Patent Application
20230068387
In general, the present invention relates to greeting cards that contain folded pop-up elements that extend when the greeting card is opened. More particularly, the present invention relates to pop-up greeting cards that create three-dimensional displays when opened that are enhanced with internal electronics.
Greeting cards have been made and sold for centuries. In modern times, a greeting card is typically made from a folded piece of thick paper stock. This requires that the card be unfolded or “opened” in order to read the message printed on the card.
Since a greeting card must be manually unfolded to be read, it is possible for folded constructs to be incorporated into the structure of the greeting card. The folded constructs fold flat when the card is closed and pop-up when the card is opened. As a result, the folded construct goes from a folded position where it is parallel to the flaps of the card to an unfolded position where the constructs is positioned generally perpendicular to the flaps of the card. In the card industry, such cards are commonly referred to as pop-up cards.
In order to make a pop-up card, the construct that actually pops up must meet two criteria. First, the construct must fold flat so that the construct does not hold the card open when the card is closed. This enables the pop-up card to be placed in a flat envelope. Second, the construct must be rigid enough to unfold and stand erect when the card is open. These two criteria are both met by constructs cut from a flat paper sheet or a flat plastic sheet. Accordingly, most pop-up constructs used in cards are made from flat pieces of paper or plastic.
Pop-up constructs made of paper or plastic can be formed into visually interesting shapes. However, the pop-up constructs tend to be skeletons that lack plush texture. For example, paper and plastic can form the image of a teddy bear, but they cannot form a construct with the plush texture of a teddy bear. In order to form a pop-up construct with a plush texture, plush fabrics must be used. However, plush fabrics lack the aforementioned criteria needed to create a pop-up. That is, the plush materials lack the structural integrity needed to stand erect. As such, plush fabrics but be stuffed or otherwise internally supported, which prevents the greeting card from closing.
A need therefore exists for a way to create a plush pop-up display within the confines of a greeting card, wherein the plush display is capable of standing erect and does not interfere with the ability of the card to close. These needs are met by the present invention as described and claimed below.
The present invention is a greeting card assembly that contains a first flap and a second flap that are joined at a central fold seam. The first flap can be rotated over the second flap to a closed configuration or away from the second flap to an open configuration.
A flat center support is provided that extends vertically over the central fold seam. The center support has a flat face surface and a flat back surface. A plush body is set in the center of the greeting card assembly. The plush body includes an interior paper liner that is covered in a plush exterior surface. The plush body has a hollow interior accessible through an open bottom. The plush body is attached to the first flap at a first distance from the central fold seam. Likewise, the plush body is attached to the second flap at a second distance from the central fold seam.
The flat center support extends into the interior of the plush body through the open bottom. The plush body and the flat center support are not interconnected and move independently. When the first flap and the second flap are moved into their closed configuration, the plush body is pressed against both the flat face surface and the flat back surface of the flat center support. This create a flat folded greeting card assembly that can be fit into a standard envelope.
For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following description of an exemplary embodiment thereof, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Although the present invention greeting card assembly can be embodied in many ways, only one exemplary embodiment is illustrated. The exemplary embodiment is being shown for the purposes of explanation and description. The exemplary embodiment is selected in order to set forth one of the best modes contemplated for the invention. The illustrated embodiment, however, is merely exemplary and should not be considered limiting when interpreting the scope of the claims.
Referring to
Likewise, the second flap 18 has an interior surface 24 and an exterior surface 26. When the first flap 16 folds over the second flap 18, the greeting card assembly 10 is considered closed and the interior surface 20 of the first flap 16 faces the interior surface 24 of the second flap 18. When the first flap 16 is rotated away from the second flap 18 to a configuration where the first flap 16 and the second flap 18 are coplanar, then the greeting card assembly 10 is considered open.
A pop-up construct 28 is disposed in the center of the greeting card assembly 10. The pop-up construct 28 attaches to the interior surface 20 of the first flap 16 and the interior surface 24 of the second flap 18. The pop-up construct 28 can fold flat when the greeting card assembly 10 is in its closed configuration. When in the closed configuration and compressed, the folded pop-up construct 28 separates the first flap 16 from the near-parallel second flap 18 by no more than ⅛th of an inch. This will enable the greeting card assembly 10 to fit within a standard paper envelope.
As is shown in
Referring to
The plush body 30 and the appendage 32 are supported by a flat center support 56. The flat center support 56 is made from a segment of paperboard, cardboard or plastic that is just thick enough to stand vertically and not be bent by its own weight.
The flat center support 56 is essentially two dimensional with a side edge 58 that is only as thick as the sheet of material used. The flat center support 56 has a face surface 60 and back surface 62 that are both large and flat. Both the face surface 60 and the back surface 62 of the flat center support 56 have an outline that complements the profile of the plush body 30. In the shown embodiment, the plush body 30 has the shape of an emoji. Consequently, the profile of the flat center support 56 has the general shape of the emoji. The flat center support 56 is attached to both the first panel 51 and the third panel 53 so that the flat center support 56 extends in a vertical plane above the central fold seam 14. This is accomplished by creating a flexible connection 64 between the flat center support 56 and the base substrate 12. The flexible connection 64 can be formed by attaching the face surface 60 and/or the back surface 62 of the flat center support 56 to the first panel 51 and/or the third panel 53 with tape or flexible segments of paper and adhesive. The flexible connection 64 enables the flat center support 56 to flex and remain in the same plane as the central fold seam 14 while the first flap 16 is opened and closed relative to the second flap 18.
The appendage 32 is attached to the flat center support 56. The appendage 32 is also made from flat material and extends in the same plane as does the flat center support 56. In a selective construction, the appendage 32 can either be adhered to the flat center support 56 or the appendage 32 and the flat center support 56 can be unistructurally cut from the same sheet of material. The appendage 32 extends vertically from the flat center support 56 and terminates above the flat center support 56.
A circuit board 66 is provided. The circuit board 66 contains control circuitry 68 and batteries 70 arranged in a flat configuration. The circuit board 66 controls lights 34 and the audio speaker 36. The lights 34 can be selectively flashed. Likewise, music and/or sounds can be broadcast from the audio speaker 36. The lights 34 are present on the flaps 16, 18 and on the appendage 32. The circuit board 68, lights 34 and audio system 36 can be set on secondary supports 72. The lights 34 align with the holes 50 in the first panel 51 and/or the fourth panel 54 when the panels 51, 54 are folded over the second panel 52 and/or the third panel 53. The supports 72 can optionally be used under the circuit board 66, lights 34 and/or audio speaker 36 to prevent these elements from deforming the material of the rectangular sheet 40.
The circuit board 66 contains an on/off switch 74. The on/off switch 74 is activated and deactivated by a flexible tab 76 that attaches to the flat center support 56. As the first flap 16 is moved between its open configuration and its closed configuration, the circuit board 66 moves with the first flap 16. This moves the on/off switch 74 relative to the flexible tab 76. As such, the circuit board 66 can be made to activate when the greeting card assembly 10 is open and deactivate when the greeting card assembly 10 is closed.
The first panel 51 of the rectangular sheet 40 is folded over the second panel 52 and is sealed closed. This interposes the circuit board 66, audio speaker 36 and some lights 34 between the first panel 51 and the second panel 52, therein completing the first flap 16. Likewise, the fourth panel 54 of the rectangular sheet 40 is folded over the third panel 53 and is sealed closed. This interposes some of the lights 34 between the fourth panel 54 and the third panel 53, therein completing the second flap 18.
The plush body 30 is a construct that includes a plush shell 78 with a paper liner 80. The plush shell 78 has an exterior 79 that is in the image of a desired object. In the illustrated case, the object is an emoji. The plush shell 78 is sewn from one or more segments of plush fabric material. Being fabric, the plush shell 78 lacks the structural integrity to stand erect under the forces of its own weight. To add structural integrity, the plush shell 78 is sewn or adhesively adhered to an internal paper liner 80. The paper liner 80 is preferably paper and is just thick enough to support the weight of the plush shell 78. Both the plush shell 78 and the paper liner 80 define the walls of the plush body 30, wherein the plush body 30 defines an open interior 82 that is accessible through a wide open base 84.
The paper liner 80 is attached to the interior of the plush shell 78. The paper liner 80 is also attached to both the first flap 16 and the second flap 18 at opposing attachment points 85, 86. The opposing attachment points 85, 86 are symmetrically disposed on opposite sides of the central fold seam 14.
Consequently, both attachment points 85, 86 are at a distance D1 from the central fold seam 14. When viewed vertically from above, both the plush body 30 containing the shell 78 and its paper liner 80 are bisected by the central fold seam 14. The plush body 30 is placed over the flat center support 56 and any appendage 32 that extends from the flat center support 56. The flat center support 56 extends vertically above the central fold seam 14. The flat center support 56 is not physically attached to the plush body 30. However, the flat center support 56 supports the plush body 30 in a central position that is above the central fold seam 14.
When the greeting card assembly 10 is moved into its closed configuration, the open base 84 of the plush body 30 is compressed flat into a straight line. The straight line is parallel to the central fold seam 14 between the two flaps 16, 18. The plush body 30 compresses flat against the face surface 60 and the back surface 62 of the flat center support 56, therein ensuring that the open base 84 of the plush body 30 will compress into a straight line that is parallel to the central fold seam 14. Referring to
The plush body 30 is attached to the first flap 16 at a distance from the central fold seam 14. Likewise, the plush body 30 is attached symmetrically to the second flap 18 at the same distance from the central fold seam 14. When the greeting card assembly 10 is moved into its closed configuration, the open base 84 of the plush body 30 begins to close and moves away from the central fold seam 14. The flat center support 56 is attached to the base substrate 12 near the central fold seam 14. As a result, the flat center support 56 also moves partially below the open base 84 of the plush body 30 as the flaps 16, 18 close. The retracting flat center support 56 causes the appendage 32 to sink into the plush body 30. In this manner, the plush body 30 and the appendage 32 are fully covered by the flaps 16, 18 when the greeting card assembly 10 is closed.
Referring to all figures, it will be understood that the greeting card assembly 10 can be folded closed. When closed, the greeting card assembly 10 is thin enough to fit into a traditional paper envelope. When closed, there are no parts of the pop-up construct 28 that extend beyond the edges of the two opposing flaps 16, 18 of the greeting card assembly 10. When the greeting card assembly 10 is closed, the plush body 30 within the greeting card assembly 10 is pressed flat against the flat center support 56.
When the greeting card assembly 10 is opened, the open base 84 of the plush body 30 is opened from opposing sides. This spreads the open base 84 and opens the plush body 30 into a more three-dimensional shape. Simultaneously, the flat center support 56 is advanced into the plush body 30 to support the plush body 30 and prevent the plush body 30 from collapsing. Furthermore, the appendage 32 is advanced through the center of the plush body 30, wherein the appendage 32 extends to an elevation above the plush body 30. As the plush body 30 opens and its open base 84 descends to the plane of the open flaps 16, 18, the control circuitry 68 on the circuit board 66 is activated. This causes the lights 34 to light and the audio system 36 to broadcast music or other sounds.
It will be understood that the embodiment of the present invention that is illustrated and described is merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the art can make many variations to that embodiment. For instance, the plush body can have many shapes other than the emoji shown. Likewise, the lights can be positioned in many configurations other than what is shown. All such embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as defined by the claims.
