] FIG. 1B is another perspective view of the embodiment shown
in FIG. 1A as viewed toward the opposite side of the card
holder;
[0016] FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in
FIGS. 1A and 1B as viewed from the plane 1C shown in FIG. 1A;
[0017] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of an embodiment of the
present invention;
[0018] FIG. 2B is another perspective view of the embodiment shown
in FIG. 2A as viewed toward the opposite side of the card
holder;
[0019] FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in
FIGS. 2A and 2B as viewed from the plane 2C shown in FIG. 2A;
[0020] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a pair of holders that can
engage one another according to an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0021] FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of a dual holder according
to an embodiment of the present invention having two holder
portions joined by a bridge portion; and
[0022] FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of a dual holder according
to an embodiment of the present invention having two holder
portions joined by a bendable bridge portion.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] According to a broad aspect of the present invention, a card
holder is provided for supporting and holding a deck or stack of
cards during play of a game. A card holder of the present invention
may also serve as a storage device that may be inserted or placed
into a larger storage container or box for the game, perhaps along
with other playing pieces, a game board, etc. In fact, a card
holder may be made for attachment to a game board. A card holder of
the present invention may generally include a base and a plurality
of vertically extending side wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s).
The card holder may most commonly be made of a plastic material,
but could conceivably be made of other hard materials, such as
wood, metal, etc. The base of the holder may have a generally
planar shape, and the side wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s) of
the holder may extend vertically above the base.
[0024] The phrase "generally planar shape" in reference to an
object or portion of a holder, such as a base, side wall, side wall
portion or side wall connecting portion, shall mean that its
dimensions are much greater within a major plane than along an axis
perpendicular to the major plane. Thus, a "major plane" of the base
of a holder is conversely defined as a plane encompassing the
greatest perpendicular dimensions of the base, such as the length
and width dimensions of a rectangular base, of the holder. The
major plane of the base of the holder may be approximately parallel
to a support surface when the holder is placed on, or attached to,
the support surface during play of the game. A "support surface"
may include a table top, a game board, a weighted object, etc.
Although the base may have a generally planar shape, there may be
variations in the height or thickness of the base over its planar
area.
[0025] The vertically extending side wall(s) and/or side wall
portion(s) generally define an inner card holding volume or space
between them and above the base of the holder, the side wall(s)
and/or side wall portion(s) of the holder surrounding the inner
card holding volume or space. For these purposes, the terms
"surround" or "surrounding" in reference to the side wall(s) and/or
side wall portion(s) shall mean present on multiple sides of the
inner card holding volume or space in a manner sufficient to define
the inner card holding volume or space between them, regardless of
whether the side wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s) partially or
completely surround the inner card holding volume or space. Thus, a
plurality of spaced-apart side wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s)
of a holder separated by one or more side openings may define an
inner card holding volume or space between them.
[0026] These side wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s) may also be
generally planar in shape. Thus, each of the side wall(s) and/or
side wall portion(s) may be described as having a "major plane"
(i.e., defined as the plane encompassing the greatest perpendicular
dimensions of the side wall or side wall portion). According to
some embodiments, the vertically extending side wall(s) and/or side
wall portion(s) may be connected and/or continuous with the base
and located above portions of the base, which may be at or near the
periphery of the holder (i.e., at or near the respective lateral
side edges or ends of the base of the holder). However, portion(s)
of the base of the holder may optionally extend laterally outward
in one or more dimensions, directions, etc., beyond the vertically
extending side wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s) of the holder
(i.e., outside and beyond the inner card holding space of the
holder).
[0027] The term "vertically extending" in reference to the
dimensions and orientation of one or more of the side wall(s)
and/or side wall portion(s) of a holder shall mean that the major
plane of the side wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s) are
approximately perpendicular relative to the major plane of the base
of the holder. The phrase "approximately perpendicular" in
reference to one or more of the side wall(s) and/or side wall
portion(s) and the base shall mean the angle between the major
planes of each side wall or side wall portion and the base and
shall include any angle within a range from about 80.degree. to
about 100.degree., or about 85.degree. to about 95.degree., or
about 90.degree., relative to the plane of the base of the holder
(i.e., with an angle of 90.degree. being defined as a perfectly
perpendicular angle between the respective side wall or side wall
portion and the plane of the base). Each of the vertically
extending side wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s) may be
positioned above a portion of the base at or near one of its
lateral side edges or ends.
[0028] A vertically extending side wall of a holder may be
connected to, and/or continuous with, a portion of base, such as a
portion of the base at or near one of the lateral side edges or
ends of the base (perhaps in addition to being connected to, and/or
continuous with, an adjacent side wall or side wall portion).
Alternatively, a vertically extending side wall of a holder may
instead be connected to, and/or continuous with, an adjacent side
wall or side wall portion and vertically suspended and held in
position above a portion of the base of the holder, such as a
portion at or near one of the lateral side edges or ends of the
base. As will be explained further below, such a vertical
suspension of a side wall above the base of the holder due to its
attachment to an adjacent side wall or side wall portion may allow
for the presence of a horizontal slot between the suspended side
wall and the base of the holder.
[0029] As commonly understood, each card of a stack or deck of
playing cards that may be used with a holder of the present
invention may generally have a planar shape with length and width
dimensions (within its major plane) that are much greater than the
thickness of the card, such that the card has two opposing planar
faces. As also commonly understood, all of the cards of a stack or
deck may be approximately uniform in their planar size and shape
dimensions, such that they may be uniformly stacked face-to-face on
top of each other. Typically, playing cards will have a rectangular
planar shape, although other card shapes are also possible.
[0030] A stack or deck of cards may be placed on top of the base of
a holder of the present invention, and the vertically extending
side wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s) of the holder may contain
and hold the card stack or deck in the column of space above the
base and between the vertically extending side wall(s) and/or side
wall portion(s) of the holder. To maintain a generally vertical
alignment of the stack or deck of cards above the base of the
holder, the side wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s) of the holder
may be spaced apart by distances that are only slightly or somewhat
greater than the planar dimensions of the cards to resist or block
their relative sliding or twisting movement and maintain their
positioning within the column of space above the base and between
the side wall(s) and/or side portion wall(s) of the holder.
[0031] The size and shape of the holder will depend at least in
part on the size and shape of the cards it is intended to hold.
Since rectangular shaped playing cards are most common, a holder
may typically have a rectangular shape according to most
embodiments to accommodate rectangular cards. However, as mentioned
above, portion(s) of the base may extend laterally outward beyond
the side wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s) of the holder in one
or more dimensions, directions, etc., even though not required for
holding the stack of cards. Indeed, the overall shape of the holder
may be different than the inner card holding space and/or the shape
of the stack/deck of cards intended for placement inside the
holder. But, even with additional lateral portion(s) of the base
outside the side wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s), the
horizontal size and shape of the area between the side wall(s)
and/or side wall portion(s) of the base may still correspond to the
planar shape of the stack/deck of cards placed in the holder (e.g.,
rectangular, etc.).
[0032] Playing cards that may be used with a card holder embodiment
of the present invention may typically have rectangular dimensions
in a range from about 2 inches to about 5 inches in width and from
about 2.5 inches to about 8 inches in length, or more commonly in a
range from about 2 inches to about 3 inches in width and from about
3 inches to about 5 inches in length. According to these
embodiments, the base of the holder may also have a rectangular
shape, and/or each of the side wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s)
of the holder may be positioned above a respective portion of the
base, such that the side wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s) define
a rectangularly shaped inner card holding space that corresponds to
the rectangular shape of the cards. According to some embodiments,
each of these side wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s) may be
positioned at or near either a long or short lateral side edge or
end of a rectangular base.
[0033] As mentioned above, the base of a card holder may have inner
(card holding) dimensions (i.e., between the side wall(s) and/or
side wall portion(s) of the holder) that are slightly or somewhat
larger than the dimensions and shape of the playing cards that may
be placed inside the holder during use to allow the cards to fit
somewhat loosely inside (although closely confined by the side
wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s) of the holder). According to
some embodiments comprising a rectangular card holder, the length
and width dimensions of the inner card holding space between the
side wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s) of the card holder may be
in a range from about 100% to about 125%, such as from about 110%
to about 120%, or alternatively from about 100% to about 110%,
relative to the corresponding planar size dimensions of the playing
cards that are intended, anticipated, etc., for use with the card
holder. For example, the inner dimensions of the card holder 100 in
FIG. 1 may be within a range from about 100% to about 105% of the
length and width dimensions of the playing cards placed inside that
holder 100, whereas the inner dimensions of the card holder 200 in
FIG. 2 may be within a range from about 110% to about 120% of the
length and width dimensions of the playing cards placed inside that
holder 200.
[0034] As mentioned above, the inner dimensions of a card holder
may be defined as the horizontal area dimensions between the side
wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s) of the holder, and the outer
dimensions of a card holder may be defined as the greatest planar
dimensions of the base of the holder. According to many embodiments
of a rectangular card holder, the inner and/or outer dimensions of
the rectangular card holder (and/or base of the holder) may each be
in a range from about 1.5 inches to about 6 inches in width and
from about 2 inches to about 10 inches in length. More commonly,
the inner and/or outer dimensions of a rectangular card holder may
be in a range from about 2 inches to about 5 inches in width, such
as about 2 inches to about 3 inches in width, and from about 3
inches to about 6 inches in length, such as about 3 inches to about
4 inches in length. The inner dimensions of a card holder may have
a clearance of at least about 1/32 inch, or at least about 1/16
inch, between the side wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s) of the
holder and the outer or lateral sides or edges of the stack/deck of
cards inside the holder. The outer dimensions of the holder would
obviously be greater than the inner dimensions of the holder due to
at least the thicknesses of the side wall(s) and/or side wall
portion(s) of the holder. The thickness of each of the side wall(s)
and/or side wall portion(s) of a holder may be in a range from
about 1/16 inch to about 1/2 inch, or from about 1/16 inch to about
1/4 inch.
[0035] The height of each of the side wall(s) or side wall
portion(s) may also vary depending on the particular use of the
holder (e.g., based on the anticipated height of the stack or deck
of cards that may be inserted into the holder during use). Thus,
the height of the side wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s) of a
holder may be expressed in terms of a distance or percentage above
the maximum height of a stack or deck of cards that may be placed
inside the holder during use. For example, such an amount of
clearance or height above the maximum height of the stack or deck
of cards in the holder may be in a range from about 15% to about
75% of the maximum height of the stack or deck of cards, or about
20% to about 50% of the maximum stack/deck height. The amount of
the height of each of the side wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s)
of a holder above the stack/deck of cards inside the holder may
instead be expressed in terms of distance, such as in a range from
about 1/16 inch to about 3/4 inch, above the maximum height of the
stack or deck of cards inside the holder. Alternatively, the height
of each of the side wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s) of a holder
may be described in terms of its total height (apart from the
height of a stack/deck of cards inside the holder), which may be in
a range from about 3/32 inch to about 3 or 4 inches or more, or
alternatively from about 3/32 inch to about 2 inches or less.
[0036] However, although a rectangular shape may be most common, it
is conceivable for a card holder (and/or the base of the holder) of
the present invention to have other polygonal, round or other
closed curve shapes, and the feature(s) of the present invention
including one or more side openings, inclined side portion(s) of
the base, horizontal slot(s), etc., may be accommodated and adapted
for such alternative shapes and designs with the side wall(s)
and/or side wall portion(s) positioned above a portion of the base,
such as at or near the periphery of the holder. It is also
conceivable for the holder (and/or the base of the holder) to have
a different shape than the shape of the inner card holding area or
space between the side wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s) of the
holder since the outer dimensions of the holder may be independent
of the card holding function of the inner card holding space/area.
For example, the inner card holding space/area between the side
wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s) of the holder may have a
rectangular (cross-sectional) shape, such as to match or correspond
to the rectangular size and shape of the cards, while the total
outer dimensions of the holder and base may have a different
polygonal, round or other closed curve shape. As yet another
alternative example, the inner card holding space/area between the
side wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s) of a holder may itself
have a polygonal, round or closed curve shape, which may correspond
to a stack/deck of cards having a non-rectangular shape, while the
total outer dimensions of the holder may have any of a variety of
rectangular or other closed curve shapes.
[0037] According to embodiments of the present invention, one or
more side openings may generally be present between two or more of
the vertically extending side wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s)
of the holder to allow access to the side(s) of a stack or deck of
cards inside the holder by the hand (i.e., fingers and/or thumb) of
a user or player of a game. Each side opening may be present
between two neighboring spaced-apart side wall(s) and/or side wall
portion(s) above a portion of the base and/or a side connecting
wall portion (see below) of the holder. Typically, each side
opening will be present at or near one side of the holder between
two neighboring vertically extending side wall(s) and/or side wall
portion(s). Each side opening may be described as being bounded by
the inner edges of the two neighboring spaced-apart side wall(s)
and/or side wall portion(s) and a top surface of a portion of the
base (or the inner edge of a side connecting wall portion), which
may each be at or near a respective lateral side edge of the
holder. For example, the embodiment of a holder 100 shown in FIG.
1A (described below) has a first side opening 120a bounded by a
first inner side edge 106a, a second inner side edge 106b and a
first top surface 114a of a portion of the base 101 of the holder
100 at or near a first lateral side edge or end 113a of the holder
100, while a third side opening 120c is shown bounded by a third
inner side edge 106c, a fourth inner side edge 106d and a second
top surface 114b of the base 101 of the holder 100 at or near a
second lateral side edge or end 113b of the holder 100. The second
and fourth side openings 120b, 120d of the holder 100 in FIG. 1A
may be similarly described (i.e., bounded by inner side edges
106e-h and top surfaces 114c, 114d of the base 101 near respective
lateral side edges or ends 111a, 111b of the holder 100). As will
be explained further below, such access via the one or more side
opening(s) may facilitate and/or allow for a top card(s) to be
lifted or removed from the stack or deck of cards and/or for the
entire stack or deck of cards to be lifted and removed together
from the card holder.
[0038] A side opening of a holder may extend all the way down to
the base of a holder, or a side opening may extend only part of the
way down to the base of a holder. Indeed, one or more of the side
opening(s) of a holder may extend all the way down to the base of a
holder, while one or more of the other side opening(s) of the same
holder may extend only part of the way down to the base. A side
opening may extend only part of the way down to the base of the
holder if a vertically extending side connecting wall portion is
present between two neighboring side wall portions, which may be
connected to, and/or continuous with, a portion of the base, such
as a portion of the base at or near a respective lateral side edge
or end of the holder. A side opening(s) that extends only part of
the way down to the base of the holder may be suitable and
sufficient for grabbing and lifting a top card(s) from the stack or
deck by access through that/those opening(s), whereas at least one
side opening(s) that extend(s) all the way down to the base of the
holder may be necessary for grabbing and lifting the entire stack
or deck of cards by access through that/those side opening(s).
[0039] According to embodiments of the present invention, the base
of a holder may have a raised or elevated area(s) or portion(s)
relative to one or more inclined portion(s) of the base on one or
more side(s) of the elevated portion(s). The "elevated portion" of
the base may be referred to as an "elevated center portion" if it
encompasses at least a portion of the base below the center of the
inner card holding space or area. However, the elevated portion(s)
of a base may generally occupy a large enough area to stably
support a stack/deck of cards placed on top of the base without the
cards tipping over. Thus, the elevated portion of the base of a
holder will typically be an elevated center of the base to stably
support the cards placed inside the inner card holding space or
area, although a base may have multiple elevated portions that may
span or straddle the portion of the base below or beneath the
center of the inner card holder space.
[0040] An elevated portion of the base may be elongated in shape
and/or oriented primarily along one of the axes or dimensions of
the base, and the inclined portion(s) of the base on one or both
side(s) of the elevated portion may generally be thinner in
its/their thickness (i.e., lesser in height relative to the
elevated portion). The position(s) of the inclined portion(s) may
be in a direction (relative to the elevated (center) portion) that
is approximately perpendicular to the elongated axis of the
elevated (center) portion. The top surface of the inclined
portion(s) of the base will be inclined or sloped downward (i.e.,
decreasing in its thickness and/or height) from the elevated
portion of the base toward a respective lateral side edge or end of
the base of the holder. Thus, each of the inclined portion(s) of
the base of a holder would be positioned between an elevated
portion of the base and a respective lateral side edge or end of
the base/holder.
[0041] The elevated portion of the base may often occupy an
elongated rectangular area, although other shapes for the elevated
portion of the base are also possible. An elevated portion of the
base may have a generally constant height and/or thickness. For
example, the height and/or thickness of the elevated portion of the
base may be in a range from about 1/8 inch to about 1/2 inch or
more, whereas the height and/or thickness of inclined portion(s) of
the base would be less than the height and/or thickness of the
elevated portion (and/or decreasing further away from the elevated
portion). The elevated portion may extend or span an entire
distance between two opposite sides of the holder and its card
holding space, such as a full distance between opposite sides of a
rectangular inner card holding space along either of its length or
width dimensions. For example, the inner card holding space (i.e.,
between the side wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s) of the holder)
may be rectangular in shape, and/or the elevated portion of the
base may span from one short side edge of the base to the other
(opposite) short side edge (e.g., with its longest dimension
oriented parallel to the longest dimension of the inner card
holding space of the holder). In such a case, the top surface(s) of
the inclined portion(s) of the base, which may be present on at
least one or both sides of the elevated portion of the base, would
slope downward from the elevated portion toward the respective long
(lateral) side end(s) or edge(s) of the base (i.e., along the
shortest axis of the inner card holding area of the holder).
[0042] Alternatively, a card holder having a rectangular inner card
holding space/area may have an elevated portion that spans from one
long side edge of the base to the other (opposite) long side edge.
In such a case, the top surface(s) of the inclined portion(s) of
the base, which may be present on at least one or both sides of the
elevated portion of the base, would slope downward from the
elevated portion toward the respective short side (lateral) end(s)
or edge(s) of the base (i.e., along the longest axis of the inner
card holding area of the holder). According to yet another
alternative, however, a card holder may have an elevated (center)
portion that does not span entirely between opposite sides of the
inner card holding space. In such a case, inclined portions may be
present around all (or nearly all) lateral sides of the elevated
portion of the base, which would slope downward from the elevated
portion toward a respective lateral side end or edge of the base
and toward a respective side of the inner card holding
space/area.
[0043] By having an elevated portion of the base, a lower side
edge(s) of the stack or deck of cards placed in the holder may be
suspended above a respective inclined portion of the base, such
that there is a slight gap or spacing between the bottom card of
the stack/deck and that inclined portion of the base. Such a gap or
spacing may be present at or near a respective side of the inner
card holding space/area of the card holder, which may also be at or
near a respective lateral side end or edge of the base. As a
result, the bottom of the whole stack or deck of cards in the
holder may be more easily grasped and lifted from the holder
because a finger or thumb of a user may be able to be pressed into
such a gap or spacing (via access through a side opening(s) of the
holder) to gain leverage to lift up on the whole stack or deck of
cards together.
[0044] An embodiment of a rectangular holder 100 the present
invention is shown in FIG. 1 having a base 101 and a plurality of
side walls 103a-d, 105a-d, each vertically extending from a portion
of the base 101 at or near a respective long (lateral) side edge
111a, 111b or a short (lateral) side edge 113a, 113b. Corner pairs
of adjacent vertically extending side walls (103a+105a),
(103b+105b), (103c+105c), or (103d+105d) are each joined and
connected together along a respective side corner edge 104a, 104b,
104c, or 104d. One or more of the side walls may also have
additional features, such as beveled or chamfered top ends, faces
or surfaces. Each bevel or chamfer on the top face of a side wall
of the holder may be inwardly or outwardly facing. For example, the
holder embodiment 100 in FIG. 1 is shown having side walls 103, 105
with top chamfered ends or faces 103a', 103b', etc., and 105a',
105b', etc.
[0045] A plurality of side openings 120a-d are also shown between
neighboring spaced-apart side walls 103, 105 of the rectangular
holder 100 in FIG. 1. A first side opening 120a is shown between
two neighboring spaced-apart side walls 105a, 105b and above a
first short (lateral) side edge 113a of the base 101 of the holder
100, a second side opening 120b is shown between two neighboring
spaced-apart side walls 103a, 103c and above a first long (lateral)
side edge 111a of the base 101 of the holder 100, a third side
opening 120c is shown between two neighboring spaced-apart side
walls 105c, 105d and above a second short (lateral) side edge 113b
of the base 101 of the holder 100, and a fourth side opening 120d
is shown between two neighboring spaced-apart side walls 103b, 103d
and above a second long (lateral) side edge 111b of the base 101 of
the holder 100.
[0046] By having side openings on each of the four sides of a
rectangular holder, the top card(s) may be easily and conveniently
accessed and removed from any direction. A user or player may
simply access the stack or deck of cards in the holder through at
least the side opening that is closest to them (i.e., based on
where they are situated relative to the holder). By also having a
side opening on the opposite side of the holder (i.e., on the side
of the holder opposite the closest side opening), the user or
player may simultaneously grab or grasp the opposite sides of the
stack/deck of cards by hand to facilitate the removal and lifting
of either the top card(s) from the stack/deck or the entire
stack/deck of cards.
[0047] However, although it may be preferable to have side openings
on each of the four sides of a rectangular holder, one or more of
the sides of the holder may not have a side opening. For example,
one or more of the sides of the holder may have only one vertically
extending side wall that spans and encloses an entire side of the
inner card holding space of the holder, such as above a portion of
the base along an entire long or short (lateral) side edge of the
base. Indeed, according to some embodiments of the present
invention, a card holder may have one or more side opening(s), such
as only a single side opening. Thus, a rectangular holder of the
present invention may have one, two, three or four side opening(s),
although at least two side openings are usually preferred, and four
side openings are usually more preferred.
[0048] A card holder of the present invention may have additional
optional structure(s) and/or side projection(s) that may either
help to stabilize the card holder on a support surface and/or allow
the card holder to be attached to another device or component of a
game, such as to a game board. Such a projection may also function
as a "ramp" for facilitating insertion of a card through a
horizontal slot (see below) for its insertion into, or underneath,
the bottom of the stack or deck of cards in the holder. However, if
a side projection or structure is exposed during use of the holder
and not used for attachment of the holder to another object, such
as a game board, then the projection may instead be referred to as
a laterally outward extending portion of the base. For example,
FIG. 1A shows a perspective view of a holder embodiment 100 with a
wedge or triangularly shaped projection 115 extending laterally
outward from the second long (lateral) side edge 111b of the base
101 of the holder 100. Such a wedge projection 115 is further shown
extending from the base 101 at an approximately perpendicular angle
relative to the nearby side walls 103b, 103d. FIG. 1B provides
another perspective view of the card holder embodiment 100 (i.e.,
from an opposite point of view than in FIG. 1A) further showing an
elongated block projection 117 extending laterally outward from the
first long (lateral) side edge 111a of the base 101 of the holder
100. Both of the side projections 115, 117 may be used, for
example, to secure, attach, etc., the holder to a game board (not
shown). For example, the holder 100 may be placed in a cut-out area
of a game board and the projections 115, 117 may be laterally
inserted into slits between layers of the game board next to the
cut out area.
[0049] Although example embodiments in the figures show the
presence of these additional side projections, a holder of the
present invention may not have either or any of these
projection(s). In addition, a projection on one side of the base of
the holder may instead comprise a plurality of smaller spaced-apart
projections or tabs, and/or each projection may have a variety of
different size or shapes. Furthermore, although each of the side
projections 115, 117 are shown in FIG. 1C as having a top surface
that is continuously even and flush with the top surface of a
portion of the base near that projection, the top surface of such
projection(s) may instead be stepped down, offset and/or lower
relative to the top surface of the adjacent portion of the base
(see, e.g., analogous projections in FIG. 2C) to create a
separation or distance between their respective top surfaces, which
may be used to accommodate the upper layers of a game board above
the projection(s), such that the top surface of the game board may
be made even and flush with the top surface of the adjacent portion
of the base.
[0050] FIG. 1C is a cross sectional view of the holder embodiment
100 in FIGS. 1A and 1B from the perspective of the plane and arrow
(labeled "1C" in FIG. 1A). As shown more clearly in FIG. 1C, the
base 101 of the holder 100 further has an elevated center portion
107 covering a generally rectangular area and a first inclined
portion 109a and a second inclined portion 109b that are on
opposite sides of the elevated center portion 107. The first and
second inclined portions 109a, 109b are shown sloping downward from
the elevated center portion 107 toward a respective lateral side
edge or end 111a, 111b of the base 101. Thus, the elevated center
portion 107 has a more constant thickness and/or height than the
inclined portions 109a, 109b having a "downhill" incline (i.e.,
decreasing thickness and/or height) toward the respective lateral
side edge or end 111a, 111 b of the base 101. Although not shown in
FIG. 1, additional inclined portion(s) may be present sloping
downward from the elevated center portion 107 toward other
respective lateral side edge(s) or end(s) 113a, 113b of the base
101. Indeed, having inclined portions on all four lateral sides of
the elevated center portion 107 of a card holder may allow the
stack/deck of cards to be manually picked up more easily on all
four sides of the holder through all four of the side openings
120a-d (i.e., a gap or spacing may be present on each side) between
bottom edges of a card stack/deck and a respective inclined portion
of the base (see below).
[0051] The downward sloping top surface of the inclined portion(s)
on one or both side(s) of an elevated portion, such as an elevated
center portion, of a base may be described as being at an angle
relative to the top surface of the elevated portion of the base
(i.e., with no relative slope or incline being defined as
0.degree.). Relative to an imaginary plane that generally
encompasses the top surface of the elevated portion, the top
surface of the downwardly sloping inclined portion(s) of the base
may be angled within a range from about 5.degree. to about
45.degree., or within a range from about 15.degree. to about
30.degree.. The amount of the angle may depend on the desired
height and size of a slot(s) in the side(s) of the holder for
insertion of a card(s) into or underneath a stack/deck of playing
cards present in the holder (see below). Slot(s) having a greater
height may require a greater sloping angle to reach a desired
height and/or thickness for the elevated portion of the base.
[0052] Another factor affecting the amount of the sloping angle for
the top surface of each of the one or more inclined portion(s) of
the base may be the properties of the card(s) being inserted
through the slot(s) and into or underneath the stack or deck of
playing cards inside the holder. For a card(s) to be inserted into
or underneath a stack/deck of playing cards inside the holder
through the slot(s), such a card(s) must be able to bend into an
S-shape or sigmoidal shape, such as to first pass horizontally
inward through the slot(s), secondly at an upwardly inward angle
above the respective inclined portion of the base, and then
horizontally inward again into or underneath the stack/deck of
playing cards. Thus, the card(s) must be able to assume an S-shape
to travel this path into or underneath the stack/deck of cards in
the holder through the slot(s) in a side of the holder. If the
sloping angle of the respective inclined portion is too great, the
leading edge of the card(s) being inserted through the slot(s) may
contact the deck at too great of an angle to bend into a horizontal
orientation and become aligned with the cards of the stack/deck
already present inside the holder (i.e., for insertion of the
card(s) into or underneath the stack/deck of cards). This
acceptable sloping angle for the inclined portion(s) of the base
may also depend on the rigidity of the playing cards themselves. A
thinner and/or less rigid card may be better able to bend and
accommodate the turns along such an insertion path, but if the card
is too flexible, it may become crumpled and not able to pierce its
way along the path into or underneath the stack/deck of cards. On
the other hand, while a thicker and/or more rigid card may be able
to pierce its way along the insertion path, if the card is too
rigid, it may not be able to respond to the changing angularity of
the insertion path and bend accordingly, which may cause the
stack/deck of cards inside the holder to tip or lean and/or fall or
slide out any slot(s) and/or side opening that may be present on
the opposite side of the holder.
[0053] For purposes of the present invention, the terms "up,"
"upward," "down," and "downward" refer to directions in relation to
a support surface on or to which the (bottom side) of the base of
the holder is resting or attached, etc., at least during use. The
direction toward the support surface is "down," whereas the
direction away from the support surface is "up." Likewise, a
"bottom" side or face of a portion, etc., of a holder is downward
facing and/or toward the support surface, and a "top" side or face
of a portion, etc., of a holder is upward facing and/or away from
the support surface.
[0054] According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a person may
use their finger(s) and/or thumb to access a stack or deck of
playing cards placed in the holder 100 during use (i.e., with the
stack or deck of cards being placed on top of the base 101 and
between the side walls 103, 105 of the holder 100). The person may
access the side(s) of the stack or deck of cards inside the holder
100 through one or more of the side opening(s) 120a-d, such as to
remove a top card(s) from the stack/deck. The spaced-apart side
walls 103, 105 also function to contain the stack or deck of cards
and maintain their vertical alignment by preventing their relative
sliding or horizontal movement. Thus, the spaced-apart side wall(s)
103, 105 of the holder 100 provide a dual purpose of holding the
cards in place while also defining side opening(s) that permit
access to the cards by the hand of a player or user. Furthermore,
the combination of the elevated center portion 107 of the base 101
of the holder 100 with the downwardly inclined portions 109a, 109b
creates a vertical gap or spacing between bottom edges of a card
stack/deck (placed in the holder 100) on opposite sides of the card
stack or deck and respective inclined portions 109a, 109b of the
base 101 of the holder 100. Thus, a user or player may place or
insert a finger or thumb partly into such a gap or spacing (e.g.,
in the side openings 120b and/or 120d above the inclined portions
109a, 109b, respectively) to gain leverage underneath the bottom of
the stack/deck of cards to easily lift the entire stack/deck of
cards from the holder 100.
[0055] It is important to note, however, that a card holder of the
present invention may instead have only one inclined portion (i.e.,
on only one side of an elevated portion of the base) to allow for
one-sided access (and leverage for lifting a stack/deck of cards)
through a side opening above and/or adjacent to that inclined
portion of the base. In such a case, the elevated portion, or
elevated center portion, may occupy an area of the base between the
inclined portion and a side wall and/or side wall portion of the
holder on the side of the inner card holding area opposite the
inclined portion of the base, which may be at or near a lateral
side edge or end of the base, opposite the downwardly sloped
inclined portion. However, even in such a case, the elevated
portion may still occupy at least a sufficient portion of the
center area of the base to prevent the stack of cards from becoming
too easily tilted or slanted by the inclined portion on the one
side of the elevated center portion of the base, which would reduce
or eliminate the vertical gap or spacing underneath the lateral
side edge of the card stack/deck at or near the respective side of
the inner card holding space needed for leverage to easily lift the
whole stack/deck of cards and/or for insertion of a card(s) into or
underneath a stack/deck of cards through one or more slot(s) of a
holder. Having a sufficiently sized elevated portion to stably
support the cards may also prevent the cards from sliding out of a
holder through one or more slots that may be present in the side
wall(s) of the holder.
[0056] According to embodiments of the present invention, one or
more horizontal slot(s) may be present in the side wall(s) of a
holder, each slot being above a portion of the base of the holder
at or near one side of the inner card holding space, which may be
at or near a lateral side edge or end of the base. Such a
horizontal slot (or pair of horizontal slots in neighboring side
walls on the same side of the holder) may be used to receive a card
that is being inserted into or underneath the bottom of a stack or
deck of cards present in the holder. Thus, the slot(s) will
generally be present or positioned directly and immediately above a
respective portion of the base, such as an inclined portion of the
base, and below a side wall at or near one side of the inner card
holding space to allow the card to be inserted through the slot(s)
and into or underneath the stack/deck of cards from that side of
the holder.
[0057] According to these embodiments, there may be one or more
slot(s) on the same side of the inner card holding space of the
holder for receiving a card(s) being inserted through it/them. One
slot may be present at or near one side of the inner card holding
space, or two slots may be present on the same side of the inner
card holding space if the two slots are separated from each other
by a side opening. For example, two slots may be present on the
same side of an inner card holding space of a holder, which may be
at or near the same lateral side edge or end of the holder, with
each side wall on that side of the holder being separated
vertically from, and suspended above, a portion of the base at or
near the same side of the inner card holding space by one of those
two slots. In such a case, the two slots along with the side
opening between them will jointly provide a path for a card(s) to
be inserted into or underneath a stack/deck of cards present in the
holder. Alternatively, a single slot may be present on one side of
a card holding space between a side wall and a top surface of a
portion of the base (i.e., without a side opening). In such a case,
only one continuous side wall would be present above the slot that
spans the entire length of the slot.
[0058] The combination of the slot(s) on one side of the card
holding space and the inclined portion of the base near those
slot(s) together provide a gap or spacing between the inclined
portion of the base and the bottom of the stack/deck of cards on
that side of the card holding space, such as at or near a
respective lateral side edge of the base that may be juxtaposed
with those slot(s) and/or side opening. The presence of a gap or
spacing between the stack/deck of cards in the holder and the base
of the holder next to the slot(s) may facilitate and allow the card
to be inserted underneath the stack/deck of cards via the gap or
spacing without needing to lift the stack/deck to gain access to
the underside of the stack/deck of cards. As explained above, a
holder of the present invention may have an elevated portion (or
elevated center portion) and an inclined portion(s) that is/are
sloped or inclined downward to create the gap or spacing between
the underside of the stack/deck of cards and the respective
inclined portion of the base of the holder to provide a path of
insertion for the card(s) being inserted--i.e., the gap or spacing
present next to the slot(s) near and above the respective inclined
portion of the base may provide a continuous path for the leading
edge of the card(s) to be inserted into or underneath the
stack/deck of cards through the slot(s) and/or side opening and
into the gap or spacing underneath the stack/deck (before
continuing along the bottom of the stack/deck of cards).
[0059] FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of a rectangular holder 200
of the present invention having a base 201 and a plurality of
vertically extending side walls 203 and side wall portions 205.
FIG. 2A shows one perspective view of the holder 200, and FIG. 2B
shows another perspective view of the same holder from the opposite
side of the holder 200. The holder in FIG. 2 has some similarities
and differences relative to the embodiment in FIG. 1. The holder
200 is shown having four side openings 220 including: a first side
opening 220a between side wall portions 205a, 205b and above a
first side connecting wall portion 225a; a second side opening 220b
between side walls 203a, 203c and above a portion of the base 201
at or near a (long) lateral side edge 211a of the base 201; a third
side opening 220c between side wall portions 205c, 205d and above a
second side connecting wall portion 225b; and a fourth side opening
220d between side walls 203b, 203d and above a portion of the base
201 at or near a (long) lateral side edge 211b of the base 201.
[0060] According to the embodiment in FIG. 2, side openings 220a,
220c extend only part of the way down to the base due to the
presence of the first and second side connecting wall portions
225a, 225b above a respective portion of the base 201 at or near a
respective (short) lateral side edge 213a, 213b of the base 201.
The first side connecting wall portion 225a is shown between, and
connected and continuous with, side wall portions 205a, 205b,
whereas second side connecting wall portion 225b is shown between,
and connected and continuous with, side wall portions 205c, 205d.
Thus, side openings 220a, 220c near a short side of the inner card
holding space, such as near the short side edges of the rectangular
holder 200, may be used to access the top card(s) of a stack/deck
of cards in the holder 200 but not to lift the entire stack/deck of
cards due to the presence of the respective side connecting wall
portion 225a, 225b. As stated above, each side opening may be
described as being bounded by the inner edges of the two
neighboring spaced-apart side wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s)
and a top surface of a portion of the base (or the inner edge of a
side connecting wall portion), which may each be at or near a
respective lateral side edge of the holder. For example, the
embodiment of a holder 200 shown in FIG. 2A has a first side
opening 220a bounded by a first inner side edge 206a, a second
inner side edge 206b and an inner edge of a first side-connecting
wall portion 214a at or near a first lateral side edge or end 213a
of the holder 200, while a third side opening 220c is shown bounded
by a third inner side edge 206c, a fourth inner side edge 206d and
an inner edge of a second side-connecting wall portion 214b at or
near a second lateral side edge or end 213b of the holder 200. The
second and fourth side openings 220b, 220d of the holder 200 in
FIG. 2A may be similarly described (i.e., bounded by inner side
edges 206e-h and top surfaces of the base 201 near respective
lateral side edges or ends 211a, 211b of the holder 200).
[0061] Since a side opening of a holder may not need to extend all
the way down to the base to access and take a top card(s) from the
stack/deck, the side connecting wall portion may be present to help
maintain the vertical alignment of the stack/deck of cards in the
holder. More primarily, such a side connecting wall portion may
help guide the insertion of a card(s) into or underneath the
stack/deck of cards through slots 230 of holder without a leading
edge of the card(s) being inserted coming into contact with any
vertical end(s) or edge(s) of the side wall(s) or side wall
portion(s) of the holder that might otherwise be present and
interfere with or block the insertion of the card(s). Although FIG.
2 shows a respective side connecting wall portion 225a, 225b at or
near the short (lateral) side edges 213a, 213b of the rectangular
base 201 of the holder 200, this placement depends on the location
of the slot(s) and the respective inclined portion of the base for
insertion of the card(s) into or underneath the stack/deck. Thus,
if slot(s) were instead located along a short side of the inner
card holding space, such as at or near a short (lateral) side
edge(s) of a rectangular base, then the side connecting wall
portion (linking a pair of side wall portions on the same side of
the inner card holding space and/or on the same side of the base)
may instead be present along each of the long side of the inner
card holding space, such as at or near the long (lateral) side
edges of the base to help guide insertion of the card(s) through
those slot(s) on the short side of the inner card holding
space.
[0062] The embodiment of a holder 200 shown in FIG. 2 includes a
plurality of slots 230a-d that allow for a card(s) to be inserted
into or underneath a stack/deck of cards present in the holder 200.
The embodiment in FIG. 2 shows the slots 230a/230c or 230b/230d
near the two (long) lateral side edges 211a, 211b, respectively, of
the base 201 of the holder 200. Similar to the embodiment of a
holder 100 in FIG. 1, inclined portions 209a, 209b are downwardly
angled or sloped from an elevated center portion 207 toward a
respective (long) lateral side edge 211a, 211b of the base 201. As
a result, the bottom of a stack or deck of cards placed in the
holder 200 on top of the elevated center portion 207 of the base
201 will be suspended above the inclined portions 209a, 209b of the
base 201 near the sides of the stack/deck. Due to the stack/deck
being slightly or somewhat suspended above the inclined portions
209a, 209b of the base 201, a gap or spacing would be present on
each side of the inner card holding space of the holder 200 between
the bottom of the stack/deck of cards and the respective inclined
portion 209a, 209b of the base 201 of the holder 200 that are each
adjacent to the respective slots (230a+230c) or (230b+230d) near
the respective (long) lateral side edge 211a, 211b of the base
201.
[0063] Thus, as shown more clearly perhaps in FIG. 2C, a continuous
path is present on each side of the holder 200 for the insertion of
a card(s) underneath the stack/deck of cards in the holder through
the respective slots 230 and the gap/spacing on each side of the
holder 200. For example, a card may be inserted through slots 230a,
230c (and side opening 220b) and underneath a stack/deck of cards
in the holder through the gap/spacing under the card stack and
above the inclined portion 209a. Alternatively, a card may be
inserted through slots 230b, 230d (and side opening 220d) and
underneath the stack/deck of cards in the holder through the
gap/spacing under the card stack and above the inclined portion
209b.
[0064] Due to the presence of the side openings 220b, 220d, two
slots (230a+230c) or (230b+230d) are present on each side of the
holder 200 for each of the two vertically extending side walls
(203a+203c) or (203b+203d), respectively. As a result, the side
walls 203a-d on each side of the holder 200 are suspended above the
base 201, and the side walls 203a-d are connected to, and
continuous with, the respectively adjacent side wall portions
205a-d at side corner edges 204a-d. Thus, corner pairs of adjacent
side walls 203a-d and side wall portions 205a-d are present at each
corner of the holder 200 that are joined together at their
respective side corner edge 204a-d. Again, the side connecting wall
portions 225a, 225b may help to guide the insertion of the card
through the slots 230 and the gap/spacing (between the stack/deck
of cards in the holder 200 and the respective inclined portion
209a, 209b of the base 201), such that the card is inserted into
general vertical alignment with the stack/deck of cards (i.e., by
one or both of the side connecting wall portions 225a, 225b
contacting the side edge(s) of the card(s) being inserted) until
the card inserted into the holder will become joined with the
stack/deck of cards already present in the holder 200.
[0065] The bottom face of the side walls 203 of the holder 200
above the slots 230 may also be inwardly beveled or chamfered to
create a more open path for the card to travel along the path of
insertion underneath the bottom of the stack/deck of cards in the
holder 200, the path being along and above the top inclined
surfaces of each of the inclined portions 209a, 209b of the base
201. In other words, the inwardly upward chamfer or bevel on the
bottom face of the respective side wall of the holder may provide a
slot (between the side wall and base) having more consistent
dimensions and spacing that corresponds to the upwardly inward
slope of the inclined portion of the base underneath the respective
side wall of the holder.
[0066] According to embodiments of the present invention, however,
it is important that the height of the top of a slot (including any
higher inward portion or edge of the slot due to any angled chamfer
or bevel on the bottom face of the respective side wall) should
generally be lower (or less) than the height of the elevated
portion of the base to ensure that a lower corner edge(s) of a
stack/deck of cards inside the holder are above the top of the
slot(s). An additional small difference in height may also be
present to account for any slight tilting of the stack/deck of
cards during insertion of the card(s). Otherwise, the cards present
inside the holder may have a tendency to slide out the sides of the
holder through the slot(s) and/or respective side opening
(especially when a card is being forced into or underneath the
stack/deck though a slot(s) present on the opposite side of the
holder) with the height buffer. For example, the height of the
elevated portion above the bottom of the holder (and/or a support
surface) may be greater than the height of the top of the slot(s)
by a (buffer) distance in a range from about 1/32 inch to about 3/8
inch, or in a range from about 1/16 inch to about 1/4 inch.
However, the difference in height cannot be too great such as to
cause the sloping angle of the top surface of the respective
inclined portion of the base to become too steep or
problematic.
[0067] As mentioned above, a holder may also have additional
projections and/or structures, such as a wedge projection 215
and/or block projection 217 on holder 200, that may extend out from
the lateral side edge(s) of the base of the holder. These
additional projections and/or structures may be present to provide
additional features or functions for the holder, such as a more
extended area for the base, attachment of the holder to a game
board, greater stability on a support surface, etc. For example,
the wedge projection 215 and block projection 217 of the holder 200
may be used, for example, to secure, attach, etc., the holder 200
to a game board. These side projections 215, 217 are also shown in
FIG. 2 as being offset, stepped down, lower, and sunken below the
top surface of an adjacent portion of the base next to the
projection. Such a separation in height between the top of the
projection and the top surface of the adjacent portion of the base
may allow for the projection to be inserted into (and attached to)
a game board, with the top surfaces of the game board and an outer
portion of the base of the holder becoming even and flush with each
other. As also mentioned above, one or more of the side walls of a
holder may also have additional features, such as beveled or
chamfered top ends, faces or surfaces that may each be inwardly or
outwardly facing. For example, the holder embodiment 200 in FIG. 2
is shown having side walls 203 and side wall portions 205 with
respective top chamfered faces 203a', 203b', etc., and 205a',
205b', etc.
[0068] According to embodiments of the present invention, two card
holders of the present invention may be attached (or attachable) to
one another to form or provide a dual holder, and/or two holders
may reversibly engage or couple with one another, for storage
and/or use together. According to some embodiments, a first card
holder (in a relatively inverted orientation) may be placed on, or
inserted into, a second card holder to form or provide a partially
enclosed space between the bases and side walls (and/or side wall
portions) of the two holders. Such an arrangement of the two
holders may facilitate storage and/or transport of the holders
(perhaps along with a stack or deck of cards) by being more compact
and/or providing a partially enclosed interior space for holding
the stack or deck of cards during their storage and/or transport
together. For example, a first card holder and a second card holder
may each be attached to the same game board, and each of the two
card holders may be relatively positioned such that folding of the
game board allows and/or results in alignment and engagement of the
two holders together (e.g., insertion of one card holder into the
other), such as for more compact folding of the game board for
storage.
[0069] According to some embodiments, the tops of the side wall(s)
and/or side wall portion(s) of the two holders may have
corresponding structures and/or surfaces that may contact, engage
and/or rest on one another. For example, the tops of the side
wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s) of one holder may have an
inwardly chamfered or beveled surface, whereas the tops of the side
wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s) of the other holder may have an
outwardly chamfered or beveled surface, such that relative sideways
movement of the two holders may be resisted when the respective
tops of the two holders are in direct contact with each other.
[0070] Alternatively, the sizes of the two holders and/or the
spacing between the side wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s) may be
different between the two holders, such that the side wall(s)
and/or side wall portion(s) of one holder may be inserted into, and
fit inside and between, the side wall(s) and/or side wall
portion(s) of the other holder. In such a case, the top or upper
faces of the side wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s) of one holder
may have an inwardly chamfered or beveled surface, whereas the top
or upper faces of the side wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s) of
the other holder may have an outwardly chamfered or beveled
surface. Even though the top faces of the two holders do not rest
on, or remain in contact with, each other, the opposing chamfered
or beveled faces of the two holders may facilitate the alignment
and insertion of one holder into the other holder. The smaller of
the two holders (i.e., the holder with the lesser dimensions
between the outer sides of the spaced-apart side wall(s) and/or
side wall portion(s)) may be inserted into the other holder (having
an inner card holding space that is large enough to receive the
side wall(s) and/or side wall portion(s) of the smaller holder)
until opposing surfaces or structures of the two holders meet or
contact to stop their further insertion together. For instance, one
or more of the following non-limiting examples of contact between
the two holders may stop further insertion of a smaller holder into
another larger holder: (i) the top(s) of the side(s) and/or side
portion(s) of the "smaller" holder may contact the base of the
"larger" holder, (ii) a stopping structure(s) or projection(s) on
the side(s) or lateral side edge(s) of the smaller holder may
contact the top(s) of the side(s) and/or side portion(s) of the
larger holder, or (iii) a support surface, such as a game board,
attached to the smaller holder may contact the top(s) of the
side(s) and/or side portion(s) of the larger holder.
[0071] According to an embodiment of the present invention shown in
FIG. 3, two holders may include a first holder 300 and a second
holder 400 that may engage one another by the first holder 300
being inserted into the second holder 400. In this example, the
first holder 300 is similar and analogous to the holder 100 shown
in FIG. 1, and the second holder 400 is similar and analogous to
the holder 200 shown in FIG. 2. In this example, the outer
dimensions or spacing between the outer surfaces of the side walls
303, 305 extending vertically from the base 301 of the first holder
300 are slightly or somewhat less than the inner dimensions or
spacing between the inner surfaces of the side walls 403 and side
wall portions 405 of the second holder 400. Thus, the side walls
303, 305 of the first holder 300 may fit inside and between the
side walls 403 and side wall portions 405 extending vertically from
the base 401 of the second holder 400 when the first holder 300 is
inserted into the second holder 400.
[0072] The first holder 300 may be inserted, for example, into the
second holder 400 until the projections 315, 317 of the first
holder 300 contact the tops of the side walls 403 and side wall
portions 405 of the second holder 400, until the tops of the side
walls 303, 305 of the first holder 300 contact the base 401 of the
second holder, and/or until a support surface or game board (not
shown) attached to the first holder 300 (such as via the
projections 315, 317) contacts the tops of the side walls 403 and
side wall portions 405 of the second holder 400. The tops 303',
305' of the side walls 303, 305 of the first holder 300 are shown
with an outwardly chamfered surface, and the tops 403', 405' of the
respective side walls 403 and side wall portions 405 of the second
holder 400 are shown with an inwardly chamfered surface, such that
alignment and insertion of the first holder 300 into the second
holder 400 is facilitated. Other features of the two holders 300,
400 shown being coupled together in FIG. 3 are similar to the
embodiments in FIGS. 1 and 2 including the opposite lateral side
edges 313a, 313b of the first holder 300, elevated portion 407,
inclined portions 409a, 409b, side connecting wall portions 425a,
425b, and slots 430a-d of the second holder 400.
[0073] Although the first holder 300 is shown having side
projections 315, 317 that are each short and block-shaped, one or
both of these projection(s) may instead be a wedge shape (similarly
to wedge projections 115, 215 in FIGS. 1 and 2) or any other
suitable size and shape, and/or one or both of the projections may
instead include a plurality of projections or tabs. Likewise, each
of the projections shown on the sides of the second holder 400 may
also be block-shaped, wedge-shaped or any other suitable shape and
size and/or include a plurality of projections or tabs. These
projections may provide different functions, such as for attachment
of the holder to a game board, to provide a ramping surface for the
guided insertion of a card(s) into or underneath a stack/deck
placed in the holder through slot(s), etc.
[0074] FIGS. 4A and 4B show a couple examples of variations of the
present invention as viewed in cross-section (as similarly shown in
FIGS. 1C and 2C). FIG. 4A shows a first holder portion 500 attached
to a second holder portion 600 via a bridge portion 550. The bridge
portion 550 may be continuous with the base 501 of the first holder
portion 500 and the base 601 of the second holder portion 600.
Alternatively, the bridge portion may comprise two or more
components that may be reversibly coupled together to join two or
more holder portions (not shown). For example, the bridge portion
550 may instead comprise two bridge portions (each attached to one
of the two holder portions) such that the linkage between the two
holder portions is reversible (e.g., by hooking or coupling the two
bridge portions together via corresponding mating structures). Each
of the two holder portions may otherwise have similar features to
the embodiments described above in reference to FIGS. 1-3.
[0075] In the cross-section in FIG. 4A, each of the holder portions
500, 600 are shown having side openings 520a, 620a; side walls 503,
505, 603 and side wall portions 605; a base 501, 601 with elevated
center portions 507, 607 and inclined portions 509, 609. In
addition, the second holder portion 600 is further shown having a
side connecting wall portion 625a and a slot 630a for insertion of
a card underneath a stack/deck of cards in the second holder
portion 600. The remaining structures in FIG. 4A are as similarly
described herein with the additional reference numbers
corresponding to the analogous structures and features described
above in reference to the embodiments in FIGS. 1-3, such as side
walls 503a/b, 505a/b, 603a/b, side wall portions 605a/b, side
connecting wall portion 625a, slot 630a, side openings 520a, 620a,
elevated center portions 507, 607, and inclined portions 509a/b,
609a/b.
[0076] FIG. 4B shows another embodiment of the present invention
similar in many ways to the embodiment in FIG. 4A and comprises a
first holder portion 700 and a second holder portion 800. However,
the embodiment in FIG. 4B has a bendable and/or flexible bridge
portion 750 that connects the first and second holder portions 700,
800 together. Such a bendable or flexible bridge 750 may be made of
a variety of different suitable materials, such as chipboard,
cardboard, paper, (thin) plastic, rubber, cloth, (thin) metal, or
combination thereof. Thus, the first and second holder portions
700, 800 may be folded together like a book into engagement with
each other (e.g., similarly to FIG. 3) with the first holder
portion 700 becoming inserted into the second holder portion 800.
Although the bendable bridge portion 750 is shown connecting only
the respective lateral sides of the two holder portions 700, 800 in
FIG. 4B, a bendable and/or flexible bridge portion may instead be
part of a cover that wraps around at least a portion of the outer
or bottom surfaces of the two holder portions (like a book cover),
such as to more securely attach the two holder portions together.
Additional strap(s) or the like may also be used to reversibly hold
the two holder portions together in a closed or engaged position.
Again, the remaining structures in FIG. 4B are as similarly
described herein with the additional reference numbers
corresponding to the analogous structures and features described
above in reference to the embodiments in FIGS. 1-3, such as side
walls 703a/b, 705a/b, 803a/b, side wall portions 805a/b, side
connecting wall portion 825a, slot 830a, side openings 720a, 820a,
elevated center portions 707, 807, and inclined portions 709a/b,
809a/b. Each of the side wall(s) 703, 705, side wall portions 805,
and the side connecting wall portions 825 of the holder in FIG. 4B
may extend vertically from the respective base 701, 801 of the two
holder portions 700, 800.
[0077] It is important to note that any reasonable combination of
the various elements and features of the present invention
described herein may be used together even if not shown or
described together in connection with the example embodiments, and
multiple elements and features may not be used or combined together
despite being shown together in the various described example
embodiments and figures. Indeed, many of the elements and features
of the present holder invention may be used or present alone.
Methods of manufacturing a card holder of the present invention are
further contemplated, which may include manufacturing a card holder
as one whole piece or article, or manufacturing multiple pieces
that may be assembled, welded, soldered, brazed, glued, fused,
bonded, etc., together to form a card holder of the present
invention. Methods for manufacturing a card holder of the present
invention may include any suitable method known in the art. For a
card holder made of plastic, such methods for manufacturing a card
holder may include injection molding, three-dimensional (3D)
printing, etc. For a card holder made of metal, such methods for
manufacturing a card holder may include "punching out" pieces from
a metal sheet and folding those pieces into a desired shape and/or
welding, etc., different pieces together, forging of the metal into
pieces of desired size and shape, by cutting using computer-aided
manufacturing (CAM) or computer numerical control (CNC) methods and
machines, etc. For a card holder made of wood, such methods for
manufacturing a card holder may include assembling pre-cut pieces
together, or cutting, chiseling, etc., the holder (or pieces of the
holder) using CAM- or CNC-based or other methods and machines,
etc.
[0078] While the present invention has been disclosed with
reference to certain embodiments, it will be apparent that
modifications and variations are possible without departing from
the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended
claims. Furthermore, it should be appreciated that all examples in
the present disclosure, while illustrating embodiments of the
invention, are provided as non-limiting examples and are,
therefore, not to be taken as limiting the various aspects so
illustrated. The present invention is intended to have the full
scope defined by the language of the following claims, and
equivalents thereof. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed
description are to be regarded as illustrative and not as
restrictive.
* * * * *