Greeting cards with suspended motion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9796203-B2
Application number	US-201615357543-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2016
Priority date	Oct 28, 2014
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 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 z-fold greeting card body comprising a first panel connected to a second panel, the second panel connected to a third panel;
the second panel having a substantial opening thereon;
the second panel being attached to a four-sided frame;
a swing structure suspended from a rod contained within the four-sided frame and visible through the substantial opening in the second panel of the z-fold greeting card body, the swing structure operative to move in a swinging motion;
wherein when the swing structure is in a resting or non-moving position it lies within the same plane as the four sides of the frame.

2. The greeting card of claim 1 further comprising a motor which is attached to the rod, the motor operative to cause movement of the swing structure.

3. The greeting card of claim 2 , wherein opening the greeting card activates the motor thereby effecting movement of the swing structure.

4. The greeting card of claim 1 further comprising a sound module located within the four-sided frame structure, the sound module having at least one audio file saved thereon.

5. The greeting card of claim 4 further comprising a switch which controls activation of the sound module.

6. The greeting card of claim 4 , wherein opening the greeting card causes playback of the at least one audio file through a speaker.

7. A greeting card comprising:
A greeting card body comprising a cover panel, a center panel and a rear panel;
a frame structure attached to the center panel of the greeting card body, the frame structure and the center panel having an opening therein;
a swing suspended from an upper section of the frame structure, the swing operative to move in a back and forth motion;
wherein the cover, center and rear panels of the greeting card body are parallel to one another; and
wherein opening the greeting card by moving the cover and rear panels in opposite directions reveals the center panel and swing.

8. The greeting card of claim 7 further comprising a motor module contained within the greeting card body.

9. The greeting card of claim 8 , wherein the motor module, when activated, causes movement of the swing structure.

10. The greeting card of claim 9 further comprising a switch which controls activation of the motor module.

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

12. The greeting card of claim 7 , wherein the front and rear panels of the greeting card body are wider than the center greeting card panel.

13. The greeting card of claim 7 , wherein the swing is not visible when the greeting card is in a closed position.

14. A greeting card comprising:
a greeting card body comprising a plurality of greeting card panels, at least one greeting card panel having an opening therein;
a frame with an opening therein, the frame attached to one of the plurality of greeting card panels;
a motor module attached to and operative to move a mobile object;
a horizontal rod contained within the frame above the opening therein;
the mobile object suspended from the horizontal rod;
a switch attached to the greeting card body which controls activation of the motor module;
wherein when the motor module is activated, it sends an electrical pulse through the horizontal rod to cause movement of the mobile object.

15. The greeting card of claim 14 further comprising a sound module operative to store and playback at least one audio file through a speaker.

16. The greeting card of claim 15 , wherein the switch also controls activation of the sound module.

17. The greeting card of claim 14 , wherein the switch is a slide switch.

18. The greeting card of claim 14 , wherein the switch triggers activation of the motor module upon opening the greeting card.

Assignees

• American Greetings Corp

Inventors

• Shlonsky Lynne
• Sapp Dave

Classifications

• 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

• B42D15/045

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