Patent Application
20070060401
The invention relates in general to magician's attributes, with which a magician can perform magic tricks.
It is commonly known that sleight-of-hand magicians are capable to amuse their audience with magic tricks, wherein they make use of magician's attributes, i.e. objects that they let, for example, disappear or “conjure up”, or objects that they use as aid in performing the trick, such as the well-known top-hat and the magic wand. This applies to professional magicians, but also to amateurs, and even to children, in which case the magician's attributes can be regarded as toy. Especially for this latter target group, there are boxes in the market, with a collection of magician's attributes in it.
Essentially, a magic trick comprises the actual trick as well as a show element. In the field of magic tricks, innovation usually takes place in the creative area, by magicians, usually the professional magicians, changing the show element of their act. Furthermore, there is however a technical innovation possible by changing the magician's attributes, so that new magic tricks become possible or magic tricks known per se can be performed in another way, or that another show effect is possible.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a technical innovation in this field, consisting of an adaptation of magician's attributes known per se and adding a new magician's attribute, and enabling new magic tricks to be performed or, in any case, the show element of known tricks to be renewed, whereby the amusement amount for the audience is increased.
Performing magic is a nice activity for children. Certainly when they control a particular act well, children can experience much pleasure when they can proudly show their arts. However, it may be that a child has some shyness to perform a magic trick, if that means that “everyone is looking at him”; thus, a form of stage fright. The invention aims at providing a solution for this problem as well.
To that end, magician's attributes according to the present invention are at least partly implemented fluorescently, and the present invention provides a so-called “black light” lamp, with which the fluorescent magician's attributes can be lit while performing a magic trick. The magician can now perform his trick in the dark, in which case only the magician's attribute are visible for the audience. This adds an extra attraction element to the magic act. Moreover, for children with some degree of stage fright, the present invention offers the advantage that the magician himself is not visible.
These and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained by the following description with reference to the drawings, in which same reference numerals indicate same or similar parts, and in which:
the FIGS. 2A-D schematically show examples of magician's attributes;
The FIGS. 2A-D schematically show examples of magician's attributes 10, mutually distinguished by the addition of a letter.
According to the present invention, the magician's attributes 10 are implemented fluorescently. This can be achieved by a magician's attribute 10 being made of a material that is fluorescent, for example a synthetic material with a fluorescent additive, or being provided with a material over which a fluorescent layer is applied, for example a synthetic material with a fluorescent paint. Since fluorescent materials are known per se and are usable in implementing the present invention, it is not necessary to discuss details of the composition of such fluorescent materials. It suffices to notice that fluorescent materials have the properties to absorb light of a particular wavelength and to emit light of another wavelength, wherein this other wavelength is typically larger than the wavelength of the absorbed light. By absorption of photons having the said particular wavelength, atoms or molecules of the material attain an excited state, and when falling back to the ground state, they emit photons having lower energy content. In the magician's attributes 10 according to the present invention, use is preferably made of fluorescent materials being sensitive to ultraviolet light, and at least partially emit the absorbed energy by means of photons in the visible part of the spectrum.
The light emitted by the fluorescent materials will hereinafter also be indicated by the phrase “fluorescence light”, and the wavelength thereof will hereinafter also be indicated by the phrase “fluorescence wavelength”; it is noted that this is a material property of the fluorescent material concerned.
Special effects are attained if the fluorescence wavelengths of two different magician's attributes 10 mutually differ.
A magician's attribute can be completely made of the fluorescent material, or be provided with a fluorescent layer over its entire surface. However, this is not necessary: in a particular embodiment, a magician's attribute is only partially fluorescent, and the other part is non-fluorscent. It is also possible that a magician's attribute has different parts with mutually different fluorescence colours.
In another embodiment, for example a dice may have a surface with a first fluorescence colour and dots with a second fluorescence colour.
A single magician's attribute may have three or more fluorescence colours.
In addition to the said magician's attributes 10, a magician's box according to the present invention further comprises a black light lamp 20. Herewith, a lamp is meant that is suitable for emitting light in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum, and which emits no (or at least very little) light in the visible part of the spectrum. The combination of at least partially fluorescent magician's attributes 10 and the black light lamp 20 will be indicated as kit.
Preferably, the black light lamp 20 is suitable to function on batteries, so that no wires are necessary.
Preferably, the black light lamp 20 is adapted to emit light in a bundle with a predetermined aperture angle, with a relatively small apical angle, so that the bundle is relatively narrow. Advantageously, the black light lamp 20 can have an elongated shape, resembling a pen.
The kit further comprises a stand 30 for the lamp 20.
In a favourable embodiment, the stand 30 is foldable, so that it takes up less space in the box 1.
At 1, it is shown that a user places the lamp 20 in the stand 30, as explained above.
At 2, the lamp 20 is shown, placed in the stand 30. An aureole 22 originating from the window 21 symbolises the invisible light emitted by the lamp 20.
When a magician uses the kit according to the present invention, the surprising effect at its audience is larger if one can not see the lamp 20. The magician may perform his acts on a table or desk, on which he puts the stand 30 with the lamp 20: the stand 30 largely hides the lamp 20 from view. However, the stand itself is well visible, and that is less desired. In a preferred embodiment, the kit therefore comprises a work platform, in which the lamp 20 can be positioned sunk down separately or together with the stand 30.
To that end, a professional magician can make use of a table or desk or the like, with a compartment sunk down in the top surface. Such an embodiment, which is not illustrated, is also an embodiment of the invention. In the embodiment described now, the box 1 itself is suitable as work platform, as shown at 3. The box 1 has a top surface 41 with a compartment 42 sunk down in it. A side 43 of the box 1 can be folded to a position in which the side 43 is substantially perpendicular to the top surface 41, and projects above that top surface 41, and thus, seen from the audience, forms a background for the top surface 41 functioning as work platform. This side 43 functioning as background may be provided with a text or picture, as illustrated.
Finally, at 4, it is shown that a magician sits behind the box 1, with the lamp 20 placed in the sunk compartment 42, and has a magic wand 10D in his hand, which magic wand has a fluorescent part 12 at its end, as discussed in the preceding. Typically, the magician will perform his act in a darkened room, so that the audience does not see him, but only sees the “glowing” end 12 of the magic wand 10D, as well as possible other “glowing” attributes 10 that the magician will use in his act.
It will be clear to a person skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments discussed in the preceding, but that several variations and modifications are possible within the protective scope of the invention as defined in the attached claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1029941 | Sep 2005 | NL | national |
