GB2409187A

GB2409187A - Greeting box with dynamic message mount and additional compartment.

Info

Publication number: GB2409187A
Application number: GB0406570A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Suhad Sirhan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-10-22
Filing date: 2004-03-24
Publication date: 2005-06-22
Anticipated expiration: 2024-03-24
Also published as: GB2409187B; GB0324614D0; GB0406570D0

Abstract

A greeting box 1 includes a greeting 2, a dynamic mount 3, and a further, additional, section 5 for the inclusion of gifts or items The greeting 2, or part thereof, is attached to or integrated with the dynamic mount 3 (e.g., a spring 8), or is not secured to the dynamic mount 3 but nonetheless positioned in its path of decompression, pop-up or other delivery movement. When the greeting box 1 is closed, the greeting 2 and the dynamic mount 3 are contained within. When the box 1 is opened, the greeting 2 (or part thereof) pops-up, or is released or projected outwards by movement of the dynamic mount 3. The form of the greeting 2 may be a piece of card or paper inscribed or printed with a message, or a character 6, toy, novelty or other item bearing the message.

Description

2409 1 87

GREETING BOX

This invention relates to a greeting box.

Greeting cards are well-known, ubiquitous methods of conveying messages of sentiments both at specific times of the year (including but not limited to the celebration of birthdays, Christmas, Easter, other religious holidays, secular events, seasonal and holiday greetings, Valentine's Day, Mothering Sunday, Father's Day, and other), or more generally (including but not limited to conveying such sentiments as Congratulations, Get Well, Thank You, "Thinking of You" and other, and to celebrate or commemorate certain occasions such as weddings, engagements, baptisms, Christenings and other) Most commercially available greeting cards are composed of a single sheet of card or paper, which is folded such that it forms a pair of panels connected down one side, with the front panel lying before the back panel. Usually printing is provided on one or more faces of these panels and may or may not be accompanied by Illustrations or other designs In addition to the conventional greeting card, there is a variety of greeting cards on today's market which incorporate an entertaining or novelty feature, catering to an increased consumer demand for finding new and Interesting ways of sending greetings.

However, greeting cards tend to present the greeting to the recipient in a static, non-dynamic way. Moreover, given that greeting cards are typically two-dimensional and tend to be (though not necessarily) limited to a standard size range, they are maladapted to readily accommodate the inclusion of three-dimensonal or other, gifts or other items.

With the present invention, the greeting reveals itself to the recipient in a more dynamic and surprising manner, adding to the pleasure of receiving a greeting. This dynamic conveyance of the greeting, together with the three-dmensional aspect, is an Important object of the present Inventor Furthermore, the shape and dimensions of the box, as well as the indca or decals with which it may be decorated or adorned, may be varied in line with the message of the greeting in a creative way, giving the recipient of the greeting box greater surprise and greater pleasure than may be derived from conventional greeting cards For example, a greeting box Intended to be sent as a Valentine's Day greeting may be shaped in the form of a heart, and decorated accordingly Similarly the greeting, whichever form it takes, may be selected to be In keeping with the spirit of the sentiment being communicated by the giver of the greeting box.

Additionally, demands for attractiveness, ease of display and simplicity of comprehension and use by the customer are achieved Furthermore, it is often desirable to provide a gift with the greeting. To meet this need, the present invention is provided with a section or compartment for the inclusion and/or presentation of a three-dimensional or other gift, gifts, vouchers, or other items, decorative or otherwise. This enables the present Inventor to clearly Denny the greeting message (and hence the giver) with the gift, thereby providing another advantage, as conventional cards can often be separated from the gifts with which they are given, creating confusion as to which giver gave what gift. With the present nvenbon, long-term remembrance of the sender is provided for as the greeting box can then be kept indefinitely as a keepsake and receptacle for the gift and greeting, as opposed to being disposed of or discarded.

It Is the applcant's view that givers often find themselves in the position where a greeting card Is too small an offering to commemorate or celebrate a given occasion, while at the same bme they may not wish to spend too much on an overly expensive gift. The present invention, though it can equally be used for giving expensive gifts such as jewellery and other, and can also be produced to a large size, provides a happy medium, in that even a token gift included In the greeting box would make the gift and the greeting seem more substantial.

By combining the functions and transmittal of a greeting with that of a gift, the present invention provides for an increased commercial product since a consumer wishing to buy a gift may also l provide a greeting while the consumer wishing to buy a greeting may also simultaneously provide a gift. The present invention's ability to serve a dual purpose - that of a greeting and that of a gift receptacle - is an important advantage. From a commercial viewpoint, this allows the present Invention to be marketed both to retailers of gifts (for example a jeweller) to be sold in conjunction with their own established product, or to retailers of greeting cards as a novel and dynamic way of conveying the greeting, where the section or compartment for the Inclusion and/or presentation of gifts and/or other Items can be used as a cross-selling opportunity by the retailer For example, the retailer may sell the present invention with purchases of gift certificates, tokens or vouchers, so that the greeting box would represent both gift and greeting. Furthermore, general or specific models of the present invention may be manufactured or produced. General models would enable the giver to use the greeting box as a receptacle and greeting means for any general gift or gifts as chosen by the giver, while specific models could be adapted and produced with the inclusion and/or presentation of specific goods such as jewellery, CDs, VHSs, DVDs, plants or any other specific gift or gifts or other items In mind Where the greeting is either unsecured to or Is detachable from the dynamic mount, where the greeting and dynamic mount are integrated with one another, and where the various parts and features of the greeting box are detachably secured to one another, this too provides important advantages In commercial and marketing terms It allows for a greeting box mix-and-match system to be developed, whereby the purchaser of the greeting box can choose the greeting (or part thereof) from a range, to complement his or her choice of box, also selected from a range This allows flexibility and individual selection of the greeting to suit the needs of the consumer and his or her perception of what is suitable for the recipient. Furthermore, this also allows the recipient to reuse the greeting box, if he or she so wished, since the recipient would be able to remove and keep the greeting given to him or her, and purchase another greeting part to attach to the dynamic mount mechanism of the greeting box so that the recipient then becomes the giver.

As can be seen from the foregoing, the present invention can be developed into a versatile system for both retailers and consumers. It also has the advantage of being able to cater for a variety of occasions and needs.

Furthermore, the greeting box would not require gift-wrapping or envelope equivalent as it would be self-closing, and can be decorated appropriately, thereby enhancing its aesthetic and practical appeal Additionally, the greeting box may be provided with the means for a shower of objects such as glitter, confetti, stars and/or other to be thrown out when the box is opened. Furthermore, repeatable-use sound-, video- and/or lght-generating means may also be provided for.

Numerous other non-essential, subsidiary or supplementary features may be added to the present invention to add to the fun, novelty, surprise and dynamism of the greeting box, for example, rotating greetings, and characters which squeak or rattle on release and so on The greeting box provides many of the advantages of a conventional greeting card, such as delivery of an appropriate greeting message from the giver to the recipient, while at the same time adding to the functions of the conventional greeting card, both practically and aesthetically, in a variety of ways, including but not limited to the advantages outlined above.

It is envisaged that the Invention can have many commercial applications, Including but not limited to use in the conveyance of greetings, gifts, wedding favours, corporate gifts, advertising, calendars, business cards, novelty items, and other assorted items Note also that the inventive subject matter may be applied to all categories of relationship, including but not limited to vanity cards, location cards and other, while the message of the greeting may be virtually anything, from simple text to drawings, photographs and/or other Furthermore, the greeting message may be handwritten, printed or recorded; visual (for example video clip), aural or tactile (for example Braille), or other form of information. \

The above and other objectives will become evident, to those skilled In the art, from the

specification.

According to the present invention there is provided a greeting box comprising a greeting, which, or part of which, dynamically pops-up oms released or projected outwards when the box is opened, as a result of the decompression, pop-up or other delivery movement of a dynamic mount to which said greeting (or part thereofl is attached, or with which said greeting (or part thereofl Is integrated, or to which said greeting (or part thereofl is neither attached nor Integrated nor in any other way secured, but In whose path of decompression, pop-up or other delivery movement said greeting (or part thereofl is nonetheless positioned, where the box is provided with a section or compartment for the Inclusion and/or presentation of a three- dmensional or other gift, gifts, vouchers, or other items, decorative or otherwise The greeting may take any form that enables it to convey its message including the use of a simple piece of card, paper, textile or any other suitable material or combination of materials on which a message, a photograph, or any other Information, three-dimensional or otherwise, may be inscribed, printed, sewn, attached, recorded or In any other way conveyed, depicted or communicated; or a character, toy, novelty or other item bearing the message, photograph or other information, three-dimensional or otherwise; or a character, toy, novelty or other item which does not physically bear the message portion of the greeting but which instead conveys or appears to convey (since the sound- generatng mechanism may In fact be integrated or fitted to a part of the greeting box other than the character, toy, novelty or other item) an aural message, which would thus necessitate providing the greeting box with appropriate sound- generating means and any suitable and effective activation mechanism as may present Itself to those skilled in the art (mutatis mutands for light- , video-generating or other means); or a character, toy, novelty or other item which does not physically bear the message portion of the greeting, where the message portion of the greeting may be attached to or integrated with another part or feature of the greeting box; or any other suitable and effective means of delivering a message or information; or a combination (for example, the greeting may take the form of a character bearing the message or other information, while additionally an aural message may simultaneously be delivered). Thus, as the above examples illustrate, the present invention allows for the possibility that all of, part of, or no part of the greeting is attached to the dynamic mount, with the condition that at least part of the greeting, for example, the character figure or the message portion, is nonetheless acted on by the decompression, pop-up and/or other delivery movement of the dynamic mount when the box is opened.

The greeting Is provided with a message, including but not limited to handwritten, printed or recorded; visual (including vdeo-clps), aural, or tactile (for example Braille); a photograph; or any other information. The greeting message is to be interpreted widely as information The dynamic mount may make use of a spring, a piston construction, an arrangement of elastic bands or any other contrivance suitable for dynamically releasing or projecting the greeting (or part thereofl or for causing said greeting to pop-up when the greeting box is opened, and for being returned to the closed position when the box is closed The term dynamic mount is not intended to be interpreted in a limiting sense. In this application, it is used to describe any mechanism that enables the effective movement of the greeting (or greeting part) on which it acts whenever the box is opened. Thus, the term includes the use of a springloaded hinge or a column and spring-attachment as described below, among any other suitable and effective mechanisms as may present themselves to those skilled in the art.

With regards to the relation of the greeting to the dynamic mount, the present invention includes but is not limited to the following possibilities: that the greeting (or part thereof, for example, a character, toy, novelty or other Item) Is attached to the dynamic mount; that the dynamic mount and greeting (or part thereofl are integrated with one another such that the dynamic mount is incorporated with the figure of said greeting (or part thereof); that the greeting (or part thereofl is neither attached to nor integrated with nor in any other way secured to the dynamic mount, but nonetheless pops-up, is released or is projected clear out of the box when the box is opened by virtue of its being positioned in the path of decompression, pop-up or other delivery movement of the dynamic mount.

With regards to the operation of the movement of the dynamic mount on the greeting (or part thereon when the box is opened, the degree of projection, pop-up, release or propulsion of the greeting (or part thereofl on which it acts, depends on certain factors which may include: the relation of the dynamic mount to the greeting (for example, whether the greeting is secured or unsecured to the dynamic mount); the relation of the dynamic mount to the greeting box (for example, if the other end of the dynamic mount not acting on the greeting is secured to the inside of the greeting box, and the greeting Is secured to the dynamic mount, then this restricts the degree of movement of the greeting more than If the dynamic mount were unsecured to the inside of the greeting box); the specific construction of the dynamic mount (for example, whether it Is designed to cause the greeting or greeting part to pop-up, or to be propelled clear out of the greeting box); its strength relative to the greeting or greeting part on which it acts, and the degree of tension or potential energy present In the dynamic mount when the box Is closed and which is released when the box is opened.

Where the greeting (or part thereofl Is secured (whether attached or Integrated) to the dynamic mount, this may be achieved by either fixed or detachable means, for example but not limited to gluing or sewing in the former case, and by the use of a catch, a screw-on action, a snap fastener, a grip mechanism such as a crocodile clip in the latter case, or any other suitable and effective means, where the detachable means is secure, easy-to-use and repeatable. This mechanism of attachment may be obscured from sight. The message portion of the greeting may be secured to either the dynamic mount and/or to the remainder of the greeting by either fixed or detachable means, where the mechanism of attachment or integration may be obscured from sight Any suitable and effective means may be employed to obscure the mechanism of the dynamic mount from sight.

The relation of the construction materials to one another Is important. The greeting box must be made of a material and construction sufficient to ensure that its shape and integrity Is maintained, particularly in light of the stress caused to it by the action of the dynamic mount.

The dynamic mount meanwhile must be made of a material and construction sufficient to support the greeting (or part thereofl on which it acts, sufficient to ensure that the greeting (or part thereofl on which it acts effectively pops-up or Is effectively released or projected out of the greeting box when the box is opened, sufficient to ensure the effective movement of the greeting (or part thereon when the box is opened or closed, sufficient to be returned to the closed position when the box is closed, sufficient to withstand numerous cycles of opening or of closing of the greeting box, and sufficient to bear the force of the compression, decompression, pop-up or other movement away from the greeting (or part thereofl on which it acts, thereby keeping the form, shape and integrity of said greeting (or part thereofl intact. It may also be desirable for the greeting box as a whole to be sufficiently lightweight, so that the choice of materials used may be selected to take this end Into consideration. The present invention may employ a range of materials for the construction of its constituent parts and features, and said materials may include, but are not limited to paper, cardboard, textiles, plastics, metals, wood or any suitable and effective material or combination of materials, as may present itself to those skilled In the art. The materials used In the subsidiary or supplementary features of the greeting box (e.g. sound-generating means) will be known to those skilled in the art Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 shows In perspective, the greeting box on opening.

Figure 2 shows a front view of the inside of the greeting box once opened.

figure 3 shows a front view of the Inside of the greeting box when closed.

Figure 4 shows rear view of the inside of the greeting box when closed figure 5 shows a birds eye view of the greeting box with the lid removed.

Figure 6 shows a rear view of the inside of the greeting box once opened figure 7 shows a cross-secton of the dynamic mount attached to the greeting.

Figure 8 shows a cross-section of another embodiment of the greeting box, lid removed, where the greeting is completely unsecured to the dynamic mount but is placed on a projector platform attached to the dynamic mount.

Figure 9 shows a cross-section of another embodiment of the greeting box, lid removed, where the dynamic mount is integrated with the greeting figure 10 shows a side view of the inside of another embodiment of the greeting box when closed, where the dynamic mount consists of a column and spring-attachment, and where the section or compartment for the inclusion of gifts or other items is in the form of a drawer built-in to the base of the greeting box figure 11 shows a side view of the Inside of the embodiment of the greeting box described In Figure 10, when opened Before explaining the disclosed embodiments of the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the particular arrangements shown, since the Invention Is capable of other embodiments. Also, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. As such, the following description of the embodiments is presented to illustrate the present invention and is not to be construed to limit the scope of the appended claims in any manner whatsoever.

Referring to the drawing in Figures 1-7, the greeting box 1 comprises a dynamic mount 3 to which the greeting 2 is attached. The dynamic mount 3 bearing the greeting 2 is compressed while the box 1 is closed. In order for the greeting 2 to be released, the box 1 is opened by the removal of the lift-off lid 4, which action causes the dynamic mount 3 to undergo decompression When the greeting box 1 is opened, the dynamic mount 3 (which in the Illustrated embodiments makes use of a spring 8) Is decompressed and the attached greeting 2 (which in the illustrated embodiments takes the form of a bear-shaped character figure 6 bearing the message plaque in its arms) is released vertically upward with the vertical upward movement of the dynamic mount 3. The other end of the dynamic mount 3 is secured to the Inner base of the box 1, for example by gluing, so that the dynamic mount 3 does not come away from the box 1 with the force of the decompression To close the greeting box 1, the lid 4 is replaced Additionally the greeting box 1 Is provided with a section or compartment 5 for the inclusion and/or presentation of a three-dmensional or other gift, gifts, vouchers or other Items, decorative or otherwise. Within a given greeting box 1, the ratio of the size of this section or compartment 5 to that of the greeting box 1 as a whole may either be fixed in production, or, in other embodiments, is capable of being adjusted by a mechanism of adjustment employing any suitable and effective means as may present Itself to those skilled in the art, for example by the use of slotting, where the separator 9 can be inserted in any one of a range of predetermined grooves which run vertically down two sides of the greeting box 1, thereby creating a section or compartment 5 for the inclusion and/or presentation of a three- dimensional or other gift, gifts, vouchers or other items, decorative or otherwise (method not shown) A material 7 may be used to obscure the mechanism of the dynamic mount 3, from sight The material 7 will need to have sufficient give to allow for the full and unimpeded movement of the dynamic mount 3 whenever the box 1 is opened or closed. The greeting 2 (or part thereof) may be secured to the dynamic mount 3 by fixed or detachable means. It is desirable for this mechanism of attachment to be secure and (in the case of the means of attachment being detachable) easy- to-use and repeatable. it may also be obscured from sight Furthermore, the message portion of the greeting 2 may be attached to the dynamic mount 3 and/or to the remainder of the greeting 2 by fixed or detachable means, including but not limited to gluing or sewing In the former case and the use of snap fasteners or a grip mechanism such as crocodile clips In the latter case, where the detachable means is secure, easy-to-use and repeatable. For example, a simple piece of card suitable for inscription may be attached to the dynamic mount 3 by the use of crocodile clips. If a character 6, toy, novelty or other item is used in the greeting 2, and said character 6 bears the message portion of the greeting 2, the message portion could, for example, be detachable from the character 6 by use of Velcro(RTM). This would enable the giver to choose the form of the greeting message.

Other examples of fixed or detachable means include, but are not limited to, gluing, the use of snap fasteners, sewing, the use of a catch, a screw-on action, and any other suitable and effective means.

The lid 4 may take the form of a ilft-off lid 4, a lid hinged at one side, or any other means of access or aperture covering. The word lid is not intended to be interpreted in a limiting sense, and is Intended to cover all means of access to the box 1 and all aperture coverings. As an example, if a cubic greeting box is produced from a single sheet of card stock, and access to the box is provided via the upper surface of the box, this upper surface taking the form of interlocking sections or flaps of card, then this upper surface will be considered a lid. The relation of the lid 4 to the box 1 is preferably such that it enables the box 1 to be easily and securely opened and closed. Therefore, a clasp of some description (not shown) may be necessary. The word clasp is not intended to be interpreted in a limiting sense, and may range from the use of magnetic force built into the lid 4 and box 1 in the appropriate position, a hook and loop construction, a snap fastener, a push-button mechanism, a sandwich-type constructor, to the use of Velcro(RTM), or any other suitable and effective means.

It is the intention of the present invention to cover all means of opening the greeting box 1. For example, the lid 4 may be removed or lifted by direct manual means; or the lifting or removal of the lid 4 could be achieved via the use of appropriate rotatable crank or lever means (not shown); or any other means as would be known or which may present themselves to those skilled in the art. It should also be noted that the causal relationship between the opening of the greeting box 1 and the movement of the dynamic mount 3 may be reversed. The relationship hitherto assumed has been that the opening of the greeting box 1 causes the dynamic mount 3 to pop-up or undergo decompression or other delivery movement. However, it Is possible for the dynamic mount 3 to cause the opening of the greeting box 1. An example of this would be when a rotatable crank is used and this is linked to the mechanism of the dynamic mount The revolutions of the rotatable crank cause the dynamic mount to exert a force on the Inside of the lid of the box, and once a sufficient level of force is attained, the lid of the greeting box opens (in such instances, the selection of the clasp type should take into account the need for the box to be capable of being opened in this way). The full working details of this and other suitable and effective methods will be known to those skilled in the art, and are not herein described or shown While the greeting box 1 of the present invention has been illustrated by the use of a cubic shape, any size, shape, design, construction or configuration may be utilized in countless other ways, and all are Intended to be covered by the present Invention. In this sense, the greeting box as per the present invention could be described more generally as a receptacle.

In the illustrated embodiments, the greeting 2 consists of a bear-shaped character 6 bearing a piece of card on which the message is inscribed. However, any size, shape, design, construction or configuration of the character 6 may be utilized In countless other ways, and all are Intended to be covered by the present invention.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, when a character 6, toy, novelty, or other item with arms and/or appendages is used in the greeting 2, the arms (and/or appendages) of the character 6 may be furnished with springs, piston constructions, arrangements of elastic bands, or any other suitable contrivances, so that on opening the box 1, the arms (and/or appendages) of the character 6 may extend up and out beyond the width of the box 1 (not shown). In such a case, should the character 6 be bearing the message portion of the greeting 2 in its arms (and/or appendages), it may be necessary to ensure that the material or combination of materials used In the construction of said message portion be undamaged by this movement i.e. that the piece of paper, card, textile or other suitable material or combination of materials bearing the message does not break away or is not torn away from the character 6 when the arms (and/or appendages) are extended on opening. This flexibility of the message portion of the greeting 2 could be achieved, for example, by using a sufficiently flexible material; by having a foldable or piece of card, paper, textile or other suitable material or combination of materials on which a message, a photograph, or any other information, three-dmensonal or otherwise, may be Inscribed, printed, sewn, attached, recorded or In any other way conveyed, depicted or communicated, and which can then be removed from the grip of the character 6 and opened out; or by furnishing the piece of card, paper, textile or other suitable material or combination of materials with predehned vertical fold lines so that the message portion of the greeting 2 folds out sideways in an accordion-like manner; or any other suitable and effetibve means as may present itself to those skilled in the art. This would allow more room for the message or information to be communicated, even if a relatively small box 1 were used.

In another embodiment of the present Invention, the dynamic mount 3 and the greeting 2 (or part of the greeting 2, for example a character 6, toy, novelty or other item) may be Integrated with one another such that the greeting 2 (or part thereon actually incorporates the dynamic mount 3 in its figure, rather than having the former attached to the end of the latter. For example, as Illustrated in figure 9, a character 6, toy,novelty or other item is used as part of the greeting 2, and said character 6 Is provided with a flexible mid-secton 14 to allow for the full and unimpeded decompression, compression, pop-up or other movement of the dynamic mount 3 (which in the illustration takes the form of a spring 8) situated within it. The greeting 2 may be adapted in other ways to accommodate the movement of the dynamic mount 3 when the box Is opened or closed.

In another embodiment, the greeting 2 (or part thereofl is neither attached to nor integrated with said dynamic mount 3. Nonetheless, the greeting 2 (or part thereofl pops-up, is released oms dynamically projected clear out of the greeting box 1 by virtue of its being positioned In the path of decompression, pop-up or other delivery movement of the dynamic mount 3. As an example, and as illustrated in Figure 8, a projector platform or plane 10 is secured to the end of the dynamic mount 3 acting on the greeting 2 (or part thereon, and said greeting 2 is placed on said projector platform 10 When the box 1 is closed, said greeting 2 Is contained within the box 1 On opening the greeting box 1, decompression of the dynamic mount 3 occurs, causing the attached projector platform 10 to project the greeting 2 (or part thereof) outwards from the greeting box 1 (mutatis mutandis for pop-up, release or other delivery means).

The end of the dynamic mount 3 not directly acting on the greeting 2 (or part thereofl may be secured to an Inner plane of the box 1 (e 9 the Inner base of the greeting box 1) or to an Inner plane 11 within the box 1, by fixed or detachable means (where said plane is preferably, though not necessarily, perpendicular to the direction of movement of the dynamic mount 3); or alternatively said end of the dynamic mount 3 may be completely unsecured to the greeting box 1. The choice of whether or not to secure the dynamic mount 3 to the box depends on the particular embodiment applied. For example, where no part of the greeting 2 is secured to the dynamic mount 3, it may be preferable for the dynamic mount 3 to be secured to an inner plane of the box 1 or to an inner plane 11 within the box 1, so as not to have too many moving parts when the greeting box 1 is opened. However, where the greeting 2 (or part thereof Is attached to or integrated with the dynamic mount 3, it may be preferable for the dynamic mount 3 to be unsecured to the inside of the greeting box 1 to allow for unconstrained delivery movement of the dynamic mount 3 with attached omntegrated greeting 2 (or part thereon. An example of the latter is shown in Figure 9 where the dynamic mount 3 and greeting 2 are integrated with one another but are unsecured to any inner plane of or inner plane 11 within the greeting box 1 When the greeting box 1 is opened, the dynamic mount 3 and the integrated greeting 2 pop-up unconstrained or are propelled clear out of the greeting box 1 as a result of the decompression of the dynamic mount 3 (similarly for when greeting 2 Is attached to rather than integrated with the dynamic mount 3; mutatis mutandis for pop-up or other delivery movement of the dynamic mount 3). In preferred embodiments of the present Invention, the dynamic mount Is preferably secured at minimum either to part of the greeting box (for example, the Inner base of the box) or to part of the greeting, and In some embodiments of the present invention, may be secured to both. However, it is not intended that the scope of the present Invention be limited by this preference.

Where the dynamic mount Is secured to the greeting (or part thereof), or to another part of the box, such as an inner plane of the box or an Inner plane within the box, or to both, detachable or fixed means of attachment may be employed.

In an alternative embodiment of the present Invention, as Illustrated in figures 10-11, the dynamic mount 3 takes the form of a column 12 furnished with a spring-attachment 13, the end of which is attached to the greeting 2 (or part thereofl Said spring-attachment 13 should be stiff and sturdy enough to return to its natural position of being in line with the column 12 while supporting the greeting 2 (or part thereofl when no external forces are acting on it (i.e. when the box 1 Is opened), and flexible enough to enable the greeting 2 (or part thereofl to be contained within the box 1 when the greeting box 1 Is closed. As shown in Figure 11, the opening of the greeting box 1 removes the external forces from the spring-attachment 13, causing it to dynamically return to its natural position of being in line with the column 12, and to take with it the attached greeting 2 (or part thereon. Note that the greeting 2 (or part thereofl may be integrated with rather than attached to the dynamic mount 3. Alternatively, the dynamic mount 3 may take the form of a column 12 furnished with a spring-loaded hinge in place of the spnng-attachment 13 A material 7 may be used to obscure the dynamic mount 3 from sight.

Other mechanisms are possible for the dynamic mount 3 and will present themselves to those skilled in the art and are intended to be covered in the present invention.

While In figures 1-9 of the drawing, the section or compartment 5 is placed at the front of the greeting box 1, and the dynamic mount 3 with attached greeting 2 is placed at the back of the box 1, the present invention is not limited to these relative positions of its features and constituent parts. The present invention is intended to cover all effective relative positions of the features and constituent parts of greeting box 1 For example, the section or compartment may take the form of a drawer or drawers Inserted or built Into the box 1, where the frontface of the drawer or drawers could form part of any one of the outer planes of the box 1. The end of the dynamic mount 3 not acting directly on the greeting 2 (or part thereofl may be unsecured to the Inside of the greeting box 1 or any part of the box 1 other than the greeting 2 (or part thereofl thereby enabling both the dynamic mount 3 and said greeting 2 (or part thereofl to pop-up, be released, or be propelled clear out of the greeting box 1, or it may be secured to an inner plane 11 within the box 1, this plane preferably, though not necessarily, being perpendicular to the direction of movement of the dynamic mount 3 This secure Inner plane 11 is placed above the drawer or drawers, so that it also forms part of the surround of the drawer or drawers. The perimeter of said plane would be robustly secured to the inside of the greeting box 1. This is illustrated in Figure 10-11 where the section or compartment 5 takes the form of a single drawer built-in to the base of the box 1, and where the lower end of the dynamic mount 3 Is secured to an Inner horizontal plane 11 within the box 1 that lies above the drawer In another embodiment (not shown), the greeting box 1 may be provided with lids at two opposite ends, for example north-south, such that whenever these lids are removed, lifted, or opened, the box 1 would be open at both these ends. A secure inner plane 11 within the greeting box 1 would then be provided, the perimeter of which would be robustly secured to the Inside of the greeting box 1. This plane would effectively divide the volume of the box 1 Into two (not necessarily equal) portions, one of which would constitute the section or compartment for the Inclusion and/or presentation of a three-dimensional or other gift, gifts, or other Items, decorative or otherwise, while the other portion would house the dynamic mount 3 and the greeting 2. As in the previous example, the end of the dynamic mount 3 not acting directly on the greeting 2 (or part thereofl may either be secured to this inner plane 11 which divides the box 1, or, if the dynamic mount 3 Is attached to or integrated with the greeting 2 (or part thereofl said end may remain completely unsecured to the Inside of the box 1, thereby enabling both the dynamic mount 3 and said greeting 2 (or part thereon to pop-up, be released or be propelled clear out of the greeting box 1 It Is to be understood that the section or compartment 5 for the inclusion and/or presentation of venous three-dimensonal or other gifts, vouchers, or other Items, may take any form that allows it to serve its purpose of containing a general and/or specific gift, gifts, or other items, three-dimensional or otherwise, including but not limited to: a simple section created by the use of a separator 9 within the box 1; a simple section created without the use of the separator 9 and compnsng the area within the box 1 not already taken up by the greeting 2 and dynamic mount 3; a drawer or set of drawers built into the box 1; a section separated from and lying beneath the dynamic mount 3 and greeting 2 by use of an inner plane 11 within the greeting box 1 and where the section is accessible through a second lid substituted for the base of the box 1 (not shown), any combination of the above (for example a given greeting box 1 may contain a simple section created by the use of the separator 9 and also a section in the form of a drawer built into its base); the use of more than one section or compartment 5 for the Inclusion and/or presentation of gifts or other Items; or any other suitable and effective means of arrangement Furthermore, the section or compartment 5 for the inclusion and/or presentation of various three- dimensional or other gifts, vouchers, or other items, decorative or otherwise, may be arranged in any way which allows it to serve its purpose of presenting a general and/or specific gift, gifts, or other Items, three-dimensional or otherwise, Including but not Emoted to a simple unadorned arrangement; the division of the section into sub- sechons; the use of lining and/or padding of the section; or any other suitable and effective means of arrangement.

It is to be understood that it is the intention of the present invention to cover the use of more than one dynamic mount 3 and/or more than one greeting 2 In any suitable and effective combination as may present itself to those skilled in the art. For example, in another embodiment of the present invention (not shown), it may be appropriate for more than one dynamic mount 3 to act on a single greeting 2 (or part thereof, for example, a character 6), for example, but not limited to, when a large greeting 2 (or part thereofl Is used. In a further embodiment (not shown), the greeting box 1 may be fitted with a set of dynamic mounts each of which acts on a separate greeting 2 (or part of a greeting 2). Alternatively, a set of dynamic mounts may act together on a set of greetings or greeting parts (not shown) This may be appropnate, for example, where the greetings (or parts thereof) are completely unsecured to the dynamic mounts but are nonetheless acted upon by the movement of the dynamic mounts when the box 1 is opened, and where the dynamic mounts are fixed to a single projector platform 10 on which said greetings (or parts thereof) are positioned In a further example, a single dynamic mount 3 may act on multiple greetings 2 (or parts of greetings 2). In such a case, the greetings 2 (or parts thereofl may be held together at a single point, or along a support attached to the dynamic mount 3 which would enable said greetings (or parts thereo to be spaced out, subject to the dimensional constraints of the greeting box 1 (not shown).

Such a support may, for example only, take the form of a horizontal plastic, metal or other support fitted with secure mechanisms of attachment (catch, screw-on mechanism, crocodile clip, or any other suitable and effective means) at several points along its length, to which each of the greetings 2 (or parts of the greetings 2) may be attached, and which securely attaches to the dynamic mount 3 beneath. In another embodiment of the present invention, when a number of dynamic mounts are employed, the dynamic mounts 3 are finked to one another in such a way that on opening the greeting box 1, the dynamic mounts act in an opening cascade sequence (not shown), for example, the action of opening the box 1 causes only an animal dynamic mount 3 to be decompressed, this action in turn enabling the decompression of another of the dynamic mounts, and so on, until all the dynamic mounts have undergone decompression. The opening cascade sequence could be effected, for example, by positioning the Intel dynamic mount 3 such that it Is the only one of the set of dynamic mounts which comes into contact with the inner upper surface of the box 1 (or lid 4) when the latter Is in the closed position, perhaps by making this initial dynamic mount 3 longer than the others.

Therefore this Initial dynamic mount 3 Is the only one of the dynamic mounts that suffers compression directly as a result of the fact that the box 1 is closed Hence it is the only one of the dynamic mounts that suffers decompression directly as a result of the greeting box 1 being opened. The dynamic mounts are connected to one another by, for example but not limited to, the use of latches. Hence the decompression of the initial dynamic mounts can be made to trigger the decompression of the remaining dynamic mounts either simultaneously, or in a chain (mutatis mutandis for other movement of the dynamic mount(s) 3, for example pop-up) .

Other suitable and effective arrangements of decompression, pop-up, release, projection or propulsion of the greeting(s) (or part thereofl by the dynamic mount(s) may present themselves to those skilled In the art It should be noted that the present invention is intended to cover the possibility of greeting boxes where the direction of the path of delivery movement of the dynamic mount 3 (compression, decompression, pop-up, or other movement) may be other than vertically upward (north) when the box 1 is opened, or vertically downward (south) when the box 1 Is closed (not shown). Thus, the greeting 2 (or part thereof) on which the dynamic mount 3 acts, may dynamically pop-up or be released or projected in directions other than vertically upward when the box 1 is opened This would necessitate simple and obvious changes to the relative positions of the various essential features of the box, most notably the dynamic mount 3 and access means to the greeting box 1, which are not described, but would be self-evident to those skilled in the art.

The greeting box 1 may also be provided with any suitable and appropriate sound-, vdeo- and/or hght-generatng means (not shown), these being capable of being activated in any number of ways, for example: on removal, lifting or opening of the lid 4 (or lids); on decompression, pop-up or other delivery movement of the dynamic mount 3 (or mounts); on turning the rotatable crank, on deploying the lever; or in any other suitable and effective way as may present itself to those skilled In the art. The sound-, video- and/or light-generating means may be mechanical, wind-up, electronic, or any other suitable and effective means as may present itself to those skilled in the art. Sound-generating means may deliver pre-recorded speech or music, or recordable messaging (where the greeting box 1 may be provided with the means by which the giver may record his/her own voice or music message), or any other

suitable sound.

Furthermore, the greeting box 1 may be provided with the means for throwing out a shower of objects such as glitter, confetti, stars and/or other, when the box 1 Is opened (not shown), the ejection of said objects being capable of being activated in any number of ways, for example on removal, lifting, or opening of the lid 4 (or lids); on decompression, pop-up or other delivery movement of the dynamic mount 3 (or mounts), on turning the rotatable crank; on deploying the lever, or In any other suitable and effective way as may present itself to those skilled in the art Numerous other non-essential, subsidiary or supplementary features may be added to the present Invention to add to the fun, novelty, surprise and dynamism of the greeting box, for example, rotating greetings, and characters which squeak or rattle on release and so on.

These are not herein described, but it is nonetheless Intended that their use, when added to the essential characteristics of the present invention as outlined above, be covered by the present invention.

Additionally, parts of the box other than the message portion of the greeting may be provided with areas for Inscription, pnntng, and/or the depiction, conveyance or communication of other nformabon Greeting boxes can be provided with a range of geometries, and the size, shape, design, construction and configuration of the greeting box 1, the greeting 2, the dynamic mount 3, the lid 4, the section or compartment 5 for the inclusion and/or presentation of items, the character 6, toy, novelty or other item, and any other part or feature of the greeting box 1, both separately and together, are not limited except insofar as Is practicable, and all are Intended to be covered by the present nvenbon.

It is intended that the combination of any 'jack-in-the-box' mechanism with a greeting 2 and a section or compartment 5 for the inclusion and/or presentation of various three-dimensional and other gifts and Items, where the mechanism acts on the greeting 2, or part of the greeting 2, be covered by the present invention Likewise, it Is intended that any pop-up mechanism, In combination with a greeting 2 and a section or compartment 5 for the inclusion and/or presentation of various three- dimensional and other gifts and items, where the mechanism acts on the greeting 2, or part of the greeting 2, be covered by the present Invention.

With regard to the various embodiments and examples herein described and given, it Is intended that the present invention cover all embodiments that might selectively mix-and- match various features of the different embodiments, In any effective combination As an example, the feature which provides for the dynamic mount 3 to be integrated into the figure of the character 6 may be combined with the feature of having a set of dynamic mounts and a set of characters employed in a given greeting box 1, and is intended to be covered by the present Invention.

It is also understood that any specific embodiment of the present invention may include all or only some of those features herein described which are subsidiary or supplementary to the object of providing a greeting 2, which (or part of which) dynamically pops-up or Is released or projected out of the box 1 when the box 1 Is opened, as a result of the effect of the decompression or other delivery movement of a dynamic mount 3 upon said greeting 2 (or part thereofl, and where the box 1 is provided with a section or compartment 5 for the inclusion and/or presentation of various three-dmensional or other gifts, vouchers or other items, decorative or otherwise.

It is Intended that the embodiments of the invention described above be given by way of example only, that these cited embodiments are not exhaustive, and that they may be subject to modficabons, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

It will be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained, and since certain changes may be made in the construction of the invention without departing from the spins and scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above descnpbon or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense It Is also understood that the following claims are Intended to cover all the general and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Claims

1 A greeting box comprising a greeting, which, or part of which, dynamically pops-up or Is released or projected outwards when the box Is opened, as a result of the decompression, pop-up or other delivery movement of a dynamic mount to which said greeting (or part thereo] is attached, or with which said greeting (or part thereofl is integrated, or to which said greeting (or part thereofl Is neither attached nor Integrated nor In any other way secured, but In whose path of decompression, pop-up or other delivery movement said greeting (or part thereofl is nonetheless positioned, where the box is provided with a section or compartment for the inclusion and/or presentation of a threedimensional or other gift, gifts, vouchers, or othemtems, decorative or otherwise 2 A greeting box as claimed in Claim 1, where the greeting may take any form that enables it to convey its message, for example it may consist of a simple piece of card, paper, textile or any other suitable material or combination of materials on which a message, a photograph, or any other information, three-dimensonal or otherwise, may be inscnbed, printed, sewn, attached, recorded or in any other way conveyed, depicted or communicated; or a character, toy, novelty or other item bearing the message, photograph or other information, three-dmensonal or otherwise; or a character, toy, novelty or other Item which does not physically bear the message portion of the greeting but which instead conveys (or appears to convey) an aural message, which would thus necessitate providing the greeting box with appropriate sound-generating means and a suitable and effective actvabon mechanism (mutatis mutands for light-, vdeo-generating or other means), or a character, toy, novelty or other Item which does not physically bear the message portion of the greeting, where the message portion of the greeting may be attached to or integrated with another part or feature of the greeting box; or any other suitable and effective means of delvenng a message or information; or a combination, with the condition that at least part of the greeting Is nonetheless acted on by the decompression, pop-up and/or other delivery movement of the dynamic mount when the box is opened.

3 A greeting box as claimed In Claim 1 or Claim 2, where the greeting is provided with a message, which may be but Is not limited to handwritten, printed or recorded, visual, aural, or tactile; a photograph, or any other information, and where the message is to be interpreted widely as information 4 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, where the dynamic mount may make use of a spring, a piston construction, an arrangement of elastic bands, a column and spring-attachment, a spring-loaded hinge or any other contrivance suitable for dynamically releasing or projecting the greeting (or part thereofl or for causing said greeting to pop-up when the greeting box is opened, and for being returned to the closed position when the box Is closed A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the direction of movement of the dynamic mount may be other than vertically upward when the box is opened, or vertically downward when the box Is closed, and greeting boxes may be provided where the dynamic mount may act to project, propel or release the greeting (or part thereon or to cause the greeting (or part thereofl to pop-up, in any suitable and effective direction.

6 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, where the greeting (or part thereofl may be attached to the dynamic mount, or where the greeting (or part thereof) and the dynamic mount may be integrated with one another, such that the dynamic mount is incorporated with the figure of said greeting (or part thereon; or where the greeting (or part thereon is neither attached to nor Integrated with nor in any other way secured to the dynamic mount but where said greeting (or part thereofl may nonetheless be positioned in the path of decompression, pop-up or other delivery movement of the dynamic mount, and hence Is acted on by the delivery movement of the dynamic mount when the box is opened.

7 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, where if the dynamic mount and greeting (or part thereon are integrated with one another, the greeting may be adapted In any suitable and appropriate way In order to accommodate the movement of the dynamic mount when the box is opened or closed, for example but not limited to, furnishing the greeting (or part thereofl with a flexible mid-sector.

8 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, where If the greeting (or part of the greeting) Is secured to the dynamic mount, whether attached or Integrated, either fixed or detachable means may be employed, and where the mechanism of attachment or integration may be obscured from sight 9 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, where If the greeting (or part thereofl is not in any way secured to the dynamic mount but nonetheless lies In its path of decompression, pop-up or other delivery movement, a projector platform or plane may be secured to the end of the dynamic mount acting directly on said greeting (or part thereofl and said greeting (or part thereofl Is placed on this projector platform, such that when the box Is closed, the greeting is contained within the box, and when the box Is opened, the delivery movement of the dynamic mount causes said platform to project the greeting (or part thereofl clear out of the greeting box, or to cause said greeting (or part thereon to pop-up or be released A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, where the message portion of the greeting may be secured to the dynamic mount and/or to the remainder of the greeting by fixed or detachable means, and where the mechanism of attachment omntegraton may be obscured from sight.

11 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the mechanism of the dynamic mount, may be obscured from sight, where it may be necessary for the material hiding the dynamic mount to have sufficient give to allow for the full and unimpeded decompression, compression, popup or other movement of the dynamic mount whenever the box Is opened or closed.

12 A greeting box as claimed In any preceding claim, where the end of the dynamic mount not acting directly on the greeting (or part thereofl may be securely attached to an Inner plane of the box or to an inner plane within the box, by fixed or detachable means, or altematively, said end of the dynamic mount may be left completely unsecured to the greeting box 13 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, where if the end of the dynamic mount not acting directly on the greeting (or part thereon is attached to an inner plane of the box, or to a secure inner plane within the box, then said plane is preferably, though not necessarily, perpendicular to the director of movement of the dynamic mount.

14 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, where the operation of the movement of dynamic mount on the greeting (or part thereon, the degree of projection, pop-up, release or propulsion of the greeting (or part thereofl by the dynamic mount, and whether or not the dynamic mount projects the greeting (or part thereof) clear out of the box, depend on several factors of the particular embodiment of the present invention which may include the relation of the dynamic mount to the greeting; the relation of the dynamic mount to the remainder of greeting box, the specific construction of the dynamic mount; the relative strength of the dynamic mount; and the degree of tension or potential energy present in the dynamic mount when the box is closed and which is released when the box is opened A greeting box as claimed In any preceding claim, wherein the fixed or detachable means of securing the various parts and constituent features of the greeting box may include, but are not limited to, gluing and sewing in the former case, and the use a catch, a screw-on action, a snap fastener, and a grip mechanism such as a crocodile clip in the latter case, or any other suitable and effective fixed or detachable means, where the detachable means is secure, easy-to-use and repeatable.

16 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the box Is provided with a lid (or lids), which may be a lift-off lid, a lid hinged at one side, another form of aperture covering or any other suitable and effective means of access to the box 17 A greeting box as claimed In any preceding claim, wherein a clasp may be provided for the lid (or lids), said clasp being effected by the use of magnetic force, a hook and loop construction, a snap fastener, a push- button mechanism, a sandwich-type construction or any other suitable and effective means.

18 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the box may be opened by any suitable and effective means Including but not limited to direct manual means, or mechanical means, for example by the use of appropriate rotatable crank or lever means.

19 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, where the section or compartment for the Inclusion and/or presentation of goods may house general and/or specific gifts or other items, and may be appropriately adapted to fulfil this objective.

A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the section or compartment for the Inclusion and/or presentation of various threedmensional or other gifts, vouchers, or other items, decorative or otherwise, may take any form that allows it to serve its purpose of containing general and/or specific gifts or other Items, including but not limited to. a simple section created by the use of a separator within the box, a simple section created without the use of the separator and comprising the area within the box not already taken up by the greeting and dynamic mount; a drawer or set of drawers built into the box, a section separated from and lying beneath the dynamic mount and greeting by the use of an inner plane within the greeting box and where the section is accessible through a second lid substituted for the base of the box, any combination of the above; the use of more than one section or compartment; or any other suitable and effective means of arrangement.

21 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the section or compartment for the inclusion and/or presentation of various threedimensonal or other gifts, vouchers, or other items, decorative or otherwise, may be arranged in any way which allows it to serve its purpose of presenting general and/or specific gifts or other items, Including but not limited to a simple unadorned arrangement; the division of the section Into sub-sectons, the use of lining and/or padding of the section; or any other suitable and effective means of arrangement 22 A greeting box as claimed In any preceding claim, where, In a given greeting box, the ratio of the size of the section or compartment for the Inclusion and/or presentation of various three-dimensional or other gifts, vouchers, or other items, decorative or otherwise, to that of the greeting box as a whole may either be fixed in production, or, in other embodiments, is capable of being adjusted by a mechanism of adjustment employing any suitable and effective means, for example by the use of adjustable slotting of a separator 23 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, where if a character, toy, novelty or other Item with arms and/or appendages is used in the greeting, said arms (and/or appendages) may be make use of spnngs, piston constructions, arrangements of elastic bands, or any other suitable contrivances to allow them to extend up and out beyond the width of the greeting box when the box is opened.

24 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, where if a character, toy, novelty or other item with arms and/or appendages is used In the greeting, and said arms (and/or appendages) are furnished with springs, piston constructions, arrangements of elastic bands, or any other suitable contrivances, and said arms (and/or appendages) bear the message portion of the greeting, it may be necessary to ensure that the material or combination of materials used in the construction of said message portion remains undamaged by this movement, for example, by using a sufficiently flexible material, by furnishing the material with predefined vertical fold lines so that it folds out sideways in an accordion-like manner, or any other suitable and effective means.

A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein more than one greeting and/or more than one dynamic mount may be employed In any effective combination, for example, a set of dynamic mounts may act on a single greeting (or part thereon; or each of a set of dynamic mounts may act on a separate greeting (or part thereon from a set of greetings; or a set of dynamic mounts may act together on a set of greetings (or parts thereon; or alternatively, a single dynamic mount may act on multiple greetings (or parts thereofl; or any other suitable and effective combination of greeting(s) and dynamic mount(s) as may present itself 26 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein if more than one dynamic mount is used, the dynamic mounts may be linked to one another in such a way that on opening the greeting box, the dynamic mounts act in an opening cascade sequence, said sequence being effected, for example, by the use of latches 27 A greeting box as claimed In any preceding claim, wherein the structure of the box Is made of a material and construction sufficient to ensure that its shape and integrity is maintained.

28 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the dynamic mount is made of a material and construction sufficient to support the greeting (or part thereofl on which it acts, sufficient to ensure that the greeting (or part thereofl on which it acts effectively pops- up or Is effectively released or projected out of the greeting box when the box is opened, sufficient to ensure the effective movement of the greeting (or part thereofl when the box is opened or closed, sufficient to be returned to the closed position when the box is closed, and subagent to withstand numerous cycles of opening or closing the greeting box.

29 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the dynamic mount is made of a material and construction sufficient to bear the force of the compression, decompression, pop-up or other movement away from the greeting (or part thereofl on which it acts, thereby keeping the form, shape and integrity of said greeting (or part thereofl intact.

A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a range of materials for the construction of its constituent parts and features may be employed, where said materials may Include, but are in no way limited to paper, cardboard, textiles, plastics, metals, wood or any other suitable and effective material or combination of materials.

31 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, which can be produced to a variety of different geometries, and where the size, shape, design, construction and configuration of the greeting box, the greeting (including any greeting parts for example, the character, toy or novelty, or the message portion), the dynamic mount, the lid, the section or compartment for the inclusion and/or presentation of items, and any other part or feature of the greeting box, both separately and together, are not limited except insofar as is practicable 32 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, where, in addition to the message portion of the greeting, other parts of the box may be provided with areas for inscription, pruning, and/or the depiction, conveyance or communication of other Information.

33 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein sound-, video- and/or light- generabng means may be provided for, these sound-, video- and/or light- generating means being capable of being activated in any number of ways, for example, on removal, lifting or opening of the lid (or lids), on decompression, pop-up or other delivery movement of the dynamic mount (or mounts), on turning the rotatable crank, on deploying the lever, or in any other suitable and effective way, where said sound-, video- and/or light- generating means may be mechanical, wind-up, electronic, or any other suitable and effective means as may present itself to those skilled in the art.

34 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a shower of objects, for example, glitter, confetti, stars and/or other, may be thrown out of the box when the box Is opened, the ejection of said objects being capable of being activated in any number of ways, for example, on removal, lifting, or opening of the lid (or lids), on decompression, pop-up or other delivery movement of the dynamic mount (or mounts), on fuming the rotatable crank, on deploying the lever, or in any other suitable and effective way as may present itself A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the features and constituent parts of the greeting box may be positioned relative to one another In any number of suitable and effective ways.

36 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a given greeting box may include any suitable and effective features which are non-essential, subsidiary or supplementary, or any suitable and effective combnabon thereof.

37 A greeting box substantially as herein described and Illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been f led as follows 1 A greeting box comprising a greeting, which, or part of which, dynamically pops-up or is released or projected outwards when the box Is opened, as a result of the decompression, pop-up or other delivery movement of a dynamic mount to which said greeting (or part thereof) is attached, or with which said greeting (or part thereof) is integrated, or to which said greeting (or part thereof) is neither attached nor integrated nor in any other way secured, but in whose path of decompression, pop-up or other delivery movement said greeting (or part thereofl is nonetheless positioned, where the box is provided with a further section or compartment for the inclusion and/or presentation of a three-dmensonal or other gift, gifts, vouchers, or other items, decorative or otherwise.

2 A greeting box as claimed in Claim 1, where the greeting may take any form that enables it to convey its message, for example it may consist of a simple piece of card, paper, textile or any other suitable material or combination of materials on which a message, a photograph, or any other Information, three-dmensional or otherwise, may be inscribed, printed, sewn, attached, recorded or in any other way conveyed, depicted or communicated, or a character, toy, novelty or other item bearing the message, photograph or other information, three-dmensional or otherwise; or a character, toy, novelty or other item which does not physically bear the message portion of the greeting but which instead conveys (or appears to convey) an aural message, which would thus necessitate providing the greeting box with appropriate sound-generating means and a suitable and effective activation mechanism (mutatis mutandis for light-, videogenerating or other means); or a character, toy, novelty or other Item which does not physically bear the message portion of the greeting, where the message portion of the greeting may be attached to or integrated with another part or feature of the greeting box, or any other suitable and effective means of delivering a message or information; or a combination, with the condition that at least part of the greeting is nonetheless acted on by the decompression, pop-up and/or other delivery movement of the dynamic mount when the box is opened 3 A greeting box as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, where the greeting is provided with a message, which may be but Is not limited to handwritten, printed or recorded; visual, aural, or tactile, a photograph; or any other information, and where the message is to be Interpreted widely as information.

4 A greeting box as claimed In any preceding claim, where the dynamic mount may make use of a spring, a piston construction, an arrangement of elastic bands, a column and spong-attachment, a spring-loaded hinge or any other contrivance suitable for dynamically releasing or projecting the greeting (or part thereof) or for causing said greeting to pop-up when the greeting box is opened, and for being returned to the closed position when the box is closed A greeting box as claimed In any preceding claim, wherein the direction of movement of the dynamic mount may be other than vertically upward when the box is opened, or vertically downward when the box is closed, and greeting boxes may be provided where the dynamic mount may act to project, propel or release the greeting (or part thereof) or to cause the greeting (or part thereofl to pop-up, In any suitable and effective direction 6 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, where the greeting (or part thereof) may be attached to the dynamic mount; or where the greeting (or part thereofl and the dynamic mount may be Integrated with one another, such that the dynamic mount is incorporated with the figure of said greeting (or part thereof), or where the greeting (or part thereof) Is neither attached to nor integrated with nor in any other way secured to the dynamic mount but where said greeting (or part thereof) may nonetheless be positioned In the path of decompression, pop-up or other delivery movement of the dynamic mount, and hence is acted on by the delivery movement of the dynamic mount when the box is opened.

IS

7 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, where if the dynamic mount and greeting (or part thereo] are integrated with one another, the greeting may be adapted In any suitable and appropriate way in order to accommodate the movement of the dynamic mount when the box Is opened or closed, for example but not limited to, furnishing the greeting (or part thereof with a flexible mid-sector 8 A greeting box as claimed In any preceding claim, where If the greeting (or part of the greeting) Is secured to the dynamic mount, whether attached or integrated, either fixed or detachable means may be employed, and where the mechanism of attachment or integration may be obscured from sight 9 A greeting box as claimed In any preceding claim, where If the greeting (or part thereofl is not In any way secured to the dynamic mount but nonetheless ides in its path of decompression, pop-up or other delivery movement, a projector platform or plane may be secured to the end of the dynamic mount acting directly on said greeting (or part thereof) and said greeting (or part thereofl is placed on this projector platform, such that when the box Is closed, the greeting Is contained within the box, and when the box Is opened, the delivery movement of the dynamic mount causes said platform to project the greeting (or part thereofl clear out of the greeting box, or to cause said greeting (or part thereof to pop-up or be released A greeting box as claimed In any preceding claim, where the message portion of the greeting may be secured to the dynamic mount and/or to the remainder of the greeting by fixed or detachable means, and where the mechanism of attachment or ntegrabon may be obscured from sight 11 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the mechanism of the dynamic mount, may be obscured from sight, where it may be necessary for the material hiding the dynamic mount to have sufficient give to allow for the full and unimpeded decompression, compression, pop- up or other movement of the dynamic mount whenever the box Is opened or closed 12 A greeting box as claimed In any preceding claim, where the end of the dynamic mount not acting directly on the greeting (or part thereofl may be securely attached to an Inner plane of the box or to an inner plane within the box, by fixed or detachable means, or alternatively, said end of the dynamic mount may be left completely unsecured to the greeting box.

13 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, where If the end of the dynamic mount not acting directly on the greeting (or part thereofl is attached to an inner plane of the box, or to a secure inner plane within the box, then said plane Is preferably, though not necessanly, perpendicular to the drechon of movement of the dynamic mount 14 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, where the operation of the movement of dynamic mount on the greeting (or part thereon, the degree of projection, pop-up, release or propulsion of the greeting (or part thereofl by the dynamic mount, and whether or not the dynamic mount projects the greeting (or part thereof clear out of the box, depend on several factors of the particular embodiment of the present Invention which may include the relation of the dynamic mount to the greeting; the relation of the dynamic mount to the remainder of greeting box, the specific construction of the dynamic mount; the relative strength of the dynamic mount; and the degree of tension or potential energy present In the dynamic mount when the box is closed and which is released when the box is opened A greeting box as claimed In any preceding claim, wherein the fixed or detachable means of securing the venous parts and constituent features of the greeting box may Include, but are not limited to, gluing and sewing In the former case, and the use a catch, a screw-on action, a snap fastener, and a grip mechanism such as a crocodile clip In the latter case, or q any other suitable and effective axed or detachable means, where the detachable means is secure, easy-to-use and repeatable 16 A greeting box as claimed In any preceding claim, wherein the box Is provided with a lid (or lids), which may be a lift-off lid, a lid hinged at one side, another form of aperture covering or any other suitable and effective means of access to the box 17 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a clasp may be provided for the lid (or lids), said clasp being effected by the use of magnetic force, a hook and loop construction, a snap fastener, a push- button mechanism, a sandwich-type construction or any other suitable and effective means 18 A greeting box as claimed In any preceding claim, wherein the box may be opened by any suitable and effective means Including but not limited to direct manual means, or mechanical means, for example by the use of appropriate rotatable crank or lever means 19 A greeting box as claimed In any preceding claim, where the section or compartment for the inclusion and/or presentation of goods may house general and/or specific gifts or other Items, and may be appropriately adapted to fulfil this objective.

A greeting box as claimed In any preceding claim, wherein the section or compartment for the Inclusion and/or presentation of venous threedmensonal or other gifts, vouchers, or other Items, decorative or otherwise, may take any form that allows it to serve its purpose of containing general andlor specific gifts or other items, Including but not limited to: a simple section created by the use of a separator within the box; a simple section created without the use of the separator and comprising the area within the box not already taken up by the greeting and dynamic mount; a drawer or set of drawers built into the box, a section separated from and lying beneath the dynamic mount and greeting by the use of an Inner plane within the greeting box and where the section Is accessible through a second lid substituted for the base of the box, any combnabon of the above, the use of more than one section or compartment, or any other suitable and effective means of arrangement.

21 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the section or compartment for the inclusion and/or presentation of various threedimensional or other gifts, vouchers, or other items, decorative or otherwise, may be arranged in any way which allows it to serve its purpose of presenting general and/or specific gifts or other Items, Including but not limited to a simple unadorned arrangement; the division of the section Into sub-sections; the use of lining and/or padding of the section; or any other suitable and effective means of arrangement. 22 A greeting box as claimed In any preceding claim, where, In a given

greeting box, the ratio of the size of the section or compartment for the Inclusion and/or presentation of various three-dimensional or other gifts, vouchers, or other items, decorative or otherwise, to that of the greeting box as a whole may either be fixed in production, or, In other embodiments, Is capable of being adjusted by a mechanism of adjustment employing any suitable and effective means, for example by the use of adjustable slotting of a separator 23 A greeting box as claimed In any preceding claim, where if a character, toy, novelty or other item with arms and/or appendages is used in the greeting, said arms (and/or appendages) may be make use of springs, piston constructions, arrangements of elastic bands, or any other suitable contrivances to allow them to extend up and out beyond the width of the greeting box when the box is opened. In

24 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, where if a character, toy, novelty or other Rem with arms and/or appendages is used in the greeting, and said arms (and/or appendages) are furnished with springs, piston constructions, arrangements of elastic bands, or any other suitable contrivances, and said arms (and/or appendages) bear the message portion of the greeting, it may be necessary to ensure that the material or combination of materials used in the construction of said message portion remains undamaged by this movement, for example, by using a sufficiently flexible material, by furnishing the material with predefined vertical fold lines so that it folds out sideways in an accordon-like manner, or any other suitable and effective means.

A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein more than one greeting and/or more than one dynamic mount may be employed in any effective combination, for example, a set of dynamic mounts may act on a single greeting (or part thereof); or each of a set of dynamic mounts may act on a separate greeting (or part thereofl from a set of greetings, or a set of dynamic mounts may act together on a set of greetings (or parts thereon, or alternatively, a single dynamic mount may act on multiple greetings (or parts thereon, or any other suitable and effective combination of greeting(s) and dynamic mount(s) as may present itself 26 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein if more than one dynamic mount is used, the dynamic mounts may be linked to one another in such a way that on opening the greeting box, the dynamic mounts act in an opening cascade sequence, said sequence being effected, for example, by the use of latches 27 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the structure of the box is made of a material and construction sufficient to ensure that its shape and ntegnty is maintained.

28 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the dynamic mount is made of a material and construction subagent to support the greeting (or part thereof on which it acts, sufficient to ensure that the greeting (or part thereof) on which it acts effectively pops- up or is effectively released or projected out of the greeting box when the box is opened, sufficient to ensure the effective movement of the greeting (or part thereofl when the box is opened or closed, sufficient to be returned to the closed position when the box is closed, and sufficient to withstand numerous cycles of opening or closing the greeting box.

31 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, which can be produced to a variety of different geometries, and where the size, shape, design, construction and configuration of the greeting box, the greeting (including any greeting parts for example, the character, toy or novelty, or the message portion), the dynamic mount, the lid, the section or compartment for the inclusion and/or presentation of items, and any other part or feature of the greeting box, both separately and together, are not limited except insofar as is practicable.

32 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, where, in addition to the message portion of the greeting, other parts of the box may be provided with areas for inscription, pnntog, and/or the deacon, conveyance or communcabon of othemnformabon 33 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein sound-, video- and/or light- generating means may be provided for, these sound-, video- and/or lght- generatng means being capable of being activated In any number of ways, for example, on removal, lifting or opening of the lid (or lids), on decompression, pop-up or other delivery movement of the dynamic mount (or mounts), on turning the rotatable crank, on deploying the lever, or In any other suitable and effective way, where said sound-, video- and/or lght- generabng means may be mechanical, stand-up, electronic, or any other suitable and effective means as may present itself to those skilled In the art 34 A greeting box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a shower of objects, for example, glitter, confetti, stars and/or other, may be thrown out of the box when the box is opened, the ejection of said objects being capable of being activated In any number of ways, for example, on removal, Offing, or opening of the lid (or lids), on decompression, pop-up or other delivery movement of the dynamic mount (or mounts), on turning the rotatable crank, on deploying the lever, or In any other suitable and effective way as may present itself.

A greeting box as claimed In any preceding claim, wherein the features and constituent parts of the greeting box may be positioned relative to one another in any number of suitable and effective ways 36 A greeting box as claimed In any preceding claim, wherein a given greeting box may Include any suitable and effective features which are non-essential, subsidiary or supplementary, or any suitable and effective combination thereof 37 A greeting box substantially as herein described and illustrated In the accompanying drawings