The invention relates to a greeting card. In particular, an improved device that provides a greeting card in combination with a container. The device further provides a unique die cut and scored line pattern to allow for a tube container to be inserted in the binding area of the card. The unique die cut and scored line pattern allows for the binding area to be wider at the top of the card to allow for easy insertion of the container, while the pattern is narrower at the bottom of the card to hold the container more securely.
Greeting cards are commonly given to celebrate birthdays, holidays, graduations, anniversaries, weddings, the arrival of a new baby, etc. A typical greeting card comprises one sheet like element or page folded along a centered scored line. This causes the greeting card to take the form of a two page pamphlet or booklet. Verbiage and/or pictures and graphics are typically included on the first, outside, surface on the front page of the pamphlet. Additional verbiage and/or pictures are typically included on the second, inside, surface on the second page of the pamphlet.
A customer, or card giver, typically chooses a greeting card having verbiage and/or pictures they like that are appropriate for the holiday and or occasion causing the card giving. The customer usually adds a personalized message on the second, inside, surface of the card and then the card is inserted into an envelope. However, for most holidays and/or celebrations that customers purchase greeting cards for, it would be given along with a gift. If a card giver wishes to give the gift of money in the form of cash or a check, the cash or check is typically sandwiched in the inside surface of the folded card before it is inserted in the envelope. However, this has its drawbacks as the person receiving the card does not know it contains cash or a check when he/she opens it, and many times the cash or check will fall out of the card causing it to go missing or become lost. Cards with flat pockets are known in the art but then the check or cash can potentially block the verbiage or design on the card. Further, if a card giver wishes to give a small gift such as a cigarette, piece of jewelry, herbs, candy, or any other small token they must separately wrap the gift and attach it to the card as the existing flat pocket cannot hold and secure such bulky items.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved greeting card that can hold and secure cash, check, cigarettes, or small gift as an integral part of the greeting card.
The present invention provides a novel and unique greeting card comprising a unique die cut and scored line pattern and container to be inserted into the binding area of the card. The distance between the scored lines provides a wider binding area towards the top edge of the card to allow for easy insertion of the container, while the distance between the scored lines provides a narrower binding area at the bottom edge of the card to hold the container more securely within a die cut tab. The card may be a rectangle, square, circle or any shape and of various sizes. The container has a cavity for receiving a gift. The container may be a tube, bottle or other vessel. The container may be cylindrical, square, or any shape or prism.
The greeting card comprises a sheet like element having a top edge and a bottom edge, a central line of symmetry extending from the top edge to the bottom edge, a first surface and a second, opposing, surface, and first, second, third and fourth scored lines extending from the top edge of the sheet like element to the bottom edge of the sheet like element. The scored lines extend, not perpendicularly, from the top edge to the bottom edge of the sheet like element such that the first scored line is spaced further apart from the fourth scored line at the top edge of the sheet like element (distance x1) than at the bottom edge of the sheet like element (distance y1). Similarly, the second scored line is spaced further apart from the third scored line at the top edge of the sheet like element (distance x2) than at the bottom edge of the sheet like element (distance y2). The first scored line runs parallel to the second scored line and the third scored line runs parallel to the fourth scored line.
The card further comprises first and second die cuts that extend substantially perpendicular to said line of symmetry of the sheet like element, from the first scored line to the fourth scored line, creating a first tab. Third and fourth die cuts that extend substantially parallel to the first and second die cuts, from the first scored line to the fourth scored line, create a second tab that is spaced apart from the first tab. The third and fourth die cuts do not have to be parallel to the first and second die cuts. The first and second tabs are trapezoidal in shape due to the non-perpendicular angle of the first scored line and the fourth scored line. Preferably, the second tab is narrower than the first tab as a result of it being closer to the bottom edge of the sheet like element.
The present invention further comprises a container that is capable of being received through the first and second tabs when the card is in a folded or partially folded position. The container is held between the first surface of the first tab and the second tab and the second surface of the binding area of the card. As the first tab is wider than the second tab, the container can easily be inserted in between the first surface of the first tab and the second surface of the binding area of the card and then slid down and fit more securely in between the first surface of the second tab and the second surface of the binding area of the card. In one embodiment of the present invention, the container is substantially the same height as the distance from the top edge of the sheet like element to the bottom edge of the sheet like element. The container advantageously reinforces the binding area of the card. In one embodiment of the present invention, the container has a removable cover.
In the folded position of a booklet, the card may contain verbiage and/or graphics on the first surface on the cover page and the second surface on the second page as is seen in traditional greeting cards.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification wherein:
With reference to the drawings, wherein the same reference number indicates the same element throughout, there is shown in
The card 5 further comprises first 40 and second 41 die cuts that extend from the first scored line 30 to the fourth scored line 33 creating a first tab 44. The first 40 and second 41 die cuts are shown in
As shown in
The card 5 is capable of being configured from an unfolded (planar) position, as shown in
As shown in
The container 20 has a removable cover 21. The container 20 is made from plastic. It is contemplated that it can be made from other material such as paper, cardstock, linen, vellum, cardboard, metal, rubber, steel, etc. known to those skilled in the art. The container 20 is constructed and sized to accept various items such as money, checks, cigarettes, rolled cigarettes, cigars, herbs, candy, food, etc. The container 20 may be tubular or take the form of another shape that allows it to be received by the first tab 44 and the second tab 45. The cover 21 may be airtight, used to preserve freshness or be leak-proof. The container 20 may be used to store liquid, solids, or gases. The container 20 can also be opened ended such as a tube.
The card 5 may contain verbiage 15 and/or graphics/pictures 16 on the first, outside surface 50 on the front page of the pamphlet or card 5. Additional verbiage 17 and/or pictures/graphics (not shown) can be included on the second, inside, surface 51 on the second page of the pamphlet as is seen in traditional greeting cards as shown in
The sheet like element 10 may be made from paper or cardstock. It can also be made from other materials such as vellum, plastic, linen etc. known to those skilled in the art.
Although the card 5 has been described above as having a central line of symmetry that is vertical extending from a top edge 11 to a bottom edge 12, the central line of symmetry may be horizontal such that it extends from a left edge to a right edge of a card. It is contemplated that a 90 degree rotation of the card is within the scope of the present invention. Therefore, each reference to top edge 11 can mean a left edge and each reference to bottom edge 12 can mean a right edge.
The features of the invention illustrated and described herein are the preferred embodiments. Therefore, it is understood that the appended claims are intended to cover unforeseeable embodiments with insubstantial differences that are within the spirit of the claims.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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2609639 | Barker | Sep 1952 | A |
3974957 | Benzon-Petersen | Aug 1976 | A |
5595008 | Johnson | Jan 1997 | A |
5782357 | Johnson | Jul 1998 | A |
20060000730 | Llano | Jan 2006 | A1 |
20060151992 | Balderston | Jul 2006 | A1 |
20070262125 | Precheur | Nov 2007 | A1 |
20180099799 | Murphy | Apr 2018 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 29594087 | Feb 2017 | US |
Child | 15897861 | US |