GB2359802A

GB2359802A - A novelty device

Info

Publication number: GB2359802A
Application number: GB0004771A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mick Goulder
Original assignee: WADDINGTON HOWITT PROMOTIONS
Current assignee: WADDINGTON HOWITT PROMOTIONS
Priority date: 2000-03-01
Filing date: 2000-03-01
Publication date: 2001-09-05
Also published as: GB0004771D0

Description

2359802 A NOVELTY DEVICE This invention relates to a novelty device.

According to the invention there is provided a novelty device comprising a plurality of cuboids hingedly secured to one another in a series, each said cuboid being so secured to two neighbouring said cuboids at respective, hinged corner edges separated from one another by an unconnected corner edge whereby the configuration of the series of cuboids may be altered by lo selectively hinging pairs of the cuboids about a said hinged corner edge common to the said pair, wherein each said cuboid includes a recess, for retention of articles therein, and an aperture for filling and emptying of the recess.

The device of the invention therefore is useable as a storage/dispensing device whose appearance and configuration are variable. The device is particularly useful as a gift, promotional article, puzzle, commemorative souvenir or children's toy.

Preferably each said cuboid includes an openable closure for selectively closing the said recess.

This advantageously suits the device of the invention to storage of articles therein before dispensing of the articles.

Conveniently each cuboid includes four walls secured to one another to define a cuboidal sleeve that is open at opposite ends. This permits ready manufacture of the novelty device from a blank that is a single sheet. It also allows use of an optional closure, including four further walls secured to one another to define a further cuboid that is open on at least one end, 1 the dimensions of the further cuboid in at least one plane permitting sliding of the further cuboid into and out of the first cuboidal sleeve. The closure is simple and cheap to manufacture, eg. from a rectangular blank.

In preferred embodiments the further cuboid is insertable into the cuboidal sleeve such that walls of the further cuboid close the open ends of the cuboidal sleeve. This advantageously allows the further cuboid to function in a manner similar to a desk drawer to open and close the cuboidal sleeve.

Alternatively, the further cuboid is insertable into the cuboidal sleeve such that an open end of the further cuboid coincides with an open end of the cuboidal sleeve.

Regardless of the orientation of the further cuboid, it may optionally be open at opposite ends.

A particularly preferred embodiment of the invention includes eight of the cuboids. This arrangement may be moved between a first configuration, in which the eight cuboids lie in adjacent rows of four cuboids; a second configuration, similar to the first, in which different faces of the cuboids abut one another, and two different cubic arrangements of the cuboids. Thus the arrangement may easily be manufactured as a hand held item.

In preferred embodiments the cuboids are cubes.

Conveniently one or more exterior faces of the cuboids and, optionally, of the further cuboids, are marked with indicia, eg. by means of printing.

The invention is also considered to reside in a device as defined herein, 2 including a discrete article, such as a promotional item, toy, gift or item of confectionery, in at least one of the recesses.

Claims

Further, the invention resides in a blank, as defined herein, for forming

a device as defined herein. The blank may be printed or otherwise marked with indicia, as desired. Claims 15 to 23 define features of the blank.

There now follows a description of preferred embodiments of the invention, by way of non-limiting example, with reference being made to io the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view from one side of a device according to the invention, in a first configuration; Figure 2 shows the Figure 1 arrangement partially converted to a 15 second configuration; Figure 3 shows the device following conversion to a third configuration and partially converted to a fourth configuration; Figure 4 shows the Figure 3 arrangement almost completely converted to the fourth configuration; Figure 5 shows the Figure 3 arrangement modified by partial withdrawal of some removable sleeves; Figure 6 shows the Figure 5 arrangement, viewed from an opposite side and showing complete removal of the removable sleeves partly removed in Figure 5; Figure 7 shows some of the removable sleeves when detached from the device; and Figures 8 and 9 show blanks for forming the device of the invention.

Referring to the drawings there is shown a novelty device 10 according to 3 the invention.

Device 10 includes a plurality of cuboids 11 a- 11 h hingedly secured to one another in a series. In Figure 1 the series appears as two parallel, abutting rows 12a, 12b of four cuboids. More or fewer cuboids 11 are possible in other embodiments of the invention.

In the embodiment shown the cuboids substantially are cubes, but eg. rectangular and rhomboidal prisms could be used instead.

Each cuboid 11 is secured to two neighbouring cuboids at, and more particularly along, respective hinged corner edges that are separated from one another by an unconnected corner edge.

Thus in the Figure 1 embodiment, for example, cuboid lle, at the left hand end of row 12b of cuboids 11, is secured to cuboid 11 a in row 12a by means of hinged corner edge 13a that in Figure 1 extends part way along the upper surface of device 10 visible in the figure.

Cuboid 11 e is also secured to cuboid 1 If, located to its right in row 12b, by hinged corner edge 13b, that extends perpendicular to hinged corner edge 13a and is spaced from edge 13 around the periphery of cuboid 11 e, by an unconnected corner edge 14a visible in Figure 1.

The other cuboids 11 are connected to one another in a similar manner.

Thus cuboid lla is hingedly connected to cuboid lle along edge 13a as described; and it is connected to adjacent cuboid 1 lb in row 12a by a hinged corner edge 13c extending parallel to edge 13b. One end of edge 13c is visible in Figure 1. Edges 13a and 13c are spaced from one another around the periphery of cuboid lla, by second unconnected edge 4 14b.

Cuboid llb is connected to adjacent cuboid llc by hinged corner edge 13d that in Figure 1 is parallel to eg. unconnected edges 14a, 14b on the obverse face of the device not visible in the figures, and that is visible on a side edge of the device 10 in Figure 4 following reconfiguring of device 10 as described below.

Cuboid 11 f is connected, in a similar manner, to cuboid 11 g, by hinged corner edge 13e that is in the Figure 1 configuration of the device on its obverse face, extending parallel to hinged corner edge 13d. In Figure 3 edge 13e appears uppermost since in Figure 3 the device 10 is inverted compared with the Figure 4 view.

Cuboids llc, lld, llg and 11h are hingedly connected to one another, along hinged corner edges, in an arrangement that is a mirror image of the connections of cuboids 11 a, 11 b, 11 e and 11 f. Thus each hinged corner edge in the vicinity of cuboids llc, lld, llg and 11h is spaced from the next adjacent hinged corner edge by an unconnected corner edge similar to edges 14a and 14b.

The arrangement of hinged interconnections between the cuboids 11 is such as to permit re-configuration of the device 10 in a number of ways.

For example, continued rotation of the two halves of the device abut hinged corner edges 13d and 13e, in the direction of arrows A in Figure 2, results in the device constituting a cube in which the rear faces (as viewed in Figures 1 and 2) of cuboids 11, a 11 b, 11 e and 11 f abut the rear faces of cuboids 11 c, 11 d, 11 g and 11 h respectively.

From that position cuboids 11 b and 11 c may together be rotated outwardly from one corner of the cube, about hinged corner edges connecting cuboids llb and 11c respectively to cuboids lla and 11d. Cuboids llf and 11 g may similarly be hinged outwardly from device 10, about hinged corner edges connecting cuboids llf and llg to cuboids lle and 11h respectively.

Following these operations the device 10 is in an intermediate form, of two interconnected rows of four interconnected cuboids, but the order and io orientations of the cuboids differ from those shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows another configuration attainable by the device 10 of Figure 1. The Figure 3 arrangement arises following folding of the Figure 1 rows in the direction of arrows B, so that the visible face of cuboid lla in Figure 1 abuts the visible face of cuboid lle; and the cuboid pairs 11b/11f., 11c/11g and 1.1d/11h abut one another similarly. The device 10 then resembles the Figure 1 configuration, except that the orientations of the cuboids are changed. From the resulting, intermediate configuration, unfolding of the end pairs of cuboids results in the Figure 3 arrangement.

Further unfolding of the end pairs represented by cuboids 11 e and 1 1h, in the directions of arrows C, results in a further cube form of device 10. Figure 4 shows the device 10 just before it attains such a configuration, with only a small amount more hinging in the direction of arrows C needed completely to form the cube.

The positioning of the hinged interconnections between the cuboids 11 means that the cuboids fold outwardly from the device either in pairs (when the device 10 is in cube form, in which case two pairs are 6 moveable); or in rows of four cuboids (when the device 10 is constituted as a pair of rows).

There is a limited number of possible arrangements of the device 10 in which the cuboids abut their neighbours to the maximum extent possible. The changes in orientation of the cuboids that occur when the device changes from one such arrangement to another means that the appearance of the device 10 changes when the exterior surfaces of the cuboids are marked, eg. printed, with indicia, such as a series of images or parts of io one or more images that cover a greater surface area than the area of one face of a cuboid 11.

Each of the cuboids 11 includes a hollow interior recess 16. Each recess 16 is defined by the laminar walls of each cuboid 11, as best shown by is illustrative cuboids 11 x and 11 y in Figure 6.

In practice each cuboid 11 is defined by four laminar walls 17a-17d secured together along edges to define a square section sleeve. Thus each recess 16 terminates at either end 17d, 17e in an aperture 17e, 17f. Either aperture is suitable for filling and emptying of its associated recess 16.

A further cuboid in the form of square section sleeve 18, of cross sectional dimensions only slightly smaller than the corresponding dimensions of each recess 16, is removably slidably insertable into each recess 16. Each sleeve 18 is open on at least one, and preferably two, opposite ends.

Each sleeve 18 is formed from four square, laminar walls 18a-18d secured in an endless manner along edges of the laminae. Each sleeve 18 is insertable into a recess 16 in the manner of a drawer whereby, when the 7 sleeve 18 is pushed home into its recess 16, two walls of the sleeve 18 act as openable closures for the apertures 17e, 17f.

When a sleeve 18 is partially removed from its associated recess 16, as shown in Figure 5, one aperture 17 is opened, whereby articles may be inserted into or removed from the thus accessible recess 16. Following insertion or removal of articles, each partially removed sleeve 18 may be pushed home in its recess 16 to reconstitute the outer surface cuboid 11 from which it was removed.

Any of the sleeves 18 may, before insertion into a said recess, if desired be rotated through 90' compared with the orientations shown in Figure 5, whereby the open ends of the sleeves generally coincide with the apertures 17e, 17f of the cuboids.

As an alternative action one or more of the sleeves 18 may (when removed from device 10) be rotated to present a fresh face, that was previously concealed within an associated cuboid 11. Thus the invention provides the possibility of displaying combinations of up to 32 sleeve faces, thereby enhancing the value of the device 10 as a promotional article, gift or puzzle. In particular the use of the sleeves 18 allows the device 10, when configured as two parallel rows of cuboids, to display a complete image (for example a scene or a face, etc.) or piece of text (eg. a set of instructions) on the rows on each side; and also allows reconfiguration, through rotation of the sleeves 18 as aforesaid, to display two further, complete images or pieces of text that were previously obscured.

The cuboids 11 and the sleeves 18 may be made from panels of any 30 laminar material, including but not limited to card, board, plastics 8 material, laminates, wood and metals.

The hinges interconnecting corner edges of the device 10 are in the embodiment shown living hinges formed from a flexible, laminar material such as card, paper, plastics or a laminate. Other materials are possible, as are other hinge designs such as butt hinges. In the embodiment shown each hinge extends along the whole length of a said corner edge, but this need not necessarily be so.

lo The joints between connected walls of the cuboids 11 and sleeves 18 may be rigid if desired but this need not necessarily be so. This is because the sleeves 18 brace the cuboids and vice versa when the sleeves are at least partially inserted into the recesses 16.

As a result of the use of the sleeves 18 for closing of the apertures 17e, 17f in the cuboids 11, the method of opening of the apertures 17e, 17f is not immediately apparent on first viewing of the device 10. Therefore a recipient of the device 10 as a gift or promotional article having articles in the recesses 16 of the cuboids 11 may be aware of the presence of the articles without knowing straight away how to access them. This enhances the gift or promotional value of the device 10.

The gift or promotional value may be further enhanced by omitting to place articles into all the recesses 16 before delivery of the article 10, thereby requiring the recipient of the device 10 by re-configuring the device as disclosed herein to expose the openable apertures 17e, 17f of the correct recesses 16 before retrieving the articles therefrom.

Referring now to Figure 8 there is shown one form of a blank 20 for forming a series of cuboids as shown in Figures 1 to 6.

9 Blank 20 is a rectangular sheet 21 of cuttable, foldable material such as card or a plastics material. Sheet 21 has defined thereon, by an array of cuts and fold lines, four rows 22a-22d of ten quadrilaterals in the form of 5 squares 22al-22dio.

In each row 22a-22d the three squares 22al, 22a2 and 22a3 are separable from the correspondingly numbered squares 22bl-22b3 in the next adjoining row 22b. Similarly squares 22as and 22a6 are separable from lo squares 22b5 and 22b6; and squares 22a8-22alo are separable from squares 22b8-22bio.

Squares 22di-22d3, 22c15 and 22d6 and 22d8-22dio are respectively separable from adjacent squares 22cl-22c3, 22c5, 22C6and 22c8-22cio.

is Squares 22bl, 22b2, 22b4-22b7, 22bg and 22blo are respectively separable from adjoining squares 22cl, 22C2,22C4-22C7, 22c9 and 22cio.

Separability of the squares is achieved through the formation of perforated lines in the material of sheet 21. In Figure 8 the perforated lines are indicated by dotted lines that, as shown, coincide with common sides of squares that are separable from one another.

Squares that are not separable from one another (eg. squares 22ai and 2s 22a2) are joined along fold lines indicated by solid lines in Figure 8. The fold lines are defined by scores that permanently hinge the thus joined squares to one another.

During forming of blank 20 into the series of interconnected cuboids the column of squares 22al-22di is folded about "P' fold" adjacent thereto in Figure 8 to overlie columns 22a2-22d2.

Colurim 22alo-22dio is similarly folded about "P' fold" adjacent thereto so that the squares of column 22alo-22dio overlie the squares of column 22ag22dg.

In practice the two folding operations take place simultaneously.

The blank 20 then receives two parallel lines of glue, each designated by io "Glue line" in Figure 8, extending respectively along column 22a5-22d5 and 22a6-22d6.

The blank 20 is then folded along each "2 d fold" line so that the underside of each square 22ai-22di as viewed adheres to the glue on the is corresponding square 22as-22ch; and so that the underside of each square 22alo-22dio as viewed adheres to the glue on the corresponding square 22a6-22d6.

Following curing of the glue the thus perforated and folded blank may be 2o distributed to a user in a substantially flat condition, with the various squares joined along the scores and along the perforated lines. To form the series of hingedly connected cuboids the user need only separate the flattened cuboids from one another along the perforated lines; and fold the cuboids to an erect configuration.

Figure 9 shows one form of blank 25 for forming a plurality of the further cuboids 18.

As in the case of blank 20, blank 25 includes a rectangular sheet 26, 30 preferably of similar materials to sheet 21, having defined thereon four 11 rows 27a-27d of squares 27al-27dio.

The lines separating the columns 27ai-27di, 27a2-27d2, etc. of the squares are with one exception scores similar to those of blank 20 that permit s folding of the sheet 26. Thus the sheet 26 may be folded and glued in the same way as sheet 21 until the undersides as viewed of squares 27al-27di are respectively secured to squares 27a5-27ds; and the undersides of squares 27aio-27dio are respectively secured to squares 27a6-27d6.

io Blank 25 may be distributed to a user in this flattened form.

Blank 25 differs from blank 21 in that the four rows of squares 27a-27d are separable from one another, preferably by means of perforated lines (that are shown dotted in Figure 9) along the whole length of each row.

Also the line that is common to columns 27a5-27c15 and 27a6-27d6 is a perforated line permitting further subdivision of the blank 25.

The user of blank 25 in its flattened, folded and glued form may therefore 20 separate the sheet 26 into eight discrete, hollow, open ended cuboids that may be erected from the flattened form. The resulting cuboids are slightly smaller than the sleeves formed in the series of interconnected cuboids, thereby permitting insertion of the discrete cuboids into the sleeves.

In preferred embodiments of the invention the blanks 20, 25 are printed with the indicia mentioned herein, before being folded and glued.

The blanks represent preferred ways of forming the cuboids of the 30 invention. Other methods of fabrication are also possible, and may be 12 appropriate for example if materials other than card are used for forming the device of the invention.

Also, of course, fastening means other than glue may if desired be 5 employed for fixing the parts of the invention to one another.

13 CLAIMS 1. A novelty device comprising a plurality of cuboids hingedly secured to one another in a series, each said cuboid being so secured to two neighbouring said cuboids at respective, hinged corner edges separated from one another by an unconnected corner edge whereby the configuration of the series of cuboids may be altered by selectively hinging pairs of the cuboids about a said hinged corner edge common to the said pair, wherein each said cuboid includes a recess, for retention of io articles therein, and an aperture for filling and emptying of the recess.
2. A device according to Claim 1 wherein each said cuboid includes an openable closure for selectively closing the said recess.
3. A device according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein each cuboid includes four walls secured to one another to define a cuboidal sleeve that is open at opposite ends.
4. A device according to Claim 3 when dependent from Claim 2 wherein the closure includes four further walls secured to one another to define a further cuboid that is open on at least one end, the dimensions of the further cuboidal sleeve in at least one plane permitting sliding of the further cuboid into and out of the first cuboidal sleeve.
5. A device according to Claim 4 wherein the further cuboid is insertable into the cuboidal sleeve such that walls of the further cuboid close the open ends of the cuboidal sleeve.
6. A device according to Claim 4 wherein the further cuboid is insertable into the cuboidal sleeve such that an open end of the further 14 cuboid coincides with an open end of the cuboidal sleeve.
7. A device according to Claim 4 or any claim dependent therefrom, wherein the further cuboid is open at opposite ends.
8. A device according to any preceding claim including eight said cuboids.
9. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the cuboids io define cubes.
10. A device according to any preceding claim including a discrete article in at least one of the recesses.
11. A device according to any preceding claim wherein one or more exterior faces of the cuboids are marked with indicia.
12. A device according to Claim 4 or any claim dependent therefrom, wherein one or more exterior walls of the further cuboid are marked with 20 indicia.
13. A device according to Claim 4 or any claim dependent therefrom, wherein at least one face of the further cuboid is marked with indicia.
14. A device according to Claim 13 wherein a plurality of the faces of the further cuboid are marked with indicia and the further cuboid is receivable in an associated cuboidal sleeve in at least two orientations whereby to permit selective displaying of respective indicia on the said faces.
15. A blank for forming a plurality of cuboids hingedly secured to one another in a series, each cuboid including a recess, the blank comprising a sheet defining first and second side by side, joined rows of ten quadrilaterals, the first three, the fifth, sixth and last three pairs of quadrilaterals counted from one end of the sheet being separable from one another; and the fourth and seventh pairs of quadrilaterals being permanently hinged together to define the hinging of the series of cuboids on forming of the sheet into the series.

io
16. A blank according to Claim 15 including third and fourth side by side, joined rows of ten quadrilaterals, the quadrilaterals of the said third and fourth rows being separable from and hinged to one another in the same pattern as the quadrilaterals of the first and second rows; the first, second, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, ninth and tenth quadrilaterals of the third said row being separable from the correspondingly counted quadrilaterals of the said second row; and the third and eighth quadrilaterals of the second and third said rows being hingedly secured together.
17. A blank according to Claim 15 or Claim 16 wherein each pair of separable quadrilaterals are joined along perforated lines, formed in the sheet, defining a common side edge of the said pair.
18. A blank according to any of Claims 15 to 17 wherein the first quadrilateral counted from each end of the rows is folded to lie covering the second said quadrilateral; and the third said quadrilateral is doubled to lie covering the fourth, whereby the first said quadrilateral also lies covering and is secured to the fifth said quadrilateral, to define the series of cuboids, in a substantially flattened form.

16 1
19. A blank for forming a plurality of discrete cuboids, the blank comprising a sheet defining first and second, side by side, separable, joined rows of five quadrilaterals.
20. A blank according to Claim 19 including four said separable, joined rows, each said row including defined therein two series of five adjacent quadrilaterals, the two said series being separable from one another.

io
21. A blank according to Claim 19 or Claim 20 wherein the first said quadrilateral counted from an end of each said row is folded to lie secured to the fifth said quadrilateral to define in flattened form an array of said cuboids.
22. A blank according to any of Claims 19 to 21 wherein each pair of separable quadrilaterals are joined along perforated lines, formed in the sheet, defining a common side edge of the said pair.
23. A blank, according to any of Claims 15 to 18 or 19 to 22, at least 20 one panel of which is marked with indicia.
24. A device generally as herein described, with reference to andlor as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
25. A blank generally as herein described, with reference to andlor as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.