US20150314921A1

US20150314921A1 - Gift Bag with Motorized Effects

Info

Publication number: US20150314921A1
Application number: US14/535,129
Authority: US
Inventors: David Mayer; Dan Liuzzi
Original assignee: American Greetings Corp
Current assignee: American Greetings Corp
Priority date: 2009-12-14
Filing date: 2014-11-06
Publication date: 2015-11-05
Also published as: CA2870415C; CA2870415A1; GB201420071D0; GB2520186A

Abstract

The gift bag of the present disclosure and related inventions combines a traditional gift bag with sound capabilities and motorized movement of a moving attachment. The gift bag contains a user-interactive switch which controls activating of the sound module which is operative to store and playback at least one audio file and also controls activation of a miniature motor which causing movement of a moving attachment. The moving attachment may be a die cut shape that combines with the artwork on the gift bag to form an entertaining character. The movement of the die cut shape may simulate the character talking, singing or dancing to the audio. The gift bag provides a form of wrapping or cover for a gift but also provides entertainment for the gift recipient.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/902,496, filed on Nov. 11, 2013, a copy of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
This application is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/228,757, filed on Mar. 28, 2014, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/873,022, filed on Apr. 29, 2013 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,857,082), which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/743,806, filed on Jan. 17, 2013 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,490,306), which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/447,403, filed on Apr. 16, 2012, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/940,145, filed on Nov. 5, 2010 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,230,624), which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/286,184, filed on Dec. 14, 2009.
A copy of each of the above-referenced patent applications is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is in the field of social expression products, and more specifically to gift wrapping products such as gift bags having motorized effects.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a representative embodiment, the present disclosure and related inventions are directed to an interactive gift bag which contains a moving attachment powered by a small motor that is initiated by a user. In addition to effecting movement of the moving attachment, the gift bag also contains a sound module which is operative to store and playback at least one audio file. The moving attachment may combine with artwork on the gift bag to create an entertaining character which may talk, sing or dance upon user interaction with the gift bag.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the gift bag of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a close-up view of the front face of the gift bag of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a tear-away view of the electronic components located on the inside of the gift bag of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the gift bag of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a tear-away view of the electronic components located on the inside of the gift bag of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED AND ALTERNATE EMBODIMENTS

The gift bag of the present invention combines a traditional gift bag with audio capabilities, a moving attachment and a miniature motor which allows the moving attachment to move in an up-and-down, back-and-forth, or other reciprocal motion.
The gift bag 100 may be of a conventional design, having a front panel 10A, a back panel 10B opposite the front panel 10A, with two side panels 10C, 10D extending therebetween. The length of the side panels 10C, 10D controls the width of the gift bag 100. A bottom panel connects each of the front 10A, back 10B, and side panels 10C, 10D to create a closed end to the gift bag 100. Opposite the closed end is an open end for insertion of a gift or other items into the gift bag 100. The side panels 10C, 10D may contain a vertical bisecting crease or fold line 12, which enables the bag to be neatly folded and packaged for retail sale. The gift bag 100 may also contain two handles 14A, 14B, one handle 14A attached to the front panel 10A and one handle 14B attached to the back panel 10B. The handles 14A, 14B may be similar to a cord or rope-like structure, which extend between two holes or openings positioned proximate to the upper edges of the front 10A and back 10B panels along the open end of the gift bag 100. For each handle 14A, 14B, a single piece of cord or rope-like structure is used. The two free ends of a first cord are inserted into the two holes in the front panel 10A of the gift bag 100 and two free ends of a second cord are inserted into the two holes in the back panel 10B of the gift bag 100. The cords may be inserted into each hole from the outside of the bag to the inside of the bag where each free end of the cord is tied or knotted for secure attachment to the gift bag or alternatively, the cords may be inserted form the inside of the bag to the outside of the bag, where each free end is then tied or knotted. Alternatively, the handles may be die cut out of the front and back panels of the gift bag. Handles may be attached from gusset to gusset or may be taped, glued or otherwise attached to the inside of the gift bag. The gift bag 100 may also contain other types of handles, such as paperboard handles, plastic handles, or any other type of suitable handle with appropriate attachment mechanisms. The gift bag panels 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D may contain drawings, images, photos or other printed indicia thereon. The printing on the gift bag may be coordinated with the shape, color or theme of the moving attachment. Also, the gift bag panels 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D may be traditionally shaped in the form of a rectangle, or the panels may take on a non-linear, decorative free edge to add to the decorative effect of the gift bag. The gift bag 100 may come in a variety of different shapes and sizes.
One or more of the gift bag panels 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D may be double-walled so that the electronic components of the gift bag may be housed between two panels of the gift bag 100. In a preferred embodiment, a moving attachment 16 is attached to the front panel 10A of the gift bag 100. In this case, at least the front panel 10A of the gift bag 100 is double walled so that the electronics may be contained therein and attached directly to the moving attachment 16 via an opening in the front gift bag panel 10A. Alternatively, all walls 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D of the gift bag 100 may be double walled to provide a gift bag 100 with greater strength. Also, a moving attachment 16 may be attached to both the front 10A and back 10B panels of the gift bag 100 or there may be more than one moving attachment on one or more gift bag panels. The electronic components of the gift bag may include, but are not limited to: a printed circuit board 18, an integrated circuit chip, a speaker 20, a switch 22, a power source 24, a memory device, and any other component which is necessary for or which facilitates storing and playback of audio and movement of a moving attachment 16 via a small electric motor 26. The motor 26 may be of the type having a rotating arm or shaft which creates oscillatory motion upon rotation of the shaft by the motor 26. Or the motor 26 may have a rotating gear mechanism that turns a circular gear. The moving attachment 16 is attached directly to the motor shaft or gear or may be connected via an intermediate attachment mechanism 28. The motor 26 may be positioned in different positions within the gift bag 100 depending on the type of motion the moving attachment will effect. A push-button switch 22 is connected to the circuit board 18 and located within the cavity created by the one or more double walled gift bag panels. The push-button 22, in a preferred embodiment, is located near an upper edge of the gift bag 100 along the open end, however, the push-button 22 may be placed anywhere on the gift bag 100. Printing or a sticker on the outside of the gift bag panel may direct a user where to press to replay the audio and effect movement of the moving attachment 16. A user pressing the push-button 22, for example, between a thumb and forefinger, will activate both the audio playback and movement of the moving attachment 16. The push-button 22 may work as a toggle switch which activates and deactivates the audio and mechanical motion with each press of the push-button 22. Alternatively, pressing the push-button 22 may activate the audio and motion, which will continue for a pre-set period of time.
In a preferred embodiment, the moving attachment 16 is a die cut shape. The die cut shape 16 may take on the shape of a person, animal, character, or any other conceivable shape. The moving attachment 16 may work in combination with artwork on the gift bag to create a single character. For example, the artwork on the gift bag may be a picture or drawing of a taco. The moving attachment or die cut shape 16 may be shaped as the top of the taco and contain moving eyes 30 to create a moving and talking or singing taco. When the push-button 22 is pressed, the moving attachment 16 moves in an up-and-down motion while the audio is replayed, simulating a singing taco. The moving attachment 16 may have printing thereon and other embellishments, such as mentioned above moving eyes 30, such as googly eyes (clear, hard, closed plastic shell with smaller black disk trapped therein which is free to move about), or other decorative trimmings which make the moving attachment 16, along with the artwork on the gift bag, appear as a person, animal, or any other entertaining character. In another embodiment, as shown in the figures, the artwork on the gift bag 100 shows a drinking or beverage glass and the moving attachment 16 is an umbrella. The umbrella contains eyes 30 and the entire moving attachment 16 moves in an up-and-down or bouncing motion when the press-button 22 is activated. The moving attachment 16 may also contain two or more die cut shapes which are attached about a pivot point so that when the motor is activated, the two or more die cut shapes are able to move independently about the pivot point.
In another embodiment, shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the gift bag 200 of the present disclosure contains sound and motor modules which are triggered by a pull switch 32 attached to one or both of the handles 34A, 34B of the gift bag 200. The gift bag and electronics are of the type described above with respect to the first embodiment. The gift bag handles 34A, 34B may be of the type described above or they may additionally be covered by plastic. Picking up the gift bag 200 via the handle or handles 34A, 34B pulls the handle or handles slightly upward, thereby triggering the switch 32 and activating the sound and motor modules. In this embodiment, the gift bag 200 may be decorated like a person's face, a monster face, or other entertaining artwork. The moving attachment 36 may be, for example, a die cut shape which, along with the artwork on the gift bag, appears to be the mouth or lips of the face depicted on the gift bag 200. When the motor module is triggered, the moving attachment 36 begins moving in an up-and-down motion to appear as though the character is talking or singing to the song or music which is triggered simultaneously with the motor module upon lifting the gift bag handle 34A or 34B. The moving attachment 36 may be a mouth, nose, eyes of a character or animal face or it may be another other conceivable shape. There may be more than one moving attachment and the one or more attachments may be on the same face of the gift bag or on different faces of the bag.
One or more pre-recorded audio files may be contained on the memory device. The audio may contain a speaking voice, a singing voice, instrumental music, or any other recordable sound. In a preferred embodiment, the audio is coordinated with or complementary to the artwork on the gift bag and the moving attachment. The audio may contain a single sound clip which may be replayed each time the push-button is pressed or it may contain several different audio clips which are rotated in a systematic or random arrangement.
When displayed at retail, the gift bag 100 may contain a transparent sleeve or band which extends around the gift bag 100 over the moving attachment 16 and optional googly eyes 30 so the attachment 16 does not get damaged or inadvertently separated from the gift bag 100 while on display at retail.
The foregoing embodiments of the present invention have been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. These descriptions and embodiments are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principle of the invention and its practical applications to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in its various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

Claims

1. A gift bag comprising:

a gift bag having a front panel, a back panel opposite the front panel, two side panels contained between the front and back panels, a bottom panel attached to the front, back and two side panels creating one closed end with an open end opposite thereto;

a sound module operative to store and playback at least one audio clip;

a motor module operative to effect movement of a moving attachment;

the moving attachment connected to the motor module through an opening in one of the gift bag panels;

a push-button switch located near a top edge of the open end of the gift bag;

wherein when the push-button is pressed, playback of the at least one audio clip is initiated and movement of the moving attachment is initiated.

2. The gift bag of claim 1, wherein the moving attachment appears as a mouth of a character printed on the gift bag.

3. The gift bag of claim 1, wherein the moving attachment is a die cut shape.

4. The gift bag of claim 1, wherein one or more of the front, back and two side panels are double-walled panels.

5. The gift bag of claim 1, wherein the sound and motor modules are contained on the inside of the gift bag behind one or more of the front, back and two side panels.

6. The gift bag of claim 1, wherein the push-button switch operates as a toggle wherein pressing the push-button a second time deactivates the sound and motor modules.

7. A gift bag comprising:

a gift bag having one open end for inserting one or more items into or removing one or more items therefrom;

one or more handles attached to the gift bag for carrying the gift bag;

one or more moving elements attached to an outside surface of the bag, each of the one or more moving elements attached to a motor module, the motor module operative to cause movement of the one or more moving elements;

a sound module operative to store replay at least one audio file; and

a switch which controls activation of the sound and motor modules.

8. The gift bag of claim 7, wherein the switch is a toggle switch.

9. The gift bag of claim 7, wherein the one or more moving elements combine with artwork printed on the gift bag to form a composite picture.

10. The gift bag of claim 7, wherein the one or more moving elements are die cut shapes.

11. The gift bag of claim 7, wherein the switch is a press-button switch.

12. The gift bag of claim 7, wherein the switch is triggered by pulling on the one or more handles.

13. The gift bag of claim 7, wherein the switch is triggered when a user lifts the gift bag.

14. The gift bag of claim 7, wherein the one or more moving elements are on a front face of the gift bag.

15. The gift bag of claim 7, wherein the one or more moving elements are attached to the motor module through an opening in the gift bag.

16. A gift bag comprising:

a gift bag having an opening thereon for the insertion and removal of items therein;

at least one handle attached to an upper portion of the gift bag proximate to the opening;

a mobile object visible on an outer surface of the gift bag;

a motor module contained and concealed on an inside surface of the gift bag, the mobile object attached to the motor module through an opening in the gift bag;

a switch operative to activate the motor module, the switch connected to the at least one handle, wherein picking up the bag by the at least one handle activates the motor module thereby causing movement of the mobile object.

17. The gift bag of claim 16, wherein the mobile object is a die cut shape.

18. The gift bag of claim 16, wherein the mobile object combines with printing on the gift bag to form a larger composite picture.

19. The gift bag of claim 16, wherein the mobile object represents the mouth of a character or animal printed on the gift bag.

20. The gift bag of claim 16 further comprising a sound module which is operative to store and playback audio upon picking up the bag by the at least one handle.