GB2287903A - Greetings card - Google Patents

Abstract

A greetings card (2) comprising a body portion (4), a retaining member (6), at least one aperture (10) in the retaining member (6), and at least one device (8), e.g. a puzzle, game or gift which is positioned in the aperture (10) in the retaining member (6), the body portion (4) being such that it bears a greeting, the retaining member (6) being made of a foam material, and the device (8) being retained in the aperture (10). <IMAGE>

Description

A GREETINGS CARD This invention relates to a greetings card.

Greetings cards are well known and they are manufactured in various sizes. The greetings cards are also manufactured in various degrees of complexity ranging from a simple sheet of non-folded material, to a sheet of material having a single fold or a plurality of folds. The greetings cards are so well developed that they may now have pop up portions and/or audio apparatus for singing a song or providing a spoken message.

Greetings cards are manufactured and sold on an extremely large scale for all types of greetings. The ever increasing complexity of the greetings cards is a direct result of the greetings card market being a large continuing market in which different manufacturers try and corner a share of the market with better greetings card designs and/or better greetings card constructions.

The present invention is based upon the realisation that if a greetings card is produced to include a material which has hitherto been unused in greetings cards, then the resulting greeting card can be produced in a wide variety of constructions with the greeting card additionally giving something over and above the actual greeting on the greetings card.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a greetings card comprising a body portion, a retaining member, at least one aperture in the retaining member, and at least one devil which is positioned in the aperture in the retaining member, the body portion being such that it bears a greeting, the retaining member being made of a foam material, and the device being retained in the aperture.

The device may be retained in the aperture by being a friction fit with the foam material. Alternatively the greetings card may be one in which the device is a loose fit in the aperture, and in which the device is retained in the aperture by a lid which is à friction fit with the foam material. The lid may be made of the same or a different material to the foam material.

Preferably the lid is made of card. The lid can then easily be printed with text and/or instructions and/or a greeting.

The greetings card of the present invention may be made in a wide variety of different constructional styles. The greetings cards may bear any suitable and appropriate type of greeting, for example as appropriate for Christmas, Birthdays, Valentines Day, Easter, Anniversaries, and general occasions. As will be explained in more detail hereinbelow, the use of the foam material enables the greetings card to provide other features which make the greetings card more marketable than known greetings cards. Also, the foam material can be used to give stiffness to the body portion and/or to protect the device or devices in the aperture in the retaining member. Because the foam material will generally be light, it does not add substantially to the cost of sending the greetings card through the post. The greetings card may be sent through the post in any suitable and appropriate envelope.

The greetings card may be one in which the body portion is a folded body portion. The body portion may however be a non-folded body portion if desired.

The greetings card may be one in which the body portion is such that the greetings card is in the form of a folded card, a folder, a book, a sleeve construction, a wallet, a heart, a flower, a building or a vehicle. Other constructions may be employed if desired.

The body portion will usually be made of card.

Other paper materials, plastics materials and wood may be employed. A spun polypropylene plastics material is an example of a suitable plastics material. Generally, the body portion may be made of any suitable and appropriate material. Usually, the body portion will be printed and so it is desirable that the material for the body portion should be such that it is easily able to accept printing.

In a first embodiment of the invention; the greetings card comprises a plurality of the devices, the devices being of different shapes which fit together to make one or more designs, the devices then providing a puzzle feature for the greetings card which is in addition to the greeting.

In a second embodiment of the invention, the greetings card comprises a plurality of the devices, the devices being such as to constitute or form part of a game, the devices then providing a game feature which is in addition to the greeting.

In a third embodiment of the invention, the greetings card comprises at least one of the devices, the or each device being in the nature of a gift, the device or devices then providing a gift feature which is in addition to the greeting.

The foam material may be a closed cell foam material, for example a spongy material such as the foam material sold under the trade mark PLASTOZOTE or EVAZOTE, or a more rigid material such as foamed polystyrene. If desired, the foam material may be an open cell foam material such for example as a natural sponge material.

The present invention also provides the combination of the greetings card and an envelope therefor.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figures la - f show a first greetings card; Figures 2a - e show a second greetings card; Figures 3a - e show a third greetings card; Figures 4a - c show a fourth greetings card; Figures 5a - d show a fifth greetings card; Figure 6a- c show a sixth greetings card; Figures 7a - f show a seventh greetings card; Figures 8a - f show an eighth greetings card; Figures 9a - f show a ninth greetings card; Figures 10a - f show a tenth greetings card; Figures lia - e show an eleventh greetings card; Figures 12a - d show a twelfth greetings card; Figures 13a - d show a thirteenth greetings card; and Figures 14a - e show a fourteenth greetings card.

Referring to Figures la - f, there is shown a greetings card 2. Figures la - d show the greetings card 2 in various stages of being opened in order to illustrate its construction. As can be seen, the greetings card 2 comprises a body portion 4, a retaining member 6, and a plurality of devices 8 (see especially Figure le) which are positioned in apertures 10 in the retaining member 6. In Figure lc, apertures 10 are shown in the form of a christmas tree, and the devices 8 have been put together in the form of a christmas tree.

In Figure ld, there is illustrated a different design 12 which can be formed from the devices 8. The second side 14 of the body portion 4 contains other illustrated designs 16 as shown, these designs 16 being such that they can also be formed from the devices 8.

The greetings card 2 shown in Figure 1 is thus a folded greetings card which has devices 8 which can be used to provide a puzzle feature for the greetings card 2. Instructions for playing with the puzzle can be printed on the suitable side of the body portion 4, for example the fourth side.

At least when the devices 8 are in the illustrated shape of the christmas tree as shown in Figure ic, they are a push fit in the apertures 10 so that they are easily retained in the apertures 10. The retaining member 6 is made of a foam material. The foam material is resilient and this resilience helps to grip the devices 8. The devices 8 are also made of a foam material, usually the same foam material as that employed for the retaining member 6. If desired, the devices 8 could be made of a different material such for example as a plastics material or wood.

In Figures 2 - 14, similar parts as in Figure 1 have been given the same reference numerals for ease of comparison and understanding.

Figures 2a - e show a second greetings card 2 which carries a game. The greetings card 2 is formed with a folded body portion 4. The device 8 can be removed from the remainder of the card 2, played with, and then replaced as desired. As shown in Figure 2e, the body portion 4 can be printed with a greeting, rules of play, names and various texts. A space 18 can be provided for a personal message.

Figures 3a - e show a greetings card 2 which is also in the form of a board game and which is provided with rules. The greetings card 2 has a plurality of the devices 8. The third side of the body portion 4 is provided with a spinning arrow device 20. The spinning arrow device 20 is glued in position and, as can be seen from Figure 3d, glue is provided where indicated by the dots. Figure 3e shows how the side of the body portion 4 opposite to that shown in Figure 3d can be printed.

The greetings card 2 shown in Figure 3 is thus such that the devices 8 form part of a game so that the greetings card 2 then has a game feature which is in addition to the greeting. In Figure 3, the greeting can be provided at any desired position.

Figure 4 shows a simple construction for a greetings card 2, the body portion 4 being a non-folded body portion 4. The retaining member 6 is glued on to the body portion 4 by glue il;;strated as dots in Figure 4c.

Figure 5 shows a folded greetings card 2. The retaining member 6 is again glued in position as shown by dots in Figure 5d.

Figures 6a - c show a sandwich form of greetings card 2.

Figures 7a - f show a folder construction for the greetings card 2.

Figures 8a - f show a first book construction for the greetings card 2.

Figures 9a - f show a second book construction for the greetings card 2.

Figures 10a - f show a third book construction for the greetings card 2.

Figures lla - e show a sleeve construction for the greetings card 2. As can be seen from Figure isle, glue is provided in the form of a glue tab 22. The retaining member 6 slides into position between the third and the fourth sides of the body portion 4.

Figures 12a - d show a first wallet construction for the greetings card 2.

Figures 13a - d show a second wallet construction for the greetings card 2. In Figure 13 it will be seen that there are two of the devices 8.

In Figures 4 - 13, the devices 8 have been shown as simple devices 8. These devices 8 may in fact represent presents, in which case the greetings card 2 provides a gift feature in addition to the greeting that will be provided on the greetings card 2. In Figures 4 - 13, the greeting has not been shown for ease of illustration. The greeting can be provided wherever suitable and appropriate. Similarly, the greeting can be provided wherever desired on the body portion 4 in the greetings card 2 shown in Figure 3.

Figure 14a - e show a greetings card in which the device 8 is formed by two items of jewellery, namely a chain 24 and a ring 26. The chain 24 and the ring 26 are a loose fit in the aperture 10. The chain 24 and the ring 26 are retained in the aperture 10 by a lid 28 which is a friction fit in the aperture 10. In an alternative construction (not shown) the chain 24 and the ring 26 may be wrapped in wrapping material for example cotton wool, and the wrapping material can then be pushed into the aperture 10 and then used to retain the chain 24 and the ring 26 in the aperture 10. The chain 24 and the ring 26 may alternatively be any other suitable and appropriate device including for example another item of jewellery or confectionery.

In Figure 14a, the greetings card is shown closed.

As can be seen, the greetings card is in the form of a heart. Advantageously, the greetings card can simply and economically be formed in a variety of other shapes such for example as a flower, a building or a lorry.

Such shapes may often be more pleasing than a simple rectangular box shape. As shown in Figure 14a, the greetings cards may be printed on one or both of its sides, or left blank if desired. Figures 14(b) (c), (d) and (e) show how the lid 28 for the aperture 10 is provided with a tab 30 for ease of removing and replacing the lid 28. The lid 28 may bear a printed message or greeting. The aperture 10 may contain a message or greeting in addition to the chain 24 and the ring 26, or other desired device or devices. Figure 14(b) illustrates how the top part of the body portion 4 forms a cover, the inside 32 of which is available for writing a personal message.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, other constructions of greetings card 2 may be employed to those shown. A wide variety of greetings may be employed on the greetings cards. Also, if desired, the greetings cards may be provided with an audio device for giving a song and/or a spoken message.

Claims (13)

1. A greetings card comprising a body portion, a retaining member, at least one aperture in the retaining member, and at least one device which is positioned in the aperture in the retaining member, the body portion being such that it bears a greeting, the retaining member being made of a foam material, and the device being retained in the aperture.

2. A greetings card according to claim 1 in which the the device is retained in the aperture by being a friction fit with the foam material.

3. A greetings card according to claim 1 in which the device is a loose fit in the aperture, and in which the device is retained in the aperture by a lid which is a friction fit with the foam material.

4. A greetings card according to any one of the preceding claims 1 in which the body portion is a folded body portion.

5. A greetings card according to any one of the preceding claims in which the body portion is such that the greetings card is in the form of a folded card, a folder, a book, a sleeve construction, a wallet, a heart, a flower, a building or a vehicle.

6. A greetings card according to any one of the preceding claims in which the body portion is made of card or a plastics material.

7. A greetings card according to any one of the preceding claims and comprising a plurality of the devices, the devices being of different shapes which fit together to make one or more designs, the devices then providing a puzzle feature for the greetings card which is in addition to the greeting.

8. A greetings card according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and comprising a plurality of the devices, the devices being such as to constitute or form part of a game, the devices then providing a game feature which is in addition to the greeting.

9. A greetings card according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and comprising at least one of the devices, the or each device being in the nature of a gift, the or each device then providing a gift feature which is in addition to the greeting.

10. A greetings card according to any one of the preceding claims in which the foam material is a closed cell foam material.

11. A greetings card according to any one of claims 1 to 9 in which the foam material is an open cell foam material.

12. A greetings card substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

13. The combination of a greetings card according to any one of the preceding claims and an envelope therefor.