Card Holder

Abstract

A card holder is provided that includes a frame comprising at least three open-front card compartments for receiving cards. Disposed between the card compartments are inner uprights having a front interstitial face that is sufficiently wide to carry textual or graphical indicia. The indicia affect the cards, such as by influencing the meaning of the cards inserted into the card compartments or to enable interplay or interaction between the cards and the card holder to enhance the game play.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A card holder for receiving multiple cards, comprising:
 a thin, elongated frame extending horizontally between opposing frame side edges, extending vertically between a frame lower edge and a frame upper edge, and extending rearwardly between a frame front and a frame back; said frame comprising at least three open-front and open-top compartments disposed on said frame front and each of which accommodate at least one of said multiple cards; said frame further comprising at least three compartment bottoms and at least three compartment backs; said frame further comprising a right and a left outer upright portion each configured with one vertical outer upright slot and at least two inner upright portions each configured with two vertical inner upright slots; and   wherein each of said at least three open-front and open-top compartments is defined by two of said vertical slots, one of said at least three compartment backs, and one of said at least three compartment bottoms.   
     
     
         2 . The card holder for receiving cards as recited in  claim 1  wherein:
 said at least two inner upright portions comprise a right inner upright and a left inner upright; 
 said right inner upright comprises a right front interstitial face and right inner indicia carried by said right front interstitial face; and 
 wherein said left inner upright comprises a left front interstitial face and left inner indicia carried by said left front interstitial face. 
 
     
     
         3 . The card holder for receiving cards as recited in  claim 2  wherein said right inner indicia and said left inner indicia affect said cards. 
     
     
         4 . The card holder for receiving cards as recited in  claim 2  wherein:
 said frame further comprises a substructure portion disposed below said at least three compartment bottoms and above said frame lower edge; and 
 said substructure portion comprises a substructure front face and substructure indicia carried by said substructure portion. 
 
     
     
         5 . The card holder for receiving cards as recited in  claim 1  further comprising at least two support stands configured to be attached along said frame lower edge. 
     
     
         6 . The card holder for receiving cards as recited in  claim 1  wherein each of said at least three compartment bottoms comprise a flat floor. 
     
     
         7 . The card holder for receiving cards as recited in  claim 1  wherein each of said at least three compartment bottoms comprise a narrow horizontal groove. 
     
     
         8 . The card holder for receiving cards as recited in  claim 1  wherein said frame lower edge is configured with a frame aperture; wherein said support stand is configured with a stand opening; and wherein said stand opening may be manually engaged with said frame aperture to attach said support stand to said frame. 
     
     
         9 . The card holder for receiving cards as recited in  claim 1  wherein said frame comprises a frame-front section, a middle section, and a frame-backing section that are fixedly joined. 
     
     
         10 . The card holder for receiving cards as recited in  claim 1  wherein each of said vertical outer upright slots and said inner upright slots extends from one of said at least three compartment bottoms to end at said frame upper edge. 
     
     
         11 . The card holder for receiving cards as recited in  claim 1  wherein each of said vertical outer upright slots and said inner upright slots extends from one of said at least three compartment bottoms to stop short of said frame upper edge to define an upper open notch. 
     
     
         12 . A card holder for receiving multiple cards, comprising:
 a thin, elongated frame extending horizontally between opposing frame side edges, extending vertically between a frame lower edge and a frame upper edge, and extending rearwardly between a frame front and a frame back; said frame comprising a plurality of open-front and open-top compartments disposed on said frame front and each of which accommodate one of said multiple cards; said frame further comprising a substructure portion extending horizontally between said opposing frame side edges and extending vertically from said frame lower edge up to a bottom of each of said plurality of compartments; said frame further comprising a right side upright configured with a left vertical slot, an opposing left side upright configured with a right vertical slot, a right inner upright configured with a right slot and a left slot, and a left inner upright configured with a right slot and a left slot;   wherein said right inner upright comprises a right front interstitial face and indicia carried by said right front interstitial face;   wherein said left inner upright comprises a left front interstitial face and indicia carried by said left front interstitial face; and   wherein a horizontal distance between said left vertical slot of said right side upright and said right vertical slot of said right inner upright is at least 75% of the width of one of said multiple cards.   
     
     
         13 . The card holder for receiving cards as recited in  claim 12  wherein:
 a first one of said plurality of compartments is defined by said left vertical slot of said right side upright, a first compartment bottom, said right vertical slot of said right inner upright, and a card compartment back; 
 a second one of said plurality of compartments is defined by said left vertical slot of said right inner upright, a second compartment bottom, said right vertical slot of said left inner upright, and a card compartment back; and 
 a third one of said plurality of compartments is defined by said left vertical slot of said left inner upright, a third compartment bottom, and said right vertical slot of said left side upright. 
 
     
     
         14 . The card holder for receiving cards as recited in  claim 13  wherein:
 said left vertical slot of said right side upright and said right vertical slot of said right inner upright extend from said first compartment bottom to said frame upper edge; 
 said left vertical slot of said right inner upright and said right vertical slot of said left inner upright extend from said second compartment bottom to said frame upper edge; and 
 said left vertical slot of said left inner upright and said right vertical slot of said left side upright extend from said third compartment bottom to said frame upper edge. 
 
     
     
         15 . The card holder for receiving cards as recited in  claim 13  wherein:
 said left vertical slot of said right side upright and said right vertical slot of said right inner upright extend from said first compartment bottom but stop short of said frame upper edge to define an upper open notch; 
 said left vertical slot of said right inner upright and said right vertical slot of said left inner upright extend from said second compartment bottom but stop short of said frame upper edge to define an upper open notch; and 
 said left vertical slot of said left inner upright and said right vertical slot of said left side upright extend from said third compartment bottom but stop short of said frame upper edge to define an upper open notch. 
 
     
     
         16 . The card holder for receiving cards as recited in  claim 12  further comprising at least two support stands configured to be attached along said frame lower edge. 
     
     
         17 . The card holder for receiving cards as recited in  claim 12  wherein said right front interstitial face has a width at least 20% of the width of one of said cards; and wherein said left front interstitial face has a width at least 20% of the width of one of said cards. 
     
     
         18 . The card holder for receiving cards as recited in  claim 12  wherein said indicia carried by said right front interstitial face and indicia carried by said left front interstitial face affect a meaning of said cards. 
     
     
         19 . The card holder for receiving cards as recited in  claim 12  wherein said frame comprises a frame-front section, a middle section, and a frame-backing section that are fixedly joined. 
     
     
         20 . The card holder for receiving cards as recited in  claim 12 , wherein:
 said right side upright comprises a right side upright top edge;   said left side upright comprises a left side upright top edge;   said right inner upright comprises a right inner upright top edge;   said left inner upright comprises a left inner upright; and   said frame upper edge aligns with said right side upright top edge, said left side upright top edge, said right inner upright top edge, and said left inner upright.