GB2571994A

GB2571994A - A greeting card

Info

Publication number: GB2571994A
Application number: GB1804228.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Moore Wendy
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-03-16
Filing date: 2018-03-16
Publication date: 2019-09-18
Also published as: GB201804228D0

Abstract

A greeting card 1 comprises a sheet of material including front and rear covers 5, 7 hingedly connected together along a fold line 8. The front cover 5 has a cut-out portion 13 and the back cover 7 has on its front, inwardly facing face 19 first indicia 21 coincident with the window 13 in the front cover 5. There is further provided a removable insert frame for placement over the aperture 13 using securing means 15. The removable insert frame has a second indicia surface and a stand on opposite sides. The strut can be moved between an inclined, deployed position in which it can support the frame in an upright position when the frame is removed from the card 1 and a stowed position allowing the card 1 to be closed.

Description

“A greeting card”

Introduction

This invention relates to a greeting card. More specifically, this invention relates to a greeting card with a removable insert.

Greeting cards are commonly used in many cultures to mark significant occasions such as birthdays, engagements, public holidays or religious festivals to name but a few. The greeting card typically comprises a picture, a humorous cartoon, a message, a combination of two or more of the above, and/or other indicia printed on a front cover thereof and may also include a message or other indicia printed on the inside of the card. For example, the greeting card may be a birthday card with a humorous cartoon on the front cover and the message “Happy Birthday” printed on the inside of the card. The giver of the card may then write a personal message on the inside of the card specific to the recipient if they so desire. It is also know to provide further embellishments releasably attached to the card such as badges with the persons age (e.g. a badge with the message “I am 5”), stickers, decals or other paraphernalia that can be used subsequently by the greeting card recipient.

One such example of a greeting card is that disclosed in US Patent No. US4,439,941 in the name of Halperin. US4,439,941 discloses a card with a removable and reusable insert comprising an embroidered emblem releasably attached to the face of the sheet. The embroidered emblem may be removed from the card and applied to an article of clothing by way of a thermoplastic adhesive combined with heat and/or pressure. Another example of greeting card is that disclosed in US Patent No. US4,200,222 in the name of Feuer. US4,200,222 discloses a greeting card with a removable decal. The decal, when removed from the greeting card, may be applied to another surface.

Although very popular and useful, there are some shortcomings with the known embodiments of greeting card. First of all, when the decal or embroidered emblem is removed, the aesthetic qualities of the card will be substantially diminished as the remaining card will have been altered in a material way. This often results in the remaining card being discarded which results in substantial waste. Furthermore, this is not entirely satisfactory as the remaining card may contain a message of sentimental value and if kept, the remaining card will be unlikely to evoke the same emotions as the card has a damaged, incomplete appearance.

Secondly, the decal or the embroidered item must be applied to another item and although this may be popular with some recipients, it may be inconvenient for others that might prefer not to have to apply the decal or embroidered emblem to an article of clothing. Thirdly, the known implementations rely on the use of adhesives and precise manufacturing processes which are more costly and time consuming than might otherwise be the case.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a greeting card that overcomes at least some of the above-identified problems. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a greeting card that provides a useful alternative choice for the consumer.

Statements of Invention

According to the invention there is provided a greeting card comprising a sheet of material including a front cover and a rear cover hingedly connected together along a fold line therebetween; the front cover having a front, outwardly facing face, and a rear, inwardly facing face; the rear cover having a front, inwardly facing face and a rear, outwardly facing face; and in which the front cover has a cut-out portion and the rear cover has on its front, inwardly facing face, first indicia coincident with the cut-out portion of the front cover when the greeting card is closed with the front cover and the rear cover in close juxtaposition with respect to each other; and in which there is provided a removable insert frame for placement over the cut-out portion of the front cover; the front cover having releasable securing means for releasably securing the removable insert frame in position on the front cover of the greeting card blocking the cut-out portion; the removable insert frame having second indicia surface on one side thereof and a stand on the other side thereof, the stand being movable to and from a first stowed configuration substantially coplanar with the removable insert frame to permit the front cover and the rear cover to be brought into close juxtaposition with respect to each other when the removable insert frame is engaged by the releasable securing means of the front cover, and a second deployed configuration at an inclined angle to the plane of the

- 3removable insert frame to support the removable insert frame in a substantially upright inclined configuration when the removable insert frame has been released from the releasable securing means of the front cover of the greeting card.

By having such a greeting card, the recipient will be able to separate the removable insert frame from the remainder of the card and use the removable insert frame in isolation from the remainder of the card. However, importantly, the removable insert frame has an integral stand that will enable the removable insert frame to be displayed on a desk, mantelpiece, sideboard or the like. It is envisaged that this will be particularly desirable if the removable insert frame has a nice photograph or piece of artwork thereon. Furthermore, the remainder of the card will still be aesthetically pleasing and will have greater residual value than was heretofore the case. The remainder of the card can still be used to good effect without the removable insert frame as the cut-out portion will frame the first indicia. In this way, the residual card does not look like it has been damaged or is incomplete. The greeting card according to the present invention is particularly beneficial if the card is given to a couple, for example parents or grandparents. One of the parties can take the removable insert frame for their personal use in say, an office while the other of the parties may keep the remainder of the greeting card in the homestead. Similarly, if the greeting card is given to a single individual, that individual may bring the removable insert frame into their office, place of work or other location for ornamentation and may keep the remainder of the card at home as a keepsake. The above is achieved without the need for complex manufacturing techniques that are costly and time consuming. Furthermore, all of the materials have a purpose and there is little or no waste. Advantageously, by having a removable insert, different inserts from different providers may be used as the removable insert.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a greeting card in which the releasable securing means comprise a plurality of slits cut into the front cover of the greeting card dimensioned to receive an edge of the removable insert frame. This is seen as a particularly simple way of providing the releasable securing means that will enable assembly and disassembly of the greeting card in a straightforward manner.

-4In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a greeting card in which the stand comprises four slits cut into the front cover of the card each for reception of a corner of the removable insert frame.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a greeting card in which the stand is hingedly connected to the removable insert frame. By having the stand hingedly connected to the removable insert frame, the removable insert frame may be supported by the stand in a simple straightforward manner. The construction of the greeting card will be simplified and will be relatively inexpensive.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a greeting card in which the stand comprises a two part body having a first part arranged substantially co-planar to and secured to the removable insert frame and a second part hingedly connected to the first part and moveable to and from a stowed configuration co-planar with the first part and a deployed configuration inclined relative to the first part.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a greeting card in which the stand comprises a sheet of card having a fold line operable as a hinge. This is seen as a particularly simple and inexpensive stand to provide and will not require more complex manufacturing techniques.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a greeting card in which the removable insert frame second indicia surface comprises a blank canvas for reception of the second indicia. This is seen as a useful embodiment of the invention. If desired, a photograph or other personalized picture or original artwork may be provided on the card. For example, a photo of a loved one may be provided on the blank canvas using an adhesive or by other method. Alternatively, a piece of artwork created by a child or other may be provided on the blank canvas.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a greeting card in which there is provided means to secure the front cover and the rear cover in close juxtaposition with respect to each other. In this way, the front cover and the rear cover of the greeting card may be held together thereby forming a frame for the first indicia. The thus-formed frame

- 5may then be hung on a wall or if desired, another stand may be provided on the rear, outwardly facing face of the rear cover to support the thus-formed frame.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a greeting card in which the means to secure the front cover and the rear cover in close juxtaposition with respect to each other comprises an adhesive strip with a removable cover sheet on one of the rear, inwardly facing face of the front cover and the front, inwardly facing face of the rear cover.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a greeting card in which there is provided a frame surround on the front, outwardly facing face of the front cover surrounding the cut-out portion. In this way, the first indicia will be framed in an aesthetically pleasing way without the need for additional expensive frames.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The invention will now be more clearly understood from the following description of some embodiments thereof given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:Figure 1 is a front view of the greeting card according to the invention without a removable insert frame installed;

Figure 2 is a rear view of the greeting card of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view of the interior of the greeting card with front and rear covers splayed open;

Figure 4 is a front view of the greeting card of Figure 3 with the front and rear covers in close juxtaposition;

Figure 5 is a front view of the greeting card of Figure 4 with the removable frame insert installed;

-6Figure 6 is a front view of the removable frame insert;

Figure 7 is a rear view of the removable frame insert;

Figure 8 is a view of the removable frame insert and the remainder of the greeting card detached from each other;

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 3 of the inside of a second embodiment of greeting card according to the invention;

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 3 of the inside of a third embodiment of greeting card according to the invention;

Figure 11 is a view from behind of the greeting card of Figure 10;

Figure 12 is a front view of the greeting card of Figure 10 with the front and rear covers in close juxtaposition;

Figure 13 is a rear view of the greeting card of Figure 10 with the front and rear covers in close juxtaposition;

Figure 14 is a view similar to Figure 10 of the inside of a fourth embodiment of greeting card according to the invention; and

Figure 15 is a perspective view of the greeting card of Figure 14 in a free standing configuration.

Referring to Figures 1 to 8 inclusive, there is shown a greeting card, indicated generally by the reference numeral 1, comprising a sheet of material 3 including a front cover 5 and a rear cover 7 separated by a fold line 8 operable as a hinge joint. The front cover 5 comprises a front, outwardly facing face 9, a rear, inwardly facing face 11, and a cut-out portion 13. A plurality of slits 15 are cut into the front cover 5 for releasably securing a removable insert frame 17 (as shown in Figure 5) to the front cover 5, in position over the cut-out portion 13.

- 7The rear cover 7 comprises a front, inwardly facing face 19 having indicia 21 printed thereon and a rear, outwardly facing face 23. The indicia 21 are coincident with the cutout portion 13 so that when the front cover 5 and rear cover 7 are in close juxtaposition with respect to each other and the removable frame insert 17 is not inserted in the slits 15, as shown in Figures 4 and 8, the indicia 21 on the inwardly facing face 19 of the rear cover 7 may be seen through the cut-out portion 13 in the front cover 5.

Referring specifically to Figures 6 to 8, there is shown views of the removable frame insert 17. The frame insert 17 comprises a second indicia surface 25 on one side thereof and a stand 27 on the other side thereof. The stand 27 is movable to and from a first stowed configuration (as illustrated in Figure 7) substantially coplanar with the removable insert frame 17 and a second deployed configuration (as shown in Figure 8) at an inclined angle to the plane of the removable insert frame.

In the stowed position, the stand 27 will permit the front cover 5 and the rear cover 7 to be brought into close juxtaposition with respect to each other when the removable insert frame 17 is engaged by the releasable securing means 15 of the front cover 5. In the second deployed configuration, the stand 27 supports the removable insert frame 17 in a substantially upright inclined configuration when the removable insert frame 17 has been released from the releasable securing means 15 of the front cover 5 of the greeting card 1. Referring specifically to Figure 6, a frame surround may be printed on the removable frame insert 17 if desired.

Referring specifically to Figure 7, it can be seen that the stand 27 comprises a two part stand including a first part 29 that is connected to the rear of the removable insert frame 17 and is substantially co-planar with the removable insert frame 17, and a second part 31 that is hingedly connected to the first part 29 about a hinge joint 33. The second part 31 may be splayed outwardly to provide a crutch to prop the remainder of the removable insert frame 17 up.

Referring specifically to Figure 8, it can be seen that when the removable insert frame 17 is removed from the remainder of the greeting card, the removable insert frame 17 is self-supporting and takes the appearance of a picture frame with the second indicia 25

- 8on display. At the same time, the remainder of the greeting card is still of substantial value as the first indicia 21 may be seen through the cut-out 13 in the front cover and the greeting card 1 does not have a damaged appearance.

Referring now to Figure 9, there is shown an alternative construction of greeting card, indicated generally by the reference numeral 40, where like parts have been given the same reference numeral as before. The greeting card 40 differs from the greeting card 1 in that there are provided a pair of adhesive strips 41, 43 on the rear, inwardly facing face 11 of the front cover 5. The adhesive strips are normally covered with a protective strip however the protective strips may be removed to expose the adhesive strips. Once this is done, if the front cover 5 and the rear cover 7 are brought together in close proximity with the adhesive strips therebetween and pressed together, they form a unitary member that may be hung up on a wall or the like.

Referring to Figures 10 to 13 inclusive, there is shown a third embodiment of greeting card, indicated generally by the reference numeral 50, where like parts have been given the same reference numeral as before. The greeting card 50 is similar to the greeting card 40 of Figure 9 in that there are provided a pair of adhesive strips 51, 53 however in this instance, instead of being placed on the rear, inwardly facing face 11 of the front cover 5, the adhesive strips are instead located on the rear, outwardly facing face 23 of the rear cover 7. Furthermore, a decorative frame surround 55 is provided on the rear, inwardly facing face 11 of the front cover 5. The adhesive strips 51, 53 are normally covered with a protective strip (not shown) however the protective strips may be removed to expose the adhesive strips. Once this is done, if the front cover 5 and the rear cover 7 are brought together in close proximity with the adhesive strips therebetween and pressed together, they will form a unitary member. The unitary member will have the first indicia 21 still visible on the rear of the unitary member (as illustrated in Figure 13) and the front of the unitary member (as illustrated in Figure 12) will have the ability to display a photo or the insert (not shown), held by the slits 15 and framed by the frame surround 55.

Referring now to Figures 14 and 15, there is shown views of a fourth embodiment of greeting card, indicated generally by the reference numeral 60, where like parts have been given the same reference numeral as before. The greeting card 60 is similar to the

- 9greeting card 50 of Figures 10 to 13 in that there are provided a pair of adhesive strips (not shown) on the rear, outwardly facing face 23 of the rear cover 7 however in this instance, there is no decorative frame surround 55. A decorative frame surround could be provided if desired. In this embodiment, there is a provided a cut-out 61 extending partially along the fold line 8 acting as the hinge joint. There is further provided a pair of dotted lines 63, 65 indicating the location of two additional fold lines and defining a pair of flaps 67, 69 that may be used to provide a stand for the card.

In use, referring specifically to Figure 14, when it is desired to join the two sides of the card together into a unitary member, the front cover 5 and the rear cover 7 are both folded along the dotted lines 63, 65 so that the flaps 67, 69 are raised upwards along the rear, inwardly facing face 11 of the front cover 5 and along the front, inwardly facing face 19 of the rear cover 7 respectively. The backing strips are removed from the adhesive strips (not shown) and the front cover 5 and the rear cover 7 are brought into engagement with each other with the adhesive strips therebetween. When the front cover and the rear cover are connected together in this manner, the two flaps 67, 69 are then splayed outwardly as shown in Figure 15 to provide a stand for the remainder of the card 60. The indicia 21 (not visible in Figure 15) will be displayed on the rear of the upstanding card of Figure 15 and the removable insert frame will be held in position in the slits 15. Instead of a cut-out slit 61, a cut line could be provided and the user could be instructed to cut along the cut-line 61 with a scissors or other sharp implement to provide the cut-out slit if they wish to use the card in the manner described. Additionally, a frame surround may be printed on the inwardly facing face 11 to frame the removable insert.

The fold lines could also be provided on the embodiment shown in Figure 9 however some care must be taken over the appropriate positioning of the adhesive strips to ensure that they do not hamper the fold lines 63, 65 or the flaps 67, 69. Furthermore, instead of folding the flap 69 upwardly along the front, inwardly facing face 19 of the rear cover 7, the flap 69 would be folded upwardly along the rear, outwardly facing face 23 of the rear cover 7.

It will be understood that various modifications may be made to the embodiments shown without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in the embodiments

- 10shown, there are four slits 13 to engage the removable insert frame 17. More or less than four slits 13 may be provided and indeed other means for securing the removable insert frame 17 to the front, outwardly facing face 9 of the front cover 5 could be used including adhesives, hook and eye fasteners and the like. The slits are useful as they are inexpensive to provide. Similarly, the first indicia and the second indicia may be the same as each other or different. For example, the second indicia may be a work of art whereas the first indicia may be an inspirational message. The second indicia surface may be blank for application of a photograph, picture, message or for “colouring in” by a child or adult. The stand 27 is a relatively simple construction that has been applied to the rear of the removable insert frame 17 however the stand may be separate or indeed may have been integral with the removable insert frame 17. For example, in a removable insert frame 17 formed from multiple layers, the stand may be formed by cutting the rear layer of the removable insert frame 17 appropriately so that a flap will protrude outwardly from the rest of the surface. It will be understood that the stand can take a number of different forms. In addition to the foregoing, instead of strips of adhesive, other means may be provided to secure the parts of the card in fixed relationship with each other.

In this specification the terms “comprise, comprises, comprised and comprising” and the terms “include, includes, included and including” are all deemed totally interchangeable and should be afforded the widest possible interpretation.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described but may be varied in both construction and detail within the scope of the claims.

Claims

Claims:

(1) A greeting card comprising a sheet of material including a front cover and a rear cover hingedly connected together along a fold line therebetween; the front cover having a front, outwardly facing face, and a rear, inwardly facing face; the rear cover having a front, inwardly facing face and a rear, outwardly facing face; and in which the front cover has a cut-out portion and the rear cover has on its front, inwardly facing face first indicia coincident with the cut-out portion of the front cover when the greeting card is closed with the front cover and the rear cover in close juxtaposition with respect to each other; and in which there is provided a removable insert frame for placement over the cut-out portion of the front cover; the front cover having releasable securing means for releasably securing the removable insert frame in position on the front cover of the greeting card blocking the cut-out portion; the removable insert frame having second indicia surface on one side thereof and a stand on the other side thereof, the stand being movable to and from a first stowed configuration substantially coplanar with the removable insert frame to permit the front cover and the rear cover to be brought into close juxtaposition with respect to each other when the removable insert frame is engaged by the releasable securing means of the front cover, and a second deployed configuration at an inclined angle to the plane of the removable insert frame to support the removable insert frame in a substantially upright inclined configuration when the removable insert frame has been released from the releasable securing means of the front cover of the greeting card.
(2) A greeting card as claimed in claim 1 in which the releasable securing means comprise a plurality of slits cut into the front cover of the greeting card dimensioned to receive an edge of the removable insert frame.
(3) A greeting card as claimed in claim 2 in which the stand comprises four slits cut into the front cover of the card each for reception of a corner of the removable insert frame.
(4) A greeting card as claimed in any preceding claim in which the stand is hingedly connected to the removable insert frame.
(5) A greeting card as claimed in claim 4 in which the stand comprises a two part body having a first part arranged substantially co-planar to and secured to the removable insert frame and a second part hingedly connected to the first part and moveable to and from a stowed configuration co-planar with the first part and a deployed configuration inclined relative to the first part.
(6) A greeting card as claimed in claim 4 or 5 in which the stand comprises a sheet of card having a fold line operable as a hinge.
(7) A greeting card as claimed in any preceding claim in which the removable insert frame second indicia surface comprises a blank canvas for reception of the second indicia.
(8) A greeting card as claimed in any preceding claim in which there is provided means to secure the front cover and the rear cover in close juxtaposition with respect to each other.
(9) A greeting card as claimed in claim 8 in which the means to secure the front cover and the rear cover in close juxtaposition with respect to each other comprises an adhesive strip with a removable cover sheet on one of the rear, inwardly facing face of the front cover and the front, inwardly facing face of the rear cover.
(10) A greeting card as claimed in claim 8 or 9 in which there is provided a frame surround on the front, outwardly facing face of the front cover surrounding the cut-out portion.
(11) A greeting card as claimed in claim 8 in which the means to secure the front cover and the rear cover in close juxtaposition with respect to each other comprises an adhesive strip with a removable cover sheet on the rear, outwardly facing face of the rear cover.
(12) A greeting card as claimed in claim 11 in which there is provided a frame surround on the rear, inwardly facing face of the front cover surrounding the cutout portion.

5 (13) A greeting card as claimed in any preceding claim in which there is provided a cut-out extending along a part of the fold line between the front cover and a rear cover.