US20050082759A1

US20050082759A1 - Great white shark cards

Info

Publication number: US20050082759A1
Application number: US10/688,738
Authority: US
Inventors: Scotty Strahan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-10-20
Filing date: 2003-10-20
Publication date: 2005-04-21

Abstract

The claim is for a trading card game toy that consists of a plurality of cards for creating new trading card games in which each said card is personalized. In order to personalize each said card, the format of the front side of each said card is blank or mostly blank with variations of templates with guidelines for drawing, writing, in or around, thereof, including coloring, painting, stamping, stickers, and all other forms considered to be art techniques. A matte finish on the front of the card will make the surface amenable to the direct application of art. The back side or opposite side of each card will contain the same printed logo such that the backs will all look the same. A protective plastic or a type of lamination will cover the back of said cards to add support to the card and increase the longevity of its use. Additional embodiments of the invention shown and described may be made without departing from the true spirit of the invention. The claims are therefore intended to cover any such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Description

CROSSED-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

U.S. Pat. No. 6,601,851, Sakamoto et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,663,418, Grunwald
U.S. Pat. No. 4,244,582, Raees et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,528, Baker
U.S. Pat. No. 6,045,131, Adams et al.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OF DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to trading card game toys. More specifically, this invention relates to the making of personalized trading cards for inventing one's own trading card games.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

Most trading game cards are made from paper with numbers, emblems, photographs, or illustrations printed on them by the card maker, for example, Pokemon cards, U.S. Pat. No. 6,601,851, Sakamoto et al. With these types of trading cards and other card games, the producer establishes the lettering, numbering, or characters prior to purchase. These products leave no specific or convenient place to write or draw ones own ideas, thus leaving little or no room for ones own personal creativity, either with respect to the characters in the game or the rules of the game. Most of these trading card games are also printed on paper with a slick hard surface. Sometimes they have a wax coating. This type of surface does not easily receive pencil, pen, or crayon marks. Therefore, providing a card format and card medium in which the player can create his or her own deck of personalized trading cards with his or her own rules for a personalized trading card game is the problem this invention is addressing. Other patents for personalizing a set of playing cards (not trading cards) are concerned with repeating a personalized piece of artwork on the back of a deck of standard playing cards. U.S. Pat. No. 2,663,418, Grunwald, and related U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,244,582, Raees et at., and 4,817,528, Baker, specify a process for creating personalized playing cards by attaching a repeated personalized pattern on to the back of a card deck. These patents are restricted to making identical backs for playing card decks where the fronts of the cards are the standard four suits with thirteen cards in each suit, for card games such as poker, go-fish, etc. Grunwald specifically states in column 2 on lines 37-44, “Thus, when this procedure is completed, as to all the cards of the deck, a deck is finally had all the different cards of which have identical backs, as is usual and necessary so that the suits and values of the different cards cannot be detected merely from looking at the card backs, yet each of said cards is personalized according to the invention.” In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 6,045,131, Adams et al., provides a specific card game, truth or dare, with a format and surface for writing questions and answers. These inventions do not address the problem of creating a set of completely new cards where each card is uniquely individualized for use in a new, personalized trading card game with one's own rules and one's own characters, emblems, numbers, and/or text. Nor do these inventions address the problem of making each individual card a personalized trading card, by providing a surface for drawing, coloring or painting directly on to the surface of said cards.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the invention is made to allow players the convenience to create a plurality of trading cards where each card is individualized. This invention provides a plurality of cards with one side having a matte finished surface made from card stock or print paper or watercolor paper for drawing, coloring, stenciling, stickers, or applying any type of art mediums. The invention contains a plurality of cards with blank or template faces. For instance, the template faces having guidelines for writing legibly and providing a specific area to draw, paint, or place ones own letters, numbers, emblems, or characters of interest to create one's own game with one's own characters or emblems and rules.
The exemplary embodiment is to provide a trading card game toy where one can create ones own card or trading card game.
A further feature of exemplary embodiments is to provide a trading card game toy where one can make ones own characters.
A further feature of exemplary embodiments is to provide a trading card game toy where one can make up ones own rules.
A further feature of the exemplary embodiments is to provide a trading card game toy where one can make up ones own emblems.
A further feature of the exemplary embodiments is to provide a trading card game toy where one can make ones own numbering system.
A further feature of the exemplary embodiments is to provide a trading card game toy where one can make ones own lettering or alphabet.
A further feature of exemplary embodiments is to provide a trading card game toy with a matte finish paper.
A further feature of exemplary embodiments is to provide a trading card game toy with a print paper finish.
A further feature of exemplary embodiments is to provide a plastic lamination backing to the matte finish card stock, print, or watercolor paper giving the cards support, and thus adding to the durability of the cards.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustrative view of a card front containing a guideline template of a horizontal line at the top used for lettering or numbering. A rectangle below the horizontal line for drawing or coloring in, and further horizontal lines also used for lettering or numbering.
FIG. 2 is an illustration of a blank card front to be used for drawing, coloring, numbering, lettering, or any other type of art application.
FIG. 3 is an illustration of four samples of personalized trading cards, two made on a blank card front and two on a template front.
FIG. 4 is an illustration of a card back containing a logo in the bottom right corner, with a clear coating of a plastic lamination.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This invention is a card game toy consisting of a plurality of cards used to form a deck of trading cards. More specifically this invention will allow any one to make his or her own trading card game toy through the act of drawing, coloring, writing, painting, stenciling, stickers, or using any other types of art mediums. Furthermore, this card game toy is made either from a matte finish card stock, drawing, print, or watercolor paper. Regardless of the type of paper used, it will always have a matte finish on one side. The front matte side of the paper will consist of either a blank surface or a template surface. The front blank surface will allow one to freely draw, write, color, etc. anywhere on the card front. The printed template version of the matte finish side will have horizontal lines to be used for writing legibly. The printed template version will also have an inset rectangle, to be used as a border outline to give a specific place for drawing characters such as people, animals, super heroes, monsters, etc. On the opposite side of the matte finished side, the back of the card will have a logo for a trademark or other repeated pattern so that all the backs will look the same. The back will be covered by a clear plastic lamination to give a stronger more flexible lasting durability to the card.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A preferred embodiment of the trading card game toy includes FIG. 1, is a card front made from a matte finish paper with a marked template made up of one horizontal line at the top of the card, and a rectangle in the center followed by horizontal lines. Horizontal lines are to be used for writing, lettering, numbering, or any other art medium. The established rectangle is to be used for a drawing inside the perimeter or border. Any art medium may be used.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the card front is made from a matte finish paper having a blank face, to be used for drawing, writing, lettering, stickers, numbering, or any other types of art mediums. FIG. 3 shows two samples of personalized trading cards made using cards with blank faces and two samples of personalized trading cards made using a marked template.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the card back is made from a matte finish paper having a logo printed on the card and covered by a clear plastic lamination. All backs will look the same with a given logo.

Claims

1. A trading card game toy that provides a plurality of cards with a format on which a player uniquely personalizes the front of each said trading card with different characters or emblems or words or numbers to create trading cards for use in a personalized trading card game with rules of the player's own invention.

2. A trading card game toy according to claim 1, wherein the surface for personalizing said cards is a matte finish and is either blank or marked with a template that has guide lines. Players can thus easily draw, write, color, paint, stencil, sticker, or apply any other type of art medium to each card.

3. A trading card game toy according to claim 1 and 2, wherein the back (reverse) side of said cards has the same logo on each and will either have a matte finish or be covered with some form of plastic or lamination.