Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PORTABLE PUPPET THEATER
Field of the invention
[0001] The present invention generally finds application in the field of board
games and particularly relates to a portable puppet theater.
Background art
[0002] Structures in the form of a puppet theater, simply referred to
hereinafter as "theater", designed for use by children and adults, for
entertainment and education of an audience of children of various ages, are
known in the field of board games.
[0003] In order to emulate a real theater experience, the theater must be
composed of a given number of basic components which are designed to be
later assembled in the place in which the theater will be used.
[0004] A need felt by the users of such object is its portability, i.e. the
possibility to assemble and disassemble and easily carry the theater from one
place to another and when traveling, with no risk of damage and loss of
essential components.
[0005] A further need is to minimize dimensions hence the entropic impact
on the relevant space, e.g. a child's room, especially when it has a small
size.
Indeed, such objects typically have a bulky and permanent structure, and are
not easily transportable.
[0006] This need can be only fulfilled by accepting small sizes but also using
the foldable structures that can be orderly stored in a generally flat
container.
[0007] U52837863 and US1600554 disclose portable puppet theaters
comprising a carrying case and a structure in the case to assemble the puppet
game. The structure comprises side walls, a rear curtain, a roof and a front
portal, which are joined together by tabs and also by fastening means.
[0008] In U52837863, the rear curtain, which is used to conceal the
puppeteer, hangs from a telescopic rod, which is fixed in through holes of the
side walls and both the case and the foldable structure are formed from a
cardboard blank with various fold lines. Furthermore, the case has handles
attached to its blank.
[0009] One drawback of this prior art portable theater is that it is
relatively
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complex and has 3D parts used to form both of the foldable structure and the
case.
[0010] US2368188 discloses a theater that comprises a box-like element
obtained from a flat die-cut blank with pre-fold lines and a separate sheet
for
the floor, which can be coupled to the bottom of the structure by means of
tabs
fitting into slots. The theater has a book applied proximate to the rear wall,
with
pages changing by rotation about a spiral.
[0011] No container is provided in this theater, and once the parts of the
structure have been disassembled, they cannot be stored and protected during
transport, which involves the risk of loss and damage.
[0012]
US3961426 discloses a portable theater comprising a base, hinged
and folding side and bottom walls, a front portal, a base and a series of side
panels or curtains. The latter hang from rod-like support elements whose ends
may rest on the recesses formed along the upper edges of the side walls of
the foldable structure.
[0013] KR20100008300 discloses a theater having a pair of side walls and
a front wall hinged together to form a foldable structure that is adapted to
alternate from a collapsed configuration to an upstanding configuration.
Furthermore, in the upstanding configuration, the side walls are joined to the
front wall by resilient support means that are adapted to hold the structure
in
the upstanding configuration.
[0014] Once again, in the latter cases, no container is provided to store the
various parts of the theater and facilitate transport and protection thereof
as it
is being transferred from one place to another.
Technical Problem
[0015] In view of the prior art, the technical problem addressed by the
present invention may be deemed to be the provision of a compact and easily
transportable portable puppet theater having a very simple and effective
structure.
Disclosure of the invention
[0016] The object of the present invention is to solve the aforementioned
problem by providing a portable puppet theater that is highly efficient and
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relatively cost-effective.
[0017] A particular object of the present invention is to provide a theater
that
takes up a very little space, while providing all the features of a typical
puppet
puppet theater.
[0018] These and other objects, as more clearly explained hereinafter, are
fulfilled by a portable puppet theater as defined in claim 1, which comprises
a
pair of side walls and a front wall having a central opening designed to face
the audience, a plurality of inner walls defining one or more sceneries and a
curtain, a substantially horizontal cover element, which is adapted to cover
said side walls and said front wall in a substantially vertical position, said
side
walls and said front wall being hinged together to form a foldable structure
that
is adapted to alternate from a collapsed configuration with said walls in
mutually overlapping relationship, and an upstanding configuration with said
walls at right angles and substantially vertical, and vice versa.
[0019] The cover element is in the form of a lid with a flat central portion
and
edges folded upwards to receive therein said inner walls and said load-bearing
structure in the collapsed configuration, said cover element being adapted to
be turned upside down with its edges facing downwards and contacting said
side walls and said front wall in the vertical position, said flat central
portion of
said cover element having a plurality of slits to allow said inner walls to be
removably introduced therein from the top to positions facing said central
opening.
[0020] In one embodiment as shown and described, the slits are
substantially parallel, a series of rear slits are designed to receive th3e
sceneries and a front slit of the cover element is designed to receiver the
curtain.
[0021]
Conveniently, the slits extend to a length that is slightly greater than
the width of the inner walls to facilitate introduction thereof from the top
into
the corresponding slits.
[0022] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the inner walls have appendages at a top
edge thereof, which extend beyond the ends of the slits to rest on the flat
portion and hold the inner walls that have been introduced into the slits in a
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hanging state.
[0023] In one embodiment as shown in the figures, the slits of the series
designed to receive the sceneries are suitably spaced apart from the slit
designed to receive the curtain to facilitate the introduction of one or more
puppets.
[0024] Preferably, the front wall and the side walls of the foldable structure
are formed from a unit panel of a sheet material, such as cardboard,
plastified
paper or a plastic laminate, which is suitably die-cut and formed with fold
lines
to define adjacent mutually hinged partial panels that can be folded upon
themselves.
[0025] Advantageously, in the vertical configuration, the partial panels have
corresponding upwardly extending tabs adapted to fit into corresponding slots
formed in the flat portion of the cover element to stabilize the foldable
structure
with its side and front walls in the upstanding configuration.
Brief description of the drawings
[0026] Further features and advantages of the invention will be more
apparent from the detailed description of a preferred, non-exclusive
embodiment of a portable puppet theater according to the invention, which is
described as a non-limiting example with the help of the following drawings,
in
.. which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the portable puppet theater of the
invention in the upstanding configuration;
FIGS. 2 and 3 are front and rear perspective views of the theater
respectively;
FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the theater of Fig. 1;
FIGS. 5 to 7 are plan views of the theater of Fig. 4;
FIGS. 8 and 9 are perspective views of the puppets of the theater of Fig.
1;
FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the theater of Fig. 1 and the
container;
FIG. 11 is a plan view of a detail of the theater of Fig. 7.
Detailed description of a preferred exemplary embodiment
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[0027] Particularly referring to the figures, there is shown a portable puppet
theater, generally designated by numeral 1, which is designed for use by by
users such as children and adults for entertainment and education of an
audience of children of various ages.
5 [0028] As shown in FIG. 1, the theater 1 comprises a pair of side walls
2, a
front wall 3 having a central opening 4 which is designed to face the
audience,
a plurality of inner walls 5 defining one or more sceneries 5A and a curtain
5B,
and a cover element 6, which is adapted to cover the side walls 2 and the
front
wall 3.
[0029] As is known per se, the side walls 2 and the front wall 3 are
substantially vertical and hinged together to form a foldable structure 7
which
is adapted to alternate from a collapsed configuration with the walls 2, 3 in
mutually overlapping relationship, and an upstanding configuration with the
walls 2, 3 at right angles and substantially vertical, and vice versa.
[0030] As used hereinafter, the term "collapsed configuration" is intended to
designate a folded configuration in which the side walls 2 and the front wall
3
of the foldable structure 7 overlap to form a folded flattened structure
during
storage to minimize bulk.
[0031] In addition, as used hereinafter the term "upstanding configuration"
.. is intended to designate a configuration in which the theater 1 forms a
deployed
structure for use, which is vertically arranged, substantially orthogonal to a
support surface.
[0032] Advantageously, the front wall 3 and the side walls 2 of the foldable
structure 7 are formed from a unit panel 8 of a sheet material selected from
the group comprising cardboard, plastified paper or a plastic laminate or a
similar material, as long as it has high ductility properties.
[0033] Furthermore, the unit panel 8 is suitably die-cut and formed with fold
lines 9 to define adjacent mutually hinged partial panels 10 that can be
folded
upon themselves, to alternate from the collapsed configuration to the
upstanding configuration.
[0034] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the partial panels 10 may
be at least four in number, a first pair of adjacent partial panels 10A
defining
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the front wall 3 and a second pair of end partial panels 10B being adapted to
define the pair of side walls 2, as shown in FIG. 7.
[0035] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, as shown in the figures,
the unit panel 8 has a bottom edge 11 and a top edge 12. In the upstanding
configuration of the theater 1, the top edge 12 faces upwards, and the bottom
edge 11 rests on a support surface, the latter not being shown.
[0036] Preferably, the fold lines 9 of the partial panels 10 may extend from
the bottom edge 11 to the top edge 12 and orthogonal thereto.
[0037] In a peculiar aspect of the invention, the cover element 6 is in the
.. form of a lid with a flat central portion 13 and edges 14 folded upwards to
receive therein the inner walls 5 and the foldable structure 7 in the
collapsed
configuration and is adapted to be turned upside down with the folded edges
14 facing downwards and contacting the side walls 2 and the front wall 3 in
the
upstanding configuration.
[0038] Furthermore, the flat central portion 13 of the cover element 6 has a
plurality of slits 15 to allow the inner walls 5 to be removably introduced
therein
from the top to positions facing the central opening 4.
[0039] Thus, as best shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the cover element 6 is also
suitably die-cut and formed with fold lines 9 to define the flat central
portion 13.
It shall be noted that the edges 14 are folded at right angles to the central
portion 13.
[0040] Advantageously, in the upstanding vertical configuration, the partial
panels 10 of the foldable structure 7 have corresponding upwardly extending
tabs 16 adapted to fit into corresponding slots 17 formed in the flat central
.. portion 13 of the cover element 6 to stabilize the foldable structure 7
with its
side walls 2 and front wall 3 in the upstanding configuration.
[0041] In the illustrated embodiment, the tabs 16 are formed on the top edge
12 of the unit panel 8 and each partial panel 10 comprises a respective tongue
16 aligned with the corresponding slot 17 when the foldable structure 7 is in
.. the upstanding configuration.
[0042] In particular, the slots 17 are formed proximate to the fold lines 9 of
the cover element 6, between the flat central portion 13 and the folded edges
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14 such that, in the upstanding configuration, the cover element 6 will not
extend beyond the side walls 2 and the front wall 3, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.
[0043] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the plurality of slits 15 of the cover
element 6 are substantially parallel, and the cover element 6 comprises a
series of rear slits 15A designed to receive the sceneries 5A and a front slot
15B designed to receive the curtain 5B.
[0044] Alternatively, the slits 15 may also not be parallel, without departure
from the scope of the present invention.
[0045] Conveniently, the slits 15 extend to a length Ii that is slightly
greater
than the width 12 of the inner walls 5 to facilitate introduction thereof from
the
top into the corresponding slits 15.
[0046] Furthermore, the inner walls 5 have appendages 18 at a top edge
thereof, which extend beyond the ends of the slits 15 to rest on the flat
central
portion 13 and hold the inner walls 5 that have been introduced into the slits
15 in a hanging state.
[0047] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the appendages 18 are large enough to
extend the length of the inner walls to a length 13 which is slightly greater
than
the length Ii of the slits 15, to prevent the inner walls 5 from slipping into
the
theater 1 as they are being introduced into the slits 15.
[0048] It shall be noted that, in the upstanding configuration of the foldable
structure 7, as shown in FIG. 1, with one inner wall 5A fully introduced into
its
respective slit 15A, the appendages 18 do not extend beyond the fold lines 9
of the flat central portion 13 of the cover element 6.
[0049] In the embodiment as shown in the figures, the slits 15A of the series
designed to receive the sceneries 5A are suitably spaced apart from the slit
15B designed to receive the curtain 5B to facilitate the introduction of one
or
more puppets 19 between the curtain and the scenery.
[0050] As is known per se, the central opening 4 has a substantially
rectangular shape and comprises dimensions adapted to allow the user of the
theater 1 to introduce one hand and facilitate the introduction of the puppets
19 between the curtain 5B and sceneries 5A.
[0051] In an alternative embodiment of the invention, not shown, an
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additional series of openings may be formed in the side walls 2 and at the
bottom edge 11 of the unit panel 8, for the puppets 19 to be dynamically
positioned and moved without exposing the hands of the user to the view of
the audience through its central opening 4.
[0052] The puppets 19 may comprise substantially L-shaped figures with an
elongate body 20 having a strip 21 of flexible material extending therefrom,
with one end 21' adapted to fit into longitudinal slots 22 to hold the strip
21 in
a position perpendicular to the elongate body 20 and to retain the puppet 19
or hold it in an upright configuration, as schematically shown in FIGS. 8 and
9.
[0053] Alternatively the elongate body 20 of the puppets 19 may fit into the
slots 17 of the cover element 6 and the strips 21 may be retained by the
longitudinal slots 20, resting on the flat central portion 13, which will
prevent
them from falling into the theater 1.
[0054] In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the puppets 19 are
printed on a 2D sheet medium, but different media may be also used, such as
3D prints, without departure from the scope of the present invention.
[0055] According to a particular aspect of the invention, the theater 1
comprises an outer container consisting of a base box 23 adapted to receive
therein the cover element 6 which in turn stores the foldable structure 7 in
the
collapsed state, the inner walls 5 and the puppets 19, as shown in FIG. 10.
[0056] Also, an upper box 24 is also provided, which is designed to be
closed on the base box 23 for orderly transport of the theater 1 in a theater
form without no risk of loss or damage of its essential components.
[0057] Thus, the theater 1 will take up very little space, while providing all
the features of a typical puppet theater.
[0058] Preferably, the outer container may contain editorial material
selected from the group comprising stories, scripts, paper accessories for
customization of the puppets or other equivalent material adapted to fulfill
the
purposes of the stories that will be proposed.
[0059] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIG.
11, the first pair of panels 10A defining the front wall 3 may be equipped
with
reinforcement means 25 adapted to hold the coplanar panels 10a in an
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upstanding configuration, to thereby prevent the theater 1 to undesirably
alternate from the upstanding configuration to the collapsed configuration.
[0060] The reinforcement means may comprise a strip of a sheet material
25A with ends adapted to fit into buckles or pockets 25B formed on each of
the adjacent partial panels 10A of the first pair.
[0061] In operation, the theater 1 is assembled as follows.
[0062] First the upper box 24 is detached from the base box 23 to allow the
user to access the container, and then the puppets 19, the inner walls 5 and
the foldable structure 7 are removed from the cover element 6.
[0063] Later, the foldable structure 7 is deployed from a collapsed
configuration with the walls 2, 3 in mutually overlapping relationship, to an
upstanding configuration with the side walls 2 at right angles to the front
wall 3
and the bottom edge 11 of the unit element 8 resting on a support base.
[0064] The cover element 6 is turned upside down with the folded edges 14
.. facing downwards and contacting the side walls 2 and the front wall 3 in an
upstanding configuration, such that the tabs 16 of the first pair of adjacent
panels 10A and the second pair of end panels 10B will fit into the respective
slots 17 of the cover element 6.
[0065] Now, the curtain 5B will be simply introduced into the front slit 15b
of
the cover element 6, the sceneries 5A will be introduced into the
corresponding
rear slits 15A and the puppets 19 will be mounted by fitting the end 21' of
the
strip 21 into the longitudinal slots 22 of the elongate body 20 to arrange it
on
the support surface.
[0066] Alternatively, a different assembly sequence may be also used,
without departure from the scope of the present invention.
[0067] For example, once the foldable structure 7 has been deployed, the
strip of sheet material 25A may fit into the reinforcement means 25B to hold
the coplanar partial panels 10A in the upstanding configuration.
[0068] It
will be appreciated from the foregoing that the theater 1 fulfills the
intended objects and particularly has a compact and easily transportable
configuration and a very simple and effective structure.
[0069] The theater of the invention is susceptible of a number of changes
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and variants, within the inventive concept disclosed in the appended claims.
[0070] While the theater has been described with particular reference to the
accompanying figures, the numerals referred to in the disclosure and claims
are only used for the sake of a better understanding of the invention and
shall
5 not be intended to limit the claimed scope in any manner.
[0071] Reference herein to "one embodiment" or "the embodiment" or
"some embodiments" indicates that a particular characteristic, structure or
element that is being described is included in at least one embodiment of the
inventive subject matter.
10 [0072] Furthermore, the particular characteristics, structures or
elements
may be combined together in any suitable manner to provide one or more
embodiments.
Industrial applicability
[0073] The present invention may find application in industry, because it can
be produced on an industrial scale in the field of board games.
