Background of the Invention The present invention relates to an unusual and aesthetically pleasing product which can be utilised in a variety of different forms. In particular, the interactive card according to the present invention finds particular use in conveying information whether that be in the form of a greeting card, a business card, promotional material, a product label, educational material, an envelope, a decorative article or in fact a container for enclosing and conveying products or information related materials. In general terms, the uses to which the interactive card according to the invention can be put have previously been effected simply by using conventional printed material or known packaging arrangements. The present invention differs significantly however from these already known applications in that it is a visually striking arrangement which involves a physical interaction between the card and the end user.

In addition, the interactive card according to the invention can be very simply and economically produced.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an interactive card which is appealing to consumers relative to existing information display and product packaging means, or merely provides an alternative to existing cards, containers and packaging, and in addition is simple and economical to produce.

Further objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description thereof.

Summary of the Invention According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a flat interactive card of sheet material comprising front and rear panels, wherein said panels are parallel and adjacent to each other and wherein said panels are connected around at least part of their peripheries, said front panel including an aperture formed in the front panel and extending between two opposed handling regions, whereby when said handling regions are pushed closer together, at least the front panel is deformed as said aperture opens to expose an inner area defined between said panels.

In a preferred embodiment, the sheet material is flexible such that when the card is deformed by drawing the two handling regions closer together, the front panel and optionally the rear panel flexibly deforms to allow the aperture to open.

In another preferred embodiment the sheet material is substantially rigid and at least the front panel contains movable joint means such as creases, scores, hinges, perforations, embossments or the like which enable the panel to flex or bend about the crease, when the two handling regions are drawn together, which in turn allows the aperture to open.

The interactive card may contain a combination of flexible panels and substantially rigid panels in accordance with the preferred embodiments.

In a preferred embodiment, the front and rear panels are connected both at and in from the periphery to define a flange. The flange assists the rear panel in forming a base or flat bottom on which the opened interactive card sits.

Preferably the aperture is centrally located in the front panel, however it will be readily apparent that it may not be possible or desired for the aperture to be centrally located due to the particular shape of the front panel. Furthermore, it may be preferred to have the aperture in the front panel off-centre.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a flat interactive card of sheet material comprising front and rear panels, wherein said panels are parallel and

adjacent to each other and at two opposed handling regions on the periphery of the card, the panels are connected both at and in from the periphery to define a flange, said front panel includes an aperture extending across an imaginary line defined between the two opposed handling regions and whereby when said handling regions are deflected down relative to and below the plane of said panels, at least the front panel is deformed up as said aperture opens to expose an inner area defined between said panels.

Whilst it is preferred that the aperture extends substantially perpendicular to an imaginary line defined between the two opposed handling regions it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the aperture may be on a slant or inclined to the imaginary line as desired to create functional or aesthetic effects. The aperture may actually be in the shape of, for example, an "X", wherein the handling regions are located between the arms of the "X" and opposite to each other. Other such modifications to the aperture are within the scope and spirit of the invention.

In a preferred embodiment, part of the peripheries of said panels deflected down and below the plane of the handling regions form legs or supports which the opened interactive card can stand on or support itself. The opened card now defines a bag, pouch or container which can be free standing by virtue of the formed legs or supports.

Thus according to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a three dimensional article prepared from an interactive card according to the present invention.

Description of the Figures The present invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the figures, wherein: Figure 1 shows a top view of an interactive card according to the invention in the closed position; Figure 2 shows a top view of an interactive card according to the invention in the open position;

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic representation of a protocol for producing an interactive card according to one aspect of the invention from a single piece of sheet material; Figure 4 shows a top view of an interactive card according to the invention folded from a single flat sheet and in the closed position; Figure 5 shows a bottom view of the interactive card of Figure 4; Figure 6 shows a top view of the interactive card of Figure 4 in the fully opened position; Figure 7 shows a side view of the interactive card of Figure 4 in the fully opened position; Figure 8 shows a top view of an interactive card according to the invention formed from three distinct panels affixed together, the card being in the closed position; Figure 9 shows a bottom view of the interactive card of Figure 8; Figure 10 shows a top view of the interactive card of Figure 8 in a partially opened position; Figure 11 shows a bottom view of the interactive card of Figure 8 in a partially opened position; Figure 12 shows a side view of the interactive card of Figure 8 fully opened; Figure 13 shows a top view of an interactive card according to the invention in the closed position; Figure 14 shows a top view of an interactive card according to the invention in the closed position; Figure 15 shows a top view of an interactive card according to the invention in the closed position;

Figure 16 shows a bottom view of the interactive card of Figure 15; Figure 17 shows a top view of the interactive card of Figure 15 in a partially opened position; Figure 18 shows a bottom view of the interactive card of Figure 15 in a partially opened position; Figure 19 shows a side view of the interactive card of Figure 15 in a partially opened position; Figures 20 to 25 show bottom views of a selection of possible modifications to the interactive cards according to the invention all in the closed position; Figure 26 shows a top view of an interactive card according to the invention in a partially opened position; and Figure 27 shows a side view of the interactive card of Figure 26 fully opened.

Detailed Description of the Invention As indicated above the present invention has many and varied applications, and indeed can be manufactured in numerous different shapes and sizes, depending upon the particular application to which it is proposed to be put. The interactive card can also be manufactured from numerous different types of material, which may include material in the form of a flexible sheet or sheets or rigid material with creases, scores, hinges, perforations, embossments or the like which enable the panel to flex or bend about the crease.

In a preferred embodiment, although by no means essential, the material used will also display a measure of resilience or memory such that after being deformed the display arrangement will resume its original configuration as soon as any pressure exerted there upon has been removed. As indicated however, this is merely an optional feature of the invention.

Examples of materials which can be used in the present invention are sheets of paper, card, cardboard, fabric, animal hides, synthetic plastics or polymeric material, metallic sheet and composites or laminates thereof. In a preferred feature of the invention the material, if not particularly resilient in nature, may include a backing of another material which will improve its characteristics in this regard. For example, if a relatively lightweight woven fabric is chosen, it may be appropriate to include a paper backing on the fabric in order that the display arrangement formed therefrom will recoil to its original conformation after being deformed, if such recoil is desired.

As can be seen from Figure 1, the interactive card 1 according to the invention is comprised of front 2 and rear 3 panels which are connected together about their peripheries or edges 4.

Within the front panel 2 there is provided an aperture 5, which is centrally located within the front panel 2 and extends generally between each of two opposed handling regions 6. The handling regions 6 are sections of the interactive card 1 about the edge 4 thereof where if pressure is applied thereto to bring the handling regions 6 closer together, aperture 5 will open to reveal an inner region of the interactive card.

Whereas the interactive card 1 is shown in its closed position within Figure 1, Figure 2 shows the interactive card 1 in the open position which has been achieved by applying pressure about the handling regions 6 to draw them closer to one another and thereby open the aperture 5 to reveal the inner region 7.

It should be borne in mind that the aperture 5 need not extend directly to the edges 4 of the interactive card 1 in the region of the handling regions 6 and that the handling regions 6 may include portions of both the front panel 2 and rear panel 3 of the interactive card 1. The necessary feature however, is that the aperture will open to reveal the inner region 7 of the interactive card 1 when the handling regions 6 are drawn together.

Although Figures 1 and 2 depict an interactive card 1 which has a generally hexagonal two dimensional shape, it should be borne in mind that the interactive 1 can be configured in any suitable way, such that it may be for example, circular, oval, square, etc., as long as it can be opened to reveal an inner region by exerting pressure on the handling regions 6, as outlined above.

Figure 3 demonstrates a protocol by which one particular embodiment of the invention can be produced. In this example the starting material is a rectangular sheet of material wherein opposing long edges are folded forwards to the centre at step 1. In step 2, corners are folded to the rear, to produce the final product which includes a centrally located aperture on its front panel. It is to be clearly understood however, that this is simply one example of a method of manufacture of the present invention, and is not intended to be limiting upon the scope of the present application. Clearly, other shapes such as squares, circles, ovals, etc.

are comprehended by the present invention, and in fact other folding protocols are also included as long as the outcome is an interactive card as described above. Following folding of the sheet material to form the interactive card 1, or in fact during the folding, it is possible to adhere various sections of the sheet material in order to hold them firmly in place.

In accordance with another embodiment of the invention it is possible for the interactive card 1 to be formed from a plurality of pieces of sheet material which may be adhered or optionally also folded, in order to form the interactive card 1 of the invention. Naturally, the adhesive utilised will need to be compatible with the particular sheet material chosen.

As can be seen from Figures 4 and 5 the interactive card 11 according to the invention is comprised of front 12 and rear 13 panels which are connected about some of their peripheries 14. In this particular arrangement, the front panel 12 and the rear panel 13 are comprised of one continuous sheet which is folded onto itself at peripheries 14 and the ends of said sheet overlap and are affixed together at 19. Within the front panel 12 there is provided an aperture 15 through the sheet material, which aperture 15 is centrally located within the front panel 12 and extends generally between each of two opposed handling regions 16. Also within the front panel 12 there is provided creases 17 and 18 formed by scores on front panel 12. Upon application of pressure to both handling regions 16 to draw the regions together, the front panel 12 in Figure 4 projects upwards out of the page to enable the opening of aperture 15 facilitated by bending of the sheet material about creases 17 and 18.

As shown in Figure 6, opening of aperture 15 reveals inner area 20 of the interactive card 11 whilst Figure 7 shows a side view of the opened interactive card of Figure 6. The application of pressure to handling regions 16 allows aperture 15 to open by deformation of front panel 12. In this embodiment, rear panel 13 remains rigid and does not deform. This embodiment

is particularly useful for situations where rear panel 13 is attached to an article wherein flexible movement of rear panel 13 is not possible or is undesirable.

As can be seen from Figures 8 and 9, the interactive card 30 according to another embodiment of the invention is comprised of front panel 31 and front panel 32 which are affixed to rear panel 37 about their peripheries along non-shaded areas 38 and 39. Front panel 31 and front panel 32 are placed side by side and form an aperture 35. Front panel 31 is made of rigid sheet material with creases 33 and front panel 32 is made of rigid sheet material with creases 34. Rear panel 37 is made of rigid sheet material with numerous creases 40 shown by the bold dashed lines. The handling regions 36 of interactive card 30 are areas where if pressure is applied thereto to bring the handling regions 36 closer together, the aperture 35 will open to reveal the inner area of the display arrangement 30. The rigid sheet material is able to be deformed by bending along creases 33, 34 and 40.

Whereas the interactive card is shown in its closed position in Figures 8 and 9, Figures 10 and 11 show the interactive card 30 in the half-open position which has been achieved by applying pressure about the handling regions 36 to draw them closer to one another and thereby open the aperture 35. Further opening of interactive card 30 can form a tray 48 within aperture 35 in which articles may be stored, removed or placed.

It may also be seen from Figure 10 that the aperture 35 of interactive card 30 may also be opened by deflecting down the handling regions 41 and 42 on top panels 31 and 32 so as to push handling regions 41 and 42 below the plane of the panels. This in turn forms legs 43 and 44 as shown in Figure 12 on which the opened interactive card 30 may be supported.

This embodiment of the present invention whereby handling regions 41 and 42 are deflected down below the plane of the panels often assists in opening aperture 35 in front panels 31 and 32, providing another means of opening aperture 35.

Figure 13 shows an embodiment of an interactive card according to the present invention where aperture 45 is located off-centre within front panels 46 and 47.

As can be seen from Figures 14 to 25, the interactive cards of the present invention can take various shapes and have different fold lines or creases depending on the desired shape or

aesthetic appearance of the opened interactive card. The drawings are not to be construed as limiting the invention in any way. They are included to further illustrate the present invention and advantages thereof.

Thus for example, Figures 26 and 27 show the interactive card of Figure 8, but wherein different creases, shown as numerous dashed lines 53 and 54, are present on front panels 51 and 52. Figure 26 shows a top view of interactive card 50 in the partially opened position.

The front panels 51 and 52 are attached to rear panel 57 about their peripheries along areas 58 and 59. Areas 58 and 59 are part of front panels 51 and 52, but when handling regions 56 are pushed together to deform front panels 51 and 52 opening aperture 55, areas 58 and 59 do not move. Areas 58 and 59 remain in the same place as rear panel 57 creating a stable base on which the opened interactive card sits. Figure 27 shows interactive card 50 of Figure 26 fully open and viewed from the side. One end of the interactive card can be seen showing one handling region 56 and part of rear panel 57. The part of rear panel 57 that is shown in Figure 27 is bent out of the plane of the base part of rear panel 57 shown Figure 26.

It will be apparent that variations in dimensions of the interactive card of the present invention can result in different shapes being formed upon opening of the aperture. Furthermore, the outside shape of the interactive card may be any desired shape, including an oval, circle, polygon or an irregular shape.

In a preferred embodiment the aperture is a slit formed by the inner edges of the top panel being straight and meeting with or being adjacent to each other. In another embodiment the inner edges of the top panel which define the aperture may define different shapes such as teeth, lips or tongue. It will be understood that one inner edge may overlap with the opposite inner edge.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention the interactive card when opened may allow a tongue or other such protection to extend through the aperture in the interactive card. The tongue may have information or images applied to its surface for either an aesthetic or functional purpose. The tongue may also comprise folded panels which when unfolded can form a lid for the opened interactive card so as to form a box or carton. It will also be readily apparent to the person skilled in the art that additional panels may be present

within the volume of the opened interactive card, whereby the additional panels may form divisions or compartments within the volume of the opened interactive card. Articles such as eggs, lollies or toys may be stored in the compartments.

Pushing the two handling regions together deforms the front panel allowing the aperture to open. As the front panel is opened, the front panel becomes the sides or walls of the resulting open container, bag or tray. In a preferred embodiment, the aperture is fully opened such that the sides of the container formed from the front panel are substantially perpendicular to the rear panel which has become a base or flat bottom.

In yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention the interactive card when opened may expose a handle, or have a means of attaching a handle, such that the tray, bag or container formed by the opened interactive card resembles a basket.

In one preferred embodiment, when the interactive card has a flange formed from the front and rear panels, the interactive card is opened such that the flange remains parallel with and in the same plane as the rear panel. This assists in the formation of a stable and flat base made from the rear panel on which the interactive card sits.

The interactive card according to the present invention has numerous utilities, and by way of example only, some of these utilities are as follows: greeting cards, promotional literature, business cards, photograph holders, product packaging labels, memo packs with numerous display arrangements releaseably adhered together, educational materials, envelopes or folders which may include a sealing means for the aperture, mirror cases, decorations, product containers, or gift wrap packaging for holding other materials, such as, for example, gifts, jewellery, food items, potpourri etc. In many of these applications it may be appropriate for indices or images to be applied to external and/or internal surfaces of the interactive card, and it may also be appropriate for other materials to be stuck or attached to the interactive card for either an aesthetic or functional purpose. For example, if the interactive card is adopted as a greeting card, artwork and a brief message may be applied to the external surface of the front panel, and further, hidden messages or images may be applied on internal surfaces, preferably the internal surface of the rear panel, although application on other surfaces which could be viewed after unfolding the display arrangement is also possible.

In the case of a photo holder or mirror holder it is possible for a photograph, picture or mirror to be adhered to the internal surface of the rear panel such that this article will be revealed when the interactive card is in the open position. It is also possible for articles such as printed materials or small objects to be contained within the display arrangement such that they can be viewed and can also be removed from or inserted into the interactive card when the interactive card is in the open position.

In the aspect of the invention wherein the interactive card defines an envelope it may be appropriate for a lip to be present on one side of the aperture in the front panel in order that this lip will be located over the opposing side of the aperture when the interactive card is in the closed position. Optionally, a fastening means or a sealing means, such as an adhesive material or tether, may be present on the lip or adjacent to the aperture in order that the interactive card can be secured in the closed position, and material can be securely contained there within. An extended lip on either or both sides of the aperture may also be present in the instance wherein the interactive card is intended to contain larger articles, for example, food items such as sandwiches, burgers, chips or even gifts, etc. In this way the interactive card will either partially or fully contain the article even when in the open position. It would then need to be opened further to remove or reveal the article.

In a further embodiment of the invention means is provided for the interactive card to be attached to other articles. For example a hole through one or both of the front and/or rear panels may be provided so that string, cord, a ring or the like can be passed therethrough, by which the interactive card can be attached to other articles. This will be particularly suitable when the interactive card is fulfilling the function of, for example, a product label. In this case it is possible for information about the product and/or product trade marks to be applied to an external surface or surfaces of the interactive card and, for example, information such as washing instructions for garments, grape varieties for wines and locality maps for business cards may be contained within.

In another embodiment of the invention, any panel, in particular the front panel, contains at least one fold or pleat as part of the panel. The pleat may be unfolded to enlarge the opening of the aperture and increase the volume of the container. Furthermore, pleats in the front panel may also enable the sides of the open container to fully open outwards and lay flat, parallel to

and in the same plane as the rear panel. The pleats may be utilised, for example, to depict a flower bud blooming or to open flat a map contained within the interactive card.

The front and rear panels may also be joined by sheet material which is pleated or folded in a concertina. The concertina of sheet material may be expanded before or after opening of the aperture in the interactive card. Expanding the concertina material allows the flat interactive card to assume a three dimensional shape before the aperture is opened, if desired.

Methods of manufacturing interactive cards and containers according to the present invention will be apparent from the above description and accompanying drawings.

Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

It is to be clearly understood that the present invention has been described purely by way of example with reference to a number of possible embodiments. Modifications and alterations to the invention, which would be obvious to a person skilled in the art, based on the disclosure herein, are also considered to be included within the scope and spirit of the invention.