GB2336808A - Greetings card with catapult for ejecting contents of a sling - Google Patents

Abstract

The card includes a sling 2 attached by elastic bands 3 to the corners of the card 1. The sling is retained by Velcro (RTM) pads 4 in the closed position of the card. Opening the card separates the sling from the pads and ejects the contents 5 of the sling.

Description

2336808 CATAPULT GREETING CARD THIS INVENTION RELATES TO A GREETING [S]

CARD THAT EJECTS APPROPRIATE ITEMS OVER THE RECEIVER WHEN THE CARD IS OPENED.

GREETING CARDS ARE AVAILABLE IN MANY DIFFERENT SHAPES, FORMATS AND SIZES, FROM THE FOUR OR MORE PAGE BASIC CARD,- THROUGH A BROAD RANGE OF CARDS TO THE MULTIDIMENSIONAL POP-UP CARDS AND THOSE WITH THE ADDITION OF MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT, ELECTRICAL OR MECHANICAL DEVICES.

THERE IS A CONSTANT DEMAND FROM THE PUBLIC FOR NEW AND DIFFERENT WAYS OF SENDING THERE BEST WISHES ON OCCASIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. WITH THE CATAPULT CARD, THE PRINCIPLE MESSAGE IS DELIVERED BY SHOWERING THE RECIPIENT WITH ITEMS APPROPRIATE TO THE MESSAGE ON THE CARD. THE CARD, SLING AND THE ITEMS IN THE SLING WOULD BE PRODUCED IN A VARIETY OF MATERIALS SUITABLE TO THE GENERAL PRODUCTION.

THE CATAPULT CARD WORKS BY WAY OF A SLING SPRUNG BACK INSIDE THE CARD BY MEANS OF ELASTIC BANDS, THE OU SLING BEING HELD BACK IN THE CLOSED POSITION BY VELCROt OF SIMILAR RESTRICTION WHICH RIPS APART WHEN THE CARD IS OPENED) RELEASING THE SLING FORWARD AND SO CATAPULTING THE CONTENTS OF THE SLING OVER THE RECEIVER. IF DESIRED, THE PROCESS CAN BE REPEATED BY THE RECIPIENT.

A SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION IS NOW DESCRIBED BY WAY OF EXAMPLE WITH REFERENCE TO THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWING IN WHICH: - 21 Fig.1 SHOWS THE GREETING CARD VIEWED FACE ON CLOSED AND PRIMED READY FOR OPENING. THIS DRAWING GIVES A TWO DIMENSIONAL'X-RAY'VIEW OF THE INTERNAL WORKINGS.

Fig.2 SHOWS, BY WAY OF A THREE-DIMENSIONAL DRAWING THE CARD OPENED WITH THE SLING RELEASED FROM RETENTION AND THE CONTENTS OF THE SLING DISCHARGED WITH REFERENCE TO THE DRAWINGS, THE EXAMPLE SHOWN IS THAT OF A FOUR-PAGE GREETING CARD IN ORDER TO DEMONSTRATE THE PRINCIPLE INVOLVED FOR THE ACTION OF THE SLING, BUT THIS SAME EJECT MECHANISM CAN BE APPLIED TO GREETING CARDS OF MORE THAN FOUR PAGES.

No.1 A FOUR PAGE CREASED AND FOLDED OUTER. No.2 A CREASED AND FOLDED SLING. No.3 FOUR ELASTIC BANDS SECURED TO THE FOUR CORNERS. OF THE CARD AND THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE SLING. No.4 RETENTION PADS TO HOLD THE SLING IN THE FIRING POSITION WHEN THE CARD IS PRIMED. No.5 ITEMS FOR DISCHARGE FROM THE SLING, HELD IN PLACE BY RETAINING FLAP ON THE SLING WHEN THE CARD IS PRIMED.

-2 FIGITRE 1.

IN ORDER TO PRIME THE CATAPULT CARD, FIRSTLY THE ITEMS TO BE DISCHARGED ARE LOADED INTO THE SLING AND THE CLOSING FLAP OF THE SLING IS FOLDED OVER. THE SLING IS PUSHED TO THE BACK OF GREETING CARD WHICH PUTS THE ELASTIC BANDS UNDER TENSION. THIS TENSION IS MAINTAINED BY THE RETAINING PADS [VELCRO OR OTHER TYPES] STICKING TOGETHER WHEN THE CARD IS CLOSED.

FIGURE 2.

WHEN THE CARD IS OPENED THE RETAINING PADS RIP APART5 SO RELEASING THE SLING FORWARD. THE ACTION OF OPENING THE GREETING CARD OPENS THE SLING ITSELF AT THE SAME TIME AND THE CONTENTS OF THE SLING ARE CATAPULTED FORWARD t

Claims (2)

1. A CATAPULT GREETING CARD COMPRISING OF A 4-PAGE CARDBOARD OUTER, WITH A 4-PAGE CARDBOARD SLING INNER. THE SLING HAS ELASTIC BAND ATTACHED TO EACH OF THE 4 CORNERS WHICH ARE THEN ATTACHED TO EACH OF THE 4 CORNERS OF THE CARDBOARD OUTER. THE ELASTIC BANDS ACT AS THE FIRING MECHANISM TO CATAPULT THE SLING FORWARD AND ITS CONTENTS. 0

2. A CATAPULT GREETING CARD AS CLAIMED IN CLAIM 1 WHEREIN VELCRO PADS ARE POSITION STUCK TO THE INNER OF THE 4 PAGE GREETING CARD OUTER, SO WHEN THE SLING IS PULLED TO THE BACK OF THE CARD AND THE CARD IS CLOSED, THE VELCRO PADS STICK TOGETHER THUS HOLDING THE SLING BACK IN PLACE UNTIL THE CARD IS OPENED.