ES2484372T3 - Equipment with entertainment article, and corresponding process - Google Patents

Abstract

Equipment that includes: - a shell container (C) with a barrel containment part (C1), and - a fun article (10.11) inserted in said shell container (C); characterized in that said fun article (10,11) includes at least one elongated element (12, 14, 16, 18; 27, 28), formed of a tape-like element wound in a loop and arranged in said container (C) against the inner wall of said barrel-type containment part (C1), said tape-type element having at least one fold line (120, 140, 160, 180; 270, 280), whereby, once removed from said container, said tape type element can be extended and folded by said at least one fold line (120, 140, 160, 180; 270, 280) to give rise to an elongated rigid element.

Description

E10710442

07-23-2014

DESCRIPTION

Equipment with entertainment article, and corresponding process

5 Field of the invention

This description refers to entertainment items, such as toys and the like.

The description has been developed with particular attention given to entertainment objects designed to be introduced in shell or capsule containers used to insert the so-called "surprises" into food products such as chocolate eggs and the like.

Description of the related technique

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

For example, documents such as EP-A-0631932, EP-A-0631933, EP-A-0631934, WO-A-2005/044677, WO-A

20 2005/110880 and WO-A-2007/074355 address problems of various kinds linked to the production of a container of the previous style, to insert the "surprise" inside, and also to close the package. Similar packages are illustrated in EP-A-1110459 and EP-A-1308392.

These packages can be used to introduce "surprises" into hollow food products, such as chocolate eggs 25 with dimensions similar to the dimensions of a normal chicken egg.

Consequently, the package has dimensions smaller than those of the product in which it is inserted: by way of reference (without, of course, this being understood in any way as limiting the scope of the present invention) a package of the type considered is can present in the form of a cylindrical "barrel" with end parts in

30 dome shape (for example hemispherical), 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 by the dimensions of the container. Consequently, surprises can be presented in the form of items made in one piece (for example, a statue or model representing

35 a character), or also in the form of articles comprising different parts, which once removed from the package, can be assembled. This approach limits the possibilities of choosing items to a small size (at most a few centimeters). Items of a larger size do in fact require a supply of larger packages, which in turn can only be inserted into larger products (for example large Easter eggs).

40 In any case, it is practically impossible to use as "surprises" items of rather large dimensions, such as - simply by way of example - a flying model aircraft.

Similar problems arise for substantially similar packages, which are also representative of the technique

45, taken as a model for the preamble of claim 1, comprising a shell container with a barrel-type containment part that includes a half shell (leaflet) of (semi) ovoid shape, as described by way of example in EP-A-0919488 and EP-A-0768039.

On the other hand, the possibility is known (see, for example, documents such as FR-A-907363 A, US-A50 2311907, US-A-2006/135032 or US-A-3 505 759) to produce articles made of Stratified material that can be folded along a fold line to give rise to an elongated rigid element.

Object and summary of the invention

Starting from the state of the art discussed above, the object of the invention is to provide a solution capable of overcoming the limitations discussed above.

According to the present invention, the above objective is achieved thanks to a team comprising an article for entertainment that has the characteristics claimed in the following claims. The invention also considers a corresponding utilization process.

The claims form an integral part of the description of the technique provided herein in connection with the invention.

65 Brief description of the annexed representations

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

-Figure 1 is a view that compares the dimensions of an entertainment item 5 (surprise) in comparison to the solution described herein with the dimensions of the package designed to receive it;

- Figures 2 to 5 illustrate successive steps for the production of the entertainment article of Figure 1, as well as the insertion thereof in the corresponding package;

10-Figure 6 illustrates the entertainment article inserted in the corresponding container, in turn placed in a hollow food product;

Figures 7 to 13 illustrate the sequence of extraction of the article for entertainment from the container and its assembly; Y

15-Figures 14 and 15 enhance the possibility of using the solution described herein in relation to an entertainment article other than that shown by way of example in Figures 1 to 13.

Detailed description of achievements

20 In the following description, several specific details are illustrated in order to provide a thorough 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 cause various aspects of the embodiments to be confused.

The reference to "one embodiment" or "1 embodiment" in the context of this description is achieved by indicating that a particular configuration, structure or feature described in relation to the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Therefore, phrases such as "in one embodiment" or "in 1 embodiment" that may be presented at points other than this description do not necessarily refer to one and the same embodiment. In addition, conformations

In particular, structures or features may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

The references used here are only adopted for reasons of convenience and therefore 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 equipment comprising an entertainment article designed to be introduced into a barrel-shaped container C of the type claimed in the introductory part of the description, said article for entertainment it is constituted, for example, by:

40 -a model 10 (figures 1 to 13); Y

-a figure representing an animal, such as a giraffe.

45 To fix the ideas (once again, without this being understood in any way limiting the scope of the solution described here) the container C can be a barrel that has a maximum axial dimension (length) in the region of 5 cm and a diametral dimension in the region of 3.5 cm and consisting of two separate elements, as shown in Figures 5 and 7, or also by elements connected to form a single body, as illustrated in the aforementioned patent applications No. WO-A-2005/110880 and No. WO-A-2007/074365.

50 With reference to the examples considered here, the object for entertainment can refer to an air model 10 which can have a length in the region of 20 cm and a wingspan in the region of 18-20 cm, or in addition, for example, to an animal like a giraffe with a height in the region of 30 cm.

55 The object for entertainment is suitable in each case to be produced in the form of any object. Consequently, the reference to the model aircraft or an animal as a giraffe is intended to represent a possible example purely: the solution considered here can be used for entertainment items of any kind, such as just to provide some examples, model airplanes of various types ( airplanes, hang gliders, helicopters), motor vehicles (cars or, for example, an elongated “dragster” model with a long length

60 greater than the length of the container C) or figures of any kind (for example, a figure that reproduces a giraffe with the neck stretched), or again a house, a kite, a crane, etc.

It can be easily understood that, by resorting to conventional solutions, "surprises" of this type, in particular when they comprise elongated parts that have a certain length, would in no way fit a package like container C illustrated here.

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Likewise, it can be easily understood that the solution considered here is not limited in any way to the values of referred dimensions, but it generally extends to all situations in which it would be impossible to insert a "surprise" of conventional type in the corresponding package .

5 The solution considered here can be applied to any entertainment item that comprises at least one structural element consisting of a rigid elongated element.

For example, in the case of a model 10 considered here, four elements of this type are presented, that is:

-the fuselage 12;

-the wing 14;

15 -the horizontal stabilizer or elevator unit 16; Y

-the vertical stabilizer or rudder unit 18.

Then model 10 comprises other parts, such as, for example:

-a front nose cone with nose function 20;

- a shaped connection element 22, which can be fitted into the fuselage 12 to allow insertion and connection of the wing 14; Y

25 - another shaped element 24 that can be coupled to the tail end of the fuselage 12 to allow the assembly of the horizontal stabilizer 16 and the vertical stabilizer 18.

Components such as components designed by 20, 22 and 24 can be produced in the form of pieces of molded plastic material of small dimensions that can be inserted into the container C. The specific production characteristics of elements 20, 22 and 24 should be considered in themselves known (substantially similar or commonly used elements, for example, in the model aircraft sector) and, in any case, do not assume specific importance for the purposes of understanding and reproducing the outstanding characteristics of the solution considered here. Vertical stabilizer 18 is provided here in the form

V-shaped vertical stabilizer 35 in order to facilitate insertion with 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 elongated element that is obliged to be rigid. Of course, the stiffness characteristics are appreciated with reference to the normal use conditions of the model 10: it is understood in fact that, when the model 10 is flown, its structure will not bend and will allow the model to fly.

As schematically illustrated in Figure 2, elements 12, 14, 16 and 18 are obtained, for example by striking, starting from a laminated material S such as cardboard or a thin plastic material. This allows, among other things, to apply in said elements printed material (illustrated only in Figure 2) reproducing, by

For example, the camouflage of a military aircraft, the company colors and logo of a civil aircraft or also graphics corresponding to the product in which it is to be inserted in container C with the surprise 10 inside.

The elements 12, 14, 16 and 18 are therefore initially presented as stratified ribbon type (woven type) elements (see in particular Figure 3).

These elements are then designed to be wound, that is, rolled in a loop, and arranged in one of the two parts (for example in the barrel-containing containment part designated as C1) of the container C, as schematically illustrated in Figure 4. , that is, with the element 12 wound, that is, wound in a loop, and placed against the inner wall (which is cylindrical, in the example of the illustrated embodiment) of the type containment part

55 barrel C1 with the other elements 14, 16 and 18 arranged inside that are also rolled up and inserted into each other, as illustrated in Figure 4, that is, with the element 14 inserted in the element 12, the element 16 inserted in element 14, and element 18 inserted in element 16.

To roll and insert these tape-like elements in the C package, it is possible to use known equipment for example, to insert in the C-sheets the sheets with the assembly instructions for traditional type surprises formed by a number of pieces. An instruction sheet of this type can be conveniently included in the package C together with elements 12, 14, 16 and 18. The equipment that can be used for this purpose is described in EP-A-0 6 11 699.

65 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 products) into the same container using the cavity they leave inside

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of them by elements 12, 14, 16 and 18 that are wound in a loop.

Before the elements 12, 14, 16 and 18 are rolled up to proceed to the insertion thereof in the container C (for example, before or after they have been separated from the sheet S in which they are formed), they are fastened to a 5 wrinkle treatment.

"Wrinkle" means that the treatment, commonly used in the paper industry, designed to form a fold line in a stratified element (for example, of cardboard or plastic material) that will define a preferred folding line for the article itself .

In the specific case of the example illustrated here, the ribbon-like element that forms the fuselage 12 of the model 10 receives the fold lines 120 that ideally divide the element 12 into four portions of approximately the same width.

The element 14 designed to form the wing of the model 10 can receive, for example, a fold line 140 disposed in an intermediate position with respect to the woven type element. In a preferred mode, the fold line 140 is arranged at approximately 25-30% of the width of the element to be as close as possible to the main edge with respect to the trailing edge of the wing.

Elements 16 and 18 can receive respective fold lines 160 and 180 in an approximately middle position.

The presence of the aforementioned fold lines does not jeopardize the possibility of rolling up, that is, rolled up in a tube, elements 12, 14, 16 and 18 with a view for insertion in container C and the closure of the latter, as

25 schematically illustrated in Figure 5, visible in which it is the barrel type part C1 of the container C (with the elements 12, 14, 16, 18 wound in a loop that the elements 20, 22 and 24 receive within them), which is closed at the top by a complementary part C2 that functions as a lid.

The equipment comprising the container C with the "surprise" 10 inside can be placed inside a product such as, for example, a chocolate egg E, according to the common forms of use of said containers, as documented, for example, by the various patent documents cited in the introductory part of this description.

Once the container C is removed from the product E, it is opened, as schematically illustrated in Figure 7, and the various elements that form the surprise 10 can be taken out of the container successively and stretched

35 unrolling them (see figure 8).

These elements are in general flexible elements of the fabric type, since it is precisely their flexibility that has allowed them to be rolled up to be fitted in the C container.

However, once said elements are stretched, if they are at least slightly bent along the respective fold lines 120, 140, 160, 180, to assume at least a partially dihedral conformation, they become rigid.

For example, the element 12, folded to form a tube along the fold lines 120 (as illustrated in

45 Figure 9), assumes the shape of a triangular prism - in practice a remarkably rigid stick in the direction of 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 the connection element 22 attached to the tail element 24 is embedded in the fuselage element itself (see figure 13).

In one embodiment, the closure of the fuselage 12 could be guaranteed, for example, by adhesive points or elastically applicable buttons; In addition, the element 12 itself could have holes to fit the assembly components 14, 18, 16, could successively contain buttons to fit in said holes.

55 In the case of element 14 designed to form the wing, the fold along the fold line 140 is usually less marked (see figure 10) and should be limited to granting a general concave profile in element 14 itself -convex, which on the other hand presents the characteristics of a wing profile.

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

65 Substantially similar considerations apply to horizontal stabilizer 16 and vertical stabilizer 18. Also these elements, once removed from container C, are slightly bent along the

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fold lines 160 and 180 to assume the stiffness required to carry out its function, such as the subsequent assembly thereof in the element 24 arranged in the tail of the fuselage 12.

Thus, according to the modalities represented in figure 13, the assembly of the model 10 of figure 1, 5 is complete.

It will be appreciated that a box-like structure such as that of fuselage 12 (for example, in the form of a tubular structure with square cross-section) can be used to provide, for example, the body of a model of a motor vehicle.

10 A similar result can be obtained by providing, once again, starting with woven type elements that can be rolled, that is, closed forming a loop, and inserted into a container C, channel parts that can be coupled to each other ( for example, fitting or through button coupling formations) to provide similar structural elements.

15 Figures 14 and 15 refer to an embodiment in which the entertainment article is formed by a figure 11 showing an animal as an assembled giraffe. The giraffe 11 comprises a body 25 (generally formed of a molded body made of plastic material) provided with four L-shaped angular grooves 26 for inserting four elongated rigid elements 27 in the form of legs. The body 25 then has on its side

20 a similar opening for inserting a new elongated rigid neck-shaped element 28, designed to carry, fitted on top of it, a new molded body made of head-shaped plastic material 29.

Figure 15 (which is substantially similar to Figure 2) highlights how the legs 27 and 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 stabilizers 16 and 18 of the plane 10.

The tape-like elements designed to define the legs 27 and the neck 28 of the giraffe 11 are subjected in a similar manner to be folded (see lines 270 and 280 of Figure 15) and can be rolled up to be fitted in the barrel C1, C2 according to some modalities illustrated in figures 4 and 5 (with bodies 25 and 29 inserted into

30 as illustrated for parts 20, 22 and 24 of the plane 10).

Once the ribbon-like elements that have to define the legs 27 and the neck 28 of the giraffe 11 are removed from the barrel C according to the same criteria illustrated in Figure 7, they bend to form a dihedral (for example, a dihedral with L shape) along the fold lines 270 and 280, which makes them therefore rigid, and then

35 inserted into the holes provided in body 25 and head 29 to complete the assembly of the giraffe.

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

Claims (7)

E10710442 07-23-2014 1. A team that includes: 5-a shell container (C) with a barrel containment part (C1), and -a fun article (10.11) inserted in said shell container (C); characterized in that said fun article (10,11) includes at least one elongated element (12, 14, 16, 18; 27, 10 28), formed of a tape-like element wound in a loop and arranged in said container (C) against the inner wall of said barrel-containing containment part (C1), said tape-type element having at least one fold line (120 , 140, 160, 180; 270, 280), whereby, once removed from said container, said tape type element can be extended and folded by said at least one fold line (120, 140, 160, 180; 270 , 280) to give rise to an elongated rigid element. fifteen 2. The equipment of claim 1, wherein said tape type element (14, 16; 27, 28) has a single fold line (140, 160; 270, 280) to bend said tape type element (14, 16 ; 27, 28) in a dihedral configuration to give rise to said elongated rigid element. The equipment of claim 1, wherein said tape type element (12) has a plurality of fold lines (120) to bend said tape type element in a tubular or box configuration to give rise to said elongated rigid element. The equipment of claim 3, wherein said tape type element (12) is configured to be retained in said tubular or box configuration thanks to at least one of: - at least one body (22, 24) established in said tape-like element (12) folded in said tubular or box configuration; 30-adhesive buttons or elastic application buttons; - coupling pins that extend through holes provided in said tape type element (12). 5. The equipment of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said elongated rigid element is a formation 35 side (14) having at least one fold line (140) for bending said tape type element giving it a supporting surface profile such as a concave-convex profile. 6. The equipment of any one of the preceding claims, wherein said tape type element is made of stratified material (S) such as cardboard or plastic sheet material. 40 7. The equipment of any one of the preceding claims, which includes a plurality of said elongate elements (12, 14, 16, 18; 27, 28) together with at least one connection part (20, 22, 24; 25, 29) to connect said plurality of elongated rigid elements. The equipment of claim 7, wherein said elements (12, 14, 16, 18) are wound in a loop and inserted into each other, with said at least one connection part (20, 22, 24; 25, 29) inserted into the cavity formed within said elements wound in a loop. 9. A method of using the equipment (C, 10, 11) of any of claims 1 to 8, including the method: - extracting from said shell container (C) said at least one elongated tape type element (12) wound in a loop and arranged against the inner wall of said barrel-type containment part (C1), and - extending said at least one elongated tape type element and folding it along said at least one fold line (120, 55 140, 160, 180; 270, 280) to give rise to said elongated rigid element. 7