GB2160086A - Decorative figure incorporating corner shelves - Google Patents

Abstract

A decorative figure, particularly for use in children's bedrooms, nurseries or playrooms, comprises two essentially flat-backed halves capable of being fixed, in use, substantially at right angles to one another so as to stand upright in a corner of a room with the back of each figure-half up against a respective wall and/or skirting board and with the base of the figure standing on the floor; with a corner shelf extending along the base of the figure, and with at least one further corner shelf above that base shelf; and with the figure halves being marked to represent together a person or an animal. Preferably the figure halves are marked to represent together a person or an animal whose head occupies the topmost region of the figure; and the head may be a hollow three- dimensional moulding or casting, for example a part-sphere or part-ovoid painted or otherwise marked to give the desired representation. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Decorative figure incorporating corner shelves The invention relates to figures incorporating corner shelves.

The invention is particularly applicable to figures intended for use in children's bedrooms, nurseries or playrooms. Shelving must frequently be provided in such rooms to store children's toys and playthings. Large and boldly decorated figures are known to attract children and to stimulate their visual appreciation and imagination. The invention combines the usefulness of a set of corner shelves with the visual appeal and educational value of a striking figure of the kind intended to appeal to very young children.

According to the broadest concept of the invention such a figure comprises two essentially flatbacked halves fixed, in use, substantially at right angles to one another so as to stand upright in a corner of a room with the back of each figure-half up against a respective wall and/or skirting board and with the base of the figure standing on the floor; with a corner shelf extending along the base of the figure, and with at least one further corner shelf above that base shelf; and with the figure halves being marked to represent together a person or an animal.

The figure halves may be marked to represent together a person or an animal whose head occupies the topmost region of the figure. In such a case, the further shelf will span the figure halves below the very top of the figure. Advantageously in such cases the figure halves represent together a person or an animal standing upright and with hands depicted as resting on, or holding, the further shelf.

The base shelf may extend beyond the adjacent edges of the figure. This gives stability to the base of the figure and can in some circumstances be visually more attractive than if the shelf were coterminous with the adjacent edges of the figure halves.

Advantageously the shelves may increase in size from the top to the base of the figure, again for reasons of stability but also because if the figure halves are suitably proportioned then such an arrangement can look visually attractive.

Preferably there is at least one more shelf positioned between the base shelf and the said further shelf. In practical embodiments of the invention, the figure will probably be at least "life size" (i.e.

several feet in height) and several shelves will be able to be incorporated into its height without detracting from its visual appeal. The usefulness of several shelves rather than just a top shelf and a base shelf is self-evident.

Conveniently each shelf is geometrically similar to the or each other shelf, again for reasons of visual appeal as much as for any consequent ease of manufacture and fitting of the shelves to the figure.

The shelves may for example be quarter-round shelves because as well as being visually attractive these present a continuously curving edge free of any corners against which children might hurt themselves.

To give even more visual appeal to such a figure, at least part of its head may be three-dimensional rather than simply being defined by the essentially flat surfaces of the joined-together figure-halves. For example the head could be formed of a hollow moulding or casting in, say, plastics material.

In the case just outlined, the head could be specially shaped to represent accurately the head of the person or animal depicted by the figure; but alternatively it could be a part-sphere or part-ovoid painted or otherwise marked to give the desired representation. This latter can save significantly on manufacturing and hence selling costs as compared with a specially shaped head.

A shelf could be incorporated for example into the brim of a hat worn by the headed figure. Below the hat brim, the hat could be three-dimensional.

Above it, the hat itself would be defined by the top regions of the figure-halves in order to leave the shelf space unobstructed.

The back of each figure-half may have depicted thereon a rear view of the person or animal half depicted on the front. In use, two figure-halves so marked could be used in other than fixed corner positions.

Two figures, each consisting of two joined-together figure-halves, may be joined back to back so that all four figure-halves about a common vertical axis and in such a case the shelves may then extend individually around the resulting free standing "circular" unit.

Decorative figures with corner shelves, each embodying the invention, are shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings. They will now be described with reference to those drawings, in which: Figure 1 and 2 show respectively in "exploded" perspective and in front-on view a figure representing the nursery rhyme character humpty dumpty; Figures 3 and 4 views corresponding respectively to Figures 1 and 2 but showing a figure representing a guardsman; Figures 5 and 6 correspond respectively to Figures 1 and 2 and to Figures 3 and 4 show a figure representing a chimpanzee; and Figures 7 and 8 show two figures, each consisting of two joined-together figure-halves, in which the head of each figure is not occupying the topmost region of the figure.

Each decorative figure shown in the drawing consists of two essentially flat-backed halves which are fixed substantially at right angles to one another along a common vertical axis so as to stand upright in use and to support several quarterround corner shelves. The bottom shelf in each case extends along the base of the figure. The remaining shelves are spaced at intervals above it. In use, each figure stands upright on the floor in a corner of a room with the back of the figure secured to the walls and skirting boards, and the shelves run substantially horizontally.

The surface of the figure halves which face outwardly into the room are painted to represent the figure in a manner which will be visually attractive to young children, i.e. using relatively simple bold markings and brightly contrasting primary colours.

In the case of all three figures illustrated, each figure half is identical in outline, so that the two figure halves when put together form a mirror image in outline of each other. In these particular figures also, the detailed representational markings on each figure half, within the outline edges of the figure half, also form mirror images of one another when the figure is put together.

The humpty dumpty figure has its head and crown defined by the joined-together figure halves.

The head of the guardsman figure is topped by a bearskin, and in this instance the actual face of the figure consists of a part-ovoid moulded hollow plastics shell which is suitably painted on its outward facing surface, whilst the rim of the bearskin is defined by the top corner shelf of the figure; and so the actual bearskin itself (i.e. the region of the figure above the top shelf) is defined by the joinedtogether figure halves in order to leave the top shelf unobstructed.

The chimpanzee of Figures 5 and 6 also has a moulded hollow plastics three-dimensional head; but in this case the whole of the head on the figure is defined by a specially shaped three-dimensional moulding whose outward facing surface is then painted appropriately.

The base shelf of the humpty dumpty figure is co-terminous with the adjacent edges of each of its two figures halves. The base shelf of the guardsman figure extends beyond the adjacent edges of the figure halves. The base shelf of the chimpanzee figure is again co-terminous with its figure half edges.

The figure halves and the shelves of each of the illustrated figures can be manufactured from wood or plastics or suitably hard compressed card. The representations can either be painted on or can be applied by way of separately-produced transfers.

Preferably, as in the case of each of the illustrated figures, there is no gap visible on the common vertical axis along which the two figure halves are joined together.

The means of securing each figure to the adjacent wall and/or skirting board regions form no part of the present invention and can readily be selected from known alternatives.

Claims (19)

1. A decorative figure comprising two essentially flat-backed halves capable of being fixed, in use, substanstially at right angles to one another so as to stand upright in a corner of a room with the back of each figure-half up against a respective wall and/or skirting board and with the base of the figure standing on the floor; with a corner shelf extending along the base of the figure, and with at least one further corner shelf above that base shelf; and with the figure halves being marked to represent together a person or an animal.

2. A figure according to claim and in which the figure halves are marked to represent together a person or an animal whose head occupies the topmost region of the figure.

3. A figure according to claim 2 and in which the figure halves represent together a person or an animal standing upright and with hands depicted as resting on, or holding, the further shelf.

4. A figure according to any of the preceding claims and in which the base shelf extends beyond the adjacent edges of the figure.

5. A figure according to any of the preceding claims in which the shelves increase in size from the top to the base of the figure.

6. A figure according to any of the preceding claims and in which there is at least one more shelf positioned between the base shelf and the said further shelf.

7. A figure according to any of the preceding claims and in which each shelf is geometrically similar to the or each other shelf.

8. A figure according to any of the preceding claims and in which the shelves are quarter-round.

9. A figure according to any of the preceding claims and in which at least a part of the head of the figure is three-dimensional.

10. A figure according to claim 9 and in which the figure head is hollow.

11. Afigure according to claim 10 and in which the head is shaped to represent the head of the person or animal depicted by the figure.

12. A figure according to claim 10 and in which the head depicts a part-sphere or part-ovoid painted or otherwise marked to give the desired representation.

13. A figure according to either of claims 11 and in which a shelf is incorporated into a hat worn by the headed figure.

14. A figure according to any of the preceding claims and in which the back of each figure half has depicted thereon a rear view of the person or animal half depicted on the front.

15. An assembly of two figures, each consisting of two joined-together figure-halves in accordance with any of the preceding claims, so that all four figure-halves abut a common vertical axis and each shelf extends around the resulting assembly.

16. A decorative figure substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

17. A decorative substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

18. A decorative figure substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.

19. A decorative figure substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.