Patent Application
20230282127
Many people love playing with modeling compound, such as Play-Doh, because forming it into any desired shape encourages creativity and imagination, and exercises their sense of touch and use of their hands. Many parents of people love it when the people play with an interactive board that includes concepts that people need to learn, such as the alphabet, numbers, and/or simple words that identify common things, such as dogs and cats. These interactive boards typically involve a picture of the concept, such as a letter, a number, or a word, on or adjacent a button. When the person pushes the button, the interactive board says the letter, number or thing associated with that button. In this manner, the person learns how to identify the letter visually and aurally.
Thus, there is a need for an apparatus that combines these two popular mechanisms for playing and learning.
In one aspect of the invention, an apparatus for assisting an education includes a housing having a surface and an interior; at least two receptacles disposed on the surface of the housing, at least two electrical circuits, and a controller disposed in the housing's interior and coupled with the at least two electrical circuits. Each receptacle is configured to identify an idea, and each idea is related to the other idea identified by the other receptacle. For example, the idea identified by each of the at least two receptacles could be a letter of the English alphabet, a number, and/or an animal that lives in Africa. Each of the at least two electrical circuits includes a set of leads disposed in a respective one of the at least two receptacles and each of the set of leads is operable to close the respective circuit when electrically conductive modeling compound is inserted into the receptacle and contacts both leads. In response to the closure of one or more of the electrical circuits, the controller performs a function, such as generating a sound that mimics a person saying the idea identified by the receptacle that corresponds with the closed electrical circuit. For example, the sound generated could mimic a person saying the letter, and/or number that corresponds with the receptacle, or mimic the sound made by the animal that corresponds with the receptacle.
With the ability to insert electrically conductive modeling compound into a receptacle of the apparatus, a person can use his/her hands and imagination while playing with the apparatus. And with the ability to generate aural and/or visual feedback when the electrically conductive modeling compound contacts the leads in the receptacle, a person can learn necessary concepts in such a way that he/she is more engaged. This helps the person retain the idea just learned, and have a deeper understanding of the idea. This is especially true when the receptacle is configured to form a 3-dimensional display of the idea in the electrically conductive modeling compound, that a person can view when the person withdraws the modeling compound from the receptacle. For example, the receptacle may be configured to identify the letter “A” by including a relief of an apple in the bottom of the receptacle. When the person inserts electrically conductive modeling compound into the receptacle, the controller generates a sound that mimics a person saying “A is for Apple”, and when the person withdraws the modeling compound from the receptacle the person includes a 3-dimensional display of an apple. Thus, the person is more engaged when learning the letter “A”, how to say it, and how it's used.
In another aspect of the invention, a method for assisting an education includes: 1) inserting electrically conductive modeling compound into a receptacle of a group of at least two receptacles, each of the at least two receptacles configured to identify an idea, each idea being related to the other idea identified by the other receptacle, 2) coupling, with the electrically conductive modeling compound, a set of leads disposed in a respective one of the at least two receptacles, each set of leads being included in a respective one of at least two electrical circuits, wherein when the set of leads is coupled with the electrically conductive modeling compound, the electrical circuit that includes the set of leads closes, and 3) performing, with a controller, a function in response to the closing of the electrical circuit.
The apparatus 10 also includes at least two electrical circuits (not shown), each of which includes a set of leads (here two) that are disposed in a respective one of the receptacles 12. The leads are discussed in greater detail in conjunction with
With the ability to insert electrically conductive modeling compound into a receptacle of the apparatus 10, a person can use his/her hands and imagination while playing with the apparatus 10. And with the ability to generate aural and/or visual feedback when the electrically conductive modeling compound contacts the leads in the receptacle 12, a person can learn necessary concepts in such a way that he/she is more engaged. This helps the person retain the idea just learned, and have a deeper understanding of the idea and concept.
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The apparatus 10 also includes a handle 18 to allow a person to easily hold onto the apparatus 10 when in use or when the apparatus 10 is being carried to different location. In addition, the apparatus 10 includes a switch 20 to energize (turn on) the circuits disposed inside the apparatus's housing. When the electric circuits are energized, contacting a set of leads in a respective one of the receptacles 12 with electrically conductive modeling compound will cause the controller to perform its associated function. When the electrical circuits are not energized—i.e. the apparatus 10 is turned off—then contacting a set of leads in a respective one of the receptacles 12 with electrically conductive modeling compound will not cause the controller to perform its associated function. The apparatus 10 also includes a holder 22 (here four) in which a person can store electrically conductive modeling compound when the modeling compound is not being used.
The leads 30 may be configured as desired. For example, in this and other embodiments, each set of leads 30 includes two leads 30a and 30b for the receptacle 12 representing the letter “A”, or 30c and 30d for the receptacle 12 representing the letter “Z”. Each of these leads 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d is an access point for a single electrical circuit that is associated with a respective one of the receptacles 12, and thus associated with the idea represented by the respective receptacle 12. For example, one of the set of leads 30a and 30b is disposed in the receptacle 12 that represents the letter “A”. The electrical circuit that these two leads 30a and 30b allow access to is unique to the receptacle 12. When the apparatus 10 is turned on, the electrical circuit that includes the leads 30a and 30b is energized. Electricity does not yet flow through the circuit, though, because the distance in air between the leads 30a and 30b is great enough to prevent electricity from jumping from the lead 30a to the lead 30b. In this state the electrical circuit is open. However, when electrically conductive modeling compound contacts both leads 30a and 30b, the modeling compound electrically bridges the gap between the leads 30a and 30b and closes the electrical circuit. Electricity then flows through the circuit signaling the controller to perform its function.
Other embodiments are possible. For example, one or more sets of the leads 30 may include more than two leads 30a and 30b, or 30c and 30d disposed in a respective one of the receptacles. This may be desirable to allow two or more electrical circuits to be associated with a respective receptacle 12 and thus allow two or more functions to be independently triggered when electrically conductive modeling compound is inserted into the receptacle.
Each receptacle 12 may be configured as desired to identify an idea. For example, in this and other embodiments, each receptacle 12 (only three labeled for clarity) includes a perimeter that is shaped to look like the idea identified by the receptacle 12 and configured to extend into the interior of the apparatus's housing 14 (
The surface 40 of each receptacle 12 may be configured as desired to provide the 3-dimensional, visual display. For example, in this and other embodiments, the surface 40 is confined to the bottom of the receptacle 12; the surface 40 is not included in the perimeter of the receptacle 12. In addition, the surface 40 includes the 3-dimensional, visual display in relief—i.e. protruding out of the surface 40 and toward the housing's surface 16. In other embodiments the surface 40 includes the 3-dimensional, visual display in intaglio or counter-relief—i.e. protruding into the surface 40 and away from the housing's surface 16. In either configuration, the 3-dimensional, visual display generated in the modeling compound inserted into the receptacle 12 can be easily perceived and felt by a person after withdrawing the modeling compound from the receptacle 12.
The preceding discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. Various modifications to the embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/US22/18751 | Mar 2022 | US |
| Child | 18049218 | US |
