Abstract:
The audio player is configured to be attached to a gift. In one embodiment, the audio player contains an electric circuit including a battery, a switch, an audio memory and loudspeaker in a series circuit. The switch is held open by a card positioned in a slot in the body of the audio player. The card usually contains the gift giver&#39;s and gift recipient&#39;s names and may contain a written sentiment. When the card is removed from the slot the switch is closed so that the memory produces a sequential signal. This is transformed by the loudspeaker into audible sound. The audible sound is a verbal or musical greeting, which may correspond to the occasion for which the gift is being presented. Other electrical and mechanical embodiments are disclosed.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   An audio player is programmed to play a verbal or musical greeting. The audio player is configured to be directly associated with a gift. Actuation of the audio player is by withdrawal of a greeting card or the like from retention by the audio player. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   When a gift is given it is usual to identify both the recipient and the giver. When the gift is flowers, a card identifying both the recipient and the giver is placed in an envelope and into a fork-topped post. The recipient withdraws the envelope and reads the card therein. On packages, a gift card in an envelope is usually associated with the package. Sometimes the envelope is attached to the package to help maintain it in position. Such cards may have a greeting or message thereon. The greeting or message is in the decoration and words of the usual greeting card. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In order to aid in the understanding of this invention, it can be stated in essentially summary form that it is directed to an audio player which is actuated by card retraction. The card is often a greeting card. The audio player is associated with a gift being given. In one case the audio player is on a post which is inserted into a bouquet of flowers. In another case the audio player is secured directly to a parcel containing a gift. In some embodiments, the audio player has a slot therein into which a card, usually in its envelope, is placed. In another embodiment, the card is retained as by a spring clip on the outside of the audio player so as to block light rays to a light-sensitive actuator for operation of the audio player. Withdrawal of the card from the audio player actuates the audio player so that it issues its musical or verbal audio greeting. 
   It is thus a purpose and advantage of this invention to associate an audio greeting with a card on a gift so that when the card is withdrawn for inspection the audio player is actuated. 
   It is another purpose and advantage of this invention to directly couple a greeting card with an audio player so that, when they are separated, the greeting card can be inspected and the audio player provides its audio announcement and/or music. 
   It is another purpose and advantage of this invention to provide an audio player which can be attached to various different gift parcels from flower arrangements to packaged gifts and also to a card such as a greeting card which is associated with the audio player and thus with the gift. 
   It is a further purpose and advantage of this invention to provide an audio player which can be conveniently configured to illustrate a particular event, sport or situation so as to complement the event for which the gift is being given. 
   The features of this invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the audio player actuated by greeting card retraction shown with a bouquet of flowers. 
       FIG. 2  is an enlarged side elevational view thereof. 
       FIG. 3  is a further enlarged front view thereof, with parts broken away and parts taken in section. 
       FIG. 4  is a further enlarged view through the audio player, with parts broken away, showing how the card maintains the switch actuators in the unactuated position. 
       FIG. 5  is a similar view, showing the card retracted and showing the switch actuators in the audio player actuating position. 
       FIG. 6  is a schematic electrical diagram. 
       FIG. 7  is an isometric view showing the audio player of this invention configured to be attached to a package and showing it attached. 
       FIG. 8  is an enlarged section taken generally along line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 7 . 
       FIG. 9  is a back view of the audio player, showing a protective slip sheet partially peeled back from its pressure-sensitive adhesive. 
       FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a package carrying another preferred embodiment of the audio player of this invention. 
       FIG. 11  shows another embodiment of the audio player of this invention showing adhesive on both faces thereof. 
       FIG. 12  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the audio player wherein it is in its rectangular configuration. 
       FIG. 13  is a further embodiment of the audio player of this invention showing it in the configuration of the head of a golf club, illustrating that the audio player may be in different configurations which are compatible with the sense of the greeting card with which it is employed or sense of the occasion for which the greeting card is presented. 
       FIGS. 14 and 15  are perspective views of another embodiment of the audio player using a light-sensitive actuator which is blocked by a card temporarily retained on the outside of the audio player. 
       FIG. 16  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the audio player using a mechanical wind-up type with a card inserted into the player to obstruct operation. 
       FIG. 17  is a top plan view thereof, partially broken away and fragmented. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The first preferred embodiment of the audio player of this invention is generally indicated at  10  in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4  and  5 . The audio player  10  is mounted on post  12  which is suitable to be inserted into a bouquet  14  or a potted plant. The flower arrangement in its container in  FIG. 1  also discloses a pot with a plant therein. The purpose of the post is to support the audio player  10  in a conveniently accessible location. The audio player  10  has a body  16  which is mounted on the post. The body has a slot  18  therein. The slot is sized so that a card or a card  20  can be inserted therein. The card  20  may be a greeting card. The greeting card may call attention to a specific event such as a birthday or wedding anniversary or holiday. Usually the card is enclosed in an envelope  21 , as shown. The envelope may carry the gift recipient&#39;s name on it and the card may simply carry the giver&#39;s name thereon. Usually however, a sentiment is included with the giving of the flowers. 
   The audio player  10  carries various electrical devices in a circuit  22 . These devices are contained within the body  16 . The devices include a battery  24 , an audio generator  26  and a loudspeaker  28 . These components are serially connected with a switch  30 . The switch  30  includes switch fingers  32  and  34 . As illustrated in  FIGS. 4 ,  5  and  6 , the switch fingers contact each other and provide continuity to the circuit when there is nothing between them, as seen in  FIG. 5 . When the card  20  is positioned between the switch fingers as seen in  FIG. 4 , the circuit is incomplete. Thus, the audio player is at rest until the card  20  is pulled from between the switch fingers. When the card is pulled, the circuit is complete. The switch fingers are card retraction actuated which has two functions. One function is to control the energization of the audio generator. The second function is to releaseably hold the card. The audio generator  26  generates a sequence of electronic signals which are presented as audible sound to the listeners by loudspeaker  28 . The sounds may be music or may be a verbal greeting or a combination. The music may be consistent with the subject of the event. The music may be a love song upon the presentation of flowers. It may be a patriotic song for one of the national holidays. It may be a birthday song for celebrating a birthday anniversary. If the audio player presents a voice message, the voice message would be correlated with the circumstances of the gift giving. 
   When a man gives a bouquet to his lady friend, he signs the card  20  and places it in its envelope. He addresses the envelope with the name of the gift recipient and places the envelope and card into the slot  18 . This prevents electrical continuity so that the audio player is silent. When the bouquet is presented and the recipient withdraws the envelope and card from the slot in the audio player, the audio player presents its greeting. 
   While the card  20  is seen as directly maintaining the contacts open in the switch  30 , the switch fingers  32  and  34  are switch actuators which are acted upon by the card and the actual contacts may be away from that card-engaging point. 
     FIGS. 7 ,  8  and  9  generally indicate a further preferred embodiment of the audio player which is generally indicated at  40  and has a body  42  which is in the form of a disk with a slot  44  therein. The audio player  40  contains the same operative parts as the audio player  10 . One side of the body carries pressure-sensitive adhesive  46 , see  FIG. 9 , which is protected by slip sheet  48 . This configuration permits removal of the slip sheet for adhesive attachment of the audio player  40  to a package  50 . The package  50  may carry a gift for the recipient. A card  52  is inserted into the slot  44  and holds open the switch actuator within the slot. 
   Package  50  contains a gift for the recipient. Card  52  is in an envelope which carries an address which designates the recipient. Card  52  may contain a suitable sentiment and carry the name of the giver. The recipient and giver are both identified and the card is associated with the gift by its insertion into the slot  44  of the audio player. When the card is removed the audio player is actuated to produce sound relevant to the occasion. It may be a musical or verbal greeting. 
     FIGS. 10 and 11  illustrate audio player  60 . Audio player  60  has the same operative parts as audio player  10  and the same external configuration as the audio player  40 . However, the audio player  60  has an adhesive layer on each of its top and bottom faces. Adhesive layers  62  and  64  are respectively shown as being protected by slip sheets  66  and  68 . By the use of the two adhesive layers, the audio player  60  can be attached to the top of package  70 , after removal of the slip sheet  68 . Thereupon, the audio player  60  can be partially hidden by the application of a covering thereon. The covering is preferably a decorative covering such as a ribbon made into a bow  72 . Before the package wrapping is complete, the lower slip sheet  68  is removed and the audio player is attached to the package  70 . Thereupon the upper slip sheet  66  is removed and the bow  70  is attached thereto. The bow does not completely cover the audio player but permits access to the slot  74 . The slot  74  receives the card  76  which preferably contains the recipient&#39;s and the giver&#39;s identification, together with a suitable message. The card may or may not be in an envelope. Removal of the card initiates action by the audio player. 
   The external configuration of the audio player is not important to its uses as long as the configuration is not obtrusive. The appearance of the audio player should be as unobtrusive as possible.  FIG. 12  illustrates an audio player  80  which is a rectangular configuration. Its other characteristics are the same as audio player  10 . 
   The audio players  10 ,  40 ,  60  and  80  have an exterior configuration which is intended to be unobtrusive. The external configuration of audio player  82 , seen in  FIG. 13 , is intended to complement the nature of the event for which the gift is given. As an illustrative example, the external shape of the audio player  82  is that of the head of a golf club. This configuration would be suitable for giving a gift which is related to golf. It would be suitable for prizes given at golf tournaments. The audio player and its card may be the entire prize or may be attached to a package containing a different prize. The audio player  82  has a slot  84  therein which receives a card  88 . As with the previously described audio players, the insertion of the card prevents actuation of the audio signal, and removal of the card causes the audio signal to be produced. 
   It should be noted that the card  20  and its envelope  21  are normally electrically non-conductive as when they are basically paper products. Thus, they each, when used separately or together, function to interrupt the electrical circuit  22 . However, the card  20  may be composed of electrically conductive material as long as it is used as an insert into the non-conductive envelope  21 . Furthermore, switch contacts  32  and  34  may be configured to have non-conductive extensions or additions which may be operated by conductive cards and/or envelopes in a similar manner. 
   Another embodiment is seen in  FIGS. 14 and 15 . An audio player  90  is shown with a light-sensitive actuator  92  below an aperture  94  in the upper surface  96  of the case for the audio player  90 . The circuitry in the audio player  90  may be the same or similar to that illustrated in  FIG. 6 , for example, with the actuator  92  functioning as the switch  30 . On the other hand, the actuator  92  may be a photovoltaic cell and function as a powersource replacement for battery  24 . Thus, when the top surface  96  is exposed to sufficient ambient light, the light received by the actuator  92  through the hole  94  will cause the audio player to operate. In accordance with this invention, a resilient spring clip  98  is secured to the audio player  90  as at the edge of the surface  96 ; with a tong  100  extending towards the hole  94  and closely adjacent the surface  96 . As seen in  FIG. 14 , when a card  21  is inserted between the spring clip  98  and the audio player  90 , the card blocks light rays from entering the audio player  90  through the hole  94 . When the recipient pulls the card  21 , the light hole  94  is exposed for operation of the audio player  90 . In this embodiment, the card may be made of metal and/or other electrically conductive material as long as it is opaque to light, and may be disposed in an envelope (not shown) as previously described. 
   In referring to  FIGS. 16 and 17 , there is shown an embodiment  120  employing conventional mechanical music box indicated diagrammatically in broken lines at  122  in  FIG. 17 . A conventional mechanical music box has various rotatable and rotating gears, fly wheels and other mechanism and, according to the present invention, a slot  124  is provided for insertion and reception of the card  21  so that, when in place, the card blocks rotation of a music box element such as, as shown in  FIG. 17 , a fly wheel protrusion  126 . When the card is removed, the rotational obstruction is removed and, thus, the audio player is free to operate in a normal manner. Since this audio player is intended to be used, as previously described, as a gift attachment to flowers or a box, it may be desirable to remove the conventional windup key before completing the gift wrapping. Under those circumstances, the key might be lost or otherwise become unavailable to the recipient if it is desired to rewind the mechanism. According to the present invention, the key  128  is provided with a pivoted junction  130  so that the exposed part  132  of the key can be pivoted downwardly into an appropriately mating recess  134  in the upper surface  136  of the audio player. Thus, in use, the key  128  is not obtrusive and yet is available to the recipient for later use. 
   This invention has been described in its presently contemplated best modes and it is clear that it is susceptible to numerous modifications, modes and embodiments within the ability of those skilled in the art and without the exercise of the inventive faculty. Accordingly, the scope of this invention is defined by the scope of the following claims.