Patent Publication Number: US-2003230012-A1

Title: Card with three dimensional (3-D) pop-up box

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0002] The subject invention relates to the field of pop-up cards and, more particularly, to a pop-up card of the type in which the pop-up portion forms a three-dimensional box when erect.  
       [0003] The subject invention also relates to the field of advertising and promotional techniques and, more particularly, to an advertising and/or promotional piece that includes a pop-up feature.  
       [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art  
       [0005] No matter the location, the consuming public is inundated with promotional material from every type of commercial enterprise, in the form of business cards, T-shirts, hats and many other objects. In particular, the consuming public is inundated with paper advertisements in the form of newspaper inserts, catalogs, flyers, postcards, coupon books and the like. Due to these factors, advertisers are continually searching for new and more effective promotional materials with which they can gain the attention of consumers. Prior attempts to gain the attention of consumers, both in the form of paper advertisements and more generally in the form of promotional materials, have included colorful artwork, controversial slogans, eye-catching shapes, contests, coupons and novel means with which to deliver the above to the consumer. Though these methods of gaining the attention of consumers have been and continue to be successful to a certain extent, there exists a constant need on the part of companies and individuals to deliver their advertising and promotional materials in novel, attention-getting ways.  
       [0006] Additionally, advertisements and promotional materials must reach numerous consumers in a cost-efficient manner. Thus, the most favorable promotional materials cards should be simply and quickly mass manufactured and should employ inexpensive materials.  
       [0007] Addressing the above problems, inventors have created the field of pop-up devices, and the more particular field of pop-up cards. [For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,103,444 (Flap pop-up for advertising leaflets), 5,450,680 (Pop-up card and method of making same), 6,036,806 (Pop-up advertising device and method), 6,192,608 (Pop-up advertising piece)]. Pop-up cards peak consumer interest through the incorporation of dynamic parts. Furthermore, the possibility of displaying objects elevated or erect from the flat plane of the card enables the sender to better convey the form and shape of various objects for the benefit of the receiver. Pop-up cards are versatile, as they can be distributed in many different forms and through numerous distribution channels, including as inserts in newspapers and magazines, as mailers, as a “give-away” packaged with related products or in person by salesmen at trade shows and meetings. Moreover, pop-up cards can be made from paperboard and delivered as flat cards, thereby reducing cost of manufacture and risk of damage to said cards during delivery.  
       [0008] Advertisers have for the most part relied upon two-dimensional (i.e. flat) representations of three-dimensional objects, either contained in the flat plane of the advertisement in the form of a photograph, drawing or the like, or standing erect, perpendicular to the flat plain of the card, as pop-ups. However, advertisers sometime desire to provide truly three-dimensional displays for the purpose of peaking consumer interest, and sometime desire to deliver fully three-dimensional replicas of various products to the consumer, while maintaining the efficient cost structure of a paperboard card. Moreover, advertisers are always looking for innovative ways with which to deliver their messages, particularly in eye-catching ways, as the modern consumer becomes dismissive and disinterested with the familiar, and particularly with that which is static.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009] It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved pop-up card; it is a more particular object of the present invention to provide a novel pop-up card with three-dimensional “pop-up box.” 
       [0010] It is a further general object of the present invention to provide a novel device for displaying and delivering paperboard replicas; it is a more particular object of the present invention to provide a novel device for displaying and delivering paper-board replicas of three-dimensional objects; it is a more particular object of the present invention to provide a novel device for displaying and delivering paper-board replicas of three-dimensional objects of a box-like shape.  
       [0011] Addressing the evolving needs of advertisers and other purveyors of information, the card with 3-D pop-up box attracts and holds the attention of recipients through its novel pop-up mechanism and its ability to display fully three-dimensional objects when the card is open while collapsing between the panels of the card when the card is closed.  
       [0012] Moreover, addressing the limitations of other pop-up mailers, the card with 3-D pop-up box pops-up into a fully three-dimensional form, in the shape of a box, such that the sender can produce three-dimensional replicas for use in promotional material and other purposes of any box-shaped object, in actual size (for example a pack of cigarettes), as a to-scale replica (for example a fish tank) or in any other way. The advertiser or other sender is thus able to mass-produce and distribute three-dimensional prototypes in a novel, attention-getting, durable, cost-effective and easily produced manner. An additional improvement of the card with 3-D pop-up box is that the advertiser or other sender is able to place a message or advertisement that can be viewed from 360 degrees and from the top when the card is opened, maximizing visual appeal and advertising space (the Pop-Up Box portion of the card has a far greater surface area than a comparable two-dimensional pop-up mailer). 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING  
     [0013]FIG. 1 Internal view of the opened up Base prior to the attachment of the 3-D Pop-up Box  
     [0014]FIG. 2 Overview of the unassembled Pop-up Box  
     [0015]FIG. 3 View of the unassembled Pop-up Box set in position to be assembled and inserted into the Base  
     [0016]FIG. 4 View of the partially assembled Pop-up Box according to FIG. 3 with 3 of its Flaps being folded into proper position  
     [0017]FIG. 5 View of the partially assembled Pop-up Box according to FIG. 4 with the Box Top and its three Flaps being folded over the Slide Member  
     [0018]FIG. 6 View of the assembled Pop-up Box, before attachment to the Base  
     [0019]FIG. 7 View of the process by which the Slide Member is pushed and the Pop-up Box is transformed from a three-dimensional box to a flat sheet  
     [0020]FIG. 8 View of the 1 st  step of attachment of the Pop-up Box to the Base whereby the Slide Member of the Pop-up Box is inserted into the Base  
     [0021]FIG. 9 Overview from the perspective of an observer upon opening of the Card, at which time the Pop-up Box has been erected to form a three-dimensional box 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     [0022] The subject invention in its preferred embodiment can best be described by illustrating the fabrication, structural elements and characteristics as shown in the attached drawings.  
     [0023] The Card with Three Dimensional (3-D) Pop-Up Box consists of two main elements, the Base  10  and the 3-D Pop-up Box  20 .  
     [0024] Referring to FIG. 1, the Base  10  is constructed from a sheet of paperboard or similar material which its folded along its horizontal axis  30  and then fastened along its top  50  and side  60  edges, forming an elongated pocket of half the height of the original sheet. This pocket is then folded once again on a vertical fold  40  placed equidistant from both side edges  60 , thus creating a foldable Base  10  with right  80  and left  70  panels.  
     [0025] Referring to FIG. 1 it is apparent that this Base is perforated with four slits, as follows:  
     [0026] 1 on the left panel  70  , a vertical slit  90  on the left side of the vertical fold  40  of the Base;  
     [0027] 2 on the right panel  80 , a vertical slit  100  on the right side of the vertical fold  40  and parallel to Slit 1  90 ;  
     [0028] 3 an “L” shaped slit  110  consisting of a base  120  and a crown  130 , set at an angle on the right panel  80  such that the point of the L is facing the left panel  70 ;  
     [0029] 4 a slit  140  on the right panel  80 , set an angle such that said slit  140  is parallel to the base  120  of the “L” of slit 3  110   
     [0030] Referring to FIG. 2, the Pop-up Box  20  (a single irregularly shaped piece of the same material as the Base  10 ), is comprised of:  
     [0031] 1 a rectangular top (the “Box Top”)  160   
     [0032] 2 a flap  170  at the top edges of the Box Top  160 ,  
     [0033] 3 a flap  180  at the bottom edge of the Box Top  160 ,  
     [0034] 4 a larger flap  190  at the outer side of the Box Top  160 ,  
     [0035] 5 a Slide Member  200  which consists of a longer flap protruding from the inner edge of the Box Top  160 .  
     [0036] In FIGS.  3 - 6  is illustrated the process of assembly of the Pop-up Box  20  beginning with FIG. 3, the Pop-up Box  20  with its Box Top  160  and its flaps  170   180   190   200  of various shapes and dimensions before assembly.  
     [0037]FIG. 4 illustrates the first stages of the transformation of the Pop-up Box  20  from an irregularly shaped piece of paperboard into a three dimensional box. The top  170  and bottom  180  flaps must first be folded in a Z-shaped position, whereby the 1 st  part of the flap which is attached to the Box Top  160  stands vertically at a 90 degree angle from the Box Top  160  and the 2 nd  part of the flap is again folded at a 90 degree angle, thereby returning to a position parallel to the Box Top  160  but facing outwards. The larger flap  190  which is located on the outer side of the Box Top  160  is folded in a “C” shaped position with its first part standing vertically at a 90 degree angle from the Box Top  160 , but with its second part being folded towards the inside of the Box Top  160  thus forming a base to the Box Top  160 .  
     [0038] According to FIG. 5, the Box Top  160  with the 3 flaps  170   180   190  is then folded over the 4 th  flap which constitutes the Slide Member  200 , and the outer part of the 3 rd  larger flap  190  is adhered to said Slide Member  200  by the use of an adhesive such as glue, securing the base of the Pop-up Box  20 .  
     [0039]FIG. 6 illustrates the Pop-up Box  20  in its popped-up stage, before its attachment to the Base  10 . Once the Pop-up Box  20  is assembled, folded and attached to the Base  10  it has the ability to lie flat or to pop-up into a 3-D box shaped object through the use of the Slide Member  200  being slid inside the envelope part of the Base  10 .  
     [0040] As is illustrated in FIG. 8, the Slide Member  200  is slipped into the pocket thru the 3 rd  Slit  110 , and then slipped out of the pocket through the 2 nd  Slit  100  and reinserted into the pocket thru the 1 st  Slit  90  where it is adhered to the inside of the pocket by the use of an adhesive such as glue. When the Base  10  and the Pop-up Box  20  are attached in this manner, the closing of the Base  10  along its vertical fold  40  pushes the Slide Member  200 , as illustrated in FIG. 7, which movement causes the Pop-up Box  20  to “pop-down” from the shape of a 3-D box, formed by the Box Top  160 , Flaps 1, 2 and 3  170   180   190  and the base of the Slide Member  200 , into a folded sheet.  
     [0041] In FIG. 9 is illustrated an overview of the opened Card with 3-D Pop-up Box, whereby the 3-D Pop-up Box  20  has been erected into final position.  
     [0042] The fully assembled card can, by way of example, display words and images and can, by way of example, be used as an advertising or promotional device.  
     [0043] The present invention is not intended to be restricted to any particular form or arrangement, or any specific embodiment disclosed herein, or any specific use, since the same may be modified or varied substantially in various particulars or relations without departing from the spirit or scope of the claimed invention hereinabove shown and described, of which the apparatus shown is intended only for illustration and for disclosure of an operative embodiment and not to show all of the various forms or modifications in which the present invention might be embodied or operated.