GB2248797A

GB2248797A - Ornamental structure

Info

Publication number: GB2248797A
Application number: GB9022515A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kevin Michael Perry
Original assignee: SECOND NATURE Ltd
Current assignee: SECOND NATURE Ltd
Priority date: 1990-10-17
Filing date: 1990-10-17
Publication date: 1992-04-22
Anticipated expiration: 2010-10-17
Also published as: GB2248797B; GB9022515D0; AU8723491A; WO1992006853A1

Abstract

A structure such as a greeting card is foldable to fit within an envelope and has a portion (12a) which springs out of a second portion (5) when removed from the envelope, to obtain a 3-dimensional 'Jack-In-The-Box' effect. The card is self-supporting.

Description

ORNAMENTAL STRUCTURE This invention relates to an ornamental structure. In particular, but not exclusively, it relates to a greetings card.

The term 'ornamental structure' is intended to be construed widely and to include, inter alia, structures upon which information is presented such as greetings cards, business cards, calenders or advertising devices for example, or purely decorative structures.

According to the present invention there is provided an ornamental structure comprising a base movable from a first position, where it lies generally flat to fit in an envelope, to a second opened out position where it forms a plinth; and a structure including a resilient means, which structure lies flat, when the base is in its first position substantially within the base and, when the base is opened out, is urged by the resilient means to at least partially protrude from the base.

According to the present invention there is further provided an ornamental structure comprising a first sheet folded to form a base structure including at least two planes which are movable between a first position, in which they lie superimposed such that the base is generally flat, to fit within an envelope, and a second position in which the portions are spread to form a three dimensional structure forming a plinth; and a second sheet which is folded and is attached to the first sheet in such a manner that when the first sheet is in its opened out position the second sheet is caused by a resilient means to protrude above the plinth in a three dimensional manner, the second sheet being foldable to lie wholly or substantially within the first sheet when the first sheet is in its closed position and to be constrained by the first sheet to lie in the folded position until the first sheet is opened, at which time the second sheet is urged, by resilient means, into its protruding position.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a blank for forming a plinth of a greetings card; Figure 2 shows a blank for forming a "jackin-the-box" feature in the form of a teddy bear to protrude from the plinth; Figure 3 shows an opened out position of a greetings card formed from the two blanks; Figure 4 shows a closed position of the greetings card of Figure 3, and Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram.

The following description is of a greetings card, particularly a greetings card which represents a teddy bear. The invention is of course not limited to a teddy bear structure nor is it limited to a greetings card.

Referring to Figure 1, a blank to form a plinth comprises a rectangular piece of card or other relatively stiff material 1. The card 1 comprises a plurality of transverse creases 2 which enable the card to be folded so that top edge 3 overlaps bottom edge 4. This forms a rectangular box structure 5 shown in Figure 3 which is open at its top and bottom.

A blank to form a decorative insert 6 is shown in Figure 2. This includes a top portion which is shaped to form, in this case, the head, shoulders and arms of a teddy bear 7 but may be shaped to have any other desired configuration. Depending from the teddy bear silhouette 7 is a first rectangular portion 8 which includes a transverse crease line 9.

Slits 10 are provided at the respective ends of crease line 9 and the slits terminate in enlarged hole portions 11. The holes are for receiving an elastic band 20 (Figure 3). Depending from portion 8 is a portion 12 of generally rectangular structure and of slightly greater width at its top end than portion 8. This portion has two tapering shoulders 13 and 14. At shoulder 13, a crease line 15 is provided which joins the sides of the portion by respective slits 16. Again enlarged holes 17 are provided at the ends of the slits to receive an elastic band.

In use, blank 6 is firstly folded as shown in Figure 3. Thus, the lower part 8a of portion 8 under the crease line is arranged to be parallel to the lower part 12a of portion 12 under its respective crease line 15. Similarly, the respective upper portions of respective portions 8 and 12 are also arranged to be parallel. An elastic band 20 or other resilient means or member is attached between holes 11 and 17 to form a square or rectangle defining, in effect, the diagonals of the parallelogram formed by the parallel sets of planes 8,12 and 8a,12a. In folding the blank in this manner, the arm portions 18 and shoulder portions 19 which are separated by the creases shown in Figure 2, tend to fold inwardly towards to each other. This serves to enhance the three dimensional effect and appear to be partially outstretched arms in the finished article.Folded piece 6 is then applied to an inner face, or to a face which is to be an inner face once the blank is folded, of plinth 5. Portion 8a is adhered or otherwise attached to this face, preferably such that crease line 9 lies parallel to the top surface of plinth 5. Portion 6 may of course be mounted lower or higher than this if desired.

Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram showing how the presence of a resilient member such as the elastic band 20 serves to cause the blank 6 to protrude in an upwards manner. If the blank is folded downwards in a direction shown by the arrows such that its planes overlap one another to form a generally flat structure, then the effect will be as shown in Figure 5(a) where the dashed line represents the elastic band and the parallelogram is that represented by planes 8 and 12. As shown, the elastic band is greatly extended and thus will exert in the direction Fa shown, a considerable resilient force. If not constrained, this resilient force will tend to urge the structure, through the position shown in Figure 5(b) to the position shown in Figure 5ic) where the band 20 reaches its the shortest possible length allowed by the structure.Thus, when not constrained, the decorative portion 6 will always protrude from plinth 5.

When using the greetings card, the portion 6 may firstly be folded downwards to lie flat and the plinth portion 5 also folded, again to lie generally flat. This is shown more clearly in Figure 4. The arm portionS18 will also tend to fold inwardly to be flat across the 'chest' of the Teddy Bear. Inner faces of plinth 5 impinge against portion 6 and constrain it against resilient upward motion. The card may then be placed in an envelope which further aids the constraining effect. When released from the envelope , manipulation of the plinth portion 5 to its open position enables the resilient force of the band 20 to cause the decorative part 6 to spring upward into its protruding position. Hence a "jackin-the-box" effect is obtained.

Other pieces of card, blanks or other structures may be added, examples are leg and feet portions which may be applied between shoulder portions 19 and base portion 8. Any other structures may be added to the greetings card as necessary.

Claims

ClAIMS

1. An ornamental structure comprising a base movable from a first position, where it lies generally flat to fit in an envelope, to a second opened out position where it forms a plinth; and a structure including a resilient means, which structure lies flat, when the base is in its first position substantially within the base and, when the base is opened out, is urged by the resilient means to at least partially protrude from the base.

2. An ornamental structure comprising a first sheet folded to form a base structure including at least two planes where are movable between a first position, in which they lie superimposed such that the base is generally flat, to fit within an envelope, and a second position in which the portions are spread to form a three dimensional structure forming a plinth; and a second sheet which is folded and is attached to the first sheet in such a manner that when the first sheet is in its opened out position the second sheet is caused by a resilient means to protrude above the plinth in a three dimensional manner, the second sheet being foldable to lie wholly or substantially within the first sheet when the first sheet is in its closed position and to be constrained by the first sheet to lie in the folded position until the first sheet is opened, at which time the second sheet is urged, by resilient means, into its protruding position.

3. An ornamental structure as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the base comprises four planar portions forming a parallelepiped, having two opposing open ends, the base being openable from a flattened position to a fully open position at which the parallelepiped is of square or rectangular cross-section, the structure being arranged such that when opened, one open end of the base is adapted to contact a supporting surface and the second sheet protrudes from the opposite open end.

4. An ornamental structure as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein the second sheet is folded to at least partly form a parallelepiped, the resilient means being disposed in a position to urge the parallelepiped from a closed first position where the second sheet lies wholly within the first sheet, to a second position where the second sheet at least partially protrudes from the first sheet.

5. An ornamental structure as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the parallelepiped portion of the second sheet is affixed at one face to an inner face of the first sheet and is aligned substantially perpendicularly thereto.

6. An ornamental structure as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 5, wherein the resilient means is an endless resilient band.

7. An ornamental structure as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the band is affixed across a diagonal of the second sheet, such that when the sheet is in its first, closed position, the band is stretched, so that when the sheet is released the band urges the second sheet towards a second position in which the band is in a minimum tension.

8. A greetings card, comprising an ornamental structure as claimed in any preceding claim.

9. A greetings card substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated by, the accompanying drawings.