Sound generating pull-out greeting cards with removable panels

• US 8,316,565 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2011
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Greetings Corporation
• Original Assignee: American Greetings Corporation
• Inventors: Jin, Eva, Qiao, Tiger, Talbot, Johnathan, Mayer, David, Marsh, Allison
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoge, Gary
• Application Number:
  US13/176,103
• Publication Number:
  US 20120000101A1
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• Field of Search: 401/240.3, 401/240.6, 401/241.1
• 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 15/045 Multi-part cards or sheets, i.e. combined with detachably mounted articles

Abstract

An interactive sound generating greeting card having two separate and distinct components, one being an outer greeting card which serves as a pocket or cavity with a slot located thereon providing access to the pocket or cavity and the other being an inner greeting card which is sized to partially fit into the cavity in the outer greeting card. A sound module is contained and concealed within the outer greeting card cavity, including a switch mechanism. The inner greeting card and switch mechanism work in combination to control the playback of a digital audio file stored on the sound module such that when the inner greeting card is contained within the cavity of the outer greeting card, playback of the digital audio file is deactivated and when the inner greeting card is removed from the cavity of the outer greeting card, playback of the digital audio file is activated.

Claims

1. An interactive greeting card comprising:

a first greeting card having a front panel and a back panel which is opposite of and in direct contact with the front panel, the front and back panels between attached along all outer edges forming a closed cavity therebetween with a slot located on the front panel which provides access to the cavity;

a second greeting card having a first panel and a second panel connected by a fold line;

a sound module contained and concealed within the cavity of the first greeting card, the sound module operative to store and playback at least one digital audio file;

a two-arm contact switch contained and concealed within the cavity of the first greeting card;

wherein insertion of the second greeting card into the slot on the first greeting card and between the two arms of the contact switch removes power from the sound module and removal of the second greeting card from the slot on the first greeting card and between the two arms of the contact switch adds power to the sound module, thereby initiating playback of the at least one digital audio file.

2. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, wherein the second greeting card is completely detachable from the first greeting card.

3. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, wherein the first and second greeting cards are die cut.

4. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, wherein the slot of the first greeting card is located proximate to a center of the first greeting card.

5. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, wherein the first greeting card contains a first greeting printed thereon and the second greeting card contains a second greeting printed thereon.

6. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, wherein when the second greeting card is inserted into the slot on the first greeting card, a portion of the second greeting card is still visible.

7. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, wherein the edges of the first and second greeting card and the slot on the first greeting card are non-linear.

8. An interactive greeting card comprising:

a first greeting card having a first panel and a second panel in direct contact with and attached to the first panel along all outer edges, thereby creating a cavity therebetween, the first panel having an opening thereon;

a second greeting card partially contained within the cavity of the first greeting card; and

a sound module comprising a circuit board, a microprocessor, a speaker, a power source, a memory device, at least one pre-recorded digital audio file saved on the memory device, and a switch;

wherein removal of the second greeting card from the cavity of the first greeting card initiates playback of the at least one pre-recorded digital audio file.

9. The interactive greeting card of claim 8, wherein the switch is a contact switch.

10. The interactive greeting card of claim 8, wherein the switch is a contact switch.

11. The interactive greeting card of claim 8, wherein the second greeting card is inserted into the first greeting card via a slot located on the first greeting card.

12. The interactive greeting card of claim 8, wherein the second greeting card contains two panels connected along a fold line.

13. The interactive greeting card of claim 8, wherein the second greeting card is a 360-degree die cut.

14. The interactive greeting card of claim 13, wherein the first greeting card is a 360-degree die cut.

15. The interactive greeting card of claim 8, wherein the second greeting card is completely detachable from the first greeting card.

16. An interactive greeting card comprising:

a nested greeting card comprising an outer greeting card having a first panel in direct contact with and attached to a second panel along all outer edges of the first and second panels and forming a cavity therebetween and

an inner greeting card having a first panel and a second panel connected to a first panel along a fold line;

a slot contained on the outer greeting card sized to accommodate insertion of the inner greeting card into the cavity in the outer greeting card;

a sound module located in the cavity of the outer greeting card, the sound module operative to play pre-recorded digital audio;

a pressure sensitive contact switch having a first contact point and a second contact point, the pressure sensitive contact switch operative to control power to the sound module;

wherein placing the inner greeting card into the cavity of the outer greeting card via the slot, separates the first contact point and the second contact point of the pressure sensitive contact switch, thereby interrupting power to the sound module; and

wherein removing the inner greeting card from the cavity of the outer greeting card via the slot, places the first contact point in contact with the second contact point, thereby providing power to the sound module and triggering playback of a pre-recorded digital audio file.

17. The interactive greeting card of claim 16, wherein the inner greeting card is completely detachable from the outer greeting card.

18. The interactive greeting card of claim 16, wherein the inner greeting card and the outer greeting card are both made from a 360-degree die cut.

19. The interactive greeting card of claim 16, wherein the outer greeting card contains a first greeting and the inner greeting card contains a second greeting.

20. The interactive greeting card of claim 16, wherein the inner and outer greeting cards and the digital audio file are coordinated by theme.