IP Library Granted Patent US 9,216,608
Granted Patent B1
US 9,216,608 · App. 14/708,359 · Granted Dec 22, 2015

Interactive greeting card with articulated character

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,216,608
App. No.
14/708,359
Granted
Dec 22, 2015
Kind
B1
Abstract

A greeting card having a jointed or articulated character attached to a surface thereof, the articulated character being movable by user interaction with the greeting card. The articulated character contains various segments which are attached together at various pivot or hinge points making the character capable of bending and moving various aspects of the character body in various ways or directions which simulate the character dancing to audio playing in the background.

Claims (33)

1. A greeting card comprising:

a greeting card body having at least one panel;

an articulated character having at least one hinge or pivot point contained thereon about which the character can bend or move, the articulated character located between the at least one panel of the greeting card body and a transparent cover which is attached to the at least one panel of the greeting card body;

a push button attached to the articulated character;

wherein pushing upward on the push button causes movement of the articulated character and said movement is generated upward from below the articulated character.

2. The greeting card of claim 1 , wherein the articulated character is comprised of a plurality of dowels or rods attached via at least one string.

3. The greeting card of claim 1 , wherein the articulated character is comprised of a plurality of dowels or rods which are connected to the push button via at least one strings.

4. The greeting card of claim 1 further comprising a sound module operative to store and playback at least one audio file.

5. The greeting card of claim 4 , wherein the push button controls activation of the sound module wherein pressing the push button triggers playback of the at least one audio file.

6. The greeting card of claim 1 , wherein continuously pushing the push button causes the articulated character to move or bend in different directions.

7. The greeting card of claim 2 , wherein continuously pushing the push button causes movement of the articulated character by compressing and releasing a spring which causes the at least one string to move between a taut state and a slackened state.

8. A greeting card comprising:

at least one greeting card panel;

a jointed character attached to the at least one greeting card panel, the jointed character comprising two or more adjacent rods attached via at least one string;

a user-interactive movement device located below the jointed character;

a sound module operative to store and playback at least one audio file;

a lever operative to move between a first position and a second position;

wherein pushing upward on the user-interactive movement device causes the jointed character to bend or move at a point between the two or more adjacent rods and also moves the lever from the first position to the second position thereby initiating playback of the at least one audio file.

9. The greeting card of claim 8 further comprising a spring extending upward from a top surface of the jointed character, the spring having a die cut shape attached thereto.

10. The greeting card of claim 8 , wherein the user-interactive movement device is only capable of moving upward in a uniform manner.

11. The greeting card of claim 8 further comprising a transparent cover over the jointed character.

12. The greeting card of claim 8 , wherein the user-interactive movement device is a push button.

13. The greeting card of claim 8 , wherein the push button is attached to a spring which is compressed when the push button is pushed, causing movement of the jointed character.

14. The greeting card of claim 8 further comprising one or more die cut shapes attached to the two or more adjacent rods.

15. A greeting card comprising:

at least one greeting card panel;

a moveable character comprising a body portion, at least two pairs of dowels which are each independently connected to a push button mechanism via a string, and a head portion which is attached to an upper surface of the body portion via a coiled spring which extends upward in a vertical direction from the upper surface of the body portion;

the push button mechanism having a spring attached thereto wherein pushing the push button compresses the spring, causing slack in the string such that the moveable character bends or pivots about the point between each adjacent dowel in the at least two pairs of dowels and also causing the head portion of the moveable character to bounce on the coiled spring.

16. The greeting card of claim 15 further comprising a sound module operative to store and playback at least one audio file.

17. The greeting card of claim 16 , wherein the push button mechanism also serves as a trigger to initiate playback of the at least one audio file.

18. The greeting card of claim 16 further comprising a transparent cavity which enclose the moveable character therein.

19. The greeting card of claim 16 , wherein the head portion of the moveable character is die cut.

20. The greeting card of claim 16 wherein the moveable character contains two dowels representing a right leg, two dowels representing a left leg, two dowels representing a right arm and two dowels representing a left arm.

Assignments (4)
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 12, 2018
From: AMERICAN GREETINGS CORPORATION
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 045915/0841 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 11, 2018
From: PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: AGC HOLDINGS, LLC; AGC, LLC; AGCM, INC.; AMERICAN GREETINGS CORPORATION; A.G.C. INVESTMENTS, INC.; A.G. EUROPE, INC.; A.G. INDUSTRIES, INC.; AG INTERACTIVE, INC.; A.G. (UK), INC.; AGP KIDS, INC.; CARDSTORE, INC. FORMERLY KNOWN AS PHOTOWORKS, INC.; CARLTON CARDS RETAIL, INC.; CREATACARD, INC.; CREATACARD INTERNATIONAL LEASING INC.; CLOUDCO, INC.; CUSTOM HOLDINGS, INC.; GIBSON GREETINGS INTERNATIONAL LIMITED; JOHN SANDS (AUSTRALIA) LTD.; JOHN SANDS (N.Z.) LTD.; JOHN SANDS HOLDING CORP.; MEMPHIS PROPERTY CORPORATION; MIDIRINGTONES, LLC; PAPYRUS-RECYCLED GREETINGS, INC.; PLUS-MARK LLC, FORMERLY KNOWN AS PLUS MARK, INC.; THOSE CHARACTERS FROM CLEVELAND, INC.; PRGCO, LLC; RPG HOLDINGS, INC.
Reel/Frame 045917/0006 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 12, 2018
From: AMERICAN GREETINGS CORPORATION
To: PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 045307/0476 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 11, 2015
From: NELSON, GARY; FLESHER, MELISSA
To: AMERICAN GREETINGS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 035604/0123 →