Patent Application
20120015068
The present invention relates to methods for processing and devices for use with moldable materials such as moldable clays, moldable synthetic materials, natural moldable materials, and edible moldable materials.
Moldable materials including various types of natural and synthetic clays, edible materials such as cookie dough, and modeling compound such as Play-Doh (Registered Trademark of Hasbro, Inc.) and Model Magic (Registered Trademark of Crayola LLC) are very popular over a wide age group. Numerous other forms of moldable materials exist.
Considering the large quantities of related products sold throughout the world, there is always a strong market pull for new, different, and unusual toys or other devices that can be used with moldable materials, especially for products targeted at children. Many parents desire for their children to play with toys that include an educational element along with a creative element. Therefore, there have been many toy devices using letters and forms to help teach children the alphabet, words, and the like. The prior art has also taught a wide variety of devices that allow children to form moldable material into a variety of shapes and objects.
Extruders are one type of toy and are used to force a relatively unshaped form of moldable material through an opening or set of openings with a die or die set to create moldable material in various cross-sectional shapes.
Various extruders for use with moldable materials have been previously described. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,157,933 to Boggild et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,476 to Ventura, U.S. Pat. No. 6,602,066 to Heayes, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,275,924 to Kreuzer all disclose various toy extruders intended for use with soft moldable materials such as modeling compound to form strips or other elements having a variety of different cross-sections. The collective art teaches different methods for designing the extruder and that a plurality of dies may be employed to enable a child to remove and replace a die having a differently shaped opening whenever a different design or shape of molded article is desired.
In U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 20090311385 to DuFaux and 20090309251 to DuFaux and Belisle, each incorporated herein by reference, certain new devices and methods for forming moldable materials are disclosed. An embodiment of those applications includes methods to create forms of moldable materials that incorporate a high level of detail throughout the form, including complex forms that combine more than one color to create forms with letters, numbers, words, and other graphics. In some cases, these forms need to be cut in order to observe the detail inside of the form and/or further processed by flattening or stretching while preserving detail. Some products, such as modeling compound, are designed to be used by children and therefore need to be cut with a cutter that is safe for children. Devices that are safe to use and create modified forms and smooth cuts in the modeling compound do not exist.
It is desirable to be able to easily modify and process moldable forms to reduce the length or change the shape of the molded piece with devices that are safe to use for children. When cutting, the device needs to cut the moldable forms cleanly, such that the cut section does not deform. When modifying form, it is desirable to be able to easily compress segments of extruded materials into predetermined shapes with a device that is safe to use for children and compresses the moldable forms in a manner such that the detail of the extruded form is at least partially visible in the compressed segment.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved cutting device for moldable materials.
It is therefore another object of the present invention to provide a compressing stamp for moldable materials.
The present invention satisfies these objectives, and provides other advantages as described herein. Improved devices for modifying molded materials are provided.
The present invention provides processes and devices for use with moldable materials such as moldable clays, moldable synthetic and natural materials, and moldable materials that are edible wherein a device of the present invention safely cuts sections of such materials in a manner such that the cut section is not significantly deformed and any detail within the cut section can be clearly observed by an operator. Further, the present invention provides processes and devices safely compresses sections of such materials in a manner such that detail that appears in the section prior to stamping is at least partially visible in the compressed section and such detail within the cut section can be clearly observed by an operator.
In a preferred embodiment, a cutting device is provided for cutting moldable materials such as moldable clays, moldable synthetic and natural materials, and moldable materials that are edible that includes a plastic support and waxed nylon filament.
In another preferred embodiment, a stamping device is provided for compressing moldable materials such as moldable clays, moldable synthetic and natural materials, and moldable materials that are edible that includes a plastic housing and a concave portion that first contacts the segment to be compressed.
The following detailed description of embodiments of the present invention can be best understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings, where like structure is indicated with like reference numerals and in which:
The present invention will now be described with occasional reference to the specific embodiments of the invention. This invention may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.
Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. The terminology used in the description of the invention herein is for describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used in the description of the invention and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. All publications, patent applications, patents, and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities of ingredients, properties such as weight fraction, reaction conditions, and so forth as used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about.” Accordingly, unless otherwise indicated, the numerical properties set forth in the following specification and claims are approximations that may vary depending on the desired properties sought to be obtained in embodiments of the present invention. Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of the invention are approximations, the numerical values set forth in specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. Any numerical values, however, inherently contain certain errors necessarily resulting from error found in their respective measurements.
Devices for modifying and processing moldable forms to reduce the length or change the shape of the molded forms are provided. The devices, systems, and methods may be used to safely and easily cut and/or reduce the length of moldable materials in a way that allows detail in the moldable form to be visible after cutting and/or shaping. Moldable materials including various types of natural and synthetic clays, modeling compound, and edible materials such as cookie dough and candies, and other materials are all suitable to be used with the invention described herein. Hereinafter the term ‘moldable material’ is used generically to refer to all such materials and ‘modeling compound’ is occasionally used as a specific embodiment for convenience, but it should be noted that such embodiments are not restricted to modeling compound and may be applied to other moldable materials.
Referring now to the figures,
This continuous moldable form that is produced is often desired to be cut by the user, in order to produce multiple pieces that each displays the message “HAPPY B-DAY JOE,” for example. Current blade-style cutters available for use by children are not sharp due to safety concerns and greatly deform the modeling compound when used, such that the face of the newly exposed moldable material is deformed. Other cutters made for moldable materials such as scissors and press cutters deform the moldable materials to an even larger extent when compared to the blade-style cutters.
Referring now to
It is noted that the stretched filament 1004 extends past the two opposing members in the direction along the direction parallel to the left extension member 1002 and a right extension member 1003, such that the filament 1004 can completely penetrate and cut a segment of moldable material when laid on a flat surface such as a table.
a) shows a perspective view for an alternative design for a cutter. The cutting device 1100 includes a support 1101 that can be held by the hand of a user that has attached two opposing members extending outward generally parallel to each other, a left extension member 1102 and a right extension member 1103, and a filament 1104 that is stretched between the left extension member 1102 and a right extension member 1103. The cutting device 1100 further includes an optional groove 1110 at the end of the left extension member 1102 and a right extension member 1103. The filament 1104 can be fed through holes included in the left extension member 1102 and a right extension member 1103 and tied in a knot to secure the filament 104 on the cutting device 1100. The space created between the support 1101, the left extension member 1102, the right extension member 1103, and the filament 1104, is the receiving void 1109, that is a clearance to ensure that the moldable material being cut is not deformed during cutting by contacting any solid material.
b) shows the cutting device 1100 from the front, including hidden lines, and shows the support structure 1101, the left extension member 102, the right extension member 1103, the groove 1110, a left feed though hole 1111, and a right feed through hole 1112. The filament 104 is not shown in this image, in order to highlight the left feed though hole 1111, and the right feed through hole 1112.
Referring now to
It is noted that the filament 1204 extends past the two opposing members in the direction along the direction parallel to the left extension member 1202 and a right extension member 1203, such that the filament 1204 can completely penetrate and cut a segment of moldable material when laid on a flat surface such as a table.
b) shows the cutting device 1200 from the right side, which is indicated by the direction B-B in
The filament can be made of a small diameter wire in any material that is strong enough to be stretched across the supports without breaking or stretching. Suitable materials include metal and plastic wire. Preferably, the filament is made from a low friction plastic, including nylon, and coated nylon, such as wax coated nylon, Teflon, polyethylene or a combination thereof. Preferably, the filament is less than 2 mm in diameter, more preferably less than 1 mm in diameter, and most preferably less than 0.5 mm in diameter. The filament may also be made from a thin sheet material. Suitable materials include metal and plastic sheet or foil. Preferably, if a sheet or ribbon is used, it is made from plastic. Preferably, the ribbon is made from polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC, Teflon, ABS, or nylon. Preferably, the ribbon is less than 1 mm in thickness, more preferably less than 0.5 mm in thickness, and most preferably less than 0.25 mm in thickness.
The filament must be taught in order to provide for a clean cut. Preferably, the tension on the filament is at least 0.5 newtons and more preferably more than 4 newtons. Such tension can be imparted during manufacture by fixing one end of the filament to one of the opposing members, then pinching the members together without fracturing one or both, and then securing the other end of the filament to the opposing member. When the pinch is released, the opposing members will return to their rest position and impart some tension on the filament.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a cutting device may be motorized and include a motor, a drive shaft, and a cutting disk that makes contact with the material to be cut.
The cutting disk can be made out of any suitable material, such as metal, plastic, composite, etc. The cutting disk is preferably made of a rigid material, such as metal, hard plastic, or a strong composite material. The cutting disk may be of a serrated tooth design, or it may be of an abrasive design. If a tooth design is used, the cutting disk preferably has at least 4 teeth per cm, and more preferably at least 10 teeth per linear cm of the cutting device (for example, pi times the diameter in cm for a cutting disk). The cutting disk is preferably as thin as practically possible, to minimize the amount of candy that is removed during the cutting process. If a circular design is used, the cutting disk is rotated at about 100 rotations per minute or more, during the cutting process.
Although a circular cutting design is preferred, a linear type of cutting action may be employed as well. Many types of reciprocating type cutting mechanisms exist.
In another embodiment, material is cut using a cutting device that is brought to an elevated temperature. For example a wire may be resistively heated by connecting it to an electrical circuit such that electricity passes through the wire. Preferably this wire has a small diameter, at most about 1 mm in diameter. Larger diameter wires may be used, but they remove and/or displace excessive amounts of material during the cutting process and thus result in less finished product. Heated blades such as a razor blade, knife, roller type blade (e.g., pizza or dough cutter) may be used as well. The inventor has discovered that such designs provide for high clarity in the final product pieces.
The heated cutting device may be made of any suitable material that can withstand the required temperature and force to cut the moldable material, which will vary depending on the type of moldable material, for example by chemical composition, moisture content and/or temperature. Preferably, the material of the cutting device that comes into contact with the candy to be cut is made of metal, thermally conductive plastic, or thermally conductive composite. Preferably, any surface of the cutting device that contacts the material is smooth. The surfaces that come into contact with the material are preferably polished to a mirror finish. This can be accomplished easily, for example by mechanical polishing, electro polishing and/or chemical polishing.
Current stamps available for use by children are limited in form, such that the top of the stamp is either flat or takes the form of three dimensional body that is being created. For example, a stamp of a turtle may be constructed such that when the form is removed from the stamp, it has the overall form of a turtle. These and other stamps available in the Prior Art are not made to compress a segment of moldable material in a uniform manner.
a) shows a representation of a front view of an extruded form 900 made from the billet 800 in
Referring now to
b) is a rear view of the stamp 1300. In this view, the front face 1004 can be seen, along with the first wall peak 1305, the second wall peak 1306, the third wall peak 1307, the fourth wall peak 1308, the fifth wall peak 1309, a wall inner face 1310, a stamp cavity 1311 and a stamp wall 1312. Also shown is indicator lines A-A that indicate a section of the stamp that will be described next.
Referring now to
The face of a stamp that contacts the extruded segment is concave and is preferably a simple radius. The shape of the concave surface can be adjusted to create different features in a compressed extruded segment. For example, it may be desired to compress as uniformly as possible resulting in a compressed extruded segment that maintains as much detail within the extruded segment as possible. Or, it may be desired to slightly deform the detail within the extruded segment such that information about the detail is retained, but the exact form has been lost. An example of this would be apparently stretching or squeezing letters contained in an extruded form such that the overall message is still visible to a user, in a way similar to how Fun House mirrors distort images.
A star shaped stamp similar in shape to that shown in
The stamp was used to compress an extruded form that was generally square in shape when viewed from the front, and had a cross sectional area of 1 square cm, and was 3 cm in length. The extruded form contained 4 blue letters and a yellow matrix. After compressing with the stamp, the letters were clearly visible, with some minor distortion around the outside edges of the letters. The overall form of the extruded segment after compression was similar to the star shown in
Although the invention has been described with respect to specific preferred embodiments for a complete and clear disclosure, the appended claims are not to be thus limited but are to be construed as embodying all modifications and alternative constructions that may occur to one skilled in the art and which fairly fall within the basic teaching therein set forth.
This application claims priority to and incorporates herein by reference the contents of each, in their entirety, U.S. Provisional Patent Application entitled “Cutting Device for Modeling Compound” with Ser. No. 61/365,334 and filed on 18 Jul. 2010 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application entitled “Moldable Material Stamp” with Ser. No. 61/365,759 and filed on 19-Jul.-2010.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61365334 | Jul 2010 | US | |
| 61365759 | Jul 2010 | US |
