Sound generating pull-out greeting cards with removable panels

• US 8,763,286 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2012
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• 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, Jonathan, Mayer, David, Marsh, Allison
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoge, Gary
• Application Number:
  US13/657,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20130104431A1
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 401/240.3, 401/240.6, 401/241.1
• US Class Current: 40/124.03
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 15/00 Purses, bags, luggage or other receptacles covered by groups A45C1/00 - A45C11/00, combined with other objects or articles A45C1/08, A45C3/14, A45C11/321, A45C13/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 3/04 Shopping bags; Shopping nets
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/042 Foldable cards or sheets B42D15/045 and B42D15/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/12 Audible, olfactory or visual signalling means B65D51/248, B65D55/028, B65D79/02 and B65D81/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 33/004 Information or decoration elements, e.g. level indicators, detachable tabs or coupons
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 1/04 Folded cards

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. A greeting card gift bag combination comprising:

a gift bag having four side panels and a bottom panel creating a closed end, the end opposite the closed end being open for the insertion and removal of a gift item, one of the four side panels having a horizontal slot contained thereon;

greeting card having a first panel and a second panel connected by a fold line, the first and second panels being inserted within the slot contained on one of the our side panels of the gift bag;

a sound module contained and concealed within the gift bag, the sound module operative to store and playback at least one audio file;

a two-arm contact switch contained and concealed within the gift bag;

wherein removal of the greeting card from the slot causes playback of the at least one audio file.

2. The greeting card gift bag combination of claim 1, wherein the greeting card is completely detachable from the gift bag.

3. The greeting card gift bag combination of claim 1, wherein the slot of the gift bag is located proximate to a center of the gift bag.

4. The greeting card gift bag combination of claim 1, wherein the gift bag panel having the slot contained thereon is double-walled.

5. The greeting card gift bag combination of claim 1, wherein when the greeting card is inserted into the slot on the gift bag, a portion of the greeting card is still visible.

6. The greeting card gift bag combination of claim 1, wherein the edges of the greeting card are non-linear.

7. An interactive gift bag comprising:

a gift bag;

a two panel greeting card partially contained with a cavity located within one panel of the gift bag, a bottom portion of both panels of the greeting card being fully contained within the gift bag and a top portion of both panels of the greeting card remaining outside of the gift bag; and

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

wherein removal of the greeting card from the cavity of the gift bag initiates playback of the at least one pre-recorded audio file.

8. The interactive gift bag of claim 7, wherein re-insertion of the greeting card into the cavity of the gift bag deactivates playback of the at least one pre-recorded audio file.

9. The interactive gift bag of claim 7, wherein the switch is a contact switch.

10. The interactive gift bag of claim 7, wherein the greeting card is inserted into the gift bag cavity via a slot located on the gift bag.

11. The interactive gift bag of claim 7, wherein the greeting card contains two panels connected along a fold line.

12. The interactive gift bag of claim 7, wherein the greeting card is a 360-degree die cut.

13. The interactive gift bag of claim 7, wherein at least one panel of the gift bag is double-walled.

14. The interactive gift bag of claim 7, wherein the greeting card is completely detachable from the gift bag.

15. An interactive gift bag comprising:

a four sided gift bag with one open end and one closed end, at least one of the four sides of the gift bag being double-walled with a cavity formed therebetween;

a greeting card having a first panel attached to a second panel along a fold line, the first panel being folded atop the second panel;

a slot contained on the double walled gift bag panel to accommodate insertion of the greeting card therein;

a sound module located in the cavity of the double-walled gift bag panel, the sound module operative to store and play pre-recorded audio;

a pressure sensitive contact switch operative to control power to the sound module;

wherein removing the greeting card from the cavity of the double-walled gift bag panel via the slot, triggers playback of a pre-recorded audio file; and

wherein the greeting card cannot be unfolded until it is removed from the slot.

16. The interactive gift bag of claim 15, wherein the greeting card is completely detachable from the gift bag.

17. The interactive gift bag of claim 15, wherein the greeting card is made from a 360-degree die cut.

18. The interactive gift bag of claim 15, wherein when the greeting card has a length which is longer than the length of the cavity formed between the two walls of the double-walled gift bag panel.

19. The interactive gift bag of claim 15, wherein the greeting card, gift bag and the digital audio file are coordinated by theme.