Abstract:
This invention relates to a novelty item which may be used as an active greeting card or a promotional advertising display device. The card itself contains a number of display leafs which are progressively “turned” by pulling a pull tab in the card base. The pages may have a “pop-up” action device mounted between each pair of leafs to give a 3-D effect as the leafs are progressively turned.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    Psychologists have long been aware that human beings are keenly sensitive to moving objects and this phenomenon has been exploited by the advertising industry to gain the attention of a potential client.  
           [0002]    The display card industry has utilized “pop-up” figures with associated messages to captivate the attention of casual observers and gain the observer&#39;s interest in the message relating to the goods or services being purveyed. The motion displayed by the device plus the creation of a three-dimensional display presents an attraction which is difficult to ignore.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    This invention covers an active display device which takes the form of a “book” having multiple “pages” or leaves which may be induced to “turn” in a programmed sequence by means of a pull tab. In the invention described herein the pages are progressively turned or “popped up” in a prescribed sequence by manipulating a pull out tab which is conveniently located in the base of the “book”. The “pages” may be made of fairly stiff paper board, which tend to resist bending so that when the pull tab is manipulated each “page” is turned separately and individually in sequence without really bending the page. The “pages” are all hingedly attached to a key strip which is motivated by the pull tab so that each “page” has its own separate attachment to the key strip between a pair of hinge points so that only that particular “page” turns when the pull tab is pulled to a particular position. Manipulation of the pull tab causes a “rolling” action of the key strip to occur so that as the key strip “rolls” the pages attached to the key strip progressively turn over.  
           [0004]    The “pages” may have a three dimensional “pop up” insert hingedly connected to adjacent pages to provide additional animation to the active display device as the pages progressively turn.  
         PRIOR ART  
       U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,133 Issued Nov. 9, 1993  
         [0005]    This patent discloses a pop up display wherein a pull tab is used to cause a sliding element in the display device to initiate the erection of a single pop up element in the device.  
         U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,689 Issued May 5, 1998  
         [0006]    This patent discloses a one piece pop up device where two elements of the device slide against one another in such a manner that a third element is raised from the plane of the first two elements. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the device of this invention;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the base portion of the device of FIG. 1;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3 shows the device of FIG. 1 in which the folding element is included in this figure;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 4 shows the device of FIG. 1 being manipulated to partially erect the device;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 5 is a side view of the device of FIG. 1 in its unerected position;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 6 shows the device of FIG. 1 in a partially erected stance;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 7 shows the progressive erection of the device of FIG. 1;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 8 is a further advancement of the progressive erection of the device of FIG. 1;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIGS. 9 and 10 continue to show the erection of progressive leaves of the device of FIG. 1;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 11 is an illustration of the device of this invention used as a sequencing device;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 12 shows the device of this invention having a “pop up” intermediate element fixed to two adjacent leaves. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0018]    Referring to FIG. 1 a progressive display device  10  is shown having a base  12 , a finger recess  14 , a cover  16  and a slide  18 . This figure shows the device in its “closed” or inactivated state with the slide or pull strip  18  fully retracted into base  12 . The base  12  is made of stock sufficiently thick to prevent bending. The cover  16  is of lesser thickness than base  12 . “Leaves” or “pages”  20  are sandwiched between cover  16  and base  12 .  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 2 shows the base  12  of the display device  10  with the leaves  20  omitted completely. Key strip  40  is shown only partially for the sake of clarity, but is secured to base  12  at the end of base  12  as shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0020]    The base  12  is provided with a rectangular recess  22  defined by edges  24 ,  25 ,  26 , and  27  in which slide  18  is received. Recess  22  is located slightly below the upper surface of base  12 . Slider  18  is also provided with ears  28  and  30  which are captured in slots  32  and  34  located beneath the surface of base  12 .  
         [0021]    Slide  18  is shown having a “key” sheet tongue  36  (partially shown) attached to the upper surface of slide  18  at end  38 . The tongue  36  limits the travel of slider  18  to the distance between edges  24  and  26 . The tongue  36  is part of the,“key” strip  40  shown more completely in FIGS. 3, 4,  5 ,  6 ,  7 ,  8   9 ,  10  and  11 . Tongue  36  is of such thickness that the top surface of tongue  36  is flush with or slightly above the upper surface of base  12 . Key strip  40  is therefore attached to slider  18  by means of tongue  36 ; the other end of key strip  40  is fixedly attached to base  12  at the end of base  12  adjacent recess  14 .  
         [0022]    Slider  18  is thus manually movable in a translatory fashion between edges  24  and  26 . This motion is limited by both the length of slots  32  and  34  in base  12  or by the tongue  36  engaging edges  24  and  26  of recess  22 .  
         [0023]    As slider  18  is moved in base  12 , the tongue  36  is pulled or pushed back and forth by the slider  18  between the edges  24  and  26 .  
         [0024]    Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4 it will be seen how the folding mechanism functions.  
         [0025]    Tongue  36  as shown forms an attachment for the key strip  40  to slider  18 . Strip  40  is-the basis of a folding hinge mechanism that “rolls” back and forth as slider  18  is pulled or pushed. This folding action causes the cover  16  and leaves  42 ,  44 ,  46 ,  48  to progressively turn over as the slider  18  is moved between its extreme positions. Key strip  40  is provided with score lines  50 ,  52 ,  54 ,  56 ,  58  and  60  to promote the progressive hinging of the strip  40  at these locations. Leaves  42 - 48  are attached to key strip  40  at the “flats”  53 ,  55 ,  57  and  59  existing between scorelines  452 ,  54 ,  58  and  60  respectively. Cover  16  is attached to flat  51  at key strip  40 .  
         [0026]    [0026]FIGS. 5, 6,  7 ,  8 ,  9  and  10  show the progressive rolling hinge action performed by key strip  40  as slider  18  is progressively moved from its “home” position in FIG. 1 to the left.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 5 shows the display device at “rest” where cover  16  and leaves  42 ,  44 ,  46  and  48  are all lying in a flat stacked position on key strip  40  and base  12 .  
         [0028]    In FIG. 6, slider  18  has been moved slightly to the left carrying the attached tongue  36  with it. The leftward movement of slider  18  causes the key strip  40  to buckle at score line  52  due to the compressive force exerted on key strip  40  by the leftward movement of slider  18 . This causes the cover  16  to be raised slightly. As scoreline  52  buckles upwardly the cover leaf  16  rotates to the position shown in FIG. 6 (about 20° from its rest position). The key strip  40  buckles at hinge or scoreline  52  first because cover  16  is the only single leaf in the pile available to twist. The balance of the leaves  42 ,  44 ,  46  and  48  are prevented from twisting because they are stacked one upon the other so that they are prevented from any rotation.  
         [0029]    As the slider continues its motion in the leftward direction, as shown in FIG. 7, the key strip  40  continues to deform at scorelines  50  and  52 , with the scoreline  50  now subtending an angle of about 135° (between tongue  36  and the first flat  51  of key strip  40 ). The angle of the fold at scoreline  52  has rotated from an angle of 180° in FIG. 5 to about 60° in FIG. 7, and cover leaf  16  has now rotated through an angle of about 135° from that shown in FIG. 6. Note that at this position, the bend at scoreline  52  is at its maximum.  
         [0030]    Moving on to FIG. 8, the cover sheet  16  has now completed its  1800  angle of rotation from FIG. 6, and now lies flat on base  12 . Leaf is  42  is shown in a vertical position and the angle formed by key strip  40  at scoreline  54  is now 90°. The angle at scoreline  52  is now 90° as well.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 9 shows the progression of the rolling action of key strip  40  to the point where leaf  42  is now almost horizontal (having rotated through almost 180°) and leaf  44  is now vertical. Note that while key strip  40  “rolls” and the leaves  16 ,  42 ,  44 ,  46 ,  48  are in the process of turning, the leaves which have completed turning lie flat on base  12  and now slide to the left along base  12  as they are pulled leftward by slider  18 .  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 10 shows the situation with the last leaf  48  approaching its final destination. At this point the key strip  40  will have seen each scoreline  52 ,  54 ,  56 ,  58  and  60  bend through an angle of about 135° and then unbend through the same 135° angle as each leaf completes its rotation of 180°.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 11 shows an illustration of how the display device  10  may be used to show a progressively changing display. As slider  18  is manipulated the cover  16  and leaves  42 ,  44 ,  46 ,  48  and  50  show a changing scene.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 12 shows the display  10  with a; “pop up” element  70  mounted between leaves  44  and  46 . As leaves  44  and  46  open, member  70  swings upwardly attracting additional attention. As leaves  44  and  46  close, the element  70  swings back down to its original position.  
         [0035]    The success of this-invention lies in the selection of material for the leaves  42 ,  44 ,  45  and  48 , and the key strip  40 . The key strip  40  must be scored at scorelines  50 ,  52 ,  54 ,  56 ,  58  and  60  sufficiently to weaken the key strip  40  at these fold lines but not sufficiently to cause the key strip  40  to tear at the fold lines during manipulation.  
         [0036]    The leaves  42 ,  44 ,  46  and  48  and cover  16  must be carefully bonded to key strip  40  at each of the associated flats in a very precise manner. It may be necessary to remove some of the material of the leaves and cover  16  at the place of bonding to keep the build up of material at the hinge to a reasonable thickness.  
         [0037]    The hinging action of the various scorelines is interesting scoreline  50  forms the only hinge which rotates through a full 180° during a complete turning process. The balance of the scorelines  52 ,  54 ,  56  and  58  all begin at 180° and fold through an angle of about 135° to produce an enclosed angle of about 45° before opening up to 180° again.  
         [0038]    It will be seen that the display device  10  encompasses a moving attraction which is not limited to single representation as the prior art shows. The versatility of the device allows for a wide range of applications, from greeting cards to commercial advertisements and instruction procedures. The key element to the success lies in the folding action of key strip  40  which is capable of undergoing large angular excursions at each score line before returning to the original configuration.