Patent Publication Number: US-2007113432-A1

Title: Greeting card with removable enclosure for cookie or other items

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to greeting cards. More particularly, the invention relates to a gift assembly including a greeting card and a removable enclosure to house a cookie or other items.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      Greeting cards are a popular method of delivering a birthday wish, congratulation, thoughtful message, or other sentiment. Often, well-wishers give cookies, candy, or other small gifts in combination with greeting cards to further emphasize the delivered message. The cookie or other small gift is usually attached to the greeting card utilizing adhesive, glue, ribbon, etc, to enable the card and the gift to be simultaneously given.  
      Unfortunately, such gifts must be manually attached to greeting cards after purchase, thereby increasing the amount of time well-wishers must expend to furnish the gifts and decreasing the likelihood of gift giving. Also, well-wishers with diminished artistic skills may be unable to combine a gift and a greeting card in an aesthetically pleasing manner.  
      Well-wishers also sometimes combine greeting cards with small gifts utilizing a temporary enclosure, such as flexible plastic wrap, plastic bags, etc, to house the gifts. Such temporary enclosures are aesthetically unpleasing, fail to protect fragile gifts, cannot be resealed or reused to house other gifts, and fail to provide a sealed enclosure to preserve gifts, thereby resulting in damaged cards and stale, broken, or otherwise spoiled gifts. Thus, attempts to combine greeting cards and gifts are often unsuccessful.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention solves the above-described problems and provides a distinct advance in the art of greeting cards. More particularly, the invention provides a gift assembly including a greeting card and a removable enclosure to house a cookie or other items. Such a configuration enables a well-wisher to easily assemble and present the greeting card and item in combination without requiring time-consuming assembly. The enclosure also prevents damage to the enclosed item and keeps it fresh longer.  
      In various embodiments, the present invention provides a gift assembly including a greeting card and a removable enclosure for housing a cookie or other item. The greeting card has an aperture and the enclosure may be positioned at least partially in the aperture using a base and a cover to couple the enclosure to the greeting card.  
      The base may also include a first flange, a raised portion extending from the first flange, and a ridge positioned on the raised portion. The cover may also include a second flange, a groove, and a substantially transparent portion to enable viewing of the item. The enclosure may be coupled to the greeting card by positioning at least a portion of the raised portion through the aperture to enable the groove to receive the ridge to couple the cover and the base together. The flanges generally abut the greeting card when the cover and the base are joined to further facilitate coupling of the greeting card and the enclosure.  
      The greeting card may also include a front cover to enable the greeting card to present open and closed positions. The front cover has a second aperture to enable the enclosure to extend at least partially through both apertures when the greeting card is closed. Preferably, the enclosure does not extend through the second aperture when the card is open. Such a configuration enables the enclosed item to be viewed regardless of card position and preserves traditional greeting card functionality.  
      Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawing figures. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES  
      A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:  
       FIG. 1  is an exploded-perspective view of various elements of a gift assembly configured in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, the gift assembly shown including a greeting card and a enclosure for housing a cookie;  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the gift assembly of  FIG. 1 , the greeting card shown in a closed position;  
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the gift assembly of  FIGS. 1-2 , the greeting card shown in an open position with a plurality of candies;  
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the gift assembly of  FIGS. 1-3 , the enclosure shown having a cover and a base housing the candies;  
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the gift assembly of  FIGS. 1-4 , the greeting card shown with the cover coupled with the base to enclose the candies;  
       FIG. 6  is an exploded-perspective view of various elements of a gift assembly configured in accordance with various other embodiments of the present invention, the gift assembly shown including a greeting card and a enclosure presenting a rectangular shape for housing a photograph; and  
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the gift assembly of  FIG. 6 , the greeting card shown in a closed position and the enclosure shown enclosing the photograph. 
    
    
      The drawing figures do not limit the present invention to the specific embodiments disclosed and described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the invention.  
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      The following detailed description of the invention references the accompanying drawings that illustrate specific embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments can be utilized and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.  
      Referring to  FIGS. 1-7 , a gift assembly  10  is shown constructed in accordance with various preferred embodiments of the present invention. The gift assembly  10  generally includes a greeting card  12  having an aperture  14  and an enclosure  16  having a base  18  and a cover  20  for housing an item. The greeting card  12  and the enclosure  16  are preferably coupled together to comprise an integral gift assembly, however the greeting card  12  and the enclosure  16  may be discrete separate units operable for individual use as described below.  
      Preferably, the greeting card  12  is comprised of paper or cardboard stock and is formed in a generally rectangular shape in a similar manner to conventional greeting cards. Such a configuration enables the gift assembly  10  and/or greeting card  12  to be housed, displayed, shelved, presented, and sold in a similar manner to conventional greeting cards. However, the greeting card  12  may comprise various materials and shapes, including papers, metals, plastics, etc, to enable the gift assembly  10  and/or greeting card  12  to present innumerable appearances and shapes.  
      The greeting card  12  includes a main panel  26   a  having an opposed front  22  and back  24  surfaces. The aperture  14  is formed through the front  22  and back  24  to enable positioning of at least a portion of the enclosure  16  within or through the aperture  14 , as described below. Preferably, the aperture  14  has a shape, such as a circular shape, that generally corresponds to the shape of the base  18 , or cover  20 , to facilitate coupling of the greeting card  12  and the enclosure  16 . The aperture  14  is also preferably encircled by the greeting card  12  to further facilitate coupling of the greeting card  12  and the enclosure  16  by enabling a portion of the enclosure  16  to be securely positioned within the aperture  14 .  
      The greeting card  12  may consist of a single sheet of material, such that the greeting card  12  may consist of only the main panel  26   a . However, as shown in  FIGS. 1-7 , the greeting card  12  may additionally include a front cover  26   b  hingedly coupled to the main panel  26   a  to enable the greeting card  12  to present open and closed positions. The front cover  26   b  includes a second aperture  28  that may be substantially similar to the first aperture  14 . The front cover  26   b  may be a discrete element, such as a sheet of paper, that is coupled with the greeting card  12  utilizing hinges or other coupling elements or the front cover  26   b  may be integral with the greeting card  12  such that the front cover  26   b  is formed by folding or otherwise modifying the greeting card  12 .  
      In embodiments including the front cover  26   b , the apertures  14 ,  28  are positioned such that they may be aligned to enable at least a portion of the enclosure  16  to pass through both apertures  14 ,  28  when the greeting card presents the closed position and pass through only the first aperture  14  when the greeting card presents the open position.  
      When the greeting card  12  is closed, the main panel  26   a  and the front cover  26   b  generally overlap such that the apertures  14 ,  28  align, as shown in  FIG. 2 . When the greeting card  12  is open, the main panel  26   a  and front cover  26   b  do not generally overlap such that the apertures  14 ,  28  are not aligned and the front  22  of the greeting card  12  is generally viewable, as shown in  FIG. 1 . In embodiments where the greeting card  12  is comprised of a folded sheet of paper, the open position may correspond to when the sheet is at least partially unfolded and the closed position may correspond to when the sheet is folded over itself.  
      As will be appreciated, the greeting card  12  may include a plurality of intermediate portions between the main panel  26   a  and the front cover  26   b , each having apertures, to provide innumerable greeting card configurations. The plurality of intermediate portions and associated apertures may be positioned such that the enclosure  16  extends through any combination of the apertures when the greeting card  12  is in open and closed positions.  
      In various embodiments, at least a portion of the greeting card  12  may present a visual greeting, such as a drawing, picture, text, etc, to facilitate in providing the desired sentiment. The visual greetings may be printed greetings and/or the greeting card  12  may provide an area that enables a user to handwrite or otherwise affix a greeting thereto.  
      The base  18  and cover  20  may be coupled to enclose the item or items. The base  18  and cover  20  are preferably comprised of a substantially rigid material, such as a  20  mil plastic or equivalents thereof, to prevent deformation and protect the housed item. Utilization of a rigid enclosure  16  enables the gift assembly  10  and enclosed item to survive rough handling during transport, mailing, and storage.  
      At least a portion of the base  18  is operable to at least partially extend through the aperture  14  to facilitate securing the enclosure  16  to the greeting card  12 . Preferably, at least a portion of the base  18  fully extends through the aperture  14  to facilitate coupling of the base  18  and the cover  20 . The base also may include a first flange  30  and a raised portion  32  extending generally perpendicularly from the first flange  30  to extend at least partially through the aperture  14 .  
      The first flange  30  preferably presents a substantially flat profile to enable the flange  30  to generally abut the back  24  of the greeting card  12  when the raised portion  32  is at least partially extended through the aperture  14 . Further, the shape of the periphery of the flange  30  many correspond to the shape of the aperture to facilitate coupling of the enclosure  16  and the greeting card  12 .  
      The raised portion  32  may comprise and/or form a closed loop to enable at least a portion of the item to be housed, enclosed, or otherwise retained therein. The height of the raised portion  32  is sufficient to enable at least a portion of the raised portion  32  to extend through the aperture  14  for coupling with the cover  20 . Thus, the height of the raised portion  32  may be at least equal to the thickness of the greeting card  12  to facilitate coupling of the cover  20  and base  18 . However, the height of the raised portion  32  is preferably greater than the thickness of the greeting card  12  to enable at least a portion of the raised portion  32  to extend through the aperture  14  to facilitate coupling with the cover  20 .  
      Additionally, the shape presented by the raised portion  32  is preferably generally similar to the shape provided by the aperture  14  to enable at least a portion of the raised portion  32  to fit snugly within the aperture  14 . Such snug fitting of the raised portion  32  within the aperture  14  facilitates secure coupling of the enclosure  16  and the greeting card  12 .  
      The raised portion  32  may additionally include a ridge  34  to facilitate coupling with the cover  20 . The ridge  34  may extend along an outer periphery of the raised portion  32  to enable at least a portion of the cover  20  to fit over the raised portion  32  and couple with the ridge  34 , as is explained in detail below. The ridge  34  may comprise a continuous raised protrusion extending generally perpendicularly from the raised portion  32 , and parallel with the flange  30 , and/or the ridge  34  may include intermittent protrusions or protrusions extending in any direction. Preferably, the height of the ridge  34 , as measured from the periphery of the raised portion  32 , is less than a few millimeters to enable easy coupling and uncoupling of the cover  20  and base  18 .  
      In various embodiments, the base  18  may additionally include an uneven portion  36  substantially parallel and/or coaxial with the first flange  30  and substantially perpendicular to the raised portion  32 . The uneven portion  36  includes a plurality of bumps, protrusions, ridges, or other elements to provide an area for coupling with the item to facilitate positioning of the item within the raised portion  32 , and generally within the base  18  and enclosure  16 , during transport of the gift assembly  10  or other movement of the greeting card  12 . Further, the uneven portion  36  provides strength to the enclosure  16 , prevents the item from sticking or undesirably adhering to the base  18 , and facilitates maintaining the enclosed item in an upright position when the gift assembly  10  is vertically positioned, such as when the gift assembly  10  is positioned on a shelf for display or sale.  
      The cover  20  may be coupled with the base  18  to enclose the item. The cover  20  preferably presents a housing portion  38  to provide an area for the item to be enclosed within when the cover  20  and the base  18  are coupled together. The housing portion  38  may present various shapes, sizes, and configurations to conform to the aesthetic elements of the gift assembly  10  and functional elements of the greeting card  12  and base  18 . In various embodiments, the housing portion  38  presents a domed shaped to facilitate cookie housing, as shown in  FIGS. 1-5  or a rectangular shape to facilitate photo housing, as shown in  FIGS. 6-7 . Utilization of the domed shaped shown in  FIGS. 1-5  enables a ribbon or other decorative element to be easily tied around gift assembly  10  to achieve a desired aesthetic effect.  
      At least a portion of the cover  20  is sized and configured to mate with the base  18  to couple the cover  20  and base  18  together to form the enclosure  16 . Specifically, at least a portion of the housing portion  38  may be sized and configured to mate with the raised portion  32  to couple the cover  20  and base  18  together. Thus, in embodiments where the raised portion  32  presents a generally circular loop, as shown in  FIGS. 1-5 , at least a portion of the housing portion  38  may also include a generally circular portion having a diameter, circumference, and/or area slightly less or slightly larger than the raised portion  32  to enable at least a portion of the raised portion  32  to snugly fit with or within the housing portion  38 .  
      Additionally, the cover  20 , and specifically the housing portion  38 , may include a groove  40  operable to receive the ridge  34  to further couple the base  18  and the cover  20 . The groove  40  may be positioned on the housing portion  38  to receive the ridge  34  when the raised portion  32  is substantially inserted into, or otherwise coupled with, the housing portion  38 .  
      The mating of the ridge  34  and groove  40  strengthens the coupling of the base  18  and the cover  20  by generally preventing the raised portion  32  from sliding or otherwise inadvertently being removed from the housing portion  38 . Further, the coupling of the raised portion  32  and the housing portion  38  substantially seals the enclosure  16 , by generally restricting the flow of air in and out of the enclosure  16 , to preserve the housed items and prevent spoilage or staleness.  
      The cover  20  may additionally include a second flange  42  positioned around its periphery and extending substantially perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of the housing portion  38 . Thus, the second flange  42  may be substantially similar to the first flange  30 , but coupled with the cover  20  instead of the base  18 . As explained below in detail, when the greeting card  12 , base  18 , and cover  20  are coupled together, the first flange  30  may generally abut the back  24  of the greeting card  12  and the second flange  42  may generally abut the front of the greeting card  12  to facilitate coupling of the greeting card  12  and the enclosure  16 . Specifically, the coupling of the flanges  30 ,  42  to the respective sides of the greeting card  12  prevents the enclosure  16  from moving forward or backward out of the aperture  14  and undesirably detaching from the greeting card  12 .  
      In operation, the gift assembly  10  may be utilized to deliver innumerable messages and items. For instance, the enclosure  16  may house one or more cookies as shown in  FIGS. 1-2 , a plurality of candies as shown in  FIGS. 3-5 , a photograph as shown in  FIGS. 6-7 , paper money and coins, small toys such as dolls, or any items or plurality of items that are operable to fit within the enclosure  16 .  
      To assemble the gift assembly  10 , a user, a merchant, a card manufacturer, etc, couples the base  18  with the greeting card  12  by inserting the raised portion  32  at least partially into the aperture  14  such that the first flange  30  generally abuts the back  24  of the card  12 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . Next, the item or items may be deposited manually or automatically into the base  18 , preferably within the raised portion  32 , and the cover  20  is positioned for coupling, as shown in  FIG. 4 . Finally, the cover  20  is coupled with the base  18 , by lowering the housing portion  38  onto the raised portion  32  such that the groove  40  receives the ridge  34  and the second flange  42  generally abuts the front  22  of the card  12 , as shown in  FIG. 5 .  
      As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, such assembly may be easily implemented utilizing automated machines or other assembly processes due to the ease in which the enclosure  16  may be filled and coupled to the greeting card  12  utilizing the base  18  and the cover  20 . For example, the gift assembly  10  is assembled by joining only two elements, the base  18  and the cover  20 , around the greeting card  12 .  
      Additionally, such simple assembly of the gift assembly  10  enables users to quickly house items within the enclosure  16  and couple the enclosure  16  to the greeting card  12  in an aesthetically-pleasing manner without expending a significant amount of time. For instance, a candy store may provide users with unassembled assemblies to enable users to fill the enclosure  16  with any selected candy or item, assemble the assembly  10  within the store, and then pay for the combination of the assembly  10  and candy without requiring custom-assembly by the store or card manufacturer and without requiring the use of unattractive or structurally weak elements such as plastic bags.  
      Further, due to the substantially-sealed enclosure  16  created by the coupling of the base  18  and the cover  20 , the shelf-life of the enclosed item may be extended to allow a gift assembly manufacturer to assemble the gift assembly  10  with a perishable item, such as a cookie, and then ship the assembly  10  to a merchant for sale to a user. Additionally, during assembly, air, including oxygen, may be removed from the enclosure  16  before coupling to allow the item to be housed in a generally air-free environment to further prevent spoilage of the item. Similarly, during assembly other gases, such as nitrogen, may be inserted in the enclosure  16  before coupling to further preserve the housed item.  
      After assembly, the greeting card  12  may be presented in a desired manner with the coupled enclosure  16  without obstructing view or function of the greeting card  12 . For example, in various embodiments the user may open and close the greeting card  12  without removing the enclosure  16 , due to the position of the apertures  14 ,  28 , to view any presented greetings. Specifically, in embodiments having the front cover  26   b , the enclosure  16  extends through both apertures  14 ,  28  when the greeting card  12  is closed and the enclosure  16  does not extend through the second aperture  28  when the greeting card  12  is open. Such a configuration preserves traditional greeting card functionality while enabling the enclosure  16  and housed item to be viewed regardless of card position.  
      Further, the coupling of the enclosure  16  and the greeting card  12  enables the gift assembly  10  to maintain a generally conventional greeting card appearance, and not a box or package-like appearance, to increase its aesthetic appeal and shelving and packing ability. Also, in various embodiments the enclosure  16  includes a substantially transparent portion to enable the user to view the enclosed item.  
      The user may easily remove the item from the enclosure  16  after assembly by uncoupling the base  18  and the cover  20 . Specifically, the user may easily pull the base  18  apart from the cover  20  due to the positioning of the base  18  and cover  20  on opposite sides of the greeting card  12 . The first flange  30  further facilitates uncoupling as the user may grasp the first flange  30  with his or her fingers to more easily dislodge the raised portion  32  from the housing portion  38 , and the associated ridge  34  and groove  40 , to free the item from the enclosure  16 . Similarly, the second flange  42  may also be independently or simultaneously utilized the uncouple the base  18  and the cover  20 .  
      Additionally, the coupling and uncoupling of the enclosure  16  to the greeting card  12  does not damage or otherwise affect the greeting card  12 . Thus, the user may couple and uncouple the enclosure  16  to the greeting card  12  a plurality of times without structurally or aesthetically damaging the greeting card  12 . Such functionality enables the user to remove the enclosure  16  from the greeting card  12  and retain the greeting card  12 , lacking the enclosure  16 , for posteriority, display, or other purposes in an undamaged state. Similarly, such functionality enables a merchant or other entity to easily replace the enclosed item, such as a spoiled cookie, without damaging or replacing the greeting card  12 .  
      Further, the base  18  and the cover  20  may be uncoupled from the greeting card  12  and recoupled together separate from the greeting card  12  to enable the greeting card  12  and enclosure  16  to function and exist as discrete elements. For instance, after receiving the gift assembly  10 , the user may remove the enclosure from the greeting card  12  and recouple the base  18  and the cover  20  to store the housed item, such as candy, a cookie, photograph, etc, separately from the greeting card  12 . Thus, the enclosure  16 , due to its aesthetically pleasing appearance and durable configuration, may function as a candy bowl, cookie holder, package, or photograph frame, separate and independent of the greeting card  12 .  
      Although the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment illustrated in the attached drawing figures, it is noted that equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as recited in the claims.  
      Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includes the following: