Greeting card with pull activated effects

• US 8,955,240 B1
• Filed: 06/18/2014
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Greetings Corporation
• Original Assignee: American Greetings Corporation
• Inventors: Loftus, Jim, Cochran, Cheryl
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoge, Gary
• Application Number:
  US14/308,033
• Time in Patent Office: 244 Days
• Field of Search: 401/240.3
• 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

Abstract

The greeting card of the present invention contains a sound mechanism which is operative to replay one or more audio clips upon a user pulling a pull device which extends outward from the front of the greeting card. The pull device controls activation of the audio but also serves as a three-dimensional aspect of the scene or picture printed on the front of the greeting card.

Claims

1. An interactive greeting card comprising:

a multi-panel greeting card body;

a sound module operative to store and replay at least one audio clip;

a pull mechanism which is an elongate, cylindrical shape made of rubber, silicone, neoprene or gel, which is partially contained within a cavity contained in the multi-panel greeting card body and partially contained outside of said cavity, the pull mechanism operative to initiate playback of the at least one audio clip upon pulling thereon;

wherein the pull mechanism completes part of a picture printed on the greeting card body, and

wherein the pull mechanism extends outward at an angle from a front face of the multi-panel greeting card body.

2. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, wherein the pull mechanism is accessed through the front face of the greeting card.

3. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, wherein the at least one audio clip contains a message spoken in the voice of a character printed on the greeting card.

4. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, wherein the pull mechanism is also operative to activate one or more lights contained on the greeting card.

5. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, wherein the pull mechanism snaps back to its original position after being pulled.

6. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, wherein two different pull mechanisms are contained on the greeting card which are operative to playback different audio clips.

7. An interactive greeting card comprising:

a greeting card body having three or more panels;

a sound module operative to store and playback one or more audio files;

a pull mechanism that is attached to a switch which controls activation of the sound module, the pull mechanism being accessed through an opening in one of the three or more greeting card panels;

wherein the pull mechanism is non-planar and is made of a material which is different from the material of the greeting card body.

8. The interactive greeting card of claim 7, wherein the pull mechanism is made of molded silicone.

9. The interactive greeting card of claim 7, wherein the pull mechanism also serves as a portion of the artwork printed on one of the at least three greeting card panels.

10. The interactive greeting card of claim 7, wherein the pull mechanism is accessed through an opening on a front face of the greeting card body.

11. The interactive greeting card of claim 7, wherein the pull mechanism must be pulled in a sideways direction.

12. The interactive greeting card of claim 7, wherein the pull mechanism must be pulled in a downward direction.

13. The interactive greeting card of claim 7, wherein the one or more audio files serves as a body part of a character or animal printed on the greeting card.

14. The interactive greeting card of claim 7, wherein the pull mechanism serves as a body part of a character printed on the greeting card.

15. An interactive greeting card comprising:

a greeting card body;

a molded silicone, elastic, cylindrical pull mechanism which is connected to a switch, the switch contained and concealed between a cavity formed between at least two panels of the greeting card body, the pull mechanism partially contained within the cavity formed between the at least two panels of the greeting card body;

wherein the pull mechanism exists the cavity at an angle through an opening in one of the at least two panels of the greeting card body; and

wherein the switch activates one or more of the following effects;

audio playback;

illumination of one or more lights on the greeting card;

activation of a motor module which causes movement of a mobile object attached to the greeting card.

16. The interactive greeting card of claim 15, wherein the pull mechanism is made from a material which is different from the greeting card body.

17. The interactive greeting card of claim 15, wherein the pull mechanism is elastic.

18. The interactive greeting card of claim 15, wherein the pull mechanism can be accessed through the front face of the greeting card.

19. The interactive greeting card of claim 15, wherein the at least one audio clip contains the voice of a character which is printed on the greeting card.

20. The interactive greeting card of claim 15, wherein the sound module contains a plurality of different audio clips which are played back in turn upon a user pulling on the pull mechanism.