EP2411107A1

EP2411107A1 - Kit with amusement article, and corresponding process

Info

Publication number: EP2411107A1
Application number: EP10710442A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Paolo Vaccarella
Original assignee: Magic Production Group MPG SA
Current assignee: Magic Production Group MPG SA
Priority date: 2009-03-27
Filing date: 2010-03-15
Publication date: 2012-02-01
Anticipated expiration: 2030-03-15
Also published as: CN102365118B; WO2010109370A1; CN102365118A; AR075962A1; RU2011143306A; ES2484372T3; ITTO20090237A1; MX2011009880A; PL2411107T3; HK1167359A1; BRPI1006493B1; BRPI1006493B8; BRPI1006493A2; RU2519894C2; IT1399806B1; EP2411107B1

Abstract

A kit comprises a shell container (C) with a vat- like containment part (Cl) and an article for amusement (10, 11) inserted into the shell container (C). The article for amusement (10) comprises at least one elongated element (12, 14, 16, 18) formed by a ribbon- like element rolled up to form a loop and set in the container (C) up against the internal wall of the vat- like containment part (Cl) of the container (C). The aforesaid ribbon-like element has at least one crease line (120, 140, 160, 180) so that the ribbon-like element taken out of the container can be stretched out and folded along the crease line (120, 140, 160, 180) to give rise to a rigid elongated element.

Description

"Kit with amusement article, and corresponding process"

* * * *

Field of the invention The present disclosure relates to articles for amusement, such as for example toys and the like.

The disclosure has been developed with particular attention paid to objects for amusement designed to be introduced into shell or capsule containers used for inserting so-called "surprises" in foodstuff products such as chocolate eggs and the like. Description of the related art

Shell or capsule containers, which comprise a first half-shell and a second half-shell and are designed to receive inside them an object for amusement such as a toy, an accessory such as a key ring, a necklace, an amulet, etc., in the form of a "surprise" are known in numerous variants.

For example, documents such as EP-A-O 631 932, EP- A-O 631 933, EP-A-O 631 934, WO-A-2005/044677, WO-A-

2005/110880 and WO-A-2007/074355 tackle problems of various nature linked to the production of a container of the above sort, to insertion of the "surprise" inside it, and also to closing of the container. Similar containers are illustrated in EP-A-I 110 459 and EP-A-I 308 392.

These containers can be used for introducing "surprises" inside hollow foodstuff products, such as chocolate eggs with dimensions similar to the dimensions of a normal chicken egg.

The container has consequently dimensions smaller than those of the product in which it is inserted: by way of reference (without this of course being understood as in any way limiting the scope of the present description) a container of the type considered can present in the form of a cylindrical "barrel" with dome-shaped (for example hemispherical) end parts, which has an axial dimension (length) in the region of 5 cm and a diameter in the region of 3.5 cm. The dimensions of the surprise are limited accordingly by the dimensions of the container. Consequently, the surprises can present in the form of articles made of a single piece (for example, a statue or model representing a character) , or else in the form of articles comprising distinct parts, which, once taken out of the container, can be assembled together. This approach limits the possibilities of choice to articles of small size (at most a few centimetres) . Articles of larger size require in fact provision of containers of larger size, which in turn, can be inserted only in products of larger size (for example large Easter eggs) .

In any case, it is practically impossible to use as "surprises" articles of rather large dimensions, such as - merely by way of example - a model aeroplane that is able to fly.

Similar problems arise for substantially similar containers, which are also representative of the prior art taken as model for the preamble of Claim 1, that comprise a shell container with a vat-like containment part including a half-shell (valve) of a (semi) ovoidal shape, as described by way of example, in EP-A-O 919 488 and in EP-A-O 768 039.

It is on the other hand known (see, for example, documents such as FR-A-907 363 A, US-A-2 311 907, US-A- 2006/135032 or US-A-3 505 759) the possibility of producing articles made of laminar material that can be folded along a line of folding to give rise to a rigid elongated element. Object and summary of the invention Starting from the state of the art outlined previously, the object of the invention is to provide a solution capable of overcoming the limitations outlined above . According to the present invention, the above object is achieved thanks to a kit comprising an article for amusement having the characteristics recalled in the ensuing claims. The invention also regards a corresponding process of use. The claims form an integral part of the technical disclosure provided herein in relation to the invention .

Brief description of the annexed representations The invention will now be described, purely by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the annexed representations, in which:

- Figure 1 is a view that sets in comparison the dimensions of an article for amusement ("surprise") according to the solution described herein with the dimensions of the container designed to receive it;

- Figures 2 to 5 illustrate successive steps for production of the article for amusement of Figure 1, as well as insertion thereof into the corresponding container; - Figure 6 illustrates the article for amusement inserted in the corresponding container, in turn placed in a hollow foodstuff product;

Figures 7 to 13 illustrate the sequence of extraction of the article for amusement from the container and assembly thereof; and

- Figures 14 and 15 highlight the possibility of using the solution described herein in relation to an article for amusement different from the one represented by way of example in Figures 1 to 13. Detailed description of embodiments In the ensuing description, various specific details are illustrated aimed at providing an in-depth understanding of the embodiments. The embodiments can be obtained without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other cases, known structures, materials, or operations are not illustrated or described in detail so as not to render various aspects of the embodiments obscure . Reference to "an embodiment" or "one embodiment" in the framework of this description is aimed at indicating that a particular configuration, structure or characteristic described in relation to the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Hence, phrases such as "in an embodiment" or "in one embodiment" that may be present in different points of this description do not necessarily refer to one and the same embodiment. Furthermore, particular conformations, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any adequate way in one or more embodiments .

The references used herein are only adopted for reasons of convenience and hence do not define the scope of protection or the scope of the embodiments. In particular, the embodiments considered herein refer - purely by way of example - to a kit comprising an article for amusement designed to be introduced into a barrel-shaped container C of the type recalled in the introductory part of the description, said article for amusement being constituted, for example, by:

- a model aeroplane 10 (Figures 1 to 13) ; and

- a figure that represents an animal, such as a giraffe .

To fix the ideas (once again, without this being understood as in any way limiting the scope of the solution described herein) the container C can be a barrel having a maximum axial dimension (length) in the region of 5 cm and a diametral dimension in the region of 3.5 cm and being constituted by two separate elements, as shown in Figures 5 and 7, or else by elements connected to form a single body, according to what is illustrated in the aforementioned patent applications Nos. WOA2005/110880 and WOA2007/074365.

With reference to the examples considered herein, the object for amusement can refer to a model aeroplane 10 that can have a length in the region of 20 cm and a wing span in the region of 18-20 cm, or else, for example, to an animal such as a giraffe with a height in the region of 30 cm. The object for amusement is suited in each case to being produced in the form of any object. Consequently, the reference to a model aeroplane or to an animal such as a giraffe is to be intended as purely representing a possible example: the solution considered herein may be used for articles for amusement of any type such as, just to provide some examples, model aircraft of various types (aeroplanes, hang gliders, helicopters) , motor vehicles (automobiles or, for example, a model "dragster" of an elongated shape with a length much greater than the length of the container C) or figures of any type (for example, a figure that reproduces a giraffe with its neck stretched out) , or again a house, a kite, a crane, etc.

It may be readily understood that, resorting to conventional solutions, "surprises" of this type, in particular when comprising parts of an elongated shape having a certain length, would in no way fit into a container such as the container C illustrated herein.

Likewise, it may be readily understood that the solution considered herein is in no way limited to the dimensional values referred to, but extends in general to all the situations in which it would be impossible to insert a "surprise" of a conventional type into the corresponding container. The solution considered herein can be applied to any article for amusement comprising at least one structural element constituted by a rigid elongated element .

For example, in the case of the model aeroplane 10 considered herein, four elements of this type are present, namely:

- the fuselage 12;

- the wing 14; the horizontal empennage or elevator unit 16; and

- the vertical empennage or rudder unit 18.

The model 10 then comprises other parts, such as, for example:

- a front nose cone with function of nose 20; - a shaped connection element 22, which can be fitted on the fuselage 12 for enabling insertion and connection of the wing 14; and

- another shaped element 24, which can be coupled to the tail end of the fuselage 12 for enabling assembly of the horizontal empennage 16 and of the vertical empennage 18.

Components such as components designated by 20, 22 and 24 can be produced in the form of pieces of moulded plastic material of small dimensions that can be inserted within the container C. The specific production features of the elements 20, 22 and 24 are to be considered in themselves known (elements substantially similar are commonly used, for example, in the sector of model airplanes) and, in any case, do not assume specific importance for the purposes of understanding and reproduction of the salient characteristics of the solution considered herein. The vertical empennage 18 is here provided in the form of V-shaped vertical empennage in order to facilitate insertion within the coupling element 24.

The elements 12, 14, 16, 18 (and in particular the fuselage 12 and the wing 14) are structural elements constituted by an element of an elongated shape which is bound to be rigid. Of course, the characteristics of rigidity are to be appreciated with reference to the conditions of normal use of the model 10: it is understood in fact that, when the model 10 is flown, its structure will not bend and will enable the model to fly. As illustrated schematically in Figure 2, the elements 12, 14, 16 and 18 are obtained, for example by dinking, starting from a laminar material S such as, for example, cardboard or a thin plastic material. This enables, amongst other things, application on said elements of printed material (illustrated only in Figure 2) reproducing, for example, the camouflage of a military aeroplane, the company colours and logo of a civil aeroplane or else graphics corresponding to the product in which the container C with the surprise 10 inside it to be inserted.

The elements 12, 14, 16 and 18 hence initially present as ribbon-like (web-like) laminar elements (see in particular Figure 3) .

These elements are then designed to be rolled up, i.e., wound in a loop, and arranged in one of the two parts (for example in the vat-like containment part designated by Cl) of the container C, as schematically illustrated in Figure 4, i.e., with the element 12 rolled up, i.e., wound in a loop, and set up against the internal wall (which is cylindrical, in the example of embodiment illustrated) of the vat-like containment part Cl with the other elements 14, 16 and 18 set inside it which are also rolled up and inserted one inside the other, as illustrated in Figure 4, i.e., with the element 14 inserted in the element 12, the element 16 inserted in the element 14, and the element 18 inserted in the element 16.

For rolling-up and insertion of these ribbon-like elements in the container C it is possible to resort to known equipment used, for example, for inserting in the containers C the sheets with the instructions of assembly for surprises of a traditional type constituted by a number of pieces. An instruction sheet of this sort can be conveniently included in the container C together with the elements 12, 14, 16 and 18. Equipment that can be used for the purpose is described in EP-A-O 611 699.

As illustrated in Figure 5, the other elements 20, 22 and 24 that complete the model 10 can also be inserted (according to commonly used procedures) in the same container using the cavity left inside them by the elements 12, 14, 16 and 18 that are rolled in a loop.

Before the elements 12, 14, 16 and 18 are rolled up for proceeding to insertion thereof into the container C (for example, before or after they have been separated from the sheet S in which they are formed), they are subject to a creasing treatment.

By "creasing" is meant the treatment, commonly employed in the paper industry, designed to form in a laminar element (for example, of cardboard or plastic material) a crease line that is to define a preferential line of folding for the article itself.

In the specific case of the example illustrated herein, the ribbon-like element that is to form the fuselage 12 of the model 10 receives three crease lines 120 that divide the element 12 itself ideally up into four portions approximately of the same width.

The element 14 designed to form the wing of the model 10 can receive, for example, a crease line 140 set in an intermediate position with respect to the web-like element. In a preferred way, the crease line 140 is set at approximately 25-30% of the width of the element so as to be as close as possible to the leading edge with respect to the trailing edge of the wing. The elements 16 and 18 can receive respective crease lines 160 and 180 in an approximately median position .

The presence of the aforesaid crease lines does not jeopardize the possibility of rolling up, i.e., winding in a loop, the elements 12, 14, 16 and 18 with a view to insertion into container C and closing of the latter, as schematically illustrated in Figure 5, visible in which is the vat-like part Cl of the container C (with the elements 12, 14, 16, 18 rolled in a loop that receive inside them the elements 20, 22 and 24), which is closed at the top by a complementary part C2 that functions as lid.

The kit comprising the container C with the "surprise" 10 inside it can then be placed within a product such as, for example, a chocolate egg E, in accordance with the common modes of use of said containers, as documented, for example, by the various patent documents cited in the introductory part of the present description. Once the container C is taken out of the product E, it is opened, as schematically illustrated in Figure 7, and the various elements that make up the surprise 10 can be in turn taken out of the container and stretched out by unrolling them (see Figure 8) . These elements are in general flexible web-like elements, given that it is precisely their flexibility that has enabled them to be rolled up to be fitted into the container C. However, once said elements are stretched out, if they are at least slightly folded along the respective crease lines 120, 140, 160, 180, so as to assume an at least partially dihedral conformation, they become rigid. For example, the element 12, folded to form a tube along the three crease lines 120 (as illustrated in Figure 9) , assumes the shape of a triangular prism - in practice a stick - markedly rigid in the direction of the length. In the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the fuselage element thus obtained is kept closed to form a tube as a result of the fact that fitted on the fuselage element itself is the connection element 22 joined to the tail element 24 (see Figure 13) . In one embodiment, closing of the fuselage 12 could be guaranteed, for example, by adhesive spots or elastically engageable buttons; or else the element 12 itself could present holes for fitting the assembly components 14, 18, 16, which could in turn contain studs for fitting into said holes.

In the case of the element 14 designed to form the wing, the fold along the crease line 140 is usually less marked (see Figure 10) and should be limited to bestowing on the element 14 itself a general concave- convex profile, which moreover presents the characteristics of a wing profile.

The element 14 thus obtained can be inserted into the connection element 22 (see again Figure 13) in its position of wing coupled to the fuselage 12 of the model 10 and has, as a result of the fold along the crease line 140, the rigidity aimed at preventing the wing from bending in an undesirable way when the model

10 is flown.

Substantially similar considerations apply for the horizontal empennage 16 and for the vertical empennage 18. Also these elements, once taken out of the container C, are slightly folded along the crease lines 160 and 180 so as to assume the rigidity required for carrying out their function, with subsequent assembly thereof on the element 24 set on the tail of the fuselage 12.

In this way, according to the modalities represented in Figure 13, assembly of the model 10 of Figure 1 is completed. It will be appreciated that a box-like structure such as that of the fuselage 12 (for example, in the form of a tubular structure with square cross section) can be used to provide, for instance, the body of a model of a motor vehicle. A similar result can be obtained by providing, once again starting from web-like elements that can be rolled up, i.e., closed to form a loop, and be inserted in a container C, channel parts which can be coupled to one another (for example by fitting or else via button coupling formations) so as to provide similar structural elements.

Figures 14 and 15 refer to one embodiment in which the article for amusement is constituted by a figure

11 showing an animal such as an assemblable giraffe. The giraffe 11 comprises a body 25 (generally constituted by a moulded body made of plastic material) provided with four L-shaped angular slots 26 for insertion of four rigid elongated elements 27 in the form of legs. The body 25 then has on its upper side a similar opening for inserting a further rigid elongated element 28 in the form of neck, designed to carry, fitted on top thereof, a further moulded body of plastic material 29 in the form of head.

Figure 15 (which is substantially similar to Figure 2) highlights how the legs 27 and the neck 28 of the giraffe 11 can be obtained according to modalities similar to those adopted to obtain the fuselage 12, the wing 14, and the empennages 16 and 18 of the aeroplane 10. The ribbon-like elements designed to define the legs 27 and the neck 28 of the giraffe 11 are subjected in a similar way to creasing (see the lines 270 and 280 of Figure 15) and can then be rolled up to be fitted into the barrel Cl, C2 according to the same modalities illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 (with the bodies 25 and 29 inserted inside them as illustrated for the parts 20, 22 and 24 of the aeroplane 10) .

Once the ribbon-like elements that are to define the legs 27 and the neck 28 of the giraffe 11 are taken out of the barrel C according to the same criteria illustrated in Figure 7, they are folded to form a dihedron (for example, an L-shaped dihedron) along the crease lines 270 and 280, thus rendering them thus rigid, and are then inserted into the holes provided in the body 25 and in the head 29 so as to complete assembly of the giraffe.

Without prejudice to the principle of the invention, the details of construction and the embodiments may vary, even significantly, with respect to what is illustrated purely by way of non-limiting example herein, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention, as defined by the annexed claims .

Claims

1. A kit including: a shell container (C) with a vat-like containment part (Cl), and

- an amusement article (10,11) inserted in said shell container (C) , characterized in that said amusement article (10,11) includes at least one elongated element (12, 14, 16, 18; 27, 28), formed of a ribbon-like element wound in a loop and arranged in said container (C) up against the internal wall of said vat-like containment part (Cl), said ribbon-like element having at least one crease line (120, 140, 160, 180; 270, 280), whereby, once extracted from said container, said ribbon-like element can be spread out and folded at said at least one crease line (120, 140, 160, 180; 270, 280) to give rise to an elongated rigid element.

2. The kit of Claim 1, wherein said ribbon-like element (14, 16; 27, 28) has a single crease line (140,

160; 270, 280) to fold said ribbon-like element (14, 16; 27, 28) in a dihedron configuration to give rise to said elongated rigid element.

3. The kit of Claim 1, wherein said ribbon-like element (12) has a plurality of crease lines (120) to fold said ribbon-like element in a box-like or tubular configuration to give rise to said elongated rigid element .

4. The kit of Claim 3, wherein said ribbon-like element (12) is configured to be retained in said box- like or tubular configuration thanks to at least one of:

- at least one body (22, 24) vested onto said ribbon-like element (12) folded in said a box-like or tubular configuration; - adhesive buttons or elastic engaging buttons;

- coupling pins extending through holes provide in said ribbon-like element (12).

5. The kit of Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein said elongated rigid element is a wing formation (14) having at least one crease line (140) to fold said ribbon-like element by bestowing thereon an aerofoil profile such as a concave-convex profile.

6. The kit of any of the preceding claims, wherein said ribbon-like element is made of a laminar material

(S) such a paperboard o sheet plastics material.

7. The kit of any of the preceding claims, including a plurality of said elongated elements (12, 14, 16, 18; 27, 28) together with at least one connecting part (20, 22, 24; 25, 29) to connect said plurality of elongated rigid elements.

8. The kit of claim 7, wherein said elements (12, 14, 16, 18) are wound in a loop and inserted one into the other, with said at least one connecting part (20, 22, 24; 25, 29) inserted in the cavity formed within said elements wound in a loop.

9. A method of using the kit (C, 10, 11) of any of claims 1 to 8, the method including:

- extracting from said shell container (C) said at least one ribbon-like elongated element (12) wound in a loop and arranged up against the internal wall of said vat-like containment part (Cl), and spreading out said at least one elongated ribbon-like element and folding it at said at least one crease line (120, 140, 160, 180; 270, 280) to give rise to said elongated rigid element.