Greeting card with gift card holder pouch

A greeting card body having an integral pouch into which a gift card or other item may be inserted and removed. The greeting card may additionally contain sound capabilities or other special effects.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

There are no applications related to this application.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention is in the field of social expression products and is more specifically directed to greeting cards with integral gift card holders.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment, the greeting card of the present disclosure and related inventions, includes a greeting card body, a portion of the greeting card body having an aperture therethrough and a pouch attached to the rear surface of the opening on the greeting card body, creating an open cavity.

In another embodiment, the greeting card includes a greeting card body having a front surface, an inside left surface, an inside right surface and a rear surface, an aperture which extends through the front and inside left surface of the greeting card body, a pouch attached around the aperture beneath the inside left surface of the greeting card body, a sound module contained within the greeting body, the sound module operative to store and playback at least one audio file, and a switch contained within the greeting card body, the switch operative to control activation of the sound module.

In another embodiment, the greeting card contains a greeting card body having an aperture contained through at least a portion thereof, a pouch attached to a rear surface of the aperture, and a sound module contained within the greeting card body, the sound module operative to store and playback at least one audio file, wherein reaching into the pouch activates the sound module.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED AND ALTERNATE EMBODIMENTS

The greeting card100of the present disclosure and related invention includes a greeting card body10having an integral pouch12into which a gift card14may be inserted and removed. The greeting card100may additionally contain sound capabilities or other special effects.

The greeting card body10may include a foam core (interchangeably referred to as “the core”)16which serves as the center or core of the greeting card100. While the core16will be described herein as being made of foam, other materials have been contemplated and are considered to be within the scope of this invention. The core16contains a front surface, a rear surface and a perimeter surface which extends between the front and rear surfaces. In one embodiment, the front and rear surfaces of the core are substantially planar. The core16may contain one or more compartments, openings, apertures, pockets or cavities therein. The core16may also be covered with a sheet material18. In one embodiment, the sheet material18covers the entire outer surface of the core16with a sentiment panel20attached along one edge to the sheet material18covering the rear surface of the core16. The sentiment panel20may have greeting card sentiment printed thereon or provide a place wherein a user may sign his/her name or write a personal note to the greeting card recipient. In other embodiments, the sheet material18may only cover a portion of the core16, such as the front and rear surfaces, the front surface only, or any other combination thereof, or the core16may remain completely uncovered. The sheet material18, in one embodiment, may be made of paperboard, however, other materials may be used. In one embodiment, as shown in the figures, the sheet material18attached to the front surface of the core16serves as the front panel or cover of the greeting card100. The sheet material18attached to the rear surface of the core16serves as the inside left panel of the greeting card. A front surface of the sentiment panel20serves as the inside right panel of the greeting card100and the rear surface of the sentiment panel20serves as the rear or back cover of the greeting card100. The sheet material18and sentiment panel20may be contiguous, or they may be separate and attached via glue, staples, or any other attachment device or mechanism. In one embodiment, the sheet material18and sentiment panel20are made of the same material, such as paperboard. In other embodiments, they may be made of different materials. The sheet material18and sentiment panel20may have printing thereon, such as text, photos, pictures, drawings, or any other printable matter. Additional embellishments may be applied as well, such as googly eyes, gems, faux fur, etc. The greeting card100is opened and closed by pivoting the sentiment panel20away from and towards the core16of the greeting card100.

In one embodiment, the core16(and sheet material18covering at least a portion of the core) contains a main opening or aperture22which extends therethrough. The core16may also contain one or more minor openings or apertures wherein electronic components of the greeting card bay be contained and concealed. The main opening or aperture22may be located in a center area of the core16, as shown in the figures, although in other embodiments, the main opening or aperture22may be located elsewhere. A pocket or pouch24is attached to the rear surface of the core16, beneath the sheet material18, and surrounding the main opening or aperture22, as shown inFIGS. 2, 4 and 5. The pocket or pouch24, in one embodiment, may be made of a nylon fabric material, although any other type of material may be used. The pocket or pouch24attached to the rear surface of the core16and surrounding the main opening or aperture22therethrough, creates an open cavity into which an item, such as, in one embodiment, a gift card14, may be inserted and removed. A gift card sleeve15may be attached to an inside surface of the pocket or pouch24, as shown inFIGS. 2, 4 and 5. The gift card sleeve15is dimensioned to have a traditional sized gift card14inserted therein. A small gift or novelty item may be placed into the pouch24in addition to or in lieu of the gift card14. Additionally, a plurality of foam elements26are attached to the front surface of the core16, beneath the sheet material18, and surrounding the main opening or aperture22and extending at least partially into the main opening or aperture22. In one embodiment, as shown inFIGS. 1, 2 and 6, the foam elements22are triangular shaped and arranged in a square pattern over the main opening or aperture22. The sheet material18or front surface of the core16of the greeting card100may contain printing and/or other embellishments that tie the sheet material18or front surface of the greeting card100and the plurality of foam elements26to the theme of the greeting card100. For example, as shown in the figures, the front surface of the greeting card100contains printing indicating a game where the user may reach to the pouch24to retrieve a gift or prize. In another embodiment, the foam elements26could be shaped to represent the teeth of the shark and the pouch24would represent the inside of the shark's mouth. Different decorative combinations may be used which use the main opening or aperture22through the greeting card100as a mouth or opening of some sort. Instructions may be printed on the front surface of the card100, instructing the user to reach into the opening for a fun surprise. While the plurality of elements26surrounding the opening on the front of the greeting card100are described herein as being foam, other materials may be used and are considered to be within the scope of the invention. These elements26may also be of any conceivable shape.

The greeting card100of the present disclosure and related inventions may additionally contain audio capabilities. A sound module may be contained within one or more minor openings or apertures in the core of the greeting card100. The sound module may include, but is not limited to: an electronic circuit with integrated circuit chip and controller28, a power source such as one or more batteries30, a speaker32, a memory device (may be part of integrated circuit chip) onto which at least one audio file is saved, a switch34, various wires and circuitry which connect various components, and any other component which is required for or which facilitates special effects such as audio playback of the at least one audio file. In one embodiment, the switch34is a leaf switch which is located behind one of the plurality of foam elements26surrounding the main opening22on the front of the greeting card100, as shown inFIGS. 6 and 7. In other embodiments, additional leaf switches34may be contain behind other of the plurality of foam elements26. When a user reaches his/her hand into the pouch24to retrieve the gift card14or other gift item, as shown inFIG. 4, the plurality of foam elements26are pushed or thrust into the pouch24, thereby moving the switch34from an “off” position to an “on” position and causing playback of the at least one audio file through the speaker32. Removing one's hand from the pouch24allows the foam elements26to retract back to their original position, thereby moving the switch34back to the “off” position. Once the switch34is moved to the “on” position, the at least one audio file may play for a predetermined amount of time or until it has reached the end, or it may cease to play as soon as the user's hand is removed or the switch34retracts back to the “off” position. The at least one audio file may contain sounds, spoken word, music, singing, a movie clip, or any other recordable sound. In one embodiment, there may be a plurality of sound clips which each play in a particular order or series each successive time the switch is activated, or the sound clips may be randomly replayed. While the switch34has been described herein and shown in the figures as being a leaf switch, other types of switches may be used, such as, for example, an infrared switch, a motion sensitive switch, or any other type of switch.

In operation, the user receives the greeting card100and may open the greeting card100by pivoting the sentiment panel20away from the rest of the greeting card to read the sentiment or other matter written and/or printed thereon. The user may return to the front of the greeting card100where instructions are either printed on the front surface of the greeting card100or printed onto a sticker or label attached to the front surface of the greeting card100which instruct the user to reach into the greeting card100to retrieve a fun surprise. Upon reaching his/her hand into the aperture or opening22and pushing through the plurality of foam elements26attached around the aperture or opening22, audio is played back through the speaker32and the user may retrieve the gift card14or other gift item which is contained within the pouch24.

The foregoing embodiments of the present invention have been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. These descriptions and embodiments are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principle of the invention and its practical applications to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in its various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the invention be defined by the following claims.