Dollar coin converter

Abstract

The Dollar Coin Converter is an annular attachment to a United States dollar coin, which semi-permanently converts the coin into the same size and one-third the weight of a silver dollar. The converted coin is tactilely and visually, easily distinguished from the United States quarter coin. It provides advertising incentives to distributors to circulate the converted coin, and marketing incentives to the public to circulate it, saving billions of dollars. The Dollar Coin Converter is made of inexpensive, one-piece or two-piece construction. It holds a dollar coin securely, and will tolerate normal handling, such as cash transactions. The coin may be easily removed or replaced, if it is needed for a vending machine. The converted dollar coin retains the inherent magnetic and electrical, anti-counterfeiting characteristics of the dollar coin.

Claims

1. A manufactured structure with a large interior hole into which hole a United States dollar coin is removably inserted, whereby said structure securely retains said dollar coin and provides an enhanced tactile and visual means to distinguish said dollar coin from the United States quarter coin as legal tender for commercial cash transactions, comprising a. a top annulus and a bottom annulus connected by a short, thin, narrow ribbon to have a clamshell form factor, b. a first outer ridge attached to the outer edge of the outside face of said top annulus, and a first inner ridge attached to the inner edge of said outside face of said top annulus, c. a second outer ridge attached to the outer edge of the outside face of said bottom annulus, and a second inner ridge attached to the inner edge of said outside face of said bottom annulus, d. a plurality of flanges are attached to the inner ridge of said top annulus outside face, and another plurality of flanges are attached to the inner ridge of said bottom annulus outside face, all extending inwardly toward the center of said annuli within the plane of the respective face to which ridge they are attached, e. said narrow, thin ribbon serves as a hinge and connects said outer edge of the inside face of said top annulus to said outer edge of the inside face of said bottom annulus, whereby said top annulus and said bottom annulus are attached, forming a single folded annulus, f. on said inside face of each annulus is an adhesive area, covering a segment of each respective annulus from said ribbon to a line tangent to the nearest point on the inside edge of said respective annulus, g. located on a segment on the opposite side of said hole from said ribbon on each annulus, are inner and outer wedge slopes to facilitate the insertion and removal of said dollar coin, h. said wedge slopes each form an acute angle with the plane of said respective inside faces of respective said top and bottom annuli, i. said top annulus and said bottom annulus can be folded and held permanently together by said adhesive areas, forming said single folded annulus, j. when inserted into said folded annulus said dollar coin is designated a converted dollar coin, is mostly uncovered on both sides and retains the inherent anti-counterfeiting, magnetic and electrical characteristics of said dollar coin, k. at least one outside face of said annuli contains functionally related indicia, which provide an incentive to circulate said converted coin.

2. A United States dollar coin converter comprises: a. a one-piece or two-piece structure with a large interior hole defining an annulus into which hole a United States dollar coin is inserted, resulting in a generally coin-shaped converted coin not larger than a silver dollar which is legal tender for commercial cash transactions and is distinguished from the United States quarter coin both tactilely and visually, b. said structure allows insertion and removal of said dollar coin, wherein said dollar coin is securely retained in said structure by physically obstructing said dollar coin from unintentional release from said structure via a plurality of flanges attached to inside edges of said annulus, wherein said flanges extend inwardly toward a center of said annulus within the plane thereof to extend over both sides of said dollar coin, c. said dollar coin is mostly uncovered on said both sides when securely retained in said structure and readily testable using the inherent anti-counterfeiting, magnetic and electrical characteristics of said coin, and d. at least one outer face of said structure contains functionally related indicia, which provides an incentive to circulate said converted coin, and which indicates the amount of additional monetary value and its source added to said converted coin, whereby removal of said structure from said dollar coin would remove said additional monetary value.

Description

A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 0 is unlabeled views of two embodiments to be used as illustrations with the Abstract.

(2) FIG. 1 through FIG. 2 refer to the first embodiment of the invention. FIG. 3 through FIG. 9a refer to the second embodiment of the invention.

(3) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the annulus 10 of the first embodiment of the invention.

(4) FIG. 1A is an enlarged, cross-sectional view on line 1A-1A of FIG. 1, showing a region of the first embodiment of the invention where there is no rib 16.

(5) FIG. 1B is an enlarged, cross-sectional view on line 1B-1B of FIG. 1, showing a location where there is a rib 16, and ridges 12 and 14.

(6) FIG. 1C is an enlarged, cross-sectional view on line 1C-1C of FIG. 2. A dollar coin 100 has compressed a rib 16, and the ends of the rib 16, which extend beyond the coin 100, have resiliently expanded and wrapped around the dollar coin 100.

(7) FIG. 2 is a top view of the first embodiment with an inserted dollar coin 100, and illustrative indicia 19 on the top face of the annulus 10.

(8) FIG. 3 is an outside view of the second embodiment of the invention, which is two annuli 20 and 21 joined together, and with illustrative indicia 22.

(9) FIG. 4 is the inside view of the two annuli, attached by a thin ribbon 50.

(10) FIG. 5 is an expanded cross-sectional view at line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

(11) FIG. 6 is an expanded cross-sectional view of line 6-6 of FIG. 4,

(12) FIG. 6A is an expanded cross-sectional view of line 6-6 of FIG. 4 after annuli 20 and 21 have been folded together, and shows a dollar coin 100 beginning to wedge apart the top outer wedge slope 36 and the bottom outer wedge slope 32.

(13) FIG. 6B is an expanded cross-sectional view of line 5-5 of FIG. 4, after annuli 20 and 21 have been folded together and the dollar coin 100 inserted, showing how flanges 24 hold the dollar coin 100 in the second embodiment of the Dollar Coin Converter.

(14) FIG. 7 is an expanded cross-sectional view of line 7-7 of FIG. 4, showing the annulus at a location where there is no flange or wedge slope.

(15) FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a dollar coin 100 being inserted into the second embodiment of the Dollar Coin Converter.

(16) FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of top annulus 20 being folded with the dollar coin 100 having been placed into bottom annulus 21.

(17) FIG. 9A shows a top view of the completed second embodiment of the Dollar Coin Converter containing a dollar coin 100 and illustrative indicia 22.

(18) FIG. 9B shows a perspective view of two-piece construction without a ribbon 50. The top annulus 20 is prepared for adhesion to the bottom annulus 21 into which a dollar coin 100 has been inserted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DOLLAR COIN CONVERTER

(19) The Dollar Coin Converter converts the small U.S. dollar coin, such as the coin known as the Sacagawea dollar, into a size that the public will voluntarily circulate. The Dollar Coin Converter makes the dollar coin tactilely and visually, more easily distinguished from the U.S. quarter coin, thus removing the nuisance value of the tactual and visual similarity of the dollar coin to the quarter coin that has caused the dollar coin's unpopularity.

(20) The Dollar Coin Converter is an annulus into which the dollar coin is semi-permanently inserted. The coin is held sufficiently securely to withstand normal coin handling, such as cash transactions, flipping, and jostling in purse, pocket, or money bag without unintentional release. In its first embodiment the converted dollar coin is about the size of a Morgan silver dollar, but about one-third its weight.

(21) If needed for another purpose, the dollar coin can be removed from the converter, even by a child or a person with long finger nails, and another dollar coin can be inserted.

(22) The faces of the annulus can contain indicia to provide businesses and consumers incentives to circulate the converted dollar coin. Most of each face of the coin remains uncovered to retain the inherent anti-counterfeiting, magnetic and electrical characteristics of the dollar coin.

(23) The converter is of one-piece or two-piece construction to contain manufacturing costs. The converter can be constructed of many materials, such as plastic, aluminum, cardboard, wood, or pressed fiber, provided the material meets the functional requirements of the embodiment, such as durability, compression, resilience, or flexibility.

The First Embodiment

(24) FIGS. 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, and 2 refer to the first embodiment of the Dollar Coin Converter.

(25) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an annulus 10 with a circumferential outer ridge 12 and a circumferential inner ridge 14 on each face 11, and a plurality of semicircular ribs 16 mounted vertically from face 11 to face. The ends of the ribs 16 extend and attach to the inside edge of the inner ridges 14. The bottom face, which is not shown, is identical to the top face 11, except perhaps the indicia 22.

(26) FIG. 1A is an enlarged, cross-sectional view on line 1A-1A of FIG. 1, showing a region of the annulus 10 with ridges 12,14 but without a rib 16. FIG. 1B shows a region with a rib 16.

(27) FIG. 1C is an enlarged, cross-sectional view on line 1C-1C of FIG. 2, showing a dollar coin 100 pressed into the annulus 10, compressing the rib 16, with the ends 18 of the ribs 16 expanding around the dollar coin 100 to provide secure retention.

(28) FIG. 2 is a top view of the first embodiment with an inserted dollar coin 100, and illustrative indicia 22 on the top face 11. When the dollar coin 100 is inserted, the semicircular ribs 16 are compressed, holding the dollar coin 100 securely by friction, and by the expanded ends 18 of ribs 16.

(29) The first embodiment requires a material that is compressible and resilient, such as nylon.

The Second Embodiment

(30) FIGS. 3 through 9B refer to the second embodiment of the Dollar Coin Converter.

(31) The second embodiment requires a material that is flexible and resilient, such as acrylic plastic.

(32) The second embodiment is two annuli 20,21 joined in a clam shell configuration by a thin, narrow ribbon 50 made of the same material as the annuli 20,21, so that the annuli 20,21 can be folded to form a single annulus 90 as in FIG. 9A.

(33) The outside face 28,29 of each annulus 20,21 has an outer ridge 26 and inner ridge 27 to protect the indicia 22 from wear. The thicknesses of the top annulus 20 and bottom annulus 21 are each about half the thickness of the first embodiment in FIG. 1, so that when the two annuli 20,21 are folded together, the annuli 20,21 form a single annulus 90 with about the same overall dimensions as the first embodiment in FIG. 1.

(34) Around the interior edge of each annulus 20,21 is a plurality of flanges 24 attached to the inner ridges 27. The flanges 24 serve to retain the dollar coin 100 between the two folded annuli 20,21, while leaving most of both faces of the dollar coin 100 uncovered. The thickness of the flanges 24 is about the same as the height of the inner ridge 27.

(35) FIG. 4 is the inside view of the two annuli 20,21 attached by a thin, narrow ribbon 50, made by the same material as the annuli 20,21. The ribbon 50 guides the folding of the two annuli 20,21 together to form the folded annulus 90 in FIG. 9A. Adjacent to the ribbon 50 is a speckled adhesive application area 40,42 on each annulus. The adhesive areas 40,42 extend from the ribbon 50 to a line tangent 44,46 to the nearest point of the inside edge of each annulus. During manufacturing, adhesive is applied to the adhesive areas 40,42 prior to folding, and permanently holds the annuli 20,21 together after folding. Alternatively, the two annuli 20,21 without the ribbon 50 can be adhered together to form a two-piece construction 92 as in FIG. 9B.

(36) FIG. 6 is an expanded cross-sectional view of line 6-6 of FIG. 4. FIG. 6 shows bottom inner 34 and outer wedge slopes 32. The wedge slopes 32,34 each form about a 45 degree angle with the plane of the inside face 30,31 of the annulus 20,21 of which it is a part.

(37) FIG. 6A is an expanded cross-sectional view of line 6-6 of FIG. 4 of the bottom wedge slopes 32,34 plus the corresponding top wedge slopes 36,38 after the annuli 20,21 have been folded during manufacturing. The space between the pair of outer wedge slopes 32,36 and the space between the pair of inner wedge slopes 34,38 are wedge spaces. The function of the wedge spaces is to allow a dollar coin 100 to get started wedging apart the annuli 20,21 without the use of a tool or fingernail, so that the dollar coin 100 can be inserted into or removed from the Dollar Coin Converter.

(38) FIG. 6B is an expanded cross-sectional view of line 5-5 of FIG. 4 after the dollar coin 100 has been inserted, and the annuli 20,21 have been folded together, showing how the flanges 24 retain the dollar coin 100.

(39) FIG. 7 is an expanded cross-sectional view of line 7-7 of FIG. 4 to clarify the difference between cross-sections where wedge slopes 32,34,36,38 exist such as at line 6-6 of FIG. 4 as in FIG. 6, and where wedge slopes do not exist such as at line 7-7 of FIG. 4.

(40) FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of the dollar coin 100 being inserted into the folded annulus 90 after the adhesive has been applied to the adhesive areas 40,42 and the annuli 20,21 have been folded together. The locations of example indicia 22 are also shown.

(41) FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of the annuli 20,21, being folded with the dollar coin 100 having been placed into the bottom annulus 21 during manufacture.

(42) FIG. 9A shows a top view of the finished second embodiment of the Dollar Coin Converter containing the dollar coin 100.

(43) FIG. 9B shows a step during two-piece construction. The two annuli 20,21 are separate pieces without the connecting ribbon 50. The top annulus 20 is prepared for adhesion to the bottom annulus 21 into which a dollar coin 100 has been inserted.

Another Embodiment

(44) A throw-away embodiment would allow easy removal of the dollar coin from the Dollar Coin Converter, but the dollar coin converter would be damaged. In this embodiment a dollar coin 100 can not be replaced with another dollar coin 100.

(45) This enumeration of these embodiments does not exclude the many other possible embodiments of the Dollar Coin Converter.