MOTION GREETING CARDS

• US 20130097898A1
• Filed: 04/16/2012
• Published: 04/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: American Greetings Corporation
• Original Assignee: American Greetings Corporation
• Inventors: Mayer, David, Hughes, Terry, Guo, Jerry, Qiao, Tiger, Talbot, John
• Application Number:
  US13/447,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20130097898A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 40/124.03
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/022 combined with permanently fastened sound-producing or light-emitting means or carrying sound records
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/027 combined with permanently fastened other articles, e.g. photographs
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/042 Foldable cards or sheets B42D15/045 and B42D15/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 1/00 Cardboard or like show-cards of foldable or flexible material

Abstract

The present invention and related disclosure describes greeting cards with moving elements or devices which are operable to create motion in connection with some portion of the greeting card. The greeting card may include a multi-panel greeting card body or a three-dimensional foam greeting card body. At least one movable object is contained upon or within the greeting card body. A sound module having at least one pre-recorded digital audio file saved therein and a motor module are contained and concealed within the greeting card body. One or more switches may be used to activate the sound and motor modules, causing the pre-recorded audio file to play and causing movement of the movable or mobile object. This movement may be up-and-down or “bouncing” motion, spinning or rotational motion, side-to-side motion or any other reciprocating motion.

Claims

1. A motion greeting card comprising:

multiple interconnected panels forming a greeting card body;

a sound module concealed between two of the multiple interconnected panels of the greeting card body;

a motor module concealed between two of the multiple interconnected panels of the greeting card body;

a mobile object attached to the motor module;

a power supply;

at least one pre-recorded digital audio file saved within the sound module;

a first switch, attached to at least one of the multiple interconnected panels of the greeting card body which activates the sound module and the motor module upon opening of the greeting card, activation of the motor module causing movement of the mobile object and activation of the sound module causing the at least one pre-recorded digital audio file to play; and

;

a second switch, which is operative to increase or decrease the speed of the digital audio file and increases the speed of the motor module.

2. The motion greeting card of claim 1, wherein movement of the mobile object is synchronized with the sounds of the at least one pre-recorded digital audio file.

3. The motion greeting card of claim 1, wherein the second switch is a press-button switch.

4. The motion greeting card of claim 3, wherein the second switch is operative to work as a toggle switch wherein a first press of the push button increases the speed of the digital audio file and the motor module and a second press of the push button decreases the speed of the digital audio file and the motor module.

5. The motion greeting card of claim 1, wherein movement of the mobile object is a back and forth reciprocating motion.

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

7. The motion greeting card of claim 1, wherein the motor module includes a motor having a rotating gear mechanism that when activated turns a gear, a connecting rod attaching the mobile object to the gear.

8. A motion greeting card comprising:

a multi-panel greeting card body;

a sound module;

a motor module;

a mobile object;

the mobile object is attached to a connecting rod, the connecting rod being attached to the motor module;

a first switch operative to control initiation of the sound module and the motor module;

a second switch operative to control the speed of the sound module and the motor module.

wherein, when the sound module is activated, a pre-recorded audio clip is played; and

when the motor module is activated, the connecting rod and mobile object are set in motion by operation of the motor module.

9. The motion greeting card of claim 8, wherein a first greeting card panel of the greeting card body is shorter than a second and third greeting card panels.

10. The motion greeting card of claim 8, wherein a transparent protective cover is removably attached to an inside surface of a first greeting card panel.

11. The motion greeting card of claim 8, wherein the motor contains a rotating gear mechanism that turns a gear which is attached to the connecting rod.

12. The motion greeting card of claim 8, wherein activation of the motor module causes the mobile object to move in a reciprocating motion.

13. The motion greeting card of claim 8, wherein the movement of the mobile object is synchronized with the sound produced by at least one pre-recorded audio file contained within the sound module.

14. The motion greeting card of claim 8, wherein the sound module and motor module are activated by opening the greeting card.

15. A motion greeting card comprising:

a greeting card body having a first panel connected to a second panel along a first fold line, the second panel attached to a third panel along a second fold line;

a sound module located between and concealed by two panels of the greeting card body;

a motor module located between and concealed by two panels of the greeting card body;

a mobile object comprising a shaped die cut piece which is connected to the motor module through an opening in one of the panels of the greeting card body;

a slide switch operative to initiate playback of at least one digital audio file contained within the sound module;

the slide switch operative to initiate movement of the motor module and mobile object;

a push-button switch operative to increase and decrease the speed of playback of the at least one digital audio file and increase and decrease the speed of movement of the motor module.

16. The motion greeting card of claim 15, wherein the push-button switch is accessed through a third greeting card panel.

17. The motion greeting card of claim 15, wherein the movement of the mobile object is synchronized with the sound of the pre-recorded digital audio file.

18. The motion greeting card of claim 15, wherein closing the greeting card deactivates the sound and motor modules.

19. The motion greeting card of claim 15, wherein the first greeting card panel is shorter than the second and third greeting card panels.

20. The motion greeting card of claim 15, wherein the mobile object can be seen from the front of the greeting card.