GB2251579A - Greetings card - Google Patents

Abstract

To allow customer choice in the combination of interior written greeting (12B) and frontal decorative matter (12A), cards are provided as a range of separate leaves (10A, 10B) for connection at point of sale or subsequently. Preferably one of the leaves (10A) has a preformed fold line (14) beyond which is an extension strip (16) bearing adhesive (18). To effect connection to a selected second leaf (10B), a barrier strip (20) is removed from the adhesive (18), e.g. by tab (22), and the extension strip (16) is secured along an edge margin of the second leaf (10B), along with or prior to folding at line (14). Apparatus with a hinged extension (36) may be provided to facilitate alignment of the two selected leaves (10A, 10B) and their securement by folding over along line (14). <IMAGE>

Description

GREETINGS CARDS This invention relates to greetings cards.

Greetings cards are used for a wide variety of purposes and on various occasions, for example Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day, birthdays, other anniversaries, congratulations, sympathy, get well etc.

Some greetings cards display their purpose prominently on both of a front surface and an inner surface. Many, of course, do not do that, but rarely to the extent of having a general purpose inner surface, probably because it would then be so anodyne as to have little appeal.

In fact, many inner surfaces bear greetings or doggerel in a manner that puts off at least as many potential purchasers as it attracts. The result is that choosing a greetings card having fronts and inners of matching appeal becomes time-consuming if not downright frustrating.

It is an object of this invention to provide ways of easing and speeding choice of greetings cards.

As applied to what it is convenient to refer to as a basic card, by which is meant a card having a front leaf exteriorly carrying mainly decorative matter and another leaf interiorly carrying mainly message matter, one aspect of this invention comprises providing such leaves as separate items to be associated together at point of sale or even afterwards, at least one of the separate leaves being adapted for associating with the other.

One advantageous form of adaptation involves joining the leaves together, specifically by way of one leaf having an edge-adjacent position to be overlapped by an edge of the other leaf, and a bonding agent between then confronting edge-adjacent positions of both leaves, a fold subsequently being made, if not preformed as can be further advantageous, in the one leaf beyond the bonded edge portions. Preferably, the bonding agent is on one of the edge-adjacent positions, conveniently below a removable barrier tape, feasibly on the one leaf to be folded which, prior to folding will usually be larger by its edge-adjacent portion than the other leaf.

However, it is equally feasible for folding and larger size to be for the other leaf.

A device of another aspect of this invention can be provided at point of sale to assist joining of leaves of greetings cards, for example providing accurate location of superposed card leaves, say in a suitablysized depression, but with the lower leaf extending beyond the upper leaf and carrying adhesive on that extension to be turned over onto the upper leaf, conveniently using a hinged part of the device. Foldassisting devices are preferred, and might be customeroperated.

Variants on the first aspect of invention include a blank inner leaf and self-adhesive message carriers, preferably with location assistance within a border marking or formation of the inner leaf; a pocketed formation of an inner leaf, preferably operative to form a border only and expose a message on a separate message leaf received therein; and aperturing of the front leaf to shown an appropriate part of the message leaf or be covered internally by a specific stick-on further information carrier.

Embodiments of this invention give rise to a highly convenient, flexible and novel method of stocking and selling greetings cards, namely separate inventories of first leaves and second leaves to be browsed and chosen from separately, then put together only at point of sale or afterwards.

Specific implementation for this invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figures 1A and 1B are plan views of separate leaves of a greetings card; Figure 2 is a plan view of a device for joining leaves of Figures 1A and lB; Figures 2A to 2D are fragmentary side views of stages of operation of the device of Figure 2; Figures 3A and 3B are plan views of a variant greetings card and message carrier; Figures 4A and 4B are plan views of further variant greetings card leaves.

Referring first to Figures 1A and 1B, a first greetings card leaf lOA has primarily decorative matter at 12A on one face to be exterior of the finished greetings card. A second leaf lOB has primarily message matter at 12B on one face to be interior of the finished greetings card. The first leaf 10A has a preformed fold 14 beyond which is an extension strip 16 bearing adhesive (18 in Figure 2A) protected by a barrier strip (20 in Figure 2A) having a pull tab 22 for removal purposes. The fold 14 allows the extension strip 16 to go into the plane of Figure 1A.

Turning to Figure 2, including Figures 2A to 2D, a card assembly device 30 comprises a base 32 with an indentation at 34 to take two leaves of a card, an extension 36 at one end of the base from the bed of the indentation 34 and hinged at 38 to that bed, and a spring clamp 40 shown at the other end of the base.

The device 30 could have its indentation 34 entirely matching a standard size for the card leaves 1OA,B with the strip 16 extending onto the extension 36.

However, it is shown for positively but adjustably locating two edges from one corner of the card leaves.

Only the part 42 is indicated as slidingly adjustable, having a key 44 running in a keyway 46, and a screw clamp 48, the indentation 34 having a free extent below the part 42 from a fixed ledge 50 also with a keyway 52 for guiding a tooth 54 of the slidable part 42.

Figures 2A to 2D show a sequence of events starting (Fig 2A) with placing card leaf lOA on the indented bed 34 with its exterior face downwards, its extension strip on the hinged bed extension 36, and its fold 14 along the hinge 38. The ledge 50 and part 42 assure accurate location of the card leaf lOA. Next (Fig 2B), the other card leaf lOB is placed on top of the first leaf 10A, also with its message face downwards and similarly accurately located by the ledge 50 and part 42. The spring clamp 40 will then be used to hold the superposed card leaves in place. After taking off the barrier tape 20 to bare the adhesive 18 (Fig 2C), the hinged bed extension 36 is folded over (Fig 2D) to complete the greetings card, conveniently with suitable pressure applied by the nature of the hinging 38. It will, of course, be appreciated that Figures 2A-2D are not to scale.

An alternative to the hinged bed extension 36 would be a runner going across the board from the end of the relatively raised part of the base 32 affording the ledge 50, and having a fold forming and pressuring surface. A further alternative would be for the card strip 16 to be folded over as supplied and for a simple wheel or slider to go over it once the other leaf 10B is in place and the barrier tape 20 removed. The latter might be operable using pressure sensitive adhesive unprotected by barrier tape.

Figures 3A and 3B show a card 60 with leaves 62A, 62B joined by a fold 64 in conventional manner. However, leaf 62B is blank save for a marking or formation 66 indicating the intended position for a self-adhesive message label 68 shown on a carrier 68C from which it is readily peeled away.

Figures 4A and 4B show a card 70 also having two leaves 72A,72B joined by a fold 74 in conventional manner. However, leaf 72B has an additional layer 76 joined thereto to form an envelope accessible from one of its sides (which could be any one of them) not joined to the leaf 72B. The additional layer 76 is of frame-like form having a central aperture 78 through which a message is exposed on a message leaf 80 fed into the envelope formation from the unjoined side of the layer 76.

Figure 4A also indicates a possible aperture 82 through the leaf 72A and correspondingly located matter at 84 on the leaf 80. Such cards can be useful for birthdays, say to show age, and the matter 84 may be a self-adhesive label. Feasibly, of course, such a label could stick directly to the inside of the leaf 72A over the aperture 82.

Claims (22)

1. Greetings card comprising a front leaf carrying

mainly decorative matter, and a carrier of mainly message/information matter, the front leaf and the carrier being supplied separate for association together selectively at or after point of sale, and at least one of the front leaf and the carrier being adapted for physical connection directly or indirectly with the other.

2. Greetings card according to claim 1, comprising another leaf supplied separately to point of sale, at least one of the front and other leaves being adapted for physical connection directly to the other.

3. Greetings card according to claim 2, wherein the other leaf comprises the carrier.

4. Greetings card according to claim 2, wherein the other leaf and the carrier are connected or connectable to each other.

5. Greetings card according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the front leaf is apertured and the carrier or a further carrier is connected or connectable to the front leaf to show its message/information matter through the aperturing.

6. Greetings card according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the carrier and/or the further carrier is or are connected or connectable to the leaf concerned by adhesive.

7. Greetings card according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the leaf concerned has an apertured pocket for the carrier or the further carrier to show its message/information matter through the aperturing.

8. Greetings card according to claim 2, or any one of claims 3 to 7 as appendant to claim 2, wherein said leaves have edge-adjacent portions to overlap and be bonded together for said physical connection.

9. Greetings card according to claim 8, wherein at least one of edge-adjacent portions carries a bonding agent.

10. Greetings card according to claim 8, wherein said one edge-adjacent portion further carries a removable barrier layer over said bonding agent.

11. Greetings card according to claim 8, 9 or 10, wherein one of said edge-adjacent portions is beyond a fold preformation of its said leaf and about which formation the connected leaves are folded or foldable.

12. Greetings card according to claim 11, wherein the leaf with the fold preformation is larger than the other leaf substantially by the extent of its edge-adjacent portion.

13. Greetings card according to claim 12, wherein connection between the leaves is with the leaf not having the fold preformation inside folding at that fold preformation.

14. Greetings card according to claim 11, 12 or 13, wherein connected card leaves after folding about the fold preformation present substantially superposed consequence.

15. Greetings card according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the leaf with the fold preformation is the front leaf.

16. Greetings card made up substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

17. Method for producing greetings cards according to any preceding claim, including the steps of providing, at a point of sale, pluralities of each of different front leaves and different carriers and/or further carriers and/or other leaves for selection therefrom, and later connecting together selected ones each of an appropriate one of those pluralities or providing instructions how so to do using what is selected.

18. Method for producing greetings cards substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

19. Point of sale kit for producing greetings cards or implementing the method of any preceding claim, comprising pluralities of each of different front leaves and different carriers and/or further carriers and/or other leaves for selection therefrom, and instructions concerning selection from the pluralities and connecting together what is selected.

20. Point of sale kit for producing greetings cards substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

21. Point of sale equipment for producing two-leaf greetings cards or implementing the method or supplementing the kit, of any preceding claim, comprising means for accurately locating superposed card leaves with the lower leaf extending beyond the upper leaf, and means for folding the lower leaf extension over onto the upper leaf to secure by adhesive therebetween.

22. Point of sale equipment for producing two-leaf greetings cards substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.