Greeting cards with multi-panel insert

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9545811-B2
Application number	US-201514953105-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2015
Priority date	Dec 4, 2014
Publication date	Jan 17, 2017
Grant date	Jan 17, 2017

Abstract

An interactive greeting card with a multi-panel insert which can be unfurled over a portion of the greeting card. In one embodiment, there is a photo or drawing of a character or animal printed on the front cover. A tab is located to the left of and behind the photo or drawing. When a user grasps and moves the tab, a multi-panel paper construct unfurls around the photo or drawing and appears as a wig atop the head of the character or animal depicted in the photo or drawing. Audio replay may also triggered by moving the tab from its original position. In another embodiment, the panels of the multi-panel paper construct are each shaped like a different item or object which is complementary to the theme of the greeting card. Unfolding the multi-panel construct along an outside edge of the greeting card may initiate audio playback and may also activate a motor module which causes movement to at least one mobile object contained on the greeting card.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An interactive greeting card comprising:
a multi-panel greeting card body having at least one cavity contained therein;
a multi-panel insert comprising a plurality of individual panels attached at a pivot point, at least one of the plurality of individual panels having a pull tab attached thereto;
the multi-panel insert being capable of moving from a first position wherein the plurality of individual panels are contained within the at least one cavity in the multi-panel greeting card body and a second position wherein each of the plurality of individual panels are fanned out outside the greeting card;
at least one panel of each pair of successive panels in the multi-panel insert having a pair of parallel arced slots thereon;
a stopper mechanism attached between each pair of successive panels in the multi-panel insert, the stopper mechanism operative to restrict the independent movement of at least one panel in each pair of successive panels.

2. The interactive greeting card of claim 1 further comprising a sound module operative to store and replay audio upon movement of the multi-panel insert from the first position to the second position.

3. The interactive greeting card of claim 1 further comprising a sound module operative to store and replay audio upon movement of at least one of the plurality of individual panels in the multi-panel insert.

4. The interactive greeting card of claim 1 further comprising a mobile object attached to the greeting card and a motor contained within the at least one cavity contained in the multi-panel greeting card body, the motor operative to cause movement of the mobile object.

5. The interactive greeting card of claim 4 , wherein the motor is activated upon movement of the multi-panel insert from the first position to the second position.

6. The interactive greeting card of claim 4 , wherein the motor is activated upon movement of the at least one of the plurality of individual panels in the multi-panel insert.

7. The interactive greeting card of claim 1 , wherein the multi-panel insert is unfurled across a top edge of the greeting card when it is in the second position.

8. The interactive greeting card of claim 1 , wherein the multi-panel insert is unfurled along a side edge of the greeting card when it is in the second position.

9. An interactive greeting card comprising:
a multi-panel greeting card body;
a multi-panel insert contained within the multi-panel greeting card body, the multi-panel insert operative to be fanned out in series along an arced path over an outer edge of the multi-panel greeting card body;
a sound module operative to store and replay at least one audio file upon moving at least one of the at least two panels of the multi-panel insert.

10. The interactive greeting card of claim 9 further comprising a mobile object and a motor module which is operative to cause movement of the mobile object.

11. The interactive greeting card of claim 10 , wherein the mobile object is located on a front cover of the greeting card.

12. The interactive greeting card of claim 9 , wherein each of the at least two panels of the multi-panel insert are attached to one another.

13. The interactive greeting card of claim 9 , wherein each of the at least two panels of the multi-panel insert are able to at least partially move about a pivot point.

14. The interactive greeting card of claim 9 , wherein the multi-panel insert is fanned out along a top edge of the greeting card.

15. The interactive greeting card of claim 9 , wherein the multi-panel insert is fanned out along a side edge of the greeting card.

16. An interactive greeting card comprising:
a greeting card body;
a fan-like object contained within the greeting card body, the fan-like object comprising a plurality of separate but attached panels configured in a stacked arrangement;
at least one panel of each pair of successive panels in the fan-like object having a pair of parallel arced slots thereon;
a stopper mechanism attached between each pair of successive panels in the fan-like object, the stopper mechanism operative to restrict the independent movement of at least one panel in each pair of successive panels;
wherein a first of the plurality of panels in the fan-like object is operative to be pulled out from within the greeting card body by a user and each successive panel is pulled out from within the greeting card body by attachment to a panel located above said panel via the stopper mechanism.

17. The interactive greeting card of claim 16 further comprising a sound module operative to store and playback at least one audio file.

18. The interactive greeting card of claim 17 , wherein movement of at least one of the plurality of separate but attached panels of the fan-like object initiates the sound module to play the at least one audio file.

19. The interactive greeting card of claim 16 further comprising a mobile object and a motor module operative to effect movement of the mobile object.

20. The interactive greeting card of claim 19 , wherein movement of at least one of the plurality of separate but attached panels of the fan-like object initiates the motor module to effect movement of the mobile object.

Assignees

• American Greetings Corp

Inventors

• Talbot John
• Higgins Sean
• Flesher Melissa
• Dennis Erin

Classifications

• B42D15/042

  Foldable cards or sheets (B42D15/045 and B42D15/08 take precedence) · CPC title

• B42D15/022 Primary

  combined with permanently fastened sound-producing or light-emitting means or carrying sound records · CPC title