Ornamental gripping device for holding gift cards onto gift packages

Abstract

A combination ornamental and gripping device (30), designed especially to allow a novel and improved method for securely holding a flat object (10) such as a gift card or the like to a gift package (20) while providing ornamentation for the gift package (20). The gripping device (30) is preferably a single piece of molded or extruded resilient plastic material and is essentially U-shaped with two side members (32 and 34) that are of similar size and shape and that are essentially planar. The outside face of the ornamental side member (32) typically has a multi-colored design and/or message bonded to it as an ornamental member (46), or integrally molded with it, or printed on it. The outside face of the attaching side member (34) has applied to it an adhesive layer (38) with a peelable, protective liner (40), and is used to attach the gripping device (30) to the gift package (20). The side members (32 and 34) are biased so as to urge resiliently toward one another, thereby providing a clamping pressure to firmly hold the inserted flat object (10). Clamping pressure is preferably increased by providing two laterally oriented, rounded ridges or protrusions (42 and 44), with one on either side member (32 or 34), and positioned in an offset arrangement. Either protrusion is of such a size and protrudes toward the opposite side member to such an extent that the inserted flat object (10) is held with an increased clamping pressure so as to be securely, yet releasably, retained. At the open end of the gripping device (30), the gap between the side members (32 and 34) is wider, so as to facilitate insertion of the flat item (10) to be secured.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.