TECHNICAL FIELD
The subject disclosure relates generally to a waterproof book and puppet combination.
BACKGROUND
While there have been children's books used in aqueous environments, the construction of embedding a puppet in a waterproof book opens the risks of water reaching the interior portions between pages. The water that remains inside of the pages could cause mold and build up of other bacteria, which may be harmful to children and adults alike.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail, wherein like reference numerals refer to identical or similar components or steps, with reference to the following figures, wherein:
FIG. 1 illustrates the waterproof book and puppet combination according to this subject disclosure in an open position.
FIG. 2 shows FIG. 1 in a closed position.
FIG. 3 demonstrates a back cover of FIG. 2 in the closed position.
FIG. 4 portrays the back cover of FIG. 1 in the open position.
FIG. 5 illustrates an exploded view of a front cover of FIG. 1.
FIG. 6 depicts an exploded view of a middle page of FIG. 1.
FIG. 7 shows an exploded view of the back cover of FIG. 1.
FIG. 8 demonstrates an exploded view of a puppet assembly disposed in the back cover of FIG. 1.
FIG. 9 portrays a first step in making the waterproof book and puppet combination.
FIG. 10 depicts a second step in making the waterproof book and puppet combination.
FIG. 11 illustrates a third step in making the waterproof book and puppet combination.
FIG. 12 shows a fourth step in making the waterproof book and puppet combination.
FIG. 13 portrays a fifth step in making the waterproof book and puppet combination.
FIG. 14 demonstrates a sixth step in making the waterproof book and puppet combination.
FIG. 15 depicts a seventh step in making the waterproof book and puppet combination.
FIG. 16 shows an eighth step in making the waterproof book and puppet combination.
FIG. 17 illustrates a ninth step in making the waterproof book and puppet combination.
FIG. 18 portrays a tenth step in making the waterproof book and puppet combination.
FIG. 19 demonstrates an eleventh step in making the waterproof book and puppet combination.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Particular embodiments of the present invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the figures.
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrates an exemplary waterproof book and puppet combination 10. The waterproof book and puppet combination 10 includes a book 20 having a plurality of pages 40, 50, 60. A finger puppet assembly 80 is attached by a watertight seal 69 to the back cover or last page 60 in the book 20. Various apertures 48, 58, 68 are provided in the pages 40, 50, 60 into which the puppet 80 can extend through so that a narrator reading the book 20 can animate the puppet 80 during the narration of the book 20 in an educational and entertaining manner. A portion of the narrator's hand can be disposed along the back side of the puppet assembly 80 and can move their hand in the puppet 80 to animate the puppet assembly 80 during the narration.
FIGS. 3 and 4 demonstrate an opposing view of the waterproof book and puppet combination 10. The puppet assembly 80 is attached to the last page 60 of the waterproof book and puppet combination 10 in a watertight manner. To accomplish this, the back cover 60 may have a central aperture 68. The puppet assembly 80 may be sealed in the central aperture 68 of the back cover 60 via the inner seal 69, which will be described in greater detail below.
Although the puppet assembly 80 is shown as a generally tubular geometric shape fitting a user's finger, it is to be understood that the puppet assembly 80 may take any suitable geometric shape or size for a user to manipulate and animate. For example, the puppet assembly 80 may be shaped to accommodate an adult or child user's entire hand.
FIG. 5 is a detailed exploded view of the construction of the front cover 40 of the waterproof book and puppet combination 10. The front cover 40 may have a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sheet 42, a layer of polyurethane (PU) foam 44, and a polyethylene (PE) sheet 46. The PVC sheet 42 provides the book pages 30 with a material that is waterproof. Furthermore, the PVC sheet 42 retains the ability to create a waterproof seal (as similarly shown at 63 in FIG. 18) when edges 43 of the PVC sheet 42 high frequency welded. The layer of PU foam 44 provides the book pages 30 with a soft material, which protects the user and the child. The PE sheet 46 is a semi rigid material adapted to provide stiffness to the front cover 40 of the waterproof book and puppet combination 10. As shown, the PE sheet 46 may have a layer of PU foam 44 on either or both sides. Similarly, there may be PVC sheets 42 on either or both sides of the PU foam 44 and PE sheet 46. Each of these layers and sheets 42, 44, 46 may have a central aperture 48 to allow the puppet assembly 80 to fit therethrough.
FIG. 6 is an exploded view of a middle or intermediate page 50 of the waterproof book and puppet combination 10. The middle page 50 is similar to the front cover 40 in construction but may not obtain the rigidity from the PE sheet 46. More specifically, the middle page 50 may have a PVC sheet 52 for waterproofing and a layer of PU foam 54 for a soft feeling material. Similarly, the PVC sheet 52 and PU foam layer 54 may have a central aperture 58 disposed therein to allow the puppet assembly 80 to fit therethrough.
FIG. 7 shows an exploded view of the back cover book page 60 with the puppet assembly 80 prior to the waterproof installation of the puppet assembly 80. The back cover 60 is similar to the front cover 40 in construction but may further include the puppet assembly 80. More specifically, the back cover 60 may have a puppet assembly 80 as described below, a PVC sheet 62 to retain waterproofing and an inner seal 69 (FIG. 19), a layer of PU foam 64 to maintain the soft feeling material, and a PE sheet 66 to provide rigidity to the back cover 60 of the book assembly 20. Similarly, the PVC sheet 62, PU foam layer 64 and PE sheet 66 all may have the central aperture 68 to allow the puppet assembly 80 to fit therethrough.
FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the puppet assembly 80 of the waterproof book and puppet combination 10. The puppet assembly 80 may have a terry cloth outer material 82, a jersey backing first layer 84, a jersey backing second layer 86, an end of the jersey backing second layer 85, an adhesive film 88, a terry cloth ring 90, and a non-woven material ring 92. The various layers are connected to each other to define the puppet assembly 80 shown in FIG. 7.
The adhesive film 88 may be selected from a variety of different adhesives, such as for example, an adhesive film having a composition of 100% or less thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU). It is to be understood that any type of adhesive may be used as long as the adhesive film on the top surface of the terry cloth and the bottom surface of the non-woven fabric ring 92 creates the water proof inner seal 69 against the PVC sheet 62.
The non-woven fabric ring 92 creates a flat/rigid platform to help locate and fix the puppet assembly 80 easily inside the book assembly 20 for mass production. Furthermore, the non-woven fabric ring 92 may be made of polypropylene or any other non-woven fabric that provides rigidity to help locate a base of the puppet assembly 80 inside the book assembly 20 during mass production. The non-woven material ring 92 may have protrusions 93, which provide further rigidity to the non-woven material ring and more surface area to attach other materials thereto.
FIGS. 9-19 illustrate the step by step process for constructing the waterproof book and puppet combination 10.
More specifically, FIGS. 9-16 show steps 1 through 8, during which the puppet assembly 80 is constructed.
FIG. 9 shows that the terry cloth outer material 82 is bonded to the jersey backing first layer 84 to create a first intermediate assembly 101 in the shape of a pocket. In other words, the terry cloth outer material 82 and the jersey backing first layer 84 are interconnected such that the two materials become one integral unit, the first intermediate assembly 101. For example, the terry cloth outer material 82 may be bonded to the jersey backing first layer 84 via lamination and/or any other suitable bonding technique, including, but not limited to welding, pressure or adhesives.
FIG. 10 demonstrates that the terry cloth ring 90 is bonded to the non-woven material 92 to create a second intermediate assembly 102. For example, the terry cloth ring 90 may be laminated or otherwise bonded to the non-woven material 92.
FIG. 11 portrays sewing (as depicted by arrows and dashed lines) the terry cloth outer material 82 and jersey backing first layer 84 assembly to the terry cloth ring 90 and non-woven material 92 assembly. In other words, the first intermediate assembly 101 is sewed to the second intermediate assembly 102 to create a third intermediate assembly 103.
FIG. 12 depicts inverting by flipping the terry cloth outer material 82, jersey backing first layer 84, terry cloth ring 90 and non-woven material 92 assembly outside-in.
FIG. 13 illustrates sewing the end 85 of jersey backing second layer 86 to the outside-in terry cloth outer material 82, jersey backing first layer 84, terry cloth ring 90 and non-woven material 92 assembly. In other words, the jersey backing second layer 86 is sewed to the third intermediate assembly 103 to create a fourth intermediate assembly 104.
FIG. 14 shows flipping the terry cloth outer material 82, jersey backing first layer 84, terry cloth ring 90, non-woven material 92, and jersey backing second layer 86 assembly inside-out using a hole opening 87 in 2nd jersey backing. More specifically, the fourth intermediate assembly 104 may be flipped inside-out using the hole opening 87 in the jersey backing second layer 86.
FIG. 15 demonstrates pulling the jersey backing second layer 86 down and securing the hole 87 closed. The hole 87 may be hand stitched 87a closed.
FIG. 16 portrays pushing the jersey backing second layer 86 upwards and into the puppet assembly 80 and applying an adhesive film 88 to the terry cloth ring 90 and the non-woven material ring 92 to complete the puppet assembly 80.
FIG. 17 demonstrates step 9, during which the book pages form a waterproof seal around the periphery of the various pages prior to installation of the puppet assembly in the center aperture.
FIG. 17 depicts aligning the PVC sheet 62, the PU foam sheet 64, the PE sheet 66, another PU foam sheet 64 and another PVC sheet 62. FIG. 17 further depicts bonding peripheries of the PVC sheets 62 together to create the back cover 60, such that the PU foam sheet 64 and the PE sheet 66 remain therein. For example, PVC sheets 62, PU foam 64 and PE sheet 66 may be bonded through high frequency welding. High Frequency welding is a process during which different layers are treated with a high-frequency of radio waves to heat to the melting point and form a melted layer of the two layers. The parts are then pressed together and allowed to cool and bond. Other methods of bonding the PVC sheets 62, PU foam 64 and PE sheet 66 may include lamination, adhesives, ultrasonic welding, during which high-frequency ultrasonic acoustic vibrations are applied to create a solid-state weld, and other suitable methods of waterproof bonding.
Although not shown, the front cover 40 may be constructed in the same method depicted in FIG. 17, using the PVC sheet 42, the PU foam sheet 44, the PE sheet 46 another PU foam sheet 44, and another PVC sheet 42.
FIG. 18 shows the puppet assembly 80 being secured into the central aperture 68 of the back cover 60. FIG. 18 contemplates using high frequency welding of all layers around the center aperture 68 around the puppet assembly 80.
In particular, FIG. 18 further illustrates the assembly of the puppet assembly 80 into the rear cover 60 of the book 20 and the high frequency weld (HF) process that is applied to the periphery of the puppet assembly 80 and the rear cover 60 of the book 20 (as shown by arrows and dashed lines) to seal the puppet assembly 80 therein in a watertight manner so that a liquid cannot be transferred from the puppet assembly 80 to within the interior of the book cover 60.
FIG. 19 shows completion of the high frequency weld process at the inner seal 69 that has been formed adjacent to the central apertures 68 of the waterproof book and puppet combination 10.
The illustrations and examples provided herein are for explanatory purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims. It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that changes or modifications may be made to the above described embodiment without departing from the broad inventive concepts of the invention. It is understood therefore that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiment which is described, but is intended to cover all modifications and changes within the scope and spirit of the invention.
Patent Grant
10549211
