WO2010133650A2

WO2010133650A2 - Constructive stationery kit

Info

Publication number: WO2010133650A2
Application number: PCT/EP2010/056926
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gideon Cube-Sherman
Original assignee: Gideon Cube-Sherman
Priority date: 2009-05-20
Filing date: 2010-05-19
Publication date: 2010-11-25
Also published as: GB0908763D0; TW201105519A; WO2010133650A3; GB2470393A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a stationery kit comprising a plurality of erasers and a plurality of writing implements, the erasers and writing implements being configured for constructing structures, particularly three-dimensional sculptures. The present invention also relates to an eraser for use in such a stationery kit. Further aspects of the present invention relate to a method of forming a structure using the erasers and writing implements and to a puzzle comprising the stationery kit and a representation of a target structure to be constructed by a user.

Description

CONSTRUCTIVE STATIONERY KIT

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a stationery kit comprising a plurality of erasers and a plurality of writing implements, the erasers and writing implements being configured for constructing structures, particularly three-dimensional shapes and/or three-dimensional representations of objects. The present invention also relates to an eraser for use in such a stationery kit. Further aspects of the present invention relate to a method of forming a structure using the erasers and writing implements and to a puzzle comprising the stationery kit and a representation of a target structure to be constructed by a user. It is also envisaged that such a stationery sculptural medium may be provided as a puzzle with a target structure to be created by a user.

The present inventor has realized that it would be desirable to create a medium for forming spatial constructions, sculptural assemblages, and even for building texts or poems in space, combining aesthetic appeal and fun with useful function. The present inventor has also realized that such a combination of aesthetics and utility will have a particular appeal to children, encouraging them to experiment with sculpture to increase visual and spatial awareness, manual dexterity, and logical and creative thinking.

A stationery sculptural medium would also provide an ideal desktop novelty item for office workers and may be employed for the purpose of team building exercises.

As children spend a significant amount of their time in a classroom, the present inventor has realized that stationery such as pens, pencils, erasers and paper would provide an ideal sculptural medium to fulfil the aforementioned goals if suitably adapted to be combined in a modular fashion. A large group of children each of whom has a suitably adapted eraser and pencil may together, through collaborative effort, build very sizeable and impressive structures. It is also envisaged that the present invention will be distributed free to children in less developed countries. When every child on the planet has a constructive eraser, pencil and paper, global literacy can be achieved and the peoples of the world can join together in play.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Stationery kits often include pencils, pens, rubbers, pencil sharpeners and ink cartridges amongst other things. In order to reduce the number of items of stationery traditionally pencils can be provided with erasers at their non-writing bottom end. These can either be directly attached to the pencil or can be in the form of eraser 'gloves' which have an opening into which the bottom end of a pencil fits. The rubber gloves essentially become part of the pencil and as such have no function of holding a pencil in a particular position such that left alone the pencil simply lies on the table or floor surface.

CN2255295 teaches a pencil and connecting unit into which a rubber or other item can fit. Such stationery sets whilst providing the possibility of numerous stationery functions comprise many pieces, which require attachment of at least three different types of element in order to provide multi-function application.

Stationery is often associated with studies and in that respect may be considered disassociated from fun or games. In order to make stationery items more interesting or enlightening in JP2006264141 there is taught spherical erasers which comprise holes and corresponding protrusions which can fit together to form a larger assembled eraser. Such an assembled eraser though has only a single function of acting as an eraser.

US 6190076 discloses a decorative writing implement including an animal shaped body having four limbs and a head. Each limb is detachable from the body and retains a pen therein. The end of each limb is configured to fit into a hole defined in the body for mounting the limb to the body. A writing tip of each pen extends beyond the front end of the corresponding limb. The animal shaped body is made of rubber thereby being capable to serve as a eraser. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a stationery kit comprising: a plurality of erasers; and a plurality of writing implements, wherein each eraser comprises a plurality of holes, and wherein each writing implement comprises two ends configured to fit into said holes whereby a structure comprising the plurality of erasers and writing implements can be constructed.

With this arrangement the writing implement, whose end can fit into the hole provided in the eraser, can be held in a position by the eraser, to which eraser further writing implements can be added in the additional holes. Such holes can appear on faces, corners or edges of the eraser. Such structures are enjoyable for users to build and can also be useful for producing modelling figures, sculptures and art. Furthermore, whilst the constructed assembly can be used as a structural model, the assembly comprises erasers and writing implements, which can be used for stationery purposes.

The writing implements may have the same or different lengths and can be cylindrical in shape or have a regular or even irregular polygonal cross section. The shape of the implement may be continuous or can vary throughout its length.

The hole in the eraser can be open or blind such as a deep-ended indentation. An open hole allows for adjustment of the length of writing implement used in structural construction and allows both ends of the writing implement to be outside the eraser. This could be useful for example if both ends are writing ends and therefore if one writing end is too blunt for writing the other end could be used by moving the implement through the open hole.

The writing implement can have the same shape for both its ends or different shaped ends, which fit into the holes in the erasers whereby a structure comprising the plurality of erasers and writing implements can be constructed. In this way either end of the writing implement can be fitted into the eraser or a single writing implement can fit into the holes of two erasers, one at each end to form a simple construction. The eraser having more than one hole allows more members to be attached to a single eraser and therefore larger structures can be built.

The writing implement can be any of a pencil or a pen with two ends configured to fit in the eraser holes. Whilst the member provided with the stationery kit is specifically configured to fit in the hole of the eraser, the eraser is suitable for any other pen or pencil or other writing implement that fits into its hole whereby a structure comprising the plurality of erasers and writing implements can be constructed.

If the writing implement is a pencil, it may be provided in the stationery kit in its unsharpened form with no defined writing end i.e. two flat opposing ends, wherein either end can be inserted in the hole of the eraser. Either or both ends could be later sharpened according to the kit user's needs

One or more holes of the eraser can also be shaped so as to fit the writing end of the writing implement as an alternative to, or in addition to, the non-writing end.

Alternatively, an assembly can be provided in which only the non-writing end of the writing implement is exposed. Such a structure avoids the risk of a sharp end of a writing implement pointing in a substantially upwards or horizontal direction or any direction there between, or risk of ink drying out of a pen's open writing end or even accidentally marking something passing over the assembly.

The kit may also comprise further stationery items in addition to the plurality of erasers and writing implements, such as paper, a pencil sharpener, a pencil un-sharpener, a crayon, or a stylus.

The pencil or pen for which these further stationery items can be used is not limited to the pencil or pen of the present invention but indeed may be useful for any pencil or pen. Furthermore, the further stationery items can be provided with the kit already inserted in the holes of the erasers. Alternatively, they can be provided separately from the erasers within the kit and inserted by the kit user into the holes of the erasers as desired. Such an arrangement with additional stationery items provided with the eraser makes for a more multi-functional stationery kit.

In the case of paper provided with the kit this can be of any type and any suitable shape or size. The paper may also be partially coated with an adhesive, preferably a temporary adhesive such as that used with Post-it^® notes.

The paper preferably has at least one edge that has a length equivalent to the length of at least one of the writing implements. Preferably, each edge of the paper has a length that is equivalent to the length of one of the writing implements. With this arrangement, a three- dimensional frame can be constructed using the erasers and writing implements and the paper can be adhered to the frame to create a three-dimensional solid looking object. The paper may be patterned and/or coloured to create an aesthetically pleasing sculpture and/or a target object of a puzzle when constructed in the intended configuration.

The hole of the eraser can also be shaped, for example to be a tapered bore, in order to enhance grip of the writing implement held by the eraser such that the writing implement is more securely held in position by the eraser. Such a shape can be made by etching, cutting or moulding the holes of the eraser. The holes may alternatively, or additionally, comprise one or more ridges to enhance grip of the writing implement.

The erasers may take any shape such as that of polyhedron, a sphere, a human or animal figure, or a fruit, or any other shape or mould. For example, the erasers may be platonic solids such as tetrahedra or cubes. According to one embodiment the erasers are cube shaped, wherein holes can be provided in one, several, or all faces of the cube. With such a shaped eraser, the writing implement can be held vertically or horizontally and therefore provide an assembly initially easier to get hold of or handle. Furthermore, the erasers and writing implements can be used to construct substantially vertical and horizontal structures, i.e. rectangle or cuboid containing, projecting structures. The erasers may be flexible to a greater or lesser degree, depending upon the structures that they are intended to construct. For example, some geodesies or other structures may require two or more forms of eraser - in such cases, two different forms of more rigid eraser can be provided each with different angled connections, or alternatively one more flexible eraser that is capable of deforming to both of the required forms for the construction.

The writing implements may also be of differing lengths if the construction so requires.

Additionally, space frame structures and geodesies can be realised using suitable eraser shapes. This embodiment of the invention may employ geodesies of the types worked on by Buckminster Fuller, and such as that built for Carl Zeiss in Jena, Germany, by Warmer Bauersfeld which was the subject of a German patent by Zeiss (see DE 415395). Geodesies may also be triangulated (see Figures 8 and 9) and may have a plurality of layers, such as 2 or more layers, 3 or more layers and so on.

Additionally, the erasers and writing implements and paper where provided can be of the same colour or indeed can be a plurality of different colours. In this way a multicoloured structure can be constructed.

The stationery kit may also comprise a container such as a pencil case in which the erasers and writing implements are disposed. The kit and/or container can be made of a variety of materials and in a variety of forms such a wood, plastic, fabric or even rubber. Most common examples would be fabric cases or wooden boxes. The kit and/or container can comprise a plurality of parts or compartments in which the erasers and writing implements are separately disposed. Alternatively the erasers and writing implements could be disposed together in the same compartment. The writing implements can be held in a stacked arrangement, as can the erasers. Paper and further stationery items can also be included in such kits in separate or the same compartments as those of the writing implements and erasers.

The stationery kit can also be provided with pre-built structural arrangements of the writing implements and erasers. Additionally, the kit containers themselves can be part of the constructed arrangements and can be built to create a variety of shapes, forms or structures.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided an eraser comprising a plurality of holes, which holes are configured to fit ends of writing implements whereby a structure comprising the plurality of erasers and writing implements can be constructed.

Such an eraser can be provided with or separately from the kit and can be used for any suitable writing implements, whether or not included in the kit, which have ends configured to fit in the eraser holes whereby a structure of any sort comprising the plurality of erasers and writing implements can be built or constructed. The eraser can have any of the features of the erasers included in the kit described above.

The holes in the eraser may have a width in the range 3mm to 20mm to fit known writing implements, for example, in the range 5mm to 10mm for standard writing implements. The holes also preferably have a depth in the range 3mm to 20mm, for example 5mm to 10mm, in order to support known writing implements and grip the ends of the writing implements sufficiently such they do not fall out of the holes during construction of a structure. The holes may have a circular, square or multi-sided polygon cross-sectional shape, e.g. a hexagonal cross-sectional shape, to complement the standard cross-sectional shape of pens and pencils. Alternatively, the holes may have a cross-sectional shape, which is adapted for use with custom-made or novelty writing implements, e.g. oval or heart shaped cross- sectional shapes. In order to further improve grip, the holes may comprise a tapered side and/or one or more ridges.

Many sizes and shapes of erasers and writing implements may be envisaged. For example, a mini-kit may be provided with erasers having small holes for use with mini-writing implements having a length less than, for example, 100mm and a width less than, for example, 5mm. Alternatively, a large maxi-sized kit may be provided with suitably large erasers and writing implements. It is even envisaged than such maxi-sized kits could be scaled-up to build functional climbing frames for small children. According to a third aspect of the present invention the eraser is used to construct a structure by inserting ends of writing implements into the plurality of holes.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of forming a structure using a plurality of the erasers by inserting ends of writing implements into the plurality of holes of each eraser.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention there is provided a puzzle comprising the stationery kit and a representation of a target structure to be constructed by a user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described in further detail by way of example only with reference to the Figures (with thanks to G. Buckminster Sherman for the geodesic drawings) in which:

Figure Ia shows a side view of an eraser holding a writing implement in a suspended position as part of a construction in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure Ib shows the cross-section of the arrangement of Figure Ia;

Figure 2 shows a front plan view of a construction of erasers and writing implements in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a construction of erasers and writing implements in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of a further construction of erasers and writing implements in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 shows 'glove-type' erasers which may be used with the present invention and function well with writing implements having sharpened ends. These erasers have the additional advantage that they have more edges and corners which are better for erasing.

Figures 6 and 7 show further 'glove-type' erasers shaped specifically to allow for the construction of 'buckyballs'.

Figures 8 and 9 show triangulated geodesies and erasers which may be used, in conjunction with writing implements, to form geodesic structures.

Figure 10 and 11 show different erasers for different constructions.

DEAILED DESCRIPTION

Shown in Figure Ia is a pencil 104 being freely suspended in an upright position by a cube shaped eraser 100. The cube shaped eraser has a hole disposed in each face thereof. The pencil may be inserted into any of these holes. Figure Ib shows a cross-sectional view of the arrangement of Figure Ia taken through the dotted line shown in Figure Ia. The pencil 104 shown in this arrangement is unsharpened and has a graphite core 107 with a wooden surround 109.

Due to a good fit between an end 106 of the pencil and a hole 102 in the eraser 100, the pencil 104 is balanced in an upright position. In the arrangement illustrated in Figures Ia and Ib, the pencil is inserted in hole 102. However, the pencil 104 can alternatively be inserted into one of the holes in another face of the cube-shaped eraser, e.g. hole 101 or hole 103. One or more additional pencil(s) may also be inserted into the holes of the cube shaped eraser, e.g. one in each face of the cube or one in each of a sub-set of faces, to construct an assembly of pencils. Further erasers and pencils may then be added to create a complex assembly of erasers and pencils.

Figures 2 and 3 show an eraser/pencil construction assembly in which each pencil 104 is fitted to two erasers 100 and each eraser 100 is attached to three pencils 104 to form a model of a cube. Such structures are easily assembled. The pencils 104 provided in the illustrated stationery kit have unsharpened flat ends. Each eraser provided in the stationery kit has a hole 102 in the centre of each of its six faces. Each end of the pencil is configured to fit in any hole 102 in the eraser and be held in position. The user, on holding the pencil at any position along its length, simply pushes the pencil end into a hole in the eraser. The shape of the ends of each pencil is complementary to the shape of the eraser holes and as such there is a frictional grip on the pencil end by the eraser hole. Another eraser can then be pushed on to an opposite end of the pencil such that an initial structure comprising a single pencil with an eraser on each end is formed. Further pencils can be fitted to these erasers in their unused holes and a structure can be built up to any desired configuration by the user following such straightforward direct fit and attachment directions.

Although the embodiment depicted in Figures 2 and 3 shows a simple cube, it will be evident that any number of structures and shapes can be constructed in accordance with the present invention. The erasers and/or writing implements may be provided in a variety of different sizes and shapes and the holes arranged and configured in a variety of ways to make more complex structures and/or puzzles. Complementary pieces of card or paper may be provided of a variety of sizes, shapes and colours. The card or paper may actually be any type of sheet material, e.g. acetate or plastic sheeting. The sheet material can be of a size and shape that fits the sides of frame structures constructed using the erasers and writing implements for creating solid looking structures by adhering the sheet material thereto.

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of a further construction of erasers and writing implements in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. This construction comprises two interlinked cubes. The construction includes erasers 100 which have open holes extending all the way through the erasers such that a writing implement can be inserted all the way through the erasers.

The erasers preferably are shaped so as to have edges and/or corners in order to provide better erasing functionality. Spherical shapes are a disadvantage in this respect as they do not have edges or corners and do not function well as an eraser. The erasers should be made of a material that is suitable for removing pencil and/or pen writings from a page of paper and thus function as a "page-whitener". Typical erasers are made from synthetic rubber, but more expensive or specialized erasers can also contain vinyl, plastic, or gum-like materials. Other, cheaper erasers can be made out of synthetic soy-based gum.

Embodiments of the present invention can be used as toys, teaching aids, child development aids, artistic sculptures, desktop novelty items, and puzzles.

The embodiments described above are only examples of the present invention. It will be conceivable to the skilled person that other embodiments in accordance with the present invention are possible without departing from the scope of the appended to claims.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A stationery kit comprising:

(a) a plurality of erasers; and

(b) a plurality of writing implements, wherein each eraser comprises a plurality of holes, and wherein each writing implement comprises two ends configured to fit into said holes whereby a structure comprising the plurality of erasers and writing implements can be constructed.

2. A stationery kit according to claim 1, wherein the writing implements are any of a graphite delivery system and an ink delivery system.

3. A stationery kit according to claim 2, wherein the writing implements are any of a pencil and a pen.

4. A stationery kit according to any preceding claim, wherein the kit comprises further stationery items in addition to the plurality of erasers and writing implements.

5. A stationery kit according to claim 4, wherein the further stationery items are provided in one or more of the eraser holes.

6. A stationery kit according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the further stationery items include any of a sheet of writing receiving material, a pencil sharpener, a pencil un-sharpener, a crayon, and a stylus.

7. A stationery kit according to any preceding claim, wherein one or more of the holes is shaped to enhance grip of the writing implements by the erasers.

8. A stationery kit according to any preceding claim, wherein each eraser is any of a polyhedron, a sphere, a human or animal figure, or fruit shaped.

9. A stationery kit according to claim 8, wherein each eraser is a platonic solid.

10. A stationery kit according to claim 9, wherein each eraser is a tetrahedron or a cube.

11. A stationery kit according to any preceding claim, which kit comprises two or more erasers having different shapes.

12. A stationery kit according to any preceding claim, wherein the kit comprises a container in which the erasers and the writing implements are disposed.

13. An eraser comprising a plurality of holes, which holes are configured to fit ends of writing implements whereby a structure comprising the plurality of erasers and writing implements can be constructed.

14. An eraser according to claim 13, wherein the holes have a width in the range 3mm to 20mm.

15. An eraser according to claim 14, wherein the holes have a width in the range 5 to 10mm.

16. An eraser according to claims 13 to 15, wherein the holes have a depth in the range 3mm to 20mm.

17. An eraser according to claim 16, wherein the holes have a depth in the range 5mm to 10mm.

18. An eraser according to any one of claims 13 to 17, wherein the holes have a circular, square, hexagonal, or other multi-sided polygon cross-sectional shape.

19. An eraser according to any one of claims 13 to 17, wherein the holes have an oval or heart shaped cross-sectional shape or a cross-sectional shape to fit a custom-made or novelty writing implement.

20. An eraser according to any one of claims 13 to 19, wherein the holes comprise a tapered side.

21. An eraser according to any one of claims 13 to 20, wherein the holes comprise one or more ridges.

22. Use of the eraser according to any one of claims 13 to 21 to construct a structure by inserting ends of writing implements into the plurality of holes.

23. A method of forming a structure using a plurality of erasers according to any one of claims 13 to 21 by inserting ends of writing implements into the plurality of holes of each eraser.

24. A puzzle comprising the stationery kit according to any one of claims 1 to 12 and a representation of a target structure to be constructed by a user.