Greeting cards with suspended motion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9643443-B2
Application number	US-201514922236-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2015
Priority date	Oct 28, 2014
Publication date	May 9, 2017
Grant date	May 9, 2017

Abstract

The present invention is directed to various embodiments of a greeting card having at least one motor attached to a mechanism which causes movement to a mobile object and one or more attachments suspended from the mobile object. The mobile object may be a circular disc, a string or a swing structure. Each mobile object contains one or more attachments either attached directly thereto or suspended therefrom via a string or line. The motor may effect various movements in the mobile object such as circular motion, back-and-forth motion or bouncing or vibrating motion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A motion greeting card comprising:
a multi-panel greeting card body;
a foldable base structure attached to an inside surface of the multi-panel greeting card body;
a mobile structure attached to the foldable base structure comprising a circular disc having one or more attachments suspended therefrom;
a motor operative to cause movement of the circular disc when activated;
a switch which controls activation of the motor module;
wherein when the greeting card is in a closed position, the foldable base structure is folded into a position within and substantially parallel to two inside panels of the multi-panel greeting card body and when the greeting card is in an open position, the foldable base structure is unfolded into a position substantially perpendicular to the two inside panels of the greeting card; and
wherein opening the greeting card closes the switch which activates the motor, thereby causing the mobile structure to move in a circular motion.

2. The motion greeting card of claim 1 , further comprising a sound module operative to store and replay at least one audio file through a speaker.

3. The motion greeting card of claim 2 , wherein opening the greeting card also causes playback of the at least one audio file stored on the sound module.

4. The motion greeting card of claim 1 , wherein the switch is a slide switch.

5. The motion greeting card of claim 1 , wherein the motor is located within a cavity in the foldable base structure.

6. A greeting card comprising:
a greeting card body;
a foldable structure contained between two panels of the greeting card body, the foldable structure operative to move between a first position wherein it is folded between the two panels of the greeting card body and a second position wherein it is unfolded between the two panels of the greeting card body;
a base panel which is attached to the foldable structure, the base panel having at least one attachment suspended therefrom;
a motor contained within the foldable structure, the motor module operative to cause movement of the base panel and the at least one attachment suspended from the base panel upon activation thereof.

7. The greeting card of claim 6 further comprising a switch which controls activation of the motor.

8. The greeting card of claim 7 , wherein opening the greeting card closes the switch causing activation of the motor and movement of the base panel and at least one attachment.

9. The greeting card of claim 6 further comprising a sound module operative to store and playback at least one audio file stored thereon through a speaker.

10. The greeting card of claim 6 further comprising a switch operative to control activation of the sound module.

11. The greeting card of claim 10 , wherein the switch is a slide switch.

12. A greeting card comprising:
a greeting card body comprising a plurality of panels;
a foldable structure contained within the greeting card body wherein when the greeting card is in a closed position, the foldable structure is folded into a substantially flat position and when the greeting card is in an open position, the foldable structure is unfolded into a position perpendicular to the greeting card body;
a mobile object attached to the foldable structure;
a motor module attached to the mobile object;
a switch which controls activation of the motor module;
wherein closing the switch activates the motor module thereby causing movement of the mobile object.

13. The greeting card of claim 12 further comprising one or more attachments suspended from the mobile object.

14. The greeting card of claim 13 , wherein the one or more attachments are suspended from the mobile object via a string.

15. The greeting card of claim 12 further comprising a sound module having at least one audio file saved thereon.

16. The greeting card of claim 12 , wherein the switch also controls activation of the sound module thereby causing playback of the at least one audio file through a speaker.

Assignees

• American Greetings Corp

Inventors

• Bogdanski Sharon
• Talbot John

Classifications

• B42D15/045

  Multi-part cards or sheets, i.e. combined with detachably mounted articles · CPC title

• B42D15/042 Primary

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

• B42D15/022

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

• G09F1/06

  to be erected in three dimensions [3D] (G09F1/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G09F1/04

  Folded cards · CPC title