Greeting cards with suspended motion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9770933-B2
Application number	US-201615357610-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2016
Priority date	Oct 28, 2014
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 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 greeting card comprising:
a multi-panel greeting card body;
a string which extends between two panels of the multi-panel greeting card body, the string having one or more attachments suspended therefrom;
a motor module attached to a first end of the string;
wherein opening the greeting card pulls the string taut and causes the motor to effect a bouncing movement of the string and one or more attachments suspended therefrom.

2. The greeting card of claim 1 further comprising a sound module operative to store and playback at least one audio file.

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

4. The greeting card of claim 1 further comprising a faux picket fence panel which extends between two inside panels of the greeting card.

5. The greeting card of claim 4 , wherein the faux picket fence is folded between two inside panels of the greeting card when the greeting card is in a closed position.

6. The greeting card of claim 1 , wherein the first end of the string is wound around a spool before being attached to the motor.

7. The greeting card of claim 1 , wherein closing the greeting card deactivates the motor module.

8. A greeting card comprising:
a greeting card body having at least one cavity therein;
a string which is attached between two inside panels of the greeting card body;
one or more attachments suspended from the string;
a motor module contained within the at least one cavity and attached to at least one end of the string;
a switch attached to the greeting card body which controls activation of the motor module;
wherein closing the switch activates the motor module thereby causing movement of the string and one or more attachments.

9. The greeting card of claim 8 further comprising a sound module contained within the greeting card body, the sound module operative to cause at least one audio file saved thereon to be played through a speaker.

10. The greeting card of claim 9 , wherein the switch also controls activation of the sound module.

11. The greeting card of claim 8 , wherein the switch is a slide switch.

12. The greeting card of claim 8 , wherein closing the greeting card deactivates the motor module.

13. The greeting card of claim 9 , wherein closing the greeting card deactivates the sound module.

14. The greeting card of claim 8 , wherein the one or more attachments suspended from the string are die cut shapes.

15. A greeting card comprising:
a greeting card body comprising a plurality of greeting card panels;
a line which extends between two inside panels of the greeting card body;
one or more attachments suspended from the line;
a sound module contained within the greeting card body, the sound module having at least one audio file saved thereon;
a switch which controls activation of the sound module to replay the at least one audio file through a speaker;
wherein when the greeting card is in a closed position, the line is slackened and when the greeting card is in an open position, the line is pulled taut.

16. The greeting card of claim 15 further comprising a motor module contained within the greeting card body and attached to the line.

17. The greeting card of claim 16 wherein the switch also controls activation of the motor module.

18. The greeting card of claim 17 , wherein closing the switch causes the motor module to cause movement of the line and the one or more attachments.

19. The greeting card of claim 15 , wherein closing the switch causes the sound module to replay the at least one audio file through a speaker.

Assignees

• American Greetings Corp

Inventors

• Mao Charlotte

Classifications

• B42D15/045 Primary

  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

• G09F1/06

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

• G09F1/04

  Folded cards · CPC title

• B42D15/022

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