Patent Application
20230398804
The invention relates to a greeting card with light and sound effects and in particular to a greeting card with simulated fireworks effects.
Greeting cards have been known for a long time in various designs. Also known are greeting cards that are folded and create various light and sound effects when unfolded.
Furthermore, 3D greeting cards are known, which comprise a usually simply folded card as a base with a figure arranged in this card. The essential function of such a 3D greeting card is that an initially essentially two-dimensional folded figure rises three-dimensionally from the card plane when the folded card is opened or unfolded.
Preferably, such greeting cards can be opened from a closed or folded state by unfolding the card by a total of 90 to 180 degrees.
The underlying mechanism is based on the fact that the compressed figure is secured in the card in such a way that, by opening the folded card, a tensile stress is applied to the figure which transfers the figure from the compressed to the three-dimensional or expanded shape.
The object of the present invention is to provide a greeting card which, when unfolded, provides a convincing simulation of a fireworks display with light and sound effects.
s This object is solved by an invention having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are respectively the subject of the dependent claims. It should be noted that the features listed individually in the claims can also be combined with one another in any desired and technologically useful manner, thus showing further embodiments of the invention.
The foldable greeting card according to the invention has an outer side and an inner side, the card being provided foldable, i.e. having a fold at one point which divides the card preferably into two parts of equal size, i.e. two halves which can be folded congruently on top of each other, at least one of these parts being provided at least partially in two layers with an inner and an outer layer.
It is further preferred that at least one part, namely one of the halves of the card, is provided in two layers as a whole. A two-layer design of the card is advantageous in order to be able to arrange the electronics or electrics, hereinafter referred to as electronics for the sake of simplicity, which are to be described in more detail below, in a sandwich-like manner between the two layers and thus conceal them. If the dimensions of the electronics make it necessary, the two-layer arrangement can also be expanded to box-shaped, i.e. with a larger internal volume.
The light and sound elements, preferably LEDs as light elements and loudspeakers as sound elements, are activated or controlled via electronic or electrical elements, hereinafter referred to as electronic elements for the sake of simplicity, such as a power supply, a switch and an integrated circuit. Where necessary, the electronic elements are interconnected by wires or other contacts and may be arranged at least partially together on a printed circuit board.
Preferred lighting elements are LEDs as described, although colours and number of LEDs can be arbitrary. Preferred sound elements are loudspeakers. The light and sound elements are provided to output certain optical and acoustic effects and stimuli, respectively, the optical and acoustic effects being synchronized with each other to produce a realistic effect, especially in the case of fireworks simulations. A preferred power supply is batteries or rechargeable batteries.
The switch is used to activate the electronics when the greeting card is opened, in order to complement the opening and/or the opened state of the greeting card with visual and acoustic effects. Accordingly, all types of switches including light or motion sensors are suitable for activating the electronics by opening the card. Corresponding switches and sensors are known to the skilled person.
Preferably, the part of the greeting card that depicts the fireworks effects is provided in two layers, although embodiments are conceivable in which all parts of the card include respective effects and thus all parts can be provided in two layers.
The part of the greeting card depicting the fireworks effects, which is usually at least part of the inside of the greeting card, comprises—in addition to a possible graphic depiction of a firework or other elements such as a landscape or a city skyline—in particular cut or punched or otherwise produced cut-outs through which the light effects produced by the light elements can penetrate. The cut-outs may additionally be provided with various at least semipermeable materials, such as paper or foil, for example, in order to create additional optical effects and stimuli.
In a further embodiment, the greeting card optionally comprises at least one foldable element reversibly convertible from a flat compressed state to a three-dimensional expanded state, wherein the foldable element is fixed to the inner surface of the foldable card.
The at least one foldable element can be reversibly transformed from a folded or compressed state to an unfolded or expanded state and vice versa. The transformation is triggered by opening or closing the foldable card.
The card shall be considered opened when the two parts of the card have been unfolded altogether by an angle of at least 90°. On the other hand, the card is to be regarded as closed when the two parts or halves of the card lie on top of each other and their inner sides lie on top of each other.
The invention and the technical environment are explained in more detail below with reference to the figures. It should be noted that the figures show a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention. However, the invention is not limited to the embodiment variant shown. In particular, the invention includes, to the extent that it is technically useful, any combination of the technical features listed in the claims or described in the description as relevant to the invention.
Showing:
In particular, behind the graphic elements 4, the lighting elements 5, generally LEDs, are provided, which are connected to the other electronic elements, if necessary, via connecting elements 6. The other electronic elements, in particular the circuit or microprocessor 7 for controlling the light and sound elements 5, 9, the switch 8 for activating the light and sound elements 5, 9 when the card is opened, the loudspeaker 9 and the batteries 10 for supplying power to the electronic components may be arranged on a printed circuit board 11.
