US20080256833A1 - Reference card to be hung around the neck - Google Patents

Abstract

A system of easy-to-use, credit-card-sized reference cards is presented, where the reference cards are printed with useful information such as word lists in a foreign language or medical or professional guides. The cards can be strung on a lanyard or a chain and carried around the user's neck, or alternatively kept in a wallet or purse.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
• The present invention relates to pocket reference cards and separately carried reference cards with concise information presentations.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• With the increasing mobility of travelers caused by inexpensive air travel, tourists and business travelers must have basic information in a visited country easily available to them. While many people carry Blackberry™-type devices, the majority do not wish to be burdened with electronic storage systems when moving about. This invention is intended to replace travel dictionaries and travel guides in book form, providing a more convenient and lighter-weight medium.
• A small, easily stored reference card can meet many of the needs for quick information experienced by travelers. Such a card, or cards, could contain common phrases, local maps, train schedules, and other useful information.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• It is an object and feature of the present invention to provide a credit-card-sized reference card that can be easily carried in a wallet or on a chain/lanyard around the neck.
• It is another object and feature of the invention to be able to suspend multiple cards of this type around the neck by means of a hole punched through each card at one edge.
• It is another object and feature of the invention to make these cards out of paper laminated with plastic or plastic.
• It is another object and feature of the invention to replace travel dictionaries and travel guides in book form, providing a more convenient and lighter-weight medium.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
• FIG. 1. Perspective view of the invention with lanyard attached
• FIG. 2. Front view of invention showing the field where text is present
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
• As shown in FIG. 1, the invention100 is comprised of a credit-card sized card in the approximate dimensions of 2.5 inches wide101 by 3.5 inches long102. The card is in the preferred embodiment oriented in a portrait layout, long axis101 top to bottom and short axis102 left to right. The hole103 at the edge of the card is punched through the card material mechanically, and is not cast into the card.
• In the preferred embodiment, the text field104 is oriented as shown in FIG. 2, with text105 running from top to bottom. In the preferred embodiment, there is text present on both sides of the card100. The reverse of the card100 s formatted similarly to the front.
• The typical information content of the text105 would be lists of useful words or phrases in a language with a spelling and a pronunciation guide accompanying them. A typical layout would be three columns, each row comprised of 1) the word or phrase, 2) the spelling in the local language and character set, and 3) the pronunciation in the user's own language.
• Other information that could be contained in the text105 includes medical and Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) references, poison guides, trouble shooting guides for military, construction, legal, or police use.
• The card100 material can be selected from the list of plastic, paper, and plastic coated paper (laminated). The card100 should weigh about as much as a credit card and be able to be stored in a wallet or purse, when not hung around the neck.
• Although the invention has been described as a preferred embodiment, equivalent features may be employed and substitutions made within this specification without departing from the scope of the invention as recited in the claims.

Claims (9)

1. (canceled)

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

5. A reference card, comprised of a flat, credit-card sized rectangular piece of material in the approximate dimensions of 2.5 inches wide by 3.5 inches long, the reference card possessing a hole through it located at the edge of the card,.

the hole capable of accepting a lanyard or chain through it and the lanyard or chain long enough to hang around a human neck,

the reference card possessing two sides, each side with a plurality of text fields printed on it,

the content of the text fields comprised of lists of useful words and phrases,

the material comprising the reference card selected from the list of plastic, paper, and plastic-coated paper.

6. The reference card of claim 5, where the lists of useful words and phrases is comprised of a dictionary of words and phrases in a language, the dictionary comprised of a list, each row in the list providing a word or phrase, a pronunciation, and a spelling in the character set of the language.

7. The reference card of claim 5, where the lists of useful words and phrases is comprised of a list of medical and Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) references.

8. The reference card of claim 5, where the lists of useful words and phrases is a poison guide.

9. A method of using the reference card as in claim 5 comprising the steps of

selecting the appropriate set of reference cards to take,

alternatively inserting a chain or lanyard through the hole in each reference card such that the reference cards are bundled on the lanyard or chain and then placing the reference cards around the neck, or inserting the reference cards in a wallet or purse,

referring to the reference cards when needed to communicate with persons speaking a different language, reading street signs, or solving other problems using the information contained in the text fields on the reference cards,

returning the reference cards to a storage area when they are no longer needed.

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