Card – picture – or sign exhibiting – Display card – Having sound-producing means
Patent
1996-07-25
1998-06-09
Green, Brian K.
Card, picture, or sign exhibiting
Display card
Having sound-producing means
4012411, 283117, G09F 100
Patent
active
057618364
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a card, and in particular to a card for presentation of a gift or other item.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Greeting cards which play a tune when opened are well-known in the art and are popular with the public. Exemplary such cards are birthday greeting cards which, when opened play an appropriate tune, such as "Happy Birthday" or "Congratulations". These cards are provided with a miniature battery powered printed circuit board (PCB) having a memory chip with tone instructions, a piezo-electric buzzer and a switch. One side of the switch is connected to one battery terminal. The other side of the switch is integral with the PCB. When the card is closed, the switch is off. Opening the card causes the switch to make contact, thereby closing the circuit so that the tune is sounded.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a card which also serves as a vehicle for presenting a gift or other token.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a card assembly comprising a card-member and means associated with the card-member for delivering an aural message, characterised in that the assembly further includes means associated with the card-member for detachably mounting an article on the card-member and switch means associated with the mounting means for controlling the message delivery means, whereby on detachment of the article from the card-member, the switch means actuates the message delivery means, to deliver the aural message. The message delivery means may comprise an electrical circuit including a power supply means, a printed circuit board for generating a signal representing the message and a piezo-electric buzzer for converting the signal into aurally detectable tones.
In an embodiment of an assembly according to the invention, the switch means is associated with the mounting means so that the article when mounted on the card-member retains the switch means in an open or closed position, whereby detachment of the article from the card-member respectively closes or opens an electrical circuit to control operation of the message delivery means. In a preferred embodiment the switch means is retained in an open position by the article and on detachment of the article, the switch means closes to actuate the message delivery means. In a particularly preferred embodiment the card-member includes a pair of leaves between which is located the message delivery means and the switch means and one of the leaves has an aperture about the terminals of the switch means to enable a part of the article to be interposed between the terminals to interrupt the circuit. The assembly may include a third leaf closable against the apertured leaf.
In the assembly, secondary control means are advantageously provided for controlling the switch means in the absence of the article, the secondary control means being movable relative to the card-member to control the switch means.
Supplementary mounting means may be associated with the card-member for detachably mounting a further article thereto.
The card may be a greeting card, in which case the article is preferably a gift item, for example a lottery scratch card, ticket, photograph, compact disc, bank note, cheque or the like and the aural message may be a tune appropriate to the occasion which the gift is intended to mark.
Alternatively, the article may be any item which is generally delivered to its recipient attached to a letter, card or the like, for example a credit card, a bank card or a personal identification card.
The card may be a flat card such as a postcard or may have two or more leaves which fold together. The card itself, together with the musical or vocal message it contains, is appropriately designed and selected to mark a given occasion. The card may also be a vehicle for delivery of a commercial message and the terms "card" and "greeting card" should be understood accordingly. Additionally, the term "card" should be understood to includ
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Green Brian K.
PEM Promotions Limited
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