WO1998023991A1

WO1998023991A1 - A 3-d viewer for observing the 3-d effect of color images printed on transparent or translucent cards

Info

Publication number: WO1998023991A1
Application number: PCT/US1997/021974
Authority: WO
Inventors: Guillermo M. Vilar
Original assignee: Serigraph, Inc.
Priority date: 1996-11-25
Filing date: 1997-11-24
Publication date: 1998-06-04

Abstract

A 3-D viewer (10) is created by folding a laminated plastic or cardboard along folding lines in a predetermined manner. A first wall (12) of the 3-D viewer carries a pair of 3-D magnifying lenses. A second wall (16) carries a 3-D viewing card (26) depicting a 3-D scene, which is held generally parallel to the first wall when the 3-D viewer is folded for operation. A viewer floor (14) span between the first and second walls and has a longitudinal length that is substantially equal to the focal length of the lenses. A cover and side walls can be added to provide dark room effect of viewing the scene within a dark environment. The 3-D card has an image for the right eye and for the left eye depicting a scene. The right eye magnifying lens is movable with respect to the left eye magnifying lens so that the distance between the lenses can be customized.

Description

A 3-D VIEWER FOR OBSERVING THE 3-D EFFECT OF COLOR IMAGES PRINTED ON TRANSPARENT OR TRANSLUCENT CARDS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to devices for viewing images in 3-D. More specifically, the invention relates to a 3-D viewer made from a folded integral sheet for observing the 3-D effect of color images printed on cards.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A variety of 3-D viewers are available for viewing photographic slides and film strips. These 3-D viewers typically use a card having two separate photographs of the same scene usually taken at different photographic angles. The 3-D viewers use a pair of magnifying lenses through which the photographic images are viewed. The line of sight from the user through the magnifying lenses to the photographic images is inward towards an axis of symmetry for the 3-D viewer. The distance between the pair of magnifying lenses and the photographic images is substantially the same as the focal length for the magnifying lenses. Due to this interrelationship, a person looking through the magnifying lenses visualizes the scene depicted on the photographic images in 3-D.

It is desirable to reduce the cost of 3-D viewers so that the viewers can be tremendously inexpensive, thereby allowing such viewers to be given away as promotional items, etc.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides an inexpensive 3-D viewer formed by folding a flexible sheet material along preformed folding lines. In addition, the preferred 3-D viewer uses printed 3-D viewing cards. The cards have a right eye image and a left eye image both depicting the same scene in which 3-D objects are shifted towards the center of the card with respect to the same objects in the image for the other eye. The cost for such a system is significantly less than conventional systems because the printed 3-D viewing cards cost substantially less to produce than photographic viewing cards, and the folded 3-D viewer itself is extremely easy to produce. In particular, the 3-D viewer is formed out of a sheet material such as a die-cut laminated plastic or cardboard. Folding lines are provided in the flat sheet to define a lens endwali, a viewer floor and a card endwali. A right side viewing aperture and a left side viewing aperture are die-cut into the lens endwali. In use, the flat sheet is folded so that the lens endwali and the card endwali are parallel to one another. The 3-D viewing card is secured adjacent the card endwali, while a pair of magnifying lenses are secured adjacent the lens endwali, in alignment with the right side viewing aperture and the left side viewing aperture, respectively. The distance between the magnifying lenses adjacent the lens endwali and the 3-D viewing card adjacent the card endwali is preferably substantially the same as the focal length for the magnifying lenses.

It is preferred that the flat sheet include additional folding lines to provide retainment sleeves or portions at both the upper and lower ends of the card endwali to retain the 3-D viewing cards. Likewise, it is preferred to provide additional folding lines to provide for retainment sleeves or portions to retain the magnifying lenses adjacent the lens endwali.

In one embodiment, the 3-D viewer is open. However, in the preferred embodiment the 3-D viewer includes a cover and sidewalls to totally enclose the 3-D viewer to give the effect of a dark room environment. In this dark room embodiment, a right side viewing window and a left side viewing window are die-cut into the card endwali to provide outside illumination for the 3-D viewing cards. In the dark room embodiment, the images printed on the 3-D viewing cards are preferably printed onto a transparent or a translucent material such as plastic or vinyl film. In the open embodiment, the images may be printed on an opaque substrate. As previously mentioned, 3-D objects within the scene are shifted on the image for one of the eyes with respect to the image for the other eye. For most users, viewing the shifted objects through the pair of magnifying lenses results in the visualization of the shifted images in three dimensions. However, due to various facial dimensions for different users, it may be necessary to actually move the magnifying lenses closer together or further apart from one another to achieve the 3-D effect. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the magnifying lens for the right eye is movable with respect to the magnifying lens for the left eye, and lens adjustment slits are die-cut into the flat sheet so that the user can easily move the lenses when the 3-D viewer is folded for operation. Various other features, objects and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following drawings and detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a 3-D viewer in its operable configuration. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the 3-D viewer of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a 3-D viewing card. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a 3-D viewer in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention in its non-operable flat configuration. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a 3-D viewer in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention in its non-operable flat configuration. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Fig. 1 shows a 3-D viewer 10 having an open configuration. The 3-D viewer 10 includes a lens endwali 12, a viewer floor 14 and a card endwali 16. The lens endwali 12 is substantially perpendicular to the viewer floor 14 and substantially parallel to the card endwali 16.

The lens endwali 12 includes a right side viewing aperture 18 and a left side viewing aperture 20 for the eyes of a user to look through the 3-D viewer 10 and observe the 3-D effect on the 3-D viewing cards 26 (See also Fig. 3). The 3-D viewing card 26 is held adjacent the card endwali 16. The right side viewing aperture 18 and the left side viewing aperture 20 are located symmetrically and equidistant from a longitudinal axis of symmetry that run through the center of the 3-D viewer 10. The distance between the center of the right side viewing aperture and the center of the left side viewing aperture is approximately within the range of 5.5 to 6.5 centimeters.

The 3-D viewing card 26 has an image for the right eye 28 and a separate image for the left eye. The images 28, 30 on the 3-D viewing card 10 have a width within the range of 3.5 to 5.0 centimeters. The 3-D viewer 10 is adapted to hold a pair of magnifying lenses 22, Fig. 2, adjacent the lens endwali in alignment with the right side viewing aperture 18 and the left side viewing aperture 20, respectively. The 3-D viewer 10 also includes a nose aperture 24 that extends through the lens endwali 12 and the viewer floor 14 to accommodate the nose of the end user while he or she is looking through the lenses 22 at the 3-D viewing card.

Fig. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the 3-D viewer 10 in Fig. 1. The distance between the lens endwali 12 and the card endwali 16 is approximately equal to the focal distance of the pair of magnifying lenses 22. Fig. 2 illustrates that the pair of magnifying lenses 22 is in optical alignment with the 3-D viewing card 26 along the line of sight 32. The lenses 22 are retained adjacent the lens endwali 12 by upper lens retainment portion 34 and lower lens retainment portion 36. The 3-D viewing card 26 is retained adjacent the card endwali by upper card retainment portion 38 and lower card retainment portion 40.

The dotted lines depicted in Figs. 1 and 2 represent a second embodiment of the invention where the 3-D viewer 10 is enclosed by sidewalls 62, 64 and a cover 66 (Fig. 5) to provide a dark room environment. In the dark room embodiment, the card endwali 16 includes a right side card window 68 and a left side card window 70 located symmetrically and equidistant from the longitudinal axis of symmetry for the 3-D viewer 10. These windows 68, 70 allow light to enter into the 3- D viewer 10 to illuminate the 3-D images on the 3-D viewing card 16 so that the 3-D images may be observed.

Fig. 3 shows a printed 3-D viewing card 26. The 3-D viewing card 26 includes two separate images, an image for the right eye 28 and a separate image for the left eye 30 both depicting the same scene. These images 28, 30 are preferably printed on a plastic or vinyl substrate. The two images 28, 30 on the 3-D viewing card 26 are essentially the same except that certain objects within the scene in one of the printed images 28 or 30 are shifted towards the center of the 3-D viewing card 26 with respect to the same objects in the other printed images 30 or 28. For example, in Fig. 3 the left side image 30 depicts a man 42 standing in the sun 44. In the right side image 28, the man 42 is shifted towards the center of the card 26. The arrow 46 in Fig. 3 represents the shifting of the man 42 towards the center of the 3-D viewing card 26. The shifted image of the man registers differently in the viewer's eyes than the non-shifted images to produce the 3-D effect for the man on the printed card. In a dark room type 3-D viewer, the images 28, 30 should be printed on a thin piece of transparent or translucent material preferably using a lithographic printing process. In an open 3-D viewer, the images 28, 30 may be printed on an opaque substrate.

Fig. 4 shows an open 3-D viewer made from a flat sheet material 48. The 3-D viewer 10 is preferably manufactured from laminated plastic film or cardboard having a uniform thickness. The laminated plastic film or cardboard can be easily printed and die-cut to create a colorful 3-D viewer when folded for operation. The flat sheet 48 has transversely disposed parallel folding lines preformed therein to facilitate proper formation of the 3-D viewer by folding the sheet material 48 along the preformed folding lines. The folding lines include a lens endwali upper folding line 50, a lens endwali lower folding line 52, a lens end floor folding line 54, a card end floor folding line 56, a card endwali lower folding line 58 and a card endwali upper folding line 60. Each of the folding lines is formed transverse to a longitudinal axis of symmetry 32 for the flat sheet 48. The lens endwali 12 is located between the lens endwali upper folding line 50 and the lens endwali lower folding line 52. The upper lens retainment portion 34 is located on the side of the lens endwali upper folding line 50 opposite the lens endwali 12. Likewise, the lower lens retainment portion 36 is located on the side of the lens endwali lower folding line 52 opposite the lens endwali 12. The card endwali 16 is located between the card endwali upper folding line 60 and the card endwali lower folding line 58. The upper card retainment portion 38 is located on the side of the card endwali upper folding line 60 opposite the card endwali 16. Likewise, the lower card retainment portion 40 is located on the side of the card endwali lower folding line opposite the card endwali 16. The viewer floor 14 spans between the lens-end floor folding line 54 and the card-end floor folding line 56. The lower lens retainment portion 36 preferably spans between the lens endwali lower folding line 52 and the lens-end floor folding line 54. The lower card retainment portion 40 preferably spans between the card endwali lower folding line 58 and the card-end floor folding line 56.

Fig. 4 also shows the right side viewing aperture 18 and the left side viewing aperture 20 die-cut into the lens endwali 12. Fig. 4 also shows the nose aperture 24 die-cut through the flat sheet over an area between the viewer floor 14 and the lens endwali 12.

To form an open 3-D viewer 10 from the flat sheet 48 in Fig. 4, the flat sheet is folded along the folding lines 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, and 60. In particular, the flat sheet 48 is folded along the lens endwali lower folding line 52 so that the lens endwali 12 is substantially perpendicular to the viewer floor 14. The flat sheet 48 is also folded along the card endwali lower folding line 58 upwardly so that the card endwali 16 is substantially parallel to the lens endwali 12. The flat sheet 48 should be folded downwardly along the card-end floor folding line 54 and inwardly along the lens endwali upper folding line 50 to properly position the upper and lower lens retainment portions 34, 36 to receive the magnifying lenses. Likewise, the flat sheet 48 should be folded downward along the card-end floor folding line 56 and inwardly along the card endwali upper folding line 60 to properly position the upper and lower card retainment portions 38, 40 to receive the 3-D viewing card.

Fig. 5 shows a flat sheet used to form a dark room 3-D viewer 10A in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention. In many respects, the embodiment of the invention 10A shown in Fig. 5 is similar to the embodiment of the invention 10 shown in Fig. 4 and similar reference numerals are used where appropriate to facilitate understanding.

The flat sheet 48A for the dark room 3-D viewer 10A in Fig. 5 includes sidewalls 62 and 64 and cover 66 in addition to the components described with respect to Fig. 4. The preferred embodiment of the dark room 3-D viewer 10A includes at least two additional transverse folding lines 72, 74. A cover folding line 72 separates the upper lens retainment portion 34 and the cover 66. A card endwali tab folding line 74 separates the upper card retainment portion 38 and a card endwali tab 76.

The dark room 3-D viewer 10A also includes four substantially longitudinal fold lines 78, 80, 82 and 84. Longitudinal fold line 78 is a right sidewall folding line, and longitudinal folding line 80 is a right sidewall tab folding line 80. The right sidewall folding line 78 separates the right sidewall 62 from the viewer floor 14. The right sidewall tab folding line 80 separates the right sidewall 62 from the right sidewall tab 86. The longitudinal folding line 82 is a left sidewall folding line 82, and the longitudinal folding line 84 is a left sidewall tab folding line 84. The left sidewall folding line 82 separates the left sidewall 64 from the viewer floor 14. The left sidewall tab folding line 84 separates the left sidewall 64 from the left sidewall tab 88. Note that the right sidewall folding line 78 and the right sidewall tab folding line 80 are not parallel. The same is true for the left sidewall folding line 82 and the left sidewall tab folding line 84.

The 3-D viewer 10A is folded from the flat sheet 48A in a manner similar to the open 3-D viewer 10 shown in Fig. 4 with the following additional steps. The right and left sidewall 62 and 64 are folded upwardly along fold lines 78 and 82 respectively. The cover 66 is then folded along the cover folding line 72 inwardly to span from the top of the lens endwali 12 to the top of the card endwali 16. The right sidewall tab 86 is inserted into a longitudinal slit 90 in the cover 66, and the left sidewall tab 88 is inserted into a longitudinal slit 92 in the cover 66 to secure the cover in position. In addition, the card endwali tab 76 is folded inward along card endwali tab folding line 74, and is preferably slid underneath the cover 66 to secure the position of the card endwali 16. In this manner, the flat sheet 48 is folded to produce a dark room within the interior of the 3-D viewer 10A. In the dark room embodiment 10A of the invention, it is necessary to provide one or more windows in the card endwali 16 to allow light to illuminate the 3-D viewing cards. In Fig. 5, there is a right side card window 68 and a left side card window 70 die-cut into the card endwali 16. In addition, a right side card access indentation 94 and a left side card access indentation 96 are provided on the edges of the card endwali 16 to allow the user to easily move the 3-D viewing card even when the flat sheet 48 is fully folded to form the dark room 3-D viewer 10A.

Fig. 5 also shows a right side lens adjustment slit 98 and a left side lens adjustment slit 100 formed along the lens endwali upper folding line 50. Each lens adjustment slit 98, 100 is centered with the respective viewing aperture 18, 20. Although not shown specifically in Fig. 5, the lens adjustment slits 98, 100 could also be provided along the lens endwali lower folding line 52. The purpose of the lens adjustment slits 98, 100 is to allow the user of the 3-D viewer 10A to easily adjust the position of magnifying lenses retained by the upper and lower lens retainment portions 34, 36. For this to be possible, it is important that the right side magnifying lens be movable with respect to the left side magnifying lens. Depending on the facial dimensions of the user, it may be necessary to move the relative position of the right side magnifying lens with the left side magnifying lens within the upper and lower lens retainment portions 34, 36 for the user to achieve the 3-D effect. Further disclosure of the invention is provided by accompanying application by Guillermo M. Vilar for a Mexican Utility Model Registration entitled "Economical Device to Observe the 3-D Effect With a Special Design of Printed Color Cards on Opaque and/or Translucent Materials", Serial No. 96472, filed on November 25, 1996, an English version reproduced herein in the Appendix to this application. While the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate that certain substitutions, alterations and omissions may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description is meant to be exemplary only and should not be deemed limitative on the scope of the invention set forth in the following claims.

APPENDIX

ECONOMOCAL DEVICE TO OBSERVE THE 3D EFECT WITH A SPECIAL DESIGN OF PRINTED COLOR CARDS ON OPAQUE AND/OR TRANSLUCID MATERIALS

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

THIS INVENTION REFERS TO A NEW AND ECONOMICAL DEVICE FOR OBSERVING IMAGES IN 3D, ACHIEVED THROUGH A MODEL OF VISOR (3D), WHICH IS MADE FROM A SHEET OF CARDBOARD OR LAMINATED PLASTIC, PRINTED AND DIE-CUT . BECAUSE OF IT'S CHARACTERISTICS , IT ALLOWS. TO OBSERVE IN COLOR AND 3D EFECT, A SPECIAL DESIGN OF CARDS , PRINTED ON OPAQUE AND/OR TRANSLUCID MATERIAL

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

IN THE AREA OF IMAGES AND VIEWERS FOR THE OBSERVATION OF 3D, THERE ARE TWO KNOWN GROUPS,

1. THOSE THAT USE TWO FILTERS OF DIFFERENT COLOR IN ONE EYE-GLASSES WHERE THE IMAGE IS PRINTED IN TWO COLORS THAT ARE SUPERIMPOSED, WHICH ARE FILTERED BY THE GLASSES, IN SUCH A WAY THAT EACH EYE RECEIVES ONLY ONE IMAGE IN ORDER TO OBSERVE THE 3D EFFECT. THE INCONVENIENCE THIS SYSTEM REPRESENTS, IS THAT IT USE ONLY TWO COLORS RESULTING IN A POOR OBSERVATION OF THE COLOR AND 3D EFFECT.

THIS SYSTEM IS CONSIDERED THE BEST KNOWN, UP TO NOW FOR THE OBSERVATION OF THE 3D EFFECT IN PRINTED IMAGES ON OPAQUE MATERIALS.

THERE ARE OTHER VIEWERS THAT ALLOW THE OBSERVATION OF THE 3D EFFECT IN COLOR AND WITH GOOD QUALITY. THE INCONVENIENCE THAT THIS SYSTEM PRESENTS IS THAT IT USES ONLY PRINTED IMAGES ON EXPENSIVE TRANSLUCID MATERIALS (SLIDES), AND ALSO REQUIRES A DARK ROOM TO BE OBSERVED WITH TRANSLUCID WINDOWS WHICH ALLOW THE LIGHT TO PASS THROUGH THE BACK OF THE SLIDE, IN SOME CASES WITH A MECANISM OF CONTROLABLE FOCUS AND A LIGHT WHICH EVENTUALLY MAKES THE PRODUCT MORE _Ey^DC c_{! Ξ(} y H!CH MAKES IT INACCESSIBLE FOR PROMOTIONS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS INVENTION IS TO OMIT THESE INCONVENIENCES WITH AN ECONOMIC 3D VIEWER THAT IS EASILY ASSEMBLED FROM A SHEET-OF CARDBOARD OR PLASTIC AND DIE-CUT TO OBSERVE THE 3D EFFECT WITH A SPECIAL DESIGN OF CARDS , PRINTED IN COLOR ON OPAQUE AND/OR TRANSLUCID MATRIALS.

SUMMARY

AN INTEGRATED DEVICE FOR THE OBSERVATION OF THE 3D EFECT, OF PRINTED IMAGES IN COLOR ON OPAQUE AND/ OR TRANSLUCID MATERIAL, ACHIEVED THROUGH A (3D) VIEWER, FORMED BY A SHEET OF PLASTIC OR CARDBOARD PRINTED AND DIE-CUT WITH WHICH TO ASSEMBLE A (3D) VIEWER MAINLY INTEGRATED BY THREE SECTIONS: ONE IS THE SUPPORT FOR THE LENSES, A SEGMENT THAT DETERMINES THE APPROPRIATE FOCAL DISTANCE OF THE LENSES, AND ONE AS THE SUPPORT FOR THE CARDS, INCLUDES AN OPTIONAL EXTENSION TO FORM A DARK ROOM VIEWER, A PAIR OF MAGNIFYING LENSES. AND CARDS WITH A SPECIAL DESIGN OF IMAGES FOR OBSERVING THE 3D EFECT, WHICH IS MADE UP OF TWO DIFFERENT IMAGES OF THE SAME SCENE, WHERE THE DIFFERENCE TO BE ABLE TO OBSERVE THE 3D EFFECT IS FOUND IN THAT THE ELEMENTS OF THE IMAGES THAT ARE TO BE PERCEIVED IN 3D IN FRONT, ARE MOVED BY DIFFERENT PHOTOGRAPHIC OR ELECTRONIC PROCEDURES TOWARDS THE CENTER OF THE CARD IN ONLY ONE OF THE IMAGES ALTHOUGH IT COULD BE IN EITHER OF THE TWO.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

TO COMPLETE THIS DESCRIPTION AND WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF HELPING TO GIVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS INVENTION, THIS DESCRIPTION IS ACCOMPANIED BY DRAWINGS WHICH FORM PART OF THIS DOCUMENT , THESE DRAWINGS WHICH HAVE AN ILLUSTRATED AND NON-LIMITED CHARACTER, REPRESENT THE FOLLOWING:

FIG. 1 SHOWS A VIEW IN CONVENTIONAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE 3D VIEWER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PRESENT INVENTION, WHERE ALL THE ELEMENTS THAT FORM IT APPEAR. FIG. 2 SHOWS A LONGITUDAL CUT OF THE 3D VIIEWER WITH THE APPROPRIATE RELATION OF THE ANGLES AND DISTANCES .

FIG. 3 SHOWS THE 3D CARDS WITH THEIR PARTICULAR DESIGN OF IMAGES FOR THEIR OBSERVATION IN 3D.

DESCRIPTON OF THE PREFERRED ENBODIMENT

LOOKING AT THESE FIGURES, IT CAN BE OBSERVED HOW THIS NEW SYSTEM FOR THE OBSERVATION OF IMAGES IN 3D IT IS FORMED BY A VIEWER (3D), WITH A SHEET OF PLASTIC OR CARDBOARD, PRINTED AND DIE-CUT, WHICH INTEGRATES THREE MAIN PARTS, A BODY PART (1 ) MADE UP OF THREE SECTIONS: A SUPPORT FOR THE LENS (A), A SEGMENT (B), WHICH DETERMINES THE APPROPRIATE FOCUS DISTANCE OF THE LENS, AND A SUPPORT (C) FOR THE 3D CARDS.

IN FIG. 2, THE PROPORTION OF THE ANGLES AND THE DISTANCES OF THE MAIN PART OF THE 3D VIEWER CAN BE OBSERVED IN A LONGITUDAL CUT, IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE CENTER OF THE CARDS IS IN LINE WITH THE CENTER OF THE GLASSES AND THE DIRECTION OF THE VIEW. THE DISTANCE WILL VARY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOCAL DISTANCE OF THE LENS.

IN FIGURES 1 AND 2, CAN BE OBSERVED AN EXTENSION OF THE PRINTED AND DIE-CUT SHEET AS SHOWN (4) , WHICH ALLOWS TO FORM A VIEWER OF A DARK ROOM FOR THE OBSERVATION IN 3D OF IMAGES WITH TRANSLUCID MATERIALS.

IN FIGURE 3, THE SPECIAL DESIGN OF THE 3D CARDS CAN BE APPRECIATED. THESE CARDS ARE MADE UP OF TWO DIFFERENT IMAGES OF THE SAME SCENE. TO BE ABLE TO OBSERVE THE 3D EFFECT THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT THE ELEMENTS OF THE IMAGE THAT IS PERCEIVED IN 3D AT THE FRONT ARE MOVED BY VARIOUS PHOTOGRAPHIC OR ELECTRONIC PROCEDURES TOWARDS THE CENTER OF THE CARD, IN ONLY ONE OF THE IMAGES AND THIS COULD BE IN EITHER OF THE TWO. 1. AN INTEGRATED DEVICE FOR THE OBSERVATION OF 3D IMAGES, ACHIEVED THROUGH A (3D) VIEWER FORMED BY A SHEET OF CARDBOARD OR PLASTIC, PRINTED AND DIE-CUT, WITH THREE SECTIONS ASSEMBLED: ONE WITH A SUPPORT FOR THE LENSES, A SEGMENT WHICH DETERMINES THE APPROPRIATE FOCAL DISTANCE OF THE LENSES AND A HOLDER FOR THE 3D CARDS, A PAIR OF MAGNIFYING LENSES, AND PRINTED CARDS WITH A PARTICULAR DESIGN OF IMAGES FOR THE OBSERVATION OF 3D.

2. INTEGRATED DEVICE FOR THE OBSERVATION OF 3D IMAGES, PRINTED OVER OPAQUE AND/OR TRANSLUCID MATERIAL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PREVIOUS CLAIM, WHICH INTEGRATES AN EXTENSION OF THE PRINTED AND DIE-CUT BODY, WHICH COMPLEMENT THE VIEWER WITH A DARK ROOM TO BE FORMED FOR THE OBSERVATION OF 3D IMAGES PRINTED ON TRANSLUCID MATERIAL.

3. A SPECIAL DESIGN OF 3D CARDS WHICH IS MADE UP OF 2 DIFFERENT IMAGES OF THE SAME SCENE, WHERE THE DIFFERENCE TO BE ABLE TO OBSERVE THE 3D EFFECT, CAN BE FOUND IN THAT THE ELEMENTS OF THE 3D IMAGE THAT IS PERCEIVED AT THE FRONT IS MOVED BY DIFFERENT PHOTOGRAPHIC OR ELECTRONIC PROCEDURES TOWARDS THE CENTER OF THE CARD IN ONLY ONE OF THE IMAGES AND BEING ABLE TO BE IN EITHER OF THE TWO.

Claims

CLAIMSI claim:

1. A 3-D viewer comprising: a flat sheet material having at least four transversely disposed parallel folding lines formed therein, the folding lines being a lens endwali lower folding line, a card- end floor folding line, a card endwali lower folding line, and a card endwali upper folding line, each folding line being formed transverse to a longitudinal axis of symmetry for the flat sheet; a lens endwali located on a first side of the lens endwali lower folding line, the lens endwali including a right side viewing aperture and a left side viewing aperture located symmetrically and equidistant from the longitudinal axis of symmetry for the flat sheet; a viewer floor located on a second side of the lens endwali lower folding line and between the lens endwali lower folding line and the card-end floor folding line; a card endwali located on a first side of the card endwali upper folding line and between the card endwali upper folding line and the card endwali lower folding line; a lower card retainment portion located between the card-end floor folding line and the card endwali lower folding line; an upper card retainment portion located on a second side of the card endwali upper folding line; wherein the flat sheet material is folded to form a 3-D viewer by folding the sheet material along the lens endwali lower folding line so that the lens endwali is substantially perpendicular to the viewer floor, folding the sheet material along the card-end floor folding line downward from the viewer floor, folding the sheet material along the card endwali lower folding line upwardly so that the card endwali is substantially parallel to the lens endwali, and folding the sheet material along the card endwali upper folding line downwardly so that the upper card retainment portion extends inward towards the lens endwali; and further wherein the 3-D viewer is adapted to hold a pair of magnifying lenses adjacent the lens endwali in alignment with the right side viewing aperture and the left side viewing aperture, respectively; and a 3-D viewing card having an image for the left eye and a separate image for the right eye is retained adjacent the card endwali by the lower card retainment portion and the upper card retainment portion, and the distance between the respective lenses and the 3-D viewing card is approximately the focal distance for the respective lenses.

2. A 3-D viewer as recited in claim 1 further comprising at least two additional transverse folding lines being a lens-end floor folding line and a lens endwali upper folding line, wherein: a lower lens retainment portion is located between the lens-end floor folding line and the lens endwali lower folding line; an upper lens retainment portion is located on the side of the lens endwali upper folding line opposite the lens endwali; and wherein: the sheet material is further folded to form the 3-D viewer by folding the sheet material along the lens-end floor folding line downward from the viewer floor, and along the lens endwali lower folding line upwardly so that the lens endwali is substantially parallel to the card endwali, and along the lens endwali upper folding line downwardly so that the upper lens retainment portion extends inward towards the card endwali; and the pair of magnifying lenses are retained adjacent the lens endwali in alignment with the right and left viewing apertures, respectively, by the upper and lower lens retainment portions.

3. A 3-D viewer as recited in claim 2 wherein: the distance between the center of the right viewing aperture and the center of the left viewing aperture is within a range of 5.5 to 6.5 centimeters; and the magnifying lens for the right eye and the magnifying lens for the left eye are movable with respect to one another.

4. A 3-D viewer as recited in claim 3 wherein a right eye lens adjustment slot aligned with the right side viewing aperture is formed along the lens endwali lower folding line and a left eye lens adjustment slot aligned with the left side viewing aperture is formed along the lens endwali lower folding line.

5. A 3-D viewer as recited in claim 3 wherein a right eye lens adjustment slot aligned with the right side viewing aperture is formed along the lens endwali upper folding line and a left eye lens adjustment slot aligned with the left side viewing aperture is formed along the lens endwali upper folding line.

6. A 3-D viewer as recited in claim 2 wherein the upper lens retainment portion and the lens endwali interface along the lens endwali upper folding line at an acute angle.

7. A 3-D viewer as recited in claim 2 wherein the lower lens retainment portion and the lens endwali interface along the lens endwali lower folding line at an acute angle.

8. A 3-D viewer as recited in claim 1 wherein the upper card retainment portion and the card endwali interface along the card endwali upper folding line at an acute angle.

9. A 3-D viewer as recited in claim 1 wherein the lower card retainment portion and the card endwali interface along the card endwali lower folding line at an acute angle.

10. A 3-D viewer as recited in claim 1 wherein the distance between the center of the right viewing aperture and the center of the left viewing aperture is within the range of 5.5 to 6.5 centimeters.

11. A 3-D viewer as recited in claim 1 wherein the images on the 3-D viewing card have a width within the range of 3.5 to 5.0 centimeters.

12. A 3-D viewer as recited in claim 1 further comprising a nose aperture through the lens endwali and the viewer floor which is symmetrical about the longitudinal axis of symmetry for the flat sheet.

13. A 3-D viewer as recited in claim 1 further comprising at least one additional transverse folding line being a cover folding line and at least two additional longitudinally disposed folding lines being a right sidewall folding line and a left sidewall folding line both parallel to the longitudinal axis of symmetry for the flat sheet, and wherein: a cover is located on a first side of the cover folding line and the lens endwali is located on the opposite side of the cover folding line; a right sidewall is located on a first side of the right sidewall folding line and the viewer floor is located on the opposite side of the right sidewall folding line; a left sidewall is located on a first side of the left sidewall folding line and the viewer floor is located on the opposite side of the left sidewall folding line; and the card endwali includes a right side card window and a left side card window located symmetrically and equidistant from the longitudinal axis of symmetry for the flat sheet.

14. A 3-D viewer as recited in claim 13 further comprising at least two additional transverse folding lines being a lens-end floor folding line and a lens endwali upper folding line, wherein: a lower lens retainment portion is located between the lens-end floor folding line and the lens endwali lower folding line; an upper lens retainment portion is located on the side of the lens endwali upper folding line opposite the lens endwali; and wherein: the sheet material is further folded to form the 3-D viewer by folding the sheet material along the lens-end floor folding line downward from the viewer floor, and along the lens endwali lower folding line upwardly so that the lens endwali is substantially parallel to the card endwali, and along the lower endwali upper folding line downwardly so that the upper lens retainment portion extends inward towards the card endwali; and the pair of magnifying lenses are retained adjacent the lens endwali in alignment with the right and left viewing apertures, respectively, by the upper and lower lens retainment portions.

15. A 3-D viewer as recited in claim 13 further comprising at least one additional transverse folding line being a card endwali tab folding line and at least two additional longitudinally disposed folding lines being a right sidewall tab folding line and a left sidewall tab folding line, and wherein: a card endwali tab is located on a first side of the card endwali tab folding line and the upper card retainment portion is located on the opposite side of the card endwali tab folding line; a right sidewall tab is located on a first side of the right sidewall tab folding line and the right sidewall is located on the opposite side of the right sidewall tab folding line; a left sidewall tab is located on a first side of the left sidewall tab folding line and the left sidewall is located on the opposite side of the left sidewall tab folding line; and the cover including a right side slit being formed longitudinal and parallel to the longitudinal axis of symmetry on a right side of the cover, and a left side slit being formed longitudinal and parallel to the longitudinal axis of symmetry being located on the left side of the cover.

16. A 3-D viewer as recited in claim 13 wherein the card endwali includes a right side card access indentation and a left side card access indentation, the right side card access indentation being located on a right edge of the card endwali between the card endwali lower folding line and the card endwali upper folding line, the left side card access indentation being located on a left side of the card endwali between the card endwali lower folding line and the card endwali upper folding line.

17. A 3-D viewer as recited in claim 13 wherein: the right sidewall has an upper right sidewall edge and a lower right sidewall edge, the upper right sidewall edge having a length that is greater than the length of the lower right sidewall edge; and the left sidewall has an upper left sidewall edge and a lower left sidewall edge, the upper left sidewall edge having a length that is greater than the length of the lower left sidewall edge.

18. A 3-D viewer as recited in claim 17 wherein: the upper right sidewall edge has a length that is less than the, length of the card endwali between the card endwali lower folding line and the card endwali upper folding line; and the upper left sidewall edge has a length that is less than the length of the card endwali between the card endwali lower folding line and the card endwali upper folding line.

19. A 3-D viewer as recited in claim 13 further comprising a 3-D viewing card having a scene printed on two separate images, one image for the left eye and one image for the right eye, wherein the portion of the scene to be viewed in 3-D is shifted towards the longitudinal axis of symmetry on one of the images with respect to the other.

20. A 3-D viewer comprising: a flat sheet material having at least four transversely disposed parallel folding lines formed therein and at least two longitudinally disposed folding lines formed therein, the transversely disposed parallel folding lines being a lens endwali upper folding line, a lens-end floor folding line, a card-end floor folding line, and a card endwali upper folding line, each transverse folding line being formed transverse to a longitudinal axis of symmetry for the flat sheet, the longitudinally disposed folding lines being a right sidewall folding line and a left sidewall folding line, each longitudinal folding line being formed parallel to the longitudinal axis of symmetry for the flat sheet; a cover located on a first side of the lens endwali upper folding line; a lens endwali located on a second side of the lens endwali upper folding line and between the lens endwali upper folding line and the lens-end floor folding line, the lens endwali including a right side viewing aperture and a left side viewing aperture located symmetrically and equidistant from the longitudinal axis of symmetry for the flat sheet; a viewer floor located between the lens-end floor folding line and the card-end floor folding line; a card endwali located between the card-end floor folding line and the card endwali upper folding line, the card endwali including a right side card window and a left side card window located symmetrically and equidistant from the longitudinal axis of symmetry for the flat sheet; a right sidewall located on a first side of the right sidewall folding line and the viewer floor located on the opposite side of the right sidewall folding line; a left sidewall located on a first side of the left sidewall folding line and between the viewer floor located on the opposite side of the left sidewall folding line; wherein the sheet material is folded to form a 3-D viewer by folding the sheet material upwardly along the lens-end floor folding line so that the lens endwali is substantially perpendicular to the viewer floor, folding the sheet material along the card-end floor folding line upwardly so that the card endwali is substantially parallel to the lens endwali, folding the sheet material along the right sidewall folding line upwardly so that the right sidewall is substantially perpendicular to the viewer floor, folding the sheet material along the left sidewall folding line upwardly so that the left sidewall is substantially perpendicular to the viewer floor and substantially parallel to the right sidewall; folding the sheet material inwardly along the lens endwali upper folding line so that the cover spans across the 3-D viewer to a top of the card endwali further wherein the 3-D viewer is adapted to hold a pair of magnifying lenses adjacent the lens endwali in alignment with the right side viewing aperture and the left side viewing aperture, respectively; and a 3-D viewing card having an image for the left eye and a separate image for the right eye is retained adjacent the card endwali, the distance between the respective lenses and the 3-D viewing card is approximately the focal distance for the respective lenses.

21. A 3-D viewer as recited in claim 20 wherein the distance between a center of the right viewing aperture and the center of the left viewing aperture is within the range of 5.5 to 6.5 centimeters.

22. A 3-D viewer as recited in claim 20 wherein the images on the 3-D viewing card has a width within the range of 3.5 to 5.0 centimeters.

23. A 3-D viewer as recited in claim 20 further comprising a. nose aperture through the lens endwali and the viewer floor which is symmetrical about the longitudinal axis of symmetry for the flat sheet.

24. A 3-D viewer as recited in claim 20 further comprising at least one additional transverse folding line being a card endwali tab folding line and at least two additional longitudinally disposed folding lines being a right sidewall tab folding line and a left sidewall tab folding line, and wherein; a card endwali tab is located on a first side of the card endwali tab folding line and the card endwali is located on the opposite side of the card endwali tab folding line; a right sidewall tab is located on a first side of the right sidewall tab folding line and the right sidewall is located on the opposite side of the right sidewall tab folding line; and a left sidewall tab is located on a first side of the left sidewall tab folding line and the left sidewall is located on the opposite side of the left sidewall tab folding lines.

25. A 3-D viewer as recited in claim 20 wherein the cover has a right side slit being formed longitudinal and parallel to the longitudinal axis of symmetry on a right side of the cover and a left side slit being formed longitudinal and parallel to the longitudinal axis of symmetry being located on the left side of the cover.

26. A 3-D viewer as recited in claim 20 wherein the card endwali includes a right side card access indentation and a left side card access indentation, the right side card access indentation being located on a right edge of the card endwali between the card-end floor folding line and the card endwali upper folding line, the left side card access indentation being located on a left side of the card-end between the card-end floor folding line and the card endwali upper folding line.

27. A 3-D viewer as recited in claim 20 further comprising a 3-D viewing card having a scene printed on a transparent or translucent material having two separate images which are illuminated by light passing through the windows in the card endwali, one image for the left eye and one image for the right eye, wherein the portion of the scene to be viewed in 3-D is shifted towards the longitudinal axis of symmetry in one of the images with respect to the other image.

28. A 3-D viewer as recited in claim 20 wherein: the right sidewall has an upper right sidewall edge and a lower right sidewall edge, the upper right sidewall edge having a length that is greater than the length of the lower right sidewall edge; and the left sidewall has an upper left sidewall edge and a lower left sidewall edge, the upper left sidewall edge having a length that is greater than the length of the lower left sidewall edge.

29. A 3-D viewer as recited in claim 19 wherein: the upper right sidewall edge has a length that is less than the length of the card endwali between the card endwali lower folding line and the card endwali upper folding line; and the upper left sidewall edge has a length that is less than the length of the card endwali between the card endwali lower folding line and the card endwali upper folding line.

30. A 3-D viewer comprising: a lens endwali including a right side viewing aperture and a left side viewing aperture and adapted to hold a pair of magnifying lenses in alignment with the right side viewing aperture and the left side viewing aperture, respectively; a viewer floor that is substantially perpendicular to the lens endwali and has a length that is substantially equal to the focal length of the magnifying lenses; and a card endwali that is substantially parallel to the lens endwali and is adapted to hold a 3-D viewing card having an image for the left eye and a separate image for the right eye, wherein the portion of the scene to be viewed in 3-D is shifted towards the center of the 3-D viewing card in one image with respect to the other.

31. A 3-D viewer comprising: a flat sheet material having at least four transversely disposed parallel folding lines formed therein, the folding lines being a card endwali lower folding line, a lens-end floor folding line, a lens endwali lower folding line, and a lens endwali upper folding line, each folding line being formed transverse to a longitudinal axis of symmetry for the flat sheet; a card endwali located on a first side of the card endwali lower folding line; a viewer floor located on a second side of the card endwali lower folding line and between the card endwali lower folding line and the lens-end floor folding line; a lens endwali located on a first side of the lens endwali upper folding line and between the lens endwali upper folding line and the lens endwali lower folding line; a lower lens retainment portion located between the lens-end floor folding line and the lens endwali lower folding line; an upper lens retainment portion located on a second side of the lens endwali upper folding line; wherein the flat sheet material is folded to form a 3-D viewer by folding the sheet material along the card endwali lower folding line so that the card endwali is substantially perpendicular to the viewer floor, folding the sheet material along the lens-end floor folding line downward from the viewer floor, folding the sheet material along the lens endwali lower folding line upwardly so that the lens endwali is substantially parallel to the card endwali, and folding the sheet material along the lens endwali upper folding line downwardly so that the upper lens retainment portion extends inward towards the card endwali; and further wherein a pair of magnifying lenses are retained adjacent the lens endwali in alignment with the right and left viewing apertures, respectively, by the upper and lower lens retainment portions, the magnifying lenses being movable with respect to one another; and a 3-D viewing card having an image for the left eye and a separate image for the right eye is retained adjacent the card endwali, and the distance between the respective lenses in the 3-D viewing card is approximately the focal distance for the respective lenses.

32. A 3-D viewer as recited in claim 31 wherein: the sheet material includes a right side lens adjustment slit aligned with the center of the right side viewing aperture and along the lens endwali upper folding line; and the sheet material includes a left side lens adjustment slit aligned with the center of the left side viewing aperture and along the lens endwali upper folding line.

33. A 3-D viewer as recited in claim 31 wherein: the sheet material includes a right side lens adjustment slit aligned with the center of the right side viewing aperture and along the lens endwali lower folding line; and the sheet material includes a left side lens adjustment slit aligned with the center of the left side viewing aperture and along the lens endwali lower folding line.