Abstract:
A greeting card is suspended for multiple freedoms of movement from an overhead support mountable on different supporting surfaces.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention is generally directed to greeting cards and, more particularly to a suspended greeting card display having freedom of movement especially in response to air currents.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     Greeting cards bearing a message of greeting, congratulation or other sentiment are usually sent or given on a special occasion or holiday, or sometimes for no reason at all. The cards are typically imprinted with a commercial message, or are blank to allow a customized message to be written thereon. A typical card structure has at least one panel, and preferably a plurality of panels which, when opened, reveal either sequential parts of the message, or the entire message. The panels are generally formed of a paper sheet stock which is stiff enough to self-support a two-panel greeting card when placed, on edge, on a horizontal support surface, such as a desk, shelf, or mantel, in a partially open position.  
         [0005]     As advantageous as greeting cards are for conveying social expression messages, the cards are not well suited for continuous display. For example, the partially opened cards are prone to falling down flat on the horizontal support surface, especially in response to air current, thereby defeating their display function. Also, the known card structures cannot be supported from a vertical or inclined support surface, such as a refrigerator, a computer monitor, a wall, a door, etc.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     Accordingly, it is a general object of this invention to offer new and attractive vehicles for conveying social expression messages.  
         [0007]     More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a greeting card which takes on aspects of a gift item as well.  
         [0008]     Still another object of the present invention is to provide a suspended greeting card having multiple freedoms of movement.  
         [0009]     It is yet another object of the present invention to enable a greeting card to be suspended from both vertical and horizontal support surfaces.  
       FEATURES OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     In keeping with the above objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of the present invention resides, briefly stated, in a suspended greeting card display including a folded card having sheet material panels for bearing a message, and a support for suspending the card for free movement, preferably from a horizontal or a vertical support surface. The support includes an arm having an overhead fastener above the card, and a string connected between the overhead fastener and the card for hanging the card for free movement relative to the support.  
         [0011]     In one embodiment, the support includes a base that rests on a horizontal support surface, and the arm includes an upright post portion fixedly mounted on the base, and a crossbeam portion extending from the post portion to the overhead fastener. The post and crossbeam portions are preferably integral parts of a rigid wire. In another embodiment, the base is a suction cup for attachment to a vertical support surface.  
         [0012]     In either embodiment, the overhead fastener is a loop on which one end of the string is hooked. The card has a hole through which another end of the string is connected. The card panels may be blank for receipt of a written message, or imprinted with a commercial message.  
         [0013]     In accordance with this invention, the card is supported from a variety of horizontal, vertical and inclined support surfaces. If exposed to air currents, the display of this invention does not fall over as in the prior art discussed above, but instead, moves with multiple freedoms of movement, thereby creating an animated display.  
         [0014]     The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a closed card display according to one embodiment of this invention;  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the display of  FIG. 1 , when opened;  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a closed card display according to another embodiment of this invention; and  
         [0018]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the display of  FIG. 3 , when opened. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0019]      FIGS. 1-2  depict one embodiment of a suspended greeting card display suitable for being supported on a horizontal support surface, such as a desk, shelf, and table, and  FIGS. 3-4  depict another embodiment of the display suitable for being supported on a vertical or inclined support surface, such as a refrigerator, computer monitor, door, wall, etc.  
         [0020]     As shown in  FIGS. 1-2 , a stationary base  10  rests on the horizontal support surface, and a rigid wire  12  is fixedly mounted on the base  10 . The rigid wire  12  includes an upright post portion  14  and an integral arm or crossbeam portion  16 , preferably arch-shaped. The crossbeam portion  16  has a free end formed as a loop which serves as an overhead fastener  18  from which one end  22  of a string  20  is hooked. An opposite end  24  of the string  20  is connected to a folded card  30  to suspend the card  30  for free movement relative to the base  10 , as demonstrated by the phantom lines in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0021]     The folded card  30  has a pair of sheet material panels  26 ,  28 , preferably of a stiff paper stock for bearing a message. The panels are foldable about a score line or hinge  32  to open the card, as shown in  FIG. 2 , to reveal the message. The card has a hole, preferably through the hinge  32 , through which the opposite end  24  of the string  20  is routed. A preprinted commercial message can be imprinted on one panel, or both panels, of the card, or the panels can be left blank for receipt of a customized, handwritten message.  
         [0022]     In  FIG. 3 , the base is a suction cup  34 , and the rigid wire  12  includes a post portion  36  fixedly mounted to the cup  34  and an arch-shaped crossbeam portion  38  which, as before, terminates in a loop-shaped overhead fastener  40  from which a folded card  42  is suspended by a string  44  for freedom of movement, as indicated by the phantom lines in  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 4  depicts the opened card of  FIG. 3  to reveal a closing part of the message applied to the card. The suction cup is detachably secured to a supporting surface  44  by applying a suction force thereto.  
         [0023]     In use, a greeting card recipient is presented with the display of  FIG. 1  for placement on a horizontal support surface, or with the display of  FIG. 3  for placement on a vertical or inclined support surface. The greeting card is always in view, even when subjected to air currents which only serve to enhance and animate the display.  
         [0024]     Modifications of the illustrated embodiments include making the post portion  14  of  FIG. 1  out of two telescoping parts to enable the height of the card relative to the base to be adjusted. The card itself can be ornamented with decorations, and can even support additional sheet material items suspended by strings from the card, thereby resembling a mobile sculpture. The post portions  14 ,  36  need not be fixed to their bases, but can also be rotatably mounted therein.  
         [0025]     It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, also may find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.  
         [0026]     While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a suspended greeting card display, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.  
         [0027]     Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.  
         [0028]     What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.