GB2286991A - A greetings card with pop-up features. - Google Patents

Abstract

A greetings card (12) having a resilient arrangement (20) for deploying a moveable portion (16) of the greetings card (12) when the greetings card (12) is opened; the spring arrangement (20) being separately constructed from the remainder of the greetings card being securable in position on the greetings card (12) at a chosen one of a plurality of different locations and orientations, thereby to enable a greetings card manufacturer to produce a wide variety of cards with a plurality of different directions in which the moveable portion (16) is moved by the spring arrangement (20) from a small number of components. <IMAGE>

Description

A GREETINGS CARD This invention relates to a greetings card.

Greetings cards are well known and they have generally evolved from simple folded sheets of card to sophisticated greetings cards having inner portions which automatically pop up as the card is opened. A known yet more sophisticated design of greetings card is one in which a portion of the greetings card pops out, thereby to form a surprise factor for a recipient of the greetings card. This latter type of greetings card suffers from the disadvantages that the greetings card provides only a moderate surprise factor, and messages or greetings can only be written and displayed on the back of the greetings card so that they are normally out of view when the greetings card is being looked at.

Still further, the mechanism used to provide the surprise factor forms an integral part of the structure of the greetings card, the greetings card being constructed from one piece of forme cut card. This allows for little or no variation of three dimensional surface areas. Visual areas tend to remain the same throughout a range of the known greetings card.

It is an aim of the present invention to obviate or reduce the above mentioned problems.

Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention there is provided a greetings card having a spring arrangement which causes a movable portion of the greetings card to move when the greetings card is opened, the spring arrangement being separately constructed from the remainder of the greetings card whereby the spring arrangement is securable in position on the greetings card at a chosen one of a plurality of different locations and orientations, thereby to provide a greetings card manufacturer with a plurality of different directions in which the movable portion is moved by the spring arrangement.

The greetings card of the present invention is able to provide a strong element of surprise for a recipient of the greetings card. Still further, because of the separate construction of the spring arrangement, the movable portion can be arranged to pop out at a variety of hitherto unexpected positions, thereby increasing the element of surprise still further. The separate construction of the spring arrangement still further allows more latitude of design for the greetings card than with the above mentioned known greetings card.

The spring arrangement enables a message or greeting to be written conventionally on the inside of the card so that the message or greeting is always in view when the card is being looked out from the front.

The greetings card may be such that the spring arrangement can be primed to throw out a shower of objects such for example as glitter, confetti, stars and the like. The spring arrangement can be used to trigger sound and/or light effects to create more spectacular effects from the greetings card. The spring arrangement may be such that it can be pushed back to a closed flat position whilst the greetings card is still open.

Various three dimensional surfaces can be added to the greetings card to enhance the surprise effect afforded by the spring arrangement. These three dimensional surfaces may be constructed from a single module or they may be constructed from multi-module sections to be attached to the greetings card. The movable portion will normally be attached to the spring arrangement and the movable portion can be of a wide number of different designs and these different designs can be interchanged with different three dimensional base modules to form completed greetings cards.

Usually, the greetings card will be one in which the movable portion of the greetings card forms an inner portion of the greetings card when the greetings card is closed. If desired however the movable portion may be provided on the outside of the greetings card.

Still further, if desired, movable portions both inside and outside the greetings card may be employed.

The spring arrangement may comprise an elastic band and a folded member, the folded member being secured to the remainder of the greetings card. The folded member will usually be secured to the remainaer of the greetings card by an adhesive. Other methods of securing the folded member to the remainder of the greetings card may however be employed.

Usually, the folded member will be made of card material. Other types of material may however be employed.

Usually, the folded member will form a box when the greetings card is opened. Usually, the box will be a rectangular or square box.

Preferably, the elastic band is connected at four spaced apart points such that the elastic band defines a rectangle or square when the greetings card is opened. Such a construction provides a firm and robust spring arrangement.

The greetings card preferably includes pop up portions. If desired however the greetings card need not employ pop up portions.

If desired, the greetings card may include sound generating means and/or light generating means.

Any suitable and appropriate type of sound generating means and/or light generating means may be employed. If desired, the sound generating means and/or the light generating means may be activated by movement of the spring arrangement when the card is opened. Other means may however be employed for activating the sound generating means andjor the light generating means if desired.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a known greetings card; Figure 2 is a front view of the greetings card shown in Figure 1 with a different pop out portion; Figure 3 is a back view of the greetings card as shown in Figure 1 but with a different pop out portion; Figure 4 is a back perspective view of the greetings card shown in Figure 1 but with a different pop out portion; Figure 5 shows a first greetings card in accordance with the present invention, the greetings card opening in an east/west direction; Figures 6, 7 and 8 show other types of greetings card which are like the greetings card shown in Figure 5 but in which a spring arrangement or spring arrangements are differently positioned to the spring arrangement shown in Figure 5; Figure 9 shows another type of greetings card in accordance with the present invention, the greetings card opening in a north/south direction; Figures 10, 11 and 12 show different types of greeting cards which are like the greetings card shown in Figure 9 but which have the spring arrangement positioned differently from the position shown in Figure 9; and Figures 13 - 18 illustrate the construction and principle of operation of the spring arrangement.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4, there is shown a known greetings card 2 having different types of pop out portions 4. The various pop out portions 4 are caused to pop out by a spring arrangement in which an elastic band 6 occupies a triangular configuration when the greetings card 2 is in its open condition. This triangular configuration is such that the apex of the formed triangle can be seen as apex 8 in Figures 3 and 4, the two adjacent sides of the triangle spreading outwardly and towards the front of the greetings card 2.

The greetings card 2 shown in Figures 1 to 4 only provides a moderate element of surprise. The pop out portion 4 tends to obscure the back portion 10 of the card and thus messages or greetings can only be written and displayed on the rear face of the back portion 10, which is normally out of view when the card 2 is viewed from the front. Still further, the mechanism associated with the elastic band is constructed as an integral part of the greetings card 2 and this allows for virtually no variation of the three dimensional surface areas. Still further, visual areas tend to remain the same throughout a range of the cards 2.

Referring now to Figure 5, there is shown a greetings card 12 having a conventional three dimensional display 14 and also a movable portion 16 which can be of any shape, size construction and design and which is secured to a face 18 of a spring arrangement 20. The movable portion 16 pops out beyond the periphery of the greetings card 12. The spring arrangement 20 is separately constructed from the remainder of the greetings card 12. This enables to spring arrangement 20 to be securable in position on the greetings card 12 at a chosen one of a plurality of different locations and orientations, as can be appreciated from a comparison of Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8.

This in turn enables a greetings card manufacturer to have a plurality of different directions in which the movable portion 16 is moved by the spring arrangement.

It will be noticed that Figures 5, 6 and 8 have one spring arrangement 20 whilst Figure 7 has two spring arrangements 20.

Figures 9 to 12 show other types of greetings card 12. Similar parts as in Figures 5 to 8 have been given the same reference numerals for ease of comparison and understanding. The greetings cards 12 shown in Figures 5 to 8 open in an east/west direction whereas the greetings cards 12 shown in Figures 9 to 12 operate in a north/south direction. Figures 9 - 12 illustrate different positions for the spring arrangement 20.

It will be seen from all of Figures 5 to 12 that the spring arrangement 20 is on the inside of the greetings card so that the movable portion 16 is then also on the inside of the greetings card. If desired or in addition, a movable portion 16 could be provided on the outside of the greetings card 12.

Figure 13 shows how the spring arrangement 20 is formed from an elastic band 22 and a folded member 24. Figure 14 shows the spring arrangement 20 in its shape when the card is opened. Figure 15 shows the spring arrangement 20 when the card 12 is closed.

Figure 16 shows the spring arrangement 20 in a partially closed position. As will be seen the card is opened, the elastic band 22 pulls the folded member 24 from a flat position shown in Figure 15 to an upright position shown in Figure 14.

The movable portion 16 will usually be stuck to the face 18 of the folded member 24 but other fixing means can be employed if desired. The folded member 24 will usually be made of card material, the same as the remainder of the greetings card 2.

As can be seen from Figure 14, when the folded member 14 is in its raised position, it forms a box of rectangular construction. As can also be seen from Figure 14, when the folded member 24 is in its raised position, the elastic band is located at four points 26 and it defines a rectangle.

Figures 17 and 18 also illustrate the construction and operation of the spring arrangement 20.

Figure 17 in particular illustrates how the folded member 14 has portions 28, 30 which are stuck to a surface 32 of the greetings card 12 and which thus secure the spring arrangement 20 in a desired position and orientation on the greetings card 12.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example the spring arrangement 20 may be used to activate sound generating means and/or light generating means. This can be advantageous because the spring arrangement 20 can be moved between its erect and flat positions manually whilst the greetings card 12 is open, thereby to provide a facility for turning on and off the sound generating means and/or the light generating means when the greetings card 12 is open. The invention also includes a greetings card as described and/or illustrated with the described and/or illustrated features taken singly or in any combination.

Claims (12)

1. A. greetings card having a spring arrangement which causes a movable portion of the greetings card to move when the greetings card is opened, the spring arrangement being separately constructed from the remainder of the greetings card whereby the spring arrangement is securable in position on the greetings card at a chosen one of a plurality of different locations and orientations, thereby to provide a greetings card manufacturer with a plurality of different directions in which the movable portion is moved by the spring arrangement.

2. A greetings card according to claim 1 in which the movable portion of the greetings card forms an inner portion of the greetings card when the greetings card is closed.

3. A greetings card according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the spring arrangement comprises an elastic band and a folded member, the folded member being secured to the remainder of the greetings card.

4. A greetings card according to claim 3 in which the folded member is secured to the remainder of the greetings card by an adhesive.

5. A greetings card according to claim 4 in which the folded member is made of card material.

6. A greetings card according to any one of claims 3 to 5 in which the folded member forms a box when the greetings card is opened.

7. A greetings card according to claim 6 in which the box is a rectangular or a square box.

8. A greetings card according to any one of claims 3 to 7 in which the elastic band is connected at four spaced apart points such that the elastic band defines a rectangle or square when the greetings card is opened.

9. A greetings card according to any one of the preceding claims and which includes pop up portions.

10. A greetings card according to any one of the preceding claims and which includes sound generating means and/or light generating means.

11. A greetings card according to claim 10 in which the sound generating means and/or light generating means are activated by movement of the spring arrangement when the card is opened.

12. A greetings card according to claim 1 and substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.