Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
CA 02861857 2016-01-20
POP-UP GREETING CARDS WITH CONFETTI
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is in the field of social expression and entertainment
products, and more specifically to greeting cards with mechanical and
electronic
functions and features.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Traditional paper greeting cards have been widely used for celebratory
occasions
such as birthdays, graduations, weddings, and for other commercial purposes.
More
recently, the market has expanded with greeting cards that attempt to capture
attention by
alternate designs and other features to enhance the communicative and
entertainment
value of social and relational greetings. The widespread availability of
compact digital
electronics has made incorporation into social communication products
economical.
Although the prior art includes greeting cards with sound-generating features,
such cards
are generally available only in a fixed format wherein a sound file is played
upon
activation by manipulation of the card. Cards with mechanical or structural
features such
as three-dimensional "pop-ups" are conventionally made with multiple panels or
pages
which are attached at various locations to unfold in multiple planes. A
particular
challenge to incorporate mechanical movement in a greeting card is to do so
without
making the card too bulky or thick, so that it has the same general
configuration and size
as conventional flat panel cards.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An interactive electronic greeting card with pop up feature includes a pocket
or
cavity which houses various electronic and mechanical components and a pop-up
element. In a first position, the pop-up element is substantially contained
within the
greeting card pocket or cavity. In a second position, the pop-up element is
substantially
outside the greeting card pocket or cavity. A push button controls movement of
the pop-
up element between the first and second positions. Pressing the push button
causes the
pop-up element to be ejected or to "pop up" out of the greeting card pocket or
cavity,
revealing a greeting or other printed indicia. The push button also initiates
playback of a
pre-loaded digital audio file, which may be a spoken message, a sound, a song,
music or
other such audio recording. Manually pushing the pop-up element back into the
cavity
ends playback of the audio.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the Pop-Up Greeting Card
of the
present invention, in a first position.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the Pop-Up Greeting Card of FIG. 1, in a
second position.
FIG. 3 is a front view of the internal components of the Pop-Up Greeting Card
of FIG. I.
FIG. 4 is a front view of the internal components of the Pop-Up Greeting Card
of FIG. 2.
FIG. 5 is a cross-section of FIG. 3, viewed in the direction of arrows 5-5.
FIG. 6 is a close up view of a portion of FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is a close up view of a portion of FIG. 8.
FIG. 8 is a cross-section of FIG. 4, viewed in the direction of arrows 8-8.
FIG. 9 is an alternate embodiment of the Pop-Up Greeting Card of the present
invention.
FIG. 10 is an alternate embodiment of the Pop-Up Greeting Card of the present
invention.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the Pop-Up Greeting Card of FIG. 9 with a
gift card
partially removed from a cavity.
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the Pop-Up
Greeting Card
of the present invention.
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FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the Pop-Up Greeting Card of FIG. 12, with
ejected
panel and confetti.
FIG. 14 is a front view of the internal components of the Pop-Up Greeting Card
of FIG.
12.
FIG. 15 is a front view of the internal components of the Pop-Up Greeting Card
of FIG.
12, with ejected panel and confetti.
FIG. 16 is an exploded view of the Pop-Up Greeting Card of FIG. 12.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED AND ALTERNATE
EMBODIMENTS
The greeting card of the present invention combines a spring loaded pop-up
element and sound capability with a greeting card having push button
activation. The
push button requires user interaction with the greeting card in order to
reveal the pop-up
element and to initiate playback of a pre-loaded digital sound file. The pop
up element is
retained inside a pocket or cavity of the greeting card and a spring loaded
mechanism
controls the movement of the pop-up element between a first position concealed
within a
pocket or cavity of the greeting card and a second position wherein a
significant portion
of the pop-up element is ejected from the pocket or cavity.
In one embodiment, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the greeting card body 10 has a
front surface, a back surface parallel to and spaced apart from the front
surface, and right,
left and bottom side walls which extend between the front and back surfaces of
the
greeting card 100, creating a three sided pocket or cavity contained therein.
A top edge
10E of the greeting card 100 is opened to accommodate the insertion and
retraction of a
pop-up element 14. The pocket or cavity is created by the three sided
enclosure which, in
a preferred embodiment is made of paperboard or other strong but lightweight
material.
Inside the pocket or cavity is contained a protective cardboard frame 16 for
housing or
accommodating electronic components, a push button 12 and spring activation
mechanism or other activation mechanism, and a pop-up element 14. For example,
the
frame 16 can be made from one or more pieces of paperboard with appropriate
cut-outs
or openings which can be positioned between the front and back panels of the
card to
hold and secure the mechanical and electronic components of the card. The
frame 16
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contains a front panel and a back panel, both panels having various slots or
openings
strategically placed thereon to accommodate the various components of the
greeting card
100. The front panel is parallel to and spaced apart from the back panel. In
the space
between the front and back panels are contained various components of the
greeting card
100. In areas where no components are located, a piece of foam, cardboard,
paperboard
or other material may be used between the two panels to keep a consistent
space between
the panels. The electronic components may include a circuit board with
integrated circuit
and controller, memory storage device upon which at least one digital audio
file is pre-
loaded and saved, a power source, such as one or more batteries 18, a speaker
20, related
circuitry and any other electronic component which may be required to store
and replay
one or more audio files, as are known to one with skill in the art. The pop-up
element
14, in this particular embodiment, is a decorated panel having printed text,
such as a
birthday greeting and/or drawings or artwork contained thereon. The panel 14
is
positioned between the front and back panels of the protective frame 16. The
spring
loaded mechanism includes two springs 22A, 22B which are attached at a first
end to the
bottom of the pop-up element or panel 14 and at a second end to an upper
region of the
protective frame 16. When the pop-up element 14 is in a first position
substantially
concealed within the greeting card, as shown in FIG. 1, the springs are
stretched out, as
shown in FIG. 3. A push button mechanism is contained between the protective
panels
16 and contains a push button 12 that is connected to a catch or an arm 24.
The catch or
arm 24 of the push button mechanism contains a lip 28 that extends outward in
a forward
direction. The pop-up element or inner panel 14 contains a small opening 26
thereon so
that when the pop up element 14 is in a first position substantially concealed
within the
greeting card 100, i.e., between the front and back panels of the card and
within or
proximate to the frame, the lip 28 of the catch or arm 24 extends into the
opening 26 on
the pop-up element or inner panel 14, thereby retaining the panel 14 within
the greeting
card 100 with the springs 22A, 22B in an extended or stretched position, as
shown in
FIGS. 3, 5 and 6. When the push button 12 is depressed it moves the catch or
arm 24
causing the lip to become disengaged with the opening 26 on the pop-up element
14,
releasing the springs 22A, 22B, as shown in FIGS. 4, 7 and 8. The mechanical
energy
stored in the springs 22A, 22B when they are in an extended or stretched
state, propel or
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eject the pop-up element 14 upward through the opening along the upper edge
10E of the
greeting card body 10. In addition to causing the pop-up element 14 to be
revealed
through the top of the greeting card 100, the press button 12 also initiates
playback of the
at least one pre-loaded audio file. The audio file may contain a spoken
message, a song,
music, various sounds, etc. When the pop-up element 14 is pushed back down and
secured inside the greeting card 100, playback of the audio ends.
In an alternate embodiment, shown in FIGS. 9 and 11, the greeting card of the
present invention includes a pop-up element 15 which serves as a pocket or
cavity
wherein a gift card 30 may be inserted for presentation to the greeting card
recipient. The
greeting card body 10 may include, as described above, a main pocket or cavity
which
contains a front side, a back side which is parallel and spaced apart from the
front side,
and a right, back and bottom side which extend between the front and back
panels along
three side edges, thereby creating a three-sided pocket. The top of the
greeting card is
open for inserting the pop-up element 15. The pop-up element 15 is in itself
another
pocket or cavity which is operative to contain a standard sized gift card 30.
The pop-up
cavity 15 may contain a front surface which contains an opening thereon
through which
the gift card 30 is visible, or the pop-up cavity 15 may contain a front
surface which
contains an opening thereon which is covered with acetate or other clear,
transparent
material, through which the gift card 30 is visible. Alternatively the entire
pop-up cavity
15 may be made of acetate or other clear, transparent material. The pop-up
cavity 15
may be closed on all sides to prevent accidental removal of the gift card,
with a slot 17 or
flap or tab removably attached along a top surface which can be used to open
the cavity
15 and remove the gift card 30. The cavity 15 may also be a three-sided cavity
with a
completely open top edge for removal of the gift card 30. The pop-up cavity 15
is larger
than the measurements of a standard gift card, which are approximately 5 1/4
inches high
and 3 5/8 inches wide. Alternatively, the pop-up element may be a single
panel, as
described above, with a gift card 30 removably attached thereto. The spring
and push
button mechanism described above, may be used to move the pop-up cavity 15
(with gift
card 30 therein) between a first position wherein the pop-up cavity 15 is
substantially
concealed within the main greeting card pocket or cavity and a second position
wherein
the pop-up cavity 15 is substantially outside of the main greeting card pocket
or cavity.
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The protective frame construct, also described above, may also be used in this
embodiment to protect the various inner components of the greeting card 100.
This
embodiment may also include a sound module contained within the main pocket or
cavity which is operative to store and playback at least one pre-recorded
audio file.
In still another embodiment, shown in FIG. 10 the greeting card 100 includes
two
or more telescoping pockets or panels 19 which telescope in an inward and
outward
direction with respect to one another. The smallest or innermost pocket may
contain a
gift card 30 therein or removably attached thereto. Alternately, the gift card
30 may be
configured to fit within the smallest or innermost pocket 19 and it may be
ejected from
said pocket 19 upon pushing the press button 12. The first or main pocket or
cavity 10
serves as the outer surface of the greeting card 100, as described above with
reference to
the other embodiments, and therefore is the largest of the pockets or panels
of the
greeting card 100. All of the other pockets or cavities 19 of the greeting
card 100 are
sized to fit within the first or main pocket 10 of the greeting card 100.
After the first or
main pocket 10, each successive pocket or cavity 19 is slightly smaller in
size than the
previous pocket or cavity such that each successive pocket or cavity 19 fits
within the
previous pocket. The main pocket or cavity 10, as described above, may have a
front
side, a back side parallel to and spaced apart from the front side and right,
left and
bottom sides which extend between the front and back panels along three side
edges of
the main panel or cavity. The spring and push button mechanism described above
with
respect to the other embodiments can be used to move the two or more inner
pockets or
cavities from a first position wherein the inner pockets or cavities are
substantially
contained and concealed within the main pocket or cavity and a second
position, wherein
the two or more inner pockets or cavities are substantially outside of the
main pocket or
cavity. The protective frame described above may also be used with this
embodiment to
protect the various internal components of the greeting card. This embodiment
may also
contain a sound module, as described above, which is operative to replay a pre-
recorded
audio file upon pressing the press button. Alternatively, instead of a gift
card, the pocket
or pockets may contain a smaller greeting card, small token gift or other
novelty which
can be fit within one or more of the inner pockets.
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In yet another embodiment, shown in FIGS. 12-16, the greeting card described
herein combines a spring loaded pop-up element which contains confetti which
is ejected
or dispersed when the user activates a switch mechanism, which in a preferred
embodiment, is a press button switch. The switch may also activate sound
simultaneously
with ejecting the confetti. The pop up element is retained inside a pocket or
cavity of the
greeting card and a spring loaded mechanism controls the movement of the pop-
up
element between a first position concealed within a pocket or cavity of the
greeting card
and a second position wherein a significant portion of the pop-up element is
ejected from
the pocket or cavity while scattering confetti around the area of the greeting
card.
In this embodiment, the greeting card body contains a pocket 40 which has a
front
surface, a back surface parallel to and spaced apart from the front surface,
and a right, left
and bottom side wall which extend between the front and back surfaces of the
greeting
card, creating the three sided pocket or cavity. A top edge of the pocket 40
is opened to
accommodate the insertion and retraction of a pop-up, confetti-retaining
element 42. The
pocket or cavity 40, in a preferred embodiment, is made of paperboard or other
strong but
lightweight material. Inside the pocket or cavity 40 is contained a protective
cardboard
frame for housing 44 or accommodating electronic components, a push button 46
and
spring activation mechanism or other activation mechanism, and a pop-up
element 42.
For example, the frame 44 can be made from one or more pieces of paperboard
with
appropriate cut-outs or openings can be positioned between the front and back
panels of
the pocket 40 to hold and secure the mechanical and electronic components of
the card.
The frame 44 various slots or openings strategically placed thereon to
accommodate the
various components of the greeting card. In areas where no components are
located, a
piece of foam, cardboard, paperboard or other material may be used to keep a
consistent
space between the front and back panels of the frame 44. The pocket 40 may be
wrapped, at least partially, by paperboard (or other material) cover 41 which
is divided
into panels sectioned by fold lines. The paperboard cover 41 extends over the
back
surface, left side wall and front surface of the pocket 40. The cover 41 may
be attached,
adhesively or otherwise, to the back surface of the pocket 40. The portion of
the cover
41 which extends over the left side wall and the front surface of the pocket
40 is not
physically attached to the pocket 40 but merely wraps around the pocket to
serve as the
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front cover and left inside panel of the greeting card 200, as shown in FIG.
12.
Alternately, the portion of the cover 41 which extends over the left side wall
of the
pocket 40 may be attached thereto, adhesively, or otherwise.
The electronic components of the greeting card may include a circuit board 48
with integrated circuit and controller, memory storage device upon which at
least one
digital audio file is pre-loaded and saved, a power source 50, such as one or
more
batteries, a speaker 52, related circuitry and any other electronic component
which may
be required to store and replay one or more audio files, as are known to one
with skill in
the art.
The pop-up element 42, in this particular embodiment, is a narrow cavity or
compartment having a front panel and a back panel which contain the confetti
54
therebetween. The front and back panels of the pop-up element 42 may have
printed text,
such as a birthday greeting and/or drawings or artwork contained thereon. The
pop-up
element 42 is positioned between the front and back panels of the protective
frame 44.
The spring loaded mechanism includes two springs 56 which are attached at a
first end to
the bottom of the pop-up element 42 and at a second end to an upper region of
the
protective frame 44. When the pop-up element 42 is in a first position
substantially
concealed within the greeting card, the springs are compressed or stretched. A
push
button mechanism is contained between the protective panels 44 and contains a
push
button 46 that is connected to a catch or an arm 58. Words may be printed on
the
greeting card directing the user to the push button 46. For example, the
printing may say
something like "instant party, press here". The catch or arm 58 of the push
button
mechanism 46 contains a lip that extends outward in a forward direction. The
pop-up
element or inner compartment 42 contains a small opening thereon 60 so that
when the
pop up element 42 is in a first position substantially concealed within the
greeting card,
i.e., between the front and back panels of the pocket 40 and within or
proximate to the
frame 44, the lip of the catch or arm 58 extends into the opening 60 on the
pop-up
element 42, thereby retaining the pop-up element 42 within the pocket 40 with
the
springs 56 in an extended position, as shown in FIG. 14. When the push button
46 is
depressed it moves the catch or arm 58 causing the lip to become disengaged
with the
opening 60 on the pop-up element 42 and releasing the extended or stretched
springs 56.
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The mechanical energy stored in the springs 56 when they are in a stretched
state, propel
or eject the pop-up element 42 upward through the opening along the upper edge
of the
pocket 40 while releasing the confetti 54. The confetti 54 may be a plurality
of strands or
bits of paper, small die cut shapes, or any other small, flat, lightweight,
paper-like
substance. The term confetti also covers streamers, paper discs, spiders, or
any other
small lightweight item that can be dispersed from the pop-up element 42. The
confetti
54 is ejected along with the inner compartment 42 which houses the confetti 54
and then
floats to the ground. Prior to purchasing the greeting card at retail, the
inner
compartment 42 which contains the confetti 54 may have an overlying
transparent plastic
sheet or wrapping 62 to allow consumers to test the card at retail by pressing
the button
46 and having the pop-up element or inner compartment 42 appear. A sticker or
other
mild adhesive may be used to attach the transparent plastic sheet or cover 62
to the pop-
up element 42. Once a consumer purchases the card, he/she may remove the
sticker and
the plastic sheet 62 before placing the card 200 in the envelope for
presentation to the
recipient. In addition to causing the pop-up element 42 to be revealed through
the top of
the greeting card 200 and releasing the confetti 54, the press button 46 also
initiates
playback of the at least one pre-loaded audio file. The audio is triggered by
a small
trigger mechanism 47, which contains a lever that is held in place by one of
the spring
elements 56. The lever pivots about the trigger mechanism 47. When the pop-up-
element 42 (to which the spring mechanism 56 is attached) is in the first
position,
wherein it is contained within the pocket 40, the spring element 56 holds the
lever on the
trigger mechanism 47 in a first positon, as shown in FIG. 14. When the press
button 46
is depressed, moving the pop-up element 42 from the first position to a second
position,
wherein the pop-up element 42 is substantially outside of the pocket 40, the
lever is
released, allowing it pivot away from the trigger mechanism 47 (as shown in
FIG. 15)
and allowing the circuit to be completed, thereby initiating playback of at
least one audio
file. The audio file may contain a spoken message, a song, music, various
sounds, etc.
When the pop-up element 42 is pushed back down and secured inside the pocket
40,
playback of the audio ends. The next time the push button 46 is depressed, the
pop-up
element 42 will still be ejected from the greeting card 200 but without the
confetti 54 that
was used on the first push of the button. In another embodiment, the greeting
card may
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be packaged with additional confetti that may be paced by hand inside the
greeting card
or the envelope.
In still another embodiment, the greeting card of the present invention
combines
the embodiments shown in FIGS. 9-11 with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 12-16.
The pop-up element contains a pocket, as described above with respect to FIGS.
9 and
11, or two or more telescoping pockets or panels, as described above with
respect to
FIG. 10. The pop-up element also contains confetti, as described above with
respect to
FIGS. 12-16. This embodiment provides the surprise of the pop-up element and
confetti
while serving as a carrier or gift card holder. In one embodiment, the gift
card is
contained within one of the pockets, as described above, or the gift card may
be
removably attached to the front surface of the pop-up panel while the confetti
is
dispersed from the inside of the pop-up panel, as described above. In another
embodiment, the gift card may be removably attached to the greeting card body,
instead
of the pop-up panel or cavity.
In still another embodiment, the greeting card of the present invention may
include a pop-up element between two panels of the greeting card. Instead of
having a
large pocket or cavity into which another cavity or pocket (with or without
confetti) is
inserted, the greeting card may be contain a three-dimensional pop-up element
which is
contained between two panels of the greeting card. The three-dimensional pop-
up
element may be moveable between a first position, wherein the pop-up element
is folded
into a substantially flat, folded configuration between two greeting card
panels and a
second positon, wherein the pop-up element is unfolded into a three-
dimensional pop-up
structure. The pop-up structure moves between the first and second positons by
closing
(first position) and opening (second position) the greeting card. Confetti, as
described
above, can be contained within the three-dimensional pop-up element such that
when the
greeting card is moved to an open position wherein the pop-up element is
unfolded,
confetti is released through an opening in the three-dimensional pop-up
structure. A
retaining mechanism may be contained within the pop-up structure which stores
the
confetti and releases the confetti upon opening the greeting card. The three-
dimensional
pop-up structure may be formed into a structure which complements the theme
and/or
artwork of the greeting card. The confetti contained therein may also take on
a particular
size, shape and color which is complementary to the overall theme of the
greeting card.
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For example, the pop up structure may be shaped like a box of popcorn, and
when the
greeting card is opened and the popcorn box is unfolded, confetti is released
from within
the structure which resembles popcorn. Another example may have the pop-up
structure
as a can and the confetti shaped like snakes or a pop-up structure as a
tornado with
confetti shaped like sharks. The pop-up structure and confetti can take on a
variety of
different shapes, sizes and may be made from a variety of materials. The
confetti-
releasing mechanism may be operative to release the confetti upon opening the
greeting
card, as described above, or it may have alternative trigger methods such as a
pull string,
push button, light sensor, touch sensor, magnetic trigger, or any other such
mechanism.
The pop-up structure may only release confetti upon the first opening of the
greeting card
or it may have an opening thereon, through which additional confetti may be
inserted for
release upon subsequent openings of the greeting card. The confetti release
mechanism
may also contain a lock mechanism which prevents the release of confetti upon
opening
the greeting card until the lock mechanism has been opened or released. This
prevents
the release of confetti upon opening the greeting card at retail prior to
purchase or upon
opening the greeting card prior to presentation to the greeting card
recipient. In addition
to releasing confetti, this embodiment may also contain a small pocket or
cavity which
contains a gift card or other item, as described above with regard to the
other
embodiments. The pocket or cavity may be ejected or pushed upward from the top
of the
pop-up structure so the pocket or cavity is visible to the greeting card
recipient. As
described above with respect to the other embodiments, the pocket or cavity
may be
transparent so the existence of the gift card therein is immediately
recognized. The
pocket or cavity may have an opening thereon through which the gift card (or
other
object) can be inserted and removed. The gift card may be packaged and sold
together
with the greeting card or the greeting card may be sold with an empty pocket
or cavity so
that the gift card purchaser can select and purchase a gift card of his/her
choice to place
within the pocket or cavity of the greeting card.
While the embodiments disclosed herein and shown in the figures have a
generally square or rectangular shape, the greeting card may take on any
conceivable die
cut shape. The greeting card may also be made of alternate material such as
plastic or
foam. Also, the greeting card has been described and shown as having a press
button
which is operative to move the inner greeting card panel(s) from within a main
pocket to
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outside the main pocket, however, any type of switch, such as a touch
sensitive switch, a
slide tongue switch, a light sensitive switch, a motion sensitive switch, a
hand crank, a
lever or any other mechanical or electromechanical device may be used. Also,
the press
button switch described herein controls both the movement of the inner
panel(s) and also
playback of an audio file, however, two separate switches may control the
movement of
the panel(s) and the playback of audio.
All of the embodiments described herein may additionally contain a USB port,
SD card slot or other external memory device port for receiving or uploading
audio files
from an external source such as a personal computer. The greeting card
embodiments
disclosed herein may also contain a sentiment panel which is attached to a
front or back
surface or side of the main pocket or panel and serves as a traditional
greeting card that is
folded along a fold line and opened along said fold line to reveal a message,
artwork, etc.
Other additional features which have been contemplated are a microphone for
recording
a personalized user message for playback upon activation of the press button
or other
such switch; a motor module for mechanical movement of one or more movable
elements which are attached in some way to the greeting card; and one or more
LED
lights which are visible through the front of the greeting card and which are
illuminated
upon pressing the press button or other such switch. Combination of the above-
mentioned additional special effects or features have also been contemplated
and are
considered to be within the scope of the present invention.
The disclosure and related inventions thus provide novel card constructions
and
operations which can be constructed inexpensively and efficiently, and
advantageously
from primarily paperboard materials configured to securely hold mechanical and
electronic components to enable a wide variety of functions and features which
enhance
the effectiveness of the card as a communication and entertainment device.
The scope of the invention should not be limited by specific embodiments or
examples set forth in the description or elsewhere but should be given the
broadest
interpretation consistent with the specification as a whole. The claims are
not limited in
scope to any preferred or exemplified embodiments of the invention.
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