GB2302306A

GB2302306A - Book housing items for use therewith

Info

Publication number: GB2302306A
Application number: GB9512628A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kempen Hugo Adriaan Van
Original assignee: KEMPEN HUGO ADRIAAN VAN
Current assignee: KEMPEN HUGO ADRIAAN VAN
Priority date: 1995-06-21
Filing date: 1995-06-21
Publication date: 1997-01-15
Also published as: GB9512628D0

Abstract

A book for playing games, doing crosswords or walking, includes playing pieces, pen, pencil or compass received within an apertured foamed sheet or block. Alternatively the playing pieces may be of foam. The book cover may be apertured to receive tans 16 (Fig 1) made of foam or a ship-shaped foamed insert (22,Fig 7) apertured to receive playing discs (26). The book may have attached to the inside of the cover a foam sheet apertured to receive a pen (44,Fig 17), or apertured to receive playing pieces (32,Fig 10) of a board game integral with the book. The book may include a foam block (28,Fig 14) apertured to receive a compass (34) and pencil (36). The book may include a container for slidably receiving a foam block 70 (Fig 25), adhered to a backing card, apertured to receive playing pieces 78. Alternatively, the book cover may include foamed blocks apertured or slotted to receive objects (58, Fig 20).

Description

A BOOK This invention relates to a book and, more especially, this invention relates to a book with a foam material display arrangement.

Books generally comprise a cover and pages. It is not usual to provide the books with any form of other object. It is however known to provide books in the form of magazines with an object in the form of a free gift which is usually stuck to the front face of the cover of the book. It is also known to provide a book of board games in which playing pieces for the board games are contained in a separate pouch secured to a part of the cover of the book.

The present invention is based upon the realisation that if a book can be provided with a wide variety of objects mounted in a safe, simple and attractive manner, then the book can become a storage vehicle for the object, and the object can be sold like a book, thereby creating a new marketing concept for the sale of objects whilst at the same time giving books an interesting additional aspect.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a book comprising a cover, pages, and a display arrangement, the display arrangement being such that it relates to whatever the book is about, the display arrangement being such that it has at least one piece of foam material, the display arrangement being such that at least a part of the display arrangement is able to be removed and replaced, and the display arrangement being such that the part or parts that are able to be removed and replaced have another use in addition to forming the display arrangement or part of the display arrangement.

The book of the present invention may be such that it contains any suitable and appropriate type of display arrangement providing that the display arrangement relates to whatever the book is about. Thus, for example, if the book is about board games, then the display arrangement may be such that it has removable parts which form playing pieces for the board game. The display arrangement may also be such that one of the removable parts constitutes the playing board for the board game. If the book is about Chinese puzzles called tangrams, then the display arrangement may be such that it has removable parts called tans which can be placed together to form various shapes. If the book is about walking, then the display arrangement may be such that it has a removable part in the form of a compass.If the book is about crosswords, then the display arrangement may have a removable part in the form of a pen or pencil for use in completing the crosswords.

As will be explained in more detail hereinbelow, the foam material may itself form the part or parts that are able to be removed and replaced and that have another use in addition to forming the display arrangement or part of the display arrangement.

Alternatively, the foam material may form a storage and/or packing medium for the part or parts of the display arrangement that are able to be removed and replaced and that have another use in addition to forming part of the display arrangement.

In a first embodiment of the invention, the book is one in which the display arrangement is such that it consists only of the said at least one piece of foam material, in which the said at least one piece of foam material is retained by the resilience of the foam material in at least one hole in the cover or in at least one of the pages, and in which the said at least one piece of foam material has the other use.

A first form of book in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention, may be one in which there are a plurality of the pieces of foam material, and in which each piece of foam material is retained in a separate one of the holes.

A second form of book in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention may be one in which there are a plurality of the pieces of foam material, and in which the pieces of foam material are retained together all in a single one of the holes.

In the above mentioned first and second types of books in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention, the pieces of foam material preferably fit together to make a puzzle. The puzzle is preferably a Chinese puzzle known as a tangram. The tangram is preferably such that there are seven of the pieces of foam material. More or less than seven of the pieces of foam material may however be employed.

In a third type of book in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention, the book is one in which the display arrangement consists of at least first and second pieces of foam material, with the first piece of the foam material being retained by the resilience of the foam material in a hole in the cover or in one of the pages, and with the second piece of the foam material being retained by the resilience of the foam material in a hole in the first piece of foam material.

In a second embodiment of the present invention, the book is one in which the display arrangement is such that it comprises the said at least one piece of foam material, and at least one object which forms the removable and replaceable part of the display arrangement and which is formed of a rigid material or materials, and the said at least one piece of foam material having at least one hole which retains the said at least one object due to the resilience of the foam material. As indicated above, for a book on walking, the object may be a compass and/or a pencil. For a book on crosswords, the object may be a pen or pencil and/or a rubber.

In a first type of book in accordance with the second embodiment of the invention, the book may be one in which the said at least one piece of foam material is retained in at least one hole in the cover or in at least one of the pages.

In a second type of book in accordance with the second embodiment of the invention, the book may be one in which the said at least one piece of foam material is retained on the inside of the cover or on at least one of the pages. In this case, the said at least one piece of foam material may be retained in position by retaining means which is preferably an adhesive.

In the second embodiment of the invention, the said at least one piece of foam material may have at least one slit for enabling the said at least one object to be removed from its said at least one hole in the piece of foam material and stood up in the said at least one slit. Thus the object may initially be stored in a hole in the horizontal position and it may then be stood up in the slit in a vertical position.

In a third type of book in accordance with the second embodiment of the invention, the book may be one in which the said at least one piece of foam material is formed as a pull-out drawer portion of the book.

Preferably, the book has a drawer enclosure formed as part of the cover of the book.

In all of the above mentioned second embodiments of the invention, the said at least one object may be made of a rigid plastics material, a metal, wood, or a combination of the materials.

In all embodiments of the present invention, the foam material is preferably a plastics foam material.

The plastics foam material is preferably a closed cell plastics foam material, but it may be an open cell plastics foam material if desired. Other types of foam material may be employed so that, for example, the foam material may be a rubber foam material or a natural sponge material.

The foam material is preferably die cut but it may be cut or otherwise formed to shape in any suitable and appropriate manner.

The book of the present invention may be constructed like all known books except for the provision of the display arrangement so that, for example, the book may have a hard cover, a soft cover, a rigid spine, or a ring spine.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a first book in a closed position; Figure 2 shows the book of Figure 1 in an open position; Figure 3 is a partially cut away view of the book of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a cross section through the book shown in Figure 1; Figure 5 shows the book of Figure 1 open and illustrates how a tangram may be formed; Figure 6 shows a second book of the invention in a closed condition; Figure 7 shows the book of Figure 6 in an open exploded condition; Figure 8 is a cross section through the book shown in Figure 6; Figure 9 shows a third book of the invention in a closed condition; Figure 10 shows the book of Figure 9 in an open partially exploded condition; Figure 11 is a cross section through the book shown in Figure 9;; Figure 12 shows the book of Figure 9 in an open condition and illustrates how the book may be used; Figure 13 shows a fourth book of the invention in a closed position; Figure 14 shows the book of Figure 13 in an open condition; Figure 15 shows the book of Figure 13 in an open partially exploded condition; Figure 16 shows a fifth book of the present invention; Figure 17 shows the book of Figure 16 in an open partially exploded position; Figure 18 is a cross section through the book as shown in Figure 16, Figure 19 shows a sixth book of the present invention in a closed condition; Figure 20 shows the book of Figure 19 in an open condition; Figures 21 and 22 illustrate how the book of Figure 19 may be used; Figure 23 shows a seventh book of the invention in a closed condition; Figure 24 shows the book of Figure 23 in an open condition; and Figure 25 illustrates how a display arrangement in the book shown in Figure 23 may be accessed.

Referring to Figures 1 to 5, there is shown a first book 2 comprising a cover 4, pages 6 and a display arrangement 8. The cover 4 has a front cover portion 10, a rear cover portion 12 and a spine 14. The cover 4 is a hard cover as can be seen.

The display arrangement 8 comprises seven tans 16 for use in forming tangrams, one of which is shown as a christmas tree tangram 18 in Figure 5. It will be seen from Figure 5 that the tangram 18 relates to the pictorial story shown on the left hand page 6 in Figure 5. Thus the book 2 can be used to produce different tangrams with each tangram illustrating the pictorial and/or written story on one or more pages 6 of the book 2.

As can be seen from Figure 2, the front cover portion 10 is provided with seven holes in the form of apertures 20 which are in the shape of the tans 16.

Thus the tans 16 are located in the apertures 20 in the front cover portion 10. The tans 16 are made of a plastics foam material and the resilience of this plastics foam material enables the tans 16 to be retained in the apertures 20. As can be seen from Figure 4, the front and rear cover portions 10, 12 are made from board so that the apertures 20 in the front cover portion 10 are sufficiently deep to help to retain the tans 16 in position.

The tans 16 form the display arrangement 8 as stated above. The book 2 is about tangrams so that the tans 16 relate to what the book is about. The tans 16 are able to be removed and replaced in the front cover portion 10 simply by pushing them out of their apertures 20 and into their apertures 20. The tans 16 have another use in addition to forming the display arrangement as shown in Figure 1 and this other use is to form different tangrams such as the tangram 18 shown in Figure 5.

Because the display arrangement 8 is visible on the front cover portion 10 in the closed condition of the book 2, the book 2 becomes a useful vehicle for storing the tans 16. Furthermore, the book 2 looks more interesting than would do if the tans 16 were not displayed on the front cover portion 10 and were just contained in a separate container such as a bag not even attached to the book 2.

In Figures 6 - 25, similar parts as in Figures 1 5 have been given the same reference numerals for ease of comparison and understanding.

In Figures 6 - 8, the cover 4 is again a hard backed cover. The front cover portion 10 has a single aperture 20 which is in the form of a ship. This aperture 20 contains a piece of plastics foam material 22 which is itself in the shape of a ship and which corresponds to the shape of the aperture 20. The piece of plastics foam material 22 is retained in the aperture 20 by virtue of the resilience of the plastics foam material.

The piece of plastics foam material 22 is itself provided with sixteen playing pieces in the form of discs 26. The piece of plastics foam material 22 forms a playing board for board game apparatus. The discs 26 are made of a rigid plastics material so that the piece of plastics foam material 22 thus serves as a storage device for the discs 26. The front cover portion 10 itself serves as a storage device for the piece of plastics foam material 22. Although the discs 26 shown in Figures 6 - 8 are made of a rigid plastics material, they could be made of other rigid materials or foam material if desired.

The book 2 shown in Figures 6 - 8 contains one or more stories about a ship and the discs 26 can be positioned where appropriate in the apertures 24 in accordance with instructions given in or with the book 2, thereby providing the book with a facility for playing a game. The piece of plastics foam material 22 and the discs 26 form an interesting display arrangement 8.

Referring now to Figures 9 - 11, it will be seen that the book 2 is such that it has a ring spine 14.

The front and rear cover portions 10, 12 are still made of a rigid board material.

The book 2 shown in Figures 9 - 11 is such that the inner surface of the front cover portion 10 has a piece of plastics foam material 28 stuck to it. The piece of plastics foam material 28 is provided with apertures 30 for receiving similarly shaped objects 32. The book 2 is a book on different types of games and the objects 32 are different playing pieces as shown for use in playing different types of games. Figure 12 shows how one game may be played, the rules for the game being on the left hand page 6 shown in Figure 12 and the playing board being on the right hand page 6 as shown in Figure 12.

As can be seen most clearly in Figure 12, one of the objects 32 is an egg timer and this relatively fragile object can be safely and securely packed in its aperture 30 in the piece of plastics foam material 28.

As can best be seen from Figure 10, the piece of plastics foam material 28 and the objects 32 form an interesting display arrangement 8.

Figures 13 - 15 show a book 2 with a display arrangement 8 formed by a piece of plastics foam material 28, a compass 34 and a pencil 36. The piece of plastics foam material 28 is stuck to the inside of the rear cover portion 12 as shown. The compass 34 locates in an aperture 38 in the piece of plastics foam material 28. The pencil 36 locates in an aperture 40 in the piece of plastics foam material 28. The compass 34 is viewable through a hole 42 in the front cover portion 10. As can be seen from Figures 14 and 15, the pages 6 are in the lower part of the book 2. The book 2 is about walks or travel so that the display arrangement 8 relates to what the book is about.

Referring now to Figures 16 - 18, the book 2 is a book on crosswords and thus the display arrangement 8 is a pen 44 which is related to and required for the completion of the crossword. The pen 44 is located in a hole 48 in a sheet of plastics foam material 28 stuck to the inside of the front cover portion 10 of the book 2.

The pen 44 is visible through a hole 50 in the front cover portion 10.

Figures 19 - 22 show how a book 2 may be provided with a first piece of plastics foam material 52 on the inside of the front cover portion 10, and a second piece of plastics foam material 54 on the inside of the rear cover portion 12. The piece of plastics foam material 52 forms a storage medium having holes 56 for horizontally storing objects 58. These objects 58 can be moved from their holes 56 and stood up in a vertical position in holes in the form of slits 60 which are in the piece of plastics foam material 54 and which may also be in the piece of plastics foam material 52. As shown, the pages 6 are only in the lower part of the book 2. The objects 58 may have mounting members 62 for easily fitting in the slits 60.

In Figures 19 - 22, the piece of plastics foam material 52 and the objects 58 form the display 8 and this display 8 is viewable through a hole 64 in the front cover portion 10 of the book 2. In order for the objects 58 to be visible through the hole 64, it will be appreciated that the holes 58 have to go completely through the piece of plastics foam material 52. The objects 58 relate to whatever the book 2 is about.

Referring now to Figures 23 - 25, there is shown a book on board games. Figure 24 shows how a left hand page 6 can be provided with rules for playing a game, and a right hand page 6 can be provided with the playing board for playing a board game.

In Figures 23 - 25, the book 2 has a display 8 which is in the form of a pull-out drawer 66. The pull-out drawer 66 is housed in a drawer housing 68, the rear part of which forms the rear cover portion 12. The display arrangement 8 has a piece of plastics foam material 7 stuck to a backing card 72 and provided with holes 74, 76 for receiving playing pieces 78. Because the pull-out drawer 66 is enclosed in the drawer housing 68, the playing pieces 78 can be loosely mounted in their holes 74, 76 instead of being a friction fit as shown in Figures 1 - 22.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the book may be a soft backed book and other objects.than those shown may be provided in the book 2 in display arrangements other than those shown.

Claims

1. A book comprising a cover, pages, and a display arrangement, the display arrangement being such that it relates to whatever the book is about, the display arrangement being such that it has at least one piece of foam material, the display arrangement being such that at least a part of the display arrangement is able to be removed and replaced, and the display arrangement being such that the part or parts that are able to be removed and replaced have another use in addition to forming the display arrangement or part of the display arrangement.

2. A book according to claim 1 in which the display arrangement is such that it consists only of the said at least one piece of foam material, in which the said at least one piece of foam material is retained by the resilience of the foam material in at least one hole in the cover or in at least one of the pages, and in which the said at least one piece of foam material has the other use.

3. A book according to claim 2 in which there are a plurality of the pieces of foam material, and in which each piece of foam material is retained in a separate one of the holes.

4. A book according to claim 2 in which there are a plurality of the pieces of foam material, and in which the pieces of foam material are retained together all in a single one of the holes.

5. A book according to claims 3 and 4 in which the pieces of foam material fit together to make a puzzle.

6. A book according to claim 5 in which the puzzle is a Chinese puzzle known as a tangram.

7. A book according to claim 6 in which there are seven of the pieces of foam material.

8. A book according to claim 2 in which the display arrangement consists of at least first and second pieces of the foam material, with the first piece of the foam material being retained by the resilience of the foam material in a hole in the cover or in one of the pages, and with the second piece of the foam material being retained by the resilience of the foam material in a hole in the first piece of foam material.

9. A book according to claim 1 in which the display arrangement is such that it comprises the said at least one piece of foam material, and at least one object which forms the removable and replaceable part of the display arrangement and which is formed of a rigid material or materials, and the said at least one piece of foam material having at least one hole which retains the said at least one object due to the resilience of the foam material.

10. A book according to claim 9 in which the said at least one piece of foam material is retained in at least one hole in the cover or in at least one of the pages.

11. A book according to claim 9 in which the said at least one piece of foam material is retained on the inside of the cover or on at least one of the pages.

12. A book according to claim 11 in which the said at least one piece of foam material is retained in position by retaining means.

13. A book according to claim 12 in which the retaining means is an adhesive.

14. A book according to any one of claims 9 to 13 in which the said at least one piece of foam material has at least one slit for enabling the said at least one object to be removed from its said at least one hole in the piece of foam material and stood up in the said at least one slit.

15. A book according to claim 9 in which the said at least one piece of foam material is formed as a pull-out drawer portion of the book.

16. A book according to claim 15 and which has a drawer enclosure formed as part of the cover of the book.

17. A book according to any one of claims 9 to 16 in which the said at least one object is made of a rigid plastics material, a metal, wood, or a combination of these materials.

18. A book according to any one of the preceding claims in which the foam material is a plastics foam material.

19. A book according to claim 18 in which the plastics foam material is a closed cell plastics foam material.

20. A book according to claim 18 in which the plastics foam material is an open cell plastics foam material.

21. A book substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.