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This is a nonprovisional U.S. patent application for a template, system, and method for forming a box from a card.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a template according to an embodiment of the template of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the template shown in FIG. 1 positioned above a card, the template and the card forming a system according to an embodiment of the system of the invention;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the template shown in FIG. 1 positioned on the card shown in FIG. 2, the template and the card forming a system according to an embodiment of the system of the invention;
FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the cutout card cut from the card shown in FIG. 2 in accordance with the template;
FIGS. 5, 6, and 7 are perspective views of the cutout card illustrating steps of a method of forming a box from the cutout card according to an embodiment of the method of the invention;
FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of the cutout card after a portion of the steps of the method have been performed;
FIGS. 9, 10, and 11 are perspective views of the cutout card illustrating further steps of the method;
FIG. 12 is a bottom plan view of the cutout card after a portion of the steps of the method have been performed;
FIGS. 13, 14, and 15 are perspective views of the cutout card illustrating further steps of the method;
FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the box formed by performing the steps of the method; and
FIG. 17 is a further perspective view of the box formed by performing the steps of the method.
A template according to an embodiment of the invention is shown broadly at reference numeral 10 in FIG. 1. The template 10 is a substantially square sheet of plastic that includes two opposing major surfaces 11 (one shown) and four edges 12. The template 10 is sufficiently rigid to permit a user thereof to substantially trace along the four edges 12 of the template 10. A guide design 13 comprising a geometric polygon appears on one of the major sides 11 of the template 10 and defines a design zone 14 on the template 10. The design zone 14 comprises a substantially square central region 17 and two pairs of opposing peripheral regions 18 adjacent to the central region 17. The design zone 14 of the template 10 is substantially transparent or translucent. An alignment hole 15 is defined by a substantially central portion of the template 10.
The template 10 and a card 20, shown together in FIG. 2, comprise a system for forming the card 20 into a box. The card 20 comprises two opposing major surfaces 16 (only one is shown). An image 21 appears on one of the major surfaces 16 of the card 20. In FIG. 2, the image 21 is of a wedding couple on a balcony; however, any desired image or design may appear on the card 20 and the card 20 may be any size or shape so long as the template 10 may be placed on the card 20 in such a manner that (1) the design zone 14 of the template 10 encompasses a predetermined desirable portion 22 of the image 21 on the card 20, the predetermined desirable portion 22 of the image 21 to ultimately appear on the exterior of the box (FIGS. 16 and 17) to be formed from the card 20, and (2) the entire template 10, not merely a portion thereof, is resting on the card 20. In FIG. 2, the predetermined desirable portion 22 of the image 21 on the card 20 is the heads of the wedding couple and adjacent regions of the image 21 encompassed by the peripheral regions 18 of the design zone 14 of the template 10.
The card 20 may be manipulated such that the card 20 becomes a box 23 (FIGS. 16 and 17) having major outer surfaces 24 (FIG. 17) on which the predetermined desirable portion 22 of the image 21 on the card 20 appears for display. FIGS. 3 through 16 illustrate an embodiment of this technique. First, in FIG. 3, the template 10 is placed on the card 20 such that the design zone 14 of the template 10 frames the predetermined desirable portion 22 of the image 21 on the card 20. After tracing on the card 20 along the edges 12 of the template 10 and removing the template 10 from the card 20, the card 20 is cut along the tracings (not shown) to form a substantially square cutout card 25 with four corners 26 and first and second pairs of opposing, substantially parallel sides 27, 28. Like the card 20, the cutout card 25 comprises two opposing major surfaces 30 (FIG. 4). The portion of the card 20 other than the cutout card 25 is discarded. The cutout card 25 is then turned such that the major surface 30 of the cutout card 25 that does not bear the predetermined desirable portion 22 of the the image 21 is facing up. The template 10 is then placed on the cutout card 25 and a writing utensil (not shown) is used to mark a center indicator 31 on the cutout card 25 through the alignment hole 15 in the template 10. The template 10 is then removed from the cutout card 25 and set aside.
FIGS. 5 through 16 illustrate how the cutout card 25 may be folded to form a box. However, looking first at FIG. 4, the cutout card 25 is shown with dotted lines “DL” indicating the lines along which the cutout card 25 will be folded in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 5, the four corners 26 of the cutout card 25 are folded to positions adjacent the center indicator 31 marked on the cutout card 25. Then, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the first pair of opposing sides 27 of the cutout card 25 is folded to a position adjacent the center indicator 31, thereby forming a first pair of substantially parallel creases 32 in the cutout card 25. The first pair of opposing sides 27 of the cutout card 25 are then unfolded (not shown). Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the second pair of opposing sides 28 of the cutout card 25 is folded to a position adjacent the center indicator 31, thereby forming a second pair of substantially parallel creases 33 in the cutout card 25. The entire cutout card 25 is then unfolded; the fully unfolded cutout card 25 is shown in FIG. 8. Each of the creases in the first and second pairs of creases 32, 33 comprises an inner crease portion and two outer crease portions. As illustrated in FIG. 8, all inner crease portions are designated with the reference numeral 34 while all outer crease portions are designated with the reference numeral 35. The inner crease portions 34 of the first pair of creases 32 are within the second pair of creases 33 and the outer crease portions 35 of the first pair of creases 32 are outside the second pair of creases 33. The cutout card 25 is cut along the outer crease portions 35 of the first pair of creases 32 to form two cut corners 40 (FIG. 9) and two uncut corners 41 (FIG. 9) of the cutout card 25, each cut corner 40 of the cutout card 25 comprising a central portion 42 and two opposing peripheral tabs 43. These cut lines are highlighted in bold in FIG. 8 and designated with the separate reference numeral 44.
Turning to FIG. 9, the two uncut corners 41 of the cutout card 25 are then folded to positions adjacent the center indicator 31 marked on the cutout card 25. Looking now at FIG. 10, the opposing peripheral tabs 43 of the cut corners 40 are then folded along fold lines formed when the cut corners 40 were initially folded inward (FIG. 5). With the fold shown in FIG. 10, the cutout card 25 comprises a strip 45 with opposing wings 50, the strip 45 comprising a central, substantially square portion 51 and two opposing peripheral tabs 52, and each wing 50 comprising a central portion 53 and two opposing peripheral tabs 54. Continuing with the folding method, as shown in FIG. 11 the peripheral tabs 54 of the wings 50 are then folded along the outer crease portions 35 of the second pair of creases 33 to manipulate the cutout card 25 into the configuration shown in FIG. 12.
The wings 50 are then folded along the first pair of creases 32 to a position substantially perpendicular to the strip 34, and the peripheral tabs 54 of the wings 50 are unfolded to positions substantially perpendicular to the central portions 53 (FIG. 11) of the wings 50 such that a partial enclosure “E” is formed above the strip 34 by the wings 50, as shown in FIG. 13. Finally, turning to FIGS. 14 and 15, the peripheral tabs 52 of the strip 45 are folded over and into the partial enclosure “E” to form a box “B”. Perspective views of the completed box “B” are shown in FIGS. 16 and 17. If desired, a second box (not shown) that is slightly larger or smaller than the box “B” may be formed from a separate card (not shown) using the method described above, and the two boxes may then be nested with each other to form a complete enclosure (not shown).
A template, system, and method for forming a box from a card are described above. Various details of the invention may be changed without departing from its scope. Furthermore, the foregoing description of an embodiment of the invention and the best mode for practicing the invention are provided for the purpose of illustration only and not for the purpose of limitation—the invention being defined by the claims.