GIFT-GIVING ASSEMBLY

Abstract

A gift-giving assembly (10) comprises a card-conserving clip (20), a container (30), and a greeting card (40). The container (30) comprises a relatively flat surface (31) and a compartment (32) in which the gift (11) may be stowed. The card-conserving clip (20) connects to the container's relatively flat surface (31) and the greeting card (40) is secured to the container (30) by the clip (20). In this manner, the greeting card (40) will not become separated from the container (30) during the hustle and bustle of a celebration.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority under 35 USC §119(e) to US Provisional Patent Application No. 61/599,448 filed on Feb. 16, 2012.

The entire disclosure of this provisional application is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

In almost all cultures, gifts are given to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, engagements, and other happy occasions. The gift-giving tradition typically involves concealing an item in a container, such as a box or bag. While a small tag can be attached to the container to identify the gift giver, many people prefer to include an enveloped greeting card with this information. A surprising percentage of people place high sentimental value on such greeting cards, and treasure them as lifelong keepsakes.

SUMMARY

A gift-giving assembly is provided wherein a card-conserving clip helps prevent separation of a greeting card from a gift during the hustle and bustle of a celebrating a happy occasion.

DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A-1F show gift-giving assemblies 10 which each include a card-conserving clip 20.

FIGS. 2A-2J show the card-conserving clip 20.

FIGS. 3A-3C show gift-stowing containers 30 to which the clip 20 can be connected.

FIGS. 4A-4C show a greeting card 40 for use with the clip 20.

FIGS. 5A-5C show an envelope 50 for enclosing the greeting card 40.

FIGS. 6A-6E show stage accessories 60 for the clip 20.

FIGS. 7A-7D show card-flaunting exhibits 70 including the clip 20.

FIG. 8 shows a multi-card anthology 80 including a plurality of the clips 20.

FIG. 9 shows a scrapbooking album 90 incorporating the clip 20.

FIG. 10 shows a retail display system 100 for displaying clips 20 and related items.

DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings, and initially to FIG. 1A, a gift-giving assembly 10 is shown for giving a gift 11 to celebrate a special occasion. The illustrated assembly 10 comprises a card-conserving clip 20, a container 30, a greeting card 40, and an envelope 50. The card-conserving clip 20 is connected to a relatively flat surface 31 of the container 30. The greeting card 40 is enclosed within the envelope 50 and then secured to the container 30 by the card-conserving clip 20. Before, during, or after the clip-connecting, the card-enclosing, and/or the envelope-securing steps, the gift 11 is stowed within a compartment 32 of the container 30.

In the gift-giving assemblies 10 shown in FIG. 1B, the card-conserving clip 20 is pre-connected to the container 30. Specifically, for example, the container manufacturer integrates the clip 20 into the container 30 at production time. Thus, the clip-connecting step would not be performed by the gift giver.

The gift-giving assemblies 10 shown in FIGS. 1C and 1D are similar to those shown in FIGS. 1A-1B, except that the greeting card 40 is secured to the container 30 by the card-conserving clip 20. In other words, these assemblies 10 do not include an envelope 50 for enclosing the greeting card 40.

As shown in FIGS. 1E-1F, the card-conserving clip 20 can be mounted to the container 30 in a variety of orientations, and the greeting card 40 and/or the envelope 50 can be secured to the clip 30 in a variety of orientations.

Referring now to FIGS. 2A-2C, the card-conserving clip 20 comprises a card-clipping portion 21 and a container-connection portion 22. The portion 21 clips the greeting card 40 and/or the envelope 50 it is enclosed within, and is preferably adapted to provide resilient clipping action. The portion 22 connects the card-clipping portion 21 to the gift-stowing container 30 and preferably has a rear surface adapted to lie flush against the container's relatively flat surface 31.

The portions 21-22 are preferably integral with each other and formed in one piece from a suitable material. For example, if portions 21-22 are made of plastic, they can be injected molded or thermoformed; if the portions 21-22 are made of metal, they can be stamped and then bent; and/or if the portions 21-22 are made from paper, they can be die-cut and then folded. That being said, multi-part portions 21-22 are feasible and foreseeable.

The card-conserving clip 20 can additionally comprise a strut portion 23 for facilitating flexing of the clipping portion 21 and preventing unwanted detachment of the connecting portion 22 from the container 30. Specifically, for example, the strut portion 23 can be shaped and sized to function as a fulcrum platform when inserting/withdrawing the card 40 from the clipping portion 21, thereby relieving the connecting portion 22 of this duty.

The strut portion 23 can span the width of the clip 20 and can have a flat rear surface coextensive with the rear surface of the container-connection portion 22. The strut portion 23 can be integral with and/or formed in one piece with the card-clipping portion 21 and/or the container-connecting portion 22. In some instances, however, it may not be necessary for the clip 20 to include a strut portion 23.

The card-conserving clip 20 can further comprise one or more stages 24 on front surfaces of the card-clipping portion 21 and one or more stages 25 on front surfaces of the strut portion 23. The stages 24-25 which are intended to be visible when the clip 20 is being used in the gift-giving assembly 10. Specifically, the stages 24-25 are visible when the card 40 and/or the envelope 50 occupy the portion 21 and are clipped thereby. And the stages 24-25 are visible when the so-occupied card-clipping portion 21 is connected to the gift-stowing container 30.

If the card-conserving clip 20 is to be adhesively secured to the gift-stowing container 30, an adhesive pad can be provided on the rear surface of the container-connecting portion 22 as shown in FIG. 2D. If this securing will be performed by the gift giver, for example, a release liner can temporarily cover the adhesive pad as shown in FIG. 2E. Other types of securing techniques (e.g., hooks-and-loops, staples, hole-punches, magnetic, etc.) are possible and probable. And if the clip 20 is integrally formed with the container 30, no securing technique will be required, as the portion 22 will already be part of the container construction.

The card-conserving clip 20 can be made of transparent material (e.g., polycarbonate, crystal styrene, clear ABS, etc.) as shown in FIG. 2F so as to blend in with the container 30 and with the card 40 or envelope 50. The card-conserving clip 20 can instead be made of an opaque material (e.g., ABS, styrene, polypropylene, polyethylene, etc.) as shown in FIGS. 2G-2J. The clip 20 can be colored to match the container 30 (FIGS. 2G and 2H), to match the greeting card 40 (FIG. 2I), or to match the envelope 50 (FIG. 2J).

In the card-conserving clip 20 shown in the drawings, the portions 21-23 are formed by two front walls 27, a rear wall 28, and a plinth 29. In the illustrated orientation, the front walls 27 extend upward from the front edge of the plinth 29 at laterally spaced locations. The rear wall 28 extends upward from the rear edge of the plinth 29 and is laterally located so as to be flanked by the front walls 27.

In the illustrated clip 20, the card-clipping portion 21 is created by the cooperation among the front walls 27, the rear wall 28, and the resilient elbow the plinth 29 establishes therebetween. The container-connecting portion 22 is formed by the back wall 29, which has a rear surface adapted to lie flush against the container's relatively flat surface 32. The strut portion 23 is defined by the plinth 29 which has a rear surface coextensive with the rear surface of the back wall 28. A stage 23 can be situated on the forward surface of each front wall 27 and a stage 24 can be situated on the forward surface of the plinth 29.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the container 30 can be any receptacle having a relatively flat clip-mounting surface 31 and a gift-stowing compartment 32. As shown in FIG. 3B, the container 30 can have a decorative exterior 33 correlating with the happy occasion. And as shown in FIG. 3C, the container 30 can include reinforcing strips 34 aligned with the card-conserving clip 20. The use of wrapping paper, ribbons, bows, and other decorative material with the container 30 is expected and attainable.

As shown in FIGS. 4A-4C, the greeting card 40 can be formed from a sheet 41 of cardstock paper folded at line 42 to form conjoined pages 43-44 and conjoined pages 45-46. The outside front and back pages 43-44 are visible when the card 40 is closed and the inside left and right pages 45-46 are visible when the card 40 is closed. The front page 43 usually contains printed indicia 47 corresponding to the occasion. One or both of the inside pages 45-46 usually also includes similar printed indicia 48. The gift giver is typically identified on one of the inside pages 45-46 (e.g., the rightside page 46) and the identifying indicia 49 is often handwritten.

As shown in FIGS. 5A-5C, the envelope 50 can be formed from a sheet 51 of relatively heavy stock paper which may (or may not) include lining 52. The paper sheet 51 can be shaped so that triangular flaps 53-56 can be folded around a central rectangular area 57 to form a pocket 58 for the greeting card 40. Three flaps 53-55 are gummed together at overlaps with the fourth flap 56 being sealable after insertion of the greeting card 40. The envelope 50 will usually be less than ten inches and more than four inches wide and less than seven inches and more than three inches high. A typical envelope thickness is less than a quarter inch when empty and less than half inch when a greeting card 40 is enclosed therein.

As shown in FIGS. 6A-6*, accessories 60 may be provided for the stage 24 and/or the stage 25 on the card-conserving clip 20.

The accessories 60 can comprise adornments 61-64 which are used to decorate or otherwise embellish the clip 20. These adornments can comprise occasion-related icons (e.g., hearts for valentine's day), seasonal symbols (e.g., sun for summertime), or just everyday motifs (e.g., flowers). With proper permission and/or licensing arrangements, the adornments could include team logos, cartoon characters, celebrity likenesses, prominent photographs, well-known sculptures, etc.

In FIG. 6A, adornments 61 are integrated into the stages 24 and/or adornments 62 are integrated onto the stage 25. This integration can occur during fabrication of the card-conserving clip 20, such as during the molding, thermoforming, stamping, and/or die-cutting stage of the manufacturing process. Removable inserts can be used with primary clip-creating equipment to produce different adornments.

In FIG. 6B, adornments 63 are applied onto the stages 24 and/or adornments 64 are applied onto the stages 25. This application can involve adhesively fastening the adornments 63-64 to the stages 24-25 by a clip manufacturer, a gift-wrapping service, or the gift giver. In a retail setting, for example, the adornments 63-64 could be sold as “stickers.”

As shown in FIG. 6C, the accessories 60 can coordinated with adornments on the container 20, the greeting card

As shown in FIGS. 6D-6E, the accessories 60 can additionally or alternatively comprise electronic appliances 65-66 which emit light and/or sound. The mounting of such appliances on the clip 20 (instead of, for example, the greeting card 40 itself) may provide a durable construction. With particular reference to audio appliances, the sound can be pre-recorded or can constitute a customized recording created, for example, at the retail setting where the clip 20 is purchased.

As shown in FIGS. 7A-7C, a card-flaunting exhibit 70 can comprise the clip 20, a greeting card 40 clipped thereto, and a presentation platform 71. In FIG. 7A, the presentation platform 71 is a corkboard and the clip 20 is provided with a hole 72 on its strut portion 23 so that a tack 73 can be inserted therethrough. In FIG. 7B, the presentation platform 71 is a metal surface (e.g., a refrigerator or other kitchen appliance) and the clip 20 is provided with a magnet 74 on its strut portion 23. In FIG. 7C, the presentation platform 71 is a fabric-like surface and the clip 20 is provided with hooks 75 (e.g., Velcro™)

If the greeting card 40 was previously clipped to a gift-stowing container 20, the exhibit 70 allows it to be enjoyed long after the gift 11 is unwrapped and put in an appropriate place in the household. Alternatively, the exhibit 70 allows one to leave a greeting card 40 for a loved one without a gift. In the latter scenario, the card 40 might be originally enclosed in an envelope 50 and left on the platform 71 for discovery by the recipient, as shown in FIGS. 7D-7F.

As shown in FIG. 8, a mufti-card anthology 80 can comprise a plurality of card-conversing clips 20 with greeting cards 40 clipped thereto, and a congregator 81 for gathering them together. The congregator 81 can comprise, for example, a cord, string, or other member which threads through holes 82 in the strut portions 23 of the clips 20. The anthology 80 can be used, for example, as a bride's bouquet at a wedding rehearsal or as a rolodex-type item.

As shown in FIG. 9, a scrap-booking album 90 can comprise the card-conserving clip 20 with a greeting card 40 clipped thereto. The clip 20 is secured to a leaf 91 of the album 90, along with other memorabilia from the happy occasion, such as menus, matchbooks, photographs, etc. In this manner, the greeting card 40 can be removed and opened, and then returned to the album 90.

As shown in FIG. 10, a retail display 100 can comprise card-conserving clips 20, containers 30, greeting cards 40, envelopes 50, and stage accessories 60 arranged so that coordinating and/or complementary components can be compiled together in a gift-giving assembly 10.

One may now appreciate the gift-giving assembly 10 provides a fun, fanciful, and effective way to prevent keepsake greeting cards 40 from sneaking away during a happy celebration. Although the assembly 10, the card-conserving clip 20, the container 30, the greeting card 40, the envelope 50, and/or the stage adornments 60 have been shown and described as having certain forms and fabrications, such portrayals are not quintessential and represent only some of the possible adaptations of the claimed characteristics. Other obvious, equivalent, and/or otherwise akin embodiments could instead be created using the same or analogous attributes.

Claims

1. A card-conserving clip comprising:

a card-clipping portion for clipping a greeting card and/or an envelope in which it is enclosed, and

a container-connecting portion for connecting the card-clipping portion to a gift-stowing container;

wherein the card-clipping portion is adapted to provide resilient clipping action;

wherein the container-connecting portion has a rear surface adapted to lie flush against a relatively flat surface of the container; and

wherein the card-clipping portion and the container-connection portion are integral with each other and are formed in one piece.

2. A card-conserving clip as set forth in claim 1, comprising a strut portion for facilitating flexing of the card-clipping portion and preventing unwanted detachment of the container-connecting portion.

3. A card-conserving clip as set forth in claim 2, wherein the strut portion is shaped and sized to function as a fulcrum platform.

4. A card-conserving clip as set forth in claim 1, comprising one or more stages on front surfaces of the card-clipping portion and/or one or more stages on front surfaces of the strut portion.

5. A card-conserving clip as set forth in claim 1, wherein an adhesive pad is provided on the rear surface of the container-connecting portion.

6. A card-conserving clip as set forth in claim 1, wherein the portions are made of a transparent material.

7. A card-conserving clip as set forth in claim 6, wherein the portions are made from polycarbonate.

8. A card-conserving clip as set forth in claim 1, wherein the portions are made from an opaque material.

9. A card-conserving clip as set forth in claim 8, wherein the portions are made from acrylic.

10. A card-conserving clip as set forth claim 1, having two front walls, a rear wall, and plinth which form the card-clipping portion and the container-connecting portion.

11. A card-conserving clip as set forth in claim 10, wherein the front walls extend from the front edge of the plinth at laterally spaced locations, and the rear wall extends from the rear edge of the plinth and is laterally located so as to be flanked by the front walls.

12. A card-conserving clip as set forth in claim 11, wherein the card-clipping portion is created by the cooperation among the front walls, the rear wall, and a resilient elbow the plinth establishes therebetween.

13. A card-conserving clip as set forth in claim 10, wherein the container-connecting portion is formed by the rear back wall.

14. A card-conserving clip as set forth in claim 10, wherein the plinth has a rear surface coextensive with the rear surface of the rear wall.

15. A card-conserving clip as set forth in claim 1, comprising stage accessories which include adornments.

16. A gift-giving assembly comprising:

a card-conserving clip as set forth in claim 1, and

a container having a relatively flat surface and gift-stowing compartment;

wherein the container-connecting portion of the clip is connected to the flat surface of the container.

17. A card-flaunting exhibit comprising a presentation platform, a card-conserving clip as set forth in claim 1, and a greeting card; wherein the card-conserving clip is mounted to the presentation platform and the greeting card is clipped to the card-conserving clip by its card-clipping portion.

18. A multi-card anthology comprising a plurality of the card-conserving clips set forth in claim lwith greeting cards clipped thereto.

19. A scrapbooking album comprising a plurality of leaves bound together, a card-conversing clip as set forth in claim 1 secured to one such leaf, and a greeting card removably clipped to the card-conserving clip.

20. A retail display comprising a plurality of the card-conserving clips set forth in claim 1, containers, greeting cards, envelopes, and stage accessories arranged so that coordinating and/or complementary components can be compiled together in a gift-giving assembly.