Patent Application
20170267012
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The present invention relates generally to a mounted display article, and more particularly to a multi-panel bulletin display mounted above a door frame that vertically unfolds or cascades in response to a trigger mechanism, the multi-panel bulletin display having cuts for various electronic and mechanical components, and/or for receiving a removable greeting insert that has printed matter as well as a sound playback device and moveable objects that play in response to the trigger mechanism.
The greeting card industry has evolved from simple paper cards to fanciful cards made from exotic paper to cards having recordable music that plays when a card is opened.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,189,977 and related patents disclose electronic greeting cards that include a greeting card with two or more interconnected panels in combination with a digital multimedia player device which includes an electronic display and an audio output, and circuitry which is operative to receive, store and play digital multimedia files and content.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,418,384 discloses an interactive greeting card operative to move between a first position wherein several interconnected panels are folded into a substantially flat position and a second position wherein the several interconnected panels are unfolded into a three-dimensional pop-up structure. Movement between the first and second positions may also control playback of digital audio, activation of one or more LED lights, or various other special effects.
U.S. Pat. 9,027,269 discloses an interactive electronic greeting card with pop up feature that includes a three-sided pocket or cavity which houses various electronic and mechanical components and a pop up element for confetti.
U.S. Pat. 9,009,998 discloses greeting cards with moving elements or devices which are operable to create motion in connection with some portion of the greeting card. The greeting card may include a multi-panel greeting card body or a three-dimensional foam greeting card body. At least one movable object is contained upon or within the greeting card body. A sound module having at least one pre-recorded digital audio file saved therein and a motor module are contained and concealed within the greeting card body.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,661,719 discloses an interactive greeting card that contains a multi-panel greeting card body with various electronic components contained and concealed therein. Upon opening the greeting card, spoken instructions may instruct the user to move an attached magnet from one area of the greeting card to another to initiate a surprise or various special effects such as sound and light.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,634,864 discloses a greeting card having an inner greeting card where a trigger is provided which is movable between a first position wherein the inner card is prevented from opening, and a second position wherein the card is allowed to move between the closed and open positions.
U.S. patent publication 20150135566 discloses hand-held greeting cards that have a pop-up 3D structure, e.g. a small house, that can have lighting and sound features.
However, none of the cards found in the prior art disclose mounting the card to a doorframe to be actuated when the door opens.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,596,331 discloses a mounting system for holding one or more affinity displays upon a window in an exceptionally stable manner. The apparatus comprises a drape that is capable of being wrapped around the edge or frame edge of a window, and the drape is also attached to a plurality of surface mounting components. The drape is further linked to the affinity display.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,052,805 discloses a vertical mounting system with adhesive vertical strips which can hang greeting cards received during an event, e.g. holiday or birthday.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,791,740 discloses a decorative display arch for mounting a banner and for mounting received greeting cards on a door frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,694,650 discloses a panel display having translucent pockets for displaying or dispensing flat paper or plastic items.
U.S. patent publication 20050061939 discloses a cardboard hanger for hanging items on a strung piece of wire or string.
Accordingly, none of the prior art documents found provide for a mounted display article, and more particularly to a multi-panel bulletin display mounted above a door frame that vertically unfolds or cascades in response to a trigger mechanism, the multi-panel bulletin display having cuts for receiving a removable greeting insert that has printed matter as well as a sound playback device that plays in response to the trigger mechanism.
Accordingly, the present inventive subject matter provides in one preferred embodiment a mounted display article, comprising: (i) a multi-panel bulletin display; (ii) a mounting device that removably attaches to a proximal edge of a first panel of the multi-panel bulletin display; (iii) a second panel of the multi-panel bulletin device connected to a distal edge of the first panel with a foldable binding, the second panel having die-cuts for receiving a removable greeting card insert; (iv) the removable greeting card insert comprising printed matter and a sound playback device; (v) a trigger mechanism connected to the second panel and activated by a motion of a user; wherein in response to an activated trigger mechanism, the second panel unfolds along the foldable binding from a first position to a second position where the first position and the second position are aligned in a vertical axis; and, wherein in response to the trigger mechanism, the sound playback device plays a pre-recorded message.
In another preferred embodiment, there is provided the mounted display article as disclosed and claimed herein, wherein the removable greeting card insert further comprises a light display.
In another preferred embodiment, there is provided the mounted display article as disclosed and claimed herein, wherein the removable greeting card insert further comprises a motorized movable object.
In another preferred embodiment, there is provided the mounted display article as disclosed and claimed herein, wherein the removable greeting card insert further comprises a circuit board connecting the sound playback device and a light display.
In another preferred embodiment, there is provided the mounted display article as disclosed and claimed herein, wherein the removable greeting card insert further comprises a circuit board connecting the sound playback device, a light display, and a motorized movable object.
In another preferred embodiment, there is provided the mounted display article as disclosed and claimed herein, wherein the trigger mechanism is selected from the group consisting of a pin and tether trigger device, a light sensor trigger device, and a motion sensor trigger device.
In another preferred embodiment, there is provided the mounted display article as disclosed and claimed herein, wherein the printed matter and the sound playback device have an event or holiday theme.
In another preferred embodiment, there is provided a method of displaying a multi-panel bulletin, comprising the steps of: (i) Mounting a multi-panel bulletin display to a wall or doorframe using a mounting device, the mounting device is removably attached to a proximal edge of a first panel of the multi-panel bulletin display, a second panel of the multi-panel bulletin device connected to a distal edge of the first panel with a foldable binding, the second panel having die-cuts for receiving a removable greeting card insert, the removable greeting card insert comprising printed matter and a sound playback device; and, (ii) Triggering the second panel to unfold along the foldable binding from a first position to a second position using a triggering mechanism connected to the second panel and activated by a motion of a user, where the first position and the second position are aligned in a vertical axis, and wherein triggering simultaneously plays a pre-recorded message using the sound playback device.
In another preferred embodiment, there is provided the method as disclosed and claimed herein, wherein the removable greeting card insert further comprises a light display and the step of triggering activates the light display.
In another preferred embodiment, there is provided the method as disclosed and claimed herein, wherein the removable greeting card insert further comprises a motorized movable object and the step of triggering activates the motorized movable object.
In another preferred embodiment, there is provided the method as disclosed and claimed herein, wherein the removable greeting card insert further comprises a circuit board connecting the sound playback device and a light display and the step of triggering simultaneously activates the sound playback device and the light display.
In another preferred embodiment, there is provided the method as disclosed and claimed herein, wherein the removable greeting card insert further comprises a circuit board connecting the sound playback device, a light display, and a motorized movable object and the step of triggering simultaneously activates the sound playback device, the light display, and the motorized movable display.
In another preferred embodiment, there is provided the method as disclosed and claimed herein, wherein the trigger mechanism is selected from the group consisting of a pin and tether trigger device, a light sensor trigger device, and a motion sensor trigger device.
In another preferred embodiment, there is provided the method as disclosed and claimed herein, wherein the printed matter and the sound playback device have an event or holiday theme.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. It should be further understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwise indicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein.
Referring now to the FIGURES,
Various bulletin/card constructs can be used, as are known in the art and various materials such as paper, paperboard, cardboard, plastic, foam, or any other material or combination of materials may be used for the panels 106, 108 and the removable greeting card insert 112. The insert 112 may also be a printed graphic held within a protective sleeve 115 as shown in
Sound playback device 114 includes standard electronic recording and playback devices. Thus, microphones and storage media contemplated. It is also contemplated that playback device 114 can include those accepting removable storage media, e.g. SD cards, or iPods, etc. thru a headphone jack. The sound playback device is mounted behind or within the main display/greeting panel and sound or music is broadcast for the person who is the target of the greeting. The sounds playback device is actuated either by the pulling of the pin or tab from the locking loop, by a switch located in the fold between two panels that is operated as the panels unfold, or using a motion sensor device. The sound playback device is battery operated, compact, and lightweight.
The LED light displays 116 are contemplated to be LED fixtures, and may include simple flashing light displays, or may incorporate more elaborate displays suggestive of motion within the insert. The LED lights are mounted behind or within the main display/greeting panel and the LEDs extend through the panel to provide a lighting display that is broadcast for the person who is the target of the greeting. The LEDs are actuated either by the pulling of the pin or tab from the locking loop, by a switch located in the fold between two panels that is operated as the panels unfold, or using a motion sensor device. The LEDs are battery operated and installed as a circuit on (rear face) or within the display panel.
The electronics may include a switch and a miniature integrated circuit (IC) having a microprocessor, memory, speaker, and battery. Both the switch and the miniature IC are embedded in the mounted display article so that they are not visible to a recipient/user. Actuating the trigger mechanism of the the mounted display article will automatically turn on or close the switch so that the IC will play pre-stored music or a recorded personal message, or both.
In further embodiments, the exemplary mounting display article 101 also includes a control module 320. The control module 320 includes an integrated circuit, an electronic circuit, a battery, a control switch, and a driver. The control module of the mounting display article 101 may also optionally include an electronic module 322. The electronic module 322 may control the sound device 114, and light display device 116.
The motorized movable object or objects include waving or dancing figures, spinning objects, objects that move back and forth, representational and purely graphic visual objects. A mechanical actuator is attached to the second panel and uses standard input gearing, axles, cams, switches, springs, and cranks to facilitate the mechanical movement. The IC microprocessor can control and coordinate the playback sound with the object movement to achieve a synchronized message/display.
Trigger mechanisms include pin and tether trigger devices, light-sensor trigger devices, and motion-sensor trigger devices. Trigger devices can also be push-button, remote-control, touch or pressure sensitive switches, contact switches, and the like.
An important aspect is that article is pre-triggered and passively actuated by or for a target celebrant, and is not directly, intentionally actuated by the celebrant user. This article is designed so that the opening of a door, or the triggering of a sensor, by a unsuspecting celebrant/user is what causes the panels to actuate the LEDs, sound, and moving objects. Another aspect is, in reference to the multi-panel embodiments, is that the panels unfold due to gravitational forces. Thus, in some embodiments, the (first) triggering, e.g. door or motion, causes the panels to (passively) unfold, and the unfolding of the panels is a secondary trigger to actuate the electronics, i.e. LEDs, sound, and moving objects.
Another important aspect is that the display article can be reuseable where the removable insert is swapped out for subsequent uses depending on the occasion. For example, the one-, two- or three-panel embodiment can be used over and over to mount various inserts, such as a birthday greeting insert, a graduation insert, a holiday insert, a wedding insert, a new baby insert, a new job or new home insert, or any other type of greeting where a celebrant is targeted for a surprise greeting.
It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. Other features and aspects of this invention will be appreciated by those skilled in the art upon reading and comprehending this disclosure. Such features, aspects, and expected variations and modifications of the reported results and examples are clearly within the scope of the invention where the invention is limited solely by the scope of the following claims.
This application claims priority benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119 to U.S. Provisional 62/308,756 filed Mar. 15, 2016, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62308756 | Mar 2016 | US |
