EP0189817A2 - Folding card, especially for use as a greeting or felicitation card - Google Patents

Abstract

The card has at least two folding parts which can be folded against each other. A first folding part bears at least one recess (7) which makes part of the inside surface of the second folding part visible to the outside when the card is folded together. The second folding part is provided on its inside surface located opposite the recess (7) with an adhesive (9) in such a way that the edges (8) of the folded card are uninterruptedly connected to each other. In order to allow a variety of designs of the shape of the recess without the risk of the recess edges being damaged whilst remaining suitable for dispatch as a postcard and complying with pertinent postal regulations for cards, the adhesive covers the entire inner surface of both folding parts, in particular a flat object, such as a picture (11) or the like, arranged between said folding parts and essentially taking up the surface of one folding part. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a folding card which can be used in particular as a greeting or greeting card and which comprises at least two folding parts which are delimited from one another by a fold line and which can be folded around one another, of which a first folding part has at least one recess which, when the card is folded, part of the inner surface of the other, makes the second folding part visible from the outside, the second folding part being provided on its inner surface opposite the recess with adhesives or adhesives and the adhesive or adhesive being arranged on the inner surface in such a way that when the card is folded up, the edges thereof are continuously connected to one another.

In general, folding cards are known in the most varied of variants as pre-printed greeting or greeting cards in traffic (see, for example, DE-GM 17 53 077 and 83 35 237). They are usually available in shops as cards that have to be sent in an envelope. Due to the recess in one of the two foldable folding parts, only part of the printing on the inside of the other folding part can be seen when opening the envelope and removing the card. The way in which the recess is arranged and the printing is used to increase the incentive to open the card, and as a rule the total printing on the inside of the folding card forms a humorous addition to the part initially visible through the recess. Such greeting or congratulation cards have the most imaginative pictures or other prints and can also be personalized Labels of the sender are provided, however, they are usually only to be sent as a letter, ie in an envelope, and apart from additional labeling, the sender has few options for customizing the card. In addition, such cards are generally only intended for special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, recovery wishes etc., are sold ready for dispatch and are relatively expensive.

Furthermore, it has long been known to use photographs as memories of special events such as holidays, celebrations or the like. To be made ready for dispatch as postcards, with the photo usually taking up most of the back of the card and the front being printed with for postal dispatch. There is still space for a greeting on the remaining half of the front. Such cards are specially made and sold by professional photographers at holiday locations or at festive events. This results in considerable manufacturing and thus sales costs. A variant of this is a known card with adhesive arrangement on the back (DE-GM 82 23 470), on which one or two photographs can be attached under cover by a passe-partout. These are not folding cards.

Also known are folded letters in the manner of airmail letters (FR-PS 2 158 689), in which a window is arranged on one side to make part of the contents of the letter visible. The actual message is hidden inside the letter and can only be accessed by tearing off the edges along the perforation lines provided for this purpose. Another known object (GB-PS 1 535 455) is similar, which can be used either as a letter or by tearing off a part carrying an adhesive surface as a simple postcard, ie not serving as a folding card is. To read the text when used as a letter, it must be cut along a fold line of the two halves of the letter.

Finally a folding card with the features described above is known (DE-GM 82 02 891). Although this card provides the covering of an image fastened between the two folding parts with the aid of the image attached to an adhesive arranged on the same, the two folding parts can also be connected to one another along their edges by this one-sided adhesive. Nevertheless, this card is not suitable for sending by post as a postcard, nor is it permissible to comply with the regulations generally applicable according to the postal regulations of most states, because in the area of the recessed edges with an image arranged underneath, bulges arise between the two folding parts and thus attacking edges, so that it, apart from one area significantly increased card strength for reaching behind or snagging other mail pieces on such edges during mailing and damage can occur. This leads to an unsightly appearance of the card, which is per se intended to be externally appealing to the recipient.

The invention is based on the object to provide a folding card of the type described above, which is suitable for postcard shipping and corresponds to the relevant postal regulations for cards, in particular a diverse design of the recess shape should be made possible without the risk of damage to the recess edges.

This object is achieved in that the adhesive covers the entire inner surface of both folding parts. This makes it possible to place one between the two folding parts of the folding card To address intended flat, thin object, such as a self-made, individual picture, especially a photograph, and to fix the two folding parts with the help of the adhesive or adhesive so that they against each other on all edges, so especially those of the recess the picture, final, compact arrangement with an intimate and inseparable bond of all parts and thus result in a postcard that can be sent as a closed whole. The folding card according to the invention is inexpensive to produce, since the adhesive layer is provided over the entire surface, and thus prepared "semifinished product" in the form of large sheets, webs or rolls can be used for printing and punching. This simplifies the production engineering effort. In other words, such folding cards can be produced in large quantities, which means that their manufacturing costs can be significantly reduced, in contrast to the limited editions of conventional printed greeting cards and the technically complex, known folding cards, which are only partially provided with adhesive, while in any case only for shipping the postcard postage cheaper than letters is needed. In contrast to the known picture postcards to be produced from the negative of a photograph, the folding card according to the invention enables the positive to be sent postcard-like, i.e. also the sending of instant photos, which are often produced by professional photographers or other traders in holiday locations, at public events or in public places and be driven out. In such cases, the folding card according to the invention offers an extremely suitable sales object for immediate postcard dispatch of the picture.

Suitable as an adhesive is an automatically adhesive adhesive material covered by a peelable film which, on the one hand, has been stored in the stack for a sufficiently long time without the risk of sticking to the adhesive allows each card below or above it and secondly ensures that the sender can quickly and easily supply the card for its intended use. As a result of the full-surface adhesive or adhesive coating that completely covers the inner surface, even the most complicated recess shapes, in particular with tips, undercuts, noses or the like, can be used. provided, manufactured and used in a manner suitable for sending postcards and secured against damage, since a very intimate, firm and uniform bond between the two folding parts is guaranteed in all areas.

The recess can be designed as an oval, circular or rectangle, although, as described above, also any other shapes that are somehow suitable for the visualization of the image to be recorded, i.e. aesthetically appealing shapes, such as e.g. Hearts, shamrocks, etc. are possible, and in the case of a single recess, their width and height can each correspond to at least half the width or height of the first folding part in order to create a sufficiently large visible area. If several recesses are provided for attaching several images, the dimensions of the recesses are selected in accordance with the available partial folding surface.

For reasons of manufacturing costs, it is expedient if the folding card is made of paper, thin cardboard or similar material capable of being sent by post, whereby on the one hand the requirements for the lowest possible weight are met, but on the other hand the various design options are left with a sufficiently large scope. Of course, a wide variety of material combinations are also conceivable.

Should the picture sent to the recipient as a souvenir picture serve, as in the edge region of at least one of the two K can appteile _l, advantageously of the second flap portion, a fold-web be arranged, which enables a setting up of the image similar to a small image frame, but without being somehow bulky in postal delivery.

Of course, it is also possible and expedient for certain occasions when the shipment is carried out if the outer surface of the second folding part bears a print which may indicate such an occasion.

The object of the invention is further achieved, in particular with regard to a particularly suitable postcard-like dispatch capability, in that the folding card or the like is formed with a flat or leaf-shaped object such as image, photography, fabric pattern or the like arranged between its folding parts in such a way that the object in essentially occupies the area of a folding part. The opposing folding partial surfaces are also connected to one another indirectly from the outer or edge regions of the card via the flat or sheet-shaped object. This results in the inseparable combination of folding parts and the flat surface between them a card that is kink-resistant when shipped, i.e. where the outer or edge areas of the cards are bent along an edge of the flat object - as is not the case with the dimensions of the card the corresponding surface object cannot be completely excluded - is certainly avoided. In addition, with this design it is possible to use particularly large-format images and / or to provide a particularly large-area recess.

Further advantages and embodiments of the invention emerge from the following description of the exemplary embodiments shown in the schematic drawing.

• _Fig. 1 eine nach der Erfindung ausgebildete Klappkarte, von ihrer Außenfläche her gesehen,
• Fig. 2 die gleiche Klappkarte, von der Innenfläche her gesehen,
• Fig. 3 eine abgewandelte Ausführungsform einer Klappkarte in Darstellung gemäß Fig. 2,
• Fig. 4 eine Klappkarte in teilweise eingeklapptem Zustand nach Anbringung eines Bildes, von der Innenfläche her betrachtet, in axonometrischer Darstellung,
• Fig. 5 die Klappkarte beim Zusammenklappen, ebenfalls in axonometrischer Darstellung, und
• Fig. 6 die fertige Klappkarte in aufgestelltem Zustand.

It shows

• _F ig. 1 shows a folding card designed according to the invention, seen from its outer surface,
• 2 the same folding card, seen from the inner surface,
• 3 shows a modified embodiment of a folding card shown in FIG. 2,
• 4 shows a folding card in the partially folded state after attaching an image, viewed from the inner surface, in an axonometric view,
• Fig. 5 the folding card when folded, also in an axonometric view, and
• Fig. 6 shows the finished folding card in the installed state.

A folding card 1 designed according to the invention is - preferably symmetrically - divided into a first folding part 2 and a second folding part 3, this division being effected by a fold line 4. The fold line can be an embossing line, crease line or similar. be, but possibly only consist of a printed line; it is crucial that the user of the folding card 1 can fold the two folding parts along this line and fold them together.

While the folding card is shown in plan view from its outer surface 6 in FIG. 1, it can be seen in plan view from its inner surface 5 in FIG. 2. The first folding part 2 is provided with a recess 7, which here has the shape of an oval. Of course, any other shapes can also be chosen for this recess, this choice depending on the application or other design considerations. The embodiment of FIG. 3 shows the arrangement of two rectangular recesses 7a. It can already be seen from this that variations in the arrangement of the recess can be made in any way.

An adhesive or adhesive 9 (see FIG. 4) is applied to the inner surface 5 of the folding parts 2, 3 and is covered by a cover film 10, which is shown slightly raised on the lower right edge, in order to adhere or stick the card to avoid when storing in a stack if the adhesive 9 is a self-adhesive adhesive. The cover film 10 can be easily removed when using the folding card. Since the inner surface 5 of the entire folding card 1, that is to say the inner surface of the first folding card part 2 and the inner surface of the second folding card part 3, is formed with adhesive, a photograph 11 (see FIG. 14) can essentially and thus completely cover the surface of the folding card part 3 . The folding card part 2 can be provided with a particularly large recess 7, in particular with a large oval (see FIG. 4). In particular, the invention makes it possible, in the case of large-format photography, to limit a recess by the fold line 4 of the folding card parts 2, 3 and / or by the edge of the first folding card part 2 opposite the folding line.

The areal arrangement of the adhesive as well as its qualitative selection depend entirely on the manufacturing conditions and possibilities, usage requirements etc. For example, the adhesive can be applied in the spot; on the other hand it is possible to produce the entire card from an adhesive carrier material coated on one side with a cover film, plastic film also being considered as carrier material, that is to say as the base material for the card, in addition to paper or thin cardboard. The selection of this material depends entirely on the intended use and the - tolerable - manufacturing costs.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, on the inner surface 5 of the second folding part 3, the contours of the recesses 7 can be made mirror-image visible by means of dash-dotted lines 70 in order to make it easier for the user of the card to use it and to show him where it is folded Card the recess 7 comes to lie.

On the outer surface 6 of the second folding part 3 there is an imprint 13 which, as can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 5, serves for the postal dispatch of the folding card 1 as a postcard.

The card is made ready for delivery by, according to its purpose as an individual greeting or congratulation card, on the inner surface 5 of the second folding part 3 in the region of the mirror image contour 70 after the cover film 10 has been removed from the adhesive 9, a photograph 11 or another image transmits a very personal message or other information to the recipient, whereupon the first folding part 2 with the second folding part 3 by joining and connecting the adhesive or adhesive surfaces 9 of the folding card parts 2, 3, in particular in the area or along areas left free by photography Areas 8, and by gluing the adhesive surface 9 of the first folding card part 2 with the photograph 11 is inextricably and intimately connected. The folding takes place in the direction of the arrows Z (Fig. 5), so that one ultimately receives a postcard ready for dispatch, between between the two folding parts 2 and 3 an image 11 is attached, which can be seen from the back of the postcard.

Of course, the outer surface 6 of the first folding part 2 can be provided with prints in the edge area outside the recess and / or can be used for inscriptions by the shipper. The same applies to the left part of the outer surface 6 of the second folding part 3 (Fig. 1), i.e. the area outside the print intended for postal purposes. Any variations are conceivable and possible.

In order to protect the glued-in picture or photo 11 from soiling or other damage when shipping or labeling the card, a transparent film 12 containing the adhesive 9 can be applied to the inner surface of the first folding card part 2 or the entire inner surface 5 of the folding card 1 via the recess 7 be that, after the card has been folded up, lies closely and adhesively against the image 11 and is connected to the inner surface 5 with a flat adhesive.

Instead of the aforementioned arrangement of a self-adhesive adhesive with a cover film 10, any other suitable adhesive or adhesive can be selected, e.g. an adhesive rubber coating, the adhesive effect of which is caused by moistening.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a pre-grooved, fold-out web 14 can be arranged on the second folding part 3 in one of its edge areas, which serves to set up the finished folding card 1 similar to a 35 mm frame by the receiver. For this purpose, the web will have a folded or folded edge and will be provided with punched lines along its other contours so that it can be easily bent out of the second folding part 3 can do that without being a hindrance while the card is being sent.

The overall advantages that can be achieved with the invention consist primarily in the fact that a folding card suitable for individual greetings or congratulations, which can be sent by post as a postcard, is created which, as a closed whole, results in a compact arrangement with an intimate and inseparable connection of all parts, the design of the recess shape without the risk of damage to the recess edges is particularly diverse. The folding cards according to the invention can be manufactured in large numbers and easily kept at souvenir stands or in other business premises at reasonable prices, in order to give a sender the opportunity to use a photograph to give the recipient a very personal greeting message using a photograph or a to provide the recipient with a custom-made image that can be achieved. As a result of the intimate and inseparable bond between all parts of the card, it can be used as a regular postcard, which enables the use of postcard postage that is cheaper than sending letters, possibly even postage for printed matter.

Claims (4)

1. In particular, a folding card (1) that can be used as a greeting or greeting card and comprises at least two folding parts (2, 3) that are delimited from one another by a folding line (4) and that can be folded around one another, of which a first folding part (2) has at least one recess ( 7), which makes a part of the inner surface (5) of the other, second folding part (3) visible to the outside when the card is folded, the second folding part being provided on its inner surface opposite the recess with adhesive or glue (9) and that Adhesive or adhesive is arranged on the inner surface such that when the card is folded, the edges (8) of the card are continuously connected to one another, characterized in that the adhesive or adhesive (9) covers the entire inner surface (5) of both folding parts (2, 3 ) covered. 2. Folding card according to claim 1, wherein the recess is designed as an oval, circular or rectangle, characterized in that the width and height of the recess (7) each correspond to at least half the width or height of the first folding part (2) . 3. Folding card claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in the edge area at least one of the two folding parts (2, 3), advantageously the second folding part (3), a foldable web (14) is arranged. 4. Folding card according to one of claims 1 to 3 with a between its folding parts (2, 3) arranged flat or sheet-like object (11) such as image, photography, fabric pattern or the like, characterized in that the object (11) essentially takes up the area of a folding part.

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