Abstract:
A sound device includes a sound module including a switch electrically connected to the sound module such that when the switch is “on” the sound module produces a sound and when the switch is “off” the sound module is silent. The sound device also includes apparatus for securing the sound module to a gift container or package, a switch actuator such as an elongated strip adapted to toggle the switch “off” to “on”, the elongated strip including an adhesive applied to a distal end of the elongated strip, and a housing that houses the sound module. The housing includes a slot through which the elongated strip extends such that the distal end of the elongated strip is disposed on the outside of the housing and a proximal end of the elongated strip, which is remote from the distal end, is disposed on the inside of the housing, and the elongated strip toggles the switch “off” to “on” by sliding out of the housing through the slot. Other configurations for toggling the switch are also disclosed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention is directed to a sound device for enhancing gift containers or packages, such as by providing sound when the gift container is opened. The invention also is directed to a system and method for marketing such a device. 
   2. Related Art 
   People enjoy celebrating by having a party and giving gifts. Often such celebrations are brought on by a significant event—such as a wedding or a child birth—or by a holiday. The gifts, and even the packaging for the gifts, are often carefully chosen to provide the greatest pleasure to the person receiving the gift and also to lend an even more festive atmosphere to the celebration. The gift is often wrapped in festive paper, adorned with a ribbon, and accompanied by a card. 
   In an effort to enliven gift packaging, some gift cards will play a tune when opened. A conventional, electronic sound module used in such gift cards is shown in  FIG. 16 . The conventional sound module comprises batteries  1001  powering an integrated circuit  1000  and a speaker  1010 . Power is supplied or interrupted to the integrated circuit  1000  by way of a switch  1020 , which comprises a pair of contacts. One contact is in the form of a flexible, conductive leaf  1022  and the other is in the form of a conductive plate (not shown). Disposed between the conductive leaf  1022  and the conductive plate is one end of an insulating tongue  1024 . The other end of the tongue  1024  protrudes from the sound module in cantilever fashion. The tongue  1024  can be moved along arrow A, parallel to its axis, so that a greater or lesser extent of the tongue  1024  is disposed on the outside of the sound module. 
   When the tongue  1024  is disposed substantially within the sound module, the tongue is interposed between the leaf  1022  and the plate, preventing contact. With the tongue  1024  in this position, the switch is off, no power is supplied to the integrated circuit, and the sound module is silent. When the tongue  1024  is disposed substantially on the outside of the sound module, the leaf  1022  and the plate are in contact and power is supplied to the integrated circuit  1000 . The integrated circuit  1000  then provides current to the speaker  1010  to drive the speaker  1010  and produce a tune or other sound. 
   In a conventional, tune-playing gift card, the sound module shown in  FIG. 16  is adhered to one flap of the card, in some cases behind a decorative flap. The tongue extends across the crease of the card and is adhered to the opposite flap. This relative disposition of the tongue and the sound module causes the tongue to be moved away from the sound module when the card is opened, permitting the leaf and the plate to come in contact. As a result, a tune is played. When the card is closed, the tongue is interposed between the leaf and the plate and the tune ceases. 
   Although the conventional, music-playing card enlivens a typical gift card, it does not help a consumer that likes the idea of playing a tune but does not want to have a tune played in a card or that does not like the music-playing cards available. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a generic sound module. That is, there is a need for a sound module that can be packaged and marketed by itself and that can be used with any consumer gift package or container. Moreover, there is a need for a system and method by which a plurality of such devices can be marketed so that the consumer can choose any one of the plurality of devices to use with a particular gift container. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   According to one aspect of the invention, a device for producing sound is configured to be selectably mounted by a user on a package having first and second portions movable relative to each other from a closed position to an open position. The device includes a power source; a sound module adapted to produce sound when electrically connected to said power source; means permitting the user to mount said sound module on said first portion of said package; a switch electrically interposed between said sound module and said power source configured to move from a non-conducting position in which said power source is not electrically connected to said sound module and a conducting position in which said power source is electrically connected to said sound module; a switch activator linked to said switch to move it from the non-conducting position to the conducting position; and means permitting said user to attach said switch actuator to said second portion of said package, said switch actuator and said attaching means being configured such that when said first and second portions of said package are moved from the closed to the open position said switch moves from its non-conductive to its conducting position, thereby to connect said power source to said sound module and cause said sound module to produce sound. 
   In accordance with another aspect, the present invention is a method of simultaneously marketing a plurality of sound devices of the type described above. The method includes amalgamating a plurality of such devices together, placing the amalgamated plurality of devices in a container and offering the container with the plurality of devices therein for sale. 
   In still another aspect, the invention is a system for simultaneously marketing a plurality of sounds devices of the type describe above. The system includes a container large enough to contain the plurality of devices and means or offering the container with the plurality of devices for sale. 
   According to yet another aspect of the invention, a sound device includes a sound module including a switch electrically connected to the sound module such that when the switch is “on” the sound module produces a sound and when the switch is “off” the sound module is silent. The sound device also includes means for securing the sound module to a gift container, an elongated strip adapted to toggle the switch from the “off” position to the “on” position, with the elongated strip including an adhesive applied to a distal end of the elongated strip, and a housing that houses the sound module. The housing includes a slot through which the elongated strip extends such that the distal end of the elongated strip is disposed on the outside of the housing and a proximal end of the elongated strip, which is opposite to the distal end, is disposed on the inside of the housing, and the elongated strip toggles the switch “off” to “on” by sliding out of the housing through the slot. 
   According to still another aspect of the invention, a sound-enhanced gift package comprises a gift container including a first member and a second member, with the first and second members adapted to be moved from a close relationship to a separated relationship, means for securing the sound module to one of the first member and the second member of the gift container, a sound module including a speaker, an integrated circuit electrically connected to the speaker, a power source and a switch electrically connected to the integrated circuit, and a housing that houses the speaker, the integrated circuit and the power source. The switch is “off” when the first and second members are in the closed relationship and is “on” when the first and second members are in the separated relationship. 
   According to yet another aspect of the invention, a package comprises a blister or clam shell container having generally a bowl shape with an open end, a plurality of sound modules disposed within the container, with each sound module comprising means for securing the sound module to a gift container and a switch electrically connected to the sound module such that when the switch is “on” the sound module produces a sound and when the switch is “off” the sound module is silent, and a backing positioned over the open end of the container. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a sound device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of a number of sound devices according to the first embodiment as a peelable strip is being removed from one of them; 
       FIG. 3  shows the sound device according to the first embodiment being applied to a gift box; 
       FIGS. 4 and 5  show vertical cross-sectional views of the sound module applied to a gift box body and a gift box lid; 
       FIG. 6  shows a partial, perspective view of the sound device operating when the gift box lid is removed from the gift box; 
       FIG. 7  shows a container or package containing a plurality of sound devices for marketing those devices in accordance with the invention; 
       FIGS. 8 and 9  show partial, cross-sectional views of a sound device according to a second embodiment; 
       FIGS. 10 and 11  show perspective views of a switch for a sound device according to a third embodiment; 
       FIG. 12  shows a perspective view of a sound device according to a fourth embodiment in which the module is used with a gift bag; 
       FIGS. 13 through 15  show cards with a snap, magnet or hook and loop fastener, respectively for holding the card in closed position and an attached sound device in the “off” position; and 
       FIG. 16  shows a plan view of a conventional sound module as noted earlier. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The present invention provides an improvement in the design of a conventional sound module, such as the sound module shown in  FIG. 16 . The thus-improved sound module  10  in accordance with the present invention can be placed on the inside of any gift package, container or card. The improved module will then play a sound when, for example, a lid is removed from a gift box. 
   As shown in  FIG. 1 , a housing  13  for the sound device  10  houses various components of the sound module, such as the speaker, integrated circuit and power source or batteries (as is shown in  FIG. 16 ), among other things. The housing  13  may be composed of any one of a plurality of materials, including plastic, and may be transparent or colored, and may include text, decoration, characters, figures, scenes or the like. The housing  13  preferably includes an aperture  11  that coincides in position with the opening of the speaker (such as is shown in  FIG. 16 ). The back of the housing is also provided with an adhesive  15  (shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 ) or other means for securing it to a surface as will be described in greater detail below. 
   Also shown in  FIG. 1 , the sound device  10  according to the present invention includes an elongated insulating strip  12 , one proximal end  14  of which is disposed within the housing  13  and another, distal end  16  of which is disposed on the outside of the housing  13 . The proximal end  14  of the strip  12  on the inside of the housing  13  is interposed between the leaf and the backing plate that compose the switch (see  FIG. 16 ), thus preventing the leaf and the backing plate from contacting each other and completing a circuit. 
   The proximal end  14  of the strip  12  inside the housing  13  may be folded over on itself several times in order to make the sound module  10  and the strip  12  more compact while providing an appropriate length for the strip  12 . An outer portion of the strip  12  extends through a slot  18  in the housing  13  and terminates in the distal end  16 . The distal end  16  may be folded down alongside the housing and adhered to the housing  13  in order to prevent it from flapping loosely, although such folding and adhering is not necessary. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the distal end  16  of the strip  12  preferably includes an adhesive  20 . The strip  12  may then be adhered to a surface, such as the inside of a portion of a gift container, like a gift box lid  30 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . The adhesive  20  may be of any suitable type and may provide a permanent, semi-permanent or temporary attachment to the gift box lid  30 . Preferably, the adhesive  20  is covered by a peelable panel  22  prior to use, as shown in  FIG. 2 . The adhesive  20  and peelable panel  22  are preferably disposed on a side of the strip  12  that faces away from the housing  13 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , although the adhesive  20  and peelable panel  22  may alternatively be provided on the side of the strip  12  that faces the housing  13 . 
   Although the means for securing the distal end of the strip to the gift box or gift box lid has been described as an adhesive, other means may be used. For example, the distal end may be secured using hook and loop fasteners, staples, clips and the like. 
   As further shown in  FIGS. 2 and 7 , a plurality of the sound device  10  according to the present invention may be packaged as an amalgamated unit for sale. The package  50  may be a clam shell or blister pack type and, for example, comprises a backing  52  having text, images or both printed on it and a blister pack or cover  54  affixed to the backing  52 . The blister pack  54  is preferably transparent and shaped to contain the plurality of sound devices  10 . Any number of sound devices may be contained in the blister pack  54 , although twelve such devices are shown in  FIG. 7 . Moreover, the blister pack  54  may be translucent or opaque instead of transparent. The blister pack  54  is preferably plastic, and the backing  50  may be composed of paper or plastic. The backing  50  preferably includes a slot  56  enabling the package  50  to be hung on a hook to be displayed in a manner commonly found in retail stores. 
   The package  50  shown in  FIG. 7  may contain the plurality of sound devices  10 , all of which play the same tune or each one of which plays a tune different from every other device  10  in the package  50 . Thus, one sound device  10  may play the tune “Happy Birthday” while another devices  10  may play the “Wedding March”. Alternatively, two or more sound devices  10  in the package  50  may play the same tune. Thus, a single package  50  can contain sound devices  10  appropriate for a plurality of different occasions such as a graduation, a birthday, a wedding, a child birth, Christmas, a bar mitzvah, Kwanzaa, etc. Besides playing tunes, the sound device can produce other sounds, such as the sound of people clapping, animal sounds, etc. 
   To use the device module according to the invention, a user selects a device  10  from a package  50  as shown in  FIG. 7  that plays an appropriate tune and removes it from the package  50 . The user then peels off the panel  22  covering the adhesive  20  on the distal end  16  of the elongated strip  12 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the elongated strip  12  may be pulled by the user slightly out of the housing  13  of the device  10 , although it is not necessary to do so. 
   Subsequently, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the user affixes the housing  13  to the inside of, for example, a gift box or box body  32  by way of adhesive  15  or other securing means provided on the back of the housing  13 . (As noted, other alternative securing means may include hook and loop fasteners, pins, staples, clips and rivets.) 
   Once the housing  13  has been affixed to the inside of the gift box  32  as shown in  FIG. 3 , the distal end  16  of the elongated strip  12  is applied to the inside of the gift box lid  30 . As can be seen in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the elongated strip  12  is preferably long enough to allow the user to place the distal end  16  on the gift box lid  30  and to then place the lid  30  on the gift box  32 . The distal end  16  may be placed on a depending sidewall of the lid  30 , as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , or the distal end  16  may be placed on the horizontal portion of the lid  30 . 
   In fact, the precise placement of the distal end is not essential to the invention, provided one end of the strip is on one of the gift box lid and the gift box and the other end of the elongated strip is disposed within the housing, which is attached to the other of the gift box and the gift box lid. In other words, the precise placement of the distal end is not important, as long as the strip is pulled out of the housing (as shown in  FIG. 6  and discussed below) when the gift box and gift box lid are separated. 
   It should be noted that although installation of the invention has been described with respect to a particular order of steps, one of ordinary skill will appreciate that that order can be altered without affecting the spirit of the invention. For example, the panel  22  shown in  FIG. 2  that covers the adhesive may be removed just prior to adhering the distal end  16  to the gift box lid  30 . Also, the distal end  16  may be affixed to the gift box lid  30  before the housing  13  of the sound module  10  is attached to the gift box  32 . Other variations are also conceivable. 
   At any rate, when the lid  30  is removed from the gift box  32 , the elongated strip  12  is pulled out of the housing of the sound module  10 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . This operation causes the leaf and backing plate of the switch (shown in  FIG. 16 ) to be brought into electrical contact, thus providing power to the integrated circuit within the housing  13  and driving the speaker to produce a tune or other sound. 
   A second embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . The sound module  10  of this second embodiment is the same as that of the first, with the exception of the contacts composing the switch. As can be seen in those Figures, the conductive leaf  100  and backing plate  102  composing the switch are disposed on the outside of the housing  13  of the sound device module  10 . The leaf  100  and plate  102  extend orthogonally from the housing  13  so that when the housing  13  of the sound module  10  is attached to a gift box lid  30 , the switch components run parallel to a sidewall  34  of the gift box lid  30 . Of course, as in the first embodiment, the sound device  10  may be attached to the gift box  32  instead of the gift box lid  30 . 
   When the gift box lid  30  is placed on the gift box or box body  32  as shown in  FIG. 8 , a sidewall  38  of the gift box  32  is interposed between the leaf  100  and plate  102  of the switch. Therefore, no power is provided to the integrated circuit of the sound module  10  and no sound is produced. However, when the lid  30  is removed from the gift box  32 , the leaf  100 , which is biased toward the plate  102 , contacts the plate  102  thereby energizing the integrated circuit to drive the speaker and produce a sound. Preferably, the leaf  100  includes an inclined lead-in portion  104 , that facilitates interposing the sidewall  38  of the gift box  32  between the leaf  100  and the plate  102 . 
   Although one of the components of the switch in the sound device  10  of the foregoing embodiments has been described as a leaf, one of ordinary skill will appreciate that other types of contacts may be used. For example, rather than a leaf, the contact may be a flexible wire or other conductive, biased member. 
   A third embodiment of the present invention, shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , comprises a coil spring  200  biasing a flexible strip  202 . The flexible strip  202  may be composed of a conductive material in order to function as a leaf, similarly to the leaves of the first and second embodiments. In other words, the flexible strip  202  may contact a conductive backing plate on the sound module (not shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 ) when the lid  30  is removed from the gift box  32  and the spring  200  biases the strip  202  as shown in  FIG. 11 . 
   In the third embodiment, when the gift box lid  30  is placed on the gift box  32 , the spring  200  is depressed and the sound device does not produce sound. As shown in  FIG. 11 , when the gift box lid  30  is removed, the spring  200  is released thereby to close the sound device switch so that the device can produce sound. 
   The sound device according to the first through third embodiments have been described in conjunction with a gift box and a gift box lid. However, other gift containers may be used with the sound modules according to the present invention. Such containers including gift bags (discussed below with respect to the fourth embodiment), envelopes, crates and cards (shown in  FIGS. 13 through 15  and discussed below). 
   A sound device  10  according to a fourth embodiment is shown in  FIG. 12 . The sound device  10  according to this embodiment is the same as the device according to the first through third embodiments, with the exception of the switch. In the fourth embodiment, the switch comprises a snap composed of a female member  302  and a male member  304 . The switch is constructed in a well-known way so that when the female member  302  and the male member  304  are separated, a circuit is completed in the sound device  10  and a sound is produced. Moreover, when the female member and the male member are joined, the circuit is interrupted and no sound is produced. Of course, one of ordinary skill will appreciate that the switch can operate in the opposite manner, such that when the female and male members are joined, the circuit is completed. 
   The sound device according to the fourth embodiment is well suited for use with an envelope having a clasp or a bag constructed of heavy paper and having opposing bag walls  306  and  308  on which opposing members  302  and  309  are respectively mounted. Such paper bags are often distributed by retail stores to hold purchased items. Often, paper bags of this type are decorated and are suitable as gift bags. Of course, the sound device according to the fourth embodiment may be used in conjunction with a variety of containers, including gift boxes, envelopes, bags and even crates. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 13 through 15 , the sound device according to the present invention may also be used with a card, such as a birthday card, rather than a gift box or gift bag. The sound module shown in  FIGS. 1 through 3  is particularly suited for use with a card, because the distal end  16  of the strip  12  can be applied to one flap  47  of the card while the housing  13  can be applied to an opposite flap  49  of the card. When the card is opened, the strip  12  is pulled out of the housing  13 , thereby permitting the circuit inside the sound device  10  to be completed and causing sound to be produced. 
   Although the sound device for use with the cards shown in  FIGS. 13 through 15  is preferably the sound device shown in  FIGS. 1 through 3 , the sound devices according to the other embodiments may also be used with only minor modifications to the switches of those other embodiments. The card having the sound module provided therein may also include a mechanism for holding the two flaps of the card together. Such a mechanism may include a snap  300  shown in  FIG. 13 , a magnet  400  shown in  FIG. 14 , or hook and loop fastener  400  shown in  FIG. 16 . 
   As will be understood form the description provided above that the device for producing sound can be used with gift boxes, greeting cards, bags and other containers. Accordingly, in this context and for purposes of the present application and the concluding claims, such boxes, cards, bags and the like will be referred to as “packages”. 
   Sound devices according to any of the foregoing embodiments can be marketed as follows: a plurality of such devices can be packaged in the container as shown in  FIG. 7 . That container may then be offered for sale in any suitable outlet. Thus, a consumer can purchase the container of a number of sound devices according to any one of the foregoing embodiments at that outlet, remove a device from the package and affix the device to a particular gift container or package. 
   The embodiments discussed above are representative of the present invention and are provided for illustrative purposes only. They are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Although components, configurations, and means of connecting various parts have been shown and described, such are not limiting. Modifications and variations are contemplated within the scope of the invention, which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the accompanying claims.