AU712576B3 - Improvements in or relating to card holders - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A PETTY PATENT Name of Applicants: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: Invention Title: PACIFIC ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS PTY. LTD. and H J ENTERPRISES (QLD) PTY. LTD.

HARRY JAMES WATT CULLEN CO., Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 240 Queen Street, Brisbane, QIld. 4000, Australia.

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO CARD HOLDERS Details of Associated Provisional Applications: The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to us: IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO CARD HOLDERS TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to holders which enable playing cards to be displayed and viewed privately by players participating in a card game.

BACKGROUND ART Participants in card games should be able to quickly recognise and privately organise each "hand" of cards dealt to them.

Cards can be fanned and sorted whilst it is held by a person's hand and the actual content of the hand can be kept private by the person holding the cards upright and in a close viewing position.

Whilst the fanning and sorting of a hand of cards can be readily managed by most able bodied persons, in some instances such as when person has an arthritic condition, injury or other disablement this is not an easy task.

There have been card holders or displays proposed in the past aimed at presenting cards for viewing and specifically for assisting handicapped persons.

European Patent EP0363296A1 discloses a support for playing cards made from a rail having on its front part a groove for insertion of cards and a rear part of which is connected to an inclined support surface for the cards this surface being itself connected to a foot for support on a table.

German Patent No. DE 3801088 discloses a playing card holder which provided with a sloping surface into which cards can be slotted for private viewing.

Both of the abovementioned card holders are relatively large and bulky.

Many card games are played on a social or visiting basis and it would be an advantage for persons, especially handicapped persons who play on a regular basis and to have a compact and portable card holder for their own personal use.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a card holder which is both compact and portable.

On occasions a participant in a card game may wish to take a break from the card table and wishes to keep their hand a secret during this time.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a card holder which can be readily adjusted to shield a hand of cards when a player is taking a break from a game.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION According to the present invention there is provided a collapsible card holder comprising first and second flaps hinged together on a first hinge axis so that the flaps can be folded between an open position when the holder can be erected on a surface and a closed position when the flaps are overlapping, footings hinged to related bottom edges of each flap on a second hinge axis which intersects the first hinge axis said footings being adapted to stabilise the holder when it is erected on a surface and to create a groove adjacent the bottom edges of each flap into which playing cards can be inserted.

The footings can be of a substantially L-shaped cross-section.

The flaps can be substantially rectilinear in plan.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Aspects of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Fiqure 1 is a front perspective view of a card holder according to one aspect of the present invention shown in an erect position, and Figqure 2 is a side perspective view of the card holder of figure 1 in a closed position, and Figure 3 is a sectional drawing taken at 111:111 of figure 1.

With respect to the drawings a card holder according to the present invention can comprise first and second flaps generally indicated by arrow 1 hinged together about a first hinge axis X:X in a manner which allows the flaps to be folded between an open position illustrated by figure 1 for the purpose of erecting the holder on a surface and a closed position as illustrated by figure 2 with the flaps overlapping.

Footings generally indicated by arrow 2 are hinged to related bottom edges 3 of the flaps 2 on a second hinge axis Y:Y.

The footings 2 being adapted to stabilise the holder when it is erected and to create a groove 4 at the base of each flap into which playing cards 5 can be inserted.

Whilst the hinge connections between the flaps and the flaps and footings may vary in type in the illustrated example two separate hinges generally indicated by arrow 6 are provided between the flaps and the flaps and footings.

The illustrated hinges 6 are characterised by openings 7 and the setting of hinge pins 8 in bi-furcated jaws 9 extending from the flaps or footings.

The bi-furcated jaws 9 are sized to ensure each hinge pin is a snap fit on the pins 8 and that each hinge, or at least the hinges between the flaps and the footings are relatively stiff.

The openings 7 accommodate the jaws 9 when the holder is closed. This feature enhances compactness.

The inner ends 10 of each footing adjacent hinge axis X:Y do not extend as far as the edges 11 of the flaps.

The angle between the first hinge axis X:X and the intersecting hinge axis Y:Y is slightly greater than ninety degrees which ensures that when the card holder is erected the surfaces of the flaps are correspondingly inclined from the perpendicular.

The holder may be fabricated or moulded in a mouldable material such as plastics or a combination of materials.

The depth of each flap is slightly less than the depth of a standard playing card 5 so that the upper edges of cards set up on the holder can be readily gripped.

The surfaces of the holder, in particular the major surfaces of the flaps provide an ideal site for printed, decorative, advertising and instructional materials.

Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only and it will be appreciated that modifications and additions thereto may be made without departing from the scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (3)

1. A collapsible card holder comprising first and second flaps hinged together on a first hinge axis so that the flaps can be folded between an open position when the holder can be erected on a surface and a closed position when the flaps are overlapping, footings hinged to related bottom edges of each flap on a second hinge axis which intersects to the first hinge axis said footings being adapted to stabilise the holder when it is erected on a surface and to create a groove adjacent the bottom edges of each flap into which playing cards can be inserted.

2. A collapsible card holder as claimed in claim 1 wherein the footings are of a substantially L-shaped cross-section.

3. A collapsible card holder substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 22nd day of September 1999 PACIFIC ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS PTY. LTD. 003 439 441) and H J ENTERPRISES (QLD) PTY. LTD. 077 333 736) By their Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO.