GB2471005A

GB2471005A - Visual effect apparatus and toy including the same

Info

Publication number: GB2471005A
Application number: GB1009448A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Kay; Ross Worthington
Original assignee: Carterbench Product Development Ltd
Current assignee: Carterbench Product Development Ltd
Priority date: 2009-06-08
Filing date: 2010-06-07
Publication date: 2010-12-15
Anticipated expiration: 2030-06-07
Also published as: GB201009448D0; GB2471005B; GB0909821D0

Abstract

Apparatus for generating images to create a visual effect includes a plurality of light sources 10, 12 which are offset with respect to each other and/or at least one aperture 6 in a layer of material 4. Light which passes through the aperture 6 passes to a further spaced layer 2 and each light source creates an image 26, said images in combination being offset and typically at least partially overlapping to create the visual effect. The apparatus may be incorporated into a toy vehicle. The visual effect may be the simulation of a flickering flame.

Description

I

Visual effect apparatus and toy including the same The invention to which this application relates is a visual effect apparatus and particularly, although not necessarily exclusively, a toy incorporating the same.

Although the following description refers almost exclusively to visual effects for toys, it will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention can be used with other devices.

A large variety of toys for children are available today with various visual and audio effects built into them, which usually provide greater entertainment for children than models without such effects. For example, toy vehicles are known which have lights that flash and emit engine noises when the wheels are driven, which provides a greater hold on the child's attention than conventional equivalents.

Typically the visual effects are produced by light emitting diodes (LEDs) positioned in or on the housing. Where the housing is transparent or translucent, the LEDs may be positioned within the housing such that the light shines there through and may produce a coloured effect dependent on the colour of the housing and/or LEDs.

However, such visual effects usually have quite well defined edges, as each LED is positioned so as to light up its own individual section. Therefore it can be difficult to simulate light or visual phenomena which are more variable in nature, such as fire or lightning.

An aim of the present invention is to provide a visual effect which is more realistic for such phenomena.

In one aspect of the invention, there is provided apparatus for creating a visual effect, said apparatus including; a first layer; a second layer spaced from the first layer and including at least one aperture; two or more sources of illumination positioned such that light there from passes through the at least one aperture in the second layer onto the first layer, to be visible there through, thereby generating images to create a visual effect; wherein the respective positions of said sources of illumination are offset.

The offset position of the light sources means that the visual effect images created on the first layer via the aperture are offset.

In one embodiment the illumination from the offset sources pass through a common aperture and then onto the first layer. Thus as the images formed via respective apertures are offset with respect to one another, the visual effect formed there from may be configured to be sharp in some positions and diffuse in others, with a smooth transition between the visual effect images.

In one embodiment one of the light sources is offset from the centre line of the aperture to a grater extent than the other.

Alternatively, the offset distance can be the same for all light sources.

Typically the illuminations of the first layer by the sources of illumination generate respective overlapping images.

Typically the images are visible on the opposite side of the first layer to which the sources of illumination are directed.

Typically the first layer is a light-permeable material. In one embodiment the first layer is translucent or transparent.

Typically the second layer is a light-impermeable material. This provides a mask with an image-shaped hole.

Typically the gap between the first and second layers is in the range 1-3mm.

In one embodiment the layers are parallel. In a further embodiment the layers are non-parallel, and thus the gap is narrower at some positions of the second layer than at others.

The illumination of the first layer is sharpened as the gap narrows, as the edges of the image projected via the one or more apertures in the second layer become more well-defined.

In one embodiment the sources of illumination are light-emitting diodes (LEDs), although it will be appreciated that any light source may be used.

In one embodiment the sources of illumination are different colours.

Typically the sources of illumination may be switched on and off in a predetermined sequence. In one embodiment the sources of illumination are flashed in a rapid alternating sequence.

In one embodiment the sequence of illumination may be synchronised with appropriate audio.

In one embodiment the sources of illumination are pulsed in time with the audio.

In a further embodiment the sequence of illumination comprises a mixture of short breaks, short pulses and long pulses, to provide the appearance of a random effect.

In one embodiment the second layer is provided with apertures to depict the shape of flames when the visual effect is created on the first layer.

In a further embodiment the second layer is provided with apertures so as to depict in the shape of a lightning bolt when the visual effect is created on the second layer.

Typically the arrangement of layers and sources of illumination may be repeated for each separate visual effect area.

Typically the visual effect apparatus is incorporated in a toy. In one embodiment the apparatus is provide in a toy vehicle.

Specific embodiments of the invention are now described wherein:-Figures 1 and b illustrate a schematic sectional view of visual effect apparatus according to the invention.

Figure 2 illustrates a partial view of a toy car incorporating visual effect apparatus.

With reference to Figures Ia and b, there is illustrated a sectional view of part of a toy car having an external first layer 2 of light-permeable material which is masked by an internal second layer 4 of light-impermeable material.

The second layer 4 is provided with an image-shaped aperture 6 and is spaced apart from the first layer by approximately 2mm in this example, as indicated by arrow 8.

Inside the car body there are two sources of illumination in the form of LEDs 10, 12 which project light through the aperture 6 as indicated by respective light paths 14, 16. The LEDs are offset from the aperture, as indicated by respective distances 18, 20, (and could equally be indicated as being offset from a centre point of the aperture) but light emitted from the respective light sources 10,12 pass through the aperture such that the respective images 22, 24 generated on the first layer 2 are offset as is illustrated in Figure Ia.

The images 22, 24 also overlap, as can be more easily seen by the corresponding representations 22', 24' shown in Figure lb which together form the visual effect 26.

Thus, in this example, as the first LED 10 is offset with respect to the aperture by a smaller distance 18 than the offset distance of the second LED 12, the image 22 which is projected from LED source 10 and which passes through the aperture in the masking layer 4 is sharper and more clearly defined than the image 24.

This can be used to create different visual effects, as for examp'e illustrated in Figure 2 which shows the underside of the body of a toy vehicle in which the masking or second layer 4 is provided with flame-shaped apertures 6 and is spaced from the exterior or first layer 2 by a small gap as herein described.

An orange LED source (not shown) and a red LED source (not shown) are positioned inside the toy vehicle body and offset with respect to the apertures 6, with the orange LED being positioned to provide the light effect nearer the base 28 of the flame shaped apertures 6, and the red LED being positioned to provide the light effect nearer the tips 30 such that light from both LEDs passes through the apertures 6 in the second layer mask 4.

The resulting visual effect images created on the first or exterior layer 2 resembles flames created by the two overlapping images with an orange base and smooth transition to reddish tips. This creates a more natural looking visual effect than the discontinuous, disjointed effect which would result from using the conventional approach of separate apertures in the second layer for the different receptor colour sources.

The LEDs can be flashed alternately to produce the visual effect of flickering flames, and can be synchronised with an audio track with, for example, suitable sound effects of crackling fire which are emitted from the toy vehicle to add to the effect.

Another example of a visual effect that may be created by the invention is a lightning effect and in this case the second layer is provided with a lightning-shaped aperture such that the visual effect is that lightning forks out from a point source. In this example, the gap between the first and second layer is varied, such that it is narrower at the position corresponding to the source of the lightning, such that the resulting image at this point is sharper and more clearly defined.

Where the gap between the layers is wider, the image edges may be more diffuse, and this, in combination with the offset LEDs flashing alternately gives the appearance of the lightning as a source burst of light with movement of the light through the forks, fading as it forks further from the source.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention may also include further additional modifications made to the device which does not affect the overall functioning of the device.

Claims

Claims 1. Apparatus for creating a visual effect, said apparatus including; a first layer; a second layer spaced from the first layer and including at least one aperture; two or more sources of illumination positioned such that light there from passes through the at least one aperture in the second layer onto the first layer, to be visible there through, thereby generating images to create a visual effect; wherein the respective positions of said sources of illumination are offset.
2 Apparatus according to claim I wherein the illumination from the sources pass through a common aperture in the second layer and then onto the first layer.
3 Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the images formed via the aperture are offset with respect to one another.
4 Apparatus according to claim I wherein one of the light sources is offset from a centre point of the aperture to a greater extent than the other.
Apparatus according to claim I wherein the offset distance of the light sources from the aperture is the same for all of the light sources.
6 Apparatus according to claim I wherein the images generated on the first layer by the sources of illumination at least partially overlap.
7 Apparatus according to claim I wherein the images are visible on a side of the first layer which opposes that side of the first layer to which the sources of illumination are directed.
8 Apparatus according to claim I wherein the first layer is a light-permeable material.
9 Apparatus according to claim I wherein the first layer is translucent or transparent.
Apparatus according to claim I wherein the second layer is a light-impermeable material.
11. Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the second layer has an aperture through which at least one image is projected.

12 Apparatus according to claim I wherein the spacing between the first and second layers is in the range of 1-3mm.

13 Apparatus according to claim I wherein the first and second layers are arranged to lie in parallel.

14 Apparatus according to claim I wherein the first and second layers are arranged to be non parallel such that the illumination of the first layer is sharpened as the gap narrows, as the edges of the image projected via the one or more apertures in the second layer become more well-defined.

Apparatus according to claim I wherein the sources of illumination are light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

16 Apparatus according to claim I wherein control means are provided to enable the sources of illumination to be switched on and off in a predetermined sequence.

17 Apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the sequence of operation of the sources of illumination is synchronised with an audio soundtrack.

18 Apparatus according to claim I wherein the shape of the apertures on the second layer are selected to depict a particular shape when the visual effect is created on the first layer.

19 Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims wherein the said apparatus is incorporated in a toy.Apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the toy is a toy vehicle.