Motorized gift card holders

• US 9,597,916 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2015
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Greetings Corporation
• Original Assignee: American Greetings Corporation
• Inventors: Zhang, Donald, Begin, Anthony, Mayer, David, Hughes, Terry, Guo, Jerry, Qiao, Tiger, Talbot, John
• Primary Examiner(s): JUNGE, KRISTINA N S
• Application Number:
  US14/664,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20150197117A1
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: B42D 15/045 Multi-part cards or sheets, i.e. combined with detachably mounted articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/101 Springs, elastic lips, or other resilient elements to locate the articles by pressure B65D25/102, B65D25/103 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 43/02 Removable lids or covers with means for piercing, cutting, or tearing a frangible inner closure B65D51/22

Abstract

The present disclosure and related inventions are directed to various types of motorized gift card holders. Each gift card holder embodiment creates added entertainment value to the act of presenting a recipient with a gift card. In some embodiments, the gift card holder is in the form of a greeting card having a motor therein to which a gift card or gift card sleeve is attached. In other embodiments, the gift card holder is in the form of a box having a motor therein to which a gift card or gift card sleeve is attached. Audio playback accompanies the motor movement of the gift card or gift card sleeve.

Claims

1. A gift card holder comprising:

a multi-panel greeting card having at least one sealed cavity therein;

a mobile object comprising at least two die-cut shapes;

a gift card sleeve operative to removably contain at least one gift card;

the gift card sleeve attached to the mobile object;

a motor contained within the at least one sealed cavity in the multi-panel greeting card, the motor module operative to cause movement of the mobile object and the gift card sleeve;

a switch which controls activation of the mobile object;

a push button which is operative to increase the speed of the motor;

wherein opening the greeting card activates the motor module, thereby causing movement of the mobile object and gift card sleeve and closing the greeting card deactivates the motor module.

2. The gift card holder of claim 1 further comprising a sound module operative to store and playback at least one audio file upon opening the greeting card.

3. The gift card holder of claim 2, wherein the push button is also operative to increase the speed of the playback of the at least one audio file.

4. The gift card holder of claim 1, wherein the at least two die cut shapes are each attached to the motor about two separate pivot points.

5. The gift card holder of claim 1, wherein a portion of a front cover of the multi-panel greeting card is transparent.

6. A gift card holder comprising:

a greeting card body having at least one cavity therein;

a motor module contained within the at least one cavity in the greeting card body;

a mobile object attached to the motor module;

a first switch operative to initiate the motor module;

a second switch operative to increase the speed of the motor;

a gift card holder attached to the motor module;

wherein opening the greeting card causes the first switch to initiate the motor module thereby causing movement of the mobile object.

7. The gift card holder of claim 6 further comprising a sound module having at least one audio file stored thereon.

8. The gift card holder of claim 7, wherein opening the gift card causes the switch to initiate the sound module thereby causing playback of the at least on audio file through a speaker.

9. The gift card holder of claim 7, wherein the second switch also operates to increase the speed of the audio file.

10. The gift card holder of claim 6, wherein the first switch is a slide switch.

11. The gift card holder of claim 6, wherein the second switch is a push button switch.

12. A gift card holder comprising:

a greeting card body having at least one cavity therein;

a mobile object including a gift card holder;

a motor module contained in the at least one cavity in the greeting card body and attached to the mobile object;

a first switch operative to initiate the motor module;

a second switch operative to increase the speed of the motor module;

wherein opening the greeting card initiates the motor module causing movement of the mobile object.