GB2369919A - A novelty or promotional device - Google Patents

Abstract

A novelty or promotional device comprises a first sheet 12 with an actuator/tab 11 hingedly attached at a first location 13 thereto, a support member 14 which is also hingedly attached to the first sheet, at a second location 19 spaced from the actuator/tab pivot point, and a base sheet 15 secured to the support member by a third hinge 18 at a third location spaced from both the first and second locations, the first sheet overlying the actuator member and being moveable between first and second positions in which the first hinge is disposed on opposite sides of the second hinge so that the first sheet is invertible relative to the base sheet. The novelty or promotional device may further be provided with a plurality of support members, a portion of the actuator/tab may protrude beyond the edge of the base sheet, within a recess in the base sheet, and the whole novelty or promotional device may be formed from one sheet or blank. Also disclosed is that tamper-evident means may be provided in the form of a removable cover over the recess in the base sheet 15 and/or frangible tabs securing first sheet 12 to member 16. These tamper-evident means make the novelty or promotional device suitable for use as a lottery card, prize draw notification card or a competition clue/instruction piece.

Description

NOVELTY DEVICE This invention relates to a novelty gift, promotional or game card device.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a novelty device comprising: a first sheet having a moveable actuator secured thereto by a first hinge member; a support member secured to the first sheet, at a location spaced from the first hinge, by a second hinge; and a base sheet secured to the support member by a third hinge spaced from the second hinge, the first sheet overlying the actuator member and being moveable between first and second positions in which the first hinge lies respectively on opposite sides of the second hinge, whereby the first sheet is selectively invertible relative to the base sheet.

The device of the invention therefore is useable as a display device whose display of information may be toggled between two modes. The device is particularly useful as a promotional article, commemorative souvenir or children's toy.

Further, advantageous features of the invention are set out in Claims 2 to 11 hereof.

There now follows a description of preferred embodiments of the invention, by way of non-limiting example, with reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view from the side of a device according to the invention in a first configuration;

Figure 2 is a perspective view from the side of a device according to the invention partially converted to a second configuration; Figure 3 is a perspective view from the side of a device according to the invention in a second configuration; and Figure 4 shows a blank for forming a device according to the invention.

Referring first to Figures I to 3, there is shown a novelty device 10 according to the invention, that typically is made from printed card or another laminar material.

Device 10 includes an actuator member in the form of moveable pulling and pushing tab 11 (herein"pulling tab"), first sheet 12, linear first edge 13, strut members 14a and 14b, base sheet 15 and interconnecting member 16.

Pulling tab 11 is hingedly secured to linear first edge 13 of top panel 12. The top panel is hingedly connected at points 17a and 17b, via support members 14a and 14b, to base sheet 15. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, support members 14a and 14b are hingedly secured to the base sheet 15 at hinges 20 adjacent doubled portions areas 18a and 18b of base sheet 15.

In the vicinity of doubled portions 18a, 18b, base sheet 15 includes a recess that is occupied by a protruding portion of tab 11. The recess may be covered by a removable cover secured eg. by frangible tabs of per se known kind whereby temporarily to limit access to the tab 11.

If desired first sheet 12 may be temporarily secured to member 16, by frangible tabs.

A device including a removable cover over the recess in base sheet 15 and/or frangible tabs securing first sheet 12 to member 16 as described is suitable for use as a tamper-evident game piece. Such a game piece is of particular utility as, for example, a lottery card, prize draw number notification or competition clue/instruction piece By pulling the tab 11, first sheet 12 is drawn to the right in Figure 1. By virtue of hinges 17a and 17b the first sheet consequently moves from lying parallel to base sheet 15 to lying perpendicular thereto. Further pulling of tab 11 causes inversion of first sheet 12, so that the face thereof that was uppermost becomes

its underside, and the first sheet 12 again lies parallel to base sheet with tab 11 extended relative thereto. Member 16 prevents tab 11 from lifting away from base sheet 15 during this process.

Pushing of tab 11 in the opposition direction (ie. to the left in Figure 3) reverses the movement of the device so that first sheet 12 again occupies the position shown in Figure 1.

In the particular embodiment shown in the drawings, first sheet 12, support members 14a and 14b and member 16 are all formed from the same sheet. Thus, first hinge lines 19a and 19b provide hinges that are joined, via struts 14a and 14b, respectively, to hinges provided by second hinge line 20. Sheet 12 is then defined by the area extending from linear edge 13 to first hinge lines 19a and 19b, as well as the area encompassed by cut 21 and lines 19.

Interconnecting member 16 is defined by the strip of sheet that is parallel to the line of second fold line 20.

Base sheet 15 and tab 11 are also formed from the same sheet as sheet 12, members 14a and 14b and strap 16. Thus, a fold at edge 22 joins the base sheet to areas 18a and 18b, and a fold along linear edge 13 joins tab 11 to top panel 12.

Referring now to Figure 4 there is shown one form of a blank 100 for forming a device as shown in Figures 1 to 3.

Blank 100 is a continuous sheet of cuttable, foldable material such as card or a plastics material, which has an outline form of two conjoined, approximately rectangular shapes, one larger than the other. The smaller rectangle (111) is adjoined via one of its shorter edges to the central portion of one of the shorter edges of the larger rectangle (151).

Located approximately in the centre of the larger rectangle is a hole, represented by shaded area 200. This hole is also approximately rectangular in shape and its shorter edges are approximately collinear with the longer edges of the smaller rectangle.

Extending perpendicularly away from the centre of the shorter edges of hole 200 to the edge of the larger rectangle are collinear fold lines, represented by dotted lines 221 a and 22 nib.

Between lines 221a and 221b and the smaller rectangle are further fold lines, represented by dotted lines 191a, 191b, 201a and 201b. These fold lines are defined by scores that act as permanent hinges. All of these lines extend parallel to the shorter sides of the larger rectangle.

Fold lines 201a and 201b are collinear and are located in the vicinity of the edge of hole 200 that is nearest to the smaller rectangle. Their length is thus dictated by the shape of the hole 200. In the embodiment shown, lines 201a and 201b are longer than lines 191a and 191b and extend away from the comers of hole 200.

Fold lines 191a and 191b are collinear and located over halfway between lines 201a and 201b and the edge of the larger rectangle that is shared with the smaller rectangle. Fold lines 191 a and 191b extend from different ends of a cut through the blank, represented by solid line 211, to the edges of the blank. Cut

211 extends from the end of fold line 191a, towards fold lines 201a and 201b, and terminates at the beginning of fold line 191b. In the embodiment shown, cut 211 defines 3 sides of an approximately rectangular shape, two sides of which are collinear with the longer sides of the smaller rectangle.

A further fold line, represented by dotted line 131, extends along the shared edge of the larger and smaller rectangles. This fold line is defined by a score that permanently hinges the thus joined larger and smaller rectangles to one another.

During forming of blank 100 into a device according to the invention, the smaller rectangle (111) is folded along line 131 such that it overlies part of the larger rectangle (151) and extends over hole 200.

The larger rectangle (151) is then folded along lines 221 a and 221 b such that the smaller rectangle is sandwiched between the two portions of the larger rectangle.

Formation of the device is then completed by securing together areas 18a, and 18a2 as well as areas 18b} and 18b2. This may be achieved conveniently by applying glue to one or both of each pair of areas to be attached together before the final folding is carried out.

In preferred embodiments of the invention the blank 100 is printed with the indicia mentioned herein, before being folded and glued.

Blank 100 represents a preferred way of forming the device of the invention. Other methods of fabrication are also possible, and may be appropriate for example if materials other than card are used for forming the device of the invention.

Also, of course, securing means other than glue may, if desired, be employed for fixing parts of the blank according to the invention to one another.

Claims (11)

1. CLAIMS 1. A novelty device comprising: a first sheet having a moveable actuator secured thereto by a first hinge member; a support member secured to the first sheet, at a location spaced from the first hinge, by a second hinge; and a base sheet secured to the support member by a third hinge spaced from the second hinge, the first sheet overlying the actuator member and being moveable between first and second positions in which the first hinge lies respectively on opposite sides of the second hinge, whereby the first sheet is selectively invertible relative to the base sheet.
2. 2. A novelty or promotional device according to Claim 1 including a plurality of the support members and a corresponding plurality of the second and third hinges respectively.
3. 3. A device according to Claim 1, wherein the actuator member extends perpendicular to an edge of the first sheet.
4. 4. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein a portion of the actuator member protrudes beyond an edge of the base sheet.
5. 5. A device according to Claim 4, wherein the protruding portion of the actuator member occupies a recess formed in the base sheet.
6. 6. A device according to Claim 5, including a cover removably secured to the base sheet temporarily to observe the protruding portion therein.
7. 7. A device according to Claim 6 wherein a portion of the base sheet is doubled in the vicinity of the recess, the recess being formed in both leaves of the said doubled portion and the cover being doubled to cover the entire recess.
8. 8. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the first sheet, the or each support and the base sheet are formed from one sheet.
9. 9. A device according to Claim 2, or any preceding claim dependent therefrom, including two said support members defined by a further panel including a second recess that is open along one edge of the panel, a portion the first sheet occupying the second recess when the actuator member occupies its first or its second position.
10. 10. A device according to any one of Claims 1 to 10, including a part thereof that is marked with indicia.
11. 11. A device generally as herein described, with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.