AU733094B3 - Folding card - Google Patents

Description

i ,I ,i P/00/0011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A PETTY PATENT

ORIGINAL

ooo~ r o n ,oov Inuo a Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: A rlracc fotr anr"i ir Megaprint Group Limited Geoff Rayner Freehills Carter Smith Beadle Australia: Australia101 Collins Street Melbourne Victoria 3000 Australia Invention Title: Folding Card Details ofAssociated Provisional Application: PQ4832 filed 22 December 1999 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us 2 Field of the Invention: This invention relates to novelty card devices and in particular to a card having a plurality of folding options adapted to render a variety of two and/or three dimensional configurations of the folded card.

Background to the Invention: Folding card systems are well known and represented in the prior art as novelty items particularly suited for promotional purposes either as collectable items or point of sale tools.

Such known systems are disclosed and provided as hand held and manipulated cards using a plurality of fold lines enabling the cards to be folded into a number of orientations revealing a selection of images. Many simple folding cards of this type are known.

In another form, more complex systems allow multiple folding to, not only reveal different images, but also to provide various physical configurations which can S. 15 be returned to their original configuration in a single series of actions without reversing the folding action. Such card devices provide additional interest. and marketing potential. European Patent Application 306093 and Australian Patent Application 34214/97 disclose such systems.

However, none of the prior art systems currently available allow a folding card to render a variety of two and/or three dimensional configurations from the one unit by folding action of a single card system.

Statement of the Invention: One object of the invention is to provide an improved folding card.

In one aspect the invention provides a folding card device including a first card member and a second card member wherein said first card member is formed in two parts with a substantially central cut forming first and second parts respectively and with a first fold line formed transversely, across the. card,:said:second card member being formed in two parts with a silhouette formation cut across the card to form third and fourth parts respectively, second and third spaced apart fold lines formed in a direction substantially transverse to the direction of the first fold line, said first and second card members being joined together at a plurality of points at or adjacent to the periphery thereof to allow said device to be folded along said second and third fold TNB:NB:40456858.Pp 9 October 2000 lines so as to separate the first and second parts along said cut and to reveal an image formed on said second card member between said fold lines, or alternatively said device being folded along said first fold line so as to separate said third and fourth parts along said silhouette cut to reveal said silhouette.

In a particularly preferred form the device is a rectangular shape with said first and second card members joined at the four corners of said rectangle. The first and second card members may be formed from one piece of card.

The cut in said first card may be formed down the center thereof as a straight or shaped cut. The fold lines across the width and down the length of said first and second card members respectively are preferably formed at right angles to each other and parallel to the respective edges of said first and second cards.

The joining of the first and second cards is preferably made at the points common to both cards which remain contiguous during both folding actions.' The fold lines are preferably formed at about one quarter distance across the surface of said part.

Detailed description of the Invention The invention will be described in greater detail with reference to figures 1 to 3.

Figure 1 shows the flat presentation of the folding card.

Figure 2A shows the folding card folded along the first fold line to separate out the silhouette cut.

Figure 2B shows the same fold rotated.

Figure 3 shows the folding card folded along the second and third fold lines to reveal an image formed underneath.

Referring firstly to Figure 1, a particular enmbodiment'of the invention -with the configuration of the folding card as a square is shown With the card in unfolded flat presentation as a generally square configuration. The folding card comprises a first card member 1 of square configuration which is overlaid on top-of a second card member 2 of the same configuration. The first card member 1 is formed of two substantially equal parts being a first part 4 and a second part 5 divided down the center by way of a straight central cut 3. The central cut 3 runs down the length of the first card member as a straight line although other variations could well be accommodated.

The first card member also has a first fold line 6, formed across the width thereof at TNB:NB:40456858.PP 9 October 2000 about three-quarters of the distance down the length of the card. The first card member 1 is provided with suitable ornamentation in the form of the chosen representation required for the front of the folding card. For example, an animal or a football player could be shown as the required image. The second card member 2 is also formed in two parts comprising a third part 8 and a fourth part 9 with the two parts formed by way of a silhouette cut 7 formed across the width of the second card member. The silhouette cut is a non-straight cut and is particularly configured to show, for example, the silhouette or cut-out of an image that is desired to be shown, for example, a football player or animal or other object or image required. The second card member 2 is provided with two fold lines in the form of a second fold line 10 and third fold line 11 formed down the length of the second card member. The spaced apart second and third fold lines are formed in parallel array and formed parallel to the sides of the folding card at about one-quarter of the distance in from each respective side. The first card member 1 and second card member 2 are adapted for particular and distinct folding operations and are joined together at four corners 12 at the points common to both cards which remain contiguous or joined together during the folding operations irrespective of the differential movement of the remainder of the card during the alternative folding operations. In this manner, the folding card may be folded in one of two ways.

Referring now to Figure 2 the first manner of folding the card embodying the invention is shown where the first card member 1 is folded upwardly along the first fold line 6 such that the image on the face surface of the first card member 1 remains substantially intact and the movement of the first card member in this orientation takes with it the third part 8 of the second card member 2, thereby separating the second card member along the silhouette cut 7 and exposing the silhouette 13 thereby creating a three dimensional configuration of the card so folded.

Referring to Figure 3 the second manner of folding the card is effected by simultaneously folding the second card member 2 along the second and third fold line and 11. This manner of folding retains the integrity of the image formed on the face of the second card member 2 between second fold line 10 and third fold line 11 and causes the first card member 1 to separate into two parts as the first part 4 and second parts 5 are lifted up along the cut 3 as the first and second part simultaneously fold and TNB:NB:40456858.PP 9 October 2000 pivot along the second and third fold line thereby lifting up the first card member in two halves.

The folding card embodying the invention can be manufactured in many ways well known to those skilled in the art and such methods of manufacture are available for example in the details and examples provided in European Patent Application 306093 and United States Patent 5,759,328.

The embodiment of the invention provides for the first time a novel variation on the folding card devices and novelties currently available. In particular the folding card provides a highly ornamental device capable of folding in a variety of distinctive ways whilst retaining simplified manufacturing and production systems thereby providing a product which is highly economical to manufacture whilst providing a high degree of value as a promotional or give-away type product which can serve as a collector device for sports related or other promotions of virtually any description. The device can be associated with free give-aways, for example in snack foods, fast foods and breakfast cereals and would have a high degree of consumer retention and use due to the standup or silhouette nature of the device which makes them suitable for manipulation and free-standing display.

The particular embodiments detailed above are not to be seen in any way as limiting the scope of the invention which can be manufactured in a large number of configurations and forms. In particular the invention can be manufactured from any one of a number of rectangular, square, triangular, octagonal, round or alternative shapes with the various cuts and fold lines formed in numerous configurations.

TNB:NB:40456858.PP 9 October 2000

Claims (3)

1. A folding card device including a first card member and a second card member wherein said first card member is formed in two parts with a substantially central cut forming first and second parts respectively and with a first fold line formed transversely across the card, said second card member being formed in two parts with a silhouette formation cut across the card to form third and fourth parts respectively, second and third spaced apart fold lines formed in a direction substantially transverse to the direction of the first fold line, said first and second card members being joined together at a plurality of points at or adjacent to the periphery thereof to allow said device to be folded along said second and third fold lines so as to separate the first and second parts along said cut and to reveal an image formed on said second card member between said fold lines, or alternatively said device being folded along said first fold line so as to separate said third and fourth parts along said silhouette cut to reveal said silhouette.

2. The card device of claim 1, wherein the shape of the card members is selected from rectangular, square, triangular, octagonal or any other polygonal shape, or round, said first and second card members being joined at four positions corresponding to the four corners of a rectangle superimposed over the selected shape, the cut in said first card being formed substantially along the centre line of the card device as a straight or shaped cut, said fold lines being substantially at right angles to each other and, with the first fold line being parallel to one side of the card device or extending as a cord in the case of a circular card device.

3. The card device of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the first and second card members are joined at points common to both cards which remain contiguous during the alternative folding actions. DATED: 9 October 2000 FREEHILLS CARTER SMITH BEADLE Patent Attorneys for the Applicant: MEGAPRINT GROUP LIMITED TNB:NB:40456858.PP 9 October 2000