Patent Application
20230348141
The present invention relates to a method and means of packaging educational sets, in particular, to the packaging for construction sets, puzzles, board games, and other learning kits.
Patent U.S. Pat. No. 1,804,927A: Container for construction toys and like sets (1928) describes a container for children's construction toys and like sets, which, more specifically, is a box with a sliding tray or trays of a certain thickness in which molded recesses are made to accommodate the exact dimensions of the corresponding elements contained in the construction set.
Patent U.S. Pat. No. 3,777,882A: Multi-tray instrument case (1971) describes a container for storing surgical instruments. The container is a box with flat panels, or trays, of a certain thickness, each of which consists of a layer of elastically deformable plastic foam with cutout areas matching the dimensions of each instrument that enable the instrument to be held tightly in place.
Patent U.S. Pat. No. 4,711,348A: Container for product samples (1986) describes packaging for small-sized consumer product samples used in direct mail advertising or in direct sampling of products, for which perfume or cosmetic samples are distributed to the consumer. The packaging is a type of ribbed envelope, or flat cardboard box, with overlapping lid panels. The container includes a porous foam material with selected portions removed to form product sample-receiving compartments. A distinctive feature of the packaging is that when it is open the decorative and informational graphics are applied in such a way that both the product samples and the accompanying graphics and text are simultaneously visible.
Patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,223A: Insert having part numbers or the like printed at the bottom of retaining recesses (1993) describes an insert for a tool box drawer. The upper layer of the insert is compressible material, such as foam, that has cut-out portions, with each cut-out portion being in the shape of the silhouette of the item or tool to be retained therein. The lower layer of the insert has information printed thereon and visible through the cut-out portions. The user sees the information contained in the insert for a tool box drawer and understands which cut-out portion corresponds to its tool.
Patent U.S. Pat. No. 7,410,053B2: Layered tool holder with visible identification (2004) describes a container, or tool holder, for storing a variety of tools and other devices, and the method of forming the tool. The container is formed from flat panels composed of at least two layers of material that have different thicknesses and cutout areas in the shape of the silhouette of each tool to be retained therein. In addition, a marker for tool identification is clearly visible next to each cutout. After use, the tools are returned to their designated cutout space in the container thereby enabling the user to determine easily whether all the tools are in place.
The closest to the present invention prior art is patent U.S. Pat. No. 6,554,675: Method of packaging toy building elements and packaging for exercising the method”, 1998, LEGO, describes a method for packaging elements of the popular Lego children's toys for building a comparatively complex toy model comprising a number of associated model sections, with each model section consisting of a number of Lego building elements. The preferred embodiment is that the basic elements for building each individual model section are packaged in a separate bag. The accompanying construction manual can be subdivided to show how to build each model section. Therefore, the relatively complex task of assembling the entire model is divided into several easier operations insofar as each individual model section consists of a relatively small number of elements, and it is considerably easier for the user to take the necessary elements from a limited number of elements rather than from all elements included in the construction set.
However, the packaging method described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,554,675 has disadvantages that could limit the versatility of a construction set:
By contrast, the method and means disclosed in the present application for packaging such construction sets stipulates the rigidly ordered placing of parts in a container using the graphic identifier corresponding to each individual building element which can be found on the surface of the container that holds the elements of the construction set.
The claimed method and means make it possible not only to find quickly any required part but also to assess instantly whether the set is complete, since each element and its identifier corresponding to it in shape and color are spatially aligned and simultaneously visible, and since the images used as graphic identifiers for individual parts together form the image of a set of parts.
Moreover, the proposed method and means make it possible to assemble sections of variable composition within a construction set. Thus, one set can be used to complete several models from sections that vary from model to model. The pieces from one section do not need to be placed in a separate bag or on a separate tray. Instead, the user can, for example, highlight sections of variable composition with contours of various colors or shapes on the surface of a common lodgment plate, or tray.
Educational sets, including learning kits, board games, and children's construction sets branded as Lego, Megablocks, Fischertechnik, Playmobil, and so on, constitute one of the largest segments of the market for games and educational products. They are in constant demand among families and educational institutions.
A common feature of all kits and construction sets like the aforementioned is that individual models consist of a limited number of standardized elements and differ from one another only in that a model can have a specific number of pieces for the construction of more or less complex models of buildings, devices, characters, robots, and so on. Each construction set usually includes a printed manual, which illustrates the types of building elements, specifies their number and a guide describing how to build the model and indicating the elements required to assemble each model section.
Even a practiced user may find it very difficult to build a model that has the visual and technical characteristics of that illustrated in the assembly instructions. Lego-set themes are one example. They are created by professionals who are highly experienced in industrial design. Many models are comprised of special elements. It is likely that focus groups are used for some models. Title models fit into existing Lego product lines according to theme, such as Star Wars ships, and so on.
The high-level visual and technical characteristics of the models illustrated in the assembly manual are, however, achieved with the help of step-by-step instructions. These assembly guides enable even an inexperienced user to build a sophisticated model. For this reason, together with the fact that the construction process is perhaps somewhat meditative, many children enjoy using step-by-step building instruction to assemble complex models.
However, building a model according to the assembly instructions amounts to more than blind repetition. In our observation, children who make wider use of step-by-step instructions are more successful in independent creative work than those who assemble models without using them. There is probably an analogy with other creative endeavors, namely painting and music. An essential element of art school curricula, for example, is copying paintings by great artists of the past. In doing so, children learn the visual and compositional approaches and techniques of the masters, which helps them to find their own style later on. Similarly, children who use manuals to assemble professionally created models are more likely to master the creator's techniques in graphics, design, and art, which subsequently helps them to create independently.
Therefore, using assembly manuals to build professionally created models is an excellent developmental technique and lesson.
Children strive to have more of this kind of developmental experience. They ask their parents to buy them more construction sets containing complex models for assembly with the help of instruction manuals. In addition, they can trade construction sets with other children. Moreover, children sometimes want to repeat the experience of assembling a model they have already built, perhaps to revive the joy of creating something interesting with their own hands or to repeat a previous learning experience.
However, in reality, one can encounter serious difficulties in each of these three circumstances.
Parents may find many models unaffordable. New construction sets can be so expensive that most families buy them only on special occasions such as birthdays or year-end celebrations.
When a model is completed in accordance with the manual, it is usually taken apart shortly afterward, and its elements are mixed together in a box for storage. After that, it is very difficult to exchange construction sets or build theme models again because it takes too much time and effort to sort out the necessary elements. Small children can find it too difficult, since it is still hard for them to focus their attention on a certain activity for a long time.
The purpose of the present invention is to realize a new method and means of packaging both new and existing mass-market construction toys and educational sets, which may enable the average user to:
The features of the proposed method and means of packaging in accordance with the present invention make it possible to verify quickly and easily, within seconds, the completeness of even the most complex sets.
The proposed method and means in accordance with the present invention also make it much easier to sanitize the building elements before reintroducing them into circulation for further use by other individuals.
The technical result of the present invention is the expansion of the functional possibilities of packaging educational sets. The proposed method and means of the present invention provide at once the following features:
The technical result of using the invention is that the functionality of the packaging for educational kits is expanded and the ergonomic design of the packaging is improved, which makes it possible to solve simultaneously all of the above issues.
This technical result is achieved through a combination of features indicated in the patent claims. Specifically, the means of packaging is a container consisting of at least two parts.
The first part is intended to fix the location of individual parts on its surface and is made with the possibility to prevent displacement of any part along this surface. The first part can be made, for example, in the form of a lodgment plate with cutout portions in the shape of the parts into which said parts are inserted or be made to include small protrusions on a flat surface that prevent the displacement of the parts; or the first part can be made with an adhesive coating. The first part can have both a flat and curved surface of both constant and variable curvature. The first part may be made of cardboard, plastic, wood or any other suitable material, transparent or opaque.
The second part of the packaging means is designed to fix the position of the set of parts on the surface of the first part and is made with a possibility to prevent any and all of these parts from moving away from the fixing surface of the first part. The second part connects to the first part with a standard closure element or by another known method. The second part may be made of transparent plastic or a perforated material or any other material that provides visual identification for the elements placed on the surface of the first part. However, the second part may be completely opaque, in which case it should be fully opened to enable the user to assess whether the set of elements positioned on the surface of the first part is complete. The same layer of the packaging means can function as the second and first parts for the other layers that are placed below and above respectively, in which case the container would consist of more than two parts.
The surface of at least one of these parts contains graphic identifiers, or images, the shape and color of which correspond to the relevant building element. The location of the identifiers and the location of the parts in the packaging means are positioned in such a way that when visually reviewing the educational set, each of its parts is visible simultaneously with its identifier, and they are perceived together as a whole.
In the preferred embodiment, the packaging means is a container with at least one lodgment plate in the sockets of which, according to a given pattern, the parts of the set are located, each of which corresponds to a separate realistic image that is spatially aligned with the socket, which is made according to the shape of the relevant part. Together, all the images form a united image of a set of parts.
The packaging means for educational sets containing a large number of elements, such as a construction set for complex models, may contain several lodgment plates. In this case, the distribution of parts over the plates can be carried out in such a way as to ensure the convenience of sequential assembly of the corresponding sections of the model.
The benefits of the present invention are as follows:
A more complete understanding of the present invention may be acquired by referring to the accompanying drawings which illustrate the substance and embodiments of the invention when considered in conjunction with the description.
One of the embodiments of the method and means of packaging a construction set is shown in
The packaging means is a container 1 that includes a lodgment plate 3, which is preferably made of a transparent material, such as polycarbonate, methylmethacrylate, or transparent silicone with a thickness of 3-5 mm. The container 1 may have from one to several such plates 3.
In plate 3, the pockets 4a, 4b, and 4c are 2-4 mm deep and in the shape of parts 5a and 5c, and other elements of the same set not shown in
Beneath the transparent lodgment 3, at the bottom of the container 1, is an identification layer 2, which is a sheet of paper or a thin sheet of plastic-like material with realistic images of the building elements printed or embossed on it. Each image on the identification layer 2 matches its corresponding building element in shape and color. The images of the elements on the identification layer 2 are arranged so that the outline of each image is matched perfectly with the outline of the pocket 4 designed to hold the corresponding element on the lodgment plate 3. The user inserts the building elements into the pockets 4 on the lodgment plate 3, ensuring that each element inserted into the corresponding pocket is identical with the image visible exactly under the pocket. As a result, the view of the complete set of elements placed on the lodgment plate 3 is identical with the image of the set of elements on the identification layer 2.
The lodgment plate 3 is covered from above with a relief cover or lid 8, made of a thin transparent material, such as polyethylene terephthalate, so that the protrusions in the lid correspond precisely in size and shape to the elements of the building set, which have been inserted into the pockets on the lodgment tray 3 corresponding to the image on the identifying layer 2. Thus, the raised portion 9a of the cover is positioned on the protruding larger portion of the element 5a inserted into the pocket 4a and placed above the image 6a of the element 5a. The raised portions 9b and 9c shown in
The cover, or lid, 8 can be attached to the lodgment plate 3 with any closure element (not shown in the drawing) that is widely used for plastic packaging for consumer goods, food containers, and stationery. The locked cover, or lid, 8 prevents the building elements from moving out of their cutouts regardless of the container's orientation.
In another embodiment of the invention, the identification layer 2 with the images of the construction set elements, may be on the bottom of the container. However, if the packaging is comprised of two or more stackable containers similar to those described above, each of the containers should have its own identification layer showing images similar to those described above 2.
The user is provided with the packaging means which includes one or more containers with an assortment of building elements arranged on a lodgment plate and covered with a transparent cover that makes it possible to see all elements at once and each element individually. The cover is easily removed by unlocking the standard closure elements. The building elements, which are in their designated pockets are not mixed together but arranged in a manner that makes it easy to assess whether the set is complete and to assemble the model. Additionally, the elements are not firmly fixed in their pockets and may be removed effortlessly.
Any fully assembled model can be disassembled, and the user can return each element to its respective pocket on the identification plate 3, guided by the graphic identifier for each element in the set. If the identifiers depicting the image of the building elements are directly beneath the lodgment layer, then the image of each element is positioned precisely below its pocket and clearly visible, making it even easier to return the educational set to its original state.
When all elements are in place, the cover, or lid, is placed on top of the lodgment layer. The cover is then locked using the closure elements, which fixes the building elements in place so that they cannot move about. In this way, the construction set is prepared for storage, reuse, or sanitization. Moreover, the educational set is effectively ready for rapid at-a-glance verification as to whether the set is complete.
The container 1, which is made of paperboard or another material suitable for use as packaging material, includes the lodgment tray 3 which has cutouts, each of which is in the shape of the corresponding building element. The lodgment plate can be made of a flexible material, such as polyethylene or polyurethane foam, or of a rigid material, such as wood and plywood.
The lodgment plate 3 is placed on top of the identification layer 2, which represents the surface for the elements arranged on the sheet, the relative position of which is fixed by the specified lodgment plate. In one of the embodiments, shown in
A different embodiment of the graphic identifier calls for the image of each element to be placed on the upper surface of the lodgment plate and adjacent to the cutout for each element.
As shown in
Another method for achieving precise spatial alignment between any building element and its corresponding graphic identifier is shown in
In respect of the embodiments of the invention described above, it is understood that that lodgment plates similar to those shown in
Similarly, in the embodiment described in
As shown in
In
The embodiments for the means used for packaging of educational sets described above should not be construed as limiting any patent claims of the invention. Various changes and additions which are obvious to specialists in the art can be introduced without exceeding the scope of the invention.
This application claims the benefit of the World Intellectual Property Organization application Ser. No. PCT/RU2020/000577 filed 2020 Oct. 30 by the present inventor.
