Flexible drive shaft for greeting cards and the like

• US 9,830,836 B1
• Filed: 01/04/2017
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hallmark Cards Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hallmark Cards Incorporated
• Inventors: Bowen, Douglas M., Covey, Robert A., Wallen, Thomas A., Pavlu, Jr., Robert R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Shin
• Application Number:
  US15/398,524
• Time in Patent Office: 328 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/042 Foldable cards or sheets B42D15/045 and B42D15/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 1/12 Arrangements for transmitting movement to or from the flexible member
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 1/04 Folded cards
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 1/06 to be erected in three dimensions G09F1/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/02 incorporating moving display members

Abstract

A greeting card having mechanically actuated moving portions is provided. The greeting card may include a panel having one or more folds, one or more flexible drive shafts coupled to the panel and having a flipping or moving portion, and a decorative portion coupled to at least one of the panel and the flipping or moving portion. Each flexible drive shaft may be coupled to the panel such that a portion is positioned on a first side of the fold and a portion is positioned on a second side of the fold. When the greeting card is opened, a moment arm is created in the flexible drive shaft which causes the flipping or moving portion to move from a first position to a second position. The decorative portion may move in response to the flipping or moving portion moving from the first position to the second position.

Claims

1. A greeting card having mechanically actuated moving portions, the greeting card comprising:

a panel having at least a first subpanel and a second subpanel, the first subpanel and the second subpanel being separated by a fold in the panel, the second subpanel having one or more openings formed therein;

one or more flexible drive shafts, each having a first end, a second end, and a flipping portion between the first end and the second end, each being coupled to the panel, each first end being positioned on the first subpanel side of the fold, and each second end being positioned on the second subpanel side of the fold;

the flipping portion of each of the one or more flexible drive shafts extending through one of the one or more openings in the second subpanel and configured to move from a first position to a second position when the greeting card is opened; and

a decorative portion affixed to at least one of the second subpanel and one or more of the flipping portions, the decorative portion configured to move in response to the flipping portion moving from the first position to the second position.

2. The greeting card of claim 1, further comprising the panel having a third subpanel and a fourth subpanel, the third subpanel being adjacent the second subpanel and being separated from the second subpanel by a second fold, the fourth subpanel being adjacent the third subpanel and being separated from the third subpanel by a third fold.

3. The greeting card of claim 2, wherein the second fold is positioned in the center of the panel and wherein the one or more flexible drive shafts are made of spring steel wire.

4. The greeting card of claim 3, wherein each of the first subpanel, the second subpanel, the third subpanel, and the fourth subpanel have generally equal dimensions.

5. The greeting card of claim 1, further comprising the panel having a window opening in one or more of the first subpanel and the second subpanel.

6. The greeting card of claim 1, wherein each opening of the one or more openings comprise a slot for receiving the flipping portion therethrough.

7. The greeting card of claim 1, further comprising:

the panel having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first end and the second end of the flexible drive shaft are positioned adjacent the first surface and the flipping portion is positioned adjacent the second surface.

8. The greeting card of claim 1, further comprising:

the panel having one or more flexible drive shaft securing tabs.

9. The greeting card of claim 1, further comprising:

a flexible drive shaft retaining panel, the flexible drive shaft retaining panel being affixed to the first subpanel and configured to couple a portion of the flexible drive shaft to the first subpanel.

10. The greeting card of claim 9, wherein the flexible drive shaft retaining panel includes at least two openings through which the flexible drive shaft is threaded.

11. The greeting card of claim 1, wherein the decorative portion is affixed to each of the one or more flipping portions and the second subpanel.

12. A flexible drive shaft for a greeting card having at least a first subpanel separated from a second subpanel by a fold, the flexible drive shaft comprising:

a first end, a second end, a fixed bend in the flexible drive shaft between the first end and the second end, and a plurality of segments between the first end and the second end; and

the plurality of segments including at least;

a first segment extending from the first end to the fixed bend and coupled to the first subpanel;

a second segment extending from the fixed bend to a first opening in the second subpanel; and

a third segment extending from the first opening to the second end.

13. The flexible drive shaft of claim 12, wherein the third segment comprises a flipping portion configured to move from a first position when the greeting card is closed to a second position when the greeting card is open.

14. The flexible drive shaft of claim 13, wherein the third segment further comprises an end portion, wherein the flipping portion extends from the first opening to a second opening in the second subpanel, and wherein the end portion extends from the second opening to the second end.

15. The flexible drive shaft of claim 12, wherein the third segment further comprises a plurality of flipping portions configured to move from a first position when the greeting card is closed to a second position when the greeting card is open.

16. A greeting card comprising:

a panel folded across a fold line to define a first subpanel and a second subpanel, the second subpanel having first and second slot openings; and

a flexible drive shaft having a first end, a second end, and a plurality of segments between the first end and the second end, the flexible drive shaft being coupled to the panel, and the plurality of segments comprising;

a first segment extending from the first end to the first slot opening in the second subpanel;

a second segment extending through the first slot opening to a first apex and from the first apex back through the first slot opening;

a third segment extending from the first slot opening to a first fixed bend in the flexible drive shaft;

a fourth segment extending from the first fixed bend to a second fixed bend, the fourth segment being positioned on the first subpanel side of the fold line;

a fifth segment extending from the second fixed bend to the second slot opening in the second subpanel;

a sixth segment extending through the second slot opening to a second apex and from the second apex back through the second slot opening; and

a seventh segment extending from the second slot opening to the second end.

17. The greeting card of claim 16, wherein the fourth segment is coupled to the first subpanel.

18. The greeting card of claim 16, wherein the fourth segment is bent in half and twisted such that the first fixed bend and the second fixed bend are adjacent to one another.

19. The greeting card of claim 16, further comprising:

at least one tab formed in the second subpanel and configured to couple one of the third segment and the fifth segment to the second subpanel.

20. The greeting card of claim 16, further comprising:

a decorative portion coupled to at least one of the second segment and the sixth segment and configured to move in response to the movement of the coupled segment.