GREETING CARD WITH REUSABLE PORTION

CARTE DE SOUHAITS AVEC PARTIE REUTILISABLE

English Abstract

A greeting card including a reply section to encourage communication
comprises a sheet of card substrate folded along a fold line across the card
substrate to define a first and a second card panel with the first panel lying flat over
the second panel with the portions of the surface facing inwardly toward each other.
The portion of the first surface on the first panel has thereon greeting card graphics
providing an attractive appearance. The first and second panels include a line of
perforations arranged to be separated into two separate pieces. One of the first and
second panels has printed thereon graphics providing a location for a postage
stamp; a location for an address and a location for a message In this way, one of
the first and second panels can be separated from the other and mailed as a reply
greeting from a recipient to a sender or as a reusable greeting to another recipient.

Claims

CLAIMS:
1. A greeting card comprising:
a sheet of card substrate having a first surface and a second surface;
the card substrate being folded along a fold line across the card
substrate to define a first and a second card panel each having a portion of the first
surface and a portion of the second surface thereon;
the first panel lying flat over the second panel with the portions of the
second surface facing inwardly toward each other;
the portion of the first surface on the first panel having thereon greeting
card graphics providing an attractive appearance;
the first and second panels being arranged to be separated into two
separate pieces;
one of the first and second panels having printed thereon graphics
providing a location for a postage stamp; a location for an address and a location for
a message;
whereby one of the first and second panels can be separated from the
other of the first and second panels and mailed as a reply greeting from a recipient
to a sender or as a reusable greeting to another recipient.
2. The greeting card according to Claim 1 wherein the panels are
arranged to be separated at the fold line.
3. The greeting card according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein the reply
graphics are on the second surface portion of the first card panel.
4. The greeting card according to Claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the
portion of the first surface on the second panel also includes greeting card graphics.


5. The greeting card according to Claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein the
portion of the second surface on the second card panel is blank providing a location
for a message.
6. The greeting card according to Claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein the
first and second panels are arranged to be separated by a line of perforations.
7. The greeting card according to Claim 6 wherein the line of
perforations are arranged at the fold line.
8. The greeting card according to any one of Claims 1 to 7 wherein
the greeting card is contained in an envelope.
9. A method of transmitting a greeting card comprising:
providing a greeting card in the form of:
a sheet of card substrate having a first surface and a second surface;
the card substrate being folded along a fold line across the card
substrate to define a first and a second card panel each having a portion of the first
surface and a portion of the second surface thereon;
the first panel lying flat over the second panel with the portions of the
second surface facing inwardly toward each other;
the portion of the first surface on the first panel having thereon greeting
card graphics providing an attractive appearance;
the first and second panels being arranged to be separated into two
separate pieces;
one of the first and second panels having printed thereon graphics
providing a location for a postage stamp; a location for an address and a location for
a message;


whereby one of the first and second panels can be separated from the
other of the first and second panels and mailed as a reply greeting from a recipient
to a sender or as a reusable greeting to another recipient;
separating the first card panel from the second card panel;
applying said postage stamp, address and message and mailing the
card panel containing said postage stamp, address and message as a reusable
greeting.
10. The method according to Claim 9 wherein the panels are
arranged to be separated at the fold line.
11. The method according to Claim 9 or 1 0 wherein the reply
graphics are on the first card panel of the second surface portion.
12. The method according to Claim 9, 10 or 11 wherein the portion
of the first surface on the second panel also includes greeting card graphics.
13. The method according to Claim 12 wherein the portion of the
second surface on the second card panel is blank providing a location for a hand-
written message.
14. The method according to Claim 9, 10, 11, 12 or 13 wherein the
first and second panels are arranged to be separated by a line of perforations.
15. The method according to Claim 14 wherein the line of
perforations are arranged at the fold line.
16. The method according to any one of Claims 9 to 15 wherein the
greeting card is contained within an envelope.

Description

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GREETING CARD WITH REUSABLE PORTION
This invention relates to a greeting card with a reusable portion.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The greeting card industry is a large and profitable industry involving
sales of cards for many different situations and occasions. Generally the card
comprises two panels formed from a single sheet of card stock with a fold line
dividing the panels and the panels folded to form a front first panel and a second
rear panel. The front surface of the first panel is then printed with attractivegraphics in the form of a picture, character or words which are designed to appeal to
10 the sender and provide a suitable message from the sender to the recipient. The
inside surface of the front panel sometimes contains additional information but in
other cases is blank. The main area for the message is often the front surface of the
second panel where the sender will write a hand written message to supplement
graphics or other printed information provided by the manufacturer of the card.
Cards of this type have been sold widely and little change or
development in this industry has arisen over the past few decades. One change
which has affected the material content of greeting cards, but not the function is the
recycling trend. This invention purposes to provide a greeting card that is reusable
by the recipient.
Some cards are intended for providing an invitation to a recipient for a
particular event. Such cards often include a separate piece inside as a reply orRSVP section with its own individual envelope for return to the original sender.These RSVP type cards are particularly suited to the formal occasion of a wedding
or the like where formality and detail are particularly required.

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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
There remains however an opportunity for an additional form of
greeting card which enables the recipient to submit a reply message to the original
sender with the intention merely of exchanging greetings rather than providing a5 formal RSVP section.
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a greeting
card comprising:
a sheet of card substrate having a first surface and a second surface;
the card substrate being folded along a fold line across the card
10 substrate to define a first and a second card panel each having a portion of the first
surface and a portion of the second surface thereon;
the first panel Iying flat over the second panel with the portions of the
second surface facing inwardly toward each other;
the portion of the first surface on the first panel having thereon greeting
15 card graphics providing an attractive appearance;
the first and second panels being arranged to be separated into two
se arate ieces
P P
one of the first and second panels having printed thereon graphics
providing a location for a postage stamp, a location for an address and a location for
20 a message;
whereby one of the first and second panels can be separated from the
other of the first and second panels and mailed as a reply greeting from a recipient
to a sender.
The present invention therefore provides a single greeting card located
25 in its conventional envelope which allows the original sender to provide a suitable
message to the recipient. The separate graphics printed on one card panel of the

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greeting card allows the recipient simply to tear off this portion and to resend that
reusable portion to the original sender thus fulfilling the exchange of greetings and
enhancing the pleasure of the original greeting card.
It is not intended that the tear off reusable portion should be submitted
5 in an envelope but instead forms a card suitable for mailing.
Preferably the greeting card graphics on the front surface of the first
panel is returned as the rear surface of the reusable portion thus again providing the
pleasure of the receipt of the attractive graphics originally used on the greeting card.
Preferably the rear surface of the second panel includes corresponding
10 or associated graphics related to the graphics on the front surface of the first panel
so that the original recipient can keep the rear or second panel containing the
original message and associated graphics on the back as a keepsake thus further
enhancing the pleasure in the exchange of greetings.
One embodiment of the invention will now be described in conjunction
15 with the accompanying drawings which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a front elevation view of a greeting card according to the
present invention.
Figure 2 is a rear elevation view of the greeting card of Figure 1, both
20 Figures 1 and 2 showing the card in an opened position.
Figure 3 is an isometric view of the card of Figures 1 and 2 in
conjunction with an envelope for receiving the card.
In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding
parts in the different figures.


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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The card as illustrated comprises a substrate sheet of card stock
generally indicated at 10 which is folded along a fold line 11 to form a first card panel
12 and a second card panel 13. The card stock has a first surface 14 as shown in5 Figure 1 which is divided into a first surface portion 14A and a second surface
portion 14B. The card stock has the second surface 15 shown in Figure 2 including
a first surface portion 15A and a second surface portion 15B.
Although the greeting card is shown as including only two separate
panels, additional panels may be included with additional fold lines. In addition the
10 card is illustrated as including two panels of the same size so that when folded they
are directly overlying with the fold line along a center line. However, other card
shapes may be provided in which one panel is of a different size from the other.The two panels are arranged to be separated along the fold line 11.
For this purpose the fold line includes preferably a series or row of perforations
15 which assist in the separation. The separation may occur at a position spaced from
the fold line and perforations may not be provided in some cases but are of course
preferred for ready separation. The separation by the recipient is graphically
indicated by a pair of scissors indicated at 16, which graphic symbol is printed on the
surface 15 on the fold line 11 with its graphic symbol providing an arrangement of
20 the card structure by which the card is divided into two separate panels.
The surface portions 14A and 14B each include printed graphics
indicated at 17A and 17B. Thus the front surface portion 14A of the panel 12 hasthe graphic 17A thereon which provide the main graphics providing the attractiveappearance of the greeting card. The rear surface portion 14B of the panel 13 also
25 may include graphics 17B which are identical to or correspond to in some way or are
related to in some way the main graphics 17A.

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The inside surface 15A of the panel 12 includes printed graphics
generally indicated at 20 providing an area 21 for a postage stamp, an area 22 for
an address and an area 23 for a hand-written message. A zip code or post code
can be entered in a graphically printed area 24.
The inside surface 15B of the panel 13 may include indicia generally
indicated at 25 which are printed by the manufacturer of the card and provide a
message suitable for the particular occasion for which the card is intended. Thesurface 15B further includes an area 26 for receiving a message hand-written by the
original sender of the greeting card. The graphics are arranged preferably as shown
10 in a pattern parallel to the fold line and readable with the fold line uppermost.
The greeting card as described above is associated with an envelope
30 shown in Figure 3 which is shaped and arranged to receive the greeting card.
In use, the original sender of the greeting card selects the greeting
card with the graphics 17A and 17B suitable for the intended recipient. The original
15 sender then writes the message in the message area 26; enters the recipient'saddress to the front of envelope 30 and transmits the greeting card by affixing the
required postage.
The recipient on choosing to do so, can separate the panel 12 from the
panel 13 and can enter the address and information including the message on the
20 surface 15A of the panel 12 for transmission as a reply greeting to the original
sender or as a reusable greeting to another recipient.
Since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein
above described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made
within the spirit and scope of the claims without department from such spirit and
25 scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall
be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

Representative Drawing