Card case

March 28, 1939. j brunetti 2,152,174

CARD CASE Filed Dec. 21, 1937

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ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 28, 1939

2,152,174

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,152,174 CARD CASE

Joseph Brunetti, Carlstadt, N. J.

Application December 21, 1937, Serial No. 180,943

Claims. (Cl. 206—40)

This invention relates to devices such as card cases of the type adapted for the convenient storage and ejection of business cards and the like.

One object of the invention is to furnish a device of the character described which is neat appearing, as it is free of any slots for ejection of cards, and which operates in a novel, attractive manner, as by slight opening of a hinged self D closing cover.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the nature set forth having a container and cover in improved association with each other for resilient closing action from a 15 partially open card ejecting position, and for fully open released position for convenient loading of cards into the container, whereby a single cover can be used for the combined purposes, and with the cover aiding in rigidly hold20 ing a card in partially projected position.

Another object of the invention is the provision of | a device of the type mentioned in which a card container and hinged cover cooperate in closing position at an obtuse angle so that the 25 cover moves through a small angle to partially open for ejection of a card.

Another object of the invention is to construct a device of the class alluded to wherein a card pack is retained away from the openable cover 30 by a means which is laterally movable for reloading of the container.

Another object of the invention is to provide a card case in which a card feeding spring engages the case cover for closing, or preferably 35 releasable closing movement.

Another object of the invention is to provide a card case wherein the internal parts are secured in operative position by assembling sections of the case to facilitate the assembling of 40 the mechanism and the making of the case.

Another object of the invention is the provision Of a card case having relatively few and simple parts, and which is so inexpensive to manufacture that it can be used in the premium 45 field, and which includes few and simple parts, is highly compact, simple and convenient in operation, neat in appearance, durable, reliable and efficient in use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention 50 will become apparent as the specification proceeds.

With the aforesaid objects in view, the invention consists in the hovel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in 55 their preferred embodiment, pointed out in the subjoined claims, and illustrated in the annexed drawing, wherein like parts are designated by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

In the drawing: 5

Figure 1 is a perspective isometric view Of a card case embodying the invention, with a card projected and rigidly held for removal by the person to whom the card is offered.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on io the line 2—2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the device in position for reloading with a card pack.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4—4 i &amp; of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5—5 of Fig. 4, with the adjoining container section shown in dot-dash lines.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the Hile 6—6 20 Of Fig. 2.

The advantages of the invention as here outlined are best realized when all of its features and instrumentalities are combined in one and the same structure, but, useful devices may be 25 produced embodying less than the whole.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, that the same may be incorporated in several different constructions. The accompanying drawing, there- 30 fore, is submitted merely as showing the preferred exemplification of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing; 10 denotes a device such as a case embodying the invention. The same may include a container 11 of 35 any suitable size or shape and being preferably of flat rectangular form, open at one end 12 and being otherwise closed. The opening 12 is formed along a plane which is at an obtuse angle to the plane of the container, and a cover 13 is &lt;io movably associated in any suitable manner with the container to close said opening, preferably by being hingedly mounted at 14. As shown in Fig. 1, the uppermost card 15 of a pack of cards 16 within the container is in process of being 45 removed from the container, and is here shown partially projected therefrom. This outward movement of the card 15 causes partial opening of the cover 13, the latter resiliently bearing laterally against the underside of the card 15 to 50 rigidly hold the same for slidable manual removal when the extended end of the card is grasped by a person to whom the card is offered. By reason of the obtuse angle of the opening 12 and the corresponding disposition of the cover 13, 55

2,152,174 the latter moves through a very small angle to assume the operative relationship shown in Fig. 1, and with the cover neatly concealing the interior of the container. It will be appreciated 5 that within the scope of the invention, the opening 12 may be otherwise arranged and the cover !3 may be differently mounted for the required motion. As hereinafter described, it is desirable that the cover 13 shall have three different 10 positions, namely, the full closed position and also the partially open position referred to, as well as the full open position shown in Fig. 3, to permit easy loading of a pack of cards into the container, whereby a single cover is available 15 for an ejection of a card and for reloading, and without the formation of slots which in their exposed condition detract from the appearance of devices of this kind.

The container 11 may be made of metal, com20 position or other material. For inexpensive manufacture, the container ί I is preferably molded of composition material, in upper and lower sections i 7 and 18 which are suitably united or cemented together along a horizontal central 25 plane as at 19. One of the sections such as 18 may have its thickened side walls 20 formed with a plurality of recesses in the upper faces of said walls for mounting the ejector mechanism as hereinafter described. For example, a plurality 30 of recesses 21 may be provided in opposed aligned relationship to each other, and a second pair of similar recesses 22 of greater length than the recesses 21, may be similarly formed as sliding guideways which terminate in spaced relation to 35 the recesses 21. The companion container section 17 is formed with thickened side walls 23 such as those at 20, and when these side walls are cemented together, as shown in Fig. 6, the recesses 21 and 22 open inward only, and are other40 wise closed.

Mounted within the container 11 is any suitable ejector means which may comprise an ejector member 24. The latter may be of T-shape having its oppositely extending arms 25 slidingly re45 ceived at their ends in the recesses 22. In order to conserve space, the arms 25 are bent into channel form, the flanges 26 having outward extending lips 27 which engage in the recesses 22. The end portion 28 of the ejector member is slightly 5θ flanged at its end at 29, this flange being only sufficient in height for edgewise engagement of one card such as 15. For manual actuation, the ejector 24 is provided with a finger piece portion 30 which projects outward through a slot 31 in 55 the section 17. The ejector means also includes a feed member such as a spring element 32 which serves to support and feed the pack of cards 16 toward the ejector member 24. The spring element 32 may consist of sheet metal provided with 60 opposed arms 33 which for compactness of space are bent into the channel formation with the flanges 34 formed with outward extending marginal lips 35 that are received and locked in the recesses 21. This spring element may centrally 65 extend in opposite directions from the arms 33, being provided with a bowed spring portion 36 which projects toward the ejector member 24 in alignment with the part 28 thereof, and which holds the inner end of the card pack 16 snugly 70 against the ejector member so that the flange 29 thereof will reliably engage the uppermost card of the pack 16. Preferably the spring element may also have a portion 37 bowed toward the upper container section 17 and extending toward 75 the opening ί 2 of the container, whereby the card pack 16 is also supported at its forward end. For reasons hereinafter explained, the spring portion 37 may terminate in a rather sharply curved section 38 which may perform one or both of the functions of serving to inwardly retain the 5 card pack against accidental projection from the container toward the cover 13, and for the purpose of camming engagement in a resilient manner with the cover 13 to automatically hold the same closed. It will now be seen that both of the 10 members 24 and 32 lie substantially flat and snug against the interior surfaces of their corresponding container sections 17 and 18 so as to have available a maximum space therebetween for the reception of a large number of cards. While 15 these members 24 and 32 may be differently operatively mounted in the container, the arrangement shown permits them to be placed between the container sections 17 and 18 when the device 10 is being assembled, and it is thereafter merely 20 necessary to connect together the container sections in some suitable manner to effect the mounting of the ejector mechanism. Moreover, with this mounting arrangement, not only is considerable time and labor saved, but the interior of 25 the container is free of any projecting guides which tend to reduce the available card space within the container, and hence with the present invention, the card case may be made considerably more thin if desired than heretofore. 30

The cover 13 is engaged by any suitable means, such as a resilient device which tends to automatically close the cover as soon as the card 15, shown in Fig. 1, has been withdrawn from the card case. For simplicity of construction, the 35 cover may for this purpose engage the spring element 32 as, for example, at the portion 37 thereof. It will ordinarily suffice that the resilient action shall operate from the partially open position of the cover 13 shown in Fig. 1, and 40 it may in a certain sense, be considered immaterial whether the resilient action be available in part or not at all when the cover 13 is entirely open. A simplified and compact construction herein provided permits the cover 13 to be released 4.5 of the spring action when the same is fully open, and may be embodied, for example, in an inwardly projecting lug 39 centrally secured to the cover 13 in spaced relation, but in relative proximity to the hinge 14, so that this lug entirely releases the spring section 37 when the cover is fully open as shown in Fig. 3. Now the container may be conveniently loaded with a card pack 16 by merely pressing downward the spring portion 37 so as not to obstruct the entrance of 55 the pack. After the pack has been fully inserted into the container, the cover 13 may be moved to closed position whereupon the lug 39 automatically enters and wipes against the cam portion 38 of the spring section 37 so that the latter ⁰⁰now bears downwardly upon the lug 39, causing resilient closing of the cover 13.

As hereinbefore pointed out, the relatively sharp curved portion 38 acts as a retainer to pre- _Gvent the card pack from being pushed forward against the cover in the partially open position thereof, by frictional contact with a card that is being ejected. This prevents the card pack from acting as an obstruction against complete closing 70 of the cover 13 after the projected card has been removed. Desirably, the lug 39 may act as an auxiliary support for the spring section 37 by upwardly pressing thereon so that the tip of the retainer portion 38 affords only sufficient clearance 75

2,152,174 with the adjacent wall to permit only one card 15 to slip through and pass out of the container.

It will be observed that the invention provides a corelation of parts wherein the reciprocable a ejector member 32 acts to partially open the cover 13 in a suitable manner, for example, through the intermediate action of a card 15. Since the ejector member and the card that is being ejected are in substantial alignment with the leading edge 10 of the cover 13, such card exerts direct edgewise pressure against the cover 13 to cause the partial opening thereof. The extent to which the cover 13 opens is of course determined by the thickness of the card as well as by the angle of 15 the opening 12. It will be understood that the term “card” as used herein applies to any other similar article.