GB2443812A

GB2443812A - A combination greetings card and board game

Info

Publication number: GB2443812A
Application number: GB0622797A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Natchos Limited; Jason Li; Paula Slinger
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-11-14
Filing date: 2006-11-14
Publication date: 2008-05-21
Also published as: GB0622797D0

Abstract

Greetings card 1 opens out into a board game. The front 3 and back 4 pages are separated by a fold 11. The front page 3 contains a greetings message 5 and/or a picture or image or other suitable device 6. The back page 4 contains the game's title 7, the rules 8, and safety warnings 9 as contained on a board game, and a space for a personal greeting to be written 10. The inside of the greetings card 12 has a left 13 and right side 14 and a fold 11 separating the two sides into left and right. Contained on these pages is a board-game style game 15 which is placed or printed across the inside of the card 12. The game is opened and played like any board game. Playing pieces may be supplied with the card.

Description

Description 2443812

Combination Greeting Card and board game Our invention operates in the product area of greeting cards and board games Greetings cards as presently known have only one function, that Is to send a greeting message. Our invention enables a greetings card to have two functions, to deliver a greetings mes asalpresent,aird in addition to provideagameto play.

Currently greetings cards are received, displayed for a number of days and axe then discarded, usually going to landfilL This is harmful to the environment Our invention enables the greetings card to have more flmctional uses and encourages it to be kept indefinitely. The card can be repeatedly used for entertainment purposes.

Board games are also a ha2md to the tvIrunmcnt in that the quantity of materials used we much larger than that in a greetinga card. A board game imiafly has a box, a card / board surthce to play on and rule book. This uses a lot of frees and ink. Our invention oontain all the game play of a board game but only uses the greetings card to display the playing area and the rules. The Invention can be realised on a normal greetings card which is 4 pages or one that includes an additional pages in the cenfre.

Currcnay known prior art which seeks to address this problem comprises the following: UK Patent (ffifl63436 bs attempted to use a greetings card. to have another function.

However this palcnt application is fbr a detachable gm that is removed froni the front cover. This does not solve the throwing away of the rest of the card.

UK Patent GB2309415 uses an area to include a scratch card. This does Increase the functionality of the card but again is a throwaway option and different to oar application In that it is not a board game and is an instant play only once game.

UK Patent 0B2 196542 is nor specifically a greetings cart It Is a pictorial pilc that can be included on a e or greeting card end uses removable pieces that arc stuck to a surface in some shIon. It does not include the actual functioning of a greetings card in the application..

IlK Patent 082144371 contains more than one tncdon in that it contains aball pwzle. This uses plastic and a metal ball to roll around. It is not a board gmn -hard plastic which is not envIronmentally better. It attaches the piozic onto the cart UK Patent 082279O3 has a game retained iusidc the card, It Is not a geme that Is printed directly onto the card but n of Them and retain inside. This does not solve the environmental problems and does not turn the card Itself into a game. z

Our lnvcntion Is better and different in that: Board games usually consist of a box, plastic insert trays, a card / board suthce to play on, a rule book and playing pieces. This uses a lot of plastic material, trees and ink. Our invention however, contains all the game play of a board game without the need for a box, plastic insert tmy and high weight card to mount or print the game onto. Our Invention uses the greetings card to display the playing area and the rules.

It can be done on a normal greetings card which contaIns 4 pages (front, back and a double centre) or one that includes additional pages added to the outside, the centre or central page or pages.

The functionality of the greetings card is Increased as it will be treated like a board game and used many times, effectively constituting a usable gift It does not need to use plastics or foams to m1' a puzIe or game on the card, though It could incorporate these If the nature or design of a particular game or card required it. It can simply use Ink to print the game directly onto the card / paper or other suitable material that make up the greetings card. Caine playing pieces may be Included with the card.

This invention is environmentally friendly In that it reduces the waste material of a typical board game and also reduces the waste of discarded greetings cards.

The invention may be described variously ar o A greetings card bearing on one or more of Its surf aces a board game.

o A board game capable of forming a greetings card.

Each greetings Card! board gan will contain a general greetings card, room for a personal greetings mesange, a board-game style game and written-out rules. The invention may also contain playing pieces.

The material of which the greetings card/board game Ia made may be cut, punched folded or embossed to enhance the playing of the game or its appearance, and may incorporate any mechanical, electrical, electronic, magnetic, demica1 or other devices which may add to the attraction or function of the greetings element vial/or the game-playing element.

We now go on to describe one specific embodiment of the invention, with reference to the accompanying Figures 1 and. This is only one way of carrying out the invention, and is described In detail by way of an.cample only. Them will be many other ways of realising the invention, which by its nature is adaptable to any form in which a greetings card or a board game may be designed.

With reference to FIGURE 1: Figure one shows the outside of a greetings card (1) which opens out into a board game. The front (:3)and back (4) page is separated by a fold (11). The front page (3) contains a greetings message (5) and/or a picture or Image or other suitable device(6).

The back page (4) contaIns the Games title (7), the rules (8), Safety wanthtgg (9) as contained on a board game, and a space for a personal greeting to be written (10) With reference to FIGURE 2 The inside ofthe greetings card (12) has a left (13) and right side (14) and a fold (11) separating the Iwo sides into left and right COntained on thcsc pages Is a board game style game (15) whIch Is placed or printed across the inside of the card (12). The game is opened and played like any hoard game.

The greetings cards that opens out into a board game (15) can also have the game contained on the outside (I) with the Games title (7), the rules (8), Safety warnings (9) and a space for a personal greeting to be written (10) on the inside.

Claims

CLAfls4S 1. A greetings curd which canies a greetings message or

device, and Lncorporates a board game.
2. Agngscardaccodingtocaiml,nwjrasing1efoldafloa greetings message or device to be displayed on the front a game or games on the inside, and the ruics on the beck.
3. A greetingscardaccordjngtoclajrn l,wherethecardhasasingiefold with additional inside pages to provide surfaces for the display of two or more games.
4. A greetings card according to claim 1, where the card has multiple folds to provide surfaces for the display of two or more gaines.
5. A greetings card according to claim I, where the card is single unfolded sheet carrying a greeting message or device on one side, and a game board on the other side.
6. A greetings card according to claims 1 to 5, where the card canies a board game which allows for single-or multi-player
7. A greetings card and board game combination according to claims 1 to 6, which uses less materials than conventionally fully packaged board game and is more environmentally friendly.
8. A greetings card and board game combination according to claims I to 7, which will extend the length of use of a conventional message only greetings card.
9. A greetings card and board game combination according to claims I to 8, that will be easier than a conventional fully p"ckaged board game to store and use less space.