AU2006203406B2 - Greeting Card - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract A greeting card that can be customised by providing, on the cover, a display area that can be changed by punching out perforated segments, as 5 required. Cl0 fw/h

Description

AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE STANDARD PATENT SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED: GREETING CARD This invention is described in the following statement:- Greeting Card Field of the Invention 5 The invention relates to greeting cards and more particularly to a greeting card that can be customised. Background of the Invention 10 Greeting cards are widely available for retail purchase and are sent on a variety of occasions including birthdays, anniversaries, graduations and a variety of other commemorations. Many greeting cards contain a pre-printed message. A message of this kind might include, for example, the age of the recipient (in a birthday card). However, pre-printed cards of this kind must 15 be stocked by the retailer (and their supplier) in a variety of configurations, each configuration corresponding to a particular age. This means that the cards themselves occupy considerable retail shelf space and may require individualised ordering and stocking. With cards of this type, the sender may add a personalised message but it is understood that some senders enjoy 20 having a greater input into the appearance of the card than merely adding their personalised message. Objects and Summary of the Invention 25 It is an object of the invention to provide a greeting card that can be custom ised. It is another object of the invention to provide a greeting card that when sold, does not bear any particular age information but that can be customised to display age or other information by its purchaser or sender. 30 It is another object of the invention to provide a greeting having a display area that can be changed by punching out perforated segments, as required. Accordingly, there is provided a greeting card having a display area. The display area comprises an array of perforated segments. In preferred 2 embodiments, the perforated segments are arranged in an alpha-numeric format. In other embodiments, the perforations are provided in a geometric format. Other formats are contemplated. 5 Brief Description of the Drawing Figures In order that the invention be better understood, reference is now made to the following drawing figures in which: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a greeting card illustrating a display 10 area comprising perforated segments in an alpha-numeric format; Figure 2 is a top plan view of another greeting card illustrating a second alpha-numeric format; and Figure 3 is a top plan view of yet another greeting card illustrating 15 a geometric format. Best Mode and Other Embodiments of the Invention In Figure 1, a greeting card 10 comprises a textile substrate having a 20 front surface 11, a rear surface 12 and that is subdivided by a generally central fold line 13. It will be appreciated that the fold line often but not always subdivides the card symmetrically. Any of the surfaces of the card may bear pre-printed information. Printed information intended for the recipient is usually present on the front 25 surface 11 and on the inner facing page (obverse of the rear surface 12, not shown). The rear surface 12 often bears printed information but this is most often related to the commercial source of the card itself, its model no. etc. Figure 1 illustrates that a portion of the front surface 11 of the card may comprise a display area 14. The display area comprises an array of perforated 30 elongated six sided polygonal segments 15. In this example, the perforated segments 15 form an array two separate seven segment alpha-numeric symbols 16. Each symbol 16 can be individually customised so to form any roman numeral and even a variety of alphabetic characters. Thus, an array of this kind can display any numeral from o through 99. Numerals are formed 3 by removing the perforated segments 15 thereby creating openings and exposing the inner facing page through the openings or spaces previously occupied by the perforated segments 15. The remainder of the card can be pre-printed to conform to any of a number of styles that relate to the values or 5 style that may be displayed in the display area. For example, when the front surface 11 is pre-printed with a birthday greeting, the card serves as a birthday card for any age. The facing page preferably carries a pattern or colour that contrasts with the colour in and around the display area 14, thereby providing an acceptable contrast between the display area 14 and those parts of the 10 facing page revealed by the removed segments 15. As shown in Figure 2, the display area 14 comprises two alpha-numeric symbols 21 that are italicised when compared to the symbols depicted in Figure 1. It will be appreciated that other font styles and other arrays and formats may be utilised in the display area 14. 15 As shown in Figure 3, the perforated segments 31 form a geometric array, in this instance, a regularly spaced square array that is six, circular perforated segments on a side, comprising a total of 36 segments 31 each about 10 mm in diameter. It will be appreciated that other forms of geometric array may be employed. Geometric array as depicted in Figure 3 can be used 20 to display a number, a symbol, a letter or a geometric pattern by removing one or more of the perforated segments 31. In preferred embodiments, the greeting cards of the present invention are fabricated from heavy paper or card stock as is conventional in this art. The display areas exemplified by Figures 1 and 2 comprises an area 25 approximately 52mm wide and 42mm high that is spaced at least 15 mm from any adjacent edge. The display area depicted in Figure 3 comprises an area of about 95 mm square that is also spaced approximately 15 mm from any adjacent edge. While the greeting cards of present invention have been disclosed with 30 particular details of construction, such as the array or format or font, these should be understood as having been provided by way of example and not as limitations to the scope or spirit of the invention as expressed in the claims. 4

Claims (12)

1. A greeting card, comprising: 5 a substrate that is subdivided by a fold line; the fold line defining a front surface and facing page; the front surface further comprising a display area defined by an array of perforated segments; the segments arranged to define a pattern; whereby 10 removal of one or more segments creates a like number of openings through which the facing page is visible.

2. The greeting card of claim 1, wherein: 15 the pattern is in the form of one or more alpha-numeric symbols.

3. The greeting card of claim 2, wherein: the symbols are seven segment symbols. 20

4. The greeting card of claim 1, wherein: the pattern is in the form of a geometric pattern. 25

5. The greeting card of claim 1, wherein: the substrate is a heavy paper or card stock.

6. The greeting card of any one of claims 1-5, wherein: 30 a portion of the card is printed with information that relates to the array. 5

7. The greeting card of any one of claims 1-6, wherein: the perforated segments are round. 5

8. The greeting card of any one of claims 1-6, wherein: the perforated segments are elongated.

9. The greeting card of any one of claims 1-6, wherein: 10 the pattern is in the form of one or more alpha-numeric symbols; and the card is pre-printed with a birthday greeting.

10. The greeting card of any one of claims 1-7, wherein: 15 the display area has a background with a first colour and the facing page has a second colour and the first and second colours are contrasting.

11. The greeting card of any one of claims 1-6, wherein: 20 the perforated segments are elongated polygons.

12. The greeting card of claim 11, wherein: 25 the polygons are six sided. Molins & Co. 30 for the Applicant Matthew Mccarthy 6