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(11) | EP 1 433 570 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
| published in accordance with Art. 158(3) EPC |
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| (54) | IMPROVED GREETINGS CARD PROVIDED WITH EFFLORESCENT ELEMENTS |
| (57) Improved greeting card with efflorescent elements, consisting of a piece of cardboard
(12), plastic or the like, provided on the rear part with a deposit (16) and with
a slit coinciding with the upper part of the deposit, through which a tab (15) is
introduced which originates from a body of absorbent paper (14), held by a protrusion
(15) that is also of absorbent paper, which is introduced into the deposit (16) located
on the reverse side of the body (12) constituting the card (10). |
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present specification refers to an improved greeting card provided with efflorescent elements, whose evident purpose is to form a card that is applicable for sending or presenting a greeting, which has efflorescent elements duly incorporated in its structure which, without the collaboration' of any device, apparatus or additional support, permit forming a plurality of ornamental motifs implemented with efflorescence on the surface of the card.
[0002] Aside from its greeting card form, the invention can also obviously be used on gift boxes and elements with a similar application that permit incorporating the invention provided with the efflorescent elements.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0003] This invention is applicable within the industry dedicated to manufacturing greeting cards and the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] A process for obtaining inorganic salt crystalline efflorescences in figurative supports is known by Spanish Patent of Invention filed with number 490,855, which discloses and claims preparing a composition in a concentrated inorganic salt solution capable of crystallizing in the open air or under the effect of moderate heat, in a solvent medium with a suitable vapor tension so as to permit homogenous crystalline growth of said inorganic salt during its evaporation before reaching its total degree of dryness, impregnating with said concentrated solution a porous support or one with high capillarity, preferably constituted by a cellulose material or the like and previously modeled for decorative purposes and, by exposure to the air, permitting the vaporization of the solvent carrying the inorganic salt and the slow crystallization of the latter, started inside the support surface capillaries and outwardly developing it.
[0005] The preparation of the efflorescent saline composition in concentrated solution is carried out by treating, under strong stirring, a solution that is close to the saturation of an inorganic acid socetalic salt that is highly neutralized in one part of the solvent participating in the final composition, with a solution in the rest of the solvent of an acidic or slightly neutralized salt of the same metal and inorganic acid, finally shifting the pH of the resulting composition up to an intermediate value among those of the components which form it by treating the former with the inorganic acid, or the base form metal, constituents of said salts, giving as a result an ion solution equivalent to that of a saturation of a salt with an intermediate neutralization among the first ones, and incorporating a solar protection agent; verifying the impregnation of the porous support with the resulting composition and developing the efflorescence.
[0006] The applicant is the holder of Utility Model filed in Spain with number 9,802,448, relating to an article provided with efflorescent properties, preferably in the form of a greeting card or the like, which discloses and claims an article intended for having the efflorescent effect in predetermined areas when entering in contact with a composition prepared for causing the efflorescent effect, said effect materializing in the article formed from a material with the capacity to absorb liquids, such as paper, cardboard, fabric or the like, its entire surface being treated with a protective product preventing the absorbed composition from entering into contact with the air except in a given number of areas foreseen for the growth of the formations, for example on the edges of a card or inside an area previously delimited in position and with the desired size, these areas being able to adopt variable flat, three-dimensional shapes, or any shape deemed suitable, incorporated on or added to the base lamina.
[0007] The applicant is at the same time holder of international application PCT/ES99/00300, whose International Search Report recovered Patents of Invention JP 10-058899, JP 09-277800, ES 8,104,445, previously mentioned and with reference to Spanish Patent of Invention 490,855, EP 141,388 and JP 04-001101.
[0008] Concerning Japanese Patent 10-058899, it should be pointed out that it is a body emerging from a base, having four, equidistantly spaced radial protrusions on the lower part, which are introduced through slits existing on a quadrangular plan parallelepipedic body inside of which there is water or another liquid, generating the gradual absorption of the water by capillarity until reaching the upper areas where the efflorescent effect is produced, no doubt obliging the user of this element to incorporate the water in the lower part, slowly causing the deterioration of the support, the gradual deformation and subsequent deterioration thereof.
[0010] The existence of a decorative plant having a similar application as those described is known by Patent of Invention filed with number US 4,196,239, requiring a base containing the liquid that, due to the capillarity of the support product and with the addition of the elements constituting the efflorescence, slowly generates the outward emergence of the ornamental motifs, having the same drawbacks.
[0011] The aforementioned Utility Model belonging to the applicant has the drawback of requiring the use of a recipient at all times for incorporating the water which slowly deteriorates the entire support surface.
[0012] As in the previous cases, US patent number 5,894,052 discloses a vertically emerging laminar body which, introduced at its base into a recipient containing a liquid, causes the outward emergence of an efflorescent element by capillarity.
[0013] However, the applicant has no knowledge of the current existence of a greeting card having in its context the possibility of being implemented with efflorescent elements without it requiring being introduced at the base inside of a recipient containing a liquid, subsequently enabling its unitary placement in any area and without the use of any type of complementary elements.
[0014] It should be reiterated that in the known inventions, the support must generally be impregnated with the efflorescent solution, which appears when the packaged support is uncovered or exposed to the air, generally incorporating an ultraviolet ray protector and not contemplating a formula that is non-toxic or acceptable as food.
[0015] In the described inventions, at no time is there a description or mention of the existence of any intermediate deposit not being able to carry out the modification in the efflorescence, being necessary to indicate that the crystals produced in the actuation of these products are slowly released as there is no binding consistency.
[0016] It should also be pointed out that in the currently existing inventions, the colorimetry of the obtained efflorescence is not contemplated.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] The improved greeting card provided with efflorescent elements proposed by the invention forms an evident novelty within its specific field of application, as the efflorescent product has a binding quality modifying the efflorescence by fixing it to the support it appears on, having fixed efflorescent formations by means of the use of products suitable for feeding, all incorporated in intermediate deposits that can be implemented with deodorizing or aroma generating products, permitting their use in a commercial establishment, such as a store, which, apart from having a decoration originating from the efflorescent motif display, can be applied as an aroma emitting element, enhancing the ambiance of the establishment.
[0018] The invention is enabled so that the user can personalize the colors by means of the capillary support inking or by implementing the invention with luminescent inks that would be seen in the efflorescence, enabling the addition of photoluminescent pigments or products enhancing the view or brightness of the efflorescence, even in the dark.
[0019] More specifically, the improved greeting card provided with efflorescent elements object of the invention is constituted of a rectangular plan body that can be shaped like a card, diptych or triptych, manufactured from paper or the like, which has ornamental motifs on its frontal or obverse area and has a transversal slit located in the central area of one of its sides or in its central area as it is constituted as a body like a card, without it having a diptych or triptych shape.
[0020] A tab is passed through the slit, originating from the upper part of a body that can adopt any plan shape, applicable as a housing deposit for the material subsequently generating the efflorescence, enhanced by the passage to the exterior of the product incorporated inside the deposit, due to the material used for forming the tab, which is manufactured from a material with high capillarity, which, at the same time that it enhances the actuation and outward emergence of the efflorescence, is used as the support element of the deposit located on the rear part of the element applicable as a general support of the invention.
[0021] The content of a sachet is introduced inside this deposit fixed on the rear part which, in collaboration with the addition of water, causes the reaction which slowly emerges outwardly through the support tab or flap, being incorporated on the surface of the outer body placed on the obverse of the card.
[0022] With the provision of a binding substance inside the sachet with the material intended for producing the reaction, efflorescent formation crystals are obtained that are very compact, subsequently generating the binding of the crystal with the high capillarity paper.
[0023] It should be pointed out that the support of the part having the efflorescent formation, in other words the auxiliary body, must always be manufactured from absorbent paper, whereas the body of the card can be manufactured from paper or plastic material, and the deposit from a material which enables holding the liquid collaborating with the reactive material for generating the, efflorescence on the surface of the body adjacent to that of the greeting card.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] To complement the description that is being made and for the purpose of helping to better understand the features of the invention, a set of drawings accompanies the present specification as an integral part thereof which, with an illustrative and non-limiting character, shows the following:
Figure 1.- shows a perspective view of all the elements forming the invention concerning an improved greeting card provided with efflorescent elements, obviously with exception of the water introduced in the deposit together with the reactive material.
Figure 2.- shows a plan view of the greeting card, shaped like a diptych.
Figure 3.- shows a view of the rear area of the card where the deposit is located where the water, the end of the absorbent paper or the one provided with capillarity are incorporated, as well as the reactive material.
Figure 4.- shows a plan view of the object shown in figure 3.
Figure 5.- shows a side elevational view of the object shown in figure 3, the efflorescent effect having already occurred on the body supported on the obverse.
Figure 6.- lastly shows a perspective view of the object shown in figure 2 incorporating the efflorescence.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
[0025] In view of these figures, it can be seen how the improved greeting card provided with efflorescent elements is constituted of a body (10) constituted as a unitary card, diptych or triptych, manufactured from paper, cardboard, paperboard, plastic, etc., having a transversal slit on its surface located at an upper middle height, a protective plastic cover, an envelope for sending it to the recipient and a hermetically sealed sachet for incorporating the substance causing the reaction all being incorporated in the card assembly, (1) referring to the protective plastic cover, (2) the envelope for sending by mail and (3) the hermetic sachet containing the reactive substance, where as the card itself is (10), and, as can be seen in figure 2, has a body (12) manufactured, as previously mentioned, from paper, plastic, etc., forming a body of a card or a diptych or a triptych, in this case having a folding line (11) and the pertinent ornamentations (13), being coupled adjacently to the obverse of the paper or plastic body (12) through a slit (17), the body having absorbent paper, or provided with high capillarity (14), a tab (15) which, passing through a slit (17), is vertically introduced inside the deposit (16) where the material incorporated in the sachet (3) is introduced that is intended to cause the reaction by adding water.
[0026] The water in conjunction with the reactive material generate the efflorescence, the moisture passing through the absorbent paper tab (15) and the efflorescence being compactly incorporated and in mono-block form on the outer surface of the body (14) manufactured from absorbent paper, giving as a result the production of the efflorescence (20), as seen in figures (5) and (6), obtained by the collaboration of the liquid (21) together with the material contained in the hermetic sachet (3) incorporated in the deposit (16).
1. Improved greeting card provided with efflorescent elements, of those constituted as
from a mono-block body of paper, paperboard, cardboard or plastic material, forming
a diptych, triptych or the like, having a folding line (11) in the case of being shaped
like a diptych, incorporated on the body (12) of plastic material, which has ornamentations
(13), the card (10) being distributed inside a protective plastic material cover (1)
together with an envelope (2) for sending by mail, characterized in that the greeting card (10) has a slit (17) on its surface, horizontally positioned at
an upper middle height, through which an absorbent paper body (14) passes towards
the rear part and at the same time being held, the body (14) being supported by an
absorbent paper projection, tab or the like (15) introduced inside a deposit (16)
fixed to the reverse of the body (12) constituting the card (10).
2. Improved greeting card provided with efflorescent elements according to the first
claim, characterized in that the content of a hermetically sealed sachet (3) is added inside the deposit (16)
incorporated on the rear or reverse part of the body (12), which is intended to generate
the efflorescence reaction together with the water (21) incorporated with the content
of the sachet (3) in the deposit (16), causing efflorescence (20) on the surface of
the absorbent paper (14).
3. Improved greeting card provided with efflorescent elements according to previous claims,
characterized in that the liquid (21) can be of any nature and color.